Case management overview

Case management versus traditional Business Process Management (BPM) or workflow

Typical BPM supports many workflow patterns including rules, parallelism, sub-processes, and more. A workflow includes all potential paths and relationships between tasks, that is, the order of the steps as mandated by the process model.

Compare this process to a game of golf where the goals are well defined: there are 18 holes, and the golfer needs to put the ball into each hole within the allocated number of shots. The process seems straightforward: drive, hit to the green, and putt, which involves only one person, the player. Even an expert golfer cannot complete a round of golf that strictly follows this process. You cannot model the game of golf, as it involves too many variables; it is always the player, not the process, that determines the next steps.

With case management, a knowledge worker determines the tasks to perform, inserts tasks into the case as they are needed (but within the confines of the case), and adds data such as roles, milestones, and states that directly influence the cost and duration of completing the case.

So, the process architecture is not just about the original case definition but also about many process fragments or case processes used within it. All the facets of the case, such as visibility of the data objects concerning what is complete or pending, and other such criteria, help a knowledge worker's decisions. All this information is collected on process delivery and submitted into the Management Information System, thus leading to additional standardization and evolution of the process within the organization.

In golf, the player determines the next move once the first shot is finished. Sand traps, water hazards, collaboration with other players, and sometimes referees all lead to a process with the same objectives referenced earlier. However, the path to achieving those objectives differs each time the process runs. In addition, the scorecard is maintained so that all actions are recorded and verified. Case management supports this type of process.