Extensible Workflow Engine With Support for Adaptable Business Process Management

Predmet istraživanja disertacije pripada oblasti softverskog inženjerstva i poslovnih procesa, odnosno upravljanja poslovnim procesima. Upravljenje poslovnim procesima pripada oblasti koja je izuzetno dinamična kako u pogledu rasta zahteva i očekivanja sa kojima se suočava sa jedne strane, tako i novih pristupa i tehnologija koji pokušavaju da premoste i reše uočene probleme sa druge strane. Modeli procesa, podataka, kao i alati na kojima su zasnovani procesno orijentisani informacioni sistemi imaju zadatak da obezbede kontrolisano upravljanje i predvidivo izvršavanje poslovnih procesa. Osnovna premisa za funkcionisanje ovakvih sistema je da poslovna funkcija može biti predstavljena kao proces i/ili radni tok – orkestrirani lanac aktivnosti (zadataka), koji kada se izvrše u definisanom redosledu daju uspešan ishod procesa. Prilagođavanje promenama u jednom poslovnom procesu je postala jedna od najznačajnijih aktivnosti u savremenim poslovnim informacionim sistemima. Međutim, efikasna primena ove aktivnosti u kontekstu savremenih poslovnih procesno- orijentisanih sistema je donekle ograničena načinima implementacije samih procesnih sistema, koji najčešće prave striktnu distinkciju između modela procesa i instanci kreiranih na osnovu takvog modela. Ovakva implementacija, iako potpuno validna i široko prihvaćena, ipak ima i veliki nedostatak – slabu mogućnost adaptacije već pokrenutih instanci procesa na nove okolnosti, koje se mogu reflektovati na neophodne izmene u samom procesu. Redizajniranje, usaglašavanje i potvrđivanje validnosti i izmenjenog modela procesa, i implementacija nove verzije i dalje je daleko brži postupak nego izmena logike ugrađene u sam kod aplikacije. Cilj ove disertacije, na osnovu pomenutog, je kreiranje tehničkog rešenja koje će pružati podršku za adaptabilnost procesa u procesno- orijentisanim poslovnim sistemima, kao i odgovor na pitanje, kako i u kojoj meri je moguće primeniti adaptabilnost na tekućim procesima u procesno orijentisanim poslovnim sistemima. Dva problema u značajnoj meri utiču na usvajanje adaptabilnih procesno- orijentisanih poslovnih sistema. Prvi problem se odnosi na kompleksnost ove aktivnosti. Izmena modela procesa i kreiranje nove verzije koja će se koristiti za buduće instance je postupak koji je uobičajen, dobro poznat i u širokoj upotrebi. Ali adaptacija koja se propagira trenutno i na već pokrenute instance procesa nosi mnogo više nepoznanica i potencijalnih problema. Neophodno je sagledati trenutno stanje izvršavanja svake pojedine instance, izvršiti evaluaciju primenjivosti u kontekstu svake od tih instanci. Potrebno znanje za primenjivanje ovakvog pristupa, odnosno kreiranje rešenja sa podrškom za adaptabilnost procesa podrazumeva i mogućnost analitičkog sagledavanja posledica koje takva izmena može imati na procesne instance koje se već izvršavaju. Neophodno je dosta iskustva kako bi se sa sigurnošću predvidelo da li implementacija neke nove promene u već pokrenutoj instanci ne dovodi u pitanje samo izvršavanje procesa. Procesna okruženja koja podržavaju adaptabilnost bi stoga trebala da pruže alat koji omogućava da se ove provere sprovedu pre nego što do neželjenih posledica dođe. Drugi problem nastaje zbog nedostatka postojanja konkretne paradigme koja bi opisala način primene ove aktivnosti, odnosno slučajevi koji zahtevaju primenu adaptabilnosti se razlikuju i specifični su u zavisnosti od ciljanog poslovnog sistema. Cilj ove disertacije, na osnovu pomenutog, je kreiranje tehničkog rešenja koje će pružati podršku za adaptabilnost procesa u procesno- orijentisanim poslovnim sistemima, kao i odgovor na pitanje, kako i u kojoj meri je moguće primeniti adaptabilnost na tekućim procesima u procesno orijentisanim poslovnim sistemima.Research topic of this dissertation is from the area of software engineering and business processes and business process management. An ever-increasing demand for information systems in the last few decades brought many new opportunities but also presented new challenges for companies in the landscape of doing business globally. In these terms, software systems need to adapt almost instantaneously to new requirements, opportunities, and customer expectations. Process-aware systems have become integral part in business information system solutions, finding their place at different locations. Process and data models, as well as tools on which process-oriented information systems are based, have the task of ensuring controlled management and predictable execution of business processes. The basic premise for the functioning of such systems is that the business function can be represented as a process and/or workflow - an orchestrated chain of activities (tasks), which when performed in a defined sequence, give a successful process outcome. Adapting to changes in a business process has become one of the most important activities in modern business information systems. However, the effective application of this activity in the context of modern business assessment-oriented systems is somewhat limited by the implementation methods of the process systems themselves, which usually make a strict distinction between process models and instances created on the basis of such models. Two problems significantly affect the adoption of adaptable process-oriented business systems. The first problem is related to the complexity of this activity. Modifying a process model and creating a new version to be used for future instances is a procedure that is common, well-known, and widely used. But the adaptation that propagates currently and to already started instances of the process carries many more unknowns and potential problems. It is necessary to look at the current state of execution of each individual instance, to evaluate the applicability in the context of each of those instances. A lot of experience is necessary in order to predict with certainty whether the implementation of a new change in an already started instance does not call into question the execution of the process itself. Process environments that support adaptability should therefore provide tools that enable these checks to be carried out before unintended consequences occur. Another problem arises due to the lack of existence of a concrete paradigm that would describe the way of applying this activity, that is, the cases that require the application of adaptability differ and are specific depending on the targeted business system. The goal of this dissertation, based on the aforementioned, is to create a technical solution that will provide support for process adaptability in processoriented business systems, as well as an answer to the question of how and to what extent it is possible to apply adaptability to ongoing processes in process-oriented business systems

Extensible Workflow Engine With Support for Adaptable Business Process Management

Predmet istraživanja disertacije pripada oblasti softverskog inženjerstva i poslovnih procesa, odnosno upravljanja poslovnim procesima. Upravljenje poslovnim procesima pripada oblasti koja je izuzetno dinamična kako u pogledu rasta zahteva i očekivanja sa kojima se suočava sa jedne strane, tako i novih pristupa i tehnologija koji pokušavaju da premoste i reše uočene probleme sa druge strane. Modeli procesa, podataka, kao i alati na kojima su zasnovani procesno orijentisani informacioni sistemi imaju zadatak da obezbede kontrolisano upravljanje i predvidivo izvršavanje poslovnih procesa. Osnovna premisa za funkcionisanje ovakvih sistema je da poslovna funkcija može biti predstavljena kao proces i/ili radni tok – orkestrirani lanac aktivnosti (zadataka), koji kada se izvrše u definisanom redosledu daju uspešan ishod procesa. Prilagođavanje promenama u jednom poslovnom procesu je postala jedna od najznačajnijih aktivnosti u savremenim poslovnim informacionim sistemima. Međutim, efikasna primena ove aktivnosti u kontekstu savremenih poslovnih procesno- orijentisanih sistema je donekle ograničena načinima implementacije samih procesnih sistema, koji najčešće prave striktnu distinkciju između modela procesa i instanci kreiranih na osnovu takvog modela. Ovakva implementacija, iako potpuno validna i široko prihvaćena, ipak ima i veliki nedostatak – slabu mogućnost adaptacije već pokrenutih instanci procesa na nove okolnosti, koje se mogu reflektovati na neophodne izmene u samom procesu. Redizajniranje, usaglašavanje i potvrđivanje validnosti i izmenjenog modela procesa, i implementacija nove verzije i dalje je daleko brži postupak nego izmena logike ugrađene u sam kod aplikacije. Cilj ove disertacije, na osnovu pomenutog, je kreiranje tehničkog rešenja koje će pružati podršku za adaptabilnost procesa u procesno- orijentisanim poslovnim sistemima, kao i odgovor na pitanje, kako i u kojoj meri je moguće primeniti adaptabilnost na tekućim procesima u procesno orijentisanim poslovnim sistemima. Dva problema u značajnoj meri utiču na usvajanje adaptabilnih procesno- orijentisanih poslovnih sistema. Prvi problem se odnosi na kompleksnost ove aktivnosti. Izmena modela procesa i kreiranje nove verzije koja će se koristiti za buduće instance je postupak koji je uobičajen, dobro poznat i u širokoj upotrebi. Ali adaptacija koja se propagira trenutno i na već pokrenute instance procesa nosi mnogo više nepoznanica i potencijalnih problema. Neophodno je sagledati trenutno stanje izvršavanja svake pojedine instance, izvršiti evaluaciju primenjivosti u kontekstu svake od tih instanci. Potrebno znanje za primenjivanje ovakvog pristupa, odnosno kreiranje rešenja sa podrškom za adaptabilnost procesa podrazumeva i mogućnost analitičkog sagledavanja posledica koje takva izmena može imati na procesne instance koje se već izvršavaju. Neophodno je dosta iskustva kako bi se sa sigurnošću predvidelo da li implementacija neke nove promene u već pokrenutoj instanci ne dovodi u pitanje samo izvršavanje procesa. Procesna okruženja koja podržavaju adaptabilnost bi stoga trebala da pruže alat koji omogućava da se ove provere sprovedu pre nego što do neželjenih posledica dođe. Drugi problem nastaje zbog nedostatka postojanja konkretne paradigme koja bi opisala način primene ove aktivnosti, odnosno slučajevi koji zahtevaju primenu adaptabilnosti se razlikuju i specifični su u zavisnosti od ciljanog poslovnog sistema. Cilj ove disertacije, na osnovu pomenutog, je kreiranje tehničkog rešenja koje će pružati podršku za adaptabilnost procesa u procesno- orijentisanim poslovnim sistemima, kao i odgovor na pitanje, kako i u kojoj meri je moguće primeniti adaptabilnost na tekućim procesima u procesno orijentisanim poslovnim sistemima.Research topic of this dissertation is from the area of software engineering and business processes and business process management. An ever-increasing demand for information systems in the last few decades brought many new opportunities but also presented new challenges for companies in the landscape of doing business globally. In these terms, software systems need to adapt almost instantaneously to new requirements, opportunities, and customer expectations. Process-aware systems have become integral part in business information system solutions, finding their place at different locations. Process and data models, as well as tools on which process-oriented information systems are based, have the task of ensuring controlled management and predictable execution of business processes. The basic premise for the functioning of such systems is that the business function can be represented as a process and/or workflow - an orchestrated chain of activities (tasks), which when performed in a defined sequence, give a successful process outcome. Adapting to changes in a business process has become one of the most important activities in modern business information systems. However, the effective application of this activity in the context of modern business assessment-oriented systems is somewhat limited by the implementation methods of the process systems themselves, which usually make a strict distinction between process models and instances created on the basis of such models. Two problems significantly affect the adoption of adaptable process-oriented business systems. The first problem is related to the complexity of this activity. Modifying a process model and creating a new version to be used for future instances is a procedure that is common, well-known, and widely used. But the adaptation that propagates currently and to already started instances of the process carries many more unknowns and potential problems. It is necessary to look at the current state of execution of each individual instance, to evaluate the applicability in the context of each of those instances. A lot of experience is necessary in order to predict with certainty whether the implementation of a new change in an already started instance does not call into question the execution of the process itself. Process environments that support adaptability should therefore provide tools that enable these checks to be carried out before unintended consequences occur. Another problem arises due to the lack of existence of a concrete paradigm that would describe the way of applying this activity, that is, the cases that require the application of adaptability differ and are specific depending on the targeted business system. The goal of this dissertation, based on the aforementioned, is to create a technical solution that will provide support for process adaptability in processoriented business systems, as well as an answer to the question of how and to what extent it is possible to apply adaptability to ongoing processes in process-oriented business systems

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