Glossary
This glossary provides terms and definitions for the IBM Blueworks Live software and products.
The following cross-references are used in this glossary:
- See refers you from a nonpreferred term to the preferred term or from an abbreviation to the spelled-out form.
- See also refers you to a related or contrasting term.
A
- activity
- A unit of work that is represented as an element of a process, such as a task, a subprocess, a linked process, or a loop. See also event, task.
- activity numbering
- A display of sequential numbers on process blueprint diagram elements, which can be changed after a user adds, removes, or moves elements of a diagram.
- activity stream
- A chronological feed that displays system-generated log of events and user activities in spaces and other artifacts.
- artifact
- An element or component that a user can create or manage within the platform, for example a space, process blueprint, process app, decision, or a policy.
- autosnapshot
- An automatically generated snapshot of a process blueprint, or a decision, that captures its state at specific points in time. Unlike user-created snapshots, autosnapshots are system-generated for version tracking and recovery purposes, allowing users to restore processes to previous states if needed. See also snapshot.
B
- bottleneck
- A place in the system where contention for a resource is affecting performance.
- boundary event
- An intermediate event that is attached to the boundary of an activity. A boundary event can be triggered only while the activity is running, either leaving the activity running or interrupting the activity. See also event, intermediate event, error boundary event, escalation boundary event, message boundary event, timer boundary event.
- BPMN
- See Business Process Model and Notation.
- business glossary
- The controlled vocabulary and associated enterprise-wide information about governance policies and rules that define business semantics that, in turn, reveal or aid the operational needs of the business.
- business process
- A defined set of business activities that represent the required steps to achieve a business objective.
- Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN)
- A standardized graphical notation for creating diagrams of business processes.
C
- canvas
- An area within a dashboard or workspace that users interact with to create, view, and manipulate content and data.
- checklist process app
- A process app that users can use to describe a process as a list and mark completed work items. See also process app, workflow process app, governance workflow app.
- child playback
- A playback of a process that is inside, or linked to, another process.
- conclusion
- A value (for example, "yes" or "no") that is returned when all the considerations of a decision rule are met. This value corresponds to the decision output defined for that specific decision or sub-decision in the decision diagram. See also decision rule, decision table.
- consideration
- A conditional statement within a decision rule that results to "true" or "false". In a decision table, considerations are mapped to data inputs, which inform the type of data that the decision rule must evaluate. See also decision rule, decision table.
- cycle time
- The total time required to complete a process from start to finish: the work time and the wait time of an artifact added together. See also wait time, work time.
D
- data input
- Information that is used to make decisions and sub-decisions.
- decision
- In Blueworks Live, a conclusion that is reached in response to a set of facts. Each decision is visually represented as a decision diagram and usually contains a root decision, sub-decisions, and data inputs. See also decision diagram, decision logic, sub-decision, root decision.
- decision diagram
- A visual representation of a decision that is based on the principles and style in the Decision Model and Notation (DMN). It includes root decisions, sub-decisions, data inputs, and dependency lines. See also decision.
- decision logic
- A set of decision rules within a decision table that is used to make a decision based on specific input data. See also decision, decision rule, decision table.
- Decision Model and Notation (DMN)
- An industry standard for describing and modeling organizational decisions that was published by the Object Management Group to support decision management and business rules.
- decision rule
- A single row in a decision table that represents a single unit of logic. A decision rule consists of one or more considerations and a conclusion. See also decision logic, conclusion, consideration, decision table.
- decision table
- A representation of decision logic. A decision table contains multiple rows of decision rules that share the same logic but apply different considerations and conclusions. See also decision logic, decision rule, conclusion, consideration.
- decision task
- A task in which a business rule or set of business rules is evaluated. See also task, normal task, robot task, service task, user task.
- dependency line
- A line that connects elements within the decision diagram in a top-down fashion.
- discovery map
- In Blueworks Live, a simple view of a process that is made up of milestones and activities. It is used as a way to capture the output of brainstorming sessions for process modeling projects and can later be turned into a more detailed process blueprint or a process diagram. See also process blueprint, process diagram.
- DMN
- See Decision Model and Notation.
E
- end event
- An event that indicates where a process ends. It closes a process flow and therefore does not have outgoing flow paths. See also message end event, error end event, event, start event, normal end event.
- error boundary event
- An event that is triggered by an exceptional condition, such as a system that is unavailable. An error boundary event always interrupts an activity, so it cannot be set to non-interrupting. See also boundary event.
- error end event
- An end event that also produces an error. See also end event, message end event, normal end event.
- escalation boundary event
- An event that passes the flow to another role or swimlane in the process, for example, to a manager, when certain conditions are met. See also boundary event.
- event
- A significant occurrence or trigger that affects the flow of the process. Events can mark the start or end of a process, or they can occur at intermediate points to indicate a change in the process flow. Events do not perform any work themselves but rather signal a transition or a point of interest within the process. See also activity, boundary event, end event, task.
- exception path
- A scenario that features exceptions or error conditions and comprises the sequence of activities that run if not everything goes as expected. See also happy path.
- exclusive gateway
- A gateway that represents a choice between two or more paths, where only one path can be followed. See also gateway, inclusive gateway, parallel gateway.
F
- flow line
- A line or an arrow that connects activities in a process flow diagram.
G
- gateway
- A decision point in a business process which directs the flow of activities based on defined conditions, determining what path is taken through a process. See also exclusive gateway, inclusive gateway, parallel gateway.
- glossary
- A centralized repository of business terms and their definitions that can be shared across processes and spaces. The glossary helps ensure consistent terminology and understanding across an organization by providing standardized definitions for business concepts, roles, systems, and other key terms used in process.
- governance process
- A process that ensures that compliance and operational polices are enforced, and that change occurs in a controlled fashion and with appropriate authority as envisioned by the business design.
- governance workflow app
- In Blueworks Live, a tailored app that is used to manage the review and approval processes of business operations before the processes are published. See also checklist process app, process app.
H
- happy path
- A scenario that features no exceptions or error conditions and comprises the sequence of activities that run if everything goes as expected. See also exception path.
I
- inclusive gateway
- A gateway where one or more paths can be followed. All paths might be taken, but a minimum of one must be taken. See also exclusive gateway, gateway.
- intermediate event
- In Blueworks Live, an event that occurs after a process starts, affecting the flow of the process by showing where messages or delays are expected. It shows exception paths that diverge from the normal flow of a process. See also message intermediate event, boundary event, timer intermediate event.
J
- JIT provisioning
- See just-in-time provisioning.
- just-in-time provisioning (JIT provisioning)
- A mechanism by which a service provider creates a local account that represents an identity asserted by an identity provider during a single sign-on exchange.
L
- license
- A permission or entitlement that grants access to a specific user type.
- linked process
- A stand-alone process that is linked to another stand-alone process. The two processes remain separate, but can be joined together. See also subprocess.
- loop activity
- An activity that is performed repeatedly within a process until some condition is met or is no longer true (like repeatedly requiring a user to enter a password until the correct password is entered), or that must be repeated for a certain number of instances (like repeating the activity of interviewing for every candidate on the list). See also simple loop, multi-instance loop.
M
- message boundary event
- A boundary event that sends or receives a message. See also boundary event, message intermediate event.
- message end event
- An end event that also sends a message. See also end event, error end event, normal end event.
- message intermediate event
- An intermediate event that sends or receives a message. See also intermediate event, message boundary event.
- message start event
- A start event that is triggered when a specific message is received. See also start event, normal start event, timer start event.
- milestone
- In Blueworks Live, a significant phase or checkpoint in the process, where a set of activities are performed or decisions are made. In diagrams, they are represented as vertical sections.
- multi-instance loop
- In Blueworks Live, an activity that must be repeated a specific number of times, such as repeating the activity of interviewing for every candidate on the list. See also loop activity, simple loop.
N
- normal end event
- The default, most basic type of an end event which does not produce any message or error. See also error end event, end event, message end event.
- normal start event
- The default, most basic type of a start event which does not have a defined trigger. See also message start event, start event, timer start event.
- normal task
- The default, most basic type of task. In contrast with other types of tasks, it is not very specific about who performs it or whether it evaluates a decision. See also task, decision task, robot task, service task, user task.
P
- parallel gateway
- A gateway where the activities on multiple paths are performed in parallel. See also gateway, exclusive gateway.
- parent playback
- A playback of the main process which also includes, or links to, its child processes.
- participant
- In Blueworks Live, an individual or team who performs activities or tasks inside a process. Participants are assigned to swimlanes and are responsible for executing activities within those swimlanes.
- path
- A route that a flow can take through the activities in a process. There may be several alternative paths. In contrast to a subflow, it doesn't have to run from start to finish, it can show a part of a process.
- playback
- A step-by-step review of a process, which goes through each chosen path of the process diagram and shows the details of each element and their associated comments.
- policy
- An artifact that contains the rules or guidelines that govern how a process needs to be carried out and have to comply with organizational standards and regulations.
- process app
- An automated artifact that is used to perform and manage tasks through workflows or checklists. Process apps enable users to assign tasks, launch work instances, and complete activities in a structured manner. See also checklist process app, governance workflow app, workflow process app.
- process blueprint
- In Blueworks Live, an artifact that consists of a discovery map and a process diagram. It is a high-level diagram or map of a business process that visually represents the sequence of tasks, decisions, and interactions that make up a process, and helps illustrate the process flow from start to finish. See also discovery map, process diagram.
- process diagram
- A detailed view of a process that shows interactions between activities and the process flow as a whole. A process diagram is based on a discovery map and consists of milestones and activities, as well as alternative paths, swimlanes, events, gateways, and more. See also discovery map, process blueprint.
- process flow
- The representation of interdependencies between activities in a structured format.
- process model
- A representation of a real-time business process. A business process model is composed of the individual steps or activities that make up the process, contains the conditions that dictate when the steps or activities occur, and identifies the resources that are required to run the business process.
R
- robot task
- A task that is performed by robotic process automation tools. Robot tasks click interface elements and interact with data in applications the same way a human performs these tasks. See also task, decision task, normal task, service task, user task.
- root decision
- The top-level decision in a decision diagram that documents the high-level characteristics of the decision. It includes and depends on sub-decisions and data inputs. See also decision, sub-decision.
S
- service ID
- In Blueworks Live, a unique ID at the account level that provides access to Blueworks Live APIs from automated systems, for example systems that generate weekly reports or do monthly backups. When the system calls an API, it can use a service ID instead of authenticating with a user ID and password.
- service task
- In Blueworks Live, a task performed by an automated service. Service tasks use APIs or web services to interact directly with systems. See also decision task, normal task, robot task, task, user task.
- simple loop
- In Blueworks Live, an activity that must be repeated until some condition is met (like repeatedly requiring a user to enter a password until the correct password is entered) or is no longer true. See also loop activity, multi-instance loop.
- single sign-on (SSO)
- An authentication process in which a user can access more than one system or application by entering a single user ID and password.
- snapshot
- In Blueworks Live, a capture of the state of an artifact such as a process blueprint, decision, or policy, at a specific point in time. A snapshot is a read-only version of the artifact and provides a permanent record of the process at that moment. See also autosnapshot.
- space
-
- In Blueworks Live, an access-controlled area within an account where artifacts can be created and organized.
- An access-controlled area within an account where Blueworks Live artifacts can be created and organized.
- SSO
- See single sign-on.
- start event
- An event that indicates where a process starts. The start event begins the flow of the process and does not have any incoming flows; however, it can have a trigger. See also message start event, timer start event, end event, normal start event.
- sub-decision
- A decision that describes how an aspect of a root decision is assessed. Sub-decisions determine the outcome of decisions. See also decision, root decision.
- subflow
- A defined sequence of activities and events that represents one possible path through a process diagram. It can be understood as a "slice" or "thread" through the complete process that shows how work flows for a particular scenario.
- subprocess
- A process that is a part of a larger process. Typically, related activities within a process that are grouped together to hide lower-level complexity of the process. See also linked process.
- swimlane
- A visually separated row within a diagram that groups all the activities in the process that are performed by a particular combination of roles, resources, organization units, or locations.
T
- task
- The smallest unit of work in a process: a single unit of work performed by one person, group, robot, or service. See decision task, normal task, robot task, user task. See also decision task, normal task, robot task, user task, activity, event, service task.
- timer boundary event
- A boundary event that is triggered at a specified time or after a specified amount of time has passed. Timer events are often used to model delays or timeouts in a process. See also timer intermediate event, boundary event.
- timer intermediate event
- An intermediate event that is triggered at a specified time or after a specified amount of time has passed. Timer events are often used to model delays or timeouts in a process. See also timer boundary event, intermediate event.
- timer start event
- A start event that is triggered when a time condition is satisfied. See also start event, message start event, normal start event.
U
- user group
- A custom or default set of users that manages permissions across spaces and accounts. The default user groups mirror the user types and their permissions.
- user service ID
- In Blueworks Live, a service ID that is created by an individual editor to call APIs and can only be used by that specific user.
- user task
- A task that is performed by a human participant or team, not automatically. See also task, decision task, normal task, robot task, service task.
- user type
- In Blueworks Live, a licensed or unlicensed role within a Blueworks Live account that defines permissions and access for a user.
W
- wait time
- Time spent waiting between tasks or spent on for external inputs. See also cycle time, work time.
- workflow process app
- A process app that guides users through a series of steps in a structured process, ensuring they complete tasks in the correct order and manage approval flows including process governance. See also checklist process app, process app.
- work time
- Actual time spent performing tasks. See also cycle time, wait time.