System, method and computer program product for generating key performance indicators in a business process monitor
A system, method and computer program product to enable graphical modeling of business processes. KPIs may be defined as part of the design procedure of forming the process. Once defined, the definitions of the KPIs may be included in deployable units and provided to a runtime environment.
1. A computer based system for generating at least one key performance indicator (KPI) while creating a business process, the system comprising:
a communication network;
one or more user devices connected to the communication network, the user devices including displays;
a database connected to the communication network;
an interface for receiving business data from one or more business operating systems for storage in the database;
a design module for creating the business process through a design procedure comprising a plurality of steps, the design module adapted to:
receive user input from a user at the user device during each of the steps of the design procedure, wherein the system at each of the plurality of steps automatically uploads the KPI related to the business process such that the KPI is selected at the same time the business process is created in the design module,
create a plurality of links to business data based on the KPI; and
create a deployable unit based on the business process and the KPI;
a first integration server connected to the communication network to receive and to execute the deployable unit in a runtime environment to obtain a report and to present the report via the display; and
one or more brokers configured to route the deployable unit to and from the integration server.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising storing the report.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the business process includes a plurality of steps.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the KPI applies to one of the steps of the business process.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of KPIs apply to at least one of the steps of the design procedure of the business process.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the design procedure includes fields for entering properties of the KPI.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the properties include at least one of a name, a description, a unit of measure, associated field, and aggregation type.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the aggregation type is one of sum, average of last value.
9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the design procedure includes a field for receiving dimension information.
10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising associating the dimension information with an output field of the step.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the deployable unit comprises an XML document including a definition of the KPI.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the definition includes the properties and dimensions of the KPI.
13. A method for defining at least one key performance indicator (KPI) while creating a business process, comprising:
presenting, through at least one processor, a design procedure comprising a plurality of steps to a user through a user interface to facilitate creation of the business process;
receiving, through the at least one processor, user input during each of the plurality of steps of the design procedure via the user interface to create the business process to be monitored;
presenting, through the at least one processor, a user interface to the user at each of the plurality of steps of the design procedure;
receiving, through at least one processor, user input via the user interface during each of the plurality of steps of the design procedure of the business process, wherein the processor at each of the plurality of steps automatically uploads the KPI such that the KPI is selected at the same time the business process is created;
creating, through the at least one processor, a deployable unit based on the KPI and the business process;
routing, through the at least one processor, with one or more brokers the deployable unit to an integration server; and
executing, through the at least one processor, the deployable unit with the integration server in a runtime environment to produce a report regarding the KPI.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the business process includes a plurality of steps of the business process.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the KPI applies to one of the steps of the business process.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein a plurality of KPIs apply to one of the steps of the business process.
17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising presenting the report to the user via a display.
18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising linking the KPI to data fields.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the deployable unit with the processor also obtains data from a data source based on the KPI.
20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the design procedure includes fields for entering properties of the KPI.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the properties include at least one of a name, a description, a unit of measure, associated field, and aggregation type.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the aggregation type is one of sum, average of last value.
23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the design procedure includes a field for receiving dimension information.
24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising associating the dimension information with an output field on the step.
25. The method of claim 13 , wherein creating the deployable unit includes creating an XML document including a definition of the KPI and providing the XML document to a run-time environment of the processor.
26. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable program code for causing a computer to perform steps of:
presenting a design procedure comprising a plurality of steps to a user through a user interface to facilitate creation of a business process to be monitored;
receiving user input during each of the plurality of steps of the design procedure via the user interface to create the business process to be monitored;
presenting a user interface to the user at each of the plurality of steps as part of the design procedure of the business process;
receiving user input via the user interface during each of the plurality of steps of the design procedure of the business process, wherein a key performance indicator (KPI) is automatically uploaded at each of the plurality of steps such that the KPI is selected at the same time the business process is created during the design procedure;
creating a deployable unit based on the KPI and the business process;
routing with one or more brokers the deployable unit to an integration server; and
executing the deployable unit with the integration server in a runtime environment to produce a report regarding the KPI.
27. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second integration server, wherein the first and second integration servers and the broker are physically or procedurally segregated from the user device.
28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the first integration server and broker are on a protected local area network and the second integration server has an interface to communicate with the user device.
29. The system of claim 1 , wherein the integration server is a logical server representing a physical server and is assigned an identifying name so that the logical server may be assigned to assets in the business process and later changed to the physical server.