An Inter-Organizational Business Process Study from Agents Interaction Perspective

2011 ◽  
pp. 96-124
Author(s):  
Joseph Barjis ◽  
Samuel Chong
Keyword(s):  
Business Process ◽  
Software Agents ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Software Agent ◽  
Communication Patterns ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Agent Systems ◽  
Process Study ◽  
Human Actors

It is observed that agent (or software agent) based systems largely imitate organizations of human actors. Thus, the nature of agent based systems can be better understood by first studying the ordinary human actors or organizations that own the agent based systems. In this chapter we first study agent systems and discuss characteristics of software agents, then we introduce a generic pattern of agents interaction derived from the communication patterns of human actors. Agent based systems are studied in the context of inter-organizational business process using diagrams and notations adapted by the authors. The methods and concepts used in this chapter are based on the Semiotics approach and the Language Action Perspective. For the illustration of our concept of agent based systems, we discuss a case study conducted based on a real life business.

scholarly journals Software agents: Languages, tools, platforms

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Costin Bădică ◽  
Zoran Budimac ◽  
Hans-Dieter Burkhard ◽  
Mirjana Ivanovic
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Reference Point ◽  
Software Agents ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Software Agent ◽  
Agent Technology ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
Developing Area

The main goal of this paper is to provide an overview of the rapidly developing area of software agents serving as a reference point to a large body of literature and to present the key concepts of software agent technology, especially agent languages, tools and platforms. Special attention is paid on significant languages designed and developed in order to support implementation of agent-based systems and their applications in different domains. Afterwards, in the paper a number of useful and practically used tools and platforms that are available and support activities or phases of the process of agent-oriented software development are presented.

Simulating compliance behaviour for effective inspection strategies using agent based modelling

2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 809-823 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther van Asselt ◽  
Sjoukje Osinga ◽  
Harry Bremmers
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Control Programme ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Optimal Intervention ◽  
Compliance Behaviour

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to simulate compliance behaviour of entrepreneurs in the Netherlands based on the Table of Eleven: 11 factors determining compliance (based on economic, cognitive, social and institutional factors). Design/methodology/approach – An Agent-Based Model (ABM) was developed that could incorporate both individual and group behaviour and allowed to evaluate the effect of various intervention strategies. For this purpose, a case study on the compliance of pig farmers with antibiotics legislation in the Netherlands was used. Findings – The effect of social factors (acceptance of legislation and social influence) on compliance levels was tested as well as the number of inspectors. This showed that the model can help to choose the most optimal intervention strategy depending on the input parameters. Research limitations/implications – Further expansion of the model may be necessary, e.g. including economic factors, in order to reflect real-life situations more closely. Practical implications – The model can be used by inspection services to effectively implement their control programme. Originality/value – The developed ABM is a first attempt to simulate compliance behaviour and as such contributes to the current limited knowledge on effective intervention strategies.

TOWARDS AGENT-BASED MODELING AND VERIFICATION OF COLLABORATIVE BUSINESS PROCESSES: AN APPROACH CENTERED ON INTERACTIONS AND BEHAVIORS

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (03n04) ◽  
pp. 423-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARCO STUIT ◽  
NICK B. SZIRBIK
Keyword(s):  
Business Process ◽  
Petri Net ◽  
Process Design ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Colored Petri Net ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Verification Method ◽  
Design Time ◽  
Collaborative Business Process

This paper presents the process-oriented aspects of a formal and visual agent-based business process modeling language. The language is of use for (networks of) organizations that elect or envisage multi-agent systems for the support of collaborative business processes. The paper argues that the design of a collaborative business process should start with a proper understanding of the work practice of the agents in the business domain under consideration. The language introduces a novel diagram to represent the wide range of (cross-enterprise) business interactions as a hierarchy of role-based interactions (including their ordering relations) in a tree structure. The behaviors owned by the agents playing the roles in the tree are specified in separate process diagrams. A collaborative business process studied in the context of a case study at a Dutch gas transport company is used to exemplify the modeling approach. Explicit (agent-based) process models can and should be verified using formal methods. In the business process community, design-time verification of a process design is considered vital in order to ensure the correctness and termination of a collaborative business process. The proposed modeling approach is enhanced with a design-time verification method. The direction taken in this research is to combine the interaction tree and the associated agent behaviors into a verifiable hierarchical colored Petri net in order to take advantage of its well-defined (execution) semantics and proven (computerized) verification techniques. The verification method presented in this paper consists of three steps: (1) the translation of the agent-based process design to a hierarchical colored Petri net, (2) the identification of process design errors, and (3) the correction and rollback of process design errors to the agent-based model. The translation technique has been implemented in a software tool that outputs the hierarchical colored Petri net in a format that can be loaded in the widely used CPN Tools software package. Verification results are discussed for the case study model.

Neuroeconomics

2010 ◽  
pp. 35-49
Author(s):  
Shu-Heng Chen ◽  
Shu G. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Reinforcement Learning ◽  
Software Agents ◽  
Risk Attitude ◽  
Software Agent ◽  
Computational Economics ◽  
Parameter Setting ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Agent Design

Recently, the relation between neuroeconomics and agent-based computational economics (ACE) has become an issue concerning the agent-based economics community. Neuroeconomics can interest agent-based economists when they are inquiring for the foundation or the principle of the software-agent design, normally known as agent engineering. It has been shown in many studies that the design of software agents is non-trivial and can determine what will emerge from the bottom. Therefore, it has been quested for rather a period regarding whether we can sensibly design these software agents, including both the choice of software agent models, such as reinforcement learning, and the parameter setting associated with the chosen model, such as risk attitude. In this chapter, we shall start a formal inquiry by focusing on examining the models and parameters used to build software agents.

Multi-Agent Simulation in Organizations

2011 ◽  
pp. 2728-2733
Author(s):  
Nikola Vlahovic ◽  
Vlatko Ceric
Keyword(s):  
Social Systems ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Agent Based Modeling ◽  
Multi Agent Systems ◽  
Social Constructs ◽  
Social Phenomena ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Agent Systems ◽  
Agent Simulation ◽  
Multi Agent

Most economic and business systems are complex, dynamic, and nondeterministic systems. Different modeling techniques have been used for representing real life economic and business organizations either on a macro level (such as national economics) or micro level (such as business processes within a firm or strategies within an industry). Even though general computer simulation was used for modeling various systems (Zeigler, 1976) since the 1970s the limitation of computer resources did not allow for in-depth simulation of dynamic social phenomena. The dynamics of social systems and impact of the behavior of individual entities in social constructs were modeled using mathematical modeling or system dynamics. With the growing interest in multi agent systems that led to its standardization in the 1990s, multi agent systems were proposed for the use of modeling social systems (Gilbert & Conte, 1995). Multi agent simulation was able to provide a high level disintegration of the models and proper treatment of inhomogeneity and individualism of the agents, thus allowing for simulation of cooperation and competition. A number of simulation models were developed in the research of biological and ecological systems, such as models for testing the behavior and communication between social insects (bees and ants). Artificial systems for testing hypothesis about social order and norms, as well as ancient societies (Kohler, Gumerman, & Reynolds, 2005) were also simulated. Since then, agent-based modeling and simulation (ABMS) established itself as an attractive modeling technique (Klugl, 2001; Moss & Davidsson, 2001). Numerous software toolkits were released, such as Swarm, Repast, MASON and SeSAm. These toolkits make agent-based modeling easy enough to be attractive to practitioners from a variety of subject areas dealing with social interactions. They make agent-based modeling accessible to a large number of analysts with less programming experience.

Multi-Agent Systems Integration in Enterprise Environments Using Web Services

2008 ◽  
pp. 174-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo H. Ramírez ◽  
Ramón F. Brena
Keyword(s):  
Web Services ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Software Agents ◽  
Systems Integration ◽  
Enterprise Systems ◽  
Multi Agent Systems ◽  
Time To Market ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Agent Systems ◽  
Multi Agent

In this paper we present a decoupled architectural approach that allows software agents to interoperate with enterprise systems using Web services. The solution leverages existing technologies and standards in order to reduce the time-to-market and increase the adoption of agent-based applications. We present case studies of applications that have been enhanced by our proposal.

Neuroeconomics and Agent-Based Computational Economics

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Heng Chen
Keyword(s):  
Reinforcement Learning ◽  
Software Agents ◽  
Risk Attitude ◽  
Software Agent ◽  
Computational Economics ◽  
Parameter Setting ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Agent Design

Recently, the relation between neuroeconomics and agent-based computational economics (ACE) has become an issue concerning the agent-based economics community. Neuroeconomics can interest agent-based economists when they are inquiring for the foundation or the principle of the software-agent design. It has been shown in many studies that the design of software agents is non-trivial and can determine what will emerge from the bottom. Therefore, it has been quested for rather a period regarding whether anyone can sensibly design these software agents, including both the choice of software agent models, such as reinforcement learning, and the parameter setting associated with the chosen model, such as risk attitude. In this paper, the author will start a formal inquiry by focusing on examining the models and parameters used to build software agents.

Composite Process-Personalization with Service-Oriented Architecture

2009 ◽  
pp. 226-244
Author(s):  
Rajani Shankar Sadasivam
Keyword(s):  
Web Services ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Business Process ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Service Oriented Architecture ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Service Oriented ◽  
Composite Services ◽  
Large Systems

The integration of large systems remains problematic in spite of advances in composite services approaches, such as Web services and business process technologies. The next challenge in integration is composite process-personalization (CPP), which involves addressing the needs of the interaction worker. An interaction worker participates and drives business processes. As these workers increasingly perform their work from mobile devices, CPP becomes an important area of mobile research. In this chapter, an agent-based approach to composite services development is introduced, addressing the lack of CPP in integration. A case study is used to demonstrate the steps in the agent-based approach.

scholarly journals AGENT FABRICATION AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION FOR AGENT-BASED ELECTRONIC COMMERCE

2002 ◽  
Vol 01 (03) ◽  
pp. 473-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
SHENG-UEI GUAN ◽  
FANGMING ZHU
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Commerce ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Software Agents ◽  
Conceptual Structure ◽  
Potential Solution ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Multi Agent Systems ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Agent Systems ◽  
Multi Agent

In the last decade, agent-based e-commerce has emerged as a potential role for the next generation of e-commerce. How to create agents for e-commerce applications has become a serious consideration in this field. This paper proposes a new scheme named agent fabrication and elaborates its implementation in multi-agent systems based on the SAFER (Secure Agent Fabrication, Evolution and Roaming) architecture. First, a conceptual structure is proposed for software agents carrying out e-commerce activities. Furthermore, agent module suitcase is defined to facilitate agent fabrication. With these definitions and facilities in the SAFER architecture, the formalities of agent fabrication are elaborated. In order to enhance the security of agent-based e-commerce, an infrastructure of agent authorization and authentication is integrated in agent fabrication. Implementation and prototype applications show that the proposed agent fabrication scheme brings forth a potential solution for creating agents in agent-based e-commerce applications.

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