Appian recently released the latest update to the Appian for SharePoint module. Appian for SharePoint has been a success over the past year in helping customers bring the enterprise BPM capabilities of Appian to the very common Microsoft SharePoint platform. Of course, many other BPM companies offer their own version of SharePoint integration, but I would like to think Appian has offered a unique spin on this integration that raises the bar for all other BPM vendors. Appian not only allows SharePoint users to easily publish task lists and process reports in native SharePoint dashboards as web parts, but also Allows process designers to control and orchestrate all objects in SharePoint in an Appian process model.
BPM has always been about more than just tasks lists and reports. Orchestration of corporate assets and SOA methodologies are key to making any BPM implementation successful. Appian for SharePoint exposes all objects in SharePoint, including Sites, Lists, Folders, Documents, and Permissions, as service objects that the Appian Process Modeler can easily control and orchestrate. As an example, a process modeler can setup a process that manages the creation of new SharePoint sites, publication and destruction of content, and the permissions of each object created. Last year I gave ademonstration showing how the Appian for SharePoint module was used to manage the automatic creation of a SharePoint site to support a collaborative project for an organization. Customers have found this orchestration capability of SharePoint content is a great way to ensure your SharePoint environment is managed in a structured and repeatable manner.
Appian has expanded the module to also include a more robust authentication structure that ensures audit histories of commands run in SharePoint are synchronized with audit trails in Appian.
If you are an existing customer or partner of Appian, feel free to download and try out the Appian for SharePoint module fromAppian Access. The Appian for SharePoint module is available in the software download section under Appian Enterprise 5.7 folders. Trial licenses are available from Appian Support.
Thanks,
Malcolm Ross
Director Product Management
