User Guidance in Business Process Modelling Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Naturwissenschaften vorgelegt von Diplom-Wirtschaftsinformatiker (FH) Matthias Born aus Albstadt genehmigt von der Fakultat fiir Mathematik/Informatik und Maschinenbau der Technischen Universitat Clausthal, Tag der miindlichen Priifung 18. Januar 2012
Contents List of Figures List of Tables List of Listings List of Abbreviations v vii ix xi I Foundation 1 1 Introduction 3 1.1 Motivation 3 1.2 Research Questions 5 1.3 Research Methodology 6 \1.4 Research Contributions 9 1.5 Document Structure 12 2 Foundation of Business Process Modelling 15 2.1 A History of Business Processes 15 '2.2 Fundamentals 20 2.2.1 Definition 20 2.2.2 Business Process Models 23 2.2.3 Conceptual Business Process Modelling Languages 25 2.3 The Principles of Business Process Management 28 2.3.1 Defining Business Process Management 28 2.3.2 Business Process Management Methodology 30 2.4 The Act of Modelling 32 2.4.1 Conceptual Modelling 32 2.4.2 Evolution of Modelling Automation 33 2.5 Process Modelling Methodology: An Example 36 2.6 Summary 37 II User Guidance in Business Process Modelling 39 3 ^Analysing the Process Modelling Discipline 41,/ 3.1 Expert Interviews 41 3.1.1 Interview Construction 41 3.1.2 Interview Results 43 3.2 Observing Modelling Courses 49
3.3 Relevant Issues and Problems 50 3.4 Functionalities of Process Modelling Tools 52 3.5 Example of Variants in Process Models 55 3.6 Related Work 56 3.7 Summary 60 Labelling Business Process Elements 61 4.1 Semantics and Grammar Relevant to Modelling 61 4.2 Analysis of Labels 64 4.2.1 Constructing the Label Analysis Component 65 4.2.2 Analysis of SAP Solution Maps 67 4.2.3 Identifying Naming Issues 69 4.3 Guidelines for Labelling Activities 74 4.4 Related Work 78 4.5 Summary 80 Principles of Guided Process Modelling 81 5.1 Defining Guidance 81 5.2 Foundation of Recommender Systems 83 5.3 Applying Recommender Systems to Business Process Modelling 85 5.4 Guided Process Modelling - Use Cases 86 5.5 Requirements for a Structured Process Repository 90 5.6 Evaluating the Principles of Guided Process Modelling 91 5.7 Related Work 93 5.7.1 Supporting Workflow Modelling 93 5.7.2 Supporting Process Modelling 96 5.8 Summary 98 Context-Aware Process Knowledge Base 99 6.1 Analysis of Existing Process Model Repositories 99 6.2 * Specification of a Structured Process Knowledge Base 101 6.3 Extension of the Conceptual Process Meta-Model 101 6.4 Principles of a Structured Process Knowledge Base 103 6.5 Formalisation of Business Process Model 106 6.5.1 Generic Structure 107 6.5.2 Business Process Artefacts 108 6.5.3 The Concept of Dictionary Entry Names 112 6.6 Integration of Context-Awareness 114 6.6.1 The Idea of Context-Awareness 114 6.6.2 Context-Driver Principle 116 6.6.3 Logical Definition 117 6.6.4 Application of the Context-Driver Principle 119 6.6.5 Querying the Context Environment 122 6.6.6 Context-Aware Naming of Process Artefacts 124 6.7 Context-Driven Guidance in Process Modelling 125 6.7.1 Types of Recommendations 125 6.7.2 Filtering Recommended Elements 128 6.8 Related Work 130 6.9 Summary 132
III Guided Process Modelling Tool 135 7 Designing a Guided Process Modelling Tool 137 7.1 Technical Requirements 137 7.1.1 Functional Requirements 138 7.1.2 Non-Functional Requirements 140 7.2 Architecture Overview 141 7.3 Data Model 142 7.3.1 General Overview 142 7.3.2 Entity and Relation Model 143 7.3.3 Context Model 145 7.4 Back-End Controller 147 7.4.1 Controller Architecture 147 7.4.2 Model Persistence Component 149 7.4.3 Context Controller Component 151 % 7.4.4 Dictionary Component 155 7.4.5 Natural Language Processor 156 7.4.6 Recommendation Component 158 7.4.7 Interface 161 7.5 Front-End 163 7.5.1 Front-End Controller 163 7.5.2 Graphical User Interface 164 7.6 Technical Environment 166 7.6.1 Technical Overview 167 7.6.2 Frameworks Integrated into the Front-End 167 i 7.6.3 Frameworks Integrated into the Back-End 168 7.6.4 Database 169 7.7 Summary 170 IV Evaluation and Resume 173 8 Evaluation of Context-Driven Guided Process Modelling 175 8.1 Performance Analysis of the Context Handler 175 8.1.1 Querying the Context Environment 175 8.1.2 Performance Tests 180 8.2 Controlled Experiment 183 8.2.1 Evaluation Methodology 183 8.2.2 Formulation of the Hypotheses 184 8.2.3 Defining Relevant Variables 185 8.2.4 Construction of the Controlled Experiment 187 8.2.5 Execution and Analysis of the Results 188 8.2.6 Limitation 195 8.3 Summary 196 9 Conclusion and Future Work 199,.9.1 Conclusions 199./ 9.2 Future Work 201
V References and Appendix 205 Bibliography 207 A Implementing a Guided Process Modelling Tool 225 A.I Implementing the Model and the Back-End Controller 225 A.I.I Model Persistence 225 A.1.2 Natural Language Processing 228 A.1.3 Dictionary Controller... 229 A. 1.4 Implementing the Recommendation Component 230 A.1.5 Servlet Interfaces 230 A.2 Front-End 231 A.2.1 Process Modelling Language 232 A.2.2 Events and Event Listeners 233 A.2.3 Communication with Back-End Controller 234 sa.2.4 Graphical User Interface 235 B Controlled Experiment 239 B.I Questionnaire 239 B.2 Use Case - Processing of a Sales Order 245 B.3 Data Collection 246