What is Camunda, Features and Use Cases?

Camunda is an open-source platform that uses a workflow engine and decision engine to automate business processes. Organizations can use it to automate workflow and decision processes, freeing up time for employees to focus on more thoughtful projects.

The Camunda platform comes with a long list of features that can help developers build products that improve workflows, automation, and software optimization.

The open-source platform encourages collaboration between developers and business users. Ideally, this approach leads to more effective, lightweight tools that function well for end-users in a variety of industries.

Let’s take a closer look at Camunda, its features, and when you might want to choose it to improve process automation and workflow orchestration.

Camunda platform features

Does Camunda’s platform have the features your development team needs to improve workflow automation more efficiently than similar products? Here’s a comprehensive list of features to consider before digging deeper into what to expect from Camunda.

1. Built on popular business standards

Business users rely on standard processes and notations. The typical software developer, however, doesn’t always understand how these standards work or why they need to follow them.

Camunda makes it easier for developers to conform to standards like:

• Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN)
• Decision Model and Notation (DMN)
• Case Management Model and Notation (CMMN)

With help from Camunda, developers and business users can collaborate more easily to build business process management (BPM) tools that truly matter to users. Now, you have a developer-friendly way to understand workflow automation throughout organizations.

Camunda even has specific solutions for the type of notation your team prefers. The BPMN Workflow Engine can help automate business processes, orchestrate RPA bots, and manage human tasks.

2. Useful integrations

Camunda’s workflow automation tools easily integrate with Java and Spring Boot. As of late April 2022, GitHub lists 110 Camunda repositories that should make it easier for developers to integrate with existing tools.

It’s okay if the list doesn’t show the tools your organization relies on. You can always create REST APIs that let tools share data securely.

3. Visual diagrams for improved collaboration

Developers and business leaders often use different languages to say the same thing. Someone on the sales team might ask if you can add some automated features to the in-house order submissions app.

You might respond that you've asked your Java developers to explore microservices orchestration frameworks before you launch any new features. The changes are coming, but you need time to add them to your continuous integration plan.

Although an excellent member of your sales team, that person might not have any idea what you just said.

Camunda breaks down communication barriers by creating visual diagrams that improve collaboration. Once everyone can see the plans on paper, intentions become clearer, and everyone gets more helpful feedback.

4. Different tools working together for success

You can break down the Camunda platform into standalone tools designed to perform specific tasks. Some of the most useful tools include:

• Camunda Modeler: A modeling tool that uses graphics-based diagrams to create an environment for sustainable business-IT alignment. Its human workflows, decision tables, and automated processes conform to BPMN 2.0 and DMN standards.
• Cawemo: If Camunda Modeler seems a little too technical for your business staff, they can turn to the non-technical Cawemo to communicate their ideas. Cawemo integrates directly with the Camunda stack, so every idea gets expressed in ways everyone can understand. Follow this link to see free demonstrations of how Cawemo models can direct the process of scanning a QR code or ordering a pizza. Seeing the features in action is a great way to understand how automated business practices can serve your organization.
• Zebee: Zebee is the workflow automation engine that powers Camunda. Zebee works well because it's fault-tolerant, language-agnostic, horizontally scalable, and message-driven with publish-subscribe support.

Camunda has added features to each new version of its platform. The most current version is Camunda Platform 8, although users still have access to version 7.

Recent Camunda use cases

These recent use cases from Camunda should help you determine where the business process engine and automation platform excel.

Embracing digital transformation

Maximus processes more Medicaid accounts than any company in the United States. Since every state has slightly different regulations, the company spent a lot of time and money building separate applications for each customer.

When Maximus connected with Camunda, the company found a much easier way to serve customers throughout the U.S. healthcare industry. Camunda helped the organization:

• Adopt more open-source tools to lower software expenses and prevent vendor lock-in.
• Reduce infrastructure costs by transitioning to the cloud.
• Accelerate business processes by adopting BPMN, DMN, and other standards.

Now, Maximus has lower IT costs, serves customers more efficiently, and adapts more quickly to changes in the market.

Modernizing legacy systems

Covéa Insurance historically relied on the IT team to solve problems. Eventually, it became apparent that this approach didn’t work as well as it once did.

The company relied too heavily on legacy systems that didn’t integrate easily with modern tools. Additionally, the insurance company’s developers didn’t always understand the organization’s business challenges.

Camunda had solutions to both of these problems. Instead of forcing the IT department to brainstorm solutions to problems they didn’t completely understand, Covéa could use Camunda to solicit ideas from employees working directly with clients.

Graphics-based diagrams ensure that everyone involved knows how software changes will look when finished.

Camunda also added more opportunities for process automation. Previously, traditional processes required the attention of employees.

After adopting Camunda, many of those tasks were automated to save time and let people focus on critical concepts with the potential to make the organization more competitive.

When should you use Camunda?

The Camunda platform can help you accomplish a lot within your organization. Consider turning to it when you want to:

1. Improve collaboration across teams so developers can build products that solve critical problems.
2. Prolong application lifecycles by updating features instead of starting from scratch.
3. Establish process definitions that fit industry standards.
4. Try a self-managed, open-source automation platform for free. (Camunda cloud offers custom pricing for those who want a SaaS solution.)
5. Replace outdated legacy systems with microservices that can adapt quickly to evolving needs.
6. Streamline complex task lists and decision trees for faster customer responses.
7. Join a robust community of users with an active forum that helps organizations identify the solution's top features.

Alternatives to the Camunda platform

Camunda is a popular option for decision automation, but it’s far from the only tool you might consider before taking your organization to the next level of digital transformation. Some other platforms to explore include:

• Microsoft Power Automate
• Azure Logic Apps
• Appian
• IBM Business Automation Workflow
• Kissflow
• Bonita Platform

These platforms can help you automate DMN decisions, but they might not have all of the features that make the Camunda engine so useful for business and development teams.

How Adservio can help

We know that you have a lot of options to consider when you want to improve business decisions and process automation. You don’t have to compare your options alone. Reach out to our team to help you choose the right universal process orchestrator for your organization.

We’re always happy to help organizations make informed decisions that lead to greater success.