Mining Process Variants: Goals and Issues

The increasing adoption of Process-aware Information Systems (PAISs), together with the variability of Business Processes (BPs) across different application contexts, has resulted in large process model repositories with collections of related process model variants. To reduce both costs and occurrence of errors, the explicit management of variability throughout the BP lifecycle becomes crucial. In literature, several proposals dealing with BP variability have been proposed. However, the lack of a method for their systematic comparison makes it difficult to select the most appropriate one meeting current needs best. To close this gap, this work presents an evaluation framework that allows analyzing and comparing the variability support provided by existing proposals developed in the context of BP variability. The framework encompasses a set of language requirements as well as a set of variability support features. While language requirements allow assessing the expressiveness required to explicitly represent variability of different process perspectives, variability support features reflect the tool support required to properly cover such expressiveness. Our evaluation framework has been derived based on an in-depth analysis of several large real-world process scenarios, an extensive literature review, and an analysis of existing PAISs. In this vein, the framework helps to understand BP variability along the BP lifecycle. In addition, it supports PAISs engineers in deciding, which of the existing BP variability proposals meets best their needs.

The increasing adoption of process-aware information systems (PAISs) has resulted in a large number of implemented business processes. To react on changing needs, companies should be able to quickly adapt these process implementations if required. Current PAISs, however, only provide mechanisms to evolve the schema of a process model, but do not allow for the automated creation and adaptation of their user interfaces (UIs). The latter may have a complex logic and comprise, for example, conditional elements or database queries. Creating and evolving the UI components of a PAIS manually is a tedious and error-prone task. This technical report introduces a set of patterns for transforming fragments of a business process model, whose activities are performed by the same user role, to UI components of the PAIS. In particular, UI logic can be expressed using the same notation as for process modeling. Furthermore, a transformation method is introduced, which applies these patterns to automatically derive UI components from a process model by establishing a bidirectional mapping between process model and UI. This mapping allows propagating UI changes to the process model and vice versa. Overall, our approach enables process designers to rapidly develop and update complex UI components in PAISs.

Enterprise information systems created with model-driven software engineering methods need to handle not only data but also business processes in an automated way. This paper shows how to engineer process-aware information systems following the model-driven and generative software engineering paradigms. Existing approaches realize either the generation of automated or manual activities but do not employ model-driven engineering of all system aspects through systematic language composition. A generative approach that additionally uses process modeling languages allows developers to evolve generated data-centric information systems into process-aware information systems. To be usable within our generation process, we have developed a textual BPMN version and a corresponding language tooling to check the soundness of the models. We have included these process models into the generation process of an information system together with other domain-specific modeling languages, e.g., for data structures, and generate an extendable, process-aware information system that is open for continuous regeneration and hand-written additions. This approach allows us to lift a generated data-centric information system to a process-aware information system. Agile development enabled through the opportunity to validate assumptions automatically and adapt changes efficiently, enhances the engineering process as well as the generated systems themselves.

The increasing availability of digital data offers new opportunities for analyzing business processes. Process aware information systems like Enterprise Resource Planning systems store data in the course of transaction processing. This data can be exploited by using process mining techniques. Process mining algorithms produce process models by analyzing recorded event logs. A fundamental challenge in process mining is the creation of purpose-oriented and useful process models. Process mining algorithms commonly refer to the temporal ordering of events for determining the control flow in reconstructed process models. We show how the logical sequence of events can be used instead of the temporal for reconstructing the control flow in mined process models. The exploitation of the logical structure of available event log records opens up new ways to receive purpose-oriented, less complex, and more informative process models.

Enabling process flexibility is crucial for any process-aware information system (PAIS). In particular, implemented processes may have to be frequently adapted to accommodate to changing environments and evolving needs. When evolving a PAIS, corresponding process schemas have to be changed in a controlled manner. In the context of object-aware processes, which are characterized by a tight integration of process and data, PAIS evolution not only requires process schema evolution, but the evolution of data and user authorization schemas as well. Since the different schemas of an object-aware PAIS are tightly integrated, modifying one of them usually requires concomitant changes of the other schemas. This paper presents a framework for object-aware process support and discusses major requirements and challenges for enabling schema evolution in object-aware PAIS.

The increasing adoption of process-aware information systems (PAISs) by enterprises has resulted in large process model collections. Usually, process models are created either by in-house domain experts or external consultants. Thereby, high model quality is crucial, i.e., process models should be syntactically correct and sound, and also reflect the real business processes properly. While numerous guidelines exist for creating correct and sound process models, there is only little work dealing with cognitive aspects affecting process modeling. This paper addresses this gap and presents a controlled experiment using construal level theory. We investigate the influence the social distance of a process designer to the modeled domain has on the creation of process models. In particular, we are able to show significant differences between high and low social distance in respect to model quality and granularity. The results may help enterprises to compose adequate teams for creating or optimizing business process models.

PurposeThis work aims to integrate the concepts generated by a systematic literature review on patient flows in emergency departments (ED) to serve as a basis for developing a generic process model for ED.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines, considering Lean Healthcare interventions describing ED patients’ flows. The initial search found 141 articles and 18 were included in the systematic analysis. The literature analysis served as the basis for developing a generic process model for ED.FindingsED processes have been represented using different notations, such as value stream mapping and workflows. The main alternatives for starting events are arrival by ambulance or walk-in. The Manchester Triage Scale (MTS) was the most common protocol referred to in the literature. The most common end events are admission to a hospital, transfer to other facilities or admission to an ambulatory care system. The literature analysis allowed the development of a generic process model for emergency departments. Nevertheless, considering that several factors influence the process of an emergency department, such as pathologies, infrastructure, available teams and local regulations, modelling alternatives and challenges in each step of the process should be analysed according to the local context.Originality/valueA generic business process model was developed using BPMN that can be used by practitioners and researchers to reduce the effort in the initial stages of design or improvement projects. Moreover, it’s a first step toward the development of generalizable and replicable solutions for emergency departments.

Process aware information system (PAIS) is important in the recent business environment. Developments of PAIS need to consider contexts about technical and business elements. They are needed to develop PAIS effectively (e.g. monitoring environment and constructing adequate business process). Process mining is an important method for analyzing a business environment and utilizing PAIS development and improvement. LTL checking is an important method for checking a specific property to be satisfied with business processes, but correctly writing formal language like LTL is difficult. In this paper, we use LTL checking and prediction based on decision-tree learning for checking goal achievement, false detection and oversight detection. It helps writing properly LTL formula for representing the correct goal property. We conducted a case study using a real life log of traffic fine management process in Italy.

This paper describes an on going research by the authors who are seeking methods to integrate an earlier developed manufacturing process modeling method in the virtual manufacturing (VM) technology. The primary aim is to attach special manufacturability evaluation to modeling of mechanical products. A more or less generic process model is generated for a cluster of manufacturing tasks then manufacturing process entities are created by evaluation of the manufacturing process model using part, form feature, production environment, production planning and cost information. Petri net manufacturing process model representation is used. It has proved to be a versatile virtual manufacturing tool in manufacturing process planning, evaluation of manufacturability and in manufacturing environment design. A process model evaluation procedure is emphasized in the course of which feasibility and resource requirements of the manufacturing are revealed. Firstly, techniques of evaluation of manufacturability, the applied approach to integration of shape and manufacturing process modeling and the related virtual manufacturing concepts are introduced. The process model is outlined and earlier relevant publications of the authors are cited. Then problems and solutions at evaluating of process model in close connection with design and environmental changes are detailed. Following this, integration of the method into a comprehensive virtual manufacturing concept is explained. Finally, main issues and future research plans are concluded.

Process time patterns: A formal foundation

Modern enterprise systems are often process-driven and, thus, rely heavily on process-aware information systems. In such systems, high-level process-models play an important role both for communicating business requirements between domain experts and system experts as well as basis for the system implementation. Since several years, enterprise system need to fulfil an increasing number of the security and compliance requirements. Thus, there is an increasing demand for integrating high-level security and compliance requirements into process models, i. e. a common language for domain experts, system experts, and security experts. We present a security modelling language, called SecureBPMN, that can easily be integrated into business process modelling languages. In this paper, we exemplary integrate SecureBPMN into BPMN and, thus, present a common language for describing business process models together with their security and compliance requirements.

A Process-Aware Information System is a system that executes processes involving people, applications, and data on the basis of process models. At least two process modeling paradigms can be distinguished: procedural models define exactly the execution order of process steps. Declarative process models allow flexible process executions that are restricted by constraints. Execution engines for declarative process models have been extensively investigated in research with a strong focus on behavioral aspects. However, execution approaches for multi-perspective declarative models that involve constraints on data values and resource assignments are still not existing. In this paper, we present an approach for the execution of multi-perspective declarative process models in order to close this gap. The approach builds on a classification strategy for different constraint types evaluating their relevance in different execution contexts. For execution, all constraints are transformed into the execution language Alloy that is used to solve satisfiability (SAT) problems. We implemented a modeling tool including the transformation functionality and the process execution engine itself. The approach has been evaluated in terms of expressiveness and efficiency.

UPROM tool is a business process modeling tool designed to conduct business process and user requirements analysis in an integrated way to constitute a basis for process automation. Usually, business process models are not utilized systematically to develop related artifacts, specifically when a process-aware information system is to be developed to automate those processes. This results in completeness, consistency and maintainability problems for those artifacts. Unified business process modeling methodology, UPROM, is developed to integrate process modeling and practices. Enabling the application of UPROM, the tool provides editors for six different diagram types based on a common meta-model. It offers features so that modelers can develop a cohesive set of models. Using these models, UPROM tool can be used to automatically generate artifacts of user requirements document, COSMIC based software size estimation, process definition document and business glossary.

Healthcare processes are inherently complex as each patient is unique and medical staff deviate from protocols, often for valid reasons. Event logs collected by modern process-aware (healthcare) information systems provide a wealth of data and can be used to analyze the adherence to these protocols. Process mining is a young research area combining data science (machine learning, data mining, etc.) and business process management. Its main contributions have been techniques for process discovery (the automatic learning of process models from event data) and conformance checking (aligning observed and modeled behavior). However, existing techniques face challenging issues discovering high-quality process models in a healthcare setting. In this chapter we introduce the key concepts of process mining such as event logs, process models, and process discovery. We then show the application of two recent process mining techniques on a public event data set from the healthcare domain to demonstrate how some of the common pitfalls can be overcome. A first presented technique projects data statistics on a process model, allowing the analysis of correlations between patient characteristics and the executed activities (e.g., type of treatment). A second technique analyzes process performance without a specific need for a process model by considering contextual information. It correlates process characteristics with process performance.

A design history system is being developed to record the events and decisions that are involved in the evolution of an artifact. At present, design systems do not provide a formal mechanism of capturing such information as it is generated. This paper presents a framework that can be used for developing a system to archive and query electromechanical (EM) system design history, in a non-intrusive and structured way. A generic process model is presented that can describe and integrate specialized processes without requiring a priori definition of those processes. Finally, as an example, aerodynamic design process at Boeing Defense & Space group is modeled using the generic process model developed in this work. The work presented in this paper combines research from semantic modeling, product data modeling, process modeling, information technology, databases, and design theory to develop a computer based design history system (DHS).