IBM Blueworks Live
| Company type | Software as a Service (SaaS) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Business process management software |
| Predecessor | Blueworks (IBM), BluePrint (Lombardi Inc.) |
| Founded | November 20, 2010 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Business process modeling, decision documentation, workflow automation |
| Parent | IBM |
| Website | www |
IBM Blueworks Live is a business process modeling solution included in the IBM SmartCloud portfolio, created to assist organizations in collaboratively identifying and documenting their business processes, decisions, and policies. It combines user-friendly functionality with the capacity to manage intricate models, adhering to the BPMN 2.0 specification.
Purpose
Blueworks Live is aimed primarily at business professionals seeking a tool for process and decision discovery. It simplifies BPMN 2.0 by excluding more advanced features, enabling the creation of straightforward and easily comprehensible models. All data is stored in the cloud, accessible via any standard web browser. The platform integrates smoothly with IBM’s BPM suite, facilitating a swift progression from process identification to execution.
History
The concept of SaaS-based process modeling was initially developed through BluePrint by Lombardi Inc., whose BPM offerings became part of IBM following its acquisition of Lombardi in January 2010. IBM subsequently replaced its previous Blueworks tool with Lombardi’s technology, officially releasing Blueworks Live on November 20, 2010.
Capturing processes & decisions
Blueworks Live provides collaborative capabilities for precisely documenting business processes and decisions. It presents three distinct process views: Discovery Map (for rapid outlining of activities and milestones), Process Diagram (depicting detailed logic with swimlanes assigned to participants), and Documentation (a Microsoft Word–style format displaying process specifics). Decisions are captured using a single Decision Diagram view compliant with DMN 1.0, which visualizes flows, sub-decisions, inputs, outputs, and decision tables.
Data import and export
The platform allows importing diagrams from:
- Microsoft Visio (vdx XML format)
- BPMN 2.0 XML
- XPDL 2.1 XML
Export options include:
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel Process Data
- BPMN 2.0 (excluding diagrams)
- XPDL 2.1
- IBM WebSphere Business Modeler XML 7.0
Centralized collaboration
Blueworks Live incorporates social networking tools that foster team cooperation, such as:
- Instant messaging
- Real-time news feeds
- Commenting on modifications to processes
- A newsfeed featuring work metrics and reports on the dashboard
Public and private communities
Users receive notifications on the platform’s main page about updates to company processes they are involved in (private) as well as broader BPM community news including blog posts, tutorials, and software updates.
Licensing
Four types of licenses are available: Editors, Contributors, Viewers, and Community members.
Editors have permissions to:
- Create, edit, and publish processes and decisions
- Automate workflows
- Administer spaces
- Utilize Analyze and Playback functionalities
Contributors can:
- Add comments on processes and decisions
- Engage in automation activities
Viewers are allowed to:
- Access published processes and decisions
- Review Discovery Maps, Process Diagrams, and Documentation
Viewer licenses support wider organizational adoption; with SSO integration, administrators can activate Just-In-Time provisioning.
Community users may:
- Access the Community section
- Act as account Administrators
Automating Basic Processes
Blueworks Live facilitates the automation of two distinct process categories: workflow and checklist.
Workflow processes accommodate both sequential and parallel tasks, making them well-suited for scenarios involving review and approval cycles by assigning tasks according to the defined process flow.
Checklist processes enable the simultaneous distribution of information without mandating a specific order for responses.
Data Privacy and Protection
Data stored within Blueworks Live remains confidential and is not accessible by IBM unless customers provide explicit written authorization.
Network Protection
The servers are safeguarded by firewalls that restrict all network traffic except through ports 80 and 443 (HTTP and HTTPS). Blueworks Live utilizes 256-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL 3.0) and Transport Layer Security (TLS 1.2) protocols to ensure server authentication and encrypt data transmissions. User authentication requires each individual to maintain a unique password associated with their personal or organizational email address.
User Authentication
IBM provides two configurable security tiers within the application settings: Medium and High.
- Medium: Requires a password to make changes; accounts are locked after several unsuccessful login attempts.
- High: Implements a robust password policy, necessitating password updates every 90 days.
Compatibility
Being a web-based platform, Blueworks Live can be accessed from any device connected to the Internet using a supported web browser, independent of the operating system. Core functionalities are also accessible on mobile devices. Compatible browsers include Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Google Chrome.