Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Edited by
Layna Fischer
Future Strategies Inc., Book Division
Lighthouse Point, Florida
ISBN-13: 978-0-9777527-9-8
ISBN-10: 0-9777527-9-8
11 10 09 9 10 11
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ISBN 0-9777527-9-8
1. Business Process Management. 2. Workflow Management.
3. Technological Innovation. 4. Information Technology. 5. Total Quality
Management. 6. Organizational Change 7. Management Information Systems. 8.
Office Practice Automation. 9. Business Process Technology. 10. Electronic
Commerce. 11. Process Analysis
Fischer, Layna
INTRODUCTION
Having a business processes notation and a corresponding conceptual model is
not enough when dealing with the modeling of large, complex business processes.
As already done in several other contexts [6, 7], we provide a modeling methodology to support users design and represent business processes. Often, in real scenarios business processes are described using (more or less formalized) graphical
languages and/or models. During the last few years, several efforts have been
made in order to provide tools to accomplish this requirement, the more notable
being WS-BPEL [4], XPDL [5], UML [7], BPMN [1]. As another active line of work,
there have been several attempts to provide a formalization.
Our design methodology proposal fills a gap in the business processes modeling
scenario, since there is no mention about BP design and/or modeling methodologies inside the most recent specifications published or submitted to be published
(as for example in the case of BPMN 2.0 proposals). Nonetheless, it is acknowledged that design methodologies for business process will be intensively investigate in the next coming years [9].
By a business process design methodology we mean a set of transformation rules
specifying how a business process element can be modeled and a set of (possibly
semi-formal) rules addressing how such transformation rules should be applied
in order to derive a correct and complete business process, with respect to the
initial specifications.
In this chapter, we present our proposal which consists in a three-phase methodology. Each phase takes care of relevant features of every design methodology:
the first phase deals with the conceptual modeling of BPs, intended as a way
through so-called design rulesof identifying the relevant tasks and information
flows that contribute to the business process to be modeled, as inferred from the
(usually natural language-based) requirements.
The second phase takes the resulting BP diagram from the 1st phase and refines it
using reduction and refinement rules. Such rules are applied in order to bring a
diagram satisfying criteria like correctness and economy (to be explained later).
Finally, the third phase serializes the resulting diagram from the 2nd phase using
a self-developed XML-based representation of BPMN 1.1 called BPeX (Business
Process eXtensions). The conceptual model behind such serialization is a very
relevant piece of our approach but due to space constraints, we will focus on just
the first two phases, which are more relevant from a design point of view. Furthermore, we will motivate and discuss our approach with an example taken from
a classical customer/supplier scenario. A more extensive description of such
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RELATED WORK
To the best of knowledge there are no other works defining a design methodology
for business processes, using in particular BPMN as the reference notation.
Several efforts has been made to develop business processes modeling notations
and languages, starting from the more classical approaches like UML and
workflows and passing through Petri Nets, -calculus, Event-driven Process
Chain (EPC). Also several serialization formats have been published in the last few
years, as for the WfMC XPDL and WS-BPEL. Many works have thoroughly discussed on the capabilities and advantages as well as on weak points of using
each of those notations and languages [10, 11, 12, 13, 14]. Muehlen et al. have
provide a thorough analysis of BPMN elements set usage [30] emphasizing some
properties a good business process modeling technique should have [29].
Our definition of business processes design methodology draws inspiration from
several contributions on workflows patterns analysis (among others, the wellknows contribution of van der Aalst work [2] and new works as for [21]), reduction rules (even if applied as stand-alone approaches) [25,26] as well as engineering approaches [27,22]. These frameworks were applied to other processes modeling representations [19], like EPC or Petri Nets.
There are some works regarding a query language for BPMN, as in [18, 19] with
BPMN-Q and in [15, 16, 17] with BP-QL, but they are still at an early stage of
formalization.
As the Object Management Group (OMG) published in 2007 a Request For Proposals for a new version of BPMN named BPMN 2.0, which should encompass the
BP modeling notation, its metamodel and a serialization format, there are two
main submission teams, one led by BEA, IBM, Oracle [31] and the other by Adaptive, Axway Software, Hewlett-Packard, Lombardi Software, Fujitsu [32]. This motivated us not to provide an implementation tied to a specific model of the design
methodology but to give a more general, high-level description of it.
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Relevant,
Economical
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Valid,
Trustworthy
Inside either the two main purposes for BPMN 2.0 specifications there is the definition of BPMN Complete Conformance or Full Compliance. We spend no space to
describe these definitions because they are not yet approved and they may
change. But it is interesting to notice how recently companies and organizations
start to point their attention also on this topic. Their definition of BPMN Complete
Conformance or Full Compliance does not overlap our definition of BPNF, because the aims are different. While we give a definition of the desired form for a
business process model, the BPMN Complete Conformance / Full Compliance
given for BPMN 2.0 describes what characteristics a software must have to claim
BPMN 2.0 compliance or conformance.
CONCLUSIONS
The aim of the proposed design methodology is to provide a set of well-organized
design steps to guide users represent their business processes in a form which
owns some important properties and features. This is a novel and concrete answer to the lack of a design methodology for business processes which makes a
massive use of BPMN and emerging related specifications. Of course, the example
process used to illustrate the methodology is not complete and does not model all
the process events should occur, but it was chosen to represent as better as possible the greater number of the most commons constructs used in business
process modeling.
Promising plans for future works includes the review of such methodology to apply it to the BPMN 2.0 version and the development of an XML-based query language for business processes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We wish to tank Vishal Saxena (Oracle) for his constant support and for his useful feedbacks and WfMC for hints and suggestions.
REFERENCES
1. White, S.A., Business Process Modeling Notation, V1.1 OMG Available
Specification. http://www.bpmn.org (last accessed February 26, 2009).
2. van der Aalst W.M.P. et al., Workflow Patterns. Distributed and Parallel
Databases, Volume 14, Issue 1, pp. 5-51, 2003.
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HOW CONVERGING METHODOLOGIES AND TECHNOLOGIES EFFECT ADOPTION AND SUCCESS OF BPM
Linus K. Chow, Oracle Corporation, USA
Government Enterprises faced with incredible changes with multiple crises and political upheaval are trying to adapt their operations to handle increased workload,
cut costs, and be more agile. BPM has indeed been very effective at addressing this
need, but as BPM and other capabilities have evolved, governments are expanding
their evaluation and use of BPM to include this convergence of technology and methodology.
BPM does not operate in a vacuum. In fact BPM has come to be the bridge among
stakeholders, methodology, systems, and legacy applications. Especially in government, BPM plays a key role in not only cutting costs and increasing efficiency, but
also in adding agility to their Enterprise Architecture (EA). For many in the government this is a new and radical change to the way they are used to doing business.
Here are stories of some early adopters of BPM to provide insight into their success
and the way they leveraged BPM to provide capability to their constituents.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
MANAGING CHANGE WITH RE-USABLE ASSETS FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
Dr. Setrag Khoshafian, Pegasystems Inc., USA
Business Process Management (BPM) suites automate policies and procedures. The
policies and procedures are captured in executable process flows, different types of
business rules, case data, user interactions and service integrationall in the context of organizational access controls. These are the operational BPM assets of government agencies. This chapter will show how BPM can realize change and agility
through re-usable government BPM assets. Dynamic BPM repositories allow each
government agency to use common practices, while specializing for their particular
agency extensions and needs. Thus re-usable assets can be organized in different
collections pertaining to shared as well as specialized solutions for various sectors
such as healthcare, financial management, education, and national security. The
chapter will discuss dynamic BPM repositories for the public sector. These repositories organize the re-usable assets for specific agency needs.
STREAMLINING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CASE FILES AT THE AIR FORCE RESEARCH
LABORATORY (AFRL)
Charles Joesten, PMP, ICOR Partners LLC, USA
The United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) provides leadership in
scientific and technological research and development for Department of Defense,
commercial, and academic organizations. Key artifacts that ultimately improve warfighting technologies are assembled into official records known as laboratory case
files. From 2002-2005 AFRL set out to streamline the management of its case files
using improved processes and modern workflow tools. This case explores the challenges AFRL faced and its approach to better process, workflow, and records management of science and technology projects.
Practitioners in the field of workflow management and process improvement face a
variety of challenges with each agency they support. Administrative, bureaucratic,
and logistical challenges were all considered in determining the best business
process management solutions for AFRL. Additionally, many challenges related to
the unique nature of the content generated and managed at the lab, including
rocket science.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTEGRAL PROGRAM OF PROCESSES SYSTEMATIZATION OF THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE (MEXICO)
Juan Chacn, Vanina Marcote; PECTRA Technology, USA.
In this chapter, we analyze the implementation carried out by the High Court of
Justice (Mexico) developed within the framework of e-governance strategy. The
project included the integration of tasks of 51 first instance courts and their second
instance courts, each one of them with numerous individual, complex, and manual
processes. In addition, all the value chain participants both internal and external
- were integrated: Organization (Courts, Courtrooms); citizens (Lawyers, parties involved in the trial), and the Government.
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STREAMLINING THE CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PERU E-GOVERNMENT
Rocio Angelica Sanchez, Congress of the Republic of Peru, and Amy Wyron,
Colosa, Inc., Peru
In late 2008, the Congress of the Republic of Peru began the pilot phase of an initiative to automate and streamline governmental processes through application of a
Business Process Management (BPM) System. After a competitive bid process, the
Congress chose ProcessMaker, a leading Open Source BPM Solution, as its BPM
Vendor. This case study examines the factors that drove the Congress of Peru to
implement a BPM system, the expected outcomes of this BPM initiative, and suggestions of best practices for e-governments when transitioning to a BPM system.
DELIVERING CASE MANAGEMENT WITH BPM IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR: COMBINING KNOWLEDGE WITH
PROCESS
Michael White, Singularity, UK
Case management is the most common pattern of work in collaborative knowledge
environments in Government. It is different from other types of process pattern because it is ad-hoc, non-sequential, non-deterministic and driven primarily by human discretion and judgment. This article defines Case Management in more detail
and explains why case oriented Business Process Management [BPM] is the best
way to address collaborative Case Management.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
tions are fraught with complexity, costing much more and taking much longer than
initially anticipated. It is not uncommon for an IT organization to take five or more
years to make significant enterprise-wide changes; this pace just doesnt support
the business initiatives required in todays business climate.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
LEVERAGING BEST PRACTICES THROUGH A HUMAN PROCESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Jacob P. Ukelson, D.Sc. CTO ActionBase, USA
Human processes are business processes which are heavily dependent on interactions among people. These are also called tacit interactions (Beardsley, Johnson,
& Manyika, 2006) by economists, which is an attempt to differentiate among routine, predefined transactions and interactions that rely heavily on human judgment
and context. Other terms used to describe these types of processes include unstructured processes, ad-hoc processes, knowledge work and office work. No matter
what the name, both analysts and organizations are coming to the realization that
these tacit interactions make up most of the processes in organizations (Beardsley,
Johnson, & Manyika, 2006) (Haag, 2006).
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE AUTO OPTIMIZER
Robert M. Shapiro and Hartmann Genrich, Global 360, United States
Continuous Process Improvement is touted as a feature of many Business Process
Management suites. Usually this means the provision of analytical techniques for
measuring performance. These include Business Activity Monitoring, Balanced
Score Cards, real-time measurement of Key Performance Indicators and the capture and analysis of event streams generated by the running system. Some BPM
suites provide a what-if simulation capability which allows the evaluation of
changes to the system. This leaves the task of coming up with proposed solutions
to the user, an often daunting task.
In this paper we describe an automated, goal-driven technology for process improvement. By focusing on the common characteristics of business processes in
typical BPM applications, we have developed an integrated set of algorithms for generating and evaluating proposed solutions. The user specifies the desired goals in
terms of performance or cost or KPIs. The algorithms run until the goal is achieved
or no further improvement is found.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 3DIRECTORIES AND APPENDICES
WFMC STRUCTURE AND MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
AUTHORS' APPENDIX
WFMC MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
INDEX
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