Service oriented model driven architecture for dynamic workflow changes

Collaborative workflow management systems in logistic companies require strong information systems and computer support. These IT integration requirements have expanded considerably with the advent of e-business; utilizing web services for B2B (Business to Business) and P2P (Partner to Partner) e-commerce. This paper proposes service oriented model driven architecture for dynamic workflow changes and strategy for implementation of these changes by isolation of services and business processes where by existing workflow systems can easily incorporate and integrate the changes following a step by step process replacement synchronization in workflow. This paper will also describe conceptual framework for prototype implementation resulting in dynamic collaborative workflow management

Management of dynamic and adaptive workflow business processes

Collaborative and dynamic workflow management systems in logistic companies require strong information systems and computer support. Business processes in such industries generally compose of several parts, a structured operational part and an unstructured operational part, or they could be composed of semistructured parts with some given and some unknown details. Unpredictable situations may occur as a result of changes in decisions made by the management. The inability to deal with various changes greatly limits the applicability of workflow systems in real industrial and commercial operations. This paper deals with adaptation management of collaborative workflow changes in such consortia and proposes architecture for implementation of these changes through the process of component integration and synchronization where by existing workflow systems adapt to the changes. This paper describes conceptual framework required for prototype implementation resulting in new collaborative workflow adaptation

Integrating Groupware Activities into Workflow Management Systems

Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) has been recognized as a crucial enabling technology for multi-user computer-based systems, particularly in cases where synchronous human-human interaction is required between geographically dispersed users. Workflow is an emerging technology that supports complex business processes in modern corporations by allowing to explicitly define the process, and by supporting its execution in a workflow management system (WFMS). Since workflow inherently involves humans carrying out parts of the process, it is only natural to explore how to synergize these two technologies. We analyze the relationships between groupware and workflow management, present our general approach to integrating synchronous groupware tools into a WFMS, and conclude with an example process that was implemented in the Oz WFMS and integrated such tools. Our main contribution lies in the integration and synchronization of individual groupware activities into modeled workflow processes, as opposed to being a built-in part of the workflow WFMS

Collaborative workflow management using service oriented approach

Collaborative workflow systems in large logistics companies require a well integrated information systems infrastructure and a strong communication network to meet major new challenges and opportunities. Agile infrastructure, enabled by integration, can have substantial impact on the overall success of a business, these IT integration requirements are expanding considerably with the advent of ebusiness; utilizing B2B (Business to Business) web services and P2P (Partner to Partner) e-commerce. This paper deals with change management of collaborative workflow in such consortia and proposes integration architecture for synchronization of these changes through the process of service modules integration where by existing workflow systems are adapted to the changes. This paper will describe conceptual framework and implementation strategy resulting in new collaborative workflow adaptation

Generation of interactive questionnaires using YAWL-based workflow models

A concept is introduced in this article which has strong practical impact for computer aided system configuration. System configuration is a cumbersome and fault sensitive task while setting up systems in a broad range of business applications like ERP (enterprise resource planning) and other workflow-systems. Given a generic process or workflow model in YAWL-notation (yet another workflow language) or any other process modeling language like business process model and notation or WFMC (workflow management coalition), it could be stated that, by using a set of reduction rules as introduced, it is possible to generate a hierarchically structured tree of sub graphs of the workflow graph-representation. According to the notation used, authors call these sub graphs facts. The tree structure of the graph-representation on one hand and the logical relation between the branches and leafs of the tree on the other can be utilized to create a set of constraints and dependencies among the single facts. Some researchers showed that the nested branches can be associated to (predefined) questions with respect to the configuration of a workflow management system, for instance an ERP-application. They presented an algorithm which dynamically sorts the questions and answers in a maximum efficient configuration path, while working through the corresponding questionnaire. By combining the different elements as facts, constraints on questions, and configuration space, it is thus possible to algorithmically generate the efficient structured and interactive questionnaire for the configuration of workflow systems and algorithmically check the consistency (dead lock free, free of synchronization structural conflict) of the underlying workflow model. The concept was tested in the prototype of the interactive questionnaire for configuration of the web-service based ERP-Application Posity

Requirements for the workflow-based support of release management processes in the automotive sector

One of the challenges the automotive industry currently has to master is the complexity of the electrical/elctronic system of a car. One key factor for reaching short product development cycles and high quality in this area are well-defined, properly executed test and release processes. In this paper we show why workflow management technology is needed to support these processes and how this support should look like. We further confront these requirements with the features of contemporary workflow technology and discuss which extensions become necessary

Patterns-based Evaluation of Open Source BPM Systems: The Cases of jBPM, OpenWFE, and Enhydra Shark

In keeping with the proliferation of free software development initiatives and the increased interest in the business process management domain, many open source workflow and business process management systems have appeared during the last few years and are now under active development. This upsurge gives rise to two important questions: what are the capabilities of these systems? and how do they compare to each other and to their closed source counterparts? i.e. in other words what is the state-of-the-art in the area?. To gain an insight into the area, we have conducted an in-depth analysis of three of the major open source workflow management systems - jBPM, OpenWFE and Enhydra Shark, the results of which are reported here. This analysis is based on the workflow patterns framework and provides a continuation of the series of evaluations performed using the same framework on closed source systems, business process modeling languages and web-service composition standards. The results from evaluations of the three open source systems are compared with each other and also with the results from evaluations of three representative closed source systems - Staffware, WebSphere MQ and Oracle BPEL PM, documented in earlier works. The overall conclusion is that open source systems are targeted more toward developers rather than business analysts. They generally provide less support for the patterns than closed source systems, particularly with respect to the resource perspective which describes the various ways in which work is distributed amongst business users and managed through to completion

An Approach for Supporting Ad-hoc Modifications in Distributed Workflow Management Systems

Supporting enterprise-wide or even cross-organizational business processes is a characteristic challenge for any workflow management system (WfMS). Scalability at the presence of high loads as well as the capability to dynamically modify running workflow (WF) instances (e.g., to cope with exceptional situations) are essential requirements in this context. Should the latter one, in particular, not be met, the WfMS will not have the necessary flexibility to cover the wide range of process-oriented applications deployed in many organizations. Scalability and flexibility have, for the most part, been treated separately in the relevant literature thus far. Even though they are basic needs for a WfMS, the requirements related with them are totally different. To achieve satisfactory scalability, on the one hand, the system needs to be designed such that a workflow instance can be controlled by several WF servers that are as independent from each other as possible. Yet dynamic WF modifications, on the other hand, necessitate a (logical) central control instance which knows the current and global state of a WF instance. For the first time, this paper presents methods which allow ad-hoc modifications (e.g., to insert, delete, or shift steps) to be performed in a distributed WfMS; i.e., in a WfMS with partitioned WF execution graphs and distributed WF control. It is especially noteworthy that the system succeeds in realizing the full functionality as given in the central case while, at the same time, achieving extremely favorable behavior with respect to communication costs