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`HP_1002_0002
`
`

`
`APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS FOR MEASURING, MONITORING, TRACKING
`AND SIMULATING ENTERPRISE COMMUNICATIONS AND PROCESSES
`
`This application is a CONTINUATION of U.S. Patent Application Serial No.
`
`091737,494 ofPromenix, Inc. filed December 15, 2000.
`
`The present invention relates to apparatus and systems for measuring, monitoring,
`
`tracking and simulating enterprise communications and processes. More particularly, the
`
`present invention relates to computer-based apparatus and systems for measuring,
`
`monitoring, tracking and simulating enterprise communications and processes in an
`
`asynchronous messaging environment.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`The activities of a business or enterprise can be grouped into processes. Processes
`
`are business operations that are separated as desired and usually occur across business
`
`units. For example, the process of taking orders and turning those orders into revenue
`
`may be known as Order to Cash. The processes are comprised of sub-processes. For
`
`example, Order to Cash may be broken down into sub-processes such as Receive Order
`
`Inquiry, Provide Customer Quotation, Create Customer Outline Agreement, Create Sales
`
`Order, Schedule Production, Manufacture Product, Ship Product and Invoice Customer.
`
`Each sub-process may in tum be broken down into discrete activities such as providing
`
`customer number, entering that customer number, establishing pricing, determining a
`
`shipping date, etc.
`
`The processes, sub-processes and activities operate, in part, by communicating
`
`information. For example, users may communicate through email. As another example,
`
`HP_1002_0003
`
`

`
`-,,
`
`0
`
`applications may communicate amongst themselves through electronic data interchange
`
`("ED I") and other similar services. Communication occurs horizontally, that is, among a
`
`process, sub-process and activities, as well as vertically, that is, between processes, sub(cid:173)
`
`processes and activities.
`
`Whether communications occur horizontally or vertically, among applications or
`
`users, communications are increasingly asynchronous or message based. That is,
`
`enterprise communications were formerly primarily synchronous, or connection oriented,
`
`in which a connection is established with prior coordination between communication end
`
`points with data then being transmitted over the connection. Enterprise communications
`
`are now increasingly asynchronous, or connectionless, transmitting data without prior
`
`coordination between communication end points, such as through "event based"
`
`communications which use messages to move data instead oflarge files.
`
`Asynchronous or message based communications permit loosely coupled
`
`connections among and between systems because the end points do not have to be
`
`prepared to receive the data when the message is transmitted. Loosely coupled
`
`connections permit more flexibility in assembling processes. Flexibility in assembling
`
`processes is desirable in order to permit quick reaction to changing business conditions: if
`
`a particular sub-process or activity becomes unusable, the process can be reassembled
`
`with a new sub-process or activity. For example, if a Manufacture Product sub-process in
`
`the Order to Cash process at Widget Co. enterprise has a specific factory identified to
`
`manufacture the product and that factory has a fire or other d~saster, making it unusable,
`
`Widget Co. will need to substitute a new factory. The ripple effect of that substitution
`
`among all of Widget Co.'s processes will change any number of parameters. A loosely
`
`2
`
`HP_1002_0004
`
`

`
`,,
`
`rl
`
`coupled asynchronous <;:onnection among Widget Co.'s processes provides rapid
`
`substitution of the new factory for the old because the end points of communication to the
`
`new factory do not have to be predetermined before communications begin with the new
`
`factory. Thus, the flexibility of the asynchronous message based communication has
`
`permitted quick response to changing business conditions.
`
`Despite this flexibility, asynchronous or message based communications are
`
`problematic because of their loosely coupled nature. At any given time, precise
`
`information on the progress of the processes is difficult to obtain -- messages may be in
`
`transit and not instantly locatable. For example, if a customer calls for the status of an
`
`order, an enterprise customer service representative may be able to determine nothing
`
`more than the fact that the order has been received and that the scheduled ship date is X.
`
`There is often no ability to drill down into the information levels and review the status in
`
`more granularity, such as the location of the good, the manufacturing status, etc., because
`
`the information required to review that status is in transit and unable to be reviewed.
`
`Of course, if the enterprise lacks the ability to access status information, business
`
`partners of the enterprise will similarly lack that ability. Thus, asynchronous
`
`communications may well increase inefficiency among business partners as well.
`
`The difficulty in reporting caused by message based architecture also makes it
`
`difficult for the enterprise to measure the efficiency of its processes and their sub-process.
`
`Asynchronous messaging, with its indeterminate transmission of information, means a
`
`company may not be able to easily measure the interval between each sub-process, e.g.
`
`the time between Scheduling Production and the Manufacturing of a Product, and so
`
`easily measure the efficiency of their operations.
`
`3
`
`HP_1002_0005
`
`

`
`rl
`
`Finally, asynchronous messaging may provide an enterprise with an ability to model and
`
`simulate processes. That is, since information flows can be readily estimated through
`
`enterprises with asynchronous messaging, and processes can be easily modeled from those
`
`flows, asynchronous messaging modeling provides the potential to model and simulate
`
`processes. That potential is not realized with present technology, however. Moreover, since as
`
`described above, enterprises lack information on the processes they have implemented, the
`
`enterprises are handicapped in their ability to modify those processes or plan new processes. A
`
`modeling and simulation tool, demonstrating processes, sub-processes and their activity or
`
`granular detail level would be extremely helpful, and would give the enterprise an opportunity
`
`to assemble, test, adjust, and simulate processes and their details.
`
`Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tool for
`
`simulating message based architectures.
`
`It is a further object of the present invention to provide monitoring capabilities for
`
`enterprise processes.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`Figure 1 shows a view of a process.
`
`Figure 2 shows a view of a process of a preferred embodiment.
`
`Figure 3 shows a screen of a preferred embodiment.
`
`Figure 4 shows a screen of a preferred embodiment.
`
`Figure 5 shows a screen of a preferred embodiment.
`
`Figure 6 shows a partial view of a preferred embodiment.
`
`Figure 7 shows a partial view of a preferred embodiment.
`
`Figure 8 shows a partial view of a preferred embodiment.
`
`4
`
`HP_1002_0006
`
`

`
`,,
`
`Figure 9 shows a partial view of a preferred embodiment.
`
`Figure 1 0 shows a partial view of a preferred embodiment.
`
`5
`
`HP_1002_0007
`
`

`
`,.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present invention comprises apparatus and systems for measuring,
`
`monitoring, tracking and simulating enterprise communications and processes in an
`
`asynchronous messaging environment. For each original message sent within a process,
`
`sub-process or activity, the preferred embodiments of the present invention send a
`
`separate monitoring message containing data from the central message repository or
`
`database. This data may include date, time, customer number, materials, quantity,
`
`amount, or other information, and be copied from the original message. Other
`
`embodiments may add data to the monitoring message aside from that contained in the
`
`original message.
`
`This central message repository or database is comprised of information passing
`
`through the enterprise. In effect, the database provides a collection point or an "end
`
`point" for the asynchronous communications, and so allows the flexibility of
`
`asynchronous communications to be combined with the precision of synchronous
`
`communications. The database can be reviewed in any number of ways. For example,
`
`the database can be queried to obtain specific information about that particular order or
`
`customer or could be examined across larger time spans such as days, weeks, or months,
`
`to gauge trends or performance. Of course, some preferred embodiments may wish to
`
`create mirror databases or other databases that can be used in various ways.
`
`An enterprise's information flow can also be readily modeled and simulated
`
`through creating new process, sub-process and/or activities or altering existing process,
`
`6
`
`HP_1002_0008
`
`

`
`sub-process or activities. The information flows from those creations or alterations can
`
`be collected in one or more databases and examined as desired.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
`
`Figure 1 shows a sample process, Order to Cash, which is comprised of various
`
`sub-processes: Receive Order Inquiry, Provide Customer Quotation, Create Customer
`
`Outline Agreement, Create Sales Order, Schedule Production, Manufacture Product, Ship
`
`Product and Invoice Customer. The dashed line arrows connecting the sub-processes are
`
`the communication paths between the sub-processes. In the example shown in the figure,
`
`the sub-processes actually communicate through a messaging broker, such as an IBM
`
`MQSeries component, and the paths to and from the component are identified identically.
`
`This messaging broker permits certain sophisticated messaging uses, such as message
`
`queuing, some data translation, etc.
`
`A messaging component is added to the messaging broker, through methods
`
`known in the art. This messaging component creates a "monitoring" message for each
`
`original message received by the broker. This monitoring message contains, in this
`
`embodiment, specific data generated from the original messages passing between the sub(cid:173)
`
`processes. The monitoring message with its data is then sent from the messaging broker
`
`to a central database repository or database (the terms "repository" or "database" are used
`
`interchangeably throughout.)
`
`The messaging component may be, in some embodiments, or may not be, in other
`
`embodiments, provided by the messaging broker. For example, IBM's MQSeries
`
`messaging broker provides a component that can be configured to perform a copying
`
`7
`
`HP_1002_0009
`
`

`
`function for the messages it receives, and so create monitoring messages for the messages
`
`it receives.
`
`The specific data contained in the monitoring messages (in this embodiment, this
`
`data is copied from the original messages passing between the sub-processes) is
`
`organized into data fields. Those data fields are path specific in this embodiment. For
`
`example, assume a customer calls the enterprise (Widget Co.) whose process is shown in
`
`Figure 1 and asks whether or not Widget Co. has a certain product (Type A Widgets.)
`
`That customer request will begin the Receive Order Inquiry sub-process which will end
`
`with the generation of a Receive Order Inquiry message traveling to the Provide
`
`Customer Quotation sub-process through the messaging broker component. When the
`
`messaging broker receives the message on Path A, it will create a monitoring message,
`
`and send the monitoring message to the central database repository, as shown in Figure 2.
`
`In this embodiment, the data contained in the monitoring message is generated from the
`
`message on Path A. Other preferred embodiments may alter or add data to the
`
`monitoring messages aside from that contained in the original message.
`
`The monitoring message contains, in this embodiment, specific data fields. (Of
`
`course, other embodiments may have different data fields.) Those data fields are:
`
`FIELDS
`
`IDENTIFIERS
`
`PROCESS IDENTIFIER
`SUB-PROCESS IDENTIFIER
`CUSTOMER NUMBER
`PART NUMBER
`QUANTITY
`DATE
`TIME
`
`ProiD,
`SbProiD,
`Custno,
`Partno,
`Qty,
`Date,
`Time
`
`The first field, the PROCESS IDENTIFIER field, provides the identifier for the
`
`process, for example, the value "Order to Cash" because the monitoring message is being
`
`8
`
`HP_1002_0010
`
`

`
`ol
`
`created within the Order to Cash process. The second field, the SUB-PROCESS IDENTIFIER
`
`field, provides the identifier for the sub-process, for example, the value "Inquiry" because
`
`the monitoring message is being created within the Inquiry sub-process. This
`
`embodiment prepopulates these PROCESS IDENTIFIER and SUB-PROCESS IDENTIFIER
`
`fields, with the appropriate values.
`
`The CUSTOMER NUMBER field is assigned to the particular customer generating
`
`the inquiry. The PART NUMBER field is the identifier for the particular part and the
`
`QUANTITY for the particular quantity. DATE and TIME are the data and time the message
`
`is generated. Other message fields for other paths of this embodiment are shown in Table
`
`1. Of course, some, all or none of these fields may be present in other embodiments, as
`
`well as other fields as desired. For example, one or more ACTIVITY IDENTIFIER fields
`
`may be present in monitoring messages in other embodiments.
`
`The monitoring message data populates one information flow or transaction
`
`record ("transaction record.") As monitoring messages progress through any given
`
`process and/or sub-process, the transaction record is updated. Once the monitoring
`
`messages complete the transaction record, all of the information needed to measure that
`
`transaction through the process is contained in one record in the central message
`
`database. (Of course, if the monitoring messages do not fully populate the transaction
`
`record, e.g., the transaction is aborted in mid process, then these abandoned records may
`
`be made available as well with an indication that they were abandoned.)
`
`The central message database can be reviewed in any number of ways, in order to
`
`measure, monitor and track enterprise communications and processes, e.g., to provide
`
`information or generate reports. Using the central message database to provide
`
`9
`
`HP_1002_0011
`
`

`
`..
`
`information or generate reports "off loads" the information access or reporting processes
`
`from the applications that generate messages initially, e.g., sub-processes such as those
`
`seen in Figure 1. This off loading relieves some of the monitoring pressure from the
`
`source applications so that, for example, any queries that might have been made to the
`
`source applications and interfere with or slow down the operation of the source
`
`applications can now be made through the central message database.
`
`The information retrieved from the central message database may include, but is
`
`not limited to, information about any particular order or customer, information about
`
`process efficiency, "snapshot" or time slice information, information across time spans
`
`such as days, weeks, or months, information to gauge trends or performance, etc. Also,
`
`in some embodiments, a "real-time" tool may be used to track the progress of transaction
`
`records and/or processes and use distribution methods such as broadcasting, W AP, etc. to
`
`provide the information to users. For example, if a process such as pipeline capacity for
`
`oil and natural gas transmissions is implemented and monitored through an embodiment
`
`of the present invention, the central message database will constantly broadcast unused
`
`pipeline capacity, which information in turn can be used to sell, trade or barter that
`
`unused capacity. As another example, information about an enterprise's processes can be
`
`made available over an intranet, extranet, the Internet, etc. to business partners or other
`
`entities. One example would be providing information to stock analysts so that they
`
`could track any particular enterprise's productivity or other areas of interest. Another
`
`example would be providing information to actual or potential business partners to check
`
`production capacity, shipping capacity, or other areas of interest. In some embodiments,
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`with regard to external entities, communication channels between the external entities
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`and the enterprise might well be established, so that central message databases exist on
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`both ends of the communication channel.
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`The central message database allows for broader analysis of trends that may
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`include: time between sub-processes, variances by customer, variances by order amount,
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`bottlenecks in the process, etc. For example, it would be possible to determine how many
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`orders stood between Order and Invoice. This may allow for the acceleration of some
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`orders so they could be booked by quarter close. For example, a vendor bottleneck may
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`be identified in the course of review of the processes, sub-processes and/or activities. For
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`example, seasonal variations in processes, sub-processes and/or activities may be
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`identified as well.
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`Of course, some embodiments may create mirror databases and/or generate other
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`databases that can be used by various entities. For example, an enterprise may create a
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`number of central message databases which could track processes, sub-processes and/or
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`activities in whole or part. These databases could also be combined as desired.
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`Monitoring message database(s) may be used, in some embodiments, in various
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`ways, either in addition to or instead of central message database(s.) For example, a
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`monitoring message database or a central message database may be used to generate
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`messages and feedback to the processes, sub-processes, activities and/or applications, as
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`well as to users and/or administrators (herein generally ''users.") Various messages
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`transmitted from sub-process applications such as error messages would generate special
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`monitoring messages which would be added to a message monitoring database. Other
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`events, exceptions, triggers and thresholds, could be tracked as well in various
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`embodiments and be used to signal conditions, problems, etc. by various methods such as
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`"flagged" or specially designated messages or other indicators.
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`Access to the database( s) is, in the preferred embodiments, on a secured or
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`authorized basis, with different users obtaining different levels of access to the data in the
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`database.
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`Figure 3 shows a screen shot of an example of a preferred embodiment where
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`access was made available to a customer over a corporate extranet. The screen shot is of
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`a report, generated through an XML link to the central message database, of that
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`particular customer's orders. In the preferred embodiments, the customer has the option
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`to "drill down" through this screen to other screens for further detail. So, for example,
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`Figure 4 shows a result of one such operation, where the customer had drilled down from
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`the screen of Figure 3. Of course, these records may vary depending on the status of the
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`transaction, that is, whether the transaction is in the middle of the process, at the
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`beginning of the process, etc. Furthermore, other reporting options may be seen
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`depending on the embodiments. Additionally, in some embodiments the user may have
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`the option to drill down further into or past these levels if desired.
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`The preferred embodiments of the present invention also provide a simulation
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`module for business processes. The simulation module makes possible simulation of new
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`processes, their sub-processes and the activities that make up the sub-processes. This
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`provides the enterprise or other user with the opportunity to assemble, test, adjust, and
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`simulate processes before they are integrated into the enterprise.
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`The simulation module of the preferred embodiments provides the ability to
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`assemble simulated processes in two primary ways. The first primary way is through
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`provision of a toolkit or palette of predetermined sub-processes to the user. The user can
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`then choose from that palette of sub-processes to form a process for an organization,
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`which is then used in the simulation as is explained in further detail below.
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`The second primary method of assembling processes is to provide the user with
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`activities, which are the most granular construct of a sub-process. Additionally, more
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`sophisticated users will be given the opportunity to assemble their own activities. Either
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`or both options of this second primary method can be offered in various embodiments.
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`Additionally, the first and second primary methods can be combined in certain
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`embodiments as well.
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`The preferred embodiments permit use of discrete activities among sub-processes,
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`perhaps in an object oriented format, in order to save time and increase productivity.
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`These activities can then be connected to form one or more sub-processes, which in tum
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`can be connected to form one or more processes. The ability to create additional sub(cid:173)
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`processes would allow for the company to add their unique sub-processes to the palette.
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`It should be noted that in other embodiments, the simulation module may be
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`constructed in other ways. For example, preconfigured, industry-specific processes may
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`be supplied that can be altered and/or provided with enterprise specifics.
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`The simulation model is contained, in the preferred embodiments, on a corporate
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`intranet or extranet. The underlying assumption of the simulation model in the preferred
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`embodiments is that the completion of each sub-process will generate a message. So, for
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`example, if a process such as that of Figure 1 is simulated, the completion of the first sub(cid:173)
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`process will generate a message to be sent to the next sub-process, the completion of the
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`next sub-process will generate a message that will be sent to the next sub-process, and so
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`on.
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`Figure 5 shows a process development environment screen for an example
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`process called "Order" of the simulation module. Sub-processes Inquiry, Quote,
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`Agreement, Order, Schedule, Manufacture, Ship and Invoice have been joined together to
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`comprise this process. The sub-processes, in this example, are predetermined and their
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`activities are predetermined. The input and output queue names are identified where
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`appropriate. For example, the output queue name in the Inquiry sub-process is
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`INQUIRY_OUT. That output queue then feeds data into the input queue of the Quote sub(cid:173)
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`process. (These are analogous to Path A in Figure 1.) The base delay provides the initial
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`time of a sub-process. For example, the base delay for the Quote Sub-process is 1 or a
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`time increment of 1. In contrast the Manufacture Sub-process base delay is 48, so that
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`the time increment for the Manufacture Sub-process is 48. The Current Variation shows
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`the Increase/Decrease Variation set by the slider, permitting an increase or decrease in the
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`latency per process and thus permits the user to see the downstream effect of altering
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`each sub-process time. (Other embodiments may use different apparatus and methods as
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`known in the art to vary the latency of the sub-process.) In this example, the total time of
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`the process is obtained by adding each base delay of each sub-process, however, each
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`sub-process may not affect the other in a geometric or logarithmic progression. For
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`example, varying the base delay by one time increment of the Quote sub-process may not
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`lead to an exact one time increment variation in the Scheduling sub-process.
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`Figures 6 through 9 are examples of tools that are used in this embodiment to
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`construct sub-process modules such as those used in Figure 5. For example, Figure 6
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`shows the properties of the Agreement sub-process module, which are the process,