Tibco's Staffware Suite Boosts Productivity

One of Staffware's premier features is its use of process sentinel services. These services use a distributed architecture and monitor each other in a cluster. This means if one process encounters a serious error, it will not negatively affect the entire system. If a sentinel determines that a service has failed, it will restart an instance of that service.

Staffware incorporates an easy-to-use rules engine designed specifically for business users. The rules engine uses an Excel-like spreadsheet that has drag-and-drop capabilities, and the engine does not require users to perform coding when building business rules. If a user needs to evaluate an existing rule, data can be passed from a business process right to the rules engine in realtime and be easily reinserted into the process after evaluation.

Once a rule is built in the integrated Rules Studio, it can be deployed as a Web service or a Java class. A special EAI plug-in is inserted into the business process wherever that rule needs to be called. Once a rule is reached in a business process, data is passed to that rule and is evaluated. Users can configure all properties of steps in a process, arrange how data is passed to specific rules and determine what outputs are pushed along to another step.

Staffware also includes a Process Definer that uses a tool called Process Orchestrator to build runtime routing based on process outputs. This feature does not require process flows to be built at design time. In banking, for instance, when processing user requests for address changes, statement views or credit card payments, Orchestrator will automatically build the process routing for those requests and instantiate all the subprocesses required. Analysts do not have to have a solution for every possible scenario at design time. The software allows them to concentrate on building processes and not on combining them.

Staffware's Process Monitor tool tracks all events in a business process, including user interaction and activity. Users can also add custom entries to the tool's audit trail, create reports on-the-fly, schedule report generation and perform data-mining chores. Built-in key performance indicators (KPIs) allow users to arrange data based on customized criteria. For instance, if a user wants to know how many mortgage applications they processed in a week or a month in a specific region, a set of dimensions can be customized for that view. Alert values can also be set up to alert users when KPIs are outside a preset boundary.

Staffware provides basic integration capabilities using Java Messaging Service (JMS) or HTTP to connect to other systems. While the company maintains that solution providers can use IBM or SeeBeyond integration solutions to extend Staffware's EAI capabilities, it is more likely that customers will work with Tibco's own BusinessWorks integration software, since Staffware relies heavily on a Process Integrator and BusinessWorks' EAI adapters to provide EAI steps in a process.

Although the company claims that adapters can be used like simple data plug-ins, any EAI step requires considerable developer intervention to make connectivity work seamlessly. Ignoring this factor can delay projects considerably, so solution providers must determine how many times data is introduced in processes and what I/O and error handling is required.

To avoid errors, users can add validation or exception handling steps within business processes. Users can also add exception validations and create alternate processes within rules that are triggered by the rules' output. However, in most deployments, business analysts will design, map and write rules for a process while developers are necessary to build these alternate processes and create all the validation up front in an EAI step. Staffware emphasizes the business analyst role in rules and process development, but analysts are only interested in the operation of a business process and most likely are not aware of the intricacies of data manipulation. This fact means that IT staff must get involved in completing the development and building of business processes.

The acquisition of Staffware has allowed Tibco to use its new joint customer base to cross-sell or upsell Staffware and its associated integration products. Tibco's comprehensive Partner Network provides MDF, discounts on training, referral fees and extensive sales and technical support. Tibco also provides product documentation, an extensive knowledge base, user forums and other partner resources on its Web site. Pricing starts at $350,000 for the Staffware Process Suite. Tibco did not disclose average solution provider margin information. CHANNEL PROGRAM SNAPSHOTS
>Tibco Staffware Process Suite

COMPANY: Tibco Software
Palo Alto, Calif.
(650) 846-1000
www.tibco.com
DISTRIBUTORS: Accenture, BearingPoint, Deloitte, EDS
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