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Process modeling at two miles high
Before I arrived at Quito, Ecuador I thought it was a typo when I saw the elevation is 9300′ (2835 meters) above sea level. But shortly after I arrived the headache of altitude sickness began and it wasn’t so hard to believe.
It’s very exciting for me to be teaching BPMN here in Ecuador. This is my first experience working with a professional translator. I speak some Spanish, but not enough to conduct a process modeling class. Sometimes it’s hard enough to teach in my native English language, so translation to Spanish I left to a professional. Read more »
Process Modeling in South America
Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve added any new posts. I’ve been learning Spanish for the past month, cramming as much as I can, in preparation for my trip to Ecuador. I will be conducting process modeling classes for this week and next in Quito, Ecuador. I’ve had no prior experience with speaking Spanish, so this will be a real challenge. The goal is to leave here in two weeks with enough experience to prepare for an all Spanish BPMN process modeling class. The location for this class? I don’t know yet. Maybe Chile, Ecuador, Mexico City, Venezuela, or maybe even Madrid, Spain. I do know that there is a big demand for process modeling knowledge in Spanish speaking countries.
Surprisingly I’m finding more and more that developing nations are more open to adopting the process development methodologies than what I see in the USA. Maybe it’s because we’re so used to the old ways of business and it’s hard to change? Anyway, I’m enjoying teaching people that are so eager to learn, even if they can’t understand a word I’m saying 
Workflow Application? Or is it a process?
Often I hear from people that are looking to implement a new “workflow application” in their organization. This always gives me a reminder that we (the IT community) have not yet broken through that boundary yet to where everyone understands what is a process and what is an application. Read more »
Intalio releases a new BPMN 1.1 modeler
The new release of the Intalio 5.2 process modeler includes the BPMN 1.1 notation. This modeling tool is a free download, and runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Read more »
What does SOA mean for the process modeling world?
SOA is an acronym for Service Oriented Architecture. SOA is an approach to building software in a way that allows components to be reused across a large organization. So what does this have to do with process modeling? Process modeling involves analyzing all the various participants of a process such as people, systems, and other processes. Often a process modeler will overlook the fact that systems are involved in a process.
BPMN Book Released on Amazon
I am proud to announce the release of The Microguide to Process Modeling in BPMN on Amazon.com on July 16, 2008. Tom Debevoise and I have been working on this project since September, 2007. You might wonder why this book is so short for such a complex topic. We wanted to make the BPMN language accessible to everyone.
First book completed. What’s next?
I’ve heard that most book projects never reach completion. After the first book is completed, most people either stop at one, or continue writing all their lives. As for myself, I’ve started working on book number 2. I expect a release date sometime around January 2009.
You cannot buy BPM. It’s something you do.
Often I talk to people looking for a BPM system in a particular vertical market, such as financial services, insurance, healthcare, or publishing. In the traditional approach to software development I can see where this might be applicable, but in BPM, the market sector has nothing to do with the process model.
BPMN Book due on Amazon in July 2008
Rick Geneva and Tom Debevoise have completed the book titled The Microguide to Process Modeling in BPMN. This book was designed to make the BPMN specification more accessible to those that choose not to read boring technical speak. It provides real-world examples in simple terms that is easy to understand.