Nimbus Control allows you to capture, agree, improve, govern and deploy business processes and related information in a targeted way to all stakeholders. Thanks to the collaboration and content management capabilities it’s also easier to keep the information up-to-date.
Nimbus Control includes the process analysis capabilities you need to drive process improvement with a genuine focus on end-user adoption of the resulting content.
Stakeholders:
The creation and management of process information is the domain of business process owners, business process analysts, business process architects, and those focused on quality, Lean, SixSigma and organizational design. As process consumers, ultimately the entire workforce is involved. (See Operations).
Key Capabilities:
+ Capture Business Process Maps
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| Process Mapping: |
Fast, hierarchical and pragmatic. A “simple common language” for business processes.
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| Links & attachments: |
Unlimited attachments per object including attached files, built in notes or WP documents, web links, and files managed in the built in document management “Registry”.
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| Data tables: |
Allowing flexible data schema to be created and multiple records attached to any object (examples include system information, risk register etc.).
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| Resources: |
Managed database of resources (such as roles) with costing capability.
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| Style sheets & templates: |
Easily create branded layouts and enforce consistency.
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| Document Management: |
Manage process related files (documents) with built in document management system (the “Registry”). Optional integration with Microsoft SharePoint.
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+ Collaborative content review
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| Real time web deployment: |
Makes draft content immediately available through browser to designated users.
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| Collaborative Portal: |
Allows designated users to collaboratively review live process content through a browser, including memos, review requests, multi-user discussion threads and integrated e-mail messaging.
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+ Analyze & improve business processes
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| Draft editing: |
Edit draft version of process content without disrupting the master. Promote to master when changes approved.
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| Scenario planning: |
A copy of the draft or master copy of a map can be created and it is used for modeling and testing alternative process flows, using “ABC”.
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| ABC: |
Activity Based Costing: Add cost attributes to activities (duration, volumes, delays). Assign rates to resources. Costs are dynamically calculated allowing simulation and what-if modeling.
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| Highlight rules: |
Rules based on resource names or data table entries can determine the look and feel (color, shadow, border) of activity boxes. Can assist understanding and analysis of process.
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| Compare & update: |
Entire maps or portions of maps (draft vs master, master vs scenario) can be compared and differences highlighted in a side-by-side view. Either map can be updated using the "intelligent copy and paste" which manages the non-visual data such as access rights, authorization cycle and audit trail.
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| Reporting: |
A wide range of pre-defined reports are available (activity, resources, costs, change cycle, document, all objects in the database). Every report is delivered using a report engine which allows the layout and grouping to be customized on the fly, and stored for later use. Reports can be scheduled for automatic publishing into web portal.
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| Export: |
Process diagrams can be exported to XML, BPM Xchange, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. Reports can be exported to CSV, XLS, HTML and XML. Additionally, process content can be exported to MS Project for additional time analysis or as the start of a project plan.
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| Metrics: |
Use performance metrics in combination with process content to understand where process improvement effort should be focused.
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+ Support for Lean, SixSigma and similar methodologies
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| Methodology Support: |
Support for methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, TQM, using standard features such as Data Tables and Statement Sets.
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+ Integrated compliance management
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| Statement Sets: |
Statement sets are a hierarchical set of regulatory and auditable statements that, if followed, ensure compliance to specific business and legal requirements, such as ISO 9000, FDA, FSA, internal company policies, etc. Individual statements can be linked to related activities and reports can be run that identify which processes relate to which statements.
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| Audit: |
Audit records against statements and their links to process content support regulatory requirements.
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| Actions: |
Actions can be created for diagrams, documents, storyboards and metric links, and thereby used to progress audit compliance issue remediation.
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+ Govern process content and related information
The content you create will change. That’s the whole premise of Continuous Improvement. Governing that change is critical. Nimbus Control will help you govern the process and related content with the following capabilities:
| Access Control: |
Access rights are applied by user or user group. Access can be controlled at map level, part of a map, individual diagram, and to individual metrics, documents or attachments attached to any object. Access rights are also applied to metrics, scorecards and documents.
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| Version control and change log: |
Changes to diagrams and registry documents are logged and date/time stamped, together with relevant change information. Content is version numbered. Previous Mastered versions are archived and retained. Also full capabilities for audit reporting.
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| Draft + master version: |
Diagrams and documents have a Master version that is locked down (authorized) and a Draft version that can be edited by authors with suitable access rights. The Draft and Master versions are stored and managed together to maintain integrity throughout the change cycle.
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| Change requests: |
A memo can be submitted as a formal change which is managed through evaluation to implementation.
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| Review requests: |
Any number of licensed end-users can be nominated by email with a URL link to the diagram or document so that they can review the changes and make comments through the web.
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| Authorization: |
A sequence of authorizers is setup for a diagram or a structure (hierarchy) of diagrams, and for documents. Authorization requests & links are routed via e-mail. Once all sign-offs are complete, the diagrams or document are ready for promotion to Master.
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| Draft promotion: |
The decision to promote the Draft map or document to the Master is a formal, manual step as there may be training, systems development or timing reasons to delay the Promotion. Once the map or document is nominated for Promotion, the Master Copy is archived, the Draft over-writes the Master and the version numbers of each diagram or document are incremented, emails are sent to each Subscriber and each Acknowledger, and the audit log updated.
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