CF4BPMN: a BPMN extension for controlled flexibility in business processes

The need for flexibility in business process languages and tools has evolved over the past few decades, from totally rigid approaches, to totally flexible ones. The need to allow process designers to control this flexibility has risen due to the fact that, in the everyday practice, people do not wish for total flexibility. They rather prefer to be guided, even when they feel the need to change some part of business process. In this paper we propose CF4BPMN, a BPMN language extension to allow modeling and execution of controlled flexibility in business processes. Using this extension, process designers can express how a certain process element can or cannot be changed in execution time, taking into account their experience or other organizational restriction. Then, other process participants can visually learn and follow the advised changes onto a business process in a controlled manner. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

On a Concept Map for the Modelling of Controlled Flexibility in Software Processes

Software processes and corresponding models are commonly held as dynamic entities that are often changed and evolved by skillful knowledge workers such as the members of a software development team. Consequently, process flexibility has been identified as one of the most important features that both Process Modelling Languages (PMLs) and software tools that manage the processes should support. However, in the everyday practice, most software team members do not wish for total flexibility. They rather prefer to have controlled flexibility, i.e., to learn and follow advices previously modelled by a process engineer on which and how they can change the elements that compose a software process. Since process models constitute a preferred vehicle for sharing and communicating knowledge on software processes, the process engineer needs a PML that can express this controlled flexibility, along with other process perspectives. To achieve this enhanced PML, we firstly need a sound core set of concepts and relationships that defines the knowledge domain associated with the modelling of controlled flexibility. In this paper we capture and represent this domain by using Concept Maps (Cmaps). These include diagrams and descriptions that elicit the relationships between the concepts involved. The proposed Cmaps can then be used as input to extend a PML with modelling constructs to express controlled flexibility within software processes. Process engineers can use these constructs to define, in a process model, advices on changes that can be made to the model itself or to related instances. Software team members can then consult this controlled flexibility information within the process models, and perform changes accordingly

(I) A Declarative Framework for ERP Systems(II) Reactors: A Data-Driven Programming Model for Distributed Applications

To those who can be swayed by argument and those who know they do not have all the answers This dissertation is a collection of six adapted research papers pertaining to two areas of research. (I) A Declarative Framework for ERP Systems: • POETS: Process-Oriented Event-driven Transaction Systems. The paper describes an ontological analysis of a small segment of the enterprise domain, namely the general ledger and accounts receivable. The result is an event-based approach to designing ERP systems and an abstract-level sketch of the architecture. • Compositional Specification of Commercial Contracts. The paper de-scribes the design, multiple semantics, and use of a domain-specific lan-guage (DSL) for modeling commercial contracts. • SMAWL: A SMAll Workflow Language Based on CCS. The paper show

A Short Review on 4D Printing

Additive Manufacturing can be described as a process to build 3D objects by adding layer-upon-layer of material, the material traditionally being plastics, metals or ceramics, however ‘smart’ materials are now in use. Nowadays, the term “3D Printing” has become a much-used synonym for additive manufacturing. The use of computing, 3D solid modeling applications, layering materials and machine equipment is common to majority of additive manufacturing technologies. Advancing from this 3D printing technology, is an emerging trend for what is being termed “4D printing”. 4D printing places dependency on smart materials, the functionality of additive manufacturing machines and in ingenious design processes. Although many developments have been made, limitations are still very much in existence, particularly with regards to function and application. The objective of this short review is to discuss the developments, challenges and outlook for 4D printing technology. The review revealed that 4D printing technology has application potential but further research work will be vital for the future success of 4D printing