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Mastering IBM Blueworks Live

Matthew Oatts

*Updated 2024* - Blueworks Live has had very few changes to its feature set since 2022 (that's a good thing. ), so I added a simple video to showcase what's been updated and walk through recent release notes.This course is a deep dive into IBM's Blueworks Live process modeling and discovery tool. The instructor, Matthew Oatts from Epic Process Consulting, builds out real-time examples covering almost all the features of Blueworks Live.  The dialogue includes insight from almost 10 years of this former IBMer's experience using Blueworks Live at clients around the globe.

Read more

*Updated 2024* - Blueworks Live has had very few changes to its feature set since 2022 (that's a good thing. ), so I added a simple video to showcase what's been updated and walk through recent release notes.This course is a deep dive into IBM's Blueworks Live process modeling and discovery tool. The instructor, Matthew Oatts from Epic Process Consulting, builds out real-time examples covering almost all the features of Blueworks Live.  The dialogue includes insight from almost 10 years of this former IBMer's experience using Blueworks Live at clients around the globe.

This "show me, don't just talk about it" approach means the course is suitable for beginners needing step-by-step walkthroughs of features as well as experts who want to learn best practices or avoid anti-patterns. Since there is always more than one approach to document a process, students of this course leave knowing they have options for whatever complexity process landscape they face. The content also includes recommendations for those users who need to leave equipped with the skills and insight to evangelize Process Discovery with Blueworks Live throughout their company.

Lectures are organized into 5 sections:

  1. Process Modeling - where you'll learn the basics of capturing process information

  2. Adding Context - where you'll learn where to add details to make your process rich with information

  3. Gathering Insight - where you'll learn how to turn your detailed processes into action and collaborate for rapid process improvement outcomes

  4. Sharing Outcomes - where you'll learn all the options available to version, publish, and radiate insight throughout your company

  5. Advanced Features and Configuration - where you'll learn about advanced features and how to configure your environment to suit your company's needs

Each section includes the demonstration by the instructor, with most lectures recapping the content with advice on how to scale out the usage of a feature in a well-governed but flexible pattern.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • How to document business processes using ibm's blueworks live
  • How to use ibm's blueworks live process discovery solution
  • How to scale blueworks live usage and process documentation in their company
  • How to leverage ibm's blueworks live for process reengineering documentation

Syllabus

Learn how the decision construct can be incorporated into your process documentation for a detailed capture of business rules.

Create and build basic process documentation in Blueworks live including process flows, connected processes, and processes with events and gateways
Read more

Learn how to sign up, login, and understand the structure of the lectures in the course.

In this video, I provide an update on what has changed since this course was originally published to Udemy.

The good news is Blueworks Live is one of the few products I work with every day that hasn't had many feature changes over the years. That's a testament to how well designed it is and IBM's perspective of "if it's not broken, don't change it" design principle with Blueworks Live.

You'll see where the release notes are posted and I point out the two areas have had the most change since 2022: API's and minor features for commenting.

Use the Discovery Map feature in Blueworks Live to map and document processes without worrying about flow.

Learn how to visually sequence activities and describe a process flow.

Learn the best practices and anti-patterns for naming artifacts in Blueworks Live.

Use the Gateway construct to represent divergent and convergent paths including the logic behind the icon of the gateway.

Connect different processes and layers of processes to have a unified view of your process landscape. This lecture also describes when to use and when not to use Linked Processes vs. Sub-Processes.

Learn how to represent Events in Blueworks Live, including what the different event icons mean and how to the message artifact is properly used.

Add documentation details to Blueworks Live and navigate the tool to show documentation based upon associated detail

Learn how to organize artifacts in Spaces within Blueworks Live and how to configure Spaces to ensure proper access.

Become a power navigator in Blueworks Live by learning to quickly tag, favorite, and navigate content.

While it might seem straightforward to fill in activity fields, learn how experts make sure the activity detail they capture is consistent and valuable.

More than just a rich text editor, the Documentation feature in Blueworks Live can be a powerful way to quickly capture process discovery discussions and link notes to content inside and outside Blueworks Live.

Learn how to make the most of the Problems feature in Blueworks Live... one of the instructor's favorite features!

Blueworks Live is more than just process flow documentation and making good use of the Glossary can turn mediocre process documentation into enterprise wide game-changing insight.

Sometimes an overlooked feature of Blueworks Live, the Policy feature is a great way to have "single source of truth" or "golden" copies of documents in Blueworks Live.

Create rich documentation and use Blueworks Live features to gain insight into the process landscape

With a well documented process landscape, you can use the "where-used" feature to link data points across processes and business areas.

Learn how to rock your Blueworks Live process documentation review presentations by using the Playbacks feature!

Adding color to your Blueworks Live documentation creates a greater depth of understanding without needing to dig into the activity details.

Learn how to use the Analysis Mode in Blueworks Live to add layers of insight to your process maps and diagrams.

One of the hardest parts of process modeling, regardless of tool, is making sure your activity granularity is consistent. In this lecture, learn how Blueworks Live assists users in tackling this challenge and what anti-patterns you might want to avoid.

Often the investment of enterprise process documentation is all about identifying risks and eliminating waste. In this lecture, learn about the Risk and Value Add features in Blueworks Live and how you can put them to use to accomplish key process improvement goals.

Share content and collaborating effectively in their Blueworks Live account

Learn how to take advantage of the Snapshot versioning feature in Blueworks Live... which is particularly important if you need to remember what your process used to look like after a crazy process documentation session.

Learn how to use the Publish feature of Blueworks Live to make sure the right version of your process documentation is out there for the right people to see.

At some point, you might need to clean up or replicate parts of your Blueworks Live environment, so this lecture goes over how to do just that.

Learn how to export processes and information out of Blueworks Live.

Blueworks Live is at its best when your user base is working in the tool together. Learn how to take advantage collaboration features related to comments and comment streams.

It's common to have multiple versions of a process capturing past, present, and future states (whether real or theoretical). This lecture goes over options for organizing those different versions to suit your specific needs.

Identifying Sharing Channels
Organizing for Your Enterpise

Learn how to tackle that age-hold issue of "process documentation staleness."

Understand how advanced features work and how to configure their company's Blueworks Live environment

The lecture goes over the different ways to setup users and groups in Blueworks Live securely.

To drive engagement but also avoid driving users crazy with emails, you need to learn your notification options and how best to help users configure their profile.

The Automate Processes feature isn't commonly used at most Blueworks Live customers, but it's good to know what it does and what it doesn't do.

This lecture is an overview of the REST API settings in Blueworks Live. Note: It does not cover the REST API with an example integration.

Learn about how to configure advanced settings in Blueworks Live.

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Provides insight from the instructor's decade of experience using Blueworks Live at clients globally, offering practical knowledge for real-world application
Employs a 'show me, don't just talk about it' approach, making it suitable for beginners needing step-by-step guidance and experts seeking best practices
Includes recommendations for users who need to evangelize process discovery with Blueworks Live throughout their company, aiding in internal adoption
Covers almost all the features of Blueworks Live, giving learners a comprehensive understanding of the tool's capabilities for process modeling and discovery
Briefly covers the 'Automate Processes' feature, but does not delve deeply into it, which may not satisfy users seeking in-depth knowledge of automation capabilities
Includes an overview of the REST API settings but does not cover the REST API with an example integration, which may limit its usefulness for developers

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Save Mastering IBM Blueworks Live to your list so you can find it easily later:
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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Mastering IBM Blueworks Live with these activities:
Review BPMN 2.0 Fundamentals
Refresh your understanding of BPMN 2.0 to better grasp Blueworks Live's process modeling features.
Show steps
  • Read a BPMN 2.0 introduction.
  • Review common BPMN elements.
  • Practice drawing simple diagrams.
Contribute to Blueworks Live Forums
Deepen your understanding by helping others in the Blueworks Live community.
Show steps
  • Find Blueworks Live forums online.
  • Answer questions from other users.
  • Share your knowledge and experience.
Read 'BPMN Method and Style, 2nd Edition'
Deepen your understanding of BPMN 2.0 principles to improve your Blueworks Live modeling skills.
View DMN Method and Style: 3rd edition, with DMN... on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the book cover to cover.
  • Practice applying the methods.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Practice Modeling Scenarios
Reinforce your skills by working through various process modeling scenarios in Blueworks Live.
Show steps
  • Find process modeling scenarios online.
  • Model each scenario in Blueworks Live.
  • Compare your solutions with others.
Model a Real-World Process
Apply your Blueworks Live knowledge by modeling a process from your own work or personal life.
Show steps
  • Choose a process to model.
  • Gather information about the process.
  • Create a process diagram in Blueworks Live.
  • Refine the diagram based on feedback.
Create a Blueworks Live Tutorial
Solidify your understanding by creating a tutorial on a specific Blueworks Live feature.
Show steps
  • Choose a Blueworks Live feature.
  • Create a step-by-step guide.
  • Record a video tutorial.
  • Share your tutorial online.
Read 'Reengineering the Corporation'
Understand the principles of process reengineering to effectively use Blueworks Live for process improvement.
View Reengineering the Corporation: A Manifesto for... on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the book and take notes.
  • Reflect on how the concepts apply.

Career center

Learners who complete Mastering IBM Blueworks Live will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Process Modeler
A Process Modeler creates visual representations of business processes using specialized software, like IBM Blueworks Live, which is the focus of this course. This role requires a deep understanding of process mapping techniques, documentation, and analysis, all of which are covered in this course. A process modeler benefits from the ability to create, document, and maintain process models using best practices. The course takes one from basic process documentation to using advanced features, ensuring a Process Modeler will be prepared to handle various modeling scenarios. The course's emphasis on real-time examples and best practices makes it ideal for anyone aiming to excel in process modeling.
See salaries and explore the career path for Process Modeler
Business Process Analyst
A Business Process Analyst identifies areas for improvement in an organization's processes. They use tools like IBM Blueworks Live to create detailed process maps and documentation, a skill directly taught in this course. This role requires a meticulous approach to documenting process flows and understanding how different processes connect. The course provides hands-on experience with Blueworks Live features, enabling one to effectively gather insights and create documentation. This course is particularly helpful because it mirrors the daily tasks of a Business Process Analyst, focusing on process modeling, adding context, gathering insights, and sharing outcomes using Blueworks Live. The instructor's experience provides a solid background in best practices, allowing for successful execution of this role.
See salaries and explore the career path for Business Process Analyst
Process Consultant
A Process Consultant works with clients to improve and optimize their business operations. Using Blueworks Live to model and document client processes, as taught in this course, is a key skill. This role requires extensive knowledge of process documentation, and the course provides instruction in how to model processes, add details, and gather insight using Blueworks Live. A consultant needs to be able to identify inefficiencies in the client's process maps, and this course provides those skills through hands-on experience. The course is especially relevant because it goes over best practices for process documentation based upon the instructor's experience, which is beneficial for a Process Consultant.
See salaries and explore the career path for Process Consultant
Process Improvement Specialist
A Process Improvement Specialist focuses on optimizing business workflows and reducing inefficiencies. This role often utilizes process mapping tools to identify bottlenecks and propose solutions, making this course highly relevant. An understanding of how to document workflows and identify areas for optimization is essential for this role. This course provides specific instruction on using Blueworks Live, and its features can be used, as they are intended, to create detailed process maps, identify risks, and suggest changes to improve efficiency; learning these skills directly from the expert in the course will help streamline the transition into this role. The course is important because it focuses on practical application and real-world scenarios, using Blueworks Live as the primary tool.
See salaries and explore the career path for Process Improvement Specialist
Operations Analyst
An Operations Analyst is responsible for analyzing and improving the day-to-day activities of an organization. This role relies on an understanding of how various processes work, so skills in process documentation, such as those covered in this course, are crucial. This course demonstrates how to use Blueworks Live to map complicated processes, identify bottlenecks, and find opportunities for improvement. An operations analyst needs to have a clear understanding of business process workflows, and this course provides the necessary knowledge of process capture and its documentation through Blueworks Live. The course is useful because it teaches hands-on skills with Blueworks Live that one can immediately apply in real-world scenarios.
See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Analyst
Workflow Coordinator
A Workflow Coordinator manages and optimizes the flow of tasks within an organization. For this role, understanding process documentation is crucial. The course provides an understanding of how to capture process information and add context to it using IBM's Blueworks Live. This role requires the ability to organize and streamline workflows, and this course provides an understanding of capturing processes documentation and sharing outcomes. The course's hands-on approach to using Blueworks Live and its real-time examples make it applicable to daily tasks as a Workflow Coordinator. This course emphasizes how to capture, share, and organize process documentation.
See salaries and explore the career path for Workflow Coordinator
Business Systems Analyst
A Business Systems Analyst analyzes business needs and translates them into system requirements. Part of this role often includes mapping out current processes and identifying areas for improvement, where knowledge of Blueworks Live is advantageous. This role requires understanding of process documentation which is exactly what this course teaches. The course helps prepare one to document existing workflows and identify pain points for the system to solve; the course is helpful because it walks through the process step by step. The course, through its focus on practical application, ensures a Business Systems Analyst possesses the necessary understanding of process documentation.
See salaries and explore the career path for Business Systems Analyst
Process Engineer
A Process Engineer designs, implements, and optimizes industrial processes, and this may include the mapping and analysis of current workflows. The course provides hands-on training with Blueworks Live, allowing for one to document processes thoroughly. The course will be useful in this field, as it provides skills in using Blueworks Live to model and document various processes. The depth with which the course explores Blueworks Live, and its features will enable a process engineer to use the tool effectively. The course covers topics such as capturing process information, adding context, gathering insight, sharing outcomes, and configuring the environment for their company’s needs.
See salaries and explore the career path for Process Engineer
Management Consultant
A Management Consultant advises organizations on how to improve their performance and efficiency. In this role, process analysis and process improvement are essential skills, and this course helps to build a foundation. The course's comprehensive overview of Blueworks Live provides the basis to map, analyze, and improve processes. A management consultant should be able to document and analyze business processes; the course is helpful because it teaches process documentation from basic to advanced levels, and is intended for beginners and experts. The course is beneficial because it equips consultants with a practical tool to assess business operations.
See salaries and explore the career path for Management Consultant
Quality Assurance Analyst
A Quality Assurance Analyst ensures products and services meet established standards. They may need to map and analyze process flows to identify areas of improvement. This course provides a practical training on using Blueworks Live to document and model business processes. The course gives one the skills to use the software and identify bottlenecks and inconsistencies in the process flow. The course will help a Quality Assurance analyst visualize an organization's workflows and identify non-conformances. The course is useful because it focuses on best practices, including how to make use of the 'Problems' feature in Blueworks Live.
See salaries and explore the career path for Quality Assurance Analyst
Solutions Architect
A Solutions Architect designs and oversees the implementation of solutions to business problems, which often involves documenting and analyzing existing processes. This course helps one to understand process modeling and gain familiarity with Blueworks Live. A deep understanding of business process for designing effective systems solutions, and this course provides hands-on experience with Blueworks Live. The course is helpful because it gives you a practical tool to visualize and understand business process workflows. This course is suitable for anyone wanting to understand how a process is modeled and documented.
See salaries and explore the career path for Solutions Architect
Project Manager
A Project Manager plans, executes, and closes projects. An understanding of business processes is useful, and this course on Blueworks Live may help. A project manager would benefit from an ability to map out current processes and identify the steps involved. This course teaches this by demonstrating how to model processes in Blueworks Live. The course provides an understanding of how to use a tool like Blueworks Live to map, document, and analyze business processes. The course is valuable because its practical approach provides hands-on experience.
See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager
Enterprise Architect
An Enterprise Architect develops a comprehensive view of an organization's structure, processes, and IT systems. This role often requires a high-level process understanding and the ability to communicate it visually, and this course on Blueworks Live may help with that. The course introduces one to process modeling and documentation, making it a useful tool in visualizing and aligning various organizational aspects. An Enterprise Architect needs to understand how to depict processes and map their relations and this course teaches how to link various process layers in Blueworks Live, which might assist in that effort. The course may help an Enterprise Architect's understanding of how to use tools like Blueworks Live to document enterprise-wide processes.
See salaries and explore the career path for Enterprise Architect
Training Specialist
A Training Specialist develops and delivers training programs to improve the skills of employees. This role may require the ability to understand and explain business processes clearly. The course provides hands-on experience using IBM's Blueworks Live, an approach which is useful for demonstrating business processes from the ground up. The course helps one to document and visually represent processes through Blueworks Live, essential skills for conveying complex workflows to trainees. The course is applicable because it includes the best practices for sharing and organizing information in Blueworks Live, which helps to train others effectively.
See salaries and explore the career path for Training Specialist
Data Analyst
A Data Analyst interprets data and identifies trends, and they may need to understand the business processes that generate this data. This course could be useful in helping to document these processes within Blueworks Live. The course provides training on how to use Blueworks Live to model these processes, and it provides a deep understanding of how process documentation is done. A data analyst may need to understand the business processes that generated the data, and this course allows one to document those effectively. The data generated through this process can be invaluable, and the course teaches how to gather those insights.
See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Mastering IBM Blueworks Live.
Cover image
DMN Method and Style
Save
Provides a comprehensive guide to BPMN 2.0, the standard notation for business process modeling. It offers practical advice on how to create clear, consistent, and effective process diagrams. Reading this book will help you understand the underlying principles of process modeling, which will make you more effective at using Blueworks Live. It valuable resource for both beginners and experienced process modelers.
DMN Method and Style: 3rd edition, with DMN Cookbook
Paperback
$$
DMN Method and Style. 2nd Edition: A Business...
Paperback
$$$
Cover image
Reengineering the Corporation
Save
Classic text on business process reengineering. While not specific to Blueworks Live, it provides a valuable framework for understanding how to use process modeling to improve business performance. It offers insights into identifying and eliminating inefficiencies in business processes. Reading this book will help you think critically about how to use Blueworks Live to drive real business value.
Reengineering the Corporation: A Manifesto for...
Paperback
$$
Reengineering the Corporation: A Manifesto for...
Hardcover
$$
Reengineering the Corporation
Hardcover
$$
Reengineering the Corporation : A Manifesto for...
Paperback
$$
Reengineering the Corporation: Manifesto for...
Kindle Edition
$$

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Effort
5 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructor
Matthew Oatts
Language
English
Good to know
Provides insight from the instructor's decade of experience using Blueworks Live at clients globally, offering practical knowledge for real-world application
Employs a 'show me, don't just talk about it' approach, making it suitable for beginners needing step-by-step guidance and experts seeking best practices
Includes recommendations for users who need to evangelize process discovery with Blueworks Live throughout their company, aiding in internal adoption
Covers almost all the features of Blueworks Live, giving learners a comprehensive understanding of the tool's capabilities for process modeling and discovery
Briefly covers the 'Automate Processes' feature, but does not delve deeply into it, which may not satisfy users seeking in-depth knowledge of automation capabilities
Includes an overview of the REST API settings but does not cover the REST API with an example integration, which may limit its usefulness for developers
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