Showing papers on "Process modeling published in 2005"
TL;DR: This paper gives an overview of heuristic rules that can support practitioners to develop a business process design that is a radical improvement of a current design.
Abstract: To implement business process redesign several best practices can be distinguished. This paper gives an overview of heuristic rules that can support practitioners to develop a business process design that is a radical improvement of a current design. The emphasis is on the mechanics of the process, rather than on behavioral or change management aspects. The various best practices are derived from a wide literature survey and supplemented with experiences of the authors. To evaluate the impact of each best practice along the dimensions of cost, flexibility, time and quality, a conceptual framework is presented that synthesizes views from areas such as information systems development, enterprise modeling and workflow management. The best practices are thought to have a wide applicability across various industries and business processes. They can be used as a “check list” for process redesign under the umbrella of diverse management approaches such as Total Cycle Time compression, the Lean Enterprise and Constraints Management.
497 citations
Proceedings Article•
01 Jan 2005TL;DR: This research project aims toward the development of a holistic and widely accepted BPM maturity model, which facilitates the assessment of BPM capabilities.
Abstract: Business Process Management (BPM) has been identified as the number one business priority by a
recent Gartner study (Gartner, 2005). However, BPM has a plethora of facets as its origins are in
Business Process Reengineering, Process Innovation, Process Modelling, and Workflow Management
to name a few. Organisations increasingly recognize the requirement for an increased process
orientation and require appropriate comprehensive frameworks, which help to scope and evaluate
their BPM initiative. This research project aims toward the development of a holistic and widely
accepted BPM maturity model, which facilitates the assessment of BPM capabilities. This paper
provides an overview about the current model with a focus on the actual model development utilizing
a series of Delphi studies. The development process includes separate studies that focus on further
defining and expanding the six core factors within the model, i.e. strategic alignment, governance,
method, Information Technology, people and culture.
421 citations
Book•
01 Aug 2005
TL;DR: Essential Business Process Modeling teaches you how to develop examples of process-oriented applications using free tools that can be run on an average PC or laptop and shows how BPM complements enterprise application integration, a method for moving from older applications to new ones, and Enterprise Service BUS for integrating different web services, messaging, and XML technologies into a single network.
Abstract: Ten years ago, groupware bundled with email and calendar applications helped track the flow of work from person to person within an organization. Workflow in today's enterprise means more monitoring and orchestrating massive systems. A new technology called Business Process Management, or BPM, helps software architects and developers design, code, run, administer, and monitor complex network-based business processesSound complicated? It is. But it's downright frustrating when you have to search the Web for every little piece of information vital to the process. Essential Business Process Modeling gathers all the concepts, design, architecture, and standard specifications of BPM into one concise book, and offers hands-on examples that illustrate BPM's approach to process notation, execution, administration and monitoring.Author Mike Havey demonstrates standard ways to code rigorous processes that are centerpieces of a service-oriented architecture (SOA), which defines how networks interact so that one can perform a service for the other. His book also shows how BPM complements enterprise application integration (EAI), a method for moving from older applications to new ones, and Enterprise Service BUS for integrating different web services, messaging, and XML technologies into a single network. BPM, he says, is to this collection of services what a conductor is to musicians in an orchestra: it coordinates their actions in the performance of a larger composition.Essential Business Process Modeling teaches you how to develop examples of process-oriented applications using free tools that can be run on an average PC or laptop. You'll also learn about BPM design patterns and best practices, as well as some underlying theory. The best way to monitor processes within an enterprise is with BPM, and the best way to navigate BPM is with this valuable book. BPM replaces those sketchy flowchart diagrams that business analysts draw on whiteboards with a precise model that uses standard graphical and XML representations, and an architecture that allows it converse with other services, systems, and users.
351 citations
TL;DR: A multi-tier, hierarchical framework to guide digital investigations that includes objectives-based phases and sub-phases that are applicable to various layers of abstraction, and to which additional layers of detail can easily be added as needed.
307 citations
TL;DR: This paper reports on the first attempt to identify process modelling success factors and measures, as empirically evidenced in case studies of nine process modelling projects in three leading Australian organizations.
Abstract: Business process modelling has gained widespread acceptance as a valuable design and management technique for a variety of purposes. While there has been much research on process modelling techniques and corresponding tools, there has been little empirical research into the success factors of effective process modelling, and the post hoc evaluation of process modelling success. This paper reports on the first attempt to identify process modelling success factors and measures, as empirically evidenced in case studies of nine process modelling projects in three leading Australian organizations.
303 citations
20 Jun 2005
TL;DR: A genetic process mining approach using the so-called causal matrix as a representation for individuals is shown and it is shown that genetic algorithms can be used to discover Petri net models from event logs.
Abstract: The topic of process mining has attracted the attention of both researchers and tool vendors in the Business Process Management (BPM) space. The goal of process mining is to discover process models from event logs, i.e., events logged by some information system are used to extract information about activities and their causal relations. Several algorithms have been proposed for process mining. Many of these algorithms cannot deal with concurrency. Other typical problems are the presence of duplicate activities, hidden activities, non-free-choice constructs, etc. In addition, real-life logs contain noise (e.g., exceptions or incorrectly logged events) and are typically incomplete (i.e., the event logs contain only a fragment of all possible behaviors). To tackle these problems we propose a completely new approach based on genetic algorithms. As can be expected, a genetic approach is able to deal with noise and incompleteness. However, it is not easy to represent processes properly in a genetic setting. In this paper, we show a genetic process mining approach using the so-called causal matrix as a representation for individuals. We elaborate on the relation between Petri nets and this representation and show that genetic algorithms can be used to discover Petri net models from event logs.
301 citations
TL;DR: This paper uses a simulation-based analysis to account for many realistic aspects of design process behavior which were not possible in previous analytical models, and proposes a heuristic for the stochastic, resource-constrained project scheduling problem in an iterative project network.
Abstract: This paper presents a process modeling and analysis technique for managing complex design projects using advanced simulation. The model computes the probability distribution of lead time in a stochastic, resource-constrained project network where iterations take place among sequential, parallel, and overlapped tasks. The model uses the design structure matrix representation to capture the information flows between tasks. We use a simulation-based analysis to account for many realistic aspects of design process behavior which were not possible in previous analytical models. We propose a heuristic for the stochastic, resource-constrained project scheduling problem in an iterative project network. The model can be used for better project planning and control by identifying leverage points for process improvements, and for evaluating alternative planning and execution strategies. An industrial example is provided to illustrate the utility of the model.
298 citations
TL;DR: This paper will present a foundation set of constraints for flexible workflow specification, intended to provide an appropriate balance between flexibility and control, and briefly present Chameleon, a prototype workflow engine that implements these concepts.
293 citations
20 Jun 2005
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed the basic characteristics of the component-based approach and its impact on the development process and lifecycle models, and discussed the generic lifecycle of componentbased systems and the life cycle of components.
Abstract: The process of component- and component-based system development differs in many significant ways from the "classical" development process of software systems. The main difference is in the separation of the development process of components from the development process of systems. This fact has a significant impact on the development process. Since the component-based approach is a relatively young approach in software engineering, the main emphasis in the area has been in development of technologies, while process modeling is still an unexplored area. This paper analyses the basic characteristics of the component-based approach and its impact on the development process and lifecycle models. The generic lifecycle of component-based systems and the lifecycle of components are discussed, and the different types of development processes are discussed in detail: architecture-driven component development, productline development and COTS-based development. Finally a short case study illustrates the principles and specifics of component-based processes.
249 citations
07 Oct 2005
241 citations
05 Apr 2005
TL;DR: ADEPT2 offers powerful concepts for modeling, analyzing, and verifying process schemes, and ensures schema correctness, like the absence of deadlock-causing cycles or erroneous data flows, which constitutes an important prerequisite for dynamic process changes.
Abstract: In the ADEPT project we have been working on the design and implementation of next generation process management software. Based on a conceptual framework for dynamic process changes, on novel process support functions, and on advanced implementation concepts, the developed system enables the realization of adaptive, process-aware information systems (PAIS). Basically, process changes can take place at the type as well as the instance level: changes of single process instances may have to be carried out in an ad-hoc manner and must not affect system robustness and consistency. Process type changes, in turn, must be quickly accomplished in order to adapt the PAIS to business process changes. ADEPT2 offers powerful concepts for modeling, analyzing, and verifying process schemes. Particularly, it ensures schema correctness, like the absence of deadlock-causing cycles or erroneous data flows. This, in turn, constitutes an important prerequisite for dynamic process changes as well. ADEPT2 supports both ad-hoc changes of single process instances and the propagation of process type changes to running instances.
Book•
09 Sep 2005
TL;DR: The Shift Toward Object-Oriented Programming Advent of Component-Based Technology Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) Microsoft Component Technologies Java Component Technologies Summary Workflow Technology Different Types of Workflows Workflow Reference Model Differences Between Workflow Management system (WfMS) and Business Process Management System (BPMS).
Abstract: Theories of Process Management What is Process Management? Early Process Concepts Modern Process Management Theories Total Quality Management Movement (TQM) Six Sigma Business Process Reengineering (BPR) Comparing Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Total Quality Management (TQM), and Six Sigma Business Process Management Business Process Management (BPM) Concepts Business Process Management (BPM) Principles Business Process Management (BPM) Practices The Value of Information Technology (IT) Convergence of Process-Focused Management Practices Process Management Lifecycle Overview of Business Process Management System Key Capabilities of Business Process Management Systems (BPMS) Introduction of the Process Layer How Business Process Management Systems (BPMS) Can Benefit Business Process Reengineering (BPR) Initiatives How Business Process Management (BPM) Can Benefit Quality Programs Data Integration Technology Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) Object Linking & Embedding Database (OLE DB) Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) Messaging-Based Integration Technology Point-to-Point Messaging Process Component-Based Integration Technology Remote Procedure Call (RPC) The Shift Toward Object-Oriented Programming Advent of Component-Based Technology Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) Microsoft Component Technologies Java Component Technologies Summary Workflow Technology Different Types of Workflows Workflow Reference Model Differences Between Workflow Management System (WfMS) and Business Process Management System (BPMS) Different Types of Business Process Management Systems Types of Business Process Management System (BPMS) Process Data-Centric Integration Product Application-Centric Integration Products Process-Centric Integration Product Future BPMS Developments Business Process Management Systems (BPMS) Standards Development of Business Process Management System (BPMS) Standards Overview of the Process Definition Standards Comparing XML Process Definition Language (XPDL), Business Process Modeling Language (BPML), and Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) Overview of Process Interaction Standards Summary Business Process Management Implementation Methodology Lessons from Business Process Reengineering (BPR) Business Process Management (BPM) Implementation Methodology Phase 1 Commit Phase 2 Research Phase 3 Analyze Phase 4 Design Phase 5 Implement Phase 6 Support Conclusion
TL;DR: A conceptual framework based on clearly defined concepts and notions is provided, which integrates goals into process modeling and specifically distinguishes goals from soft‐goals or business measures, which demonstrates the usefulness of the framework in process design.
Abstract: Purpose – The paper aims at providing a conceptual framework based on clearly defined concepts and notions, which integrates goals into process modeling and specifically distinguishes goals from soft‐goals or business measures. The application of this framework facilitates a systematic use of soft‐goals in process design.Design/methodology/approach – The framework is developed on the basis of Bunge's well‐established ontology. It is applied to processes taken from the SCOR supply chain reference model for demonstration and evaluation.Findings – Applying the framework to the SCOR processes resulted in a set of focused relations between soft‐goals and processes, as opposed to the ones suggested originally in the SCOR model. This demonstrates the usefulness of the framework in process design.Research limitations/implications – The approach presented in the paper is still rather a theoretical framework than a fully validated procedure. It should be tested on larger‐scale cases in more practical settings and e...
01 Jan 2005
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on the outcomes of an ontological analysis of Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) and explore identified issues by reporting on interviews conducted with BPMN users in Australia.
Abstract: Current initiatives in the field of Business Process Management (BPM) strive for the development of a BPM standard notation by pushing the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN). However, such a proposed standard notation needs to be carefully examined. Ontological analysis is an established theoretical approach to evaluating modelling techniques. This paper reports on the outcomes of an ontological analysis of BPMN and explores identified issues by reporting on interviews conducted with BPMN users in Australia. Complementing this analysis we consolidate our findings with previous ontological analyses of process modelling notations to deliver a comprehensive assessment of BPMN.
TL;DR: In this article, a 10 to 20MWth Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) production process from wood has been performed, which combines process modeling and process integration techniques to achieve a thermal efficiency of 57.9% based on the Lower Heating Value (LHV).
TL;DR: In this article, a hybrid simulation-based hierarchical production planning architecture consisting of system dynamics (SD) components for the enterprise level planning and discrete event simulation (DES) component for the shop-level scheduling is presented.
Abstract: Multi-plant production planning problem deals with the determination of type and quantity of products to produce at the plants over multiple time periods. Hierarchical production planning provides a formal bridge between long-term plans and short-term schedules. A hybrid simulation-based hierarchical production planning architecture consisting of system dynamics (SD) components for the enterprise level planning and discrete event simulation (DES) components for the shop-level scheduling is presented. The architecture consists of the Optimizer, Performance Monitor and Simulator modules at each decision level. The Optimizers select the optimal set of control parameters based on the estimated behaviour of the system. The enterprise-level simulator (SD model) and shop-level simulator (DES model) interact with each other to evaluate the plan. Feedback control loops are employed at each level to monitor the performance and update the control parameters. Functional and process models of the proposed architecture...
TL;DR: This paper seeks to propose a goal‐perspective, the map‐driven process modelling approach, which allows choosing an appropriate level of details when analysing and redesigning business processes.
Abstract: – Most of the process models concentrate on who does what, when, ie on the description of the operational performance of tasks The goal driven approaches try to establish a close relationship between the “whys” and the “whats” The former captures the strategic goals of the organisation whereas the latter tells us how they are achieved through tasks carried out by actors In addition, managers do not naturally make the distinction between what to achieve (the goal) and the manner to achieve it (the strategy) This confusion often leads to the expression of manners as goals In order to make clear the fundamental distinction between these two concerns and to master the complexity of process modelling, this paper seeks to propose a goal‐perspective, the map‐driven process modelling approach, – The map representation system conforms to goal models in the fact that it recognises the concept of a goal but departs from those by introducing the concept of strategy to attain a goal, – A business and its supporting system change in a concurrent way In order to help the propagation of the intentional changes onto operational ones, we adopted the two levels hierarchical spiral process model The intentional spiral deals with the production of the business process models using the map formalism and the operational one deals with the specifications of the supporting systems, – A business process is defined in terms of goals and strategies of reaching these goals The approach allows choosing an appropriate level of details when analysing and redesigning business processes
13 Mar 2005
TL;DR: It is shown how the alignment between Business and IT can be disaggregated into four different dimensions and some heuristics to ensure such alignment are presented.
Abstract: Organizations have existing systems infrastructure that are the result of decades of one-by-one implementations of specific solutions. As organizations, products, customers and technologies continue to change at an increasingly rapid rate, managers have sought overviews that will allow them to understand how Business and IT within their organization fits together. Enterprise Architecture is a representation of the organization to enable the planning of the organization changes. It includes the current and future business objectives, goals, visions, strategies, informational entities, business processes, people, organization structures, application systems, technological infrastructures, and so on.In this paper, we show how the alignment between Business and IT can be disaggregated into four different dimensions and we present some heuristics to ensure such alignment.
TL;DR: A thorough survey of work on ring rolling published in the English and German languages by 2004 is presented in this article, where the main body of the review is organized in four parts: the evolution of the design of ring rolling equipment, including detailed discussion of the preforms; the methods used to investigate the process are reviewed, separated into experimental and theoretical categories; the insights gained from these investigations are organised according to the challenges identified at the outset; developments in the control and operation of the process were described.
Abstract: A thorough survey of work on ring rolling published in the English and German languages by 2004 is presented. The process is briefly introduced and a set of ideals are stated, as the target for all developments in the area. The main challenges which inhibit attainment of these ideals are given, and the process is compared with alternatives. The main body of the review is organised in four parts: the evolution of the design of ring rolling equipment is described, including detailed discussion of the design and manufacture of preforms; the methods used to investigate the process are reviewed, separated into experimental and theoretical categories; the insights gained from these investigations are organised according to the challenges identified at the outset; developments in the control and operation of the process are described. Having given a set of ideal targets for the process, the state of current knowledge about ring rolling is assessed in order to predict likely developments: process modelling capability is nearly able to predict rolling behaviour for a complete cycle with sufficient accuracy to allow effective use of models for design of rolling schedules and preforms; analysis of material behaviour is relatively mature for steel rings, but has scope for significant extension for titanium and aluminium alloys and composites; design choices that seek to extend the flexibility of the process have had some exploration, but could be extended. Finally, the seminal contribution of Professor Kopp is briefly described.
01 Jan 2005
TL;DR: An ontological analysis of the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) is reported on and identified issues are explored by reporting on interviews conducted with BPMN users in Australia.
Abstract: Current initiatives in the field of Business Process Management (BPM) strive for the development of a BPM standard notation by pushing the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN). However, such a proposed standard notation needs to be carefully examined. Ontological analysis is an established theoretical approach to evaluating modelling techniques. This paper reports on the outcomes of an ontological analysis of BPMN and explores identified issues by reporting on interviews conducted with BPMN users in Australia. Complementing this analysis we consolidate our findings with previous ontological analyses of process modelling notations to deliver a comprehensive assessment of BPMN.
01 Jan 2005
TL;DR: A four-layer process-driven architecture (PDA) model is derived which explicitly addresses current business and IT issues alike and demonstrates the applicability of the model on both the descriptive and the prescriptive level of a theory.
Abstract: Due to the fact that the corporate IT function is tightly coupled to enterprise processes and organization, today's IT is driven by the same dynamics as the enterprise itself. Based on this observation a four-layer process-driven architecture (PDA) model is derived which explicitly addresses current business and IT issues alike. The applicability of the model is demonstrated on both the descriptive and the prescriptive level of a theory
TL;DR: This paper will present how the CDU, FCC and product blending models are formulated and applied to refinery planning, and how the proposed model can be easily solved with much higher accuracy than a traditional linear model.
TL;DR: A set of metrics for software process models are introduced and how these can be used as maintainability indicators are discussed and the results of a family of experiments are reported that assess relationships between the structural properties, as measured by the defined metrics, of the process models and their maintainability.
TL;DR: This paper focuses on process models for software development and puts these in relation with current researches in AOSE, and surveys the characteristics of a number of agent-oriented methodologies, as they pertain to software processes.
Book•
01 Jan 2005
TL;DR: Conceptual Modeling of Structure and Behavior with UML - The Top Level Object-Oriented Framework (TLOOF) Approach and how to Manage Uniformly Software Architecture at Different Abstraction Levels are presented.
Abstract: Specific Approaches.- Conceptual Modeling of Structure and Behavior with UML - The Top Level Object-Oriented Framework (TLOOF) Approach.- How to Manage Uniformly Software Architecture at Different Abstraction Levels.- Schema Integration Based on Uncertain Semantic Mappings.- Process Modeling and Views.- Combining Intention-Oriented and State-Based Process Modeling.- Pattern-Based Analysis of the Control-Flow Perspective of UML Activity Diagrams.- A Three-Layered XML View Model: A Practical Approach.- Conceptual Modeling in eLearning.- Modeling Group-Based Education.- Learning Process Models as Mediators Between Didactical Practice and Web Support.- Managing Models and Modeling.- A Fundamental View on the Process of Conceptual Modeling.- How to Tame a Very Large ER Diagram (Using Link Analysis and Force-Directed Drawing Algorithms).- A Multilevel Dictionary for Model Management.- A MOF-Compliant Approach to Software Quality Modeling.- Requirements and Software Engineering.- Conceptual Modeling Based on Transformation Linguistic Patterns.- Applying Modular Method Engineering to Validate and Extend the RESCUE Requirements Process.- Security Patterns Meet Agent Oriented Software Engineering: A Complementary Solution for Developing Secure Information Systems.- Ontologies.- Kuaba Ontology: Design Rationale Representation and Reuse in Model-Based Designs.- Ontology Creation: Extraction of Domain Knowledge from Web Documents.- Choosing Appropriate Method Guidelines for Web-Ontology Building.- Web Services and Navigational Models.- Conceptual Model Based Semantic Web Services.- Automatically Grounding Semantically-Enriched Conceptual Models to Concrete Web Services.- Transforming Web Requirements into Navigational Models: AN MDA Based Approach.- Aspects of Workflow Modeling.- Accelerating Workflows with Fixed Date Constraints.- Workflow Data Patterns: Identification, Representation and Tool Support.- Actor-Oriented Design of Scientific Workflows.- Blueprints and Measures for ETL Workflows.- Queries and OLAP Summaries.- Vague Sets or Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets for Handling Vague Data: Which One Is Better?.- A Semantic Approach to Query Rewriting for Integrated XML Data.- A Taxonomy of Inaccurate Summaries and Their Management in OLAP Systems.- Temporal and Spatial Modeling.- XCM: Conceptual Modeling for Dynamic Domains.- Precise Modeling and Verification of Topological Integrity Constraints in Spatial Databases: From an Expressive Power Study to Code Generation Principles.- Topological Relationships Between Complex Lines and Complex Regions.
TL;DR: In this article, a cross-design, mixture design combined with process factor (fermentation time) was performed to find the optimal medium formulation and process time for PHA production.
IBM1
TL;DR: An approach to prove that an executable process model is consistent to the predefined abstract model is described, which is an attempt to prove this property automatically.
Abstract: Process models play an all-important role in the development of cross-organizational business processes. On the one hand, the interaction between the participating companies often is specified globally, for example by means of multiple abstract process models - one for each partner. On the other hand, each partner defines its local process autonomously in terms of an executable process model. The important question is whether such an executable model is consistent to the predefined abstract model. This paper describes an approach to prove this property automatically.
05 Sep 2005
TL;DR: This paper surveys and describes reference models for business processes and identifies model domains, which have been dealt with, describe similarities and differences between the available process reference models, and point to open research questions.
Abstract: Within the Information Systems field, reference models are well-known for many years. The aim of this paper is to survey and to describe reference models for business processes. Our analysis of 30 process reference models is based on a framework consisting of criteria such as application domain, used process modeling languages, model's size, known evaluations and applications of process reference models. Furthermore, we identify model domains, which have been dealt with, describe similarities and differences between the available process reference models, and point to open research questions.
TL;DR: A list of structural metrics that can be used to approximate common performance goals at the stage of process design and how each metric can be calculated and what kind of performance goals it can approximate is suggested.
Abstract: Purpose – The paper aims to provide business process designers a formal yet user friendly technique to evaluate the implications of a process design on process performance even before its implementation.Design/methodology/approach – Based on practical experience, the paper has built on past research to hypothesize structural metrics for business processes that help assess the influence of process design on organizational goals.Findings – This paper suggests a list of structural metrics that can be used to approximate common performance goals (i.e. soft goals) at the stage of process design. Distinct views for process depiction are discussed to explain how each metric can be calculated and what kind of performance goals it can approximate.Research limitations/implications – The paper has assumed an intuitive relationship between process structure and process performance which has to be validated empirically. There is scope for developing formal methods to translate changes in structural metrics to monetary...