Understand Blueprint
A Blueprint is an online replica of a business process. The blueprint helps in streamlining the process management in an organization by facilitating automation, validation and collaboration among various stakeholders. The blueprint enables you to customize every detail of every process you design in your ManageEngine AppCreator application. The blueprint has two key components.
- Stages - These are the different milestones in the process. Learn more
- Transitions - These are the intermediate phase between two states. They act as a link between the two states and the conditions required to be satisfied for moving between one state to another is defined here. Learn more
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Inefficiencies in an organization may arise because of poorly defined processes. An oversight like failing to determine the appropriate response the stakeholders in every milestone of the process may cause major issues for the organization. Now organizations can remove inefficiencies within their organization by using ManageEngine AppCreator's Blueprint. This will help in implementing a well-defined process and streamlining the organization.
Lets consider an organization 'Zylker'. This company has been encountering dissatisfaction among both its employees and vendors. Why? It has been found out that this is due to the lack of coordination among the different departments like HR, finance etc. These departments don't work in tandem and instead have been working in silos. The management can solve this problem by introducing a mechanism that helps streamline, record, and track the different activities associated with a process and the different process milestones. The processes that currently involve a lot of manual work can also be automated. This is where ManageEngine AppCreator's new feature Blueprint comes in to play as it helps you impart well-defined mechanisms to your processes and as a result, helps overcome the challenges that arise due to poorly defined processes.
The organization Zylker receives materials to its manufacturing plant from different vendors. The purchase team is in charge of placing orders to the vendors. This team invites bids for the required materials. The purchase team should also create a list of eligible bidders who comply with strict regulations governing the industry. Ineligible bidders are rejected during the process. The winning bid is chosen by the L1 system and the contract is signed. Once the vendors complete the order their output is to be verified by the Quality & control team. The QC team checks the product to ensure it matches the description given in the bid contact. If it doesn't then they can reject the consignment. Once the QC team approves the product it can be supplied to the plant and the finance team can approve the payment to the vendor.
A lengthy process like the above, which involves multiple stakeholders and touch-points working offline, can benefit greatly from a Blueprint.
In a blueprint,
- We can assume the different steps in the procurement process as 'Stages'.
- The activities that are performed in between the steps of the procurement process can be assumed as 'Transitions'.
- The different teams like Purchase,QC etc. can be made as transition owners.
By implementing the above blueprint, Zylker's management can streamline the procurement process used in their plant.
Blueprint limits
- A blueprint can have upto 100 stages.
- A blueprint can have only 100 transitions.
- There can be upto 5 parallel transitions in a blueprint.
- There can be upto 5 common transitions in a blueprint.
- The parallel transition can have a maximum of 5 branches.
- Only one parallel transition is permitted between the same two stages.
- Only two parallel transitions can originate from a stage.