Ulrich Kreher

Adaptive process management with ADEPT2

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.

On representing, purging, and utilizing change logs in process management systems

In recent years adaptive process management technolgy has emerged in order to increase the flexibility of business process implementations and to support process changes at different levels. Usually, respective systems log comprehensive information about changes, which can then be used for different purposes including process traceability, change reuse and process recovery. Therefore the adequate and efficient representation of change logs is a crucial task for adaptive process management systems. In this paper we show which information has to be (minimally) captured in process change logs and how it should be represented in a generic and efficient way. We discuss different design alternatives and show how to deal with noise in process change logs. Finally, we present an elegant and efficient implementation approach, which we applied in the ADEPT2 process management system. Altogether the presented concepts provide an important pillar for adaptive process management technology and emerging fields (e.g., process change mining).

Towards Flexible Process Support on Mobile Devices

Ubiquitous computing is considered as enabler for linking everyday life with information and communication technology. However, developing pervasive and mobile applications that provide personalized user assistance still constitutes a challenge. Mobile application scenarios are diverse and encompass domains like healthcare, logistics, and sales. For their support two fundamental technologies with increasing maturity are emerging: development frameworks for mobile devices and light-weight process engines. Their integrated use, however, is in a rather premature state. Generally, the use of a process engine for supporting mobile collaboration raises many challenging issues. This paper picks up some of these challenges and shows how we have coped with them in the MARPLE project. MARPLE targets at a tight integration of process management technology with mobile computing frameworks in order to enable mobile process support in advanced application scenarios. We give insights into the MARPLE architecture and its components. In particular, we introduce the MARPLE process engine, which enables light-weight as well as flexible process support on mobile devices. This will be key for mobile user assistance in advanced application scenarios.

On Representing Instance Changes in Adaptive Process Management Systems

By separating the process logic from the application code process management systems (PMS) offer promising perspectives for automation and management of business processes. However, the added value of PMS strongly depends on their ability to support business process changes which can affect the process type as well as the process instance level. This does not only impose challenging conceptual issues (e.g., correctness of process schemata after changes) but also requires sophisticated implementation concepts with respect to efficient algorithms, flexible architectures, and reasonable treatment of resources. In this paper we sketch the general implementation concepts for representing process type and process instance data as well as for realizating process schema evolution. All these concepts have been developed and are currently implemented in the ADEPT2 prototype within the AristaFlow project

Towards Truly Flexible and Adaptive Process-Aware Information Systems

If current process management systems shall be applied to a broad spectrum of applications, they will have to be significantly improved with respect to their technological capabilities. Particularly, in dynamic environments it must be possible to quickly implement and deploy new processes, to enable ad-hoc modifications of running process instances on-the-fly (e.g., to dynamically add, delete or move process steps), and to support process schema evolution with instance migration (i.e., to propagate process schema changes to already running instances if desired). These requirements must be met without affecting process consistency and by preserving the robustness of the process management system. In this paper we describe how these challenges have been addressed and solved in the ADEPT2 Process Management System. Our overall vision is to provide a next generation process management technology which can be used in a variety of application domains.

From ADEPT to AristaFlow BPM Suite: A Research Vision Has Become Reality

During the last decade we have developed the ADEPT next generation process management technology. Its features and its different prototype versions attracted a number of companies. However, an enterprise cannot base the implementation of its process-aware information system (PAIS) on an experimental prototype, especially if maintenance and further development are not assured. At the beginning of 2008, therefore, we founded a spin-off as joint venture with industrial partners to transfer ADEPT into an industrial-strength product version called AristaFlow BPM Suite, and to provide maintenance support for it. The product version is now available for academic and industrial use.

Architectural Design of Flexible Process Management Technology

To provide effective support, process-aware information systems (PAIS) must not freeze existing business processes. Instead they should enable authorized users to deviate on-the-fly from the implemented processes and to dynamically evolve them over time. While there has been a lot of work on the theoretical foundations of dynamic process changes, there is still a lack of PAIS implementing this dynamics. Designing the architecture of respective technology constitutes a big challenge due to the high complexity coming with dynamic processes. Besides this, performance, robustness, security and usability of the system must not be affected by the added flexibility. In the AristaFlow project we have taken a holistic approach to master this complexity. Based on a conceptual framework for flexible process enactment and dynamic processes, we have designed a sophisticated architecture for next generation process management technology. This paper discusses major design goals and basic architectural principles, gives insights into selected system components, and shows how change support features can be realized in an integrated and effective manner.

Von ADEPT zur AristaFlow® BPM Suite - eine Vision wird Realität: "Correctness by Construction" und flexible, robuste Ausführung von Unternehmensprozessen

Workflow-Management-Systeme (WfMS) sind mittlerweile machtige Werkzeuge fur die computerunterstutzte Ausfuhrung von Geschaftsprozessen. Letztere konnen unabhangig von spezifischen Anwendungen modelliert, ausgefuhrt und uberwacht werden. Trotzdem existieren auf dem Software-Markt noch zahlreiche Anwendungen mit im Code fest verdrahteter Prozesslogik. Die Ursache dafur, dass konventionelle WfMS bei der Entwicklung prozessorientierter Anwendungen noch nicht die erhoffte Verbreitung erfahren haben, ist zum einen auf ihre Architektur und zum anderen auf ihr aktivitatsorientiertes Paradigma zuruckzufuhren. Die Verwaltung von Anwendungsdaten erfolgt, auserhalb des WfMS, d.h. innerhalb der eingebundenen externen Applikationen. Geschaftsprozesse und Geschaftsdaten konnen jedoch nicht unabhangig voneinander betrachtet werden, sondern Prozessmodelle sollten in Analogie zur Datenstruktur definiert werden konnen. Des Weiteren sind die in WfMS fest vorgegebenen Kontrollstrukturen zu starr fur die Ausfuhrung datenorientierter Prozesse. Der Fortschritt eines Prozesses ist hier nicht primar abhangig von bereits ausgefuhrten Aktivitaten, sondern von Anderungen der Attributwerte innerhalb der Anwendungsobjekte. In diesem Artikel fassen wir die charakteristischen Eigenschaften von daten- und prozessorientierten Anwendungen zusammen, die wir anhand verschiedener Fallstudien gesammelt haben. Wir zeigen, in wie weit konventionelle WfMS diesen Herausforderungen gewachsen sind. Auf dieser Basis leiten wir die Anforderungen ab, die eine generische Komponente zur Unterstutzung datengetriebener Prozesse mit einer integrierten Sicht auf Prozesse und Daten, erfullen sollte.

Effiziente Repräsentation von Vorlagen- und Instanzdaten in Prozess-Management-Systemen

Ein Prozess-Management-System (PMS) muss umfangreiche Funktionen fur die Steuerung, Verwaltung und Anderung von Geschaftsprozessen bieten. Um breit einsetzbar zu sein, ist eine performante Ausfuhrung dieser Funktionen unverzichtbar, insbesondere bei groser Anzahl von Prozessinstanzen. In diesem Beitrag untersuchen wir einen wichtigen Performanzaspekt von PMS, die effiziente Speicherreprasentation von Vorlagen- und Instanzdaten. Dazu setzen wir ein logisches Prozessmetamodell in programmiersprachenunabhangige technische Datenstrukturen um und zwar sowohl fur Primar- als auch Sekundarspeicher. Wichtigstes Ziel ist die Minimierung des Primarspeicherbedarfs. Nur dadurch lasst sich zeitaufwendiges Ein- und Auslagern der zur Laufzeit benotigten Vorlagen- und Instanzdaten minimieren. Wir diskutieren grundlegende Realisierungsalternativen fur die Speicherreprasentation dieser Daten, und gehen daruber hinaus auf fortschrittliche Speicherkonzepte, wie die Clusterung von Prozessinstanzen, ein. Die vorgestellten Konzepte sind aktuell im ADEPT2-PMS umgesetzt.

Speichereffiziente Repräsentation instanzspezifischer Änderungen in Prozess-Management-Systemen

Neben Funktionen fur die Steuerung und Verwaltung von Prozessen muss ein Prozess-Management-System (PMS) auch eine gewisse Flexibilitat fur Endbenutzer bieten. So sollte es beispielsweise moglich sein, zur Laufzeit fallspezifisch und flexibel vom vordefinierten Prozess abzuweichen, d. h. die betreffende Prozessinstanz strukturell zu modifizieren. Entsprechende Ad-hoc-Anderungen durfen jedoch weder zu Lasten der Robustheit des PMS noch auf Kosten der Systemperformanz gehen, insbesondere wenn eine grose Zahl von Instanzen verwaltet werden muss. Robustheitsaspekte im Zusammenhang mit der Unterstutzung von Flexibilitat des PMS sind bereits in mehreren Arbeiten theoretisch untersucht worden. In diesem Beitrag untersuchen wir, wie Flexibilitat in Prozess-Management-Systemen systemintern realisiert werden kann und wie dies moglichst performant bewerkstelligbar ist. Dazu diskutieren wir verschiedene Realisierungskonzepte sowie einige Implementierungsvarianten fur Anderungen auf Prozessen und bewerten diese sowohl qualitativ als auch quantitativ. Eine der vorgestellten Implementierungsvarianten ist aktuell im ADEPT2-PMS umgesetzt.