Mendling Metrics for Process Models

Empirical Foundations of Verification, Error Prediction, and Guidelines for Correctness
1. Auflage 2008
ISBN: 978-3-540-89224-3
Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band 6, 205 Seiten

Reihe: Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing

Business process modeling plays an important role in the management of business processes. As valuable design artifacts, business process models are subject to quality considerations. The absence of formal errors such as deadlocks is of paramount importance for the subsequent implementation of the process. 

In his book Jan Mendling develops a framework for the detection of formal errors in business process models and the prediction of error probability based on quality attributes of these models (metrics). He presents a precise description of Event-driven Process Chains (EPCs), their control-flow semantics and a suitable correctness criterion called EPC soundness.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Mendling, Jan

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Title Page;2
2;Dedication;5
3;Preface;6
4;Contents;11
5;List of Acronyms;14
6;Business Process Management;17
6.1;History of Business Process Management;18
6.2;Definition of Business Process Management;20
6.3;Definition of Business Process Modeling;23
6.4;Business Process Modeling and Errors;28
6.5;Summary;30
7;Event-Driven Process Chains (EPC);32
7.1;EPC Notation;33
7.2;EPC Syntax;35
7.2.1;Approaches to EPC Syntax Formalization;36
7.2.2;Formal Syntax Definition of Flat EPCs;37
7.2.3;Formal Syntax Definition of Hierarchical EPCs;41
7.2.4;Formal Syntax Definition of Standard EPCs;43
7.3;EPC Syntax Extensions;43
7.3.1;Control Flow Extensions;44
7.3.2;Configurability Extensions;45
7.4;EPC Semantics;45
7.4.1;Informal Semantics as a Starting Point;46
7.4.2;EPC Formalization Problems;46
7.4.3;Approaches to EPC Semantics Formalization;49
7.4.4;EPC Semantics Based on State and Context;55
7.4.5;Reachability Graph of EPCs;62
7.4.6;Tool Support for EPC Semantics;65
7.5;EPCs and Other Process Modeling Languages;70
7.5.1;Comparison Based on Routing Elements;70
7.5.2;Comparison Based on Workflow Patterns;71
7.6;Summary;71
8;Verification of EPC Soundness;73
8.1;Soundness of EPCs;73
8.1.1;Correctness Criteria for Business Process Models;73
8.1.2;Definition of EPC Soundness;76
8.2;Reachability Graph Verification of Soundness;78
8.3;Verification by Reduction Rules;81
8.3.1;Related Work on Reduction Rules;83
8.3.2;A Reduction Kit for EPCs;86
8.3.3;A Reduction Algorithm for EPCs;105
8.3.4;Reduction of the SAP Reference Model;109
8.4;Summary;116
9;Metrics for Business Process Models;117
9.1;Measurement Theory;118
9.2;Metrics in Network Analysis;121
9.3;Metrics in the Software Engineering Process;124
9.4;Related Work on Metrics for Process Models;128
9.5;Definition of Metrics for Process Models;131
9.5.1;Size;132
9.5.2;Density;133
9.5.3;Partitionability;135
9.5.4;Connector Interplay;139
9.5.5;Cyclicity;141
9.5.6;Concurrency;142
9.6;Calculating Metrics;144
9.7;Summary;147
10;Validation of Metrics as Error Predictors;148
10.1;Analysis Data Generation;148
10.2;The Sample of EPC Models;149
10.2.1;How Do the Four Groups Differ?;150
10.2.2;How Do Correct and Incorrect Models Differ?;153
10.2.3;Correlation Analysis;153
10.3;Logistic Regression;156
10.3.1;Introduction to Logistic Regression;156
10.3.2;Preparatory Analyses;157
10.3.3;Multivariate Logistic Regression Model;158
10.4;External Validation;160
10.5;Summary;163
11;Implications for Business Process Modeling;164
11.1;Seven Process Modeling Guidelines (7PMG);165
11.2;Discussion;166
11.3;Future Research;167
12;Transition Relation of EPCs Based on State and Context;168
12.1;Phase 1: Transition Relation for Dead Context Propagation;168
12.2;Phase 2: Transition Relation for Wait Context Propagation;169
12.3;Phase 3: Transition Relation for Negative State Propagation;172
12.4;Phase 4: Transition Relation for Positive State Propagation;173
13;References;177
14;Index;203