Product Updates

An object-centric version of our Unshipped Orders app is now available to download from the Celonis Marketplace. The app lets you identify and manage deliveries that are still in your distribution centers waiting to be shipped past the planned delivery date - a situation that causes  unrealized revenue, blocked warehouse spaces, and declining customer satisfaction. For the object-centric version of the app, we’ve added a Value Framing view to help you calculate value opportunities.The object-centric Unshipped Orders app is built using the latest features in Studio, and you can take full advantage of the new Studio experience, including easy drag-and-drop customization of the view components. We’ve added an integrated filter bar, and used Studio’s new Task Management interface to handle the app’s tasks and actions. You can also access and display the history of comments and other updates to tasks by adding the Activity history component to views. For the app documentation, see Unshipped Orders app - object-centric.

Celonis Platform Tasks allow human involvement in the automation process. Use Tasks when your automation requires a user's approval, manual input, or a simple decision before being executed. When a predefined event triggers the creation of a Task, a user can act upon it by taking one of the proposed actions. These Task Actions, as we call them, are then automatically executed. For more information, see Tasks.

You can now write PQL queries that run based on the outcome of one or more data model conditions, such as the data type of a column or the existence of match list elements in comparison operators.Before your query is run, Static PQL dynamically checks some properties of your data model and modifies or cancels your PQL query depending on the outcome of these checks.This lets you define business applications that can be used with a range of different data models, helping drive standardization.For more information, see Static PQL functions.

You can now set up a template containing an SQL query, and use it to create the transformations for many similar object types or event types. Templates are especially useful if you are modeling multiple flavors of the same event (for example, delivery dispatch by different shipping methods), or if you are transforming data from multiple data sources to create the same objects or events.When you're creating a transformation for an object type or event type, you'll now get the choice to use one of your transformation templates. There's a new Templates tab in the Transformations area of the Objects and Events environment, where you can create, edit, rename, and delete your transformation templates. You can also see the transformation instances that you've created using each template. The list of transformations in the Transformations tab tells you if a transformation was created from a template, and you can access the template from there too.To get the best out of transformation templates, include local parameters in them for the parts that you expect to vary, such as the source system name. For each transformation instance that you create from a template, you can then just go to the list of local parameters in the transformation editor, and add the correct values for that transformation. The content from the template remains read-only, and it changes to match if you edit the template - so with one edit you can apply fixes or updates to all the transformations that use the template. If a transformation instance needs further customization, for example because a source system holds the data for an attribute in a different way, you can create a partial overwrite like you would for a Celonis catalog transformation. Partial overwrites stay in effect when the template changes.For the instructions to work with transformation templates, see Creating transformation templates.

We've made it easier to identify self-loops in Process Adherence Manager. The arrow indicating a self-loop now displays in the same color as the event log it appears in. Where a self-loop occurs in more than one event log, an arrow displays for each affected event log in the color of that event log.Refining and editing your baseline model is also simplified as you can now add and delete individual self-loops, as well as replacing a self-loop with an event suggested by Process Adherence Manager.For more information about self-loops, see Working with the process model.

When you enable a process from the Celonis catalog, you can now choose to skip missing data from your source system. If you enable this feature for a data connection, we'll handle these issues: If your source system data is missing columns that the Celonis object types and event types require, we'll skip over them. Your objects and events will be created with null values in these fields. If your source system data has data types for required columns that don't match those expected by the Celonis object types and event types, we'll cast them to match the expected data types, and use that in your objects and events. You can activate the feature when you create a new connection or at any time afterwards. We’ve disabled it by default for your existing data connections, but you can activate it for them if you need it.Skipping missing data lets your transformations run with errors, so you can still create objects and events even if your data isn't ideal. It's important to know that applications consuming the objects and events can get unexpected problems from the missing data. We recommend that you only use this feature while you're validating the implementation of a process or app. Soon after that, you should go back and fix the issues in a pre-processing stage or during data extraction. You'll find ways to do this in Troubleshooting data extraction and pre-processing.

The Oracle Fusion BICC Extractor didn't previously extract columns marked in the metadata as "isPopulate": false (non-populated columns). You can now choose to extract these as well by selecting the new extraction parameter Include Optional Columns during column configuration. When you do, we'll add the optional columns to the display and include them in the extraction by default. This can add a lot of extra columns, so we recommend you also select Customize Column Selection, then go through the updated list of columns and uncheck any that you don't want for your business case. For the extractor instructions, see Oracle Fusion Cloud BICC.The BICC Extractor is in Limited Availability status. To get access as an early adopter, ask your Celonis point of contact.

Instead of modeling an object type from scratch, you can now choose to create it based on a table in your source system, with columns from the table becoming attributes of the object type. When you use this method, we'll create a preview of the object type where you can select which columns you do and don't want to turn into attributes. You can rename the object and its attributes (by default we use the table and column names). You can also add extra attributes for data in your table or outside it.When you've finished, we'll create the object type, and you can choose to also have us autogenerate the SQL transformation scripts for it. The autogenerated transformation contains the SQL statements that you'll need to populate the object type’s attributes with the data from your source system table. You'll need to add SQL statements to identify the object ID, and to populate any extra attributes that use data from somewhere other than your original source system table. Then your object type is ready for you to create its relationships to other objects and to events as part of your object-centric data model.For the instructions, see Creating custom object types and custom event types. 

You can now add custom attributes to event types from the Celonis catalog, and create custom event to object relationships using them. The event to object relationships can be to custom object types or to object types from the Celonis catalog. So you can now leverage both the ready-made object types and event types to create customized processes.If you've already created custom event types to replace Celonis event types, consider customizing the equivalent Celonis event types instead. Using the Celonis object types and event types means you don’t need to reproduce attributes, relationships, and transformations that we already created. It also means you'll stay up to date with the requirements for the Celonis apps and features that are built to use our standard objects and events. You can customize app views and logic to incorporate your custom attributes and relationships. Or if you don't need them for an app, they won't cause a problem, the app will just ignore them.For the instructions to extend Celonis object types and event types, see Extending Celonis object types and event types.

We removed the SAP on-premise extraction client from the Celonis Platform Download Portal on 2024-08-20. While any OPE instances that are already in use are unaffected, you now won't be able to set up a new SAP extractor or upgrade any existing SAP extractors.From 2024-08-20, you should use our on-premise client (OPC) instead. For information about accessing the OPC, see Installing on-prem clients.For information about the benefits of using OPC, see On-premise clients (OPC).

We've improved our augmented attribute creation flow, making it easier to select and configure different data types.Augmented attributes are a Knowledge Model (KM) asset that can be updated in real-time and without the Data Model reloading. By assigning an augmented attribute to a specific table in the Data Model, you can add additional information to the source system. This additional information can then be referenced in your Views, describing your business objects in further detail and generating additional process insights.To learn more about creating and using augmented attributes in your Studio content, see: Augmented attributes. 

Improved visualization of self-loops in Process Adherence Manager (2024-08-27) We've made it easier to identify self-loops in Process Adherence Manager. The arrow indicating a self-loop now displays in the same color as the event log it appears in. Where a self-loop occurs in more than one event log, an arrow displays for each affected event log in the color of that event log. Refining and editing your baseline model is also simplified as you can now add and delete individual self-loops, as well as replacing a self-loop with an event suggested by Process Adherence Manager. For more information about self-loops, see Working with the process model.

Custom authentication method using the extractor builder for Data Integration (2024-08-19) You can now configure a custom authentication method when creating a connection between your source system and the Celonis Platform using the extractor builder. The custom authentication type allows you to configure the authentication method based on your source system. This includes the following configurations:Request (optional): Configure an API request to an authentication endpoint with all details (Request Type, Request URL, Headers, Parameters etc.)Response (optional): Configure the location of an authentication token in the API response.Authentication header: Configure how the response token is used in the authentication header for all endpoint request and add additional headers on top. For more information about the extractor builder, see: Extractor builder. And for an overview of authentication methods, see: Extractor builder authentication methods. 

Analyst access added to Transformation Hub (2024-08-05) Users with an Admin role in a team can now give Analyst users within that team access to Transformation Hub using permissions. For information on assigning permissions, see Service-level user permissions.

Control Celonis catalog updates for object-centric process mining (2024-08-05) Previously, when we released a new version of the Celonis catalog with upgraded object types, event types, relationships, transformations, and perspectives, we applied the update automatically in your team. This includes Celonis catalog items in processes that you've already enabled and used in your object-centric data model, which might get behavior changes or new attributes. It's important to keep your Celonis catalog items up to date because downstream consumers such as our Business Apps are always based on the latest version of the object types and event types in the Celonis catalog. You also need to keep the SQL transformations up to date so that they are compatible with the current requirements for the object-centric data model - out of date transformations might result in errors when you try to save and publish your model. But there's always times when you're in the middle of something important and you don't want an update right now. From 31 July, you can choose when to apply a new Celonis catalog update in your team. When a new version of the catalog is available, we'll display an Update available link on the Objects and Events dashboard next to the current catalog version, and an Update button on the catalog view. Click the button to get a link to the release notes, and read what's changed in this update and in any previous updates that you skipped. Then select Update catalog if you want to go ahead with the update, or Cancel if you don't want to update now. You'll still have the option available to update when you're ready.

Activity history component added for new Studio Views (2024-07-29) When using the Celonis Platform, all events (such as augmented attribute updates, comments, and task updates) are automatically captured and recorded against rows in a data model table. You can now use the Activity history component to display these events in your new Studio Views, giving you increased visibility into your process data and strengthening your auditing options. You can find the Activity history component in the Object-specific details group in View Edit Mode. To learn how to add an Activity history to your new Studio View, see: Activity history. 

Changes to Action Flow notifications (2024-07-25) Action Flow notifications will now group all errors and warnings into a single message rather than sending individual emails for each error or warning. Notifications will include a link to each warning or error and the scenario history with the specific details. Notifications for errors are sent every 5 minutes, while notifications for the warnings are sent every 15 minutes. Note: Email notifications for deactivations will not be changed as part of this update.

Rename custom object types and event types in your object-centric data model (2024-07-24) You can now rename custom object types and event types after you've created them. Click the context menu (the three vertical dots) for the object type or event type in the listing, and select Rename.  When you rename an object type or event type: We'll automatically update the name in perspectives that use your renamed object type or event type.Object to object relationships and event to object relationships involving your renamed object type or event type will continue to work, but you should update the relationship name if it used the old name. We'll show you which relationships might be affected.You'll need to update transformations that reference the old name in SQL statements. We'll show you which transformations are affected.We'll delete the database table for the object type or event type and recreate it with the new name. If you already built objects or events, they'll be deleted. You'll need to run your transformations again (after updating them) to create the objects or events again. For the instructions to work with custom object types and event types, see Creating custom object types and custom event types.

Dynamic connections for Action Flows (2024-07-24) Dynamic connections allow you to enforce additional authentication of users with their personal credentials whenever they run an Action Flow. Dynamic connections allow you to apply individual user permissions from the respective systems to your automations. Additionally, by providing personal credentials when executing an Action Flow, the user name is recorded in the audit log, which improves traceability. You can enable dynamic connection for all Action Flows with execution scheduling set to “On demand”. For more information, see Dynamic connections.

Data Integration: Send OAuth 2.0 credentials as header or body (2024-07-24) When configuring your data connections using OAuth 2.0 for either client credentials or resource owner type, you can now choose to send the credentials using a Basic Auth Header or via the request body. You can send the credentials using the request body by toggling the feature on when selecting your authentication method. For more information about using the extractor builder and configuring your authentication methods, see: Extractor builder authentication methods. 

Bar and points chart component for Studio (2024-07-23) You can now create and configure a bar and points chart in your enhanced Studio Views. With this chart type, you can compare values across different categories using two or more metrics. You can also compare metrics that have different scales by using the dual axis capability.  For more about our available chart types for your enhanced Studio Views, see: Available chart types. And to learn how to create and configure your own charts, see: Charts.

Changes to Action Flows (2024-07-22) We've been very busy with Action Flows this month. Here are the changes we've made to improve your experience:Improved app search:Improved search speed and reliability.Improved UX:Recently used apps move to the top for a speedy build.Search results provide information about available modules for apps.The new right-hand bar offers all tools and functions ready to hand.The new "Apps in scenario" section provides easy access to previously used apps.New authentication type for SnowflakeWith the "key pair“ authentication type you can connect to Snowflake using the private key, username and account.New modules for Google Sheets Action Flows appWe’ve added two new modules to the Google Sheets Action Flow: Bulk Add Rows (advanced) and Bulk Update Rows (advanced). For more information, see Google Sheets.New app - watsonx.aiWe've added an Action Flow app for watsonx.ai - an AI app which lets you generate responses to a prompt using a variety of large language models. See watsonx.ai.

Enhanced content and the new Studio experience in object-centric Starter Kits (2024-07-19) Our new versions of the object-centric Starter Kits for the Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Order Management, and Procurement processes are now built with the latest features in Studio, and take full advantage of the new Studio experience. We’ve made many upgrades to the Starter Kit content as well as to the user interfaces. Here are the highlights:You can easily adapt the Starter Kits to fit your needs with the new Studio experience.We’ve replaced the Validation Cockpit with a completely rebuilt Setup and Validation view, which is the easiest way for you to align the KPI definitions to what you are used to in your organization.In the Process Cockpit, the new Overview tab lets you see at a glance which use cases improve which business objectives. Other changes include a quick access to the settings and a case table on each tab.Each Starter Kit now comes with more use cases and more ways for you to find value opportunities in your process. Examples include Unshipped Orders and Time-to-Bill for Order Management, and Manual Credit Reviews for Accounts Receivable.We’ve used the latest features in Studio to build the Starter Kit views, including containers, scale-to-fit and scrollable view layouts, built-in filter bars, calculated attributes, enhanced variables, linked views, pie charts, and more.You can compare your key metrics with the new Benchmarking views.The new Value Framing view lets you validate and frame the value of every value opportunity in your process. It’s already in the Order Management Starter Kit, and it’s coming soon for the others. The object-centric Starter Kit versions that are built on the new Studio experience are available in the Celonis Marketplace as new packages. You won’t be able to download them as an update to your existing object-centric Starter Kit package - you’ll need to download and install them as a new installation. The new Starter Kit packages have the same names as the old packages, as they replace them, and we won’t be updating the old packages built with the legacy Studio components. Here's the Setup and Validation view:

Package asset statuses in Studio (2024-07-19) Within your Studio packages, you can now see which assets have been updated (yellow) or added (green) since the package was last published. You can also see which package assets are currently hidden.You can also see which assets have been added, updated, or hidden when publishing the package:When a published package asset is hidden, it isn't visible to App users. You can control asset visibility either by clicking Options - Hide / Unhide on the individual asset or by clicking Package Settings - Apps Perspective. For more information about creating and managing Studio packages, see: Packages. And to learn more about our available package asset types, see: Asset types.

Set variable admin permission preferences in Admin & Settings (2024-07-18) As a full team admin, you can now set permission preferences for the variable admins in your Celonis Platform team. These preferences are enabled by default: CSV downloads of audit logs, user groups, user login histories, and user permissions.Inviting users, creating groups, and creating application keys.Only a full team admin can disable preferences. When preferences are disabled, any existing users holding variable admin permissions will lose access to the relevant admin features.For more information about variable admin permissions, see: Variable admin permissions.