A literature review on business process modelling: new frontiers of reusability

Business process modelling (BPM) has become fundamental for modern enterprises due to the increasing rate of organisational change. As a consequence, business processes need to be continuously (re-)designed as well as subsequently aligned with the corresponding enterprise information systems. One major problem associated with the design of business processes is reusability. Reuse of business process models has the potential of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of BPM. This article critically surveys the existing literature on the problem of BPM reusability and more specifically on that State-of-the-Art research that can provide or suggest the ‘elements’ required for the development of a methodology aimed at discovering reusable conceptual artefacts in the form of patterns. The article initially clarifies the definitions of business process and business process model; then, it sets out to explore the previous research conducted in areas that have an impact on reusability in BPM. The article concludes by distilling directions for future research towards the development of apatterns-based approach to BPM; an approach that brings together the contributions made by the research community in the areas of process mining and discovery, declarative approaches and ontologies.     

Business process architectures: overview,comparison and framework

With the uptake of business process modelling in practice, the demand grows for guidelines that lead to consistent and integrated collections of process models. The notion of a business process architecture has been explicitly proposed to address this. This paper provides an overview of the prevailing approaches to design a business process architecture. Furthermore, it includes evaluations of the usability and use of the identified approaches. Finally, it presents a framework for business process architecture design that can be used to develop a concrete architecture. The use and usability were evaluated in two ways. First, a survey was conducted among 39 practitioners, in which the opinion of the practitioners on the use and usefulness of the approaches was evaluated. Second, four case studies were conducted, in which process architectures from practice were analysed to determine the approaches or elements of approaches that were used in their design. Both evaluations showed that practitioners have a preference for using approaches that are based on reference models and approaches that are based on the identification of business functions or business objects. At the same time, the evaluations showed that practitioners use these approaches in combination, rather than selecting a single approach.     

A methodology proposal for collaborative business process elaboration using a model-driven approach

Business process management (BPM) principles are commonly used to improve processes within an organisation. But they can equally be applied to supporting the design of an Information System (IS). In a collaborative situation involving several partners, this type of BPM approach may be useful to support the design of a Mediation Information System (MIS), which would ensure interoperability between the partners’ ISs (which are assumed to be service oriented). To achieve this objective, the first main task is to build a collaborative business process cartography. The aim of this article is to present a method for bringing together collaborative information and elaborating collaborative business processes from the information gathered (by using a collaborative situation framework, an organisational model, an informational model, a functional model and a metamodel and by using model transformation rules).     

协同商务环境下的业务流程管理(BPM)技术研究

本文介绍了协同商务环境下的业务流程管理的特点,设计了一套可供实用的业务流程管理框架,详细论述了实现该框架所使用的技术,说明了实施该框架的步骤并与传统的工作流系统做了简要对比.     

Ontology-based approaches for cross-enterprise collaboration: a literature review on semantic business process management

Based on an in-depth analysis of the existing approaches in applying semantic technologies to business process management (BPM) research in the perspective of cross-enterprise collaboration or so-called business-to-business integration, we analyse, discuss and compare methodologies, applications and best practices of the surveyed approaches with the proposed criteria. This article identifies various relevant research directions in semantic BPM (SBPM). Founded on the result of our investigation, we summarise the state of art of SBPM. We also address areas and directions for further research activities.     

THE COMPILATION OF CHINA'S INTERREGIONAL INPUT–OUTPUT MODEL 2002

The increasing economic interaction among various regions in China makes the construction of an interregional input–output table relevant for economic studies. This paper elaborates the model compilation procedure of the China Interregional Input–output model 2002. The key features of the model compilation include: (1) using representative commodities to estimate the interregional commodity flows of the primary industries; (2) adopting functions to estimate the decreasing interregional transportation of manufacturing sectors in relation to distance and (3) selecting appropriate indicators to estimate the interregional commodity flows of non-material sectors. This study is an initial attempt in interregional input–output modelling and might be helpful for economic studies at the levels of micro-regions.     

A process model for concurrent design in manufacturing enterprise information systems

In manufacturing enterprise information systems, concurrent design process is one of the focuses of research on design process management. This study proposes a novel process model for concurrent design based on unified modelling language (UML) and polychromatic sets theory. Model primitives and constructs of UML activity diagram, concurrent design activities, and dynamic changes of concurrent design process are described in the polychromatic sets contour matrix. Based on polychromatic sets theory, the model reduction rules and algorithm are proposed. With the feature-based part design and process planning, a UML model of concurrent design process is developed and mapped into polychromatic sets contour matrix model. The dynamic change, model reduction, path search and time consumption of concurrent design process are analysed, and the direction for improving concurrent design process and shortening product development cycle is suggested.     

选择和评价物流服务提供商的决策模式研究

借助基于行为的思维分析和类比过程,提出了一种基于案例推理方法(CBR)的3PL选择和评价决策模式的系统框架,并论证了CBR决策模式对物流服务提供商选择和评价决策支持的适用性。     

中小物流企业中应用业务流程管理和面向服务架构的解决方案

针对当前中小物流企业的IT需求和实际情况，分析了BPM和SOA组合的特点、益处。给出了一个在中小物流企业中应用BPM和SOA组合的框架。提出了一个在中小物流企业中应用BPM和SOA的解决方案。     

Self‐Interest vs. Greed and the Limitations of the Invisible Hand

Markets can only function well if there is an appropriate legal framework to restrict the behavior of market participants; however, the legal framework is inevitably inadequate. A “greedy” market participant that seeks to gain at the expense of others can usually find some way to do so. This might be done within the legal framework, or it might involve a violation of the law that is difficult to enforce. Since the legal system does not generally guarantee that markets can function efficiently, there is a role for other institutions to foster a more enlightened self‐interest as a social norm and thus improve efficiency.     

Process innovation laboratory: a new approach to business process innovation based on enterprise information systems

Most organizations today are required not only to operate effective business processes but also to allow for changing business conditions at an increasing rate. Today nearly every business relies on their enterprise information systems (EIS) for process integration and future generations of EIS will increasingly be driven by business process models. Consequently business process modelling and improvement is becoming a serious challenge. The aim of this paper is to establish a conceptual framework for business process innovation (BPI) in the supply chain based on advanced EIS. The challenge is thus to create a new methodology for developing and exploring process models and applications. The paper outlines the process innovation laboratory (Π-Lab) as a new approach to BPI. The Π-Lab is a comprehensive framework and a collaborative workspace for experimenting with process models. The Π-Lab facilitates innovation by using an integrated action learning approach to process modelling in a controlled environment. The study is based on design science and the paper also discusses the implications to EIS research and practice.     

A conceptual framework and classification of capability areas for business process maturity

The article elaborates on business process maturity, which indicates how well an organisation can perform based on its business processes, i.e. on its way of working. This topic is of paramount importance for managers who try to excel in today's competitive world. Hence, business process maturity is an emerging research field. However, no consensus exists on the capability areas (or skills) needed to excel. Moreover, their theoretical foundation and synergies with other fields are frequently neglected. To overcome this gap, our study presents a conceptual framework with six main capability areas and 17 sub areas. It draws on theories regarding the traditional business process lifecycle, which are supplemented by recognised organisation management theories. The comprehensiveness of this framework is validated by mapping 69 business process maturity models (BPMMs) to the identified capability areas, based on content analysis. Nonetheless, as a consensus neither exists among the collected BPMMs, a classification of different maturity types is proposed, based on cluster analysis and discriminant analysis. Consequently, the findings contribute to the grounding of business process literature. Possible future avenues are evaluating existing BPMMs, directing new BPMMs or investigating which combinations of capability areas (i.e. maturity types) contribute more to performance than others.     

Talking the talk: Considering forced language-switching in the workplace

In the modern global workplace, bilingual employees who speak a language in addition to the primary workplace language sometimes must switch between languages to bridge workplace language boundaries. This forced switching between languages often occurs without the bilingual employee getting credit, recognition, or training to do so. There is growing interest in language issues in business scholarship, however, prior work generally focused on language management strategies or singular foreign language use. The experiences of workers who must engage in multi-language use, particularly those forced to switch between languages, and implications for employers remain largely unexplored. Cognitive and emotional outcomes associated with the activity of switching between languages, both forced and voluntary, have been researched in fields such as experimental psychology, cognitive science, and applied linguistics. In the current paper, we integrate and apply this existing research in the context of the multilingual workplace. We present a novel, comprehensive theoretical model incorporating current findings from multiple fields and framing it within the theoretical foundation of Social Cognitive Theory. Finally, we discuss the implications of interdisciplinary findings regarding forced language-switching for the fields of human resources management and organizational behavior and suggest directions for future research.     

Towards a typology of business process management professionals: identifying patterns of competences through latent semantic analysis

While researchers have analysed the organisational competences that are required for successful Business Process Management (BPM) initiatives, individual BPM competences have not yet been studied in detail. In this study, latent semantic analysis is used to examine a collection of 1507 BPM-related job advertisements in order to develop a typology of BPM professionals. This empirical analysis reveals distinct ideal types and profiles of BPM professionals on several levels of abstraction. A closer look at these ideal types and profiles confirms that BPM is a boundary-spanning field that requires interdisciplinary sets of competence that range from technical competences to business and systems competences. Based on the study’s findings, it is posited that individual and organisational alignment with the identified ideal types and profiles is likely to result in high employability and organisational BPM success.     

Enabling model checking for collaborative process analysis: from BPMN to ‘Network of Timed Automata’

Interoperability is a prerequisite for partners involved in performing collaboration. As a consequence, the lack of interoperability is now considered a major obstacle. The research work presented in this paper aims to develop an approach that allows specifying and verifying a set of interoperability requirements to be satisfied by each partner in the collaborative process prior to process implementation. To enable the verification of these interoperability requirements, it is necessary first and foremost to generate a model of the targeted collaborative process; for this research effort, the standardised language BPMN 2.0 is used. Afterwards, a verification technique must be introduced, and model checking is the preferred option herein. This paper focuses on application of the model checker UPPAAL in order to verify interoperability requirements for the given collaborative process model. At first, this step entails translating the collaborative process model from BPMN into a UPPAAL modelling language called ‘Network of Timed Automata’. Second, it becomes necessary to formalise interoperability requirements into properties with the dedicated UPPAAL language, i.e. the temporal logic TCTL.     

Vector Stochastic Processes with Pólya‐Type Correlation Structure

This paper introduces a simple method to construct a stationary process on the real line with a Pólya‐type covariance function and with any infinitely divisible marginal distribution, by randomising the timescale of the increment of a second‐order Lévy process with an appropriate positive random variable. With the construction method extended to the multivariate case, we construct vector stochastic processes with Pólya‐type direct covariance functions and with any specified infinitely divisible marginal distributions. This makes available a new class of non‐Gaussian vector stochastic processes with flexible correlation structure for use in modelling and simulation.     

Strategic responses to frontier-based budget allocation: Implications for bureaucratic slack

This paper analyzes the effect on bureaucratic slack of letting a sponsor apply a simple frontier-model in the budgetary process. The relationship between the sponsor and the bureaus is described within a simple game theoretic framework in which the sponsor is given the option of utilizing the frontier-technology when allocating a fixed budget to the bureaus. The effect on bureaucratic slack is shown to be ambiguous. However, conditions under which the sponsor benefits from applying the frontier-model are identified. It is also shown that collusion between bureaus does not destroy the possible benefit of applying the frontier-model.     

A group MCDA method for aiding decision-making of complex problems in public sector: The case of Belo Monte Dam

We review the applications of Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methods in energy sector and in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), finding a gap on the non-use of specific methods that deal with divergent opinions, such as a group MCDA method. This way we suggest the application of a group MCDA method to demonstrate how it may be used for aiding group decision-making in public sector. Aiming at analyzing the aforementioned problem, we simulate the choosing of the construction alternatives of Belo Monte Dam. The power plant project was marked by several conflicts among stakeholders due to the generation of diversified environmental, social and economic impacts. The results show that a group MCDA method may be used to aid public sector in the analysis of complex problems, by dividing them into several parts, allowing, therefore, a transparent decision-making process, as well as to solve gaps in the EIA methods.     

浅谈语言习得和思维角度观察语言

语言的表达途径是声音,目的是表现人们相互之间的情感动作和行为动作等。语言可分为主体语言(也叫母语)和客体语言(也叫外语)。人类掌握母语的过程即我们所说的习得,特点是在自然环境下便可无意识就获得,而外语的掌握则需在特定的学习环境下有意识的学习。虽然习得母语与外语学习有本质的区别,但在根本却有着共通之点——人是语言的学习者。如何把语言习得规律运用到外语教学中,从而调动学习者的主观能动性是一个值得探索的问题。