This document discusses challenges with SharePoint workflows and the benefits of using K2 software to build business applications and workflows. It notes that the biggest challenges SharePoint users cite are user adoption and expanding use to more business processes. Most SharePoint organizations need workflow-driven apps but face challenges with integration, time/effort to build apps, and user interfaces. K2 provides a platform to build and run apps across on-premises and cloud environments using building blocks like data, forms, workflow, and reports. It also discusses K2 architecture, types of projects, feedback on using K2, and the new K2 AppIt cloud service.
2. K2.COM
The biggest ongoing
challenges cited by
SharePoint
organizations are:
User adoption
Expanding
SharePoint use to
more business
processes
Source: AIIM Industry Watch Survey: SharePoint 2013,
conducted July 2013 n=538
3. K2.COM
73% of SharePoint
organizations cite they
need workflow driven
apps
But…
62% cite integration as a
challenge
30% say time & effort to build
business applications is a
challenge
21% End User interface is a
challenge
Source: MPS Partners SharePoint Adoption Survey 2012/2013,
n=143
4. K2.COM
A PLATFORM to BUILD AND RUN APPLICATIONS
< across multiple dimensions >
Apps across cloud and on-
premises
Apps de-coupled and fully
embedded in SharePoint
Apps that include reports,
forms, workflows and access
to information spanning
multiple LOB systems.
Apps you can access on your
Corp IT asset or BYOD, inside
and outside organizations
6. - 6 -
BUILD AND RUN BUSINESS APPLICATIONS
+ + =
DATA
• Create business entities
• Connect to any system
• Leverage Existing Data
• Out-of-the box options
• SharePoint,
• SAP,
• Office 365,
• Dynamics CRM & more
8. - 8 -
SHAREPOINT SQL MS CRM AD OTHER
K2 PROCESS
INFO
WEB SERVICE
FORMS MOBILITY REPORTS PORTALS
Business Apps
WORKFLOW
K2 SMARTOBJECTS
First Name
Last Name
Email
Department
Employee
Department Name
Manager
HR Manager
Director
Department
Client Name
Email
Telephone
Web Address
Clients
ITFOCUSBUSINESSFOCUS
9. - 9 -
BUILD AND RUN BUSINESS APPLICATIONS
+ + =
FORMS
• Drag-and-Drop Design
• Build with rules
• Leverage Existing Data
• Tie to Workflow
14. - 14 -
BUILD AND RUN BUSINESS APPLICATIONS
+ + =
WORKFLOW
• Deliver workflow to enterprise
• Stay flexible
• Scale to fit
• Intuitively design workflows
15. - 15 -
Workflows patterns
PRESCRIPTIVE ASSISTIVE
WORKFLOW BPM CASE
Document
routing
Approvals
Simple forms
Business
application
Complex routing
Dynamic logic
Integrated
reporting
Core processes
Non-linear process
Visibility by stage
Performance metrics
Adhoc
Audit
Checklists
16. K2 BlackPearl workflow sample
- 16 -
A Process
Is composed of Activities
Containing
Tasks (or events)
Assigned to
Users (or actors)
Following Rules
18. - 18 -
BUILD AND RUN BUSINESS APPLICATIONS
+ + =
REPORTS
• Monitor Progress &
Performance
• Deliver Business Insight
• Create reports from both
Process & LOB Data
• Utilize industry reporting tools
21. - 21 -
K2 supports hybrid infrastructure and deployment scenarios
LOB & WEB DATA SOURCES
CLOUD K2 SERVER
(ON-PREMISE OR CLOUD-HOSTED)
LOB DATA SOURCES
ON PREMISE
• Office 365
• MS CRM
• Salesforce.com
• …and more
MOBILE BROWSER API/TOOLS
Feature Parity
25. - 25 -
Different kinds of projects
With or Without SharePoint
With SharePoint 2010 or with SharePoint 2013
Using SmartForms or not
Old projects with InfoPath
InfoPath 2013 is the last version
No replacement from Microsoft (FOSL has been canceled)
“K2 for SharePoint 2010” can generate ASP.Net forms
Be cautious if you have to upgrade to SP 2013
Also projects with other Web technologies (BootStrap, Jquery,
AngularJS)
Serial has developed a Toolbox on top of K2
26. - 26 -
Why our customers choose K2 ?
Error repairing
In case of error, a SP Workflow should be restarted
SP Workflows can impact the performance of SP pages
loading
SP workflows are running in the same IIS process
Simple to migrate from SP 2010 to SP 2013
K2 workflows and forms are loosely coupled to SP
Integration with other systems is easier
No usage of BCS
SmartObjects can be re-used across workflows
27. - 27 -
Feedback from our experience on K2
Complexity of workflows should be limited
Use « Sub-workflows » launched by the main one
Take care of the formatting of the workflow
Users can see it with the « View flow » feature
Add labels on each transition between activities
Use different colors…
It will be easier to maintain the workflow
To not forget the rules that have been implemented
Think reusability
On SmartObjects, on SmartForms views
28. - 28 -
Feedback from our experience on K2
On SmartForms
Only load tab if the user clicks on it
Use asynchronous loading for drop down lists
Difficult to localize labels in forms…
K2 just introduced language packs in 4.6.9
Deployment with Package and Deployment
Not necessary to check all dependances
You can use PowerShell
29. - 29 -
K2 AppIt
K2 as a service
Only in the cloud
App in SharePoint Online
Less features than K2 for SharePoint 2013 with K2 On Premises
Not yet available in Europa (in a few weeks)
30. Access to Worklist
Work on your tasks
Select an action
Redirect
Delegate
Available for
iOS
Android
BlackBerry
Offline forms in K2 4.6.9
- 30 -
K2 AppIt
Before I tell you about the technology, it’s first important to establish some background on the market realities that informed the vision for this release and what we set out to accomplish.
The reality for most SharePoint administrators and IT organizations today is that they have aspirations of getting more out of their SharePoint investment, but face significant challenges in getting there. According to a recent study that polled over 500 SharePoint administrators and IT professionals - the top 2 challenges related to an organization’s SharePoint environment are 1) driving user adoption and 2) using SharePoint for more business processes.
--------------
Source: 2013 AIIM survey of 538 Respondents.
Question: What are the biggest on-going issues for SharePoint in your organization?
52% Persuading users to manage and share their content in SharePoint and not elsewhere
49% Expanding the use of SharePoint for more business processes
The vast majority of organizations that use SharePoint recognize a need for workflow driven apps. Apps that make it easy for end users to streamline their work, take action against tasks when and where action is needed, and manage it all from one place.
There are some major hurdles to getting there, however:
Integration is a challenge, and not just integration within SharePoint across SharePoint sites and environments, but also integration with other data sources – some of which reside in other line-of-business systems within the organization or even data sources on the web.
A major issue is the time and cost that it takes to build and maintain these applications – most of which require custom development, and the resources and skills that that requires.
And even in getting these things right, end user adoption is still a challenge – a big piece of this is due to the difficulty of creating great user interfaces that deliver a good user experience.
These are really some of the common pains and challenges that we set out to address with our research and development efforts in this release.
------
MPS Survey data:
Workflow:
73% SP2013 customers cite processes that would benefit from Workflow1
Forms:
73% cite application areas that would benefit from electronic forms1
54% Connect Workflow to Electronic Forms1
Data
32% use SP to connect to ERP1
28% use SP to connect with CRM1
Delivering these apps needs to support both On premises and in the Cloud. Customers tell us its not one or the other but both. We make that possible.
Bridge cloud and on-premises easily.Empower more people to solve business problems with apps that include forms, workflows and access to information.Unlock mobile potential inside and outside organizations
Building apps with K2 is simple whether an app is being built for you or you will be building your app yourself the tools being used are the same.
All K2 design environments offer drag-and-drop simplicity, weather you are building a simple form or composing a complex rule.
FORMS
Use drag and drop components in your preferred browser to create feature rich reusable forms for workflows and business applications.
WORKFLOW
K2 provides design environments that are fine-tuned to your work style. Whether you prefer a browser, Visual Studio or desktop tools, we ensure you have what you need to build something great.
DATA
Use visual tools, not code, to define reusable business entities for access to your information, use line-of-business and Web-based data, regardless of where it lives.
Smartobjects serve up a single view of business information and are easily configured to connect to nearly any system within your organization or on the web.
OUT-OF-THE-BOX DATA INTEGRATION
Out-of-the-box, K2 integrates with SharePoint, Active Directory, Exchange, Office 365, Dynamics CRM, SQL Server, Oracle, SAP, Salesforce.com and web services and more.
CONNECT TO ANY SYSTEM
For organizations that have homegrown applications and systems in place, K2’s integration tools make it easy to work with them all. Once a connection is in place, use it across all your K2 applications.
REPORTS
Use K2’s out of the box workflow reporting controls to add reports to your forms and create information portals. Extend these reports using community controls as well as industry standard reporting solutions. However you create reports K2 makes process, workflow and line of business data available for you to use.
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