Analysis of Business Processes with Enterprise Ontology and Process Mining

Business process management is a popular approach that has caught the attention of several researchers over the years. BPM has been extended to Business Process Intelligence in order to add more intelligence to managing business processes. Process Mining is one of the emerging areas of Business Process Intelligence, which aims to automatically discover, verify and improve business processes. Nowadays, the emergence of smart environment. The data that occurs in this environment are more varied and are kind of unstructured data. In this sense, applying process mining, to analyze processes in a smart context is a challenging task, since the process mining techniques relies on a structured event log. In this paper, we present a comparative study of existing approaches on applying process mining techniques in smart BPM, as a first step towards developing a new approach to discover and analyze business processes from sensor data perspective.KeywordsProcess Mining (PM)Smart environmentsSensor logSmart BPM

Many present-day companies carry out a huge amount of daily operations through the use of their information systems without ever having done their own enterprise modeling. Business process mining is a well-proven solution which is used to discover the underlying business process models that are supported by existing information systems. Business process discovery techniques employ event logs as input, which are recorded by process-aware information systems. However, a wide variety of traditional information systems do not have any in-built mechanisms with which to collect events (representing the execution of business activities). Various mechanisms with which to collect events from non-process-aware information systems have been proposed in order to enable the application of process mining techniques to traditional information systems. Unfortunately, since business processes supported by traditional information systems are implicitly defined, correlating events into the appropriate process instance is not trivial. This challenge is known as the event correlation problem. This paper presents an adaptation of an existing event correlation algorithm and incorporates it into a technique in order to collect event logs from the execution of traditional information systems. The technique first instruments the source code to collect events together with some candidate correlation attributes. Based on several well-known design patterns, the technique provides a set of guidelines to support experts when instrumenting the source code. The event correlation algorithm is subsequently applied to the data set of events to discover the best correlation conditions, which are then used to create event logs. The technique has been semi-automated to facilitate its validation through an industrial case study involving a writer management system and a healthcare evaluation system. The study demonstrates that the technique is able to discover an appropriate correlation set and obtain well-formed event logs, thus enabling business process mining techniques to be applied to traditional information systems.

The theoretical basis and implementation solution of business process simulation and analysis system (BPSAS) is put forward in this paper. With workflow technology, Petri net theory and simulation technology, the workflow engine independent business process analyzing system is realized to provide Petri net based business process analysis. Further more, an example is illustrated to demonstrate how to analyze business process in order to select optimized model. And at the same time, as a business process analyzing tool, it supports the specified BPM (business process management) process.

Process Mining comprises a consolidated set of techniques that aim at discovering, checking and improving processes. Originally designed to cope with business processes, process mining techniques fed on log files automatically generated by enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and software alike. However, nowadays, with the unstoppable deployment of the Internet of Things, multiple events are continuously generated and stored by distributed, highly uncoupled and heterogeneous devices able to sense their surroundings and report precise and timely updates on the environment. By embracing the Internet of Events, recently available contextual information opens the door to the application of process mining techniques in new domains, hence, generating opportunities for the analysis of contextual data with multiple implications in hot research areas such as, smart environments (e.g., smart cities, smart buildings, smart homes), cognitive systems, and industry 4.0. In this article, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of process mining in these new, events-rich, context-aware environments.

Process Mining analyzes event logs from business processes to enhance understanding, verification, and improvement of these processes. Event logs typically originate from multiple sources and require extensive preprocessing before applying process mining techniques. This preprocessing includes filtering, composing, joining events into traces, and fixing or calculating attribute values. Existing process mining tools offer ad-hoc manual actions through graphical interfaces and simple domain-specific languages, but these methods have limitations, and there is no standardized approach for processing event logs. The primary contribution of this work is the Process Query Language (PQL), a domain-specific language (DSL) for processing event logs that surpasses current techniques. We begin by analyzing several existing DSLs concerning key success factors, followed by an evaluation of current business process DSLs to identify their limitations. Based on this analysis, we propose the PQL specification as a draft technical standard. PQL’s design decisions are validated through an interpreter implementation and its application to numerous use cases.

Industry 4.0 is revolutionizing the industrial sector with advanced technologies. In this scenario, process mining data mining for business and industrial processes is essential for optimizing operations by taking advantage of real-time data on performance, behaviour and trends. However, obtaining professional data and detailed models to apply process mining techniques is challenging. CLEMATIS is a discrete event simulation (DES) model that aims to generate data for this purpose, however, it was not meeting the technical requirements of process mining. This study therefore improves CLEMATIS to make it compatible with process mining techniques. The methodology involves the establishment of requirements, the traceability of production line resources via tokenization, the development of a visual simulation tool, and the construction of compatible event logs for commercial and academic use. The results shows the model’s effectiveness in applying process mining techniques in real time, meeting the needs of academic research in this area.

Process mining has an important place in business process (BP) analysis. It aims to analyze process events in order to discover the related BP model. However, these techniques are only based on process events and sometimes on business data, leaving aside a large set of data, namely the BP execution context. Existing studies have shown the benefits of considering the context in the BP analysis but they only suggest manual techniques to bind a BP with its context, which is not scalable and time consuming in real deployment environment. To address this issue, we propose a semi-automatic BP contextualization solution which takes into account the BP execution context in the BP analysis time. It uses semantic techniques to perform a matching of the BP model with contextual data and with business data, and then it obtains the value of these data during the BP execution. In this paper, we present a tool that implements this solution in order to enhance current analysis techniques which facilitates the monitoring and enables deep BP analysis. The proposed tool is validated by its application to a real life process, a palettization process.

Business process mining is a new method that amalgamates business process modelling and analysis with data mining and machine learning techniques, whereby knowledge from event logs stored in today's information system is extracted to automatically construct business process models, identify bottlenecks, and improve the business processes. Since process mining has recently received attention among the research community, there are many challenges. The most important issues have been defined in the process mining manifesto. However, none of the published works investigated, or the defined challenges, have been solved and are still being encountered. Therefore, this paper provides a comprehensive and critical review of the literature in the context of process mining challenges. The contribution of this paper is to increase the maturity of the field of process mining by providing researchers with the state-of-the-art of the most important challenges of process mining.

PurposeProcess mining has emerged in the last decade as one of the most promising tools to discover and understand the actual execution of processes. This paper addresses the application of process mining techniques to analyze the performance of automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) in one of the Body in White circuits of the factory that Stellantis has in Vigo, Spain.Design/methodology/approachStandard process mining discovery and conformance algorithms are applied to analyze the different AGV execution paths, their lead times, main sources and identify any unexpected potential situations, such as unexpected paths or loops.FindingsResults show that this method provides very useful insights which are not evident for logistics technicians. Even with such automated devices, where the room for decreased efficiency can be apparently small, process mining shows there are cases where unexpected situations occur, leading to an increase in circuit times and different variants for the same route, which pave the road for an actual improvement in performance and efficiency.Originality/valueThis paper provides evidence of the usefulness of applying process mining in manufacturing processes. Practical applications of process mining have traditionally been focused on processes related to services and management, such as order to cash and purchase to pay in enterprise resource planning software. Despite its potential for use in industrial manufacturing, such contributions are scarce in the current state of the art and, as far as we are aware of, do not fully justify its application.

This research is conducted in Locarvest. Established in 2015, Locarvest is an online platform company that selling agricultural products based in Bandung. They see the importance of agricultural products for humans and people who like to shop online as an opportunity for them to sell local agricultural products online. Currently, they have been developing a website to change their selling platform which will be launched soon in the late of July 2019. They assume that the website can create a simpler selling process. However, they do not have their written business process where many companies have become increasingly interested in business processes due to the need for effective and efficient activities (Dave, 2017). In here, the objectives of this research are to analyze and model the current business process of Locarvest and propose a new business process to solve Locarvest’s current problem using the concept of Business Process Management (BPM) and the design is modeled using Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN). To model the current business process, interviews with the employees of Locarvest and observation in the office were conducted. The result of this paper is proposing some improvements within the business process by eliminating some activities and create some new activities for Locarvest. The design also has been approved by the employees of Locarvest.
 Keywords: Business process, Business Process Management, Business Process Modelling Notation, case study, agriculture

Business Process Analysis and Optimization on Road Traffic Law Enforcement of the Beijing Intelligent Traffic Management

The accelerated progression of information technology has necessitated the adoption of more intelligent and adaptive Enterprise Systems (ES) to sustain and optimize organizational processes. The ES serve as critical infrastructures for resource management, operational efficiency, and sustaining competitive advantage; however, their deployment frequently encounters persistent challenges. These include discrepancies between modelled and actual business processes, insufficient visibility in process execution, and limited automation in the detection and optimization of workflows. To mitigate these limitations, this study advances an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled Process Mining paradigm. This approach facilitates the systematic extraction, analysis, and visualization of business processes, thereby supporting the identification of deviations, the detection of anomalies, and the provision of data-driven recommendations for continuous improvement. The overarching aim of the research is to conceptualize and evaluate an enterprise system framework that integrates AI-driven Process Mining to reinforce transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness in business process management. The proposed framework aims to provide automated analytical capabilities, predictive insights, and a robust data-centric foundation to enhance the precision of strategic decision-making, thereby contributing to the advancement of adaptive and intelligent enterprise systems.

The article presents an approach for automated generation of business process models by applying process mining techniques to event logs created during the operation of information systems used in an organization. Existing algorithms for process mining are discussed. Criteria for performing a comparative analysis of these algorithms are specified. А framework is proposed in which to build and analyze business process models. The framework includes tools for initial analysis of the event log file, extracting elements of a business process model, and composing a new model by applying a trained neural network.

The shipbuilding industry is characterized by order production, and various processes are performed simultaneously in the construction of ships. Therefore, effective management of the production process and productivity improvement form important key factors in the industry. For decades, researchers and process managers have attempted to improve processes by using business process analysis (BPA). However, conventional BPA is time-consuming, expensive, and mainly based on subjective results generated by employees, which may not always correspond to the actual conditions. This paper proposes a method to improve the production process of offshore plant modules by analysing the process mining data obtained from the shipbuilding industry. Process mining uses information accumulated from the system-provided event logs to generate a process model and determine the values hidden within the process. The discovered process is visualized as a process model. Subsequently, alternatives are proposed by brainstorming problems (such as bottlenecks or idle time) in the process. The results of this study can aid in productivity improvement (idle time or bottleneck reduction in the production process) in conjunction with a six-sigma technique or ERP system. In future, it is necessary to study the standardization of the module production processes and development of the process monitoring system.

Business process modelling is an important part of system design. When designing or redesigning a business process, stakeholders specify, negotiate, and agree on business requirements to be satisfied, including non-functional requirements that concern the quality of the business process. This thesis addresses the question of how to specify and compute the quality of a business process, given the model that stakeholders use. The motivation for this thesis is the increasing importance of the quality of business processes. Knowing the quality of specific business processes enables stakeholders to judge if these processes need improvement. Knowing the quality of the constructs of those processes (viz., events, inputs, activities, and outputs) and the way they are structured enables a more detailed analysis of their shortcomings and provides a basis for the design of improvements. The research challenge of this thesis is grounded in the assumption that: “Organisations need an appropriate means to effectively compute achievement of their goals and objectives by their business processes.” Given this challenge, the main research question on which this thesis focuses is: “Can the quality of a business process be computed quantitatively at different levels of granularity?” The research objective is: “To develop frameworks, factors, and metrics for computing non-functional requirements (quality) of business processes quantitatively at different levels of granularity.” The outcomes of this thesis are: 1) BPIMM, a language-independent business process integrating meta-model, based on the concepts of seven mainstream business process modelling languages: BPMN, EPC, RAD, UML AD, SADT, IDEF0, and IDEF3. 2) BPC-QC (Business Process Concept - Quality Computation), an approach to quality computation at the lowest level of granularity of a business process. The approach consists of: i. BPC-QEF (Business Process Concept - Quality Evaluation Framework), a language-independent generic framework and algorithm to compute the quality of the constructs of a business process: event, input, activity, and output. ii. A set of business process quality dimensions and factors. The following quality dimensions are distinguished: performance, efficiency, reliability, recoverability, permissibility, and availability. Each dimension categorises different quality aspects in terms of factors. A non-exhaustive set of sixteen quantitative factors is provided. iii. Quality metrics for each of the quality factors, to facilitate a quantitative computation of the quality of a specific construct of a business process. 3) BP-QC (Business Process - Quality Computation), an approach to compute the quality at the highest level of granularity of a business process. The approach consists of: i. BP-CQCF (Business Process - Compositional Quality Computation Framework), a language-independent generic framework and algorithm to compute the quality of a business process as a whole, given the quality of its constructs. ii. A set of generic business process modelling patterns to decompose a business process into more succinct parts, namely: sequential, parallel with synchronisation, exclusive, inclusive, simple loop, and complex loop. iii. A set of over one hundred computational formulae. For each combination of modelling pattern and a quality factor, there is a formula to compute the quality. 4) AAV (Approach to Application and Validation), an evaluation plan to evaluate BPIMM, BPC-QC and BP-QC in practice, together with expert stakeholders. The plan consists of the units of measure, a measurement model, and a case study procedure. To evaluate the applicability of the contributions of this thesis to real world business needs, four case studies have been conducted in different environments: a Dutch educational institution, a global financial institution, an international financial service provider, and a Dutch research project on crisis management. Each of these case studies concerns a different, single business process. This thesis shows that: 1) A quality computation approach can be adopted independent of a business process modelling language. 2) Quantitative quality factors can be introduced specifically for the constructs of a business process. 3) Quantitative metrics and computational formulae can be developed for specific quality factors, allowing the computation of different aspects of the quality of a business process quantitatively at different levels of granularity. 4) An evaluation plan can be developed to evaluate the applicability of the contributions of this thesis (viz., BPIMM, BPC-QC, and BP-QC). The contributions of this thesis are designed to be beneficial to the areas of business and management, requirements engineering, software engineering, and business process modelling. In the areas of requirements engineering and software engineering, these contributions are intended to help practitioners to consider non-functional requirements at the earliest stage. In the area of business process modelling, information systems, service computing, and cloud computing, the contributions can be used for quality-driven modelling, design, and redesign. To conclude, knowing the quality value of a business process at different levels of granularity provides a basis for its improvement.