Webinar
Process Automation
Camunda 7 is over
Evaluating Your Migration Options — a joint session with itemis and Haulmont on life after Camunda 7's end of life.
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Process Automation
Process automation for business-critical software.
Orchestrate complex work across systems, people and AI on an open technology foundation that fits into your software architecture and stays under your control. From process execution and engineering tooling to integration, custom development and enterprise support: itemis brings together the building blocks that turn process automation into production-grade enterprise software.
The starting point
When business processes become part of your software architecture
Process logic without a home
Simple automations are easy to code directly. As complexity grows, a business process spreads across services, integrations, scripts and application code, and nobody can see the whole flow any more.
Long runtimes, many failure paths
An application waits three weeks for approval, a third-party system doesn't respond, a case handler is on holiday. Keeping state, retries and escalations clean over days and weeks costs a disproportionate amount in hand-written code.
Hard to audit, hard to change
Who decided what, when, and by which rule? When the answer is buried in log files and nested if-else blocks, every audit turns into research and every business change into a ticket with weeks of lead time.
Process automation makes this logic an explicit part of your architecture.
The basics
What process automation does for your software
Process automation pulls the flow logic out of scattered application code and turns it into an artefact of its own: visible, executable, versionable, testable and observable in production. A workflow engine runs the process, keeps the state of every instance and logs every step.
It’s built on two open standards. BPMN describes the flow: who does what, in which order, with which branches, waiting times and error paths. DMN describes the decision logic, i.e. which rule applies to which case. The BPMN model is documentation and executable code at the same time, so business and engineering look at the same picture instead of maintaining two descriptions of one process that drift apart over time.
Not every process needs a workflow engine. A linear flow without roles, approvals or long waits that rarely changes is better served by a few lines of code and a scheduler. An engine pays off as soon as work connects several systems and people, decisions have to be traceable, or rules change often. We draw that line with you before anyone models a single step.
Who it's for
For organisations whose business runs on custom software
Banks, insurers, health insurers, manufacturers, logistics companies and public administrations have one thing in common: their core business processes run in software they build or commission themselves. Three groups benefit most.
Enterprise engineering teams
You build business-critical internal software that orchestrates systems, users, data and decisions. Process automation gives that orchestration an architecture your team versions, tests and runs like any other code.
Software and tool vendors
You want workflow capabilities inside your own product. With an embedded open-source engine, you can embed process automation without making another platform vendor part of your product strategy.
Public sector and sovereignty-sensitive organisations
You need control over operations and data, self-hosting, transparent governance and technological independence for many years. Open standards and an engine without vendor lock-in deliver exactly that.
The platform
Three building blocks, one process automation platform
Operaton, Flowset and itemis together form one process automation platform. Each building block covers one layer, and itemis connects the platform to your actual enterprise architecture.
Applications
Business-critical applications
- Users
- Systems
- APIs
- Data
- AI agents
Build & operate
Flowset
Modelling · Development · Testing · Deployment · Monitoring
Execute & orchestrate
Operaton
Open-source engine · BPMN & DMN · Self-hosting · Embedding
Your infrastructure
- Cloud
- Private cloud
- On-premise
- Embedded
Execute & orchestrate: Operaton. The open-source engine runs BPMN and DMN models. It grew out of Camunda 7, is API-compatible and is developed by an independent community. It runs in your cloud, in your own data centre or embedded in your Java application. That independent governance is an explicit part of the offer: no single vendor decides on the licence model or roadmap of your process engine.
Build & operate: Flowset. The development and operations layer covers modelling, development, testing, deployment, monitoring and continuous improvement. Processes, forms and documentation are created with AI support, tested in a production-like environment and analysed in operation. Treat processes like software, and process automation fits into how modern engineering teams already work.
Across all layers: itemis Enterprise Engineering. We take on architecture, custom development, integration, migration, AI engineering, security, enablement, operations and enterprise support. You get one accountable partner for the whole platform, who also builds it into your existing system landscape.
What sets us apart
Four reasons for an open, engineering-centric platform
Open and independent
Your processes, infrastructure and roadmap stay in your hands, with open standards, transparent governance and full control over operations and core process logic.
Built for engineering
Treat processes like software: versioned, tested, deployed and monitored like any other artefact in your pipeline.
Enterprise accountable
Open source without being on your own. Enterprise support, security, architecture advice and a named point of contact come with it.
From platform to application
We don’t stop at the platform. If you need it, itemis also builds the application, the integrations and the AI components around your processes.
Buying situations
Where you are and how we get started
Process automation rarely starts on a greenfield. These are the five situations we see most often:
| Situation | Where you are | How we start |
|---|---|---|
| Build | You want to build a new business-critical process application. | Architecture, process model and implementation on the platform, with your team if you like |
| Modernize | Your existing workflow or process landscape has grown and is hard to maintain. | Assessment, target picture and step-by-step modernisation while operations continue |
| Replace / Consolidate | You want to evaluate or replace an existing process platform. | Assessment of models, integrations and operating model, followed by a migration plan |
| Embed | You want to integrate process automation into your own software product. | Embedding the engine in your product architecture, including licence and support model |
| Transition | You run Camunda 7 in production and need a path beyond end-of-life. | Compatible move to Operaton without rebuilding your existing BPMN models |
If you’re facing the Camunda 7 decision right now, the recording of our webinar “Camunda 7 is over” walks through the options in detail.
Interactive check
Start the check
Camunda 7 end-of-life: which path fits you?
The check maps your situation against migration effort, architecture, operating model, team know-how and cost, and shows which of the four options fits your situation best.
10 questions · approx. 5 minutes · no sign-up
Process automation and AI
Orchestrate people, systems and AI agents
AI agents handle unstructured work: they read documents, understand requests, pre-qualify cases and prepare decisions. Business-critical processes still need deterministic rules, clear states, accountability, approvals and controlled hand-offs.
So we keep the two apart on purpose. Deterministic where it must be. Intelligent where it can be.
- DMN for everything that must come out the same every time: credit limits, thresholds, legally required rules. A limit that shifts with a language model’s mood has no place in a regulated process.
- AI agents as a task in the BPMN model where judgement is needed: drafting a follow-up question, summarising a contract, pre-qualifying a special case. The agent is one building block in the process like any other, and approval stays with the rule or the human.
Operaton ships its own MCP server, co-developed by Karsten Thoms of itemis. It makes running process instances, variables and tasks directly accessible to AI agents, so you don’t have to build your own integration layer. How we embed AI in development and organisations beyond that is covered in our AI Enablement spoke.
Why itemis
Enterprise engineering and support from one partner
itemis builds applications on the workflow engine and code inside the engine itself: our engineers actively contribute to the Operaton project.
SLA and escalation
Defined response times and structured escalation for your production platform.
Security and maintenance
Vulnerability management, updates and ongoing platform maintenance, so your team can focus on the processes.
Migration support
From the initial assessment through the target architecture to the switch-over while operations continue.
A direct line to the engine
The people you talk to help build Operaton and know the engine down to the source code.
Evaluation
Evaluate the platform with your own process
A demo with sample processes shows what a platform can do in principle. Whether it fits your architecture only becomes clear with a process from your own daily work. That’s why we build the demo around one of your processes: you bring a workflow that causes effort today, and we model, integrate and run it on the platform as a working example.
At the end you see your process running, with model, rules, test cases and monitoring, and you have a solid basis for your decision.
How we work
From assessment to running it yourself
Each phase is a starting point of its own. Depending on where you are, we start at a different step.
01
Assess
Assessment
- Capture processes, systems and rules
- Prioritise automation candidates
- Evaluate existing engines and models
02
Design
Target architecture
- Process and decision models
- Integration and operations concept
- Define the role of AI agents
03
Build
Implementation
- Develop the process application
- Integrations and AI components
- Migrate existing models
04
Operate
Operations and support
- Deployment and monitoring
- SLA, security and updates
- Continuous improvement
05
Enable
Enabling your team
- Pairing with your engineers
- Training on BPMN, DMN and the platform
- Handover to in-house operations
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about process automation
Do we need a workflow engine for every process?
No. A linear flow without roles, approvals or long waits that rarely changes is better served by code and a scheduler. An engine pays off as soon as a process connects several systems and people, runs for days or weeks, has to decide traceably or changes often. We’ll tell you openly if an engine would be overkill for your case.
How is process automation different from RPA?
RPA operates existing user interfaces like a human: clicking, filling in fields, copying data. Process automation orchestrates the process behind them, i.e. who decides what, when, and by which rule. RPA helps when you can’t change an application. Use it to paper over a broken interface, though, and you’ve only automated the original problem.
Do we have to rebuild our BPMN models when we move off Camunda 7?
When moving to Operaton, usually not. Operaton grew out of Camunda 7 and is API-compatible, so existing BPMN and DMN models keep running with manageable adjustments, and your team keeps working with what it already knows. Our Camunda 7 check shows which options exist after end-of-life and what they cost.
Are we locking ourselves into a new vendor?
BPMN and DMN are open standards, so your models stay portable. Operaton is open source and developed by a community rather than controlled by a single vendor. You decide where the engine runs and keep the core process logic in your own hands.
Can we embed the engine in our own product?
Yes. Operaton can be embedded as a library directly in a Java application or run as a separate service. For software vendors we work out architecture, licensing questions and the right support model, so workflow capabilities become part of your product without another platform vendor having a say in your roadmap.
Do we need our own operations team?
That depends on the operating model. An engine embedded in your own Java process needs hardly any extra infrastructure; a separate cluster needs more. We settle that question before the tool decision and can take over operations and support if you want.
Can AI be used in a regulated process?
Yes, as long as the roles are clear. AI agents handle judgement calls and suggestions, while the actual decision and its documentation stay with a deterministic DMN rule or a human. The engine logs every step, including the agent’s.
What does it cost to get started?
An initial conversation to assess your situation, the pressure you’re under and realistic options is free of obligation. A structured assessment with a concrete recommendation, or a custom demo with your process, are clearly scoped work packages that we define together up front.
Our Experts
Felix Lerche works at itemis at the interface to customers and partners. In process automation he is the first point of contact for the joint platform of Operaton, Flowset and itemis, and supports organisations moving away from Camunda 7. As host of the expert format itemis PODIUM and of the itemis webinars on Camunda 7 and Operaton, he brings together specialists from engineering, research and practice.
Karsten Thoms is Principal Software Engineer at itemis and has been a committer in open-source projects since 2003, including openArchitectureWare, Eclipse Xtext and the Eclipse Platform. Since October 2024 he has worked on Operaton, the free alternative to Camunda 7, and is now one of its most active committers. At BaselOne 2025 he gave the talk “Camunda 7 ist tot – lang lebe Operaton!”. He writes about BPMN process automation and open source in public administration. → operaton.org
Get started
Let’s talk about your processes
Whether it's a new process application, replacing Camunda 7 or integrating workflows into your product: book a meeting with Felix Lerche and Karsten Thoms.
Expertise
Insights on process automation
Blog
Process Automation
What to Do After Camunda 7 CE End-of-Life?
Camunda 7 CE is reaching end-of-life. Operaton and the OpenBPM Platform offer a powerful open alternative – with minimal migration effort and maximum future-proofing.
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