@book{MeyerPufahlFahlandetal.2013, author = {Meyer, Andreas and Pufahl, Luise and Fahland, Dirk and Weske, Mathias}, title = {Modeling and enacting complex data dependencies in business processes}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, isbn = {978-3-86956-245-2}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-65103}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {40}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Enacting business processes in process engines requires the coverage of control flow, resource assignments, and process data. While the first two aspects are well supported in current process engines, data dependencies need to be added and maintained manually by a process engineer. Thus, this task is error-prone and time-consuming. In this report, we address the problem of modeling processes with complex data dependencies, e.g., m:n relationships, and their automatic enactment from process models. First, we extend BPMN data objects with few annotations to allow data dependency handling as well as data instance differentiation. Second, we introduce a pattern-based approach to derive SQL queries from process models utilizing the above mentioned extensions. Therewith, we allow automatic enactment of data-aware BPMN process models. We implemented our approach for the Activiti process engine to show applicability.}, language = {en} } @article{PufahlWeske2019, author = {Pufahl, Luise and Weske, Mathias}, title = {Batch activity: enhancing business process modeling and enactment with batch processing}, series = {Computing}, volume = {101}, journal = {Computing}, number = {12}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Wien}, issn = {0010-485X}, doi = {10.1007/s00607-019-00717-4}, pages = {1909 -- 1933}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Organizations strive for efficiency in their business processes by process improvement and automation. Business process management (BPM) supports these efforts by capturing business processes in process models serving as blueprint for a number of process instances. In BPM, process instances are typically considered running independently of each other. However, batch processing-the collectively execution of several instances at specific process activities-is a common phenomenon in operational processes to reduce cost or time. Currently, batch processing is organized manually or hard-coded in software. For allowing stakeholders to explicitly represent their batch configurations in process models and their automatic execution, this paper provides a concept for batch activities and describes the corresponding execution semantics. The batch activity concept is evaluated in a two-step approach: a prototypical implementation in an existing BPM System proves its feasibility. Additionally, batch activities are applied to different use cases in a simulated environment. Its application implies cost-savings when a suitable batch configuration is selected. The batch activity concept contributes to practice by allowing the specification of batch work in process models and their automatic execution, and to research by extending the existing process modeling concepts.}, language = {en} } @misc{PufahlWongWeske2018, author = {Pufahl, Luise and Wong, Tsun Yin and Weske, Mathias}, title = {Design of an extensible BPMN process simulator}, series = {Business Process Management Workshops (BPM 2017)}, volume = {308}, journal = {Business Process Management Workshops (BPM 2017)}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Berlin}, isbn = {978-3-319-74030-0}, issn = {1865-1348}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-74030-0_62}, pages = {782 -- 795}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Business process simulation is an important means for quantitative analysis of a business process and to compare different process alternatives. With the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) being the state-of-the-art language for the graphical representation of business processes, many existing process simulators support already the simulation of BPMN diagrams. However, they do not provide well-defined interfaces to integrate new concepts in the simulation environment. In this work, we present the design and architecture of a proof-of-concept implementation of an open and extensible BPMN process simulator. It also supports the simulation of multiple BPMN processes at a time and relies on the building blocks of the well-founded discrete event simulation. The extensibility is assured by a plug-in concept. Its feasibility is demonstrated by extensions supporting new BPMN concepts, such as the simulation of business rule activities referencing decision models and batch activities.}, language = {en} } @article{AndreeIhdeWeskeetal.2022, author = {Andree, Kerstin and Ihde, Sven and Weske, Mathias and Pufahl, Luise}, title = {An exception handling framework for case management}, series = {Software and Systems Modeling}, volume = {21}, journal = {Software and Systems Modeling}, number = {3}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {1619-1366}, doi = {10.1007/s10270-022-00993-3}, pages = {939 -- 962}, year = {2022}, abstract = {In order to achieve their business goals, organizations heavily rely on the operational excellence of their business processes. In traditional scenarios, business processes are usually well-structured, clearly specifying when and how certain tasks have to be executed. Flexible and knowledge-intensive processes are gathering momentum, where a knowledge worker drives the execution of a process case and determines the exact process path at runtime. In the case of an exception, the knowledge worker decides on an appropriate handling. While there is initial work on exception handling in well-structured business processes, exceptions in case management have not been sufficiently researched. This paper proposes an exception handling framework for stage-oriented case management languages, namely Guard Stage Milestone Model, Case Management Model and Notation, and Fragment-based Case Management. The effectiveness of the framework is evaluated with two real-world use cases showing that it covers all relevant exceptions and proposed handling strategies.}, language = {en} } @article{MeyerPufahlBatoulisetal.2015, author = {Meyer, Andreas and Pufahl, Luise and Batoulis, Kimon and Fahland, Dirk and Weske, Mathias}, title = {Automating data exchange in process choreographies}, series = {Information systems}, volume = {53}, journal = {Information systems}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0306-4379}, doi = {10.1016/j.is.2015.03.008}, pages = {296 -- 329}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Communication between organizations is formalized as process choreographies in daily business. While the correct ordering of exchanged messages can be modeled and enacted with current choreography techniques, no approach exists to describe and automate the exchange of data between processes in a choreography using messages. This paper describes an entirely model-driven approach for BPMN introducing a few concepts that suffice to model data retrieval, data transformation, message exchange, and correlation four aspects of data exchange. For automation, this work utilizes a recent concept to enact data dependencies in internal processes. We present a modeling guideline to derive local process models from a given choreography; their operational semantics allows to correctly enact the entire choreography from the derived models only including the exchange of data. Targeting on successful interactions, we discuss means to ensure correct process choreography modeling. Finally, we implemented our approach by extending the camunda BPM platform with our approach and show its feasibility by realizing all service interaction patterns using only model-based concepts. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{HaarmannHolfterPufahletal.2021, author = {Haarmann, Stephan and Holfter, Adrian and Pufahl, Luise and Weske, Mathias}, title = {Formal framework for checking compliance of data-driven case management}, series = {Journal on data semantics : JoDS}, volume = {10}, journal = {Journal on data semantics : JoDS}, number = {1-2}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {1861-2032}, doi = {10.1007/s13740-021-00120-3}, pages = {143 -- 163}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Business processes are often specified in descriptive or normative models. Both types of models should adhere to internal and external regulations, such as company guidelines or laws. Employing compliance checking techniques, it is possible to verify process models against rules. While traditionally compliance checking focuses on well-structured processes, we address case management scenarios. In case management, knowledge workers drive multi-variant and adaptive processes. Our contribution is based on the fragment-based case management approach, which splits a process into a set of fragments. The fragments are synchronized through shared data but can, otherwise, be dynamically instantiated and executed. We formalize case models using Petri nets. We demonstrate the formalization for design-time and run-time compliance checking and present a proof-of-concept implementation. The application of the implemented compliance checking approach to a use case exemplifies its effectiveness while designing a case model. The empirical evaluation on a set of case models for measuring the performance of the approach shows that rules can often be checked in less than a second.}, language = {en} } @book{PufahlMeyerWeske2013, author = {Pufahl, Luise and Meyer, Andreas and Weske, Mathias}, title = {Batch regions : process instance synchronization based on data}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, isbn = {978-3-86956-280-3}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-69081}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {18}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Business process automation improves organizations' efficiency to perform work. In existing business process management systems, process instances run independently from each other. However, synchronizing instances carrying similar characteristics, i.e., sharing the same data, can reduce process execution costs. For example, if an online retailer receives two orders from one customer, there is a chance that they can be packed and shipped together to save shipment costs. In this paper, we use concepts from the database domain and introduce data views to business processes to identify instances which can be synchronized. Based on data views, we introduce the concept of batch regions for a context-aware instance synchronization over a set of connected activities. We also evaluate the concepts introduced in this paper with a case study comparing costs for normal and batch processing.}, language = {de} } @article{IhdePufahlVoelkeretal.2022, author = {Ihde, Sven and Pufahl, Luise and V{\"o}lker, Maximilian and Goel, Asvin and Weske, Mathias}, title = {A framework for modeling and executing task}, series = {Computing : archives for informatics and numerical computation}, volume = {104}, journal = {Computing : archives for informatics and numerical computation}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Wien}, issn = {0010-485X}, doi = {10.1007/s00607-022-01093-2}, pages = {2405 -- 2429}, year = {2022}, abstract = {As resources are valuable assets, organizations have to decide which resources to allocate to business process tasks in a way that the process is executed not only effectively but also efficiently. Traditional role-based resource allocation leads to effective process executions, since each task is performed by a resource that has the required skills and competencies to do so. However, the resulting allocations are typically not as efficient as they could be, since optimization techniques have yet to find their way in traditional business process management scenarios. On the other hand, operations research provides a rich set of analytical methods for supporting problem-specific decisions on resource allocation. This paper provides a novel framework for creating transparency on existing tasks and resources, supporting individualized allocations for each activity in a process, and the possibility to integrate problem-specific analytical methods of the operations research domain. To validate the framework, the paper reports on the design and prototypical implementation of a software architecture, which extends a traditional process engine with a dedicated resource management component. This component allows us to define specific resource allocation problems at design time, and it also facilitates optimized resource allocation at run time. The framework is evaluated using a real-world parcel delivery process. The evaluation shows that the quality of the allocation results increase significantly with a technique from operations research in contrast to the traditional applied rule-based approach.}, language = {en} }