LPA VisiRule AutoAudit Announcement

Visirule is an interesting way to introduce process rules for integrated decisions into AI applications.

LPA announce VisiRule AutoAudit automated testing for its No-Code Low-Code visual rules tool

LPA announce a new automated testing component for VisiRule which allows VisiRule authors to test and validate their charts at a single click. VisiRule AutoAudit tests for logical consistency and completeness as well as support rule maintenance and updates.

LONDON (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 24, 2022

LPA announce a new release of VisiRule which includes VisiRule AutoAudit, an automated testing component for checking the logic of the chart.

VisiRule AutoAudit allows authors to monitor the behaviour and calculated logic contained within their charts This enables business users to validate the underlying decision logic empirically.

In its simplest mode, the module offers a single-click way to generate and execute a test suite which invokes the chart multiple times and produces an output table containing all the results. For each individual data row the table contains the conclusion reached, a success/failure indicator and, optionally, insight into internal calculations and outputs.

As test suites are generated as readable data files, they can be hand-edited by authors to target specific combinations of data values. The result is that authors can produce tables of results which show the answers the system computes for various combinations of input values in a format that can be verified and validated by external reviewers. Switches are available for authors who want to exploit VisiRule's unique backtracking mechanism to compute alternate solution sets.

In its more advanced mode the module allow authors to make changes to charts and see what effect, if any, the changes have on the resulting computations using the nominated test suite. This is aimed at projects where logic is subject to continual refinement and authors need to know that previously correct computations have not been affected by any proposed updates.  .... 

AI Development and Policymaking

Obvious, and exists well beyond AI into all decision oriented computation.    Must be done as part of a process understanding model of how decisions are made and implemented, under regulation and compliance.  So ultimately complex. 

Bridging The Gap Between AI Policymakers and AI Developers

By Analytics India Magazine, March 5, 2021in CACM

The current gap in policymakers' tech knowledge and technologists' ethics knowledge needs to be bridged to ensure AI's sustainable development.

To encourage more AI professionals to participate in public policy, the governments should encourage or invest in universities to introduce subjects on ethics, policy, and social sciences in AI and data science courses. 

Only by familiarizing themselves with AI through qualified technologists, policymakers can draft sensible regulation that strikes the right balance between developing ethical AI and maximizing its potential.

From Analytics India Magazine

Data Lineage Tools

This problem was brought to my attention.     I don't buy that these are the best,  but they are reasonable examples I will examine.   Especially with regard to impact and potential risk to the outcome of business process.   We built our own then,  prebuilt here.  It is a key part of the intelligence behind data and its use. 

 " .... Data lineage tools document the flow of data in and out of organization systems. They capture end-to-end lineage and ensure impact and risk analysis can be performed in the event of problems or changes to data assets as they move across pipelines.  ... "

The 8 Best Open-Source Data Lineage Tools to Consider   by 7wData

Searching for data integration and data management software can be a daunting (and expensive) process, one that requires long hours of research and deep pockets. The most popular enterprise data lineage tools often provide more than what’s necessary for non-enterprise organizations, with advanced functionality relevant to only the most technically savvy users. Thankfully, there are a distinct group of the best open-source data lineage tools out there. Some of these solutions are offered by vendors looking to eventually sell you on their enterprise product, and others are maintained and operated by a community of developers looking to democratize the process.

In this article, we will examine the best open-source data lineage tools, first by providing a brief overview of what to expect and also with short blurbs about each of the currently available options in the space. This is the most complete and up-to-date directory on the web.

Apatar

Apatar is a free and open-source data integration software package designed to help business users and developers move data in and out of a variety of data sources and formats. The tool requires no programming or design to accomplish even complex integration with joins across several data sources. Apatar provides a visual interface to minimize the impact of system changes. The tool comes with a pre-built set of integration tools and enables users to re-use previously built mapping schemas as well.

CloverETL

CloverETL (now CloverDX) was one of the first open-source ETL tools. The Java-based data integration framework was designed to transform, map, and manipulate data in various formats. CloverETL can be used standalone or embedded and connects to RDBMS, JMS, SOAP, LDAP, S3, HTTP, FTP, ZIP, and TAR. Though the product is no longer offered by the provider, it can be downloaded securely using SourceForge . CloverDX still supports CloverETL in line with their standard support agreement as well.   

Dremio

Dremio offers a product called Data Lake engine that provides fast query speed and a self-service semantic layer that operates directly against Data Lake storage. The solution connects to S3, ADLS, Hadoop or wherever enterprise data resides. Apache Arrow, Data Reflections and other Dremio technologies work together to hasten query speeds, and the semantic layer enables IT to apply security and business meaning. Users do not have to send data to Dremio or have it stored in proprietary formats to access it. .... (more below) .... 

Navigating Business Turbulence

Non-technical points on developing with rapidly changing data and contexts.   Ultimately good requirements for adapting business process. 

How to use data and analytics to navigate business turbulence   by 7wData

The ability to quickly gather pertinent facts and data points about your business is key to making informed decisions and overcoming any crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic we're going through now.

This is a period of great anxiety and uncertainty for businesses around the globe. But by tapping into reliable data and real-time analytics, organizations can take action to improve their situation. They can quickly course-correct if they see their business going sideways, reallocate resources to areas where they'll do the most good, and make effective decisions to survive and succeed in these challenging times.

Periods of crisis will always happen, whether it's a terrorist attack, a global conflict, a market crash or another pandemic. But humans adjust. It's what we do best. We usually bounce back better and stronger than before-and this time should not be any different.

Here are four ways that the effective use of data and analytics can help your company as you enter the recovery phase and plan a brighter future.

Years ago, it was possible to fly your business by hand, because information arrived at a manageable pace. You could take in data, evaluate it and adjust your course at a deliberate pace, with a key spreadsheet or three keeping track of the numbers.   .... ' 

But today you have so much data coming at you in real time that it's hard to gather it, organise it and put it to good use. A lot of companies simply get overwhelmed, throw up their hands, and keep flying straight into the bad weather ahead. That's a big mistake because you will have a rough flight and could very well crash.

Instead, get the tools you need to gather and analyse data. This way you can see turbulence before it arrives, navigate through the clouds avoiding the worst of the storm and resume a smooth flight path on the other side.

Airlines long ago recognised that instrumentation is vital to the safe and efficient operation of their aircraft. The cockpit instruments provide pilots with crucial data like altitude, airspeed and heading. They also can show the impact of headwinds on fuel consumption or calculate the fuel margin available after a significant detour-so much more than they can gather with the naked eye. By the same token, the best corporations now rely on data and analytics to manage their operations, rather than fly blind from one hair-raising incident to the next.  Breaking down silos between your front and back office functions lets you know not just how much fuel is left in the tank, but what's the weather like between you and your target, and should you be speeding up, slowing down, or trying a different path to dodge the worst of the storm.   .... " 

Microsoft Teams to be Enhanced for Business Plays

Been looking for ways that the now numerous collaborative systems will really improve task and goal oriented business process.   Its still mostly the basics.  Very useful but hardly 'intelligence' in any sense.  For example a system that could analyze the essence of a  meeting and extract decisions like who agreed to do what and what support they need.  Schedule follow ups.  The below is not that, but I get the sense they are considering new things of real value.   We brainstormed some things like that in the early 00s.  Lets see it now.

Microsoft Teams gets an overhauled calling interface, CarPlay support, and more

Microsoft Teams will soon let you transfer calls easily between desktop and mobile

By Tom Warren@tomwarren in TheVerge 

Microsoft is overhauling its calling features inside Microsoft Teams today. A new calling interface will now show contacts, voicemail, and calling history in a single location. It’s designed to allow Microsoft Teams to more easily replace your desk phone, with built-in spam call protection, reverse number lookup, and the ability to merge calls.

Microsoft Teams users will also be able to transfer calls between mobile and desktop soon, allowing people to quickly move locations in the middle of an audio or video call. The Teams app will let people join without audio on an additional device, or simply transfer the call and end it automatically on other devices. Microsoft says this particular feature will be available in early 2021.  ... '

Four Stages of Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

 A good intro look at RPA from DSC.  Below the intro, more at the link.   A good place to start with AI oriented automation.  Also not emphasized enough.  I would include the 'process' part, and ask: how does the process modeled integrate with key business process?     I would also include:  "What are the risks involved of the automation under current and future context"?

The Four Stages of Robotic Process Automation (RPA)   Posted by Amit Dua in DSC

“Robotic process automation is not a physical [or] mechanical robot,” says Chris Huff, chief strategy officer at Kofax. In fact, there is no presence or involvement of any robots in the automation software, as its name says.

RPA or Robotic Process Automation is an amalgamation of three factors:

Robotic – entities impersonating human activities and processes known as ‘Robots.’

Process – multiple small activities that lead to one outcome or result.

Automation – tasks done by machines and robots instead of humans.

Robotic Process Automation is a set of software robots that run on a virtual or physical machine. It automates most of the mundane and boring tasks of the business. RPA bots are capable of impersonating almost all human-computer interactions, which further tackles those business tasks, error-free. Besides, this technology works at a much faster pace and volume..... "

Power Apps for Teams

Like to see this direction, not only as a means to interact, share data and improve collaboration, but Apps that will address particular inefficiencies that already exist in business.   We all do business, lets make it work better.    Add intelligence to work flow, business process, goal achievement  ... results.  Will it? Don't know, but will take a look.   We need more testing beyond the obvious.   (Considerable details at the link) 

Microsoft expands Teams with meetings apps and low-code tools in Venturebeat   By Emil Protalinski

Microsoft today announced the general availability of Teams apps for meetings. For those who prefer a low-code approach, Power Apps for Teams, the Power Automate app, the Power Virtual Agents app, and Dataverse have also hit general availability. These announcements come on the heels of Teams passing 115 million daily active users (DAUs) last month. This is a pandemic-induced explosion, given that 16 months ago Teams had 13 million DAUs.

Microsoft Teams is the company’s Office 365 chat-based collaboration tool that competes with Slack, Facebook’s Workplace, Google Meet, and even Zoom. Indeed, Microsoft is in a virtual meeting war with Google and Zoom. Teams has seen 200 million meeting participants in a single day, Google Meet has seen more than 235 million meeting participants, and Zoom has seen 300 million meeting participants. (Unlike DAUs, “meeting participants” can count the same user more than once.)   ... ' 

Misconceptions about the Use of RPA

NIcely put, nontechnical piece.  In particular I liked the comments about its difference between BPM modeling models.   All users considering its use should follow up on these modeling ideas:

Robotic Process Automation: 6 common misconceptions
By Daniel Schmidt of Kofax

What false expectations are raised using RPA in companies?

The advantage of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is that it automates repetitive, remedial tasks and frees employees to work on higher value tasks. But many companies believe RPA will enable them to automate even the most complex Business Process Management (BPM) activities, although there are much more suitable solutions available. The following overview shows which other misconceptions companies frequently use to counter RPA solutions.  .. " 

Putting Humans in the AI Loop

I argue that they are always in the loop.  Just how effectively are they placed there. Always a very useful question. Starting with existing process helps.

Can AI Put Humans Back in the Loop?
ZDNet
Tiernan Ray

Scientists at Germany's Technische Universitat Darmstadt have developed a process for having a human domain expert review an artificial intelligence model's inner mechanisms during training, in order to catch simple problems and correct errors. Such an expert would check the reasoning offered by a neural network, with the overall goal of building more trust in machine learning. The experimental explanatory interactive learning procedure involves a convolutional neural network classifying the phenotype of a plant as healthy or diseased by analyzing leaf images. The researchers visualize the features the network is using, then a plant biology specialist fixes any network errors. ... 

Bold Bridge Advisors

New Affiliation:  Bold Bridge Advisors

Bold Bridge Advisors 

Values:
1. Clarify WHY, WHO, SO WHAT, before technology and solutions are defined.
2. Seek and speak truth, even when it hurts.
3. Assuming nothing. Listen, analyze, reframe, and confirm. 
4. Start small and focused, then scale. 
5. Be essential to every client's success.  ... 

More to follow.  

Alexa with Skill Flow Creation. And Beyond?

Alexa Dev announces a way to create skill flow for games, stories.  When I saw this I thought, could this also be used to develop skills based on business process flow?  Thinking that. Your thoughts?  If I think so I will make a proposal in that direction.

Create Story-Based Game Skills Faster with Skill Flow Builder    By Chris Morrow

We've built game skills ourselves, and have met with game studios to understand how we can help with creating game skills faster. Throughout the process, we discovered an opportunity to create a tool that is optimized for game skills with game development cycles in mind. We are excited to introduce Skill Flow Builder (SFB), a new tool that enables you to build story-based game skills faster, including interactive fiction, branching narratives, and role-playing games. Skill Flow Builder is now available to game skill creators in all locales (please note, Hindi isn't supported yet).

SFB complements tools like the Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) SDK, and provides an easy-to-use solution for the creation of skill flow and content by separating content creation from skill code. The tool has two components: The editor desktop application for content creators, and the VSCode extension for developers. Both components share a common SFB file format (.abc), which enables more efficient hand-offs between teams.

Superior Collaboration Between the Content and Development Teams:
SFB allows both the content and the development teams to focus on what they do best, and help increase productivity by minimizing dependencies that slow them down. Content teams can focus on quickly prototyping without having to rely on the development team every time they make content changes. In the meantime, development teams can focus on building differentiated features instead of having to change code for every content update.  .... " 

Disruptive Flywheels as Business Model

The idea of disruptive flywheels, new term to me, but worth a look.  Reading further.

How to build disruptive strategic flywheels
Gaming, artificial intelligence, and deep learning are paving the way for dynamic and resilient 21st-century business models.  by Sundar Subramanian and Anand Rao  In Strategy-Business

A large auto manufacturer asked a consulting firm to evaluate its competitive position in relation to ride-sharing startups building autonomous vehicles. Instead of viewing this as a classic strategy project, with a business case, PowerPoint decks, and five-year projections, the firm created a “game” that the automaker could “play” against its competitors. An artificial intelligence (AI) system modeled the voluminous individual choices available to customers, companies, and other entities as digital twins (a digital twin is a computerized replica of a physical asset, process, consumer, actor, or other decision-making entity). The hundreds of thousands of simulations suggested many strategic bets, option-value bets, and “no-regret strategies,” or moves that made strategic and financial sense in a multitude of situations. The selection of those strategies, in turn, made the AI system smarter through learning mechanisms called reinforcement learning, which then further empowered humans to make better decisions. As time progressed, the company was able to choose precise market approaches, pricing, advertising, and customer strategies for multiple cities and communities.

Taken together, these actions created a flywheel, a concept borrowed from the power industry to describe a source of stabilization, energy storage, and momentum, and that was popularized in the strategy context by the author Jim Collins. Executives, instead of trusting instincts and prior assumptions, were able to harness the power of this strategic flywheel to verify hypotheses in simulation and in the real world. Doing so exponentially expanded the array of strategic choices and reduced the cost of experimentation. Rather than paralyzing decision makers with the abundance of options they created, the simulations produced clarifying insights. The result for this auto manufacturer has been a multibillion-dollar valuation of its new services, achieved in less than two years.

Games. AI. Continuous execution and adjustment. Thousands of scenarios to consider. This is not how strategy at blue-chip companies has been done in the past. But it is how business leaders are starting to do strategy now, and how we will need to do strategy in the future — that is, if we are to develop strategies that can both withstand and adapt to the increasing pace of change and disruption that is evident in all industries. .... "

Simulation is Very Useful for Analytics Validation

I am a long time proponent and practitioner of simulation methods.   We simulated plant design and process, warehouse operations,  woodland growth and management, consumer in aisle behavior, coffee roasting,  advertising selection and delivery ... and much more.   Always a good approach to validate prescribed analytics and AI.    It needs be better linked directly to analytical solutions.

Advance Your Process Improvements with Simulation Technology  in the APQC Blog  By Lochlyn Morgan  Posted in Process and Performance Management

I recently spoke with Luis Lopez, manager of process improvement at the Port of Vancouver, to discuss the role that simulation technology has in process improvement, advice on piloting simulation software, and a few lessons learned from his hands-on experience with simulation technology.

What role can simulation technology play in process improvement work?

Simulation technology plays an important role in the improvement of complex processes as it provides a non-invasive, risk-free, and cost-efficient method to identify and analyze the underlying factors that may contribute to poor process performance and evaluate potential improvements. Simulation technology is key when testing improvements in the real process can be very costly, risky or lengthy.

Simulation models also provide a great way to engage project teams in the design and development of process improvements. Advances in 3D graphics have made it relatively simple to make detailed 3D simulation models of an operational process. These 3D renderings allow project teams to quickly visualize their ideas and identify potential benefits and implementation barriers. This is why I like to say that “if one picture is worth a thousand words, an animated 3D simulation model in a process improvement project is worth a thousand pictures.”  .... " 

Powerapps for Custom Business App Delivery

Brought to my attention again, note connection mentioned to Teams, which I have been testing now for some time.    Like the no-code, more direct connection to process idea.   Also leads to much more that's closer to the Edge.

Microsoft PowerApps: Build Custom Business Apps

Transform your business by creating custom business apps with Microsoft PowerApps. Connect data from the cloud and make your own app—no coding ...

One platform, unlimited opportunity

Make Office 365 and Dynamics 365 your own with powerful apps that span productivity and business data. Customize SharePoint Online, use PowerApps with Microsoft Teams, and build apps on Dynamics 365.

Innovate faster: 

Build apps fast with a point-and-click approach to app design. Choose from a large selection of templates or start from a blank canvas. Easily connect your app to data and use Excel-like expressions to easily add logic. Publish your app to the web, iOS, Android, and Windows 10. It’s that easy. ... "

VDMbee a Value Management Platform

Some time ago I wrote about VDML, the Value Delivery Modeling Language.   Just today got a note from  Theodoor Von Donge  about how they are using and extending it.  Below I bought his comment to the top, so its gets more exposure.  Like to think about ways we can more directly link modeling directly to business value.  Here is an example.  Any thoughts on this?    Will be exploring, be glad to collaborate on exploration ...

Hello Franz,   From: Theodoor Von Donge:

Great to see your blog post. As VDMbee we are building our Value Management Platform based on the VDML specification. Are are also actively involved in the OMG in the surrounding areas of VDML.

Right now working on a major update of VMP. We are adding the following "value discovery" designers:
- Dashboard to present Value impact with unique views for all individual stakeholders
- Strategy Map (based on Kaplan Norton)
- Value Stream Map (based on VDML and BA Guild priciples)
- Capability Library (based on VDML)
- Capability Map (based on VDML)
- BA Guild reference model import
- Process Designer (BPMN2.0)
- Case Designer (CMMN1.1)

Here a link: https://vdmbee.com/home-new/vdmbee-value-management-platform/

We have also enhanced our User eXperience to support better the notion of the Discovery milestones, Protoype and Adopt phases in making the Business Model plan.   ... "

RPA is the Next Evolution of Big Data?

Good piece that makes an interesting point.  Yes, Big data is about analytics and data.  And RPA uses both data and analytics.   But to be clear RPA does not have to be about robots.  Not usually  the mechanical kind that we have used to assemble cars for years.    Its usually about repetitive process that humans have done to this point.  So it is 'robotic' as an adjective, usually in a non-mechanical sense.  Certainly is very data dependent to create repetitive process.   It could use a robot, but not usually as yet.  Have been annoyed by the RPA term for some time, since I was asked if it meant replacing human office workers with physical robots, and was that feasible.

Is Robotic Process Animation The Next Evolution Of Big Data?
Robotic process animation is making big changes in the world of big data, one innovation at a time. Here's what you need to know.  By Sean Mallon

The first robots predate the term “big data” by over 30 years. However, data has been integral to the development of robotics for many years, even though the concept of big data is fairly new. Big data will continue to play a vital role in shaping this slowly evolving field. Robotic process automation is the newest change that is impacting the robotics industry.

Robotics and Big Data Have Been Linked for Years

Artur Dubrawski, director of Auton Lab at Carnegie Mellon University, told ZDNet that robotics and data have been intertwined since the first automaton was built. “Robotics was always about data,” says Dubrawski. “According to the operational definition of robotics it is about repeatedly executing the following three-stage sequence: sense, plan, act.” Robotics has depended on big data for a variety of purposes. However, robotic process automation is one of the newest.

Robotic Process automation is the newest arena for big data
You may have heard the term “robotic process automation” before. But what is it and how will it affect our future? What role will big data play in its inception? McKinsey has provided some answers to some of these questions. Leslie Willcocks, an expert they interviewed, said that robotic process automation is designed to mimic the behavior of human knowledge workers. They are meant to develop a standardized process, which involves many big data applications, including machine learning. When making use of Robotic Process Automation or RPA from companies such as Kryon RPA Solutions the entire dynamics of a business is changed. RPA, a revolutionary technology used to automate repetitive business processes, is giving companies space for improvement, faster turnaround times for completed tasks and an overall improvement on how business is conducted. With this said, how does RPA streamline your business workforce?  .... "

Intelligent Automation on Pace for Explosive Growth

Links of common processes to automation.   Good place to start before you decide to make all your systems 'intelligent'.    Note in particular coverage of RPA:  Robotic Process Automation.

Intelligent Automation on Pace for Explosive Growth, but Organizational Challenges Prevalent  by Kent Weare in InfoQ

In a recent KPMG study, the professional services organization published a report called Ready, Set, Fail?: Avoiding setbacks in the intelligent automation race which projects rapid growth of the intelligent automation (IA) domain. The report suggests that overall spend will reach $232 billion by 2025 compared to $12.4 billion which is spent today. But, this expected growth comes with many challenges, including tool maturity, skilled labor, organizational change management, governance and a lack of clarity involving return on investment.

Intelligent automation is an emerging set of new technology tools that mimic the actions a user would ordinarily perform to complete a task. Federico Berruti, a partner at McKinsey & Company, defines intelligent automation as: 

A suite of business-process improvements and next-generation tools that assists the knowledge worker by removing repetitive, replicable, and routine tasks. And it can radically improve customer journeys by simplifying interactions and speeding up processes.   ... "

Implementing and Sustaining Organizational Change

Back to a topic I have been following.  Its process that sustains business, but also the organization and resources that support the process ...

How to implement and sustain organizational change

The fundamentals of change implementation are crucial for not only top-level executives but also frontline managers who are involved in the day-to-day work. ... 

In this episode of the McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey senior implementation leaders Blake Lindsay and Nick Waugh speak with Simon London about the hard work of implementing and sustaining change in organizations—a priority that needs attention from the executive leadership and the frontline managers of each team. ... " 

HBR on Understanding Digital Strategy

Very true, its not the flashy technical thing that is the focus, its the business process that is essential.  Not only knowing that is the case, but its also knowing the existing business process in detail.  So talk it, model it,  make sure you know what it is and what it could be.

Podcast: 

Understanding Digital Strategy
Sunil Gupta, a professor at Harvard Business School, argues that many companies are still doing digital strategy wrong. Their leaders think of “going digital” as either a way to cut costs or to attract customers with a flashy new app. Gupta says successful digital strategy is more complicated than that. He recommends emulating the multi-faceted strategies of leading digital companies. Gupta’s the author of Driving Digital Strategy: A Guide to Reimagining Your Business. ...

Process Automation at Anthem

I never liked the full term RPA (Robotic Process Automation) since it is not really about robots the way we mostly use the term 'Robot' today.  So I am now using the term 'Process Automation'.    Here how Anthem is using the method to digitize.  This further makes the case that its always useful to do some sort of process model first before digitizing.   That ensures everyone agrees you are digitizing the right thing and can agree with the results.  Even if you never RPA,  you can address your model with other methods as appropriate.  Or simply as a means to document your current flow of business.  Useful for training too.  You should only automate your process if you know what it is.

Anthem taps RPA, AI in digital transformation push

The health insurance company is using robotic process automation to balance data center workloads as part of CIO Tim Skeen’s effort to make IT operations more nimble for stakeholders.   By Clint Boulton in CIO

Robotic process automation (RPA) has become a popular go-to technology for insurance companies looking to automate data entry and replace paper shuffling. One insurance provider is embracing RPA in a different fashion: Automating computing infrastructure to free up engineers to focus on more strategic tasks.

Anthem has implemented more than 130 RPA "bots" to manage the company's data center infrastructure, says CIO Tim Skeen. The bots are a key part of Anthem's broader digital transformation to make IT more nimble for external stakeholders, including consumers, healthcare providers and employers, says Skeen, who took the reins from Tom Miller four months ago.  ... "