Inconsistency recovery in Business Processes using a possibilistic WorkFlow net

In this paper, an approach based on WorkFlow nets and on possibilistic Petri nets is proposed to deal with non- conformance in Business Processes. Routing patterns existing in Business Processes are modeled by WorkFlow nets. To express in a more realistic way the uncertainty attached to human activities, possibilistic Petri nets with uncertainty on the marking and on the transition firing are considered. Combining both formalisms, a kind of possibilistic WorkFlow net is obtained. An example of inconsistency recovery at a process monitoring level due to human behavior in a “Handle Complaint Process” is presented

A review of applications of fuzzy sets to safety and reliability engineering

Safety and reliability are rigorously assessed during the design of dependable systems. Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) processes are comprehensive, structured and logical methods widely used for this purpose. PRA approaches include, but not limited to Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and Event Tree Analysis (ETA). In conventional PRA, failure data about components is required for the purposes of quantitative analysis. In practice, it is not always possible to fully obtain this data due to unavailability of primary observations and consequent scarcity of statistical data about the failure of components. To handle such situations, fuzzy set theory has been successfully used in novel PRA approaches for safety and reliability evaluation under conditions of uncertainty. This paper presents a review of fuzzy set theory based methodologies applied to safety and reliability engineering, which include fuzzy FTA, fuzzy FMEA, fuzzy ETA, fuzzy Bayesian networks, fuzzy Markov chains, and fuzzy Petri nets. Firstly, we describe relevant fundamentals of fuzzy set theory and then we review applications of fuzzy set theory to system safety and reliability analysis. The review shows the context in which each technique may be more appropriate and highlights the overall potential usefulness of fuzzy set theory in addressing uncertainty in safety and reliability engineering

Possibilistic WorkFlow nets for dealing with cancellation regions in business processes

In this paper, an approach based on WorkFlow nets and possibilistic Petri nets is proposed for dealing with the cancellation features in business processes. Routing patterns existing in business processes are modeled by WorkFlow nets. Possibilistic Petri nets with uncertainty in the marking and the transition firing are used to deal with all possible markings when cancellation behaviour is considered. Combining both formalisms, a kind of possibilisticWorkFlow net is obtained. An example of a simplified version of a credit card application process is presented

What is Computational Intelligence and where is it going?

What is Computational Intelligence (CI) and what are its relations with Artificial Intelligence (AI)? A brief survey of the scope of CI journals and books with ``computational intelligence'' in their title shows that at present it is an umbrella for three core technologies (neural, fuzzy and evolutionary), their applications, and selected fashionable pattern recognition methods. At present CI has no comprehensive foundations and is more a bag of tricks than a solid branch of science. The change of focus from methods to challenging problems is advocated, with CI defined as a part of computer and engineering sciences devoted to solution of non-algoritmizable problems. In this view AI is a part of CI focused on problems related to higher cognitive functions, while the rest of the CI community works on problems related to perception and control, or lower cognitive functions. Grand challenges on both sides of this spectrum are addressed

Optimal and intelligent decision making in sustainable development of electronic products

Increasing global population and consumption are causing declining natural and social systems. Multi-lifecycle engineering and sustainable development address these issues by integrating strategies for economic successes, environmental quality, and social equity. Based on multi-lifecycle engineering and sustainable development concepts, this doctoral dissertation aims to provide decision making approaches to growing a strong industrial economy while maintaining a clean, healthy environment. The research develops a methodology to complete both the disassembly leveling and bin assignment decisions in demanufacturing through balancing the disassembly efforts, value returns, and environmental impacts. The proposed method is successfully implemented into a demanufacturing module of a Multi-LifeCycle Assessment and Analysis tool. The methodology is illustrated by a computer product example. Since products during the use stage may experience very different conditions, their external and internal status can vary significantly. These products, when coming to a demanufacturing facility, are often associated with incomplete/imprecise information, which complicates demanufacturing process decision making. In order to deal with uncertain information, this research proposes Fuzzy Reasoning Petri nets to model and reason knowledge-based systems and successfully applies them to demanufacturing process decision making to obtain the maximal End-of-Life (BOL) value from discarded products. Besides the BOL management of products by means of product/material recovery to decrease environmental impacts, the concepts of design for environment and sustainable development are investigated. Based on Sustainability Target Method, a sensitivity analysis decision-making method is proposed. It provides a company with suggestions to improve its product\u27s sustainability in the most cost-effective manner

Anticipation and Risk – From the inverse problem to reverse computation

Abstract. Risk assessment is relevant only if it has predictive relevance. In this sense, the anticipatory perspective has yet to contribute to more adequate predictions. For purely physics-based phenomena, predictions are as good as the science describing such phenomena. For the dynamics of the living, the physics of the matter making up the living is only a partial description of their change over time. The space of possibilities is the missing component, complementary to physics and its associated predictions based on probabilistic methods. The inverse modeling problem, and moreover the reverse computation model guide anticipatory-based predictive methodologies. An experimental setting for the quantification of anticipation is advanced and structural measurement is suggested as a possible mathematics for anticipation-based risk assessment

Les aspects temporels qualitatifs et quantitatifs dans les systèmes embarqués

Je présente mes travaux qui se situent à différentes étapes du cycle de vie d'un système. Certains de mes travaux concernent l'expression des besoins et plus précisément le passage d'une expression semi-formelle des besoins (diagrammes UML) à leur expression formelle (réseau de Petri) pour des besoins de vérification. D'autres travaux concernent les phases de conception et de mise en oeuvre en s'appuyant sur des systèmes multi-agents, et des réseaux de Petri avec ou sans information imprécise (floue). Une partie de mes travaux traite des aspects formels avec la vérification de réseaux de Petri temporels et temporels flous. Ces travaux ont en commun un même outil de base, les réseaux de Petri, et se trouvent à l'intersection de différentes disciplines, faisant appel par exemple à la logique linéaire, la théorie des possibilités, le raisonnement temporel et UML. Ils sont organisés en quatre unités thématiques : - la sémantique des diagrammes UML décrivant la dynamique, - la vérification et mise en oeuvre de systèmes à événements discrets, - la spécification de contraintes floues, - la spécification et vérification de contraintes temporelles quantitatives imprécises et floues