Kirsten Lenz

Inter-organizational Business Process Management with XML Nets

Due to the fast growth of internet based electronic business activities, languages for modeling as well as methods for analyzing and executing distributed business processes are becoming more and more important. Efficient inter-organizational business processes in the field of e-commerce require the integration of electronic document interchange and inter-organizational process management. We propose to support inter-organizational business processes by so-called XML nets, a new variant of high-level Petri nets. XML nets are a formal, graphical modeling language that allows to model both the flow of XML documents and the control flow of the underlying business process. XML nets are based on GXSL, a novel graphical XML schema definition language, and its related graphical XML document manipulation language XManiLa. They can be directly executed by a respective workflow engine. Advantage of the formal foundation of XML nets can be taken, e.g., when analyzing a (global) inter-organizational workflow model. XML nets support the identification of relevant process fragments and their allocation to the appropriate organizational units. Thus XML nets help to derive an improved, process-oriented organizational structure.

Modeling interorganizational workflows with XML nets

Efficient inter-organizational business processes in the field of e-commerce require the integration of electronic document and data interchange and inter-organizational processes. We propose to support inter-organizational business processes by so-called XML nets, which are a new kind of high-level Petri net. XML nets are a formal, graphical modeling language that allows one to model both the flow of XML documents and the business process. XML nets are based on GXSL, a graphical XML schema definition language, and its related graphical XML document manipulation language (XManiLa). They can be directly executed by a workflow engine. Advantage can be taken of the formal foundation of XML nets, e.g. when analyzing a (global) inter-organizational workflow model: XML nets support the process of identifying relevant process fragments, assigning them to the appropriate organizational units, and thus they help in deriving an improved, process-oriented organizational structure.

Process-oriented business performance management with Petri nets

Modern business performance management (BPM) comprises modeling, analyzing and monitoring of business processes. A variety of different approaches for business performance management have emerged recently. One issue common to these approaches is the inability to link the business process schema to the information gathered during the relevant phases. In this paper, we present a Petri net-based approach for process-oriented business performance management. Our approach is based on a new type of high-level Petri nets, so called XML nets. In XML nets business process objects, performance indicators and the performance measurement system are represented with XML. Being a consistent and comprehensible methodology for the whole process life cycle, XML nets support integrated process-oriented business performance management. We also demonstrate the modules and basic functions of a Petri net-based software prototype designed to support process-oriented BPM.

Workflow-gestütztes Lernobjekt-Management

Ein Problem bestehender Lernobjekt-Managementsysteme ist die fehlende oder unzureichende Unterstutzung der im E-Learning auftretenden Prozesse, d.h. Lehr-, Lern-und Administrationsprozesse. Die inhaltsorientierte Sichtweise von E-Learning wird daher um eine prozessorientierte Sichtweise des Lernobjekt-Managements erganzt. Durch die Verwendung von XML-Netzen, einer neuen Variante hoherer Petri-Netze, welche die integrierte Darstellung der Prozesse des Lernobjekt-Managements und komplexer Lernobjekte erlaubt, wird die Erweiterung einer E-Learning-Plattform um ein Workflow-Managementsystem moglich. Nutzen aus der prozessorientierten Sichtweise kann insbesondere bei der Ablaufunterstutzung und der Erfolgskontrolle gezogen werden. Durch die Modellierung von Prozessschemata konnen die Prozesse des Lernobjekt-Managements auch zwischen den Prozessbeteiligten, z.B. Lehrenden, Lernenden oder Administratoren, kommuniziert werden.

Trust Based Contracting in Virtual Organizations

For participants in virtual organizations it is necessary to work together on a temporary basis in order to solve specific problems. Both the search for adequate partners and the organizational set-up have to be very fast and efficient. The main difficulty of building a cooperation lies in finding the right balance between time-consuming, but safe ways based on traditional contracts, and less reliable, but faster ways based solely on traditional forms of trust. This paper introduces a contract/trust based solution and describes a computer-supported negotiation process to make the process of creating a virtual organization fast and safe at the same time. We propose an interorganizational workflow based on a combination of a minimal set of contractual documents supplemented by trust-based features. The workflow enables partners to establish a temporary cooperation agreement within a relatively short time. As workflow modelling language we have chosen so-called XML-nets, a novel variant of high level Petri nets which combines interorganizational workflow models with XML-document descriptions.

Internet Based Management of Distributed Business Processes

Due to the fast growth of internet based electronic business languages for modelling as well as methods for analyzing and executing distributed business processes are becoming more and more important.This paper surveys some of the results of a project which aimed at providing support for planning and introducing telework in decentralized organizations. The main focus of the paper is on process and document modelling concepts which are based on a combination of Petri nets and the document standard XML (Extensible Markup Language). These so-called XML nets are a formal graphical modeling language that allows the modeling of both the flow of X11IL documents and the coordination of the underlying business process. XML nets are based on GXSL a graphical XML schema definition language and its related graphical XML document manipulation language (XManiLa). They can be directly executed by an appropriate workflow engine. Advantage can be taken of the formal foundation ofXML nets e.g. when analyzing a geographically distributed inter-or intraorganizational workflow model: XML nets support the process of ident5ing relevant process fragments assigning them to the appropriate organizational units and thus help to derive an improved process-oriented organizational structure.