A policy-based authorization model for workflow-enabled dynamic process management

Although workflow has been widely used to support the modeling and execution of business process, the majority of current workflow management systems are not designed and suited for supporting dynamic business processes. One of the deficiencies is the inability to model realistically the organization of an enterprise to manage the dynamic human-centric business processes. A framework for workflow-enabled dynamic business process management is described in the paper. It includes an organizational model and an authorization model for supporting dynamic business processes. More specifically, authorization policies are expressed in an SQL-like language which can be easily rewritten into query sentences for execution. In addition, the framework supports dynamic integration and execution of multiple access control polices from disparate enterprise resources. Finally, a prototype implementation of the dynamic business process management framework is described.     

The generic model query language GMQL – Conceptual specification,implementation, and runtime evaluation

The generic model query language GMQL is designed to query collections of conceptual models created in arbitrary graph-based modelling languages. Querying conceptual models means searching for particular model subgraphs that comply with a predefined pattern query. Such a query specifies the structural and semantic properties of the model fragment to be returned. In this paper, we derive requirements for a generic model query language from the literature and formally specify the language’s syntax and semantics. We conduct an analysis of GMQL׳s theoretical and practical runtime performance concluding that it returns query results within satisfactory time. Given its generic nature, GMQL contributes to a broad range of different model analysis scenarios ranging from business process compliance management to model translation and business process weakness detection. As GMQL returns results with acceptable runtime performance, it can be used to query large collections of hundreds or thousands of conceptual models containing not only process models, but also data models or organizational charts. In this paper, we furthermore evaluate GMQL against the backdrop of existing query approaches thereby carving out its advantages and limitations as well as pointing toward future research.     

Using query-driven simulations for querying outcomes of business processes

When decision makers want to know outcomes of business processes in their organizations, they often use simulations to do this. Traditionally, this is achieved by running simulations, collecting statistics and answering questions of interests to the decision makers based on the collected statistics. This paper describes an alternative approach to simulations, called the Query-Driven Simulations (QDS) approach, in which the user first asks the queries of interest and then, depending on the query asked, appropriate simulations are run to answer that query. The QDS approach empowers the end-user by making it easier, faster, and more reliable to ask ad-hoc questions about outcomes of business processes than what is done in traditional simulations. To substantiate this point, the paper describes the types of questions decision makers ask about outcomes of business processes and studies how easy it is to express these questions in terms of an SQL-like query language SimQL designed for Query-Driven Simulations. In addition, a case study of using the QDS approach in a manufacturing application developed by a major management consulting company is presented and the QDS approach is tested on that application.     

OLAP query reformulation in peer-to-peer data warehousing

Inter-business collaborative contexts prefigure a distributed scenario where companies organize and coordinate themselves to develop common and shared opportunities, but traditional business intelligence systems do not provide support to this end. To fill this gap, in this paper we envision a peer-to-peer data warehousing architecture based on a network of heterogeneous peers, each exposing query answering functionalities aimed at sharing business information. To enhance the decision making process, an OLAP query expressed on a peer needs to be properly reformulated on the local multidimensional schemata of the other peers. To this end, we present a language for the definition of mappings between the multidimensional schemata of peers and we introduce a query reformulation framework that relies on the translation of mappings, queries, and multidimensional schemata onto the relational level. Then, we formalize a query reformulation algorithm and prove two properties: correctness and closure, that are essential in a peer-to-peer setting. Finally, we discuss the main implementation issues related to the reformulation setting proposed, with specific reference to the case in which the local multidimensional engines hosted by peers use the standard MDX language.     

XQuery的应用分析

XML查询语言XQuery是导航语言XPath的扩展,它是一种语法简单灵活且表现力强大的功能性语言。XQuery与XML数据结构有内在的联系,可以方便地编写业务逻辑,并且本质上就可以操作XML数据。本文对XQuery发展状况的进行了概要介绍,通过查询语言XQuery的主要概念,及XQuery语言在数据查询、转换等方面的应用分析,对XML文档查询语言的实际应用情况作出讨论。     

XQuery的应用分析

XML查询语言XQuery是导航语言XPath的扩展,它是一种语法简单灵活且表现力强大的功能性语言。XQuery与XML数据结构有内在的联系,可以方便地编写业务逻辑,并且本质上就可以操作XML数据。本文对XQuery发展状况的进行了概要介绍,通过查询语言XQuery的主要概念,及XQuery语言在数据查询、转换等方面的应用分析,对XML文档查询语言的实际应用情况作出讨论。     

User interfaces for structural engineering relational data base

The needs of engineers in their interaction with engineering data bases are very different from those of their counter-parts in the business world. Business data base management system interfaces typically provide only a single mode of textual communication, usually a structured query language. However, in an idealengineering data base interface, an engineer would be able to define constraints, give examples, point at parts of pictures, and (sometimes) use several modes of communication simultaneously. The paper presents an example from an engineering design application to show how a traditional query language can be enhanced to accommodate the engineering needs. The paper further describes a conceptual approach for multimodal engineering data base interface combining multipurpose graphics, an engineering query language, and other interface methodologies in an engineering workstation environment.     

基于时序逻辑的业务过程约束建模及验证*

提出一种可视化的约束规则建模语言(visual constraint modeling language, VCML),采用XYZ/E语言作为逻辑框架,统一定义约束规则和业务过程两种模型的形式化语义,为约束规则的自动验证提供形式化基础;然后基于模型检验(model checking)技术,简要讨论模型自动验证的实现方法;最后通过一个应用实例说明业务过程约束的建模。     

Business process compliance checking – applying and evaluating a generic pattern matching approach for conceptual models in the financial sector

Given the strong increase in regulatory requirements for business processes the management of business process compliance becomes a more and more regarded field in IS research. Several methods have been developed to support compliance checking of conceptual models. However, their focus on distinct modeling languages and mostly linear (i.e., predecessor-successor related) compliance rules may hinder widespread adoption and application in practice. Furthermore, hardly any of them has been evaluated in a real-world setting. We address this issue by applying a generic pattern matching approach for conceptual models to business process compliance checking in the financial sector. It consists of a model query language, a search algorithm and a corresponding modelling tool prototype. It is (1) applicable for all graph-based conceptual modeling languages and (2) for different kinds of compliance rules. Furthermore, based on an applicability check, we (3) evaluate the approach in a financial industry project setting against its relevance for decision support of audit and compliance management tasks.     

A visual query language for dynamic processes applied to a scenario driven environment

Query languages for multi-sensor data sources are generally dealing with spatial–temporal data that in many applications are of geographical type. Such applications are quite often concerned with dynamic activities where the collected sensor data are streaming in from multiple sensors. Data uncertainty is one of the most important issues, which the query language must deal with. Other aspects of concern are sensor data fusion but also association of multiple object observations. Demonstration of the dynamic aspects are generally difficult as scenarios in real-time cannot easily be set up, tested and run realistically. To overcome this problem the query language sigma query language (ΣQL) has been attached to a simulation framework. Together with this framework scenarios can be set up to form the basis for test and dynamic illustration of the query language. Eventually the query language can be used to support decision making as well. Within the simulation framework input data are coming from sensor models that eventually can be replaced by data from real sensors. Services can be integrated with the information system, used for various purposes and supported by the various capabilities of the query language. A consequence of this approach is that the information delivered by the services, including the query language, can be used as input to an operational picture that eventually can be used to demonstrate on-going dynamic processes. In this work, an extension to ΣQL, called VisualΣQL, will be discussed together with some other relevant services useful in dynamic situations as complements to the query language. Furthermore, the use of the system will be illustrated and discussed by means of a scenario that has been run in the simulation environment.     

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。     

A participative end-user method for multi-perspective business process elicitation and improvement

A business process can be characterized by multiple perspectives (intentional, organizational, operational, functional, interactional, informational, etc). Business process modeling must allow different stakeholders to analyze and represent process models according to these different perspectives. This representation is traditionally built using classical data acquisition methods together with a process representation language such as BPMN or UML. These techniques and specialized languages can easily become hard, complex and time consuming. In this paper, we propose ISEA, a participative end-user modeling approach that allows the stakeholders in a business process to collaborate together in a simple way to communicate and improve the business process elicitation in an accurate and understandable manner. Our approach covers the organizational perspective of business processes, exploits the information compiled during the elicitation of the organizational perspective and touches lightly an interactional perspective allowing users to create customized interface sketches to test the user interface navigability and the coherence within the processes. Thus, ISEA can be seen as a participative end-user modeling approach for business process elicitation and improvement.     

An active modeling system for econometric analysis

This paper examines the feasibility of developing an “artificially intelligent econometrician” as an active decision support system (ADSS) in the sense articulated by [Manheim, 1988]. We review the system components of an ADSS and then relate them to a modeling system for econometric analysis that we have implemented. We present the query language of the PERM (Progressive EconometRic Modeling) system and offer an extension to the language based on process-oriented constructs for model integration. The query language and its extension correspond to the ADSS's user-directed and computer-directed process managers, respectively. Schemas representing statistical strategies are stored as processes in the extended language and serve as the econometric knowledge base. We suggest an approach to building an inference processor for this system based on experiments to record user query protocols and relate them to the schemas in the knowledge base. The connection between user processes and schemas is implemented by demon constructs in the extended language. Finally, we examine the extent to which our proposed system constitutes an ADSS.     

Discovery and analysis of e-mail-driven business processes

E-mail is used as the primary tool for business communication and collaboration. This paper presents a novel e-mail interaction mining method to discover and analyze e-mail-driven business processes. An e-mail-driven business process is perceived as a human collaboration process that consists of interactions between people who may each play different roles. The notion of message threads (i.e. sets of e-mail messages that are replies to each other) is used as the fundamental building block to construct the interactions in the e-mail-driven business process. The proposed method adopts an interaction-centric business process modeling language to visualize the discovered e-mail-driven business process. The method identifies message threads from an e-mail archive, and constructs an interaction-centric process model based on the temporal order and similarity of the threads. Process-related information is extracted from e-mail header fields. A software tool, named E-mail Interaction Miner, implements the proposed method. A case study is used to apply and evaluate the method on a set of e-mails collected from a Dutch gas transport company. The evaluation results are discussed. These results comprise business process improvement opportunities for the case organization, and contributions to theory and language development.