Cloud Action Server Platform for Business Process Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack a comprehensive solution for developing, delivering, and deploying action-oriented business applications that can effectively manage disparate data sources, custom business logic, and real-time responses to business problems, such as pricing optimization, profit recovery, reputation management, and decision support, which are often hindered by manual workflows and the inability to integrate with internal enterprise systems.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based action platform that enables the development, delivery, and deployment of 'Action Apps' through data probes that monitor various data domains, a Cloud Action Server that encapsulates action logic, and a user-friendly interface for building and publishing applications, allowing businesses to create and automate actions based on specific triggers and data events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional spreadsheet-based manual workflows are used for pricing optimization and business processes, then businesses can maintain simple existing systems, but productivity is low and real-time response to business events is impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments business applications into modular Action Apps that can be independently developed, deployed, and scaled. Each Action App handles specific business functions (e.g., pricing optimization, profit recovery) as separate units, allowing parallel processing and improved productivity without requiring complete system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The cloud-based action server platform provides universal infrastructure that supports multiple Action Apps and various data sources (ERP, social media, market data) through a common architecture. This multi-functional platform handles diverse business processes including pricing, reputation management, and profit recovery using the same core technology.
2Loss of information
If comprehensive data integration from disparate sources (ERP, social media, market data) is implemented, then real-time business intelligence is achieved, but system complexity and integration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud-based action server acts as an intermediary layer between disparate data sources (ERP systems, social media platforms, market data feeds) and Action Apps. This mediator handles data normalization, integration, and coordination, allowing comprehensive data integration without requiring complex point-to-point connections between each data source and application.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where Action Apps continuously monitor business events and data changes, automatically triggering appropriate actions based on predefined conditions. This closed-loop feedback system ensures real-time response to business events while maintaining data consistency across integrated sources.
3Loss of time
If manual workflows are used for profit recovery and supplier management, then implementation is simple, but time consumption is high and productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses preliminary action by pre-configuring Action Apps with predefined business logic, triggers, and action rules before deployment. For example, profit recovery Action Apps are pre-programmed to automatically identify invoicing opportunities, analyze supplier data, and generate claims, eliminating the need for manual workflow setup and execution.
Solution Approach 2:
Action Apps operate autonomously to self-manage business processes including automatically monitoring data sources, detecting triggers, executing actions, and updating results. This self-service capability eliminates manual intervention in time-consuming workflows while maintaining operational simplicity through automated decision-making.
4Speed
If real-time response to business events is implemented, then business agility is improved, but system complexity and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic action by having Action Apps continuously monitor data sources at optimized intervals and trigger actions only when predefined conditions are met. This periodic monitoring approach achieves real-time responsiveness to significant business events while avoiding continuous processing of all data, thereby reducing system complexity and resource requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for the development, delivery and deployment of action-oriented business applications supported by a cloud based action server platform are provided. The cloud action platform enables the development, delivery and deployment of a new type of business application—Action Apps which are the opposite of traditional business applications which are large, expensive, viewed as an investment, hard to upgrade and oftentimes require training. The Action Apps are light-weight consumer friendly micro-apps that enable the business user to take the right actions, at the right time to produce the right business outcome. The action may be as simple as approving a vacation request, or it may trigger a series of more complex actions such as automatically discounting stock based upon competitors pricing within a specific radius in a given timeframe.