Towards an Intelligent Workflow Designer based on the Reuse of Workflow Patterns

In order to perform process-aware information systems we need sophisticated methods and concepts for designing and modeling processes. Recently, research on workflow patterns has emerged in order to increase the reuse of recurring workflow structures. However, current workflow modeling tools do not provide functionalities that enable users to define, query, and reuse workflow patterns properly. In this paper we gather a suite for both process modeling and normalization based on workflow patterns reuse. This suite must be used in the extension of some workflow design tool. The suite comprises components for the design of processes from both legacy systems and process modeling

Workflow Patterns for Business Process Modeling

For its reuse advantages, workflow patterns (e.g., control flow patterns, data patterns, resource patterns) are increasingly attracting the interest of both researchers and vendors. Frequently, business process or workflow models can be assembeled out of a set of recurrent process fragments (or recurrent business functions), each of them having generic semantics that can be described as a pattern. To our best knowledge, so far, there has been no (empirical) work evidencing the existence of such recurrent patterns in real workflow applications. Thus, in this paper we elaborate the frequency with which certain patterns occur in practice. Furthermore, we investigate completeness of workflow patterns (based on recurrent functions) with respect to their ability to capture a large variety of business processes

ICT in Czech companies: business efficiency potentials to be achieved.

The paper deals with business potential analysis based on the data published by Czech Statistic Authority (SÚ). It shows that the infrastructure state of the art even in small Czech companies enables to expand ERP and CRM systems, trading over Internet, Supply Chain Management and other new trends. Internet security is here of greatest importance, however it cannot be seen as major obstacle for new trading methods. The greatest challenge identified is the process and workflow optimization. To streamline workflow the document management supporting nearly seamless integration crossover the functional areas is of greatest importance. Moreover, process optimization can run into difficulties due to cross-organization functionalities of new IT architecture concepts like Service Oriented Architecture, WEB2 concepts and other methods and means. In this paper the value flow approach is shortly mentioned as an alternative to process modeling and workflow approach. Value oriented methods can overcome the process oriented approach limitations.ICT infrastructure; Business processes; Process modeling; Document management; Value chains; Business semantics

Modeling Workflow Processes Based on Tasks and Transactions: A Case Study of the UPM Graduate School Office

Workflow binds, integrates the people, the processes, and the organisation into a value chain. Workflow modeling is used to redesign work processes to increase the efficiency and productivity of work. Workflow is said to be the technological cousin to Business Process Reengineering. Workflow carries the promise of integrating office work, resulting in short delay times, improved customer services and better knowledge of logistics parameters of office work. Workflow systems support business systems by maintaining the logical sequence of transitions between tasks in a work process, making sure that all related tasks or a process are completed. Tasks and transactions form an integral part of a workflow management system. However, workflow modeling is a relatively new field. Many organisations intending to conduct business process re-engineering are finding it difficult to obtain frameworks to model their workflows. This study presents the development of a framework for these organisations to model workflow processes. Old workflow processes are studied from a selected organisation and a new workflow model is designed. The performance improvements of the new workflow model over the old workflow model are then quantified. From here, a framework for workflow modeling is produced for future reference. Important concepts and issues that need attention when modeling workflows, are discussed. These issues can be used to overcome setbacks faced by many organisations while modeling their workflows, such as identifying problems in the workflow and redesigning a workflow model that will increase productivity. From this study, it is revealed that redesigning workflows require that each process be looked into carefully for its flaws and problems, to look for measures to improve the processes, and to redesign these workflow processes with attention given to issues,such as allowing the workflow model to be open, reusable, portable and scalable. With these issues in reference, workflow modeling can then be successfully implemented, for the re-engineering of any organisation

A Constrained Object Model for Configuration Based Workflow Composition

Automatic or assisted workflow composition is a field of intense research for applications to the world wide web or to business process modeling. Workflow composition is traditionally addressed in various ways, generally via theorem proving techniques. Recent research observed that building a composite workflow bears strong relationships with finite model search, and that some workflow languages can be defined as constrained object metamodels . This lead to consider the viability of applying configuration techniques to this problem, which was proven feasible. Constrained based configuration expects a constrained object model as input. The purpose of this document is to formally specify the constrained object model involved in ongoing experiments and research using the Z specification language.Comment: This is an extended version of the article published at BPM'05, Third International Conference on Business Process Management, Nancy Franc

A System for Deduction-based Formal Verification of Workflow-oriented Software Models

The work concerns formal verification of workflow-oriented software models using deductive approach. The formal correctness of a model's behaviour is considered. Manually building logical specifications, which are considered as a set of temporal logic formulas, seems to be the significant obstacle for an inexperienced user when applying the deductive approach. A system, and its architecture, for the deduction-based verification of workflow-oriented models is proposed. The process of inference is based on the semantic tableaux method which has some advantages when compared to traditional deduction strategies. The algorithm for an automatic generation of logical specifications is proposed. The generation procedure is based on the predefined workflow patterns for BPMN, which is a standard and dominant notation for the modeling of business processes. The main idea for the approach is to consider patterns, defined in terms of temporal logic,as a kind of (logical) primitives which enable the transformation of models to temporal logic formulas constituting a logical specification. Automation of the generation process is crucial for bridging the gap between intuitiveness of the deductive reasoning and the difficulty of its practical application in the case when logical specifications are built manually. This approach has gone some way towards supporting, hopefully enhancing our understanding of, the deduction-based formal verification of workflow-oriented models.Comment: International Journal of Applied Mathematics and Computer Scienc

Human error control in the collaborative workflow modeling tool based on GEMS model

Business process should support the execution of collaboration process with agility and flexibility through the integration of enterprise inner or outer application and human resources from the collaborative workflow view.Although the dependency of enterprise activities to the automated system has been increasing, human role is as important as ever.In the workflow modelling this human role is emphasized and the structure to control human error by analysing decision-making itself is needed.Also, through the collaboration of activities agile and effective communication should be constructed, eventually by the combination and coordination of activities to the aimed process the product quality should be improved.This paper classifies human errors can be occurred in collaborative workflow by applying GEMS(Generic Error Modelling System) to control them, and suggests human error control method through hybrid based modelling as well.On this base collaborative workflow modeling tool is designed and implemented. Using this modelling methodology it is possible to workflow modeling could be supported considering human characteristics has a tendency of human error to be controlled