DCO 6.1 - Creating Discovery Maps

Updated on June 10, 2020

A Discovery Map is a flexible process mapping tool that captures a project's high level processing steps in business terms. Embedded in the Application Profiler and Application Accelerator, it allows you to perform iterative and ongoing process discovery. It provides a visual inventory of steps organized by processes. Behind each step, you can enter the use cases and requirements that detail how to implement the step.

This article describes creating discovery maps in V6.1. For V6.2, see DCO 6.2 - Creating Application Profiles and Discovery Maps.

When a profile is finished and you run the Accelerator, the discovery map is used to create the draft starting flow diagrams.

Starting with Process Commander V6.1 SP2, these additional Discovery Map features are available:

The map is displayed in the Application Profile document
The map can be selected as an alternative display option on the Diagram tab of a flow rule where you can update use case and requirement details for any shape on the map
Non-starting flows from an underlying application can be displayed on the map in the Application Profile, Application Accelerator, and Documents as starting flows from an existing application when the Document as Starting Flow? box is checked on the Process tab of a flow rule

Mapping Example

The following example maps the starting flow and subflows for a process that creates an employee purchase request. In the map:

A mapping element is called a step.
The primary path of a process displays from left to right along the top row of the map.
Subflows run from top to bottom below a step in the primary path. Subflows also can be embedded in a subflow.
Steps are color-coded to indicate a flow shape.
Alternate paths can be added to the primary path or a subflow and are indicated by double red lines between steps.
Use cases and requirements can be added to each step on the map as well as the work type and starting flow.
A appears at the top of a step to indicate that a use case exists for the step.

Configuration Tip: If you are building your application on another application or framework, you can populate the map with processing steps from the starting flows and subflows from the underlying application layers including the use cases and requirements linked to those steps. This happens if the Include Parent field on the General tab of the underlying Application rule(s) is checked before you create the Application Profile and run the Application Accelerator. Although this does not allow you to change existing flows, you can edit the use cases and requirements and copy steps to your new starting flows and subflows. When you run the accelerator, changes you make to existing use cases and requirements are saved and updated.

Filling out a discovery map

Maps are typically entered on the tab of the application profiler but can be added in the application accelerator. When a profile is used by the accelerator, the discovery map and its use case and requirement detail are transferred to the accelerator Processes tab.

The application name entered in the profile's Overview window defaults as the work type and starting flow names.

Updating and adding work types

- Click to edit the work type, its display label, complexity, prefix, and description.
- Click to add more work types.

Updating and adding starting flows

Click > Rename to rename the starting flow.
Click > Add > Use case for flow to enter a use case and requirements for the flow. Defaults to the use case entry screen. Click the Requirements tab to enter requirements.
Click > Add > Use case for starting screen to enter a use case and requirements for the starting screen. Defaults to the use case entry screen. Click the Requirements tab to enter requirements.
Click to add more starting flows.
Optionally, when use cases and requirements have been entered you can:
Click > Edit> Use case for flow or Use case for starting screen to enter use cases and requirements
Click > Delete > Use Case for flow or Use case for starting screen to delete use cases and requirements.

Mapping the process

- Click a blank box on the display to add a step to the map

- Click a step to enter a name for the step or rename it.
- Double click a step to display a window where you can select a flow shape and enter use cases and requirements for the step. The flow shape determines the color of the shape on the map.
  - Sub Process - Blue
  - Human Based Step - Green
  - Automated Step - Yellow
  - Integration - Red
- Use the auto-complete control to select and reuse existing use cases and requirements. Click OK and details are automatically copied into the form.
- Right click a step to add another primary step, add an alternate path or delete the step.
- Click a step to drag and drop it on other parts of the map to reorder the steps in the flow.
- Click on the header of the tab to display instructions that can help you complete the map.
- Click on a subflow shape to redisplay the subflow from left to right instead of top to bottom with a breadcrumb tail back to the original display. This feature is useful when the subflow contains another subflow and you want to display the steps in that subflow that are not visible on the top layer of the map.

Translating maps into flows

The application accelerator translates the map into starting flows and subflows in your new application, framework, or extended implementation.

The flow shapes are the flow shapes that the appear in the diagram with the step names you enter. Use cases specified for starting flows, subflows, integration, and automated shapes are populated in the Use Case field of the shape's property panel.

The draft flows, use cases, and requirements provide a head start and solid starting point for application developers to begin building out the flows and the application.

These flow diagrams were created from the mapping examples in this article.