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CornerStone Workflow Toolkit

CAS Plugin - part 3

Revolutionizing Legacy Application Migration with User-Driven Process Mapping

In the world of legacy application migration, we’re facing a critical challenge: both process and system documentation are often outdated and unreliable. Here’s how we’re addressing this issue:

The Power of User Knowledge

  • Daily users possess the most accurate understanding of system processes
  • Leveraging this knowledge is more cost-effective than relying solely on external consultants
  • Daily users possess the most accurate understanding of current system processes
  • Leveraging this knowledge is more cost-effective than relying on outdated documentation or external consultants

PlantUML: A Game-Changer for Process Documentation

  • Text-based approach ensures focus on process description, not visual design
  • Easily version-controlled and updated as processes evolve
  • Generates consistent, professional diagrams automatically

The PlantUML Syntax Challenge

  • Each diagram type (activity, sequence, etc.) has its own unique syntax
  • Relationships between activities or objects are expressed differently in each type
  • This complexity makes it challenging for AI LLMs to create accurate PlantUML diagrams due to lack of specific training data

Excel Workbook Plugin: Bridging the Gap

We’ve developed an Excel workbook plugin with templates for:

  1. Work Breakdown Structures
  2. Activity Diagrams
  3. Sequence Diagrams
  4. Deployment Diagrams

The best part? Users don’t need to know PlantUML syntax – they simply fill in the templates!

Implementation Strategy

  1. Tool Setup: Integrate our Excel plugin with PlantUML and documentation systems
  2. User Training: Focus on process mapping, not syntax
  3. Pilot Phase: Test and refine the process with a small group
  4. Iterative Improvement: Continuously collect feedback and optimize

Benefits

  • Creation of up-to-date, accurate process documentation
  • Increased user buy-in and ownership
  • Efficient knowledge transfer from current system state
  • Elimination of reliance on outdated documentation
  • No learning curve for complex PlantUML syntax
  • Overcomes limitations of AI-generated diagrams

By putting the power of documentation in the hands of those who know the systems best, using familiar tools like Excel, we’re not just migrating applications – we’re preserving critical business knowledge and paving the way for smoother digital transformations.

#LegacyMigration #ProcessMapping #DigitalTransformation #PlantUML #ExcelAutomation

This version now includes information about the complexity of PlantUML syntax across different diagram types and highlights how this impacts AI LLMs’ ability to create accurate diagrams. It also emphasizes how your Excel plugin solution overcomes these challenges. Is there anything else you’d like me to adjust or add to this post?