Assuming we have the model stack (which supports both BPM and SOA) and use case requirements that call for a process with both BPM and SOA activities, how do we decide how to split the design into BPM and SOA parts, and which part drives the end-to-end flow?

The first step is to tally the required process activities and divide them into two groups: human tasks and automated tasks. If human tasks outnumber automated tasks by a wide margin, a BPM-based solution might be the best choice; if automated tasks win, we are inclined to choose SOA. In the disputes process, as we discover in the next section, the split is nearly even, which makes both approaches feasible.

But there are several other factors to consider. One is the capabilities of the stack. If the SOA part of the target platform is faster, more scalable, more developer-friendly, and more functional than the BPM part, SOA is the clear choice. The reverse can also hold true. Generally...