A Context-Aware Architecture for Realizing Business Process Adaptation Strategies Using Fuzzy Planning

Business competency emerges in flexibility and reliability of services that an enterprise provides. To reach that, executing business processes on a context-aware business process management suite which is equipped with monitoring, modeling and adaptation mechanisms and smart enough to react properly using adaptation strategies at runtime, are a major requisite. In this paper, a context-aware architecture is described to bring adaptation to common business process execution software. The architecture comes with the how-to-apply methodology and is established based on process standards like business process modeling notation (BPMN), business process execution language (BPEL), etc. It follows MAPE-K adaptation cycle in which the knowledge, specifically contextual information and their related semantic rules — as the input of adaptation unit — is modeled in our innovative context ontology, which is also extensible for domain-specific purposes. Furthermore, to support separation of concerns, we took apart event-driven adaptation requirements from process instances; these requirements are triggered based on ontology reasoning. Also, the architecture supports fuzzy-based planning and extensible adaptation realization mechanisms to face new or changing situations adequately. We characterized our work in comparison with related studies based on five key adaptation metrics and also evaluated it using an online learning management system case study.

Integrated Estimation of a Cyber-Physical System’s Sustainability

Currently, in conditions of Industry 4.0, the use of cyber-physical systems in various fields is becoming widespread. This article is devoted to the problem of estimating CPS sustainability in the context of modern challenges faced by decision makers and IT developers in order to ensure effective proactive business process management using this innovative technology. The purpose of the research is to propose and substantiate a methodology for estimating CPS sustainability to ensure the reliability and strength of its elements, their interrelationships and interaction, as well as the effective functioning and development of this system in conditions of high dynamism and uncertainty of the external environment. In this study, we used methods of integral evaluation, synthesis, expert assessments, dynamic analysis, and systematic approach, and coined the term ‘CPS sustainability’. Our study showed that negative risks, external and internal threats may have a significant adverse impact on CPS sustainability. The reliability of this system should be evaluated on the basis of integrated indicators. The key indicators, reflecting the reliability of maintaining the properties of the CPS in a normal state of its function and further development, were identified. We propose a methodology for estimating CPS sustainability. In general, the presented results form the basis for improving CPS management to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of its functioning and development.

The Influence of Human-Organizational Factors on Falling Accidents From Historical Text Data

This paper firstly proposes a modified human factor classification analysis system (HFACS) framework based on literature analysis and the characteristics of falling accidents in construction. Second, a Bayesian network (BN) topology is constructed based on the dependence between human factors and organizational factors, and the probability distribution of the human-organizational factors in a BN risk assessment model is calculated based on falling accident reports and fuzzy set theory. Finally, the sensitivity of the causal factors is determined. The results show that 1) the most important reason for falling accidents is unsafe on-site supervision. 2) There are significant factors that influence falling accidents at different levels in the proposed model, including operation violations in the unsafe acts layer, factors related to an adverse technological environment for the unsafe acts layer, loopholes in site management in the unsafe on-site supervision layer, lack of safety culture in the adverse organizational influence layer, and lax government regulation in the adverse external environment layer. 3) According to the results of the BN risk assessment model, the most likely causes are loopholes in site management work, lack of safety culture, insufficient safety inspections and acceptance, vulnerable process management and operation violations.

An investigation of publication status alternation of papers online first in China: Based on CNKI data from 2017 to 2019

[Purposes] This study aims to investigate the publication status alternation of papers online first and reveal how the Regulations for Alteration of Publication Status and Content Correction of Online Publications on CNKI (Regulations for short) is implemented. [Methods] Firstly, we retrieved the withdrawal declarations of papers online first marked with "withdrawal" on CNKI from 2017 to 2019. Secondly, we downloaded them and saved the documents after coding. Then, the file directories were imported into Endnote X9 (a kind of reference management software) for statistical analysis and the texts of declarations were input into NVivo 12 Plus (a type of qualitative data analysis software) for cause classification. Finally, we analyzed the subject distribution, source journals, and causes of the "withdrawal". [Findings] From 2017 to 2019, the publication statuses of 389 articles online first have been altered, with 310 withdrawn, 74 retracted, and 5 corrected. Among them, only 278 (71.47%) state specific causes in the withdrawal statements and the causes are academic misconduct (32), authorship (25), publishing errors (82), quality problems (118), and others (21). [Conclusions] The online-first articles have a high proportion (389/182654, 0.21%) of publication status alternation and a small percentage of them (6/389, 1.54%) have strictly complied with the requirements of the Regulations, as manifested by the missing or vague causes for the publication status alternation in the withdrawal statements and even the deliberately covered-up academic misconducts. Academic journal publishers and digital publishing platforms should enhance the process management and content review of papers published online first and further improve the transparency of the causes of publication status alternation, visibility of withdrawal declarations, and traceability of the "withdrawal" process.

Methodology for business process development in the digital economy in the formation of a sustainable industrial development mechanism

The article considers the methodology of business process development in the digital business transformation. The aim of the study was to determine the dependence of sustainable enterprise development on the organisation of stakeholder engagement in the context of the digital ecosystem and the organisation of effective digital asset management.Taking into account the aim of the study, the main objectives are to study international experience of managing business development in digital transformation, determine the impact of ecosystems on business organisation and management of business processes and sustainability, and develop recommendations for business model formation and its alignment with the ecosystem market needs.The study resulted in the development of a sustainability framework in the digital ecosystem and proposals for digital ecosystem configurations that focus on giving and generating “value” when applying new ways and methods of “platform” interaction in the digital economy. Sustainability in digital transformation and ecosystematic business organisation depends on how digital assets are managed and approaches used to resource management. This process requires consideration of the methodology for business process development and research into changes in the external environment, identifying the possibility of integrating actors into the digital ecosystem development processes and defining tools for business process management.

Artificial Intelligence in Business Processes

The aim of this chapter is to establish that the principles used by neural networks can be applied to business process management. The similarity between artificial neurons and business processes, and hence between neural networks and process landscapes, will be demonstrated. This novel approach leads to an emphasis on process interactions and their effect on actions as a major governing factor in controlling process outputs. Stigmergic interaction in biological systems is explored in the context of business processes, and its potential to understand process interaction is investigated. In order to verify the use of stigmergy in business environments, a pilot study is described in which shop floor business processes in a retailing environment are observed and described using a stigmergic framework. Establishing the viability of using stigmergic interaction to control process actions and outputs is the first step towards designing neural process networks.