Showing papers on "Business Process Model and Notation published in 2023"

BPMNE4IoT: A Framework for Modeling, Executing and Monitoring IoT-Driven Processes

Abstract: The Internet of Things (IoT) enables a variety of smart applications, including smart home, smart manufacturing, and smart city. By enhancing Business Process Management Systems with IoT capabilities, the execution and monitoring of business processes can be significantly improved. Providing a holistic support for modeling, executing and monitoring IoT-driven processes, however, constitutes a challenge. Existing process modeling and process execution languages, such as BPMN 2.0, are unable to fully meet the IoT characteristics (e.g., asynchronicity and parallelism) of IoT-driven processes. In this article, we üresent BPMNE4IoT—A holistic framework for modeling, executing and monitoring IoT-driven processes. We introduce various artifacts and events based on the BPMN 2.0 metamodel that allow realizing the desired IoT awareness of business processes. The framework is evaluated along two real-world scenarios from two different domains. Moreover, we present a user study for comparing BPMNE4IoT and BPMN 2.0. In particular, this study has confirmed that the BPMNE4IoT framework facilitates the support of IoT-driven processes.

A tool for the semantic annotation, validation and optimization of business process models

Abstract: The adoption of the business process model notation for the description of internal workflows and procedures by both public administrations and private organizations is steadily growing, thanks to the simplicity of the standard and its consistent expressivity. However, the lack of semantic support from BPMN can pose important limitations to its efficient use, as ambiguities in task definitions and communications can lead to misinterpretations. Furthermore, there is the need to validate the BPMNs, to check their adherence to regulations, especially in public administration, and to verify their conformance to security and privacy constraints. In this work, we present SemPrAnn, a semantic annotation tool for BPMN that, exploiting domain ontologies and logical rules, provides the possibility to unambiguously identify concepts in workflows and to run inferential engines against them to enforce the rules. The manuscript presents the methodology applied for the implementation of the tool, the tool itself with its exposed functionalities, and a case study demonstrating its current capabilities.

A business process re-engineering approach to transform business process simulation to BPMN model

Abstract: Software reverse engineering and reengineering are becoming common in the field of games and website development. Simulation and modeling play an important role in understanding the flow of the overall system. Business process modeling notation (BPMN) is used to show the overall architecture of the business process. Simulated business process re-engineering is essential for implementing change or creating new processes. The simulation model explains whether a change will be successful or not prior to adopting any new business processes or other changes. Some available tools help convert the BPMN to a simulating BPMN model but converting the discrete event simulation model build in commercial off the shelf simulation packages like Simul8 to the BPMN to help generate business process simulation to BPMN is also a key challenge. This framework is introduced to convert the simulation model to BPMN using the reverse engineering concept to understand how the converting tools convert the BPMN model to the simulation model. After understanding this process, the concept of reengineering will be used to build a BPMN from the simulation model. The framework is divided into three main parts model translation, model mapping, and model formation. For model building, two simulation tools Simul8 and BPSimulator are used. It is then tested on two case studies bank and product manufacturing. The output shows the BPMN model is generated from the simulation model within less time on a single click saving time and resources for developing BPMN model first and then making simulation model for testing purpose.

SAP Signavio Academic Models: A Large Process Model Dataset

Abstract: Abstract In this paper, we introduce the SAP Signavio Academic Models (SAP-SAM) dataset, a collection of hundreds of thousands of business models, mainly process models in BPMN notation. The model collection is a subset of the models that were created over the course of roughly a decade on academic.signavio.com , a free-of-charge software-as-a-service platform that researchers, teachers, and students can use to create business (process) models. We provide a preliminary analysis of the model collection, as well as recommendations on how to work with it. In addition, we discuss potential use cases and limitations of the model collection from academic and industry perspectives.

Business Information System Analysis Techniques Acceptance

Abstract: Nowadays, companies are conscious of the importance of information system business analysis (BISA) and business architecture (BA) development to represent and manage information technology (IT) in a holistic way. Business organizations require hybrid approaches that combine different modeling techniques. This paper covers literature survey of information system analysis techniques, their applicability in university teaching and in research projects, and their acceptance by students. This paper includes a system analysis acceptance model for assessing students’ attitudes to use the system analysis modeling techniques. Furthermore, this study allows to compare BISA techniques in the aspect of their acceptance. Findings of this paper could support modeling business organization assets and activities and may encourage business analysts to simultaneously learn and apply the modeling techniques. Constantly, the most popular modeling techniques set covers business process modeling notation (BPMN), unified modeling language (UML), data flow diagram (DFD), and decision trees.

Анализ бизнес-процессов в распределенной организационно-технической системе на основе снимков состояния

Abstract: Distributed organizational and technical systems belong to the class of complex hierarchical man-machine systems. Analysis of the state for such systems is a nontriv- ial task. Methods of system analysis are used, so the complex system is decomposed into subsystems and business processes, implemented at various hierarchical levels to achieve the main goal. Analysis of the state of business processes allows you to increase the efficiency of decision-making procedures for optimizing these business processes. An algorithm for creating a snapshot of a business process system in a distributed organi- zational and technical system is considered. The DRAKON language was applied as the basic language for constructing models of business processes, which makes it pos- sible to obtain a prototype of a finite-state machine when building models of business processes. Visualization of business processes in the state space allows you to improve the efficiency of decision-making. Распределенные организационно-технические системы относятся к классу сложных иерархических человеко-машинных систем. Анализ состояния таких систем является нетривиальной задачей. Используются методы системного анализа, сложная система декомпозируется на подсистемы и бизнес-процессы, реализуемые на различных иерархических уровнях для достижения основной цели. Анализ состояния бизнес-процессов позволяет повысить эффективность процедур принятия решений при оптимизации этих бизнес-процессов. Рассмотрен алгоритм со- здания снимка системы бизнес-процессов в распределенной организационно-технической системе. В качестве базового языка построения моделей бизнес-процессов применен язык ДРАКОН, позволяющий получить прототип конечного автомата при построении моделей бизнес-процессов. Визуализация бизнес-процессов в пространстве состояний позволяет повысить эффективность принятия решений.

Towards Business Process Model Extension with Quality Perspective

Abstract: Organizations are always looking for enhancing the quality of their products/services in order to improve their competitiveness. The quality of products/services are closely related to the quality of the business process of the organization. Therefore, it is crucial for decision makers to gain insight of the quality perspective of their business process at the model level. Several studies aimed to measure and/or model the quality of a business process. Some of them provide these measures and/or models separately from the business model. Some others integrate quality information into the business process model for a specific modeling notation. This makes the integration of quality information dependent on the modeling notation. However, different notations are used by organizations to model their business processes. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a generic approach for business process model extension with quality perspective, at the activity level as a first stage. The main contributions of this paper are: (1) the adaptation of the business process quality meta-model and (2) the proposal of a generic business process meta-model extended with quality perspective at the activity level.

Smart Contract Generation for Inter-Organizational Process Collaboration

Abstract: Currently, inter-organizational process collaboration (IOPC) has been widely used in the design and development of distributed systems that support business process execution. Blockchain-based IOPC can establish trusted data sharing among participants, attracting more and more attention. The core of such study is to translate the graphical model (e.g., BPMN) into program code called smart contract that can be executed in the blockchain environment. In this context, a proper smart contract plays a vital role in the correct implementation of block-chain-based IOPC. In fact, the quality of graphical model affects the smart con-tract generation. Problematic models (e.g., deadlock) will result in incorrect contracts (causing unexpected behaviours). To avoid this undesired implementation, this paper explores to generate smart contracts by using the verified formal model as input instead of graphical model. Specifically, we introduce a prototype framework that supports the automatic generation of smart contracts, providing an end-to-end solution from modeling, verification, translation to implementation. One of the cores of this framework is to provide a CSP#-based formalization for the BPMN collaboration model from the perspective of message interaction. This formalization provides precise execution semantics and model verification for graphical models, and a verified formal model for smart contract generation. Another novelty is that it introduces a syntax tree-based translation algorithm to directly map the formal model into a smart contract. The required formalism, verification and translation techniques are transparent to users without imposing additional burdens. Finally, a set of experiments shows the effectiveness of the framework.

Quality assurance in BPMN models in a Biodiesel plant

Abstract: The objective of this work is to make a proposal to improve the quality of business processes in a biodiesel plant. As a first approximation, the analysis and studies of the conceptual models of business processes that the company had were carried out, with the aim of being able to have a panoramic view of the current situation of the organization. For this, a framework was applied to measure the quality of business process models, which provides a set of metrics and indicators to carry out said measurement. The objective of the frameworks is providing to the organizations a means to help them to maintain objective and accurate information about the maintainability, understandability, coupling and cohesion of the models, facilitating the evolution of the Business Processes of the companies involved in continuous improvement. It provides support to the management of BPs by facilitating early evaluation of certain quality properties of their models. With this, the organizations benefit in two ways: (i) guaranteeing the understanding and dissemination of the BPs and their evolution without affecting their execution, (ii) reducing the effort necessary to change the models, this reduces the maintenance and improvement efforts. This framework is made up of two evaluation methods. Both methods allow facing the same problem from two different approaches. One approach refers to the numerical and another, is closer to linguistic expressions similar to everyday language. Both methods provide important results to different areas of the business, giving the framework an added value when analyzing the BP conceptual models, since it allows to choose the way to evaluate the models, according to the characteristics that are desired to analyze of the business models.

MCDM and FaaS to Automate the Eligibility of Business Rules in the Decision-Making Task during Business Processes

Abstract: Serverless Computing, also named Function as a Service (FaaS) in the Azure cloud provider, is a new feature of cloud computing. This is another brick, after managed and fully managed services, allowing to provide on-demand services instead of provisioned resources and it is used to strengthen the company’s ability in order to master its IT system and consequently to make its business processes more profitable. Knowing that decision making is one of the important tasks in business processes, the improvement of this task was the concern of both the industry and the academy communities. Those efforts have led to several models, mainly the two Object Management Group (OMG) models: Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) and Decision Model and Notation (DMN) in order to support this need. The DMN covers the decision-making task in business processes mainly the eligibility of business rules. This eligibility can be automated in order to help designers in the mastering of this important task by the running of an algorithm or a method such as the Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM). This feature can be designed and implemented and deployed in various architectures to integrate it in existing Business Process Management Systems (BPMS). It could then improve supporting several business areas such as the Business Intelligence (BI) process. In this paper, our main contribution is the enrichment of the DMN model by the automation of the business rules eligibility through Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) using FaaS to further streamline the decision-making task in business processes. Results show to strengthen business-IT alignment and reduce the gap between the real world and associated IT solutions.

Towards a Fitting Representation Method for Redesign Evaluation and Cost-Based Optimization

Abstract: The prospect of continuously modifying and improving the various business operations played a central role in the evolution of the concept of business processes (BPs). As a consequence, Business Process Redesign (BPR) emerged as a vital practice in the Business Process Management (BPM) discipline and is embodied in most BPM lifecycle models. So far, only a few BPR initiatives investigate how the improvement process can be methodically supported and what is also overlooked is the a priori evaluation of BPR impact. In this paper the authors present the representation phase of the Business Process Redesign Capacity Assessment (BP-RCA) framework and how this phase is formulated for a cost-based optimization technique. In this context, the authors elaborate on a fitting representation method that combines the established Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN2.0) standard and an adapted graph-based structure, initially designed for agent concepts. The method incorporates: (a) the necessary elements for capturing the execution logic, (b) the information for measuring performance and (c) the model constraints that affect redesign. Through applying the representation method to BP models from literature, the authors intend to showcase its usability and the fact that it is amenable to cost-based optimization techniques. By applying the representation, a practitioner is assisted towards a more straightforward calculation of complexity metrics that indicate the applicability of BPR. In this sense, the application of the proposed method is a fundamental feature of the BP-RCA and is essential for redesign decision making at an earlier-than-runtime stage.

Identifying Support for Knowledge-Intensive Processes in BPMN and its Extensions

Abstract: Context: Business process modeling is widely used to increase the competitive advantage of organizations and Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is the standard language for modeling such processes. However, it is often extended to handle domain-specific processes or enhance the language itself. Problem: Applications of process-oriented approaches have reached new challenging, knowledge-intensive scenarios, such as healthcare, case management, and others. For these scenarios, it is common to observe functions involving collaborative resources and processes that are little structured, which do not have the same level of predictability as a structured work routine. This fact led to the definition of a new class of business processes, Knowledge-Intensive Processes (KIP). Solution: This paper investigates which requirements related to the modeling of KIP are met by the standard BPMN language and its extensions proposed in the literature. IS Theory: The paper explores the interaction between Structured Process Modeling Theory and Organizational Information Processing Theory applied to the context of business process management, especially related to knowledge-intensive processes in organizations. Method: We performed an analysis of the adherence of standard BPMN to the KIP modeling requirements and a systematic literature review identifying BPMN extensions, analyzing these proposals regarding their adherence to the same requirements. Summarization of Results: Twelve BPMN extensions were analyzed and compared according to a set of criteria. These extensions were obtained from the SCOPUS digital library and guided the conduct of the research. Contributions and Impact in the IS area: This paper is the first evaluation of BPMN and its extensions regarding KIP requirements. Moreover, we identified the main trends in the development of BPMN extensions related to KIP and some opportunities for future researches.

BPMN4MOOC: A BPMN extension for the design of connectivist MOOC

Abstract: . Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is a standard formalism for business process modeling that is very popular in professional practices due to its expressiveness, the well-defined meta-model and its easiness of use by non-technical users. For instance, BPMN2.0 is used for business processes in commercial areas such as banks, shops, production and supply industry. Due to its flexible notation, BPMN is increasingly being used in non-traditional business process domains like education. The presented research work aims to develop a valid extension by applying the BPMN representation of pedagogical scenario in connectivist cMOOC context. BPMN provides a set of generic process modeling elements that make it necessary to extend the language and notation by domain specific concepts from connectivist pedagogical approach. Therefore, BPMN2.0 extensibility mechanism was explored to include the representation of specific cMOOC pedagogical concepts. Moreover, this paper provides an analysis of requirements of those concepts. Based on a cMOOC oriented pedagogical scenario model, the need for extension is identified and the valid BPMN extension meta-model is designed by the construction of a conceptual domain-specific model and the corresponding BPMN extension model.

Gamification of Business Process Modeling Notation education: an experience report

Abstract: Business Process Modeling (BPM) is a skill considered fundamental for computer engineers, with Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) being one of the most commonly used notations for this discipline. BPMN modeling is present in different curricula in specific Master’s Degree courses related to software engineering, but, in practice, students often underperform on BPMN modeling exercises due to difficulties in learning good modeling practices. In recent years, more and more fields of computer science have employed gamification (the usage of game elements in non-recreational contexts to gain benefits in terms of interest, participation, motivation, and enjoyment) with positive results during both development and teaching processes. Thus, we have developed a platform for BPMN modeling that employs gamification mechanics to facilitate learning good modeling practices with mechanisms such as rewarding good modeling solutions and penalizing less correct ones, with a dedicated feedback mechanism that maps correctly modeled elements to the corresponding concept. A preliminary laboratory experiment has been conducted with students of an Information Systems course to evaluate how students receive the mechanics and if there may be benefits in using a gamified environment for teaching process modeling throughout an entire course.

Improving conformance checking in process modelling: a multiperspective algorithm

Abstract: Abstract Business process model and notation (BPMN) is a popular notation used for process modelling mainly due to its high expressiveness. However, BPMN has shortcomings when dealing with specific domains (namely Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points systems), struggling to model activity duration, quality control points, activity effects and monitoring nature. To tackle these limitations, the business process model and notation extended expressiveness (BPMN-E 2 ) was proposed. In this paper, a multiperspective conformance checking algorithm is developed focusing on detecting non-conformity between an event log and a process model, regarding the information provided by the new elements within BPMN-E 2 . The proposed algorithm follows a two-step approach that starts by converting the model into a directly follows model (annotated with conformance rules), which is then used in a second phase to perform conformance checking effectively. This modular approach allows to apply the proposed algorithm to other process model notations than BPMN-E 2 . An event log clustering technique was also developed to downsize large-event logs without compromising data relevance. In this way, both the multiperspective algorithm and the log-downsize clustering technique here proposed are a key contribution to improve conformance checking in process modelling, as evinced in the proof-of-concept provided.

Implementation of Business Process Reengineering To Minimize Customer Complaints

Abstract: Service in an organization is highly correlated with the level of customer satisfaction with the quality of service provided. From this activity, improvements will be made to the Business Processing Reengineering method so that the business process can run properly and efficiently. To test whether it is true that the Business Process Reengineering (BPR) approach has been able to minimize customer complaints, in this case, PDAM Giri Tirta Gresik will carry out an identification and analysis stage first on any problems. Based on the existing problems, the focus of this research was emphasized on the service process to fulfill clean water in Gresik Regency, especially in the reengineering process for new installations. A comparison of new installation business processes before and after the Business Process Reengineering, namely the percentage of throughput efficiency tests of 94.44% from 73.99% of ongoing business processes and provides the final simulation results in the form of BPMN notation which takes maximum time. which is obtained in 24 days 2 hours 20 minutes from 26 days 16 hours 5 minutes in the new installation process.

Modeling and classification of Departmental Business Processes of a Bangladeshi University

Abstract: Business process modeling (BPM) is a field of computer science that can be used by every organization to maintain its workflow pattern. Adopting this can significantly improve the workflow and can identify problems with the workflow in terms of resource optimization. In this article, the idea of representing the business processes of a Bangladeshi Educational Institute using the business process model and Notation 2.0 has been presented. In this case study, a business process model for the information system at the departmental level of East West University (EWU) has been designed after analyzing 15 key business processes by interviewing stakeholders. After classifying the created as-is business process models based on two criteria- order of actor participation and participation of external entities/departments, two areas of optimization in the workflow pattern have been proposed, load optimization and online automation. This documented model of the business processes has multi-purpose uses. It can be used for resource management, as a guide for stakeholders to better understand a business process, and as a guideline for new employees. This study has shown that by adopting business process modeling, an educational institution could march toward a better and enhanced workflow pattern by identifying problems in it.

Conceptualization and Configuration of a Generic SCM 4.0 Business Process Model Using BPMN Based on SCOR

Abstract: Systems modeling is a crucial step that comes before performance evaluation. Moreover, it allows us to better understand the company's flows, either to help in decision-making or to improve its Manufacturing Planning. In the context of Supply Chain Management 4.0 (SCM 4.0), we have chosen modeling tools that allow us to describe the main processes of the Supply Chain (SC), in order to define the needs in terms of performance evaluation, taking into account the static and dynamic specificities linked to the uncertainty of the environment and the digitalization. In fact, the static model describes structural characteristics whereas the dynamic model describes dynamic behavior. The modeling improvement process requires static and dynamic sub-models developed from identical concepts and whose coherence is ensured by interactions between the two models. In our research work, we propose a Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) used to convert the natural language of SC processes into process diagrams with graphical elements. We use tasks and sub-processes are used to depict basic SC plans and functions. Sequence flows to connect activities and present the transitions and path of tasks and plans. We also use Gateways to control the convergence and divergence of paths in SC process diagrams. Message flows display information flows and material flows between SC entities as needed. Thus, we develop a static and dynamic model that represents the SC using a generic modeling approach based on Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) and BPMN.

BPMN2 user story: Web application for generate user story from BPMN

Abstract: User stories and BPMN are valuable artifacts in requirements elicitation because of their ease of presenting a conceptual model that encourages communication and knowledge sharing. Process innovation in the software requirements can be enabled by associating user stories and BPMN. In this study, we propose to derive a collection of user stories from a BPMN diagram. Scrum method was applied during development and Part of Speech Tagging (POS Tagging) was applied to specify aspect of WHO and WHAT. We identify the elements in the BPMN diagram and correlate them with the user story elements to then convert the information in the BPMN into user stories. The dataset is obtained by collecting BPMN diagrams available on the internet and converting them into user stories. Our evaluation is done by comparing the results of humans’ annotator with the system. We managed to obtain precision, recall and F-measure of 0.74, 0.66 and 0.69 on average. In user story extraction, aspects of WHO and WHAT were successfully obtained from BPMN, while aspects of WHY were not detected in BPMN attributes.

Business process modeling language selection for research modelers

Abstract: Abstract Business process modeling is a crucial aspect of domains such as Business Process Management and Software Engineering. The availability of various BPM languages in the market makes it challenging for process modelers to select the best-fit BPM language for a specific process modeling task. A decision model is necessary to systematically capture and make scattered knowledge on BPM languages available for reuse by process modelers and academics. This paper presents a decision model for the BPM language selection problem in research projects. The model contains mappings of 72 BPM features to 23 BPM languages. We validated and refined the decision model through 10 expert interviews with domain experts from various organizations. We evaluated the efficiency, validity, and generality of the decision model by conducting four case studies of academic research projects with their original researchers. The results confirmed that the decision model supports process modelers in the selection process by providing more insights into the decision process. Based on the empirical evidence from the case studies and domain expert feedback, we conclude that having the knowledge readily available in the decision model supports academics in making more informed decisions that align with their preferences and prioritized requirements. Furthermore, the captured knowledge provides a comprehensive overview of BPM languages, features, and quality characteristics that other researchers can employ to tackle future research challenges. Our observations indicate that BPMN is a commonly used modeling language for process modeling. Therefore, it is more sensible for academics to explain why they did not select BPMN than to discuss why they chose it for their research project(s).

Model Pengembangan Bisnis Toserba Sunan Drajat melalui Pendekatan Business Model Canvas

Abstract: The business model offered to develop a business is very varied with technological advances and the times. This requires companies or business people to continue to innovate in running their business. The process of business development can be done by measurement through several analyses, one of which is the Businesss Model Canvas analysis by combining nine elements that are the initial foundation of the business in its classification. This type of research uses qualitative research methods with a descriptive approach obtained through data collection from the process of observation, interviews, and documentation. While data analysis techniques are used using data education, data presentation, and conclusions. The purpose of the study is to answer, know, describe and analyze the problem formulation; 1) What is the business development model at Sunan Drajat Banjarwati Paciran Lamongan Department Store. 2) How is the concept of Business Model Canvas analysis strategy at Sunan Drajat Banjarwati Department Store, Paciran Lamongan. 3) How is the concept of SWOT analysis at Sunan Drajat Banjarwati Department Store, Paciran Lamongan. The analysis used with the Business Model Canvas analysis approach with nine indicators from an internal and external perspective. In addition, it is strengthened by SWOT analysis which is collaborated on the Business Model Canvas analysis at Sunan Drajat Department Store. The results of the study explained that Sunan Drajat Department Store is a modern retail business that doubles into several businesses, including distributors, franchises, white labels, e-commerce, marketplaces, to business to business. The Sunan Drajat Department Store has actually implemented a canvas model bussines in its development. This alternative strategy can be seen from the strengths and weaknesses that have been analyzed with the SWOT analysis strategy that has been collaborated on the Business Model Canvas analysis so that it provides opportunities and challenges for the Sunan Drajat Department Store to develop its business

ChoEn: A Smart Contract Based Choreography Enforcer

Abstract: This work deals with the automatic generation of smart contracts to enforce compliance to a given BPMN choreography of requests sent by a set of independent actors. The choice of smart contracts is justified by the desire not to centralize the enforcement process when there are multiple independent actors characterized by low mutual trust. The choice of BPMN choreographies as an alternative to BPMN processes and collaborations is instead justified by the desire to leave the actors free to dynamically organize their internal processes in the way they prefer, provided that the interactions with the other actors respect some agreed protocol. This work proposes a formal framework to interpret choreographies and translate them onto smart contract enforcers. The framework has been implemented on a free open-source tool named ChoEn and tested by means of a running example.

Creating a Low-Code Business Process Execution Platform With Python, BPMN, and DMN

Abstract: How our software development team used an open source Python library and the popular modeling notation, BPMN, to shed light on a set of complex approval processes at a university. In the course of heavily extending the existing library, and developing 100’s of diagrams, we learned many lessons. Here we will provide a brief high-level introduction to BPMN and DMN and cover what we learned about BPMN training for the emerging Citizen Developer role. We will also discuss the benefits we found in the untraditional combination of BPMN and Python, and close with our current efforts and plans for continued open source development.