Preserving correctness during business process model configuration

Wil M. P. Aalst (1, 2) , Marlon Dumas (2, 3) , Florian Gottschalk (1) , Arthur H. M. Hofstede (2) , Marcello La Rosa (2) , Jan Mendling (4)

1 TU/e - Eindhoven University of Technology [Eindhoven]
2 QUT - Queensland University of Technology [Brisbane]
3 University of Tartu
4 HU Berlin - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin = Humboldt University of Berlin = Université Humboldt de Berlin

A configurable process model captures a family of related process models in a single artifact. Such models are intended to be configured to fit the requirements of specific organizations or projects, leading to individualized process models that are subsequently used for domain analysis or solution design. This article proposes a formal foundation for individualizing configurable process models incrementally, while preserving correctness, both with respect to syntax and behavioral semantics. Specifically, assuming the configurable process model is behaviorally sound, the individualized process models are guaranteed to be sound. The theory is first developed in the context of Petri nets and then extended to a process modeling notation widely used in practice, namely Event-driven Process Chains.

Mots clés: Configurable process model; Configuration; Petri net

Wil M. P. Aalst, Marlon Dumas, Florian Gottschalk, Arthur H. M. Hofstede, Marcello La Rosa, et al.. Preserving correctness during business process model configuration. Formal Aspects of Computing, 2009, 22 (3), pp.459-482. ⟨10.1007/s00165-009-0112-0⟩. ⟨hal-00485056⟩