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  Features

Metastorm ProVision® is packed with powerful features that enable you to achieve maximum results with your Enterprise Architecture and Business Process Analysis programs.



Navigator

Metastorm ProVision's new Navigator is a special type of modeler that allows you to view and manage Metastorm ProVision's integrated repository. The Navigator provides access to all objects and links constructed within a notebook's constituent models. This is achieved by selecting a given object and progressively disclosing selected associations to other objects in the notebook using the neighborhood function. The Navigator provides for the examination of associations that are constructed across various models. Models by nature reflect a given view within a given context. The Navigator enables you to traverse objects and associations across a wider context than the models where they reside.

Common Interchange Format (CIF)

Today’s enterprises expect interoperability and demand effective collaboration. Metastorm (formerly Proforma) designed the CIF to facilitate the exchange of a wide variety of enterprise information between Metastorm ProVision and related best-of-breed solutions. Customer organizations using CIF can support full traceability between business processes definitions, the rules that manage them, the technical services forward-engineered to implement them, the legacy systems supporting those business processes, and the enterprise repositories that store vital information about those processes. As a result, CIF enables better process management and business agility.

CIF achieves robust interoperability and simultaneously enables BPEL or XPDL to carry both executable semantics and business semantics with traceability. It can stand alone or be embedded into a standard. By embedding CIF, the standard can carry execution semantics, as well as the business semantics and traceability provided by CIF. This value-add allows organizations to execute processes and tie the executable process definitions back to comprehensive business process requirements.

Simulation and Analytics

Metastorm ProVision includes both Monte Carlo and discrete event simulators. They enable you to define unique business case scenarios and perform process simulation and animation with cost, timing and resource analyses for all your workflow models. Each process can contain multiple processing scenarios, allowing an unlimited number of “what if” analyses. Different "what if" analyses can be performed by varying resource allocation, commodity inventories and replenishment levels. The simulator runs a process scenario, so users can visually spot and analyze bottlenecks prior to deploying or automating business processes. Simulation results can be displayed and analyzed in cost and timing spreadsheets and graphs, which can also be migrated to Microsoft Excel for distribution or integration with other spreadsheet applications.
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Dimensions

With dimensions, an enterprise can be modeled at a single point in time. The business model provides a clear, appropriately abstract representation of the enterprise at that point. This model is then leveraged to seed and realize innovation by translating business models into IT artifacts.

But the most effective enterprise model is not simply a snapshot of the enterprise at a point in time. Rather, it is more like a motion picture of the enterprise. It is a model that allows the exploration of innovative change, as well as the ability to analyze actual change over time.

Change appears in many forms. A simple example of representing change is the concept of a version. Versions recognize change based upon innovation over time. Version 2 of a business process reflects changes and improvements over version 1 of that business process. However, versions are only one dimension of change.

An enterprise model often considers locations or areas. Multinational enterprises define their processes (as well as other enterprise artifacts) differently depending upon the area in which the process executes. The U.S. Order Fulfillment process may work equally well across all states in the Union, but may not work well in France . Thus an enterprise needs an Order Fulfillment US , Order Fulfillment France , Order Fulfillment Japan , etc. to reflect the unique cultural, political, economic and sociological differences of each area.

Many other types of dimensions exist naturally. In addition to version and area/location, we see time (e.g. financial quarters), culture (e.g. Asian, European, Middle Eastern), market (e.g. private vs. public) and more. An enterprise model needs to express change (and changes) across numerous dimensions.

Moreover, a single concept can be stratified across multiple dimensions. The Order Fulfillment process was shown to vary by area. Each of the example Order Fulfillment processes may also vary by version. This leads to Order Fulfillment ( JAPAN ,V1) , Order Fulfillment ( JAPAN v2) , Order Fulfillment ( US v1) , etc. An enterprise is a complex entity that requires expressing fundamental concepts such as a single process across multiple, simultaneous dimensions such as area and version.

Metastorm ProVision allows every main object in its meta-model to be stratified across one or more simultaneous dimensions. The dimensions (dimension types) are defined by the enterprise as needed and reused throughout the product. Furthermore, dimensioned objects are not special cases. They are fully functional, first-class objects in Metastorm ProVision – with all rights and privileges.

This means that a Metastorm ProVision user can have a process representing Order Fulfillment ( US v1) and another representing Order Fulfillment ( JAPAN v2). In such a scenario, the processes can have different properties (including different descriptions) and can be defined with profoundly different components. The workflow model (aka process model) for Order Fulfillment ( US v1) may require 25 activities and involve seven organizations where Order Fulfillment ( JAPAN v2) may require 33 activities and three organizations. Both processes represent the same concept – the Order Fulfillment process – but may vary considerably. Furthermore, the component activities within each process can also be dimensioned. Both Order Fulfillment ( JAPAN v2) and Order Fulfillment ( US v1) can do Order Scheduling the same way (using the same activity) but vary in how they complete the order in the field.

Metastorm ProVision makes it easy to reflect the many dimensions of change that are the reality for an enterprise. If the Order Fulfillment ( US v1) process requires a special U.S. activity for completing an order, this activity can be created and used within the model.

Customized Reporting and Analysis

Metastorm ProVision provides a reporting and analysis environment that allows the contents of a Metastorm ProVision repository to be shaped into a form that is most usable for a given situation. This includes standard reporting that the enterprise uses to evaluate projects, monitor processes, etc. or one-time reports to analyze a situation.

Data Exchange and Translator

Metastorm ProVision's Data Exchanges allows you to import and export business and UML/object models with other popular tools. New data exchange modules can be developed easily using the Metastorm ProVision open API based on MS COM (Component Object Model) or XML. Metastorm ProVision currently supports the following Data Exchanges:

*BPEL *Visio *Rational Rose *Together *ERwin *C++ *DDL *MS Project *XMI

Metastorm ProVision's translator function enables you to export Metastorm ProVision models and objects to tabular file formats, such as MS Excel, Microsoft Word, comma-separated value (.csv) files, and XML files. It also makes it possible to import tabular data into Metastorm ProVision.
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Data Collection

You can export object information to a formatted table with no specific data (only template headings for the object and property types), or in a file populated with the objects and properties you selected.

You can import tabular-formatted object information into Metastorm ProVision. You can choose to place the imported data in a specific model or into inventory, which enables you to use it in whatever models/objects you choose.

Repository Analysis

Completeness Checker
Metastorm ProVision includes the completeness checker, which enables you to check one or more models in your open notebook to ensure that their objects and connections are comprehensive and correct. If any model components have been specified incorrectly, or if required information is missing, the completeness checker lists the components that require correction.

Model Comparison
You can use Metastorm ProVision's model comparison facility to identify similarities and differences between models in the same or two different notebooks. To compare a pair of models, select the target notebook to compare against the currently opened (source) notebook. The default setting for the target notebook is also the currently opened notebook. There are many types of comparison that can be performed.

Spell Checker
Metastorm ProVision's spell checker enables you to check the spelling of all objects, links, connections, etc. in one or more models in your open notebook.

Native Modeling Language/Framework Support

Frameworks
Metastorm ProVision contains a wide variety of models and their components, and the software supports many modeling languages such as Zachman, TOGAF, DoDAF, FEA, UML, BPMN - BPEL, Rummler-Brache, and Six Sigma (as well as enabling you to create your own customized language). For this reason, Metastorm ProVision uses frameworks to simplify the navigation process. Simply stated, a framework provides a visual means to move among different modelers as you complete modeling tasks. It divides the modelers into categories, based on criteria specified in the modeling language itself (for example, the Six Sigma modeling language has pre-defined categories) or based on your own criteria.

Gallery of Graphics
Metastorm ProVision's gallery displays pictures, stencils, and objects in a central location. You can create new graphics or import existing ones, store them in the gallery, then reuse them in multiple locations throughout your business models. You can also import graphics into the gallery using the Windows clipboard. You can then add details to your gallery items, and incorporate them in multiple models.

Repository Extensions
You can use Metastorm ProVision's Model XTender to create new objects and links and add them to your modelers. The Model XTender features 150 template objects and 100 template links. You can develop a completely unique modeling component by selecting one of these items and defining its style (such as color, image, font, geometry, and other characteristics) and assigning its properties. The custom objects and links are then immediately recognizable by Metastorm ProVision components, such as modelers, the inventory tree, association grids, interpreters, the translator, and others. After creating custom object and link types, you can assign them to modelers, just as with other objects and links.

Reporting and Publishing

Metastorm ProVision's publisher enables you to generate all or part of your open notebook in a variety of file formats or send it to your default printer. The publisher now uses templates to define the style of the individual objects as they are seen in the final output. It includes the following new features:

Interpreter
You can also use the Interpreter to view and change model information dynamically. This means that you can make changes from either the visual model or the interpreter report. Changes made in one format are automatically shown in the other. The revision to the model component is immediately reflected in both the interpretation and in the model.

HTML Publisher
You can publish a document with one or more models and interpretations in one of three formats: hardcopy to your default printer, to an HTML document (with a compile option), and to a Microsoft Word document.

Crystal Reports
Rather than create a new reporting environment that must be learned by the user, BusinessObjects™ Crystal Reports controls are now integrated into Metastorm ProVision. Crystal Reports is a leading, easy-to-use reporting and analysis tool already in use by many Metastorm customers. This familiar product provides the flexibility to select and analyze data in multiple formats. To optimize performance, Metastorm ProVision works in concert with Crystal Reports to extract only the data needed to create the report. A set of pre-designed sample reports are provided for use. Metastorm ProVision users may employ these reports, customize reports to their own preferences, or design new reports based on their requirements. Those who desire to create or customize reports must purchase a copy of Crystal Reports. Once the desired reports are designed, they can be generated by anyone who has a copy of Metastorm ProVision.

Pre-Defined Reference Models

Metastorm's reference models provide the knowledge base for defining the operations of key business functions. Our pre-built reference models support many different industries, including Finance, Telecommunication, ITIL, Supply Chain and Education. These reference models are based on published standards, industry expertise and practical experience. All the models are stored within a shareable Metastorm ProVision repository, which provides the framework necessary to define and analyze your specific requirements and models.




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