Towards semantically-aided domain specific business process modeling

Abstract

PurposeDomain-specific process modeling has been proposed in the literature as a solution to several problems in business process management. The problems arise when using only the generic Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) standard for modeling. This language includes domain ambiguity and difficult long-term model evolution. Domain-specific modeling involves developing concept definitions, domain-specific processes and eventually industry-standard BPMN models. This entails a multi-layered modeling approach, where any of these artifacts can be modified by various stakeholders and changes done by one person may influence models used by others. There is therefore a need for tool support to keep track of changes done and their potential impacts. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a multi-context systems-based approach to infer the impacts that changes may cause in the models; and alsothe authors incrementally map components of business process models to ontologies.FindingsAdvantages of the framework include: identifying conflicts/inconsistencies across different business modeling layers; expressing rich information on the relations between two layers; calculating the impact of changes taking place in one layer to the rest of the layers; and selecting incrementally the most appropriate semantic models on which the transformations can be based.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors consider this work as one of the foundational bricks that will enable further advances toward the governance of multi-layer business process modeling systems. Extensive usability tests would enable to further confirm the findings of the paper.Practical implicationsThe approach described here should improve the maintainability, reuse and clarity of business process models and in extension improve data governance in large organizations. The approaches described here should improve the maintainability, reuse and clarity of business process models. This can improve data governance in large organizations and for large collections of processes by aiding various stakeholders to understand problems with process evolutions, changes and inconsistencies with business goals.Originality/valueThis paper fulfills an identified gap to enabling semantically aided domain–specific process modeling.