Andrés Jiménez-Ramírez

User Recommendations for the Optimized Execution of Business Processes

Abstract In order to be able to flexibly adjust a companys business processes (BPs) there is an increasing interest in flexible process-aware information systems (PAISs). This increasing flexibility, however, typically implies decreased user guidance by the PAIS and thus poses significant challenges to its users. As a major contribution of this work, we propose a recommendation system which assists users during process execution to optimize performance goals of the processes. The recommendation system is based on a constraint-based approach for planning and scheduling the BP activities and considers both the control-flow and the resource perspective. To evaluate the proposed constraint-based approach different algorithms are applied to a range of test models of varying complexity. The results indicate that, although the optimization of process execution is a highly constrained problem, the proposed approach produces a satisfactory number of suitable solutions.

Generating optimized configurable business process models in scenarios subject to uncertainty

Abstract Context The quality of business process models (i.e., software artifacts that capture the relations between the organizational units of a business) is essential for enhancing the management of business processes. However, such modeling is typically carried out manually. This is already challenging and time consuming when (1) input uncertainty exists, (2) activities are related, and (3) resource allocation has to be considered. When including optimization requirements regarding flexibility and robustness it becomes even more complicated potentially resulting into non-optimized models, errors, and lack of flexibility. Objective To facilitate the human work and to improve the resulting models in scenarios subject to uncertainty, we propose a software-supported approach for automatically creating configurable business process models from declarative specifications considering all the aforementioned requirements. Method First, the scenario is modeled through a declarative language which allows the analysts to specify its variability and uncertainty. Thereafter, a set of optimized enactment plans (each one representing a potential execution alternative) are generated from such a model considering the input uncertainty. Finally, to deal with this uncertainty during run-time, a flexible configurable business process model is created from these plans. Results To validate the proposed approach, we conduct a case study based on a real business which is subject to uncertainty. Results indicate that our approach improves the actual performance of the business and that the generated models support most of the uncertainty inherent to the business. Conclusions The proposed approach automatically selects the best part of the variability of a declarative specification. Unlike existing approaches, our approach considers input uncertainty, the optimization of multiple objective functions, as well as the resource and the control-flow perspectives. However, our approach also presents a few limitations: (1) it is focused on the control-flow and the data perspective is only partially addressed and (2) model attributes need to be estimated.

A Model-Driven engineering approach with diagnosis of non-conformance of security objectives in business process models

Several reports indicate that the highest business priorities include: business improvement, security, and IT management. The importance of security and risk management is gaining that even government statements in some cases have imposed the inclusion of security and risk management within business management. Risk assessment has become an essential mechanism for business security analysts, since it allows the identification and evaluation of any threats, vulnerabilities, and risks to which organizations maybe be exposed. In this work, a framework based on the concepts of Model-Driven Development has been proposed. The framework provides different stages which range from a high abstraction level to an executable level. The main contribution lie in the presentation of an extension of a business process meta-model which includes risk information based on standard approaches. The meta-model provides necessary characteristics for the risk assessment of business process models at an abstract level of the approach. The framework has been equipped with specific stages for the automatic validation of business processes using model-based diagnosis which permits the detection of the non-conformance of security objectives specified. The validation stages ensure that business processes are correct with regard to the objectives specified by the customer before they are transformed into executable processes.

Contract-based test generation for data flow of business processes using constraint programming

The verification of the properties of a business process (BP) has become a significant research topic in recent years. In the early stages of development, the BP model (e.g. BPMN, EPC), the BP contract (task contract, regulations and laws, business rules), and the test objectives (requirements) are the only elements available. In order to support the modellers, automatic tools must be provided in order to check whether their business processes are in line with the BP contract. This paper proposes a new business process called the automatic test-case generator to automate the generation of test cases and verify that a BP has the intended functionality (semantic conformance). This generator is analysed, designed and implemented by taking into account the following tasks: Annotation of the BP model with the business process contract, calculation of the various data flow paths, transformation of these data flow paths into SSA form, and a modelling of a constraint satisfaction problem (constraint programming) of the BP contract for all data flow paths. The execution of this business process generates the test cases automatically.

Time prediction on multi-perspective declarative business processes

Process-aware information systems (PAISs) are increasingly used to provide flexible support for business processes. The support given through a PAIS is greatly enhanced when it is able to provide accurate time predictions which is typically a very challenging task. Predictions should be (1) multi-dimensional and (2) not based on a single process instance. Furthermore, the prediction system should be able to (3) adapt to changing circumstances and (4) deal with multi-perspective declarative languages (e.g., models which consider time, resource, data and control flow perspectives). In this work, a novel approach for generating time predictions considering the aforementioned characteristics is proposed. For this, first, a multi-perspective constraint-based language is used to model the scenario. Thereafter, an optimized enactment plan (representing a potential execution alternative) is generated from such a model considering the current execution state of the process instances. Finally, predictions are performed by evaluating a desired function over this enactment plan. To evaluate the applicability of our approach in practical settings we apply it to a real process scenario. Despite the high complexity of the considered problems, results indicate that our approach produces a satisfactory number of good predictions in a reasonable time.

Generating multi-objective optimized configurable business process models

The manual specification of imperative business process (BP) models can be very complex and time-consuming, potentially leading to non-optimized models or even errors. To support process analysts in the definition of these models, a method for generating optimized configurable BP models from a constraint-based specification by considering multiple objectives is described. A constraint-based specification typically allows for several different ways of executing it leading to several enactment plans which can, however, vary greatly in respect to how well different performance objective functions can be achieved. We therefore automatically generate different plans and select the ones which fit best the objectives of the company. The generated plans are then merged into an optimized configurable BP model to support the model expert in choosing the most appropriate plan depending on the importance of each objective at configuration time.

Clinical Processes - The Killer Application for Constraint-Based Process Interactions

For more than a decade, the interest in aligning information systems in a process-oriented way has been increasing. To enable operational support for business processes, the latter are usually specified in an imperative way. The resulting process models, however, tend to be too rigid to meet the flexibility demands of the actors involved. Declarative process modeling languages, in turn, provide a promising alternative in scenarios in which a high level of flexibility is demanded. In the scientific literature, declarative languages have been used for modeling rather simple processes or synthetic examples. However, to the best of our knowledge, they have not been used to model complex, real-world scenarios that comprise constraints going beyond control-flow. In this paper, we propose the use of a declarative language for modeling a sophisticated healthcare process scenario from the real world. The scenario is subject to complex temporal constraints and entails the need for coordinating the constraint-based interactions among the processes related to a patient treatment process. As demonstrated in this work, the selected real process scenario can be suitably modeled through a declarative approach.

A Microcontroller Based System for Controlling Patient Respiratory Guidelines

The need of making improvements in obtaining (in a non-invasive way) and monitoring the breathing rate parameters in a patient emerges due to (1) the great amount of breathing problems our society suffer, (2) the problems that can be solved, and (3) the methods used so far. Non-specific machines are usually used to carry out these measures or simply calculate the number of inhalations and exhalations within a particular timeframe. These methods lack of effectiveness and precision thus, influencing the capacity of getting a good diagnosis. This proposal focuses on drawing up a technology composed of a mechanism and a user application which allows doctors to obtain the breathing rate parameters in a comfortable and concise way. In addition, such parameters are stored in a database for potential consultation as well as for the medical history of the patients. For this, the current approach takes into account the needs, the capacities, the expectations and the user motivations which have been compiled by means of open interviews, forum discussions, surveys and application uses. In addition, an empirical evaluation has been conducted with a set of volunteers. Results indicate that the proposed technology may reduce cost and improve the reliability of the diagnosis.

An Automatic and Intelligent System for Integrated Healthcare Processes Management

In this work, an automatic and intelligent system for integrated healthcare processes management is developed on a constraint based system. This project has been carried out in collaboration with a real assisted reproduction clinic. Our goal is to improve the efficiency of the clinic by facilitating the management of the integrated healthcare system. This is very important in an environment in which the healthcare processes present complex temporal and resource constraints.

Automatic Generation of Questionnaires for Managing Configurable BP Models

Managing large collections of business process (BPs) models is increasingly being necessary for organizations. Configurable BP models can be used for managing these BPs while allowing analysts to understand what these BPs share and what their differences are. Before the execution of the configurable BP model, a BP model has to be selected from it. This selection is typically performed by an analyst who manually configures the model in order to address the business requirements. Unlike existing approaches, we propose a totally automated method to create a questionnaire-based application for guiding a business expert on configuring a model.