DEVELOPING EXECUTABLE MODELS OF BUSINESS SYSTEMS

Joseph Barjis

2007

Abstract

Traditionally, business processes models are based on graphical artifacts that do not lend to model checking or simulation, e.g., any Flow Chart like representation or UML diagrams. To check whether business process models are syntactically correct, the models are either translated to other diagrams with formal semantics or the validation is carried out manually. This approach poses two issues: first, models not lending to execution (simulation) will hardly allow thorough insight into the dynamic behavior of the system under consideration; second, when manual checking for small models may not be too difficult, it is almost impossible for complex models. In this paper we investigate two research questions that resulted in a method allowing to build executable business process models based on formal semantics of Petri net. The proposed method is theoretically based on the Transaction Concept. The two questions further studied in this paper concern graphical extension of Petri nets for business process modeling, and developing a framework (guidelines) applying the proposed method.

References

  1. Auramäki E, Lehtinen, E., Lyytinen, K. (1988). A Speech Act Based Office Modeling Approach. ACM Transactions on Office Information Systems, Vol. 6, No 2, pp. 126-152
  2. Dietz J L G (1994). Business Modeling for Business Redesign. Proceedings of the 27th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, IEEE Computer Society Press.
  3. Dietz J.L.G., & Barjis J. (1999). Supporting the DEMO Methodology with a Business Oriented Petri Net. In the proceedings of the International Workshop EMMSAD'99, Heidelberg, Germany, June 14-15, 1999
  4. Dietz J.L.G., & Barjis J. (2000). Petri Net expressions of DEMO process models as a rigid foundation for Requirements Engineering. In the proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems (ICEIS'00), Stafford, UK, 4-7 July 2000, pp. 269-274
  5. Dietz, J.L.G. (2006). Enterprise Ontology -Theory and Methodology. Springer, ISBN: 3-540-29169-5
  6. Eichner, C., Fleischhack, H., Meyer, R., Schrimpf, U., Stehno, C. (2005). Compositional Semantics for UML 2.0 Sequence Diagrams Using Petri Nets. SDL Forum 2005: 133-148.
  7. Eshuis, R. (January 2006). Symbolic Model Checking of UML Activity Diagram. ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology, v. 15, No. 1
  8. Gladwin, B., & Tumay, K. (1994). Modeling Business Processes with Simulation Tools. In the Proceedings of the 1994 Winter Simulation Conference, Lake Buena Vista, FL, Dec. 11-14.
  9. Goldkuhl, G. (1996). Generic business frameworks and action modeling. In the Proceedings of Conference Language/Action Perspective 7896, Springer Verlag.
  10. Harrison, J.R. (2002). Organisational Processes. Simulation Modeling Practice and Theory, 10: 249- 251
  11. Hevner, A.R., March, S.T., Park, J., & Ram, A. (March, 2004). Design Science in Information Systems Research. MIS Quarterly, vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 75-105.
  12. Hlupic, V., & Robinson, S. (1998). Business Process Modeling and Analysis Using Discrete-Event Simulation. In the Proceedings of the 1998 Winter Simulation Conference.
  13. Lehtinen, E., Lyytinen, K. (1986). Action Based Model of Information System. Information Systems, v. 11, No. 4
  14. Medina-Mora R., Winograd T., Flores R., & Flores F. (1992). The Action Workflow Approach to Workflow Management Technology. In the Proceedings of the Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, ACM Press
  15. Murata,T. (1989). Petri Nets: Properties, Analysis and Applications. Proceedings of the IEEE, v. 77, No 4.
  16. Paul, R.J., & Seranno, A. (2003). Simulation for Business Processes and Information Systems Design. Proceedings of the 2003 Winter Simulation Conference. New Orleans
  17. Peterson, J. L. (1981) Petri net theory and the modeling of systems. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
  18. Reisig,W. (1985). Petri Nets, An Introduction. EATCS, Monographs on Theoretical Computer Science, W.Brauer, G. Rozenberg, A. Salomaa (Eds.), Springer Verlag, Berlin.
  19. Rittgen, P. (2005). Language Action-Based Simulation of Business Processes. The 10th Anniversary International Working Conference on the LanguageAction Perspective on Communication Modeling. Kiruna, Sweden, June 19 - 20.
  20. Seila, A.F. (2005). The case for a standard model description for process simulation. International Journal of Simulation and Process Modeling, 2005 - Vol. 1, No.1/2 pp. 26 - 34
  21. Vreede, G.J. de; Verbraeck, A.; Eijck. D.T.T. van (2003) "An Arena Simulation Library for Business Process Modeling". Simulation, Vol 79, No. 1, pp. 35-42.
  22. Winograd, T.; Flores, F. (1986). Understanding Computers and Cognition: A New Foundation for Design. Ablex, Norwood.
Download


Paper Citation


in Harvard Style

Barjis J. (2007). DEVELOPING EXECUTABLE MODELS OF BUSINESS SYSTEMS . In Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems - Volume 3: ICEIS, ISBN 978-972-8865-90-0, pages 5-13. DOI: 10.5220/0002369200050013


in Bibtex Style

@conference{iceis07,
author={Joseph Barjis},
title={DEVELOPING EXECUTABLE MODELS OF BUSINESS SYSTEMS},
booktitle={Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems - Volume 3: ICEIS,},
year={2007},
pages={5-13},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0002369200050013},
isbn={978-972-8865-90-0},
}


in EndNote Style

TY - CONF
JO - Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems - Volume 3: ICEIS,
TI - DEVELOPING EXECUTABLE MODELS OF BUSINESS SYSTEMS
SN - 978-972-8865-90-0
AU - Barjis J.
PY - 2007
SP - 5
EP - 13
DO - 10.5220/0002369200050013