A planning approach to the automated synthesis of template-based process models

The design-time specification of flexible processes can be time-consuming and error-prone, due to the high number of tasks involved and their context-dependent nature. Such processes frequently suffer from potential interference among their constituents, since resources are usually shared by the process participants and it is difficult to foresee all the potential tasks interactions in advance. Concurrent tasks may not be independent from each other (e.g., they could operate on the same data at the same time), resulting in incorrect outcomes. To tackle these issues, we propose an approach for the automated synthesis of a library of template-based process models that achieve goals in dynamic and partially specified environments. The approach is based on a declarative problem definition and partial-order planning algorithms for template generation. The resulting templates guarantee sound concurrency in the execution of their activities and are reusable in a variety of partially specified contextual environments. As running example, a disaster response scenario is given. The approach is backed by a formal model and has been tested in experiment

Improvement of Knowledge-Intensive Business Processes Through Analytics and Knowledge Sharing

This applied research focuses on knowledge-intensive business processes (KIBPs) supported by Business Intelligence and Analytics (BI&A), here termed BI&A-supported KIBPs. Examples of these processes include customer-support services, risk and assurance processes, and design of marketing campaigns. This research aims to investigate an industry-informed research challenge of ongoing improvement of BI&A-supported KIBPs, in particular the role of BI&A in process improvement. This paper presents a qualitative research case study, conducted in a large retail distribution company, using a theoretical lens of Work Systems Theory (WST). We describe an innovative approach to ongoing improvement of BI&A-supported KIBP and confirm an important role played by BI&A in this context. Informed by these research insights, we then propose a new theoretical model of ongoing improvement of BI&A-supported KIBP and explain its significance using relevant literature. The model is also highly relevant for industry practitioners looking for new sources of competitive differentiation, beyond BI&A technology

Building Essential BPM Capabilities to Assist Successful ICT Deployment in the Developing Context: Observations and Recommendations from Sri Lanka

The role of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has been identified as an important factor by the United Nations in achieving the millennium development goals (UNAPCICT, 2012)1. The potential for ICT has been identified as a means to reducing poverty, creating global communities by providing access to the internet and mobile networks to rural communities, improving education services, medical services, and information availability. As of today, significant amounts of funds have been invested by the governments and donor organizations in ‘Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D)’ projects by establishing telecenters, e-villages, e-health, electronic and mobile banking, and e-government systems for citizens in general, and more specifically, rural communities to bridge the digital divide (Heeks & Molla, 2009). However, the effectiveness and impact of these initiatives are still questionable. In a report published by (IEG - Independent Evaluation Group, 2011) it was identified that projects focusing on global accessibility have achieved only a 30 percent success rate in developing countries. The key issues identified by the literature on ICT4D success and failure include inadequate understanding and consideration of local culture (Simpson & Hunter, 2001), lack of political support, infrastructure issues, community acceptance, and sustainability of these projects post-funding stages (Heeks & Molla, 2009; Kasigwa, Williams, & Baryamureeba, 2006). The inability to see the whole system was identified as one of the 7 reasons of ICT4D project failure (Rogers, 2011). Lack of understanding of a holistic picture, community involvement and need for training and capacity building before implementing an ICT solution for sustainability projects were further emphasized as critical factors by Pade et al., (2009)

Process mining: A recent framework for extracting a model from event logs

Business Process Management (BPM) is a well-known discipline, with roots in previous theories related with optimizing management and improving businesses results. One can trace BPM back to the beginning of this century, although it was in more recent years when it gained a special focus of attention. Usually, traditional BPM approaches start from top and analyse the organization according some known rules from its structure or from the type of business. Process Mining (PM) is a completely different approach, since it aims to extract knowledge from event logs, which are widely present in many of today’s organizations. PM uses specialized data-mining algorithms, trying to uncover patterns and trends in these logs, and it is an alternative approach where formal process specification is not easily obtainable or is not cost-effective. This paper makes a literature review of major works issued about this theme.(undefined

A Resource-Based Perspective

Geschäftsprozesstechnologien unterstützen dabei, operative Tätigkeiten effizienter und effektiver durchzuführen. In einem sich dynamisch verändernden Umfeld wird es für Organisationen essenziell, diese Technologien gezielt einzusetzen, um durch schnelle Anpassung weiterhin wettbewerbsfähig zu bleiben. Die derzeitige Forschung hat bisher keine Antwort darauf gefunden, wie Organisationen dies trotz ständig wechselnder Umfeldbedingungen und fortschreitender organisationaler Reife durch gezielte Ressourcenallokation erreichen können. Diese Dissertation adressiert diese Forschungslücke, indem untersucht wird, wie organisationale Fähigkeiten mithilfe von Geschäftsprozesstechnologien innerhalb dynamischer Umfelder ausgebildet und erneuert werden können.Business process technologies help to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of day-to-day operations. Organizations face the challenge of leveraging these technologies to quickly adapt business processes accordingly to cope with different levels of environmental turbulence. From prior research, we know how organizations apply business process technologies and how they affect performance. We do not fully understand how organizations orchestrate related resources based on changing environmental conditions and evolving organizational maturity. This dissertation addresses this research problem and presents research on how to develop and renew organizational capabilities with business process technologies through turbulent environments

A Governance Reference Model For Service-oriented Architecture-based Common Data Initialization A Case Study Of Military Simulation Federation Systems

Military simulation and command and control federations have become large, complex distributed systems that integrate with a variety of legacy and current simulations, and real command and control systems locally as well as globally. As these systems continue to become increasingly more complex so does the data that initializes them. This increased complexity has introduced a major problem in data initialization coordination which has been handled by many organizations in various ways. Serviceoriented architecture (SOA) solutions have been introduced to promote easier data interoperability through the use of standards-based reusable services and common infrastructure. However, current SOA-based solutions do not incorporate formal governance techniques to drive the architecture in providing reliable, consistent, and timely information exchange. This dissertation identifies the need to establish governance for common data initialization service development oversight, presents current research and applicable solutions that address some aspects of SOA-based federation data service governance, and proposes a governance reference model for development of SOA-based common data initialization services in military simulation and command and control federations