AProMoRe: Advanced Process Model Repository

Dr Marcello La RosaBPM Research Group,

Queensland University of Technology

Fact Enterprises in various industries tend to collect thousands of

business process models over time: Thousands of activities and related artefacts

Numerous stakeholders with different skills and responsibilities

Difficult to keep track of such volumes of models (“model management”), especially due to: Overlapping content across models

Evolving content over time (legacy models vs. new versions)

Different modelling notations, e.g. EPCs, BPMN, Protos, BPEL...

Different modelling purposes and granularity

Different modelling guidelines

OpportunityResearch in BPM has flourished over the past decade:

1. Algorithms to evaluate the quality of models (e.g. correctness, structuredness)

2. Experiments to establish the factors that contribute to the understanding of process models by

users

3. Algorithms to identify similarities between process models

4. Techniques to customize process models (e.g. configuration, adaptation)

However, these techniques and tools look at process models in isolation, rather

than viewing a process model in relation to other process models, or deal with

small collections of models.

Proposal: AProMoReBuild an open and extensible platform for the storage and disclosure of

process models which provides advanced features to deal with large

process models and collections thereof.

Joint collaboration among 6 universities: QUT TU/e University of Tartu Humboldt University of Berlin University of Grenoble Hasso-Plattner Institute

Service Areas Evaluation

establish adherence to various quality notions(e.g. correctness criteria, benchmarking frameworks)

Comparisonsearch for similarities(e.g. conformance to reference models/patterns, track extensions)

Managementcontrol the creation and evolution of process models(e.g. via configuration, merging, improvement)

Presentationimprove the understanding of process models(e.g. contextualization via abstraction and colouring mechanisms)

Process models

Compare

Manage

Present

EvaluateEvaluate

Compare

Manage

Present

Canonical format: the power of losingCommon process representation as directed attributed graph:

1. Standardization – cross-language operations can be performed directly and concatenated

2. Interchangeability – non structural aspects captured by meta-data swap notations or semantics at (almost) no cost

3. Flexibility – inheritance mechanism different algorithms can work at different abstraction levels

Canonical format

Conversion chart (fragment)Canonical representationConcrete construct

WF-Net /Protos

Language

Protos

A

c1

c2 (X)ORJoin@: ® AJ

Work@: ® A

(X)ORSplit@: ® AS

c3

c4

ANDJoin@: ® AJ

Work@: ® A

ANDSplit@: ® AS

A

c1 c2

X/V

Work@: ® A

(X)ORSplit@: ® P

c1

c2P

EPC Edge@: ® c1

Edge@: ® c2

cx = Connection Condition

AS = split component of AAJ = join behavior of A

A

BPMN

XORJoin@: ® AJ

Work@: ® A

ANDSplit@: ® AS

A

Work@: ® A

ORSplit@: ® AS

c1

c1

(c3)

c2

(c3),default

cx = Flow Condition

cx = Edge with attribute condition="cx"

= Node = Edge

@: = annotation ® = refers to [concrete element]

= Edge with attribute default="true"default

Function

Event

(X)OR Connector

Task

Transition /Activity

Default Flow

Conditional Flow

c2

Note: the type of split and join (XOR or OR) can bedetermined only if this is explicitly set in a Protos Activity

A

c1 c2

c3 c4

A

YAWL

ANDJoin@: ® AJ

ORSplit@: ® AS

c1

c2

Work@: ® Ac1

c2

cx = Flow Predicate

Task

AND-join OR-split

Canonization – example

no mismatch

Createnew entry

Checkinvoicedetails

mis-match

Blockinvoice

invoicepresent

invoicenot present

Mismatchchecking

Insertinvoicedetails

Insertcustomer

detailsInvoice

outInvoice

received

Fin

anci

al D

epa

rtm

ent

LIV

Pro

cess

orO

ffic

er

ResourceTypeName: Officer

ResourceTypeName: Financial Department

specialization

ResourceTypeName: LIV Processor

ResourceTypeName: Financial Department

specialization

EventResourceType: Officer

TaskName: Check invoice details

ResourceType: Officer

EdgeCondition: Invoice not

present

EdgeCondition:

Invoice present

XORSplit

ANDSplit

TaskName: Create new entryResourceType: Officer

TaskName: Insert customer details

ResourceType: Officer

ANDJoin

XORSplit

TaskName: Block invoice

ResourceType: LIV Processor

XORJoin

TaskName: Insert invoice details

ResourceType: Officer

EdgeCondition: mismatch

EdgeCondition:

no mismatch

XORJoin

Message EventName: Invoice receivedResourceType: Officer

TaskName: Invoice out

ResourceType: Officer

TaskName: Mismatch checking

ResourceType:LIV Processor

XOR split

AND split

XOR join

XOR split

Architecture

Enterprise Layer

Intermediary Layer

Basic Layer

Portal(Web application)

Organization BPMS / Reference modelVendor

Repository Manager(public)

Toolbox(façade)

Algorithmsrelational

(De)Canonization(adapter)

XML

Data Access(basic)

Access Control(basic)

General purpose

data

Native processes, Canonical processes,

Annotations

Oryx Client Applications

Client Applications

Enterprise Layer

Intermediary Layer

Basic Layer

Portal(Web application)

Organization BPMS / Reference modelVendor

Repository Manager(public)

Toolbox(façade)

Algorithmsrelational

(De)Canonization(adapter)

XML

Data Access(basic)

Access Control(basic)

General purpose

data

Native processes, Canonical processes,

Annotations

Oryx Client Applications

Client Applications

Data layerServices: Portal, Manager, (De)Canonizer, Data AccessXML Schema for Canonical Process Format and AnnotationFacade classes to manipulate CPF, ANF, YAWL, EPML, XPDL...Facade-based (de)canonizer:

Full EPML 2.0 (EPCs, eEPCs, iEPCs, C-EPCs, C-iEPCs)Full XPDL 2.1 (BPMN 1.0, 1.1, 1.2)

WS functionalities (import, export, simple filter, edit)Oryx integration (XPDL 2.1)Gather model collections

Current implementation

Model collectionsYAWL

Order fulfillment (C) *Production *Municipalities (C) *

EPCVideo post-production (C) *Land development (C) *Suncorp insuranceSAP R/3

iEPCAudio post-production (C) *

BPMN

Land development (C) *TraumatologyAirports (C) *

ProtosMunicipalities (C) *

Can I help? Yes you can!Available projects:

Integration with ProM: import/export + log storage SVN Support Security layer (authentication, authorization, non disclosure) Support for other languages (WF-Nets, YAWL, Protos, BPEL...) Build your algorithms in it! Donate your content! (logs, models...)

© 2009, Marcello La Rosa

Marcello La RosaBusiness Process Management GroupFaculty of Science & TechnologyQueensland University of Technology126 Margaret StreetBrisbane QLD 4000Australia

p 07 3138-9482e m.larosa@qut.edu.au w www.marcellolarosa.com