Workflow support for simulation of service oriented B-to-C transaction

Computation technologies and computer tools offer varied resources for the implementation of applications of electronic commerce (e-commerce). The current organizational models are based on nets of associations that are integrated to achieve business objectives. Therefore, the effectiveness of the commercial operation doesn't only depend on an appropriate configuration of technologies but also on efficiency in the business services. Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an architectural style for distributed computation that considers the creation and administration of business services. With Web Services the services can be published in the Web and accessed by applications independently from language and technology. In this work a workflow support for the modeling and simulation of applications of e-commerce based on services and technologies Web Services is proposed. Tools are applied of processes modeling, with their integration in TIBCO that result in the modeling of a process business to consumer (b-to-c), their simulation and the evaluation of metrics of performanceI Workshop Innovación en Sistemas de Software (WISS)Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Semantic representation of context models: a framework for analyzing and understanding

pp. 10International audienceContext-aware systems are applications that adapt themselves to several situations involving user, network, data, hardware and the application itself. In this paper, we review several context models proposed in different domains: content adaptation, service adaptation, information retrieval, etc. The purpose of this review is to expose the representation of this notion semantically. According to this, we propose a framework that analyzes and compares different context models. Such a framework intends helping understanding and analyzing of such models, and consequently the definition of new ones. This framework is based on the fact that context-aware systems use context models in order to formalize and limit the notion of context and that relevant information differs from a domain to another and depends on the effective use of this information. Based on this framework, we consider in this paper a particular application domain, Business Processes, in which the notion of context remains unexplored, although it is required for flexibility and adaptability. We propose, in this paper, an ontology-based context model focusing on this particular domain

Empirical insights into the benefit from implementing smart contracts

Smart contracts are highly relevant due to their support for new decentralized business models and processes. We empirically investigate the benefit of implementing smart contracts. Our approach measures the benefit by capturing the impact of implementing smart contracts on processes directly. Thus, our research supersedes previous research that uses deductive approaches for deriving beneficial effects from technical and architectural properties of smart contracts and blockchains. We conduct a systematic approach using the aspects cost, quality, time and flexibility, and their impact on the four process phases interest, agreement, fulfillment, and assessment. Our research enables decision-makers to make decisions on implementing smart contracts more precisely. Furthermore, decision-makers become able to develop more target-oriented initiatives

Workflow support for simulation of service oriented B-to-C transaction

Computation technologies and computer tools offer varied resources for the implementation of applications of electronic commerce (e-commerce). The current organizational models are based on nets of associations that are integrated to achieve business objectives. Therefore, the effectiveness of the commercial operation doesn't only depend on an appropriate configuration of technologies but also on efficiency in the business services. Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an architectural style for distributed computation that considers the creation and administration of business services. With Web Services the services can be published in the Web and accessed by applications independently from language and technology. In this work a workflow support for the modeling and simulation of applications of e-commerce based on services and technologies Web Services is proposed. Tools are applied of processes modeling, with their integration in TIBCO that result in the modeling of a process business to consumer (b-to-c), their simulation and the evaluation of metrics of performanceI Workshop Innovación en Sistemas de Software (WISS)Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Object-aware Business Processes: Fundamental Requirements and their Support in Existing Approaches

Despite the increasing maturity of process management technology not all business processes are adequately supported by it. In particular, support for unstructured and knowledge-intensive processes is missing, especially since they cannot be straight-jacketed into predefined activities. A common characteristic of these processes is the role of business objects and data as drivers for process modeling and enactment. This paper elicits fundamental requirements for effectively supporting such object-aware processes; i.e., their modeling, execution and monitoring. Based on these requirements, we evaluate imperative, declarative, and data-driven process support approaches and investigate how well they support object-aware processes. We consider a tight integration of process and data as major step towards further maturation of process management technology

Object-aware Business Processes: Properties, Requirements, Existing Approaches

Despite the increasing maturity of process management technology not all business processes are adequately supported by it. In particular, support for unstructured and knowledge-intensive processes is missing, especially since they cannot be straight-jacketed into predefined activities. A common characteristic of these processes is the role of busi-ness objects and data as drivers for process modeling and enactment. This paper elicits fundamental requirements for effectively supporting such object-aware processes; i.e., their modeling, execution and monitoring. Based on these requirements, we evaluate imperative, declarative, and data-driven process support approaches and investigate how well they support object-aware processes. We consider a tight integration of process and data as major step towards further maturation of process management technology

Recognition of resource patterns in human-centric processes : a case study

Business experts need to improve business processes by increasing process efficiency and reducing process costs. To achieve this, a common method is to capture a series of repeatedly conducted process activities and their structure, i.e. the business logic of the process, and then enact process execution based on it. However, there exist informal processes, which are human-centric processes that are highly dynamic. Since this approach assumes the existence of predictable business logic of the process, it does not apply for management of informal processes. The Informal Process Essentials (IPE) model is a modeling approach for informal processes. This model depicts informal processes by documenting resources used in these process. Through this approach, we are able to retain best practice and knowledge accumulated in the processes. Based on this approach, there is also the InProXec method to enable the application of the IPE approach in organizations. In this thesis work, we want to validate the concepts introduced in the InProXec method using a case study on the jclouds project. To achieve this aim, we introduce the concept of a generic mapping mechanism and an evolving correlation coefficient function. Based on these concepts, we present the Informal Process Discoverer (IPD) service. The IPD service is an implementation of the discovery of IPE models. The test results of the IPD service have shown that the service is successful in discovering the IPE model and giving process recommendations. For example, using an informal process model with includes 7 human resources and 2 GitHub repositories as input, we are able to discover 74 other resources that participate in the process including 65 human resources and 9 Git repositories

A novel workflow management system for handling dynamic process adaptation and compliance

Modern enterprise organisations rely on dynamic processes. Generally these processes cannot be modelled once and executed repeatedly without change. Enterprise processes may evolve unpredictably according to situations that cannot always be prescribed. However, no mechanism exists to ensure an updated process does not violate any compliance requirements. Typical workflow processes may follow a process definition and execute several thousand instances using a workflow engine without any changes. This is suitable for routine business processes. However, when business processes need flexibility, adaptive features are needed. Updating processes may violate compliance requirements so automatic verification of compliance checking is necessary. The research work presented in this Thesis investigates the problem of current workflow technology in defining, managing and ensuring the specification and execution of business processes that are dynamic in nature, combined with policy standards throughout the process lifycle. The findings from the literature review and the system requirements are used to design the proposed system architecture. Since a two-tier reference process model is not sufficient as a basis for the reference model for an adaptive and compliance workflow management system, a three-tier process model is proposed. The major components of the architecture consist of process models, business rules and plugin modules. This architecture exhibits the concept of user adaptation with structural checks and dynamic adaptation with data-driven checks. A research prototype - Adaptive and Compliance Workflow Management System (ACWfMS) - was developed based on the proposed system architecture to implement core services of the system for testing and evaluation purposes. The ACWfMS enables the development of a workflow management tool to create or update the process models. It automatically validates compliance requirements and, in the case of violations, visual feedback is presented to the user. In addition, the architecture facilitates process migration to manage specific instances with modified definitions. A case study based on the postgraduate research process domain is discussed

Investigating the virtual representation of human resources

Despite all the advancements of software technologies to increase the productivity of companies, their capabilities to find solutions for certain problem domains are still limited. For the purpose of collaboratively addressing problems, which cannot be solved by algorithms alone, humans as computational units that are connected in a network of hardware and software resources, are therefore becoming increasingly popular. In this diploma thesis we investigate virtual representations of human resources by analyzing properties of scientific work in the areas of human computation and by examining available sources of information, especially social networks like Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, XING and GitHub. To comprise both the academic requirements and the offered data from the market products, which according to our comparison substantially differ, we present our concept of a virtual human resource representation. It provides thirteen categories of more than 150 definable attributes to create a basis for the representation of human resources in virtual environments that support collaborative work and business-related processes. Furthermore we show how to access human information using the example of Google+ and how to save this information as a virtual human web ontology instance to be potentially used in web based environments.Trotz aller Fortschritte in den Gebieten der Softwaretechnologie um die Produktivität von Firmen zu steigern, sind diese immer noch begrenzt, um Lösungen für gewisse Problemstellungen zu finden. Für den Zweck kollaborativ Proleme anzugehen, die durch Algorithmen alleine nicht gelöst werden können, werden Menschen, die als Recheneinheiten mit anderen Softwareund Hardware-Ressourcen verbunden sind, zunehmend populärer. In dieser Diplomarbeit untersuchen wir virtuelle Darstellungen von menschlichen Ressourcen durch die Analyse von Eigenschaften aus wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten in den Bereichen der Menschen-basierten Datenverarbeitung und durch die Prüfung verfügbarer Informationsquellen, insbesondere sozialer Netzwerke, wie Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, XING und GitHub. Um sowohl die akademischen Anforderungen, als auch die angebotenen Daten aus den sozialen Netzwerken zu erfassen, die sich entsprechend unserem Vergleich wesentlich unterscheiden, präsentieren wir unser Konzept der virtuellen Repräsentation einer menschlichen Ressource. Sie bietet dreizehn Kategorien mit mehr als 150 definierbaren Eigenschaften an, um eine Grundlage für die Darstellung von menschlichen Ressourcen in virtuellen Umgebungen zu bilden, welche gemeinsames Arbeiten und unternehmensbezogene Prozesse unterstützen. Außerdem zeigen wir, wie man auf diese menschlichen Daten am Beispiel von Google+ zugreifen kann und wie diese Informationen als virtuelle menschliche Web-Ontologie-Instanzen gespeichert werden können, um möglicherweise in webbasierten Umgebungen eingesetzt zu werden