bpmn and entity formation in charlottesville

Summary

The speaker discusses a process for starting a business, focusing on obtaining an Employee Identification Number (EIN) and navigating the Virginia Corporation workflow. They mention the challenges of guiding users through different options based on their business type and location, such as Charlottesville. The conversation includes troubleshooting the UI, sharing the workflow with a team, and plans to expand the process for different user roles, including administrators and anonymous users. The speaker also expresses excitement about the tool's potential and the ease of creating complex business processes.

Takeaways

• 😀 The script discusses a process for starting a new business, specifically focusing on the user interface and the backend workflow.
• 🔍 The speaker demonstrates navigating between the UI and the actual process, highlighting the functionality of starting a company.
• 🌐 There's mention of a feature to potentially hide certain elements or perform specific tasks within the UI.
• 📈 The script includes a discussion about the complexity of obtaining an Employee Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS.
• 🏢 The speaker outlines the steps for starting a business in Charlottesville, Virginia, including the need for an EIN and other legal requirements.
• 🔗 The script mentions the importance of providing clear links and instructions for users to follow when starting a business or obtaining an EIN.
• 👨‍💼 The speaker plans to share the process with different groups and is looking forward to gathering feedback.
• 🛠️ There's a mention of debugging and improving the workflow, including fixing a broken link and clarifying the process for users.
• 👥 The script discusses the need for different user roles, such as an administrator or a business person, each with specific permissions and abilities within the system.
• 📝 The speaker takes screenshots and plans to reach out to colleagues to add more users and further test the system.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the discussion in the transcript?

The main topic of the discussion is the development and demonstration of a workflow process for starting a business, specifically focusing on obtaining an Employee Identification Number (EIN) and navigating the process for starting a company in Charlottesville, Virginia.

What is the purpose of the 'start a company' process mentioned in the transcript?

The 'start a company' process is designed to guide users through the steps required to establish a new business, including obtaining necessary identification numbers and complying with local regulations.

Why was obtaining an EIN described as a complex task in the transcript?

Obtaining an EIN was described as complex because it involves understanding various IRS forms and instructions, determining the need for an EIN based on business type, and navigating different scenarios such as when a new EIN is required or when one might be needed for different business purposes.

What is the significance of the 'Charlesville thing' mentioned in the transcript?

The 'Charlesville thing' refers to a specific workflow or process related to starting a business in Charlottesville, which includes local requirements such as obtaining a fictitious name, dealing with employee identification, and potentially needing a home occupation permit.

What role does the user interface (UI) play in the process discussed in the transcript?

The user interface plays a crucial role in the process by providing a visual and interactive platform for users to navigate through the steps of starting a business and obtaining an EIN, making the process more accessible and user-friendly.

Why was the speaker excited about sharing the workflow with different groups?

The speaker was excited about sharing the workflow with different groups because it represents a streamlined and efficient way to guide users through complex processes, which can be both educational and beneficial for various stakeholders involved in starting a business.

What is the importance of the 'Gateway' mentioned in the transcript in the context of the workflow?

The 'Gateway' in the workflow is important as it acts as a decision point, directing users to the appropriate steps based on their specific circumstances, such as the country, state, or city they are operating in.

What does the speaker mean when they mention 'debugging is where you learn'?

The speaker implies that the process of identifying and fixing errors or issues in the workflow (debugging) is a valuable learning experience, as it provides insights into the intricacies of the process and helps improve the system.

Why does the speaker mention the need to add more users to the system?

The speaker mentions the need to add more users to the system to allow different types of users, such as business persons or administrators, to log in and interact with the workflow, enhancing the system's utility and user engagement.

What is the significance of the speaker's mention of 'permissions' in the context of the workflow?

The mention of 'permissions' refers to the need to control access and visibility of certain parts of the workflow for different user roles, ensuring that users only see and interact with the information and steps relevant to their role.

Outlines

00:00

🖥️ UI and Process Demonstration

The speaker is demonstrating a process within a user interface, likely for a business or project management tool. They discuss toggling between the UI and the backend processes, mentioning a scrum meeting where this was previously shown. The focus is on starting a new process, with an emphasis on simplicity and scalability. The speaker also discusses the potential for customization, such as adding a Gateway for different countries and using sign-in information for defaults. There's a humorous anecdote about the complexity of obtaining an Employee Identification Number (EIN) and the realization that the process is more complicated than initially thought. The speaker also mentions the importance of clarity in understanding processes and the value of debugging.

05:06

📝 Navigating Business Registration Workflow

The speaker continues the demonstration by navigating through a business registration workflow, specifically for starting a company in Virginia. They discuss the options available for users, such as having or not having an EIN and the steps to obtain one. The speaker also touches on the user experience, mentioning the need for user-friendly text and explanations. A personal story about a cat is shared, providing a light-hearted moment. The speaker then returns to the workflow, discussing the process of starting a business in Charlottesville, including the need for a home occupation permit and the importance of fixing broken links on the city's website. The speaker also mentions the need to add more user types to the system for testing purposes.

10:08

🔍 Debugging and User Role Exploration

The speaker is focused on debugging the workflow and exploring different user roles within the system. They discuss the importance of understanding the process from the perspective of various users, such as an anonymous user starting a business or an administrator reviewing the process. The speaker realizes there was an oversight in the Charlesville flow and corrects it, highlighting the importance of debugging in learning and improving the system. They also mention the need to add more users to the system to test different roles and functionalities, such as a business person or an administrator, and the importance of permissions in controlling visibility of certain features.

15:10

📦 Reflecting on Packaging and Future Projects

In the final paragraph, the speaker shares a personal anecdote about purchasing gear from someone who is clearing out their inventory. They express gratitude for the help received in understanding the workflow tool and its capabilities. The speaker also mentions their plans for future projects, including gathering feedback and working on a project for Prospera, an island special economic zone in Honduras. They reflect on their own technical abilities, highlighting their background as a business analyst and their proficiency with Excel and basic Python scripting. The speaker concludes by expressing excitement about working with the tool and the potential it holds for streamlining business processes.

Keywords

💡Process

In the context of the video, 'process' refers to a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end, such as starting a new business or obtaining an employee identification number. It is central to the video's theme as the speaker discusses navigating through different processes in a user interface, highlighting the importance of understanding and streamlining these processes for efficiency.

💡UI (User Interface)

UI, or User Interface, is the point of interaction between users and a system, such as a computer program or website. The video script mentions the UI in relation to the visual elements and interactions that guide users through starting a company or obtaining an EIN. The speaker is focused on improving the UI to make the process more intuitive and user-friendly.

💡EIN (Employee Identification Number)

EIN stands for Employee Identification Number, which is a unique nine-digit number assigned by the IRS to business entities in the United States for tax purposes. In the script, the speaker discusses the complexities of obtaining an EIN and how it fits into the broader process of starting a business, emphasizing the need for clarity and guidance in this step.

💡Workflow

A workflow is a series of connected steps or processes that are required to complete a task or achieve a goal. The video script discusses workflows in the context of business processes, such as starting a company or obtaining an EIN. The speaker is working on creating and debugging workflows to ensure they are efficient and user-friendly.

💡Debugging

Debugging is the process of identifying and fixing errors or bugs in a system, such as a software program or a business process. In the video, the speaker mentions debugging as a crucial part of developing and refining workflows, highlighting the importance of testing and refining processes to ensure they work as intended.

💡Scrum

A scrum is a short, iterative meeting within Agile project management that allows teams to inspect progress and plan the next steps. The speaker mentions having shown the UI during a scrum, indicating that the video's content is part of an ongoing project with regular check-ins and updates.

💡Gateway

In the context of the video, a 'gateway' likely refers to a decision point or a conditional step in a workflow that directs the process based on certain criteria, such as the country of the user. The speaker discusses adding a gateway to the workflow to handle different scenarios, such as different countries or states.

💡Home Business

A home business is a business that is operated from the owner's home. The video script mentions considering whether a business is a home business as part of the process of starting a company. This is relevant to the video's theme as it pertains to the specific requirements and regulations that home businesses may need to follow.

💡Fictitious Name

A fictitious name, also known as a 'doing business as' (DBA) name, is a name under which a business operates that is different from its legal name. The speaker mentions the need to have a fictitious name as part of the business registration process, indicating the importance of this step in the workflow.

💡Call Activity

In the context of the video, a 'call activity' seems to refer to an action or step in a workflow that involves making a call to a specific function or process, such as 'start a Charlottesville company.' The speaker discusses adding call activities to the workflow to automate and streamline the process.

💡Permissions

Permissions in the video script likely refer to the access controls or rights granted to different users within a system. The speaker mentions working on permissions to control the visibility of certain elements in the UI, which is crucial for managing user roles and ensuring that users have the appropriate level of access.

Highlights

Introduction to the process and UI for starting a new process.

Discussion of the team's scrum and the demonstration given to them.

Explanation of the top-level view with country and potential hiding of elements.

Mention of the simplicity of the starter company setup for Charlesville.

Talk about expanding the setup to include different countries, states, and cities.

Challenges faced in obtaining an Employee Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS.

Description of the workflow for determining the need for an EIN.

Clarification on the different scenarios requiring an EIN for various business types.

Discussion on the user interface for starting a company in Virginia.

Mention of a funny story related to the development of the EIN part of the process.

Explanation of the different options and links provided for obtaining an EIN.

Talk about the user experience and the need for clarity in the process.

Description of the workflow for starting a business in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Discussion on the need for a home occupation permit and sign variance.

Mention of a broken link on the city's website and the plan to contact the webmaster.

Talk about the different user roles and their interactions with the system.

Expression of satisfaction with the progress and the next steps in the project.

Discussion on adding more user types and permissions for the workflow.

Final thoughts and appreciation for the work done and the meeting.

Transcripts

here's here's what we have yeah right

now you know you're here at home and

I've run a process and i' I've got one

but if you go to start a new process

this is the way it looks yeah and so I'm

going to kind of flop in between back

and forth between kind of the UI and

what's happening um here in the actual

oops I thought I was

yeah here uh let me close these out I'll

open them up again I was showing the the

team this during our scrum today cool

I'm yeah man awesome yeah no I'm really

looking forward to sharing this with the

uh with a couple different groups and

that's just going to be a lot of fun I

think um so at the very top level here's

what we had country and how do you know

we kind of talked about is there a way

to potentially hide some things or do

some St but anyway but that's why you're

seeing that

here okay

now in the how do I the only thing we

have right now is start a company right

but if um if if we add more and more and

more you know they would they would all

show up so the starter company looks

kind of like like

this right now and as we talked about

last time I've got it set up so that we

can do different countries different

states different cities but for right

now I just have kept it simple and it's

all about doing the Charlesville thing

that's right and so you know but if we U

if you decide to ex expanded and things

of this sort you would put a Gateway

here and say which country which you

know and then even maybe more ideally in

whatever you have as their sign in you

would gather what country you from when

you know use those for defaults and but

so anyway but for right now it's just

going to do a simple uh a employee

identification number and start a

Virginia uh Corporation right so the

quick funny story here is you know I had

all this part worked

out before before we got the new UI up

and I realized that we probably ought to

put this thing in for how to obtain an

employee identification number I said

that'll be easy so I'll just do that

real quick uh as it turns out

it wasn't

easy it was with the more comp one of

the more complicated things here because

and this is where it gets kind of

interesting because um let me see if I

can find

this you know here it what I basically

did was go in and you know employee

dedication number you got to do in the

IRS uh but it turns out that there are

things like uh uh well what what is it

you're you need it for and here's the

form and here's the instructions if

you're going to do paper but otherwise

you do it online and uh why under what

cases do I need an e but sometimes I

have an EIN and I need a new one if I'm

doing something different and things

like that you that's the whole

complexity I know you're trying to yeah

know I love having that Clarity I mean

that's the whole thing is like

understanding the actual process not the

idealized

process yeah so so this is what this one

looks like because you either come right

to it and say yeah I need it or you you

come here and say well I'm not really

sure I've got I've got one but do I need

one and that depends on whether you're

um something about a soul proprietor

show

corporation uh you're starting a

corporation partnership and all this

stuff so way this looks here when we go

here how do I the first thing we come

here and start the process

and so here are all the different

options right and so I I do not have any

I in and I'm sure I need one I do not

have one and I'm sure that I do not need

one uh I you know that would skip it all

I do not have an and I'm not sure if I

need one so we if we pick that one and

submit then it it says well what is it

you're trying to

um there's actually something not

working there because it it should have

shown that little

um hold on go back one I think I I think

you did do it right actually you can

right that's one of the problems with

workflows you can't easily go back so so

anyway um do I want to do it completed

online download or I can do it by

phone so you know if I want to do here

so each one of these what I basically

have and I need a space there is

the link to what um you do right where

where you would go here's where you

would begin the application now if you

if we had picked what I thought I'd

picked which was I have one but I'm not

sure I don't have one but I'm not sure

if I need one I I copied all the text

out of here and that would have shown

first Goa that's cool I don't think we

need to delor that okay so you know and

then one of the other options is I have

one but I'm not sure if I need another

one well then that's when instead of

showing all this that's with all that

other stuff was well you're trying to do

a so proprietorship you're doing the

corporation you know would show if if

they pick Corporation it would show just

what's underneath

here it would just show just that yeah

okay okay so so now we're we're here

we're through the Ein we're jumping into

the Virginia stuff that we've seen

before right and so yes I yes I have

employees yes I have a ficticious name

submit um do I want to do this uh online

or tax Norms uh if you want to complete

and Mel it it it gives you the link to

download the forms if you want to do it

online

um this is I have a love hate relation

ship with this cat for 26 years

now that's called love L luckily for him

my wife adores him he was a feral cat we

found years ago and he he has never

gotten any better hold on one

second he wants a second

round hey 26 let him have it

I believe in karma so I'm being nice to

him since I'm getting older too I don't

I want people to feed me when I'm right

and hopefully bring you right no no no I

got you man all right so you know here

here here's where you would go to do

this is I'm from down

to do do the online stuff so it's taking

them to all the places that they need to

go now what I'm

assuming is that uh H it didn't go to

Charlesville I got to check into that

maybe I forgot to do that it should have

gone to the charville stuff but just let

me show you something else um what I'm

assuming I just put in the links you can

go to those links and like if you go

here or other places Virginia attx you

can put in more text in there to make it

more user friendly and explain what's

going on and things like that I just got

the process running so the other thing

that this allows you to do is

here we can go we can click through and

this is a little on onus you don't have

like if I wanted to go back to just see

that run just that employee

identification number again I could do

that right and

um I'm not sure if I need

one something in right there it should

have shown that other thing I think but

anyway I'll I'll check that out real

quick gotta gotta um and then

so you can you could do that and like

we we could get to the city the

Charlesville stuff right for a company

in charville Boon is it a home business

yes or

no uh these are the things that you need

to kind of say up front because sh home

business here's where you here's the app

right got it neita neita son um oh

there's another thing home occupation

Vision on use permit that you got to do

do that and then the sign part of it

is the link on their site is broken but

call call that number okay I'll have a I

will have the folks at the city this

week so that'll be fine I'll I'll let

them know I I I texted I sent an email

to the Web

Master

um yeah never heard back so but uh we'll

do that so all this you know this is all

based

on that one um page that you sent that

here's how you start a business in

Charlesville then I dug in more

especially on the Virginia and the Ein

thing and stuff like that okay so the

the main thing I think I want to be able

to show people is how like an anonymous

like maybe not an anonymous how somebody

would come in and like I want to look at

the different roles uh you know I'm uh

I'm an anonymous user coming in I want

to start something I'm an administrator

I want to review who's started and where

they are I think those two main roles or

I guess and the third role could be I'm

a lawyer and I'm trying to edit the

workflow but that's that's not you know

that I think I already explained that

use case like that's how this tool works

but like um but to start with I think

just like I'm an anonymous person I come

in I want to click on some buttons and

see how

to

yep yeah I just realizing this is why

the Charlesville didn't come on oh okay

all right so here's the Charlesville

flow ask the

question do you need a depending on

whether you're home or other you need a

ific of

occupancy and here's the show if they

said yeah they're going to have a sign

so that's that's how that's all working

together and then what I forgot to drop

in here right I get it I get it

call start a Charlottesville company I

get

it but this is really helpful to see so

now uhhuh and that's a call activity is

what that's called and call activity

that I would get called was at for

charville company right and that'll

bring that up now get it now okay that

that was very helpful actually debugging

is always where you learn right I yeah

yeah

that's the textbook is great the debug

is the Lord

um so it's there for you to play around

with ask you know uh add to ask

questions if there are things you know

you feel like I probably have have

sometime next couple days if you feel

like oh gosh it would really help if you

would do this or yeah I mean right now I

think don't change anything until but

let me share my screen for a

second yeah I mean I want to I think I

can share what is here right now as it

is uh I just want to make sure uh so I'm

logged in right I came in here and I I

logged in uh and that got me got me here

but what I want to be able to do right

sign out I want to create a login for uh

a user like call it uh you know I want

to create two more user types and so

then when they log in one will be able

to start a company so it'll be like

business person might be one of the you

know or you know whatever business

person might be the name of one user and

add you know I can keep on using admin

for admin but how do I add a user into

here who will have the ability to form

to to to use that workflow so you're

getting into the world that I need to

send you back to Jason and KB or D okay

that's good okay yeah no problem that's

what I want to do next depending on

whether you want some things visible and

other things not visible and stuff like

that that's where our permissions come

in and they're they're the best people

to walk you through that awesome okay

that's great I'm that uh then I can uh

I'm gonna sorry I've taken some

screenshots too uh just because that's

kind of fun

um and so I'm gonna poke around in here

and I'm gonna reach out to JB and make

sure I can get like you know a couple

more users added so that I can have

people log in and click the buttons

themselves because the more other people

do the more they will feel connected to

the process I think um but Alex this is

awesome this is absolutely more than I

expected it's like thank you so much uh

this is this takes the sting out of the

blow pipes 100% uh I was really I was

like I looked at the mail dude and I was

just

like oh like these are they

like I won't I'm not saying I won't be

able to get them but like I it'll be a

minute like like the guy's even out of

office like on his eBay he's like he's

just this old he's just this dude you

know he's like guy he's like out of

office until mid you know like mid

October and I'm like ah because he said

he was like this is a clearance sale I'm

getting rid of these this gear that's

been sitting around and you're like oh

yes you know then he like I know what

happened he picked up a check and he's

like I am out of here see you

guys and I forgot to put the little

wooden insert in there before I P

because I was in such a hurry to get out

of here that was it coming through the

bottom it went right you know ex it's no

Alex you get it man you get it you know

exactly what happened it's like

a this is what packaging means man it's

fine it's

fine oh anyhow all right man well thank

you so much have an awesome week I thank

you so much for meeting on a Monday

morning like that you're a freaking boss

man

um and I now can go on and start my next

round of work yeah and just feel free to

ping me if you have any questions I will

I will I I mean my next projects are two

things one I've got to start um

communicating talking to folks getting

some feedback and secondly I'm going to

try and start working on the one of

these for prospera which is this island

special economic zone uh down in Raton

Honduras which is it will be fun because

I'll learn some stuff but I already like

now I see how you connected call

activities like that's really basic like

add a test call an activity add a test

call an activity great like that makes

perfect sense right yeah it once you get

into it it it is it gets simpler and

simpler like just like anything you know

when you first look at it you

know what do I do now you know but

really

I am a

very basic Tech person very very basic

business an basic right before BP my

claim the thing was I used to I tried to

be a fox Pro um developer at one time

and I remember

that realized that no I was stretching

my limits by doing that uh so I went

went and became a business analyst and

then I claimed to fame was I was pretty

good with Excel I could do you know a

lot of excel sure everybody knows the

truth right I mean everybody talks about

what they've done in whatever language

but like all of

us yeah with this you know I can because

I've just learned a little little bit of

basic python scripting

yeah been able to create some really

fairly in-depth and complex um business

processes no I'm excited I'm I'm excited

to work with this uh thank you again and

uh I'll be in touch this week I'm just

gonna you know I am kind of moving at my

own leisurely Pace today uh but I will

thank okay all right man rock on

appreciate it later take care