Towards True Process Descriptions Interoperability

The article describes a part of our research in the area of (business) process modeling, analysis and execution. It describes the current state of process languages and standards. It concentrates on the process model interoperability and portability problems, caused because of huge number of process modeling standards, which often do not even target the same conceptual level of process modeling. It provides an idea how to bring together those standards, using process concepts mapping into Petri nets and incorporating the usage of process patterns. Transformation to strictly formal process languages has a potential to prove itself as a fair solution with the following advantages: the number of mappings among different process languages is reduced and the process model can be analyzed using proven Petri Net or general graph algorithms. Development of the approach is still in its early phase. Mapping rules to/from process patterns are neither strictly defined nor trivial, therefore, they will be the main focus of our future research

PROCESSUS - Methodology for Quality System Improvement and Assessment

The PROCESSUS methodology was developed to assist the software organizations with quality system establishment and improvement. It covers the assessment of software organizations and training and consulting procedures during the establishment or improvement of their quality systems. The methodology is based on two best known software quality improvement models, SEI CMM and ISO standards. In the paper special attention is given to the method of integration of both models. The integrated model also forms the basis for the PROCESSUS methodology

Process model in new ISO 9000 : 2000 standard group

Standardi skupine ISO 9000 so se pojavili prvič leta 1987, da bi popolno zaščitili kupca-uporabnika pred nekakovostnimi proizvodi in storitvami. Njihova dosledna uporaba pripomore k izboljšanju kakovosti dela, organizacije in procesov. Vendar ima poleg vrste pozitivnih elementov, trenutno veljavni model standardov ISO 9000 (verzija 1994) tudi nekatere pomanjkljivosti, ki se kažejo predvsem v njegovi izraziti usmerjenosti k proizvodnim organizacijam in preveliki statičnosti sistemov kakovosti, zasnovanih na podlagi ISO 9000. Na podlagi številnih predlogov je nastal osnutek novih standardov ISO 9000 (verzija 2000), katerega izdajo pričakujemo ob koncu leta 2000. Zanjo je značilno predvsem troje: prilagoditev standardov procesnemu pristopu, bistvena poenostavitev sestave standardov in vnos nekaterih novih zahtev v vsebino standardov. S tem, ko so sistemi kakovosti v novih standardih opredeljeni v obliki procesnega modela, so podani boljši pogoji za vodenje procesov, analize medsebojnih vplivov, zapletenosti in podobno. V prispevku je opisan potek priprave novih standardov ter vsebina predlaganih sprememb.The ISO family standards appeared in 1987. From the beginning the main purpose of these standards is the protection of customers. The suppliers (production and service companies) have to organize their processes in accordance with standards requirements which influences the improvement of the quality of both - processes and products. Nevertheless, the standards themselves have some deficiences. The currently valid standards (published in 1994) are more suitable for production companies than for service and other types of organizations. Other important shortcoming of the current version is also the lack of continual improvement issue and compatibility with other management systems. Considering the expeeriences with implementation of standards, suggestion and recommendations of their users, the revision of ISO 9000 standards will be issued at the end of year 2000. Basic characteristics of new standards are: process model orientation, compatibility with other management systems, reduction of number of standards and user friendliness. Inthe article the content of new standards and the difference of requirements of current valid and new standards are described

An evaluation of process complexity

Postopke v vseh aktivnostih lahko opredelimo z zaporedjem aktivnosti, ki se izvajajo, delovnimi proizvodi, ki so potrebni za izvajanje aktivnosti, oziroma nastanejo kot rezultat aktivnosti ter z viri, ki so potrebni za izvedbo posameznih aktivnosti. Čim bolj podrobno poznamo postopek, tem več podatkov je na voljo pri ocenjevanju posameznih projektov. V prispevku je opisan model (Software Process Complexity Model), ki omogoča izdelavo podrobnega opisa procesa na temelju notacije Petrijevih mrež. Model postavlja tudi mehanizem za ocenjevanje zahtevnosti tako posameznih gradnikov kakor tudi postopka kot celote. Na podlagi tako izvedenih ocenitev lahko določimo relativni delež truda, ki bo v izbranem projektu potreben za izvedbo posamezne aktivnosti. Model SoPCoM je bil razvit v okviru raziskovalnega dela na Univerzi v Mariboru.All types of processes can be described as a sequence of activities using a set of reqiured input and output products and resources of different types. Knowing the process in detail ensures that evaluations of the required effort for projects - conducted on the basis of a described process model - are more accurate. The Software Process Complexity Model (SoPCoM) described in this paper provides a mechanism for the description of a process in Petri-nets notation. Attributes defined in the SopCoM enable an evaluation of the complexity of each process element as well as the complexity of the process as a whole. The relative complex process model. The SoPCoM was developed at the University of Maribor