This is a link to the REST APIs and sample code: https://chalex.smartflo.biz/SmartFloAPI/index.html

CHALEX sells a DAM enabled BPM sandbox that imports an XPDL file. Currently that engine is BPMN 1 compliant. The rules engine supports a broad range of actions associated with conditional routing.  The drag & drop workflow modeller uses a swimlane metaphor.  Training is through interactive e-book.

Thanks Murray Oles, can you please post some links that could be of help?  Also, do you have any use cases you can share that apply to lab processes?

I am citing some of my contacts that may want to weigh in on this discussion:  Jeff Vannest John Newtown Joe Liscouski  Avrum Goodblatt Rich Lysakowski, Ph.D. Leon Kopelev  Shameek Ray, MS, TOGAF, PSM Herbert Schwarz

I hope that some of you might have some first hand experience in applying BPMN to lab processes and describe what tools were used and how.

John, SmartFlo is a Sandbox, and as such it is designed to support any business process use case.  The workflows are expressed in XML format. The DAM supports the workflow by indexing assets with project / job & task metadata. The rules engine is highly configurable, so if you want to drive devices, query external systems, and make routing decisions based on analytics the rules engine doc explains how. https://chalex.smartflo.biz/3/?2i83
CHALEX seeks OEM partners with specialized domain expertise and the desire to solve complex process management challenges through the application of BPM and DAM practices.  
Murray

The LabVantage Workflow Manager supports both import and export from BPMN. This is useful when drafting workflows offline or in a format that’s portable outside the LIMS. There are advanced integrations that can only be done inside of LabVantage, of course.

That is excellent Jeff Vannest.  All LIMS products should do exactly the same.  I am hoping to put in an Open Access BPMN workflow repository into LiMSforum for folks to share workflow processes and then to provide a workflow engine such as Camunda to execute the flows along with Form.io for the data collection forms.  Eventually will add IoT resources with NodeRed so we can also have integration flows.  At LabLynx we use BPMN for workflows but the ones we have are pretty specific to each client.  

We have many integration flows using NodeRed and are happy to share those to an Open Access repository.  One I know will be useful to most people will be the ASTM serial interface standard (deprecated but widely used).  We have a nice packaged set of interfaces for clinical instruments that use that standard.

Can you share a small narrative on how you have used BPMN for lab workflows?

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, I did some reading last night and it looks like it should be really useful along with the BPEL (execution language).  Labs are full of processes, but one place it should work well is in Lab Execution Systems as a means fo prototyping the process before it is coded.

Joe Liscouski, you may not know this but there is BPEL for People.  That is an interesting concept of applying automated controlled workflows to human processes: https://docs.oasis-open.org/bpel4people/bpel4people-1.1.html

Also, you will want to look at these open source apps that would make up a complete solution suite for workflow automation.  You need of course the bpmn engine and designer, then you need the forms for human and automated data collection points in the flow and then you need the rules engine for the custom processes that are inevitably a part of the bpmn flow.  Finally, you need a flow based integration tool to pull in data from external systems and instruments.  So the tool set is as follows:
1. https://camunda.com/ –  BPMN
2. https://www.form.io/  – Forms
3. https://www.drools.org/  – Business Rules
4. https://nodered.org/ – Integration & Automation

At LabLynx we package most of this to run through an IoT device when we do lab automation through our LabVia product.

“Doctor prescribed” are apps that doctors drive users to use.  “Biohacking” are apps that users demand, but have limited usefulness in the clinical context.  What’s missing are apps that have high user demand AND high clinical relevance.  Apps with high user demand AND high clinical relevance are needed for digital health PLATFORMS to emerge that can bring TRANSFORMATIVE potential.

Spot on

True

Agree with your assessment.

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well said

IMHO Workflow is like carbon monoxide : It is invisible, odorless, and tasteless, but if you don’t know about it, it can quietly hurt you. Understanding it, learning how to document it, and learning how it’s built and changed are the first steps to improving it. #whyinformatics

#whyinformatics

#physicianburnout and frustration from forced and tedious documentation is only bested by the upcoming tsunami of resource crunch. Many #doctors & #nurses are deserting for #mbalife. That is why one option to cure this malady is #worldhealthorganization recommended task-shifting. Resources should only perform tasks most suited for their qualifications. #healthcare

I attended the CEO boot camp session. Good to hear from other leaders about potential missteps and pitfalls in implementation and how to avoid them. Looking forward to learning more.

additional challenge is it requires extra effort to calculate the value for leadership. thats a challenge for our specialty, but one that we can do and some orgs have done a great job at it

Its an interesting phenomena where the #1 tool in a modern day healthcare system is potentially the least funded for ongoing improvements and quality training. Almost every time I sit down with a provider, within twenty minutes I have shown them things that significantly change their workflow. Its usually found by not assuming they know the simple or less known important functions that significantly change their workflow.

Agreed. A little bit of focused attention goes a long way.

It’s great to hear that EPIC focuses on improving workflow and reducing burnout at their conferences! Have they made suggestions for how to justify and make front end investment when starting on EPIC?

Just my opinion here… Epic makes good software.  They are clueless about adult education. 
Epic is so expensive that many organizations get sticker shock after go-live and cut their training resources. 

Enjoy! How long you in town? Vikki here from VB this weekend

Please ask audiences at #EpicUGM how many of them are still typing in passwords rather than using single sign on. If an organization is not willing to invest in that technology it’s not serious about #EHRoptimization. I ask this at most keynotes I give, and invariably half the room raises their hands. It’s the same technology that you use to open your hotel room door, and can save 500-1000 clicks per day.

Thankful for the importance being placed on very impactful issues.

I presented our physician optimization/personalization project yesterday at UGM to a standing room only crowd. It’s encouraging to see so many people paying attention to the issue.

Mark, Epic UGM?  Thought it was Cerner UGM – when all the world is an EHR…  :~)  [Simile]

#HITsm will be hosting the Twitter chat “EMR’s: Lessons Learned Over the Past Fifteen Years” on September 27th at 9EST. It would be great to have these comments/ideas represented there. I agree with #whyinformatics myself, but we’d like to have multiple viewpoints represented. Hopefully we can learn from past mistakes…. LMK if you need help joining