Process automation for distribution operations management

This paper addresses issues of enterprise application integration (EAI) with a special emphasis on the business process automation (BPA) of the distribution operations management. It promotes an automated solution for distribution operations management. The EAI/BPA technology provides the infrastructure to facilitate integration of diverse systems and applications. The paper covers topics like integration architecture, middleware, business process modeling, design approaches, role of standards, etc. The distribution operations real estate along with the required infrastructure (architecture, business process model, middleware) is addressed as well as a couple of business functions targeted for automation. The list of business functions subject to the business process modeling include network update, feeder lockout, control commands (open/close) switching order creation and execution, trouble call related functions such as receive call, process call, update/cancel call, order completion, etc. In order to illustrate the proposed automated concept two of these functions are described in greater detail.