Luise Pufahl

Modeling and enacting complex data dependencies in business processes

Enacting business processes in process engines requires the coverage of control flow, resource assignments, and process data. While the first two aspects are well supported in current process engines, data dependencies need to be added and maintained manually by a process engineer. Thus, this task is error-prone and time-consuming. In this paper, we address the problem of modeling processes with complex data dependencies, e.g., m:n relationships, and their automatic enactment from process models. First, we extend BPMN data objects with few annotations to allow data dependency handling as well as data instance differentiation. Second, we introduce a pattern-based approach to derive SQL queries from process models utilizing the above mentioned extensions. Therewith, we allow automatic enactment of data-aware BPMN process models. We implemented our approach for the Activiti process engine to show applicability.

Batch Activities in Process Modeling and Execution

In todays process engines, instances of a process usually run independently to each other. However, in certain situations a synchronized execution of a group of instances of the same process is necessary especially to allow the comparison of business cases or to improve process performance. In this paper, we introduce the concept of batch activities to process modeling and execution. We provide the possibility to assign a batch model to an activity for making it a batch activity. As opposed to related approaches, the batch model has several parameters with which the process designer can configure individually the batch execution. A rule-based batch activation is used to enable a flexible batch handling. Our approach allows that several batches can run in parallel in case of multiple resources. The applicability of the approach is illustrated in a case study.

Automating data exchange in process choreographies

Communication between organizations is formalized as process choreographies in daily business. While the correct ordering of exchanged messages can be modeled and enacted with current choreography techniques, no approach exists to describe and automate the exchange of data between processes in a choreography using messages. This paper describes an entirely model-driven approach for BPMN introducing a few concepts that suffice to model data retrieval, data transformation, message exchange, and correlation - four aspects of data exchange. For automation, this work utilizes a recent concept to enact data dependencies in internal processes. We present a modeling guideline to derive local process models from a given choreography; their operational semantics allows to correctly enact the entire choreography from the derived models only including the exchange of data. Targeting on successful interactions, we discuss means to ensure correct process choreography modeling. Finally, we implemented our approach by extending the camunda BPM platform with our approach and show its feasibility by realizing all service interaction patterns using only model-based concepts.

Flexible Batch Configuration in Business Processes Based on Events

Organizations use business process management techniques to manage their core business processes more efficiently. A recent technique is the synchronization of multiple process instances by processing a set of activities as a batch – referred to as batch regions, e.g., the shipment of goods of several order processes at once. During process execution, events occur providing information about state changes of (a) the business process environment and (b) the business process itself. Thus, these events may influence batch processing. In this paper, we investigate how these events influence batch processing to enable flexible and improved batch region execution. Therefore, we introduce the concept of batch adjustments that are defined by rules following the Event-Condition-Action principle. Based on batch adjustment rules, relevant events are correlated at run-time to batch executions that fulfill the defined condition and are adjusted accordingly. We evaluate the concept by a real-world use case.

Automating Data Exchange in Process Choreographies

Process choreographies are part of daily business. While the correct ordering of exchanged messages can be modeled and enacted with current choreography techniques, no approach exists to describe and automate the exchange of data between processes in a choreography using messages. This paper describes an entirely model-driven approach for BPMN introducing a few concepts that suffice to model data retrieval, data transformation, message exchange, and correlation – four aspects of data exchange. For automation, this work utilizes a recent concept to enact data dependencies in internal processes. We present a modeling guideline to derive local process models from a given choreography; their operational semantics allows to correctly enact the entire choreography from the derived models only including the exchange of data. We implemented our approach by extending the camunda BPM platform with our approach and show its feasibility by realizing all service interaction patterns using only model-based concepts.

Evaluating the Performance of a Batch Activity in Process Models

The goal of many organizations of today is optimization of business process management. A factor for optimization of business processes is reduction of costs associated with mass production and customer service. Recently, an approach to incorporate batch activities in process models was proposed to improve the process performance by synchronizing a group of process instances. However, the issue of optimal utilization of batch activities and estimation of associated costs remained still open. In this paper, we present an approach to evaluate batch activity performance, based on techniques from queuing theory. Thus, cost functions are introduced in order to (1) compare usual (i.e., non-batch) and batch activity execution and (2) find the optimal configuration of a batch activity. The approach is applied to a real-world use case from the healthcare domain.

Batch Processing Across Multiple Business Processes Based on Object Life Cycles

Batch processing is a means to synchronize the execution of multiple process instances for certain activities to improve process performance. Current batch processing concepts for business processes focus only on single process models whereas in practice large process model repositories exist with repeating activities. In this paper, we introduce a concept to specify batch processing requirements in centrally given object life cycles, which describe allowed data manipulations in order to identify candidates for batch processing during run-time across multiple processes and propose them to the user. We evaluate the applicability of this concept by implementation for an open source BPM platform.

Requirements Framework for Batch Processing in Business Processes

Business process automation improves organizations’ efficiency. In existing systems for business process automation, process instances run independently from each other. However, synchronizing instances for particular activities in a business process can reduce process execution costs. Only a few works exist to enable the so-called batch processing in business processes, which also lack a complete understanding of requirements. This paper provides a requirements analysis based on a literature review and real-world scenarios, taken from different domains. The resulting requirements framework gives an overview of aspects which need to be considered when developing a concept to integrate batch processing into business processes. Further, it fosters the comparison of existing solutions. The application of the framework shows that current approaches could be extended in terms of flexibility, user involvement, and multi-process support.

Formalising BPMN Service Interaction Patterns

Business process management is especially challenging when crossing organisational boundaries. Inter-organisational business relationships are considered as a first-class citizen in BPMN collaboration diagrams, where multiple participants interact via messages. Nevertheless, proper carrying out of such interactions may be difficult due to BPMN lack of formal semantics. In particular, no formal studies have been specifically done to cope with complex BPMN interaction scenarios unified under the name of Service Interaction Patterns. In this work the depiction of the service interaction patterns in BPMN collaboration diagrams is revisited and fully formalised via a direct semantics for BPMN multi-instance collaborations, thus leaving no room for ambiguity and validating the BPMN semantics. To make the formalisation more accessible, a visualisation of the patterns execution by means of a BPMN model animation tool is provided.

Enhancing Business Process Flexibility by Flexible Batch Processing

Business Process Management is a powerful approach for the automation of collaborative business processes. Recently concepts have been introduced to allow batch processing in business processes addressing the needs of different industries. The existing batch activity concepts are limited in their flexibility. In this paper we contribute different strategies for modeling and executing processes including batch work to improve the flexibility (1) of business processes in general and (2) of the batch activity concept. The strategies support different flexibility aspects (i.e., variability, looseness, adaptation, and evolution) of batch activities. The strategies provide a systematic approach to categorize existing and future batch-enabled BPM systems. Furthermore, the paper provides a system architecture independent from existing BPM systems, which allows for the support of all the strategies. The architecture can be used with different process languages and existing execution environments in a non-intrusive manner.