Contributed on September 3, 2013

5.8K

2.3K

From Conceptual to Executable BPMN Process Models A Step-by-Step Method

Description

Step-by-step tutorial showing how to turn BPMN process models designed by business analysts into executable processes deployable in a Business Process Management System. This tutorial was first given at the 11th International Conference on Business Process Management in Beijing, China on 29 August 2013. The tutorial is part of a series of lectures available at http://fundamentals-of-bpm.org

Transcript

Queensland University of Technology – University of Tartu
m.larosa@qut.edu.au, marlon.dumas@ut.ee
From Conceptual to Executable
BPMN Process Models
A Step-by-Step Method
What’s this tutorial about?
2
Conceptual process model Executable process model
ATAMO*
* “And Then A Miracle Occurs”
1. BPM practitioners seeking to bridge
business – IT
2. BPM instructors / teachers
3. Business process modeling and automation
researchers
Basic knowledge of BPMN assumed
Who’s this tutorial for?
The BPM lifecycle
4
Process
identification
Conformance and
performance insights
Conformance and
performance insights
Process
monitoring and
controlling
Executable
process
model
Executable
process
model
Process
implementation To-be process
model
To-be process
model
Process
analysis
As-is process
model
As-is process
model
Process
discovery
Process architectureProcess architecture
Process
redesign
Insights on
weaknesses and
their impact
Insights on
weaknesses and
their impact
The BPM Lifecycle (revisited)
5
Process
discovery
Process
identification
Process
analysis
Process
implementation
Process
monitoring and
controlling
Process
redesign
Process
implementation
The well-known gap…
To-be process
model
To-be process
model
Executable
process
model
Executable
process
model
6
Conceptual “to-be” process models
• are made by domain experts
• provide a basis for communication
amongst relevant stakeholders
• must be understandable
• must be intuitive and may leave room for
interpretation
• contain purely a relevant set of process
information
Executable process models
• are made by IT experts
• provide input to a process
enactment system – BPMS
• must be machine readable
• must be unambiguous and should
not contain any uncertainties
• contain further details that are only
relevant to implementation
The result: two sides of the story
8
“to-be executed”
process model
Bridging the gap: one task at a time
1. Identify the automation boundaries
2. Review manual tasks
3. Complete the process model
4. Adjust task granularity
5. Specify execution properties
9
Part I
Part II
Adapted from teaching material of Remco Dijkman, TU/e.
Our running example
Customer
Supplier 1
Supplier 2
Seller
10
Our running example
1. Identify the automation boundaries
Principle: not all processes can be automated.
-> Start by identifying each task’s type:
Automated tasks User tasks
21
Manual tasks
3
12
In BPMN: specify task markers
Automated tasks
13
User task Manual task
In our example…
automated
user
manual
2. Review manual tasks
Principle: if it can’t be seen by the BPMS, it doesn’t exist.
-> Find ways to support manual tasks via IT:
• via user task
• via automated task
-> Isolate them and automate the rest
15
Alternative: isolate manual tasks
16
Alternative: isolate manual tasks
Segment 1 Segment 2
Segment 3
17
Prescription fulfillment process:
• Once the prescription passes the insurance check, it
is assigned to a technician who collects the drugs
from the shelves and puts them in a bag with the
prescription stapled to it.
• After that, the bag is passed to the pharmacist who
double-checks that the prescription has been filled
correctly.
• After this quality check, the pharmacist seals the
bag and puts it in the pick-up area.
• When a customer arrives to pick up their
prescription, a technician retrieves the prescription
and asks the customer for their payment.
Assume the pharmacy system automates this
process. Identify the type of each task and link
manual tasks to the system.
Quiz: let’s consider this process fragment
Possible solution
19
• Physical data objects
• Messages bering physical data objects
• Data stores (both physical and electronic)
• Pools & lanes
• Text annotations
Remove or neglect, depending on BPMS
BPMN elements irrelevant for execution
20
3. Complete the process model
Principle: exceptions are the rule.
-> Add exception handlers
Principle: no data = no decisions, no tasks handover.
-> Specify all electronic business objects
21
It happed for real!
In our example…
22
In our example…
23
4. Adjust task granularity
Principle: BPMSs add value if they coordinate handovers of
work between resources.
-> Aggregate any two consecutive tasks assigned to the
same resource
-> Refine tasks that are too coarse-grained
24
Look around
25
Candidate tasks for aggregation may not necessarily be
consecutive due to a sub-optimal order of tasks in the
conceptual model.
An exception to the rule
26
Our example…
Before Step 1After Step 4
Sales process at a B2B service provider:
1) Identify tasks type
2) Review manual tasks
3) Complete the process model
4) Adjust task granularity
Quiz: let’s consider this process model
28
Possible solution
29
30
Possible solution
31
Possible solution
End of Part I
Queensland University of Technology, University of Tartu
m.larosa@qut.edu.au, marlon.dumas@ut.ee
Part II: the “last mile”
Bridging the gap: one task at a time
1. Identify the automation boundaries
2. Review manual tasks
3. Complete the process model
4. Adjust task granularity
5. Specify execution properties
34
5. Specify execution properties
-> Process variables, messages, signals, errors
-> Task and event variables and their mappings to process
variables
-> Service details
-> Code snippets
-> Participant assignment rules and user interface structure
-> Task, event and sequence flow expressions
-> BPMS-specific: work queues, forms, connectors…
Let‘s take a step back: BPMSs
Business Process Management System
38
Process modeling tool
• To create and modify executable process models (by specifying
execution properties)
• To store and retrieve automation solutions from a process
model repository
• May import from conceptual process modeling tools
39
Example process modeling tools
40
Bonita Soft Bonita Open SolutionIBM Business Process Manager
Execution Engine
• Instantiates executable process models (also called “cases”)
• Orchestrates distribution of work items to process participants
and software services in order to execute a business process
from start to end
• Logs execution data
41
Worklist Handler
• Imagine it as an “inbox”
• Offers work items to process participants and allows
participants to commit to these work items
• Handles participants’ work queues and work item priorities
• May provide social network capabilities
42
Example worklist handlers
43
Bonita Soft Bonita Open Solution
Administration & Monitoring Tools
• To manage automation solutions
• To configure access to system components
• To monitor participants availability and performance of
process cases
44
Example monitoring & administration tools
45
IBM BPM Process Admin Console
IBM BPM Process Portal
Perspective BPMOne
External Services
• Expose a service interface with which the engine can interact
• The engine provides the invoked service with the necessary
data it will need to perform the activity for a specific case
• Examples: rules engine, email or Twitter notification, DB
connector, CRM connector…
46
Example external services
47
Bosch Visual Rules editor
Evolution of the BPMS Landscape
© BPTrends 50
BPMS Landscape
51
Big vendors
• IBM BPM
• Oracle BPMS
• Microsoft
BizTalk, Wf
• SAP NetWeaver
BPM
• Software AG
webMethods
• Pagaystems
PegaRULES
Other
closed-source
• Appian BPMS
• BizAgi BPM Suite
• Bosch inubit
Suite
• OpenTex tBPM
• Perceptive
BPMONe
• Progress Savvion
• TIBCO
ActiveMatrix
BPM
Commercial
open-source
• Bonita Open
Solution
• Camunda Fox
• Intalio|BPM
• JBoss jBPM
Community
open-source
• Shark
• YAWL
BPMS classification according to BPMN support
1. Pure BPMN: (re)designed from the ground up to
follow the spec to the letter
• IBM BPM, Appian BPMS, Camunda Fox
2. Adapted BPMN: use a BPMN skin but rely on
internal representation – predate BPMN
• Bonita Open Solution, BizAgi BPM Suite
3. Non BPMN: proprietary language and semantics
• Bosch inubit Suite, BPMOne, YAWL
52
Let‘s take a look at a concrete BPMS
Cheat sheet
1. Control flow
2. Data flow
3. Resources
> specify sequence flow expressions…
> specify data types and data mappings
> specify participants assignment rules, service details…
57
ERP
Senior Finance Officer
Finance
Department
Check
Invoice
Mismatches
Enter
Invoice
Details
mismatch
exists
no
mismatches
Block
Invoice
Invoice
received
Invoice
posted
Post Invoice
Invoice
blocked
Invoice InvoiceReport
InvoiceInvoice DB
• Long-awaited BPM textbook
• Covers the entire BPM lifecycle
• Running examples & questions
• 100+ exercises with and
without solutions
• Based on BPMN
• Available as Springer eBook,
Apple iBook, Amazon…
• Chinese translation coming
soon
Want to know more?
http://fundamentals-of-bpm.org
• Lecture notes
• A/V recordings
• Quizzes
• Tutorials
• and more…
Queensland University of Technology, University of Tartu
m.larosa@qut.edu.au, marlon.dumas@ut.ee
That’s it!