Defining the Resource Perspective in the Development of Processes-Aware Information Systems

Abstract

Context The resource perspective has impact on the performance of business processes. However, current Workflow Management Systems (WfMSs) provide disparate support to its implementation and business process modeling languages provide limited capabilities for its definition. Thus, it is difficult to specify requirements regarding this perspective and to select an appropriate WfMS to support them in order to obtain a technological solution aligned with the organizational needs. Objective To provide support to the definition, implementation, verification and validation of resource perspective requirements in the development of Process-Aware Information Systems (PAISs) based on WfMSs. Method The following activities were carried out: (i) identification of resource perspective aspects in executable workflow specifications, (ii) analysis of the elements provided by the BPMN modeling language to represent these aspects, (iii) development of a framework based on BPMN for defining and implementing these aspects by using the extension mechanism provided by this language, (iv) development of a model-driven development method that leverages the framework to develop PAISs, and (v) validation of the proposed framework and method through the development of a tool supporting them, a case study, and the evaluation against the Workflow Resource Patterns. Results A framework, a method and a tool that support the definition of the resource perspective in the development of PAISs. Conclusion By using the proposed framework and method, practitioners are able to: define the resource perspective requirements in conceptual process models, select a WfMS as implementation platform, and define the implementation of these requirements maintaining the consistency between the conceptual process models and the workflow specifications.