The Decisions platform has always handled case management well and with the release of version 5.0 we take case management to the next level. We added a new visual design tool to enable the rapid creation of case-based business processes.

Case-based business processes are extremely interesting to us. Our two core technologies, workflow and rules engines, are a perfect fit for case-based business processes. For those of you new to case management, the very best place to start is with this link to a webinar that our two founders conducted just a week back. It’s titled “Case Management.” The webinar starts with an excellent background to case management and then walks through an example using our new visual case management designer.

Case management differs from traditional workflow in that a case may not follow a prescribed sequential path. The best way to truly understand case management is through an example. One example Carl uses in the webinar is a visit to a doctor’s office. The doctor might ask you a number of questions and take some basic measurements (heart rate, blood pressure, temperature) and based on the results might send you down a number of potential paths. In this example, it is the rules or data that drives the next step in the process and not a predefined sequence.

To build a case management process in Decisions, there are just a few simple steps using our new graphical designer:

1. Define case type (i.e HR Background check) and create/connect  data structure.
2. Set expected state journey.
3. Assign State
4. Create Case Views
5. Add Actions (simple triggered workflows)
6. Dashboards

Again, I would highly recommend you watch our Case Management Webinar and see for yourself how easy it is to build a case management process with our new design tool. For further reading on case management I would also point you to our eBook on “Automating Unpredictable Processes.” Finally, to get your hands on our new Version 5.0 Beta and build your own case management application follow this link to our releases page and download a free trial version.