Towards a Framework for Object-aware Process Management

In comprehensive case studies we found out that many limitations of existing Process Management Systems (PrMS) can be traced back to the unsatisfactory integration of processes and data. In this PhD project, we aim at a deep and extensive understanding of the inherent relationships between processes and data, and thus want to overcome some of the fundamental limitations known from activity-centered PrMS. Overall, we target at a comprehensive framework providing integrated access to processes, data, and functions to its users

A Tool for Supporting Object-Aware Processes

Although the popularity of activity-centric process management systems (PrMS) has increased during the last decade, there still exist business processes that cannot be adequately supported by these PrMS. A common characteristic of these processes, which is neglected by current activity-centric PrMS, is their need for object-awareness; i.e., the explicit processing of business data and business objects respectively. In the PHILharmonicFlows project, characteristic properties of object-aware processes were identified and an advanced framework for their proper support was designed. In this paper, we present a proof-of-concept prototype implementing some of the fundamental concepts of the PHILharmonicFlows framework. Overall, this initiative will result in a new generation of process management technology

PHILharmonicFlows: Research and Design Methodology

In comprehensive case studies we found out that many limitations of existing Process Management Systems (PrMS) can be traced back to the unsatisfactory integration of processes and data. In the PHILharmonicFlows project, we aim at a deep and extensive understanding of the inherent relationships between processes and data, and thus want to overcome some of the fundamental limitations known from activity-centered PrMS. Overall, we target at a comprehensive framework providing integrated access to processes, data, and functions to its users

Striving for Object-aware Process Support: How Existing Approaches Fit Together

Many limitations of contemporary process management systems (PrMS) can be traced back to the missing integration of processes and data. A unified understanding of the inherent relationships existing between processes and data, however, is still missing. In the PHILharmonicFlows project we figured out that process support often requires object-awareness. This means, data must be manageable in terms of object types comprising object attributes and relations to other object types. In this paper, we systematically introduce the fundamental characteristics of object-aware processes. Further, we elaborate existing approaches recognizing the need for a tighter integration of processes and data along these characteristics. This way, we show the high relevance of the identified characteristics and confirm that their support is needed in many application domains

Process and Data: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Companies increasingly adopt process management technology which offers promising perspectives for realizing flexible information systems. However, there still exist numerous process scenarios not adequately covered by contemporary information systems. One major reason for this deficiency is the insufficient understanding of the inherent relationships existing between business processes on one side and business data on the other. Consequently, these two perspectives are not well integrated in many existing process management systems. This paper emphasizes the need for both object- and process-awareness in future information systems, and illustrates it along several examples. Especially, the relation between these two fundamental perspectives will be discussed, and the role of business objects and data as drivers for both process modeling and process enactment be emphasized. In general, any business process support should consider object behavior as well as object interactions, and therefore be based on two levels of granularity. In addition, data-driven process execution and integrated user access to processes and data are needed. Besides giving insights into these fundamental characteristics, an advanced framework supporting them in an integrated manner will be presented and its application to real-world process scenarios be shown. Overall, a holistic and generic framework integrating processes, data, and users will contribute to overcome many of the limitations of existing process management technology

Integrated Modeling of Process- and Data-Centric Software Systems with PHILharmonicFlows

Process- and data-centric software systems require a tight integration of processes, functions, data, and users. Thereby, the behavioral perspective is described by process models, while the information perspective is captured in a data model. Eliciting and capturing requirements of such software systems in a consistent way is a challenging task, demanding that both process and data model are well aligned and consistent with each other. While traditional software modeling languages do not allow for an explicit integration of data and process models, activity-centric process modeling languages tend to neglect the role of data as a driver of process execution; i.e., business objects are usually outside the control of the process, normally stored in external databases. To overcome this drawback, PHILharmonicFlows provides a comprehensive framework for enabling object-aware process support. In addition, a sound specification of process- and object-centric software systems becomes possible. In this paper, we present a requirements modeling approach that provides methodological guidance for modeling large process- and data-centric software systems based on PHILharmonicFlows. Such guidance will foster the introduction of respective software systems in the large scale

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