Process Patterns: Building Large‐Scale Systems Using Object Technology

Although the business process community has put a major emphasis on patterns, notably the famous workflow patterns, only limited support for using patterns in today's business process modeling tools can be found. While the basic workflow patterns for control flow are available in almost every business process modeling tool, there is no support for the user in correctly applying these simple patterns leading to many incorrectly modeled business processes. Only limited support for pattern compounds can be found in some tools, there is no active support for selecting patterns that are applicable in some user-determined context, tools do not give feedback to the user if applying a pattern can lead to a modeling error, nor do they trace the sequence of applied patterns during the editing process.

In this paper, we describe an extension of a business process modeling tool with patterns to provide these capabilities. We distinguish three scenarios of pattern application and discuss a set of pattern compounds that are based on the basic workflow patterns for control flow. We present an approach where business users receive help in understanding the context and consequences of applying a pattern.

Applying Patterns during Business Process Modeling

Context: Organizations working in software development are aware that processes are very important assets as well as they are very conscious of the need to deploy well-defined processes with the goal of improving software product development and, particularly, quality. Software process modeling languages are an important support for describing and managing software processes in software-intensive organizations. Objective: This paper seeks to identify what software process modeling languages have been defined in last decade, the relationships and dependencies among them and, starting from the current state, to define directions for future research. Method: A systematic literature review was developed. 1929 papers were retrieved by a manual search in 9 databases and 46 primary studies were finally included. Results: Since 2000 more than 40 languages have been first reported, each of which with a concrete purpose. We show that different base technologies have been used to define software process modeling languages. We provide a scheme where each language is registered together with the year it was created, the base technology used to define it and whether it is considered a starting point for later languages. This scheme is used to illustrate the trend in software process modeling languages. Finally, we present directions for future research. Conclusion: This review presents the different software process modeling languages that have been developed in the last ten years, showing the relevant fact that model-based SPMLs (Software Process Modeling Languages) are being considered as a current trend. Each one of these languages has been designed with a particular motivation, to solve problems which had been detected. However, there are still several problems to face, which have become evident in this review. This let us provide researchers with some guidelines for future research on this topic.

http://romisatriawahono.net/lecture/rm/survey/software%20engineering/Software%20Process%20Improvement/Borgonon%20-%20Software%20Process%20Modeling%20Language%20-%202014.pdf

Software process modeling languages: A systematic literature review

Business process management experiences a large uptake by the industry, and process models play an important role in the analysis and improvement of processes. While an increasing number of staff becomes involved in actual modeling practice, it is crucial to assure model quality and homogeneity along with providing suitable aids for creating models. In this paper we consider the problem of offering recommendations to the user during the act of modeling. Our key contribution is a concept for defining and identifying action patterns - chunks of actions often appearing together in business processes. In particular, we specify action patterns and demonstrate how they can be identified from existing process model repositories using association rule mining techniques. Action patterns can then be used to suggest additional actions for a process model. Our approach is challenged by applying it to the collection of process models from the SAP Reference Model.

/pdf/action-patterns-in-business-process-models-34ik35826n.pdf

Action Patterns in Business Process Models

https://matthiasweidlich.com/paper/action_patterns_COMIND_preprint_2012.pdf

Action patterns in business process model repositories

Generally, process patterns are considered as patterns capturing reusable development activities, and serve as building blocks for constructing new processes. However, such a definition is not adequate to represent the original idea of process patterns that aims to capture and reuse diverse process knowledge. In this work, we broaden the definition and application of process patterns to take more advantage of them for different process modeling needs. First, we formalized the process pattern concept so that it can capture various kinds of process knowledge. Then, we proposed different ways for reusing process patterns to generate or improve process models. These propositions were rigorously defined in a UML-based meta-model to permit describing processes based on process patterns with standard notations, and to facilitate the development of supporting tools.

Broadening the Use of Process Patterns for Modeling Processes.

Very little work has been done so far to make software processes really reusable. We believe that methodologogical knowledge can be described and reused through Process Components. In the last years, we elaborated RHODES, a Process-centered Software Engineering Environment that allows process users to describe and enact processes. In this paper, we present an extension of RHODES supporting complex components [12,16]. Fist we characterise process component quality and propose a meta-model that defines elementary and complex process components. Then we describe the main constituents of RHODES dealing with components: PBOOL+ language, component management tools, component base, execution kernel.

Rhodes, a Process Component Centered Software Engineering Environment

RHODES is an environment for modelling software processes, in which software processes are described by using a Process Modelling Language called PBOOL+. In this environment, a software process is built from PBOOL+ process components that can be reused to construct other processes. To identify well-formed process components, we study properties to be able to characterize topological structure of the components. These properties should relate intrinsically to cohesion of a component, and coupling between components. We will consider two classical properties that originated from graph theory, which are connection and transitive closure. These two properties are sometimes too strict to be applied, so we propose several weaker properties that are still useful for characterizing good components. The article aims to present these topological properties and their applications to reusable process components in context of the RHODES environment. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Dong Thi Bich Thuy

Papers

Broadening the Use of Process Patterns for Modeling Processes.

Rhodes, a Process Component Centered Software Engineering Environment

Topological properties for characterizing well-formedness of process components

Modélisation du Méta-Procédé Rhodes Avec SPEM.

Towards A Better Understanding Of Process Patterns.