INTEGRATING A PATTERN CATALOGUE IN A
BUSINESS PROCESS MODEL
Lucinéia Heloisa Thom, Cirano Iochpe
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Informática
Av.Bento Conçalves, 9500, Postal Box 15064, 91501-970, Porto Alegre – RS – Brazill
Keywords: Organizational Structure Aspects,
Business Process, Pattern Catalogue, Integration and Transactional Model
of Business Process
Abstract: This paper proposes the Tra
nsactional Model of Business Process (TMBP), an extension of the
Transactional Model of Workflow Processes (TMWP) proposed in the context of the Workflow on
Intelligent Distributed database Environment (WIDE). The TMBP mainly includes elements, such as, a
Pattern Catalogue that make possible to create business sub-processes (BSP) from the reuse of BSP patterns
based on structural aspects.
1 INTRODUCTION
According to (Davis, 1996), the overall
organization should be structured according to the
Business Process (BP) it wants to carry out. The
task of structuring an organization involves the
assignment of specific values to a set of structural
aspects (e.g.: differentiation, communication
structure, scalar chain, decision-making structure
and coordination mechanism).
Once the organization’s origin is in its BP, its
structural aspe
cts are present in its BP. Thus, in
order to understand a BP it is useful to know the
structural aspects of the organization which
performs it (Iochpe, 2002).
Organizations reach their business
objectives
(products and services) by executing their BP.
Basically, a BP can be understood as a partial
order (<
pn
) of tasks (T
i
, i=1, ...n), where each of
these tasks contribute in a stage of the process.
In Workflow systems, a workflow process
(WP) au
tomates the BP, which employs a WP
model to represent all singularities of BP needed
for their automation. There are many WP models
(Grefen, 1999), (Casati, 1995), (Leyman, 2000).
However, these modes present little support for the
structure aspects of an organization. This commits
the workflow project accuracy, once such WP may
not reflect the reality of BP performed in the
organization.
We have noticed the fact above mentioned
mainly during
the accomplishment of a case study
with a Brazilian Governmental Organization (BGO)
(Thom, 2003). In that case study, we have identified a
set of workflow patterns where each pattern is based
on the relationship among one or more structural
aspects of the BGO and its workflow sub-processes.
The lack of a BP model with support to
or
ganizational structure aspects (such as the ones
above mentioned) as well as the lack of a BP model
that enable the reuse of Business-Subprocess (BSP)
patterns were the major motivations for the
development of the Transactional Model of Business
Processes (TMBP) proposed in this paper. TMBP is
mainly an extension of the Transactional Model of
Workflow Processes (TMWP) – developed in the
context of the Workflow on Intelligent Distributed
database Environment (WIDE) project (Grefen, 1999)
– with support to structural aspects of the organization.
We have opted to extend TMWP because, from
models we studied, the Workflow Management
Coalition (WfMC) (WMC, 1995) and WIDE (Grefen,
1999) models are the ones that mostly take into
consideration structural aspects of the organization.
WfMC model, however, was created with the aim of
being a reference model that makes feasible the
interchanging of process definitions among different
workflow products.
The TMBP can be employed as a reference model
for BP m
odeling. Trough the integration of a Pattern
Catalogue of BSP, it enables the construction of BSP
from the reuse of BSP patterns based on structural
aspects organization. The BP designer would not be
compelled to begin the BP modeling from scratch,
651
Heloisa Thom L. and Iochpe C. (2004).
INTEGRATING A PATTERN CATALOGUE IN A BUSINESS PROCESS MODEL.
In Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems, pages 651-654
DOI: 10.5220/0002619606510654
Copyright
c
SciTePress
once the patterns are solutions that were already
tested and used, whose efficacy was proved by
domain experts (Gamma, 1995).
The present paper is organized as it follows:
Section 2 presents the TMBP and also its
integration with a Pattern Catalogue of BSP.
Section 3 describes how the TMBP can be used in
practice. Last, but no least, Section 4 brings
conclusions as well the future works.
2 EXTENSION OF TMWP
The original TMWP can be found in (Grefen,
1999). We opted to describe the TMBP (Figure 1)
through the Unified Modeling Language (UML)
notation (Fowler, 2000) and not through the
Enhanced-Entity-Relationship (EER) notation,
originally used in the TMWP because UML has
modeling resources (OMG, 2003) necessary to
represents the BMBP in a fine-grained level.
Transact ional Business Process Model (TBPM)
PBusinessProcess
PCatalog
POrganiz ational
PResource
PRouting
Figure 1: TMBP Package
2.1 Business Process Package
In the PBusinessProcess (Figure 2), each BP
transforms an item (see Section 2.3) from an initial
state into a final state. Transformation of an item
may be decomposed in smaller transformations,
where each of them corresponds to a change in the
item state. When there are no more transformations
to be done, the item reaches its final state.
Due to its possible high complexity, a BP can
be recursively decomposed in BSP, up to the
business transaction level (BT). The BT is the
smallest work logic unit of a BP. One can imagine
that each BT is responsible for one of the item
transformations. A BT can be decomposed in a
partial order of atomic tasks. Each BT is under the
responsibility of an actor and can receive as inputs
several resources used during the tasks execution.
Each BSP can involve several BTs and
different kinds of actors. However, the set of
structural aspects of the organization and their values
should remain constant in the BSP. Each BSP can
involve one or more Organizational Units (OU), since
their structural aspects do not vary. A BSP must have
only one responsible. A simple task in TMBP is
associated to skills class, once in certain stages of the
BP it may be necessary to identify which are the
minimal skills the actor responsible for the task should
have.
Task
Resource
(from PResource)
BusinessTransaction
0..*
0..n
0..*
0..n
inputs
ActorType
(from POrganizational )
0..n
1
0..n
1
responsible
It em
status
(f ro m PRe so u rce )
Busi nessProcess
1
0..n
1
0..n
work it e m
Routing
(fr om P Rou ti n g)
SimpleTask
0..n
0..1
0..n
0..1
previus
0..n
0..1
0..n
0..1 next
Si mpleTas kType
0..*
0..1
0..*
0..1
Skill
(f ro m POr ga ni z a ti on al )
0..*
0..*
0..*
0..*
Organ izationalUnit
(from POrganizational )
Subflow
SubProcess
0..*
0..*
0..*
0..*
responsible
SuperTask
Figure 2: Classes of the PBusinessProcess
2.2 Organizational Package
In the POrganization package (Figure 3) an actor is
the one that performs a task. A human actor has a
position in the organization that identifies his/her role.
Each actor is of one type and is associated to an OU.
The type of actor identifies abstractly a certain skill,
needed for the execution of a task. Each type can be
assigned to a set of actors. Note that an actor may be
of different types yet it occupies the same post.
An organization is an aggregate of OUs. Each OU
may be related to other OUs, where such relationships
may help in the identification of the organization’s
organizational chart. Every OU has a set of structural
aspects, such as the ones described in (Thom, 2003).
Machine
Hum a n
position0..1
0..*
0..1
subordinate of
0..*
ActorType
Skill
0..n
0..n
0..n
0..n
Organization
StructuralAspect s
OrganizationalUnit
1
1
1
1
Actor
1
0..*
1
0..*
Figure 3: Classes Diagram of the POrganizational
ICEIS 2004 - INFORMATION SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND SPECIFICATION
652
2.3 Resource Package
A resource is involved in the execution of a task.
PResource (Figure 4) distinguishes three kinds of
resources: Raw material - all that is used in the
performance of a task; Tool - an instrument the
actor uses in the task execution and; Item - while a
“work item” is a business object.
An item may be of a kind and may have a
structure (Product Structure). In the case it has a
structure, the item is recursively composed of sub-
items. For example, if the BP’s final objective is to
build a chair, the chair, per se, is the final product,
and its pieces (back, sit and legs) the items.
Resource
RawMat erial
Tool
Item
stat us
ProductStructure
ItemType
Figure 4: Classes Diagram of the PResources
2.4 Routing Package
Routing along particular branches determines
which task needs to be performed and in which
order (Aalst, 2002). The routings presented in the
PRouting are based on the WfMC (WfMC, 1995).
Routing
Sequential
Parallel
Selective
Choice
Iteration
And- Split
And- Join Or-Split
Or-Join
XOR-Split
XOR-Join
Figure 5 : Classes Diagram of the PRouting
2.5 Catalogue Package
PCatalogue package (Figure 6) describes the
main classes involved in the selection of the best
design pattern from a Catalogue of BSP patterns,
as basis to model a certain BSP one wants to
accomplish. The Catalogue manager selects a BSP
pattern based on a set of parameters (which may
vary according to the kind of BSP) that can be
obtained from the TMBP.
After the pattern selection, a BSP builder
would extend that pattern with information on the
partial order of BT and, for each BT would
include: the work item it manipulates, the input
resources its internal tasks uses, the kind of actor
responsible for tasks execution and the partial order
among them. We highlight that, in order to extend the
BSP pattern the builder would need some input
parameters.
Semantically, the PatternCatalogue class uses a
possibility of UML that is modeling “dynamic tasks”
in static diagrams such as the classes diagram. Classes
like “dynamic task” represent processes that receive
the set of input parameters and generate output data.
The PatterCatalogue class receives a sub-process as
inputs and an organizational unity involved in its
execution.
input
Catalog Manager Cat alogBuilder
SubProcess
(from PBusinessProcess) PatternCatalog
<<process>>
ge nerates
Or ganizationalUnit
(from POrganizational)
responsible
input
Figure 6: Classes Diagram of PCatalogue
3 USING THE CATALOGUE
PAKAGE IN PRACTICE
To describes how the PCatalogue package can be
used in practice let’s imagine that the patterns
Catalogue contains the Approval BSP such as the one
detailed in (Thom, 2003). Additionally, lets consider
the RUP method - Rational Unified Process (Kruchten,
2001) to demonstrate how it can be instantiated.
Initially the use cases that define the main
activities necessary to build BSP from the reuse of
BSP patterns are described.
The activities with actions diagram of UML 2.0
(OMG, 2003) was used to represent the patterns that
are expanded (contemplated) by use cases. We opted
to use this diagram mainly because it gives more
emphasis to the semantics definition rather than to the
syntax. Consequently, it makes easier future
implementation in almost every programming
language. Last, but not least, the diagram allows the
specification of the BP in a fine-grained level.
3.1 Modeling of the Approval Sub-
process Base on Design Patterns
Creation of a BSP from the reuse of approval patterns
involves the use cases Figure 7 shows. The Catalogue
manager selects the approval pattern according to the
value of the decision-making structure (Davis, 1996).
As input parameters it receives the kind of sub-process
(e.g.: approval), the value of the decision-making
structure (e.g.: centralized) and the kind of work item
(e.g.: document).
INTEGRATING A PATTERN CATALOGUE IN A BUSINESS PROCESS MODEL
653
Selects Approval P a tt ern based on t he
va lue of the decision makestructure
Generate Si gnatures Hierarchy
ExtendsApproval Subprocess Pattern
<<include>>
<<include>>
Figure 7: Uses Cases Diagrams for the Creation of BSP
Based On Approval Patterns Reuse
Based on the pattern selected the pattern
builder expands the BSP pattern. It uses as input
parameters: the pattern selected; the organizational
unit and; the kind of work item. As output
parameter it presents the complete pattern
(expansion) of BSP with transactions (Figure 8).
ToReviseItem
approve
disapprove
Item
ToRecordSignature
ToAnnulPreviousSignature
Superior Positions
Figure 8: Approval Pattern for the Organizational Unit
with Centralized “decision-making structure”
4 CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE
WORKS
The organization of work, both within and between
companies, is becoming more and more complex.
This is why information systems have been
developed to support the management of process
and their automation (Aalst, 2002). Workflow
systems associated to other technologies (e.g.:
internet, electronic documents management and
database systems) make such automation feasible.
One of the most important stages in the
development of a workflow system is modeling of
BP executed in the organization. In this paper we
observed that the existents models for WP design
do not have enough support for the structural
aspects of the organization. This constraint may
commit the accuracy and efficiency of the
Workflow Project.
Aiming at approaching this constraint, we
proposed the TMBP an extension of TMWP to
support the structural aspects of the organization
and the reuse of BSP patterns.
The paper has shown that the patterns stored in
the Pattern Catalogue are selected by a Catalogue
manager and expanded by a BSP builder.
Future works could preview the development of a
wizard to support BSP modeling, based on the
semantics of the PCatalogue package. For example,
the FORO-WF (Foro, 2002) tool, based on the WIDE
model could be modified to support TMWP extension.
Last, but not least, new extensions to the TMBP may
come to be necessary, as new patterns are identified.
Patterns that would need other modeling elements for
their expansion in a BP model, besides those proposed
in the TMBP. This flexibility of TMBP if
fundamental, once as mentions in (Aalst, 2002), there
are many kinds of BPs performed in organizations,
which may be related to different structural aspects.
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