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Correctness of Business Process Models with Roles and Objects

Mendling, Jan and La Rosa, Marcello and ter Hofstede, Arthur H.M. (2008) Correctness of Business Process Models with Roles and Objects.

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Abstract

The verification of business process models is an important step in the design phase of process-aware information systems. While a process model often describes different perspectives like control flow, object flow, and role assignment, most of the contributions in the areas of verification consider only the control flow. Hardly any work considers these three perspectives in a combined verification approach. In this paper we address this gap and introduce Integrated EPCs (iEPCs), a business process modeling language that extends EPCs with a concept of object flow and role assignment. By abstracting from the subtle differences of recent EPC semantics definitions, we show how any of these formalizations can be enhanced with transition rules that consider object existence and role availability as part of the state concept. Furthermore, we define three theorems that relate soundness of EPCs to soundness of iEPCs with different initial role and object set. These theorems provide the basis for a systematic verification approach of iEPCs that first identifies control-flow problems, then object-flow problems, and finally suitable role subsets. This way, our work contributes to a better identification of correctness issues already in conceptual process models in the early design phases.

Item Type:Preprint
Keywords:Business Process Modeling, Verification, Soundness, Systems Analysis and Design
Subjects:280000 Information, Computing and Communication Sciences > 280100 Information Systems > 280111 Conceptual Modelling
280000 Information, Computing and Communication Sciences > 280100 Information Systems
280000 Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
ID Code:13845
Deposited By:La Rosa, Marcello
Deposited On:23 June 2008
Copyright Owner:Copyright 2008 (The authors)

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