Workflows
are the game-changers in the formulation of 4th Paradigm. Almost all aspects of
modern human endeavor involves workflows of one kind or another. Business,
Commercial, Governance, Science and Technologies have always adopted some kind
of workflows. Simple things like changing
the security level on the facebook account to clearing a space-craft
pre-launch test, everything follows a pre-defined sequence of steps or a
workflow. The context, scope and applicability of workflows in complex
businesses like petroleum E&P are wide. Before attempting to address such
complex systems in to a package of “Standard Operating Procedures” or
“Processes & Workflows”, it is necessary to understand what workflows are
and how they manifest.
2. Every step of a workflow transforms the input into the output through a sequence of physical, logical or computational stages.
3. It is an abstraction of the actual work. It can be treated as the LOGICAL representation of the work on a paper through some common notation.
4. In the context of 4th Paradigm Science (Science of 21st century), Workflows are treated slightly more intensely.
This brief description of workflow has emerged from years of working with Workflows in various organization models, commercial processing (e.g. Insurance claim), Industrial shop-floor, Instrumental methods of Science, and Computer Software Development.
When a workflow is taken on to some kind of computer based system and delivered as a solution (either on WWW or on other tools), it grows to describe the various levels of “Business Processes”. A large number of “Business Transformation” exercises aim to relook at the process hierarchy and arrive at a set of workflows and deliver it on some kind of computer platform (commonly SAP or similar ERP).
A hierarchy is now formed. 1) Process Category à 2) Process Group à 3) Process Principal and à 4) Activity. Workflows capture the flow very elegantly and precisely for a well-defined ‘Activity’. Within higher levels above activity, workflows show how orchestration of information flow, assessment, evaluation or decision making process is conducted in achieving collective goals from multiple activities in the context of the process level. Essentially, it is just an aggregation of information embedded in lower-level workflows.
Commercial and Scientific (Engineering) workflows differ in many aspects. Science embarks on Discovery, whereas standard commerce addresses existence. New invoice processing has no new discovery embedded; it makes a SET transformation of input to output. A new airline ticket booking, a new leave application processing, or new inventory order are not expected to result into a new discovery.
Reasons for seeking Untethered workflows are numerous in E&P (being a very complex science, technology, data and inference based deduction).
1. Sequence of steps cannot be defined DEFINITIVELY due to continued changes to processing elements
2. Steps are subject to change with data and analytical results
3. Targets are NOT exactly the same with different runs of the workflow. Analyst (E&P professional) is targeting slightly different result on same data and workflow.
4. Larger amounts of data, which cannot be confided into a precise sequence.
5. Commercial workflows typically are transactional (your invoice processing and then mine), Scientific systems tend to look into entire data (relationships of invoice values with age, sex, rank etc.)
6. Heterogeneous and Distributed techniques (stats or math methods), rendering (graphics) and resources (grids, super-clusters, special software).
It is essential to bring Petroleum E&P with all its sciences and technologies into correct perspective and prepare adopting proper workflows and suitable system tools. Not adopting Workflows today is akin to using snail-mail (post-card) only for communication! But adopting a SAP system to drive E&P is like using a road-roller to go drive everywhere.
Workflow
is –
1. A Sequence of connected Steps
with definitive INPUT -> PROCESS -> OUTPUT. 2. Every step of a workflow transforms the input into the output through a sequence of physical, logical or computational stages.
3. It is an abstraction of the actual work. It can be treated as the LOGICAL representation of the work on a paper through some common notation.
4. In the context of 4th Paradigm Science (Science of 21st century), Workflows are treated slightly more intensely.
This brief description of workflow has emerged from years of working with Workflows in various organization models, commercial processing (e.g. Insurance claim), Industrial shop-floor, Instrumental methods of Science, and Computer Software Development.
When a workflow is taken on to some kind of computer based system and delivered as a solution (either on WWW or on other tools), it grows to describe the various levels of “Business Processes”. A large number of “Business Transformation” exercises aim to relook at the process hierarchy and arrive at a set of workflows and deliver it on some kind of computer platform (commonly SAP or similar ERP).
A hierarchy is now formed. 1) Process Category à 2) Process Group à 3) Process Principal and à 4) Activity. Workflows capture the flow very elegantly and precisely for a well-defined ‘Activity’. Within higher levels above activity, workflows show how orchestration of information flow, assessment, evaluation or decision making process is conducted in achieving collective goals from multiple activities in the context of the process level. Essentially, it is just an aggregation of information embedded in lower-level workflows.
“Workflows, Workflows everywhere and not a
task to innovate” ?!
There
is some difference in the way workflows (and their hierarchic masters – Process
elements) behave in different situations and contexts. SAP (www.sap.com) is a
popular Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system used in many organizations
for managing standard workflows in many non-technical business areas (Finance,
HR, Procurement etc.). Most of the IT programming is devoted to establishing
workflows in commercial systems area. Banks, Airline ticketing, tax payments,
stock-trading etc. demonstrate mature workflow based interfaces and usage. Basic
concepts of workflow and methods of management of workflows in commercial business processes is available
(http://wwwis.win.tue.nl/~wvdaalst/workflowcourse/
).Commercial and Scientific (Engineering) workflows differ in many aspects. Science embarks on Discovery, whereas standard commerce addresses existence. New invoice processing has no new discovery embedded; it makes a SET transformation of input to output. A new airline ticket booking, a new leave application processing, or new inventory order are not expected to result into a new discovery.
- Analysis of a production profile of a well can easily and often spawn a new discovery and pattern hitherto unknown.
- New sample analysis using X-Ray microscopy can lead to a discovery of a new mineral or new composition.
- An experiment in genomics can identify a new epigenetic variation.
- A new scan of the Southern Sky with the LSST telescope may discover a new
planet made of diamonds!
1. Tethered: (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/tethered
) is about workflows that are designed to be “restrictive” holding the flow in
place and allowing a “defined short room” for any changes to the predetermined
course. It holds the flow “in place”. When the activity or task (e.g. invoice
processing or leave approval) has definitive and firm options and flow towards
the logical result, it is designed as a tethered workflow. ERP systems are ingenious
in allowing a wide variety of tethered workflows covering most (if not all)
business, commercial, inventory, logistics and similar processes.
When a sequence of steps is DEFINITIVE and
BINDING with EXACT set of options and RESULTS (Tethered)
2. Untethered:
(untethered - not confined or restricted with a tether unbound - not restrained
or tied down by bonds). Untethered workflows are designed to liberate the
process element and allow ‘controlled variation, to its sequence or approach.
Steps are DIRECTIVE and INTELLIGENTLY
CONDITIONAL with INEXACT set of options and thus VARIABLE RESULTS (Untethered).
The sequence, the nature of options, parameters of running a step, and the
method of screening the further course of action – any or all may change with
the data conditions and the analyst’s judgment – within a broader boundary of
the workflow.
E.g. Invoice Processing – Tethered; Climate
Prediction – Untethered. Task steps could even become abstract and broad
guidance rather than specific directive!
e-Science is a term close to the 4th
Paradigm wherein, the various steps in Science are carried out through a
workflow addressing –- The steps and flow are formally defined using established notations and structures
- Standards for Quality assessment at each step and across the entire workflow are specified and often measured within the workflow
- Workflow is amenable for analysis and assessment (e.g. Petrinets)
- Integrate with necessary process (Numerical – Math/Stats/Graphics, Instrumental – DCS/SCADA, Physical, Communications etc.)
- Delivery and Distribution on
platform (internet) for wider usage
Reasons for seeking Untethered workflows are numerous in E&P (being a very complex science, technology, data and inference based deduction).
1. Sequence of steps cannot be defined DEFINITIVELY due to continued changes to processing elements
2. Steps are subject to change with data and analytical results
3. Targets are NOT exactly the same with different runs of the workflow. Analyst (E&P professional) is targeting slightly different result on same data and workflow.
4. Larger amounts of data, which cannot be confided into a precise sequence.
5. Commercial workflows typically are transactional (your invoice processing and then mine), Scientific systems tend to look into entire data (relationships of invoice values with age, sex, rank etc.)
6. Heterogeneous and Distributed techniques (stats or math methods), rendering (graphics) and resources (grids, super-clusters, special software).
It is
not just impractical but can also be counterproductive to force a tethered workflow on to a
untethered problem. Inability to distinguish these two kinds of processes often
leads to SAPping the whole world!
Taverna
(www.taverna.org.uk ), Myexperiment (www.myexperiment.org ) have embarked on
bringing Scientific Workflow systems into practice and creation of new
scientific discovery. Biosciences, Astronomy and Physics are leading the
initiative. These Workflows have created wonders in the collective quality and
discovery in these areas. Clearly the known Science Workflows have not adopted
the best of commercial Workflow systems like SAP. It is essential to bring Petroleum E&P with all its sciences and technologies into correct perspective and prepare adopting proper workflows and suitable system tools. Not adopting Workflows today is akin to using snail-mail (post-card) only for communication! But adopting a SAP system to drive E&P is like using a road-roller to go drive everywhere.
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