分离业务规则和过程流的业务过程模型研究

针对动态环境中业务逻辑的不断变化,通过业务规则和过程流分别描述业务过程中的易变和相对稳定业务逻辑,构建了业务过程模型BPM4DBL（Business Process Model for Dynamic Business Logic）。模型引入了活动、规则和事件元素,定义了分离业务规则和过程流的元组表达,并且给出了业务规则和过程流之间的耦合策略。最后,给出了一个BPM4DBL的具体应用实例。     

支持快速构建领域应用系统的业务过程模型研究

针对基于业务基础平台快速构建领域应用系统,建立了业务过程模型BPM4DBL(business process model for dynamic business logic).模型中包括活动和规则元素,可以描述领域应用中宏观实体和微观知识结构;给出了模型中元素的构建步骤和原则,并定义了模型向XPDL(XML process definition language)和BPEL4WS(bussiness process execution language for Web service)的映射规则,从而支持领域应用系统的快速构建.最后给出了一个具体的应用实例.     

业务模型中的协同模型研究*

针对业务模型中对协同关系描述的不足,详细定义了协同模型,给出了从业务模型中的过程模型抽取协同模型的规则,并阐明了协同模型对业务模型中其他各模型的影响。     

一种集成WS-BPEL与业务规则的实现机制

WS-BPEL(Web Service Business Process Execution Language)已经成为在面向服务计算环境下基于Web服务的业务流程编排标准,但它缺少对业务规则的有力描述,而业务规则作为业务建模的一个重要方面,是实现柔性流程与应用的重要技术。为解决WS-BPEL中缺少业务规则的问题,提出了一种XML规则语言,用来描述业务规则,并基于WS-BPEL的扩展要求实现了标准扩展,实现了WS-BPEL与业务规则的有效集成,同时分析了此方案的适用场景。     

一种适合于电子政务中业务处理的过程模型

目前，电子政务系统一般通过业务过程模型支持电子政务业务处理，而当前已有的业务过程模型在灵活性和安全性方面尚存在不足。为此，提出了一种适合于电子政务中业务处理的过程模型，它将多变的业务规则从过程流中分离出来，通过耦合机制实现业务规则与过程流的结合。该模型简化了过程流的定义，使过程流的变更相对容易，而且可以在不改变过程流的情况下独立、便捷地维护业务规则，确保业务处理的安全性。最后给出了一个使用该模型的电子政务业务处理应用实例。     

一种基于Petri网的审批业务工作流模型

在给出审批业务形式化定义的基础上,针对审批动态行为过程提出了一个形式化模型EABWF net。与传统的面向过程的建模方式不同,该模型以审批角色为中心,以消息为流转机制,以规则为流程控制逻辑。该模型克服了传统建模方式在审批业务工作流建模中缺乏流程柔性和系统灵活性的缺点,能更加直观、清晰地描述审批业务。     

面向业务规则引擎研究

提出通过可视化定义企业业务规则,并解析执行规则的规则引擎来主动适应企业业务的变化。该系统以可视化的形式提供用户定义和实现业务规则的界面,以结构化语言XML描述业务规则,采用分层结构提供规则执行机制。完善的规则安全验证方式,实现信息系统动态地适应企业业务规则变化。     

基于业务规则的工作流管理系统模型

ECA规则通过条件与处理集中定义业务流程中活动与活动间的转换关系,并通过事件驱动机制驱动业务流程中相应业务逻辑实现,在一定程度上增加了系统代码的可维护性,但是并没有改变业务逻辑发生变化时需要修改系统代码以维护系统的现状.业务规则可准确描述业务流程中所有业务逻辑,建立与业务流程事件无关的运行机制,更加直接明确地反映业务需求,适应业务需求变化,而无需修改系统代码,基于此建立基于业务规则的工作流管理系统模型.     

基于业务规则的工作流模型

针对传统工作流模型对业务需求变化适应能力不强的弱点,将以往以编码形式存在于业务流程中的业务规则独立出来进行定义与维护,通过业务规则指导工作流定义,建立基于业务规则的工作流模型BR-WFM。BR-WFM在运行时记录多个关键时刻点,并在每个关键时刻点记录工作流要素状态,通过在状态转换时应用业务规则,建立基于状态转换的BR-WFM运行模型。     

工作流系统中的业务过程描述及分析

过程模型是业务过程的形式化定义,它的正确性直接影响业务目标的实现。定义了一种过程描述语言并对使用这种语言描述的过程模型进行分析,之后给出了工作流执行的控制算法。     

Semantic business process space for intelligent management of sales order business processes

A company??s competitiveness relies heavily on its business processes and accurate knowledge to execute its business processes with agility and efficiency. Business Process Management (BPM) initially promised to provide the business world with suitable tools and techniques for successful BPM without help from the IT world. However, the current practice of BPM has several fundamental problems, including difficulty with automatic discovery and the integration of business processes across organizations. Understanding that the main cause of these problems lies in the lack of semantics on business process, we first define a variety of business process ontologies in order to build a semantic business process space (SBPS) for the limited area of sales order. We then explain how the SBPS satisfies the requirements for successful implementation of semantic BPM (SBPM) and demonstrate with a scenario how SBPM can be realized in the environment of SBPS. Our novel approach will reduce the time and cost necessary for the development of a new business process in a fast-changing environment and provide practitioners with useful insights into the proper implementation of the SBPM. Although our paper defines semantic business process knowledge for only a limited domain, its insights can be readily extended to other areas of business.     

Advances in business process management implementation based on a maturity assessment and best practice exchange

The paper presents the implementation of Business Process Management in a large international company. The business case illustrates the main objectives and approach taken with the BPM initiative. Central element of the BPM implementation was the development of a process framework which consists of a reference process house (RPH) and common methods for process management across the company. In order to assess the implementation of Business Process Management and the achievements a process management maturity assessment was developed and implemented. The maturity model is based on nine categories which comprehensively cover all aspects which impact the success of Business Process Management. Some findings of the first assessment cycle are pinpointed to illustrate the benefits and best practice exchange as a result of the assessment.     

Investigating the success of operational business process management systems

Business process management systems (BPMS) belong to a class of enterprise information systems that are characterized by the dependence on explicitly modeled process logic. Through the process logic, it is relatively easy to manage explicitly the routing and allocation of work items along a business process through the system. Inspired by the DeLone and McLean framework, we theorize that these process-aware system features are important attributes of system quality, which in turn will elevate key user evaluations such as perceived usefulness, and usage satisfaction. We examine this theoretical model using data collected from four different, mostly mature BPM system projects. Our findings validate the importance of input quality as well as allocation and routing attributes as antecedents of system quality, which, in turn, determines both usefulness and satisfaction with the system. We further demonstrate how service quality and workflow dependency are significant precursors to perceived usefulness. Our results suggest the appropriateness of a multi-dimensional conception of system quality for future research, and provide important design-oriented advice for the design and configuration of BPMSs.     

Investigating the effort of using business process management technology: Results from a controlled experiment

Business Process Management (BPM) technology has become an important instrument for supporting complex coordination scenarios and for improving business process performance. When considering its use, however, enterprises typically have to rely on vendor promises or qualitative reports. What is still missing and what is demanded by IT decision makers are quantitative evaluations based on empirical and experimental research. This paper picks up this demand and illustrates how experimental research can be applied to technologies enabling enterprises to coordinate their business processes and to associate them with related artifacts and resources. The conducted experiment compares the effort for implementing and maintaining a sample business process either based on standard workflow technology or on a case handling system. We motivate and describe the experimental design, discuss threats for the validity of our experimental results (as well as risk mitigations), and present the results of our experiment. In general, more experimental research is needed in order to obtain valid data on the various aspects and effects of BPM technology and BPM tools.     

Increasing the efficiency of business processes using a theory of constraints

In this study, a Theory of Constraints (TOC)-based method was developed to enhance the efficiency of business processes. Whereas the TOC has been employed in manufacturing processes, the present paper shows that it can be effective also for Business Process Management (BPM). In order to apply the TOC to business processes, a Drum-Buffer-Rope (DBR) scheduling method for a Business Process Management System (BPMS) was developed. A procedure by which business process efficiency can be improved using these concepts is presented. To validate our approach, a series of simulations of a real banking process was conducted, on the basis of which the applicability of the proposed method was analyzed. Based on the analysis results, we show that the TOC-based method can improve business process efficiency, particularly under heavy workloads with limited resources. And we suggest, accordingly, several guidelines that can be followed for the efficient management of business processes.     

基于知识的可变业务流程建模模型

为满足虚拟企业业务流程经常调整的需求,需采用一种可变的业务流程建模模型,便于业务人员在不需IT人员干预的情况下能够对已有业务流程进行修改或重新搭建新的系统。提出了一种基于知识的可变业务流程建模模型,采用业务模板与规则知识库,通过对业务目标分析、检索业务模板,从而定制新的业务流程。在建模过程中使用规则引擎对规则进行校验。业务人员不需对已有业务流程进行大规模重建,提取相应模板进行组合配置即可。     

The use of software product lines for business process management: A systematic literature review

ContextBusiness Process Management (BPM) is a potential domain in which Software Product Line (PL) can be successfully applied. Including the support of Service-oriented Architecture (SOA), BPM and PL may help companies achieve strategic alignment between business and IT.ObjectivePresenting the results of a study undertaken to seek and assess PL approaches for BPM through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). Moreover, identifying the existence of dynamic PL approaches for BPM.MethodA SLR was conducted with four research questions formulated to evaluate PL approaches for BPM.Results63 papers were selected as primary studies according to the criteria established. From these primary studies, only 15 papers address the specific dynamic aspects in the context evaluated. Moreover, it was found that PLs only partially address the BPM lifecycle since the last business process phase is not a current concern on the found approaches.ConclusionsThe found PL approaches for BPM only cover partially the BPM lifecycle, not taking into account the last phase which restarts the lifecycle. Moreover, no wide dynamic PL proposal was found for BPM, but only the treatment of specific dynamic aspects. The results indicate that PL approaches for BPM are still at an early stage and gaining maturity.     

The joint impact of service-oriented architectures and business process management on business process quality: an empirical evaluation and comparison

What is the interplay between business process management (BPM) and service-oriented architecture (SOA) in achieving high business process quality? In this paper, we empirically investigate the impact of both SOA and BPM on business process quality in terms of straight-through processing, business-to-business integration, quality control, as well as standardization and consolidation of business processes. For the empirical evaluation of our model, we use the data of 157 German service firms. The results show that the SOA paradigm has still received rather low adoption rates in the industry. However, SOA, BPM, and related information technologies have a direct positive impact on business process quality and the analysis provides evidence for the complementarities of BPM and SOA since interaction effects between them have an additional significant impact on business process quality. Consequently, firms having adopted SOA can more effectively apply BPM.