How does FLEX relate to Business Process?

If you have read my blog over the past 3 months you would of learned that I've switched from being a code monkey to being a "manager" and it's been hell let me just say that.
It's been hell for a number of reasons, mainly because I'm not allowed to code and yet there are so many things I could "fix" for my staff and the company I work for. Sadly though, the role I'm in is non-IT (Marketing) so I have to sit on my hands and let others do the "doing" while I work on the "strategy".

There is but one thing that stands out the most and its one that I can see FLEX being an amazing asset to cope with the overwhelming problems that have arisen in the past 4 years here at work.

You see, like most large enterprise organisations the company I work for has gone out and bought quite a lot of databases each with their own UI to allow folks to manage data. Most of the software in question is web-enabled ranging from $5k to $10million in price tag, yet each have their own hosting environment and equally their own "way" of presenting the UI.

In walks a guy like me, someone who's now given the task to not only manage a team to support this disparate world of pain but also to bring balance back to the force, something that could take me through to at minimum 2009 to finalise (God only knows how much money is spent in between now and then as well). I look at all the data clusters lying about the place and one thing constantly sits in the back of my mind, FLEX.

How could FLEX solve the pain points I see daily, through my co-managers or from the executive level down through to Ministers of government? I have an answer, and I could easily put that on the table and poke people in the right positions to at very least take a look. It would fail though, and it's simply due to the folks who make the "strategy" decisions don't understand what the technology in question does and how it relates to the Business and more importantly, how it can improve the business.

You see, it's easy for a guy like me, with a FLEX background to walk into the room and say "I've got it; FLEX will solve it all from the UI stand point. We can use UI to bridge the gap between disparate data and combine them under the one UNIFIED VIEW". I know I can say and do this, simply because I understand the business unit I work for and have a fairly good understanding of the wider circle around my business unit - yet - how do you explain this all to someone who firstly doesn't understand what FLEX does (yet barely understands HTML - which is not a negative).

Ok, let's say they do understand FLEX, but how do you still prove FLEX is the answer? Technology has let people down time and time again, so its within reason for all to become an overnight sceptic once some lone manager throws a few buzz words around and people start to wonder "oh gee, another manager who's read an in-flight magazine has the answer" - I could point out my background, but that would be pampas and arrogant so I defer to their assumptions only.

The way to the heart of the problem is defining your business process and how it works today, so you can fix it tomorrow. Business Process Definition is the key to unlocking all problems within an enterprise environment, if you can't tell me on paper how Joe over in Marketing talks to Pete over in Production how the hell can problems between these two be solved.

So in order to prove my theory, I've got my entire team right now building our Business Process in the land of Visio, mapping is going off the charts and I've got more maps then an Atlas being defined. Yet, its now opening up more and more understanding of the world within and around me, it's now giving me evidence that there is a much bigger problem that needs solving and will provide the appropriate level intelligence to formulate an efficient strategy.

My goal is to use a technology like FLEX to provide "CONTEXT" to peoples problems through User Interface. It's not enough to build software that caters to 50% of ALL Lines of Business give or take their needs. I'm more for building a UI Console that sits in front of EACH Line of Business, yet the data between all is common, just the context of how it's used slightly differs.
FLEX or WinFX (XAML) can provide the answer to this in a more efficient and robust form then any other technology today. I could go down the AJAX path, but the problem I've seen with AJAX (especially within these four walls) is that whilst it's a novel idea, if used poorly it can be worse off then using HTML refresh equation. Large data packets at the moment get sent back and forth resulting in constant browser lockups. Its easy to point the finger at "bad programming" but to be honest, that doesn't solve the problem and so a technology that can keep at least the data transmission side of things civil, is something I'd wager is far more important.

FLEX UI Framework using Flex Enterprise Services on top of various databases can bring balance back to the force and solve a lot of problems. If a new solution is bought, and I need to use it for carrying out my business needs then I can sit down with our IT supplier and rationalise the situation with them more accurately whilst at the same time providing them with an enough information in terms of understanding our business process. They hopefully then can make an informed incision into the code bank, adjust the UI fairly easily and spit out UI that caters to the new adjustment.

It can even go further; imagine a world where you could translate business process via languages like BPEL into FLEX UI, on the FLY?

Imagine...Imagine.. Or... you could just simply email omniEffect.com now and stop with the facon bacon, and start living the dream.

The next trick I have, is convincing the seats of power within my workplace, that all their dream solutions can happen and fast, it just requires some due process in defining what their business does first - the technology will solve the rest.

I rate my chances as being more likely to get hit by a hot blonde, driving a Porsche naked then making it happen. Enough reading of dilbert.com has taught me enough that irrational thought amongst many, overrides all rational thinking.