A Workflow Process Mining Algorithm Based on Synchro-Net

Sometimes historic information about workflow execution is needed to analyze business processes. Process mining aims at extracting information from event logs for capturing a business process in execution. In this paper a process mining algorithm is proposed based on Synchro-Net which is a synchronization-based model of workflow logic and workflow semantics. With this mining algorithm based on the model, problems such as invisible tasks and short-loops can be dealt with at ease. A process mining example is presented to illustrate the algorithm, and the evaluation is also given.  

Discovering Social Networks from Event Logs

Process mining techniques allow for the discovery of knowledge based on so-called “event logs”, i.e., a log recording the execution of activities in some business process. Many information systems provide such logs, e.g., most WFM, ERP, CRM, SCM, and B2B systems record transactions in a systematic way. Process mining techniques typically focus on performance and control-flow issues. However, event logs typically also log the performer, e.g., the person initiating or completing some activity. This paper focuses on mining social networks using this information. For example, it is possible to build a social network based on the hand-over of work from one performer to the next. By combining concepts from workflow management and social network analysis, it is possible to discover and analyze social networks. This paper defines metrics, presents a tool, and applies these to a real event log within the setting of a large Dutch organization.  

基于过程挖掘的工作流性能分析

介绍了工作流性能的分析基础和概念。针对复杂和具有非确定性的业务流程，通过基于工作流日志的工作流过程挖掘算法，得到反映系统基本性能的工作流性能分析网。并应用到具有动态、模糊控制流程的工作流系统的性能分析中。  

Mining process models with non-free-choice constructs

Process mining aims at extracting information from event logs to capture the business process as it is being executed. Process mining is particularly useful in situations where events are recorded but there is no system enforcing people to work in a particular way. Consider for example a hospital where the diagnosis and treatment activities are recorded in the hospital information system, but where health-care professionals determine the “careflow.” Many process mining approaches have been proposed in recent years. However, in spite of many researchers’ persistent efforts, there are still several challenging problems to be solved. In this paper, we focus on mining non-free-choice constructs, i.e., situations where there is a mixture of choice and synchronization. Although most real-life processes exhibit non-free-choice behavior, existing algorithms are unable to adequately deal with such constructs. Using a Petri-net-based representation, we will show that there are two kinds of causal dependencies between tasks, i.e., explicit and implicit ones. We propose an algorithm that is able to deal with both kinds of dependencies. The algorithm has been implemented in the ProM framework and experimental results shows that the algorithm indeed significantly improves existing process mining techniques.  

Genetic process mining: an experimental evaluation

One of the aims of process mining is to retrieve a process model from an event log. The discovered models can be used as objective starting points during the deployment of process-aware information systems (Dumas et al., eds., Process-Aware Information Systems: Bridging People and Software Through Process Technology. Wiley, New York, 2005) and/or as a feedback mechanism to check prescribed models against enacted ones. However, current techniques have problems when mining processes that contain non-trivial constructs and/or when dealing with the presence of noise in the logs. Most of the problems happen because many current techniques are based on local information in the event log. To overcome these problems, we try to use genetic algorithms to mine process models. The main motivation is to benefit from the global search performed by this kind of algorithms. The non-trivial constructs are tackled by choosing an internal representation that supports them. The problem of noise is naturally tackled by the genetic algorithm because, per definition, these algorithms are robust to noise. The main challenge in a genetic approach is the definition of a good fitness measure because it guides the global search performed by the genetic algorithm. This paper explains how the genetic algorithm works. Experiments with synthetic and real-life logs show that the fitness measure indeed leads to the mining of process models that are complete (can reproduce all the behavior in the log) and precise (do not allow for extra behavior that cannot be derived from the event log). The genetic algorithm is implemented as a plug-in in the ProM framework.  

基于流程挖掘的临床路径设计

针对临床路径的科学制定问题，提出诊疗流程挖掘模型。与传统的人工定制临床路径不同，该模型能从大量优选案例中自动识 别出最优的诊疗流程。剖宫产手术日的流程挖掘实例验证了该模型的实用效果，应用结果表明，该模型能为临床路径制定提供有效的决策 支持。  

基于工作流日志的决策规则挖掘研究*

为了挖掘工作流日志中的决策规则信息，分析了工作流日志中的数据属性如何影响工作流实例的路径选择。基于算法挖掘工作流日志过程模型，对过程模型中的决策点进行分析，通过决策树分析技术结合工作流日志中的数据属性挖掘出影响工作流实例路由的决策规则。分析了现实应用中决策规则挖据所遇到的问题，并提出解决算法。最后通过测试程序测试并验证了挖掘过程。测试结果表明该算法能够正确地挖掘出决策规则。  

流程增量挖掘中的模型更新方法

正确发现流程实际运作情况对工作流管理有着重要的意义.流程挖掘抽取系统日志信息,挖掘流程的真实运作模型.目前很多该方面的研究,着重于从一份日志中挖掘出工作流模型.然而,这些挖掘方法只关注日志信息,忽略了流程设计者的先验知识.而且,日志所包含信息量较大,进行一次挖掘耗费较大.因此,希望能结合已有工作流模型及新增日志信息,更新工作流模型.已有研究给出对模型及日志的增量挖掘算法.但是,业务流程会随着时间推移变更,可能已有的任务被取消了,因此在新增的一段日志中该任务没被记录.但由于该任务曾经在已有日志中记录下来,故应用已有挖掘算法或增量挖掘算法,在更新模型中,该任务也会被挖掘出来.提出了一种增量挖掘模型更新的改进算法.通过流程设计者的先验知识及统计任务出现的频率,判断该任务是否被取消.最后给出一个实验,验证算法的可行性.  

复杂工作流结构挖掘的研究

提出了基于模拟退火的过程挖掘算法.该算法对工作流模型中包含的非自由选择结构和重名任务进行挖掘,同时在挖掘结果中产生隐含的任务.对本算法进行初步的实现及验证,并分析了算法的效率及优缺点.  

一种并行化的启发式流程挖掘算法

启发式流程挖掘算法在日志噪音与不完备日志的处理方面优势显著,但是现有算法对长距离依赖关系以及2-循环特殊结构的处理存在不足,而且算法未进行并行化处理.针对上述问题,基于执行任务集将流程模型划分为多个案例模型,结合改进的启发式算法并行挖掘各个案例模型所对应的C-net模型;再将上述模型集成得到完整流程对应的C-net.同时,将长距离依赖关系扩展为决策点处两个任务子集之间的非局部依赖关系,给出了更为准确的长距离依赖关系度量指标和挖掘算法.上述改进措施使得该算法更为精确、高效.