Business Process Control-Flow Complexity

2011 ◽  
pp. 516-544
Author(s):  
Jorge Cardoso
Keyword(s):  
Process Control ◽  
Business Process ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Control Flow ◽  
High Complexity ◽  
Process Measurement ◽  
Complexity Cost ◽  
Process Complexity

Organizations are increasingly faced with the challenge of managing business processes, workflows, and recently, Web processes. One important aspect of business processes that has been overlooked is their complexity. High complexity in processes may result in poor understandability, errors, defects, and exceptions, leading processes to need more time to develop, test, and maintain. Therefore, excessive complexity should be avoided. Business process measurement is the task of empirically and objectively assigning numbers to the properties of business processes in such a way so as to describe them. Desirable attributes to study and measure include complexity, cost, maintainability, and reliability. In our work, we will focus on investigating process complexity. We present and describe a metric to analyze the control-flow complexity of business processes. The metric is evaluated in terms of Weyuker’s properties in order to guarantee that it qualifies as good and comprehensive. To test the validity of the metric, we describe the experiment we have carried out for empirically validating the metric.

scholarly journals Exploring location-dependency in process modeling

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 794-815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinwei Zhu ◽  
Jan Recker ◽  
Guobin Zhu ◽  
Flávia Maria Santoro
Keyword(s):  
Business Process ◽  
Process Modeling ◽  
Context Awareness ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Flow Patterns ◽  
Control Flow ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Location Awareness ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – Context-awareness has emerged as an important principle in the design of flexible business processes. The goal of the research is to develop an approach to extend context-aware business process modeling toward location-awareness. The purpose of this paper is to identify and conceptualize location-dependencies in process modeling. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses a pattern-based approach to identify location-dependency in process models. The authors design specifications for these patterns. The authors present illustrative examples and evaluate the identified patterns through a literature review of published process cases. Findings – This paper introduces location-awareness as a new perspective to extend context-awareness in BPM research, by introducing relevant location concepts such as location-awareness and location-dependencies. The authors identify five basic location-dependent control-flow patterns that can be captured in process models. And the authors identify location-dependencies in several existing case studies of business processes. Research limitations/implications – The authors focus exclusively on the control-flow perspective of process models. Further work needs to extend the research to address location-dependencies in process data or resources. Further empirical work is needed to explore determinants and consequences of the modeling of location-dependencies. Originality/value – As existing literature mostly focusses on the broad context of business process, location in process modeling still is treated as “second class citizen” in theory and in practice. This paper discusses the vital role of location-dependencies within business processes. The proposed five basic location-dependent control-flow patterns are novel and useful to explain location-dependency in business process models. They provide a conceptual basis for further exploration of location-awareness in the management of business processes.

Verifiable Model Construction for Business Processes

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (07) ◽  
pp. 1017-1042
Author(s):  
Shunhui Ji ◽  
Liming Hu ◽  
Yihan Cao ◽  
Pengcheng Zhang ◽  
Jerry Gao
Keyword(s):  
Business Process ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Control Flow ◽  
Service Description ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Input Language ◽  
Business Process Execution Language ◽  
Composite Service ◽  
Business Process Execution

Business process specified in Business Process Execution Language (BPEL), which integrates existing services to develop composite service for offering more complicated function, is error-prone. Verification and testing are necessary to ensure the correctness of business processes. SPIN, for which the input language is PROcess MEta-LAnguage (Promela), is one of the most popular tools for detecting software defects and can be used both in verification and testing. In this paper, an automatic approach is proposed to construct the verifiable model for BPEL-based business process with Promela language. Business process is translated to an intermediate two-level representation, in which eXtended Control Flow Graph (XCFG) describes the behavior of BPEL process in the first level and Web Service Description Models (WSDM) depict the interface information of composite service and partner services in the second level. With XCFG of BPEL process, XCFGs for partner services are generated to describe their behavior. Promela model is constructed by defining data types based on WSDM and defining channels, variables and processes based on XCFGs. The constructed Promela model is closed, containing not only the BPEL process but also its execution environment. Case study shows that the proposed approach is effective.

The effect of business process configurations on user motivation

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 541-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell Torres ◽  
Anna Sidorova
Keyword(s):  
Business Process ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Employee Motivation ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Performance Expectations ◽  
Distribution Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Settings ◽  
Process Complexity ◽  
Case Distribution

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand how business process configurations influence motivation among process participants. Design/methodology/approach – An experiment was conducted in which business process rules complexity, work backlog, and case distribution method were manipulated. Participant motivation and its antecedents were measured using a survey. Findings – The study finds that business process configurations influence the motivation of process participants through their effect on perceived competence. Increasing business process rules complexity reduces competence. The effect of case distribution method on competence depends on backlog. Sequential distribution undermines competence in the presence of backlog, and enhances competence when backlog is absent. However, batch distribution results in higher competence in the presence of backlog than in its absence. Research limitations/implications – The study confirms the applicability of self-determination theory for analyzing the effect of work settings, including business process configurations, on employee motivation. The study further demonstrates the applicability of the task technology fit model in the context of business process automation. Practical implications – The study suggests that reducing process complexity through the use of information technology can benefit process participant motivation. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of case distribution method on performance expectations. Originality/value – While much of the extant research has considered the enhancement of business processes at the organizational level, this study examines how business process design can be used to preserve and potentially enhance the motivation of human process participants.

scholarly journals Process Innovation and Improvement Using Business Object-Oriented Process Modelling (BOOPM) Framework

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sitalakshmi Venkatraman ◽  
Ramanathan Venkatraman
Keyword(s):  
Business Process ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Enterprise Systems ◽  
Object Oriented ◽  
Process Modelling ◽  
Control Flow ◽  
Process Efficiency ◽  
Business Process Modelling ◽  
Business Object

In the past decades, a number of methodologies have been proposed to innovate and improve business processes that play an important role in enhancing the operational efficiency of an organisation in order to attain business competitiveness. Traditional business process modelling (BPM) approaches are process-centric and focus on the workflow, ignoring the data modelling aspects that are essential for today’s data-centric landscape of modern businesses. Hence, a majority of BPM initiatives have failed in several organisations due to the lack of data-driven insights into their business performance. On the other hand, the information systems of today focus more on dataflows using object-oriented modelling (OOM) approaches. Even standard OOM approaches, such as unified modelling language (UML) methods, exhibit inherent weaknesses due to their lack of formalized innovation with business objects and the dynamic control-flows of complex business processes. In addition to these issues, both BPM and OOM approaches have been augmented with an array of complex software tools and techniques which have confused businesses. There is a lack of a common generalized framework that integrates the well-formalised control-flow based BPM approach and the dataflow based OOM approach that is suitable for today’s enterprise systems in order to support organisations to achieve successful business process improvements. This paper takes a modest step to fill this gap. We propose a framework using a structured six-step business process modelling (BPM) guideline combined with a business object-oriented methodology (BOOM) in a unique and practical way that could be adopted for improving an organisation’s process efficiency and business performance in contemporary enterprise systems. Our proposed business object-oriented process modelling (BOOPM) framework is applied to a business case study in order to demonstrate the practical implementation and process efficiency improvements that can be achieved in enterprise systems using such a structured and integrated approach.

Management control systems for business processes in uncertain environments

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Eldridge ◽  
Jos van Iwaarden ◽  
Ton van der Wiele ◽  
Roger Williams
Keyword(s):  
Process Control ◽  
Control Systems ◽  
Business Process ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Management Control ◽  
Management Control Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interactive Control ◽  
Uncertain Environment

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the application of management control systems (MCS) to business processes when an organisation is operating in an uncertain environment. The limitations of conventional process control in this context are described, and the opportunities to exploit current MCS ideas are considered. Design/methodology/approach – One such model, Simons' levers of control, is used for case study research in a European high technology start-up company. Findings – The findings suggest that the organisation responded to its uncertain environment with a package of formal and informal control systems for its strategically important business processes. The relative importance of individual business processes was observed to positively influence the rigour of control systems' implementation. Also, the inherent uncertainty or unpredictability of an individual business process was observed to influence the type of control systems employed. The use of guiding or enabling systems, particularly interactive control systems, was more pronounced in those business processes which were inherently unpredictable. Originality/value – These findings illustrate that adopting a MCS perspective to address business process control issues can yield new useful insights for managers when dealing with uncertainty.

scholarly journals Dekomposisi Model Proses Bisnis Tebang Muat Angkut (TMA) Menggunakan Refined Process Structure Tree (RPST) dan Metrik Kompleksitas

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-112
Author(s):  
Annisa Heparyanti Safitri ◽  
Muhammad Ainul Yaqin ◽  
Adi Heru Utomo
Keyword(s):  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Business Process ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
High Complexity ◽  
Average Complexity ◽  
Structure Tree ◽  
Process Structure ◽  
Model Fragment ◽  
Decomposition Complexity

Abstract— In an organization, some problems often arise, one of which lies in the complexity of business process modeling. In business processes, high complexity values ​​are complicated to analyze and maintain as a whole, so a method is needed to break down the business process into smaller parts called the fragment process model. Therefore, a decomposition was carried out to decompose the process model to make it simpler. The benefit of decomposition is to make it easier for users to compose the required business process model. We used three different scenarios for the TMA process model to analyze each fragment. There is a process model with scenarios that tend to be the sequence, multi-branching, and nested branching. Furthermore, to support the results of the RPST, the calculation of the average complexity value with the Yaqin Complexity formula, and the standard deviation for the process model fragment was also carried out. Our experimental results found that the rate of the tree at the RPST affected the number of fragments. Also, we found that the more profound the tree depth, the higher the average complexity value. In this study, we found that scenarios that tend to be sequential, have the lowest average complexity value with the number 22, and a standard deviation value of 5,567. While the highest value is in the scenario that has nested branching, and there is a repetition process with an average complexity value of 29.8 and a standard deviation value of 13.405. Keywords— Process Model, RPST, Decomposition, Complexity Matrix, Standard Deviation.   Abstrak— Dalam suatu organisasi seringkali timbul beberapa permasalahan, salah satunya terletak pada kompleksitas pemodelan proses bisnis. Dalam proses bisnis, nilai kompleksitas yang tinggi rumit untuk dianalisis dan dipelihara secara keseluruhan, sehingga diperlukan metode untuk memecah proses bisnis menjadi bagian-bagian yang lebih kecil yang disebut model proses fragmen. Oleh karena itu, dekomposisi dilakukan untuk menguraikan model proses agar lebih sederhana. Manfaat dekomposisi adalah memudahkan pengguna untuk menyusun model proses bisnis yang dibutuhkan. Kami menggunakan tiga skenario berbeda untuk model proses TMA untuk menganalisis setiap fragmen. Terdapat model proses dengan skenario yang cenderung berurutan, bercabang banyak, dan bercabang bersarang. Selanjutnya untuk mendukung hasil RPST juga dilakukan perhitungan nilai kompleksitas rata-rata dengan rumus Yaqin Complexity, dan standar deviasi untuk fragmen model proses. Hasil eksperimental kami menemukan bahwa laju pohon di RPST memengaruhi jumlah fragmen. Selain itu, kami menemukan bahwa semakin mendalam kedalaman pohon, semakin tinggi nilai kompleksitas rata-ratanya. Pada penelitian ini ditemukan skenario yang cenderung berurutan, memiliki nilai rata-rata kompleksitas terendah dengan angka 22, dan nilai standar deviasi 5,567. Sedangkan nilai tertinggi ada pada skenario bercabang nested, dan terjadi proses pengulangan dengan nilai kompleksitas rata-rata 29,8 dan nilai standar deviasi 13,405. Keywords—Model Proses, RPST, Dekomposisi, Matrik Kompleksitas, Standar Deviasi.

scholarly journals Visualizing a Business Process Control-Flow

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-67
Author(s):  
Ivaylo Kamenarov ◽  
◽  
Katalina Grigorova
Keyword(s):  
Process Control ◽  
Business Process ◽  
Control Flow

Change Propagation and Conflict Resolution for the Co-Evolution of Business Processes

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (01) ◽  
pp. 1540002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg Grossmann ◽  
Shamila Mafazi ◽  
Wolfgang Mayer ◽  
Michael Schrefl ◽  
Markus Stumptner
Keyword(s):  
Business Process ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Control Flow ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Change Propagation ◽  
Multiple Stakeholders ◽  
Reference Process ◽  
Simple Rules ◽  
Process Views ◽  
Related Process

In large organizations, multiple stakeholders may modify the same business process. This paper addresses the problem when stakeholders perform changes on process views which become inconsistent with the business process and other views. Related work addressing this problem is based on execution trace analysis which is performed in a post-analysis phase and can be complex when dealing with large business process models. In this paper, we propose a design-based approach that can efficiently check consistency criteria and propagate changes on-the-fly from a process view to its reference process and related process views. The technique is based on consistent specialization of business processes and supports the control flow aspect of processes. Consistency checks can be performed during the design time by checking simple rules which support an efficient change propagation between views and reference process.

Research on Consistency Verification of Semantic Business Process Model Based on SWRL

2013 ◽  
Vol 756-759 ◽  
pp. 1595-1599
Author(s):  
Peng Tan ◽  
Feng He ◽  
Chen Min Yan
Keyword(s):  
Business Process ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Semantic Annotation ◽  
Control Flow ◽  
Business Process Model ◽  
Business Rule ◽  
Business Functions ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Consistency Verification

At the moment Semantic Business Process Model (SBPM) build on the semantic annotation, the specification of process activity, the control flow between activities and business functions of process. However, the correctness of SBPM is based on technical knowledge and experiences of the model designer, which is apparently not feasible for complex and dynamic business processes. Therefore, the goal of this paper is present a formalization description which was understood by business experts and model designers, establishing a new method to verify the consistency between SBPM and requirement of enterprise. Our techniques are based on the SWRL and Business rule.

A BUSINESS PROCESS CENTERED SOFTWARE ANALYSIS METHOD

2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (02) ◽  
pp. 153-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
JINGZHOU LI ◽  
BRIEN MAGUIRE ◽  
YIYU YAO
Keyword(s):  
Process Control ◽  
Business Process ◽  
Process Modeling ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Control Logic ◽  
Software Analysis ◽  
Main Technique ◽  
Structured Analysis ◽  
Development Methods

Based on the requirements arising from process-centered organizations and because of the lack of process modeling mechanisms in traditional software development methods, this paper presents a Business Process-centered Software Analysis method (BPSA), which supports the modeling of business process control logic. As a method, BPSA is composed of two main parts: a model and the steps of how to model the requirements using this model. The model includes the functional, informational and organizational aspects as well as the behavioral aspect that provides the mechanism for modeling the process control logic. The event mechanism is employed in this method as a main technique for modeling the control aspect of business processes. This method is based on technologies such as Structured Analysis, OOA & OOD, Workflow, XML, and has been used in the development of several medium and large information systems, proving to be both useful and effective.

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