Definition
Adaptive Case Management (ACM) is an approach to process management designed for situations where the process flow cannot be fully defined in advance - because it depends on context, professional judgement, and events that arise along the way. ACM is contrasted with BPMNBusiness Process Model and Notation - graphical notation for modeling business processes and workflows.-based structured process management: whereas BPMN models known, predictable flows ('all supplier switches follow this sequence'), ACM handles exceptions, deviations, and complex cases where the knowledge worker must make decisions based on the situation. A 'case' in ACM is a collection of related documents, activities, decisions, and participants linked to one specific outcome - for example, handling a complex grid connectionThe process of connecting a new facility to the electricity grid and registering it as a metering point in Elhub. matter, a communication failure in ElhubNational hub for metering data and market processes in the Norwegian electricity market., or a dispute between an electricity supplierCompany that sells electricity to end users - purchases power in the wholesale market and sells it to consumers. and a grid companyCompany that owns and operates electricity grids and is responsible for power supply to end users.. ACM is particularly relevant in the energy sector for managing deviations and exceptions - situations that fall outside the structured process. Well-known ACM platforms include Pega, IBM Case Manager, and Microsoft Power AutomateMicrosoft's low-code platform for automating workflows and business processes - integrated into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. with case extensions. ACM and BPMN are complementary: structured processes are modelled in BPMN, whilst exception handling and knowledge-intensive work is handled in ACM.