Business Process Modeling and Analysis: Data Flow and Object Lifecycle

Business Process Modeling and Analysis

Data in Business Processes

3/16/2016 Business Process Modeling and Analysis Data in Business Processes

• Data and Data Flow
• Data Execution Semantics
• Structured Data and Sub-Processes
• Object Lifecycle Conformance

13/16/2016

Data and Data Flow

Notation Categories and their Elements

Artefacts Connecting Objects

1 Data Object Association Discussed this week M. Weske: Business Process Management, @ Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012, 2007 Fig. 4.76. BPMN: categories of elements 23/16/2016

Motivation for Data in Processes

. Traditionally, the focus of business process modeling is on activities and control flow Reseller Reject order Order rejected Reseller Check order X Order received Approve order Prepare parcel Send parcel Parcel sent · However - In process models, data objects appear implicitly as labels of activities and events

Motivation for Data in Processes

· Execution of business processes - Data is created, manipulated and used during the execution of a business process - Data serves as input, is created as output, and drives decisions - Representing data objects in process models helps bridging the gap between business and IT, during process implementation · What will be covered - Modeling of data objects - Dependencies between data objects - Possible states of a data object during process execution - Relationships between data and process activities 33/16/2016

Modeling of Data in BPMN

· Notational elements for representing data · Data objects - „items, physical, or information items“ - Data objects with state - Data objects with external structure: lists Order Order [created] Order = · Data storage ERP system · Data from external source for the entire process - Data input Order Order Data Input / Data Output · Data Input / Data Output represent input / output data to the entire process (or sub-process) · If applied to a business process - Data object existed before the start of the process - Data object exists after the termination of the process · Can also be applied to sub-processes 1 DataInput DataOutput 4 - Data output Task3/16/2016

Representing Data Objects

. Dashed edges indicate the reading and writing of data objects by activities Check order Approve order Prepare parcel Send parcel O Parcel sent Order Parcel · Notice - The term „data object“ might be misleading - We represent the type level, not the level of individual data objects

Representing Data Objects Flow

· Data flow between activities related by sequence flow can be expressed in a condensed form Check order Approve order Prepare parcel Send parcel Parcel sent V Order Parcel 53/16/2016

Representing Data Objects Structure

· The structure of data objects is not represented in BPMN - The structure of data objects can be modeled, e.g., in UML class diagrams or entity-relationship diagrams Check order Approve order Prepare parcel Send parcel Parcel sent Order Parcel Concurrent Access A . 1 C 0-0 D - 7 B · Notice - BPMN does not provide means to express transactional properties - Managing concurrent access to data needs to be done by IT systems, e.g., database systems 63/16/2016

Representing Data Object States

· Data objects can have a state, i.e., a representation of its current value - State transitions are triggered by activities, writing data objects Check order Approve order Prepare parcel Send parcel parcel sent Order [checked] Order [approved] Parcel [prepared] Parcel [sent] Check order Approve order Prepare parcel Send parcel parcel sent Order [checked] Order [approved] Parcel [prepared] Parcel [sent]

Example: Data Objects

· The order fulfillment process acts on several data objects Reseller Reject order Order rejected Check order X Order received Approve order Prepare parcel Send parcel Parcel sent Reseller V Parcel [prepared] Parcel [sent] Customer data [verified] Transport document [created] Delivery note [created] 73/16/2016

Data Execution Semantics

Execution Semantics

. So far, only sequence flow decides if and when an activity can be enabled · Data influences execution semantics of processes as well - An activity is enabled only if the data that the activity reads is available and in the required state Check order Approve order Prepare parcel Send parcel parcel sent 1 Order [checked] Order [approved] Parcel [prepared] Parcel [sent] - In case of multiple data objects to read, additional definitions are required 83/16/2016

Input Sets

. If an activity has multiple incoming read edges, input sets are used to refine the enabling of that activity · Example: "package parcel" Product [manufactured] Parcel [packed] manufacture product X X package parcel send parcel parcel sent F. obtain product + Product [obtained] Customer address [confirmed] InputSet2 = {Product [obtained] ], Customer address [confirmed]}

Input Sets Refinement

· More concrete - If sequence flow is signaled, the input sets of the activity are evaluated - If an input set is available, the activity is enabled Product [manufactured] Parcel [packed] manufacture product X X package parcel send parcel parcel sent obtain product Product [obtained] Customer address [confirmed] InputSets: InputSet1 = {Product [manufactured], Customer address [confirmed]} 93/16/2016

Output Sets

· If an activity has multiple outgoing write edges, output sets can refine the output of that activity 1 1 Order [received] Order [rejected] Customer information for rejection [created] Check order order received OutputSets: OutputSet1 = {Order [rejected], Customer information for rejection[created]}, Order [accepted] OutputSet2 = {Order[accepted]}

Output Sets Refinement

· More concrete - Output sets refer to a collection of data objects with states, which can be available after the execution of the activity - After activity termination one of the se output sets is available 1 Order [received] Order [rejected] Customer information for rejection [created] Check order order received OutputSets: OutputSet1 = {Order [rejected], Customer information for rejection[created]}, Order [accepted] OutputSet2 = {Order[accepted]} 103/16/2016

Data Objects and Decisions

· Decisions of XOR gateways can use data objects (data-based exclusive gateway) · Example - Decision is based on the state of the Order data object - Check order has two output sets Order [rejected] ed] Reject order Order rejected Check order X Approve order Prep par Order Pa [accepted] Order [checked] [prep

Data Objects and Decisions Formalization

· Decisions might also use values of data objects - Notice that the conditions are not completely formalized - However, the goal of the decision is expressed well in the process model credit_application.amount < 10000 accept credit credit accepted assess credit application (initial) credit application received Credit application assess credit application (advanced) request customer's credit rating credit_application.amount >= 10000 113/16/2016

Data in Processes: Data Storage

· Data storage describes locations where data is stored and retrieved from Send parcel Parcel sent Parcel [sent] 1 Customer data [verified] Transport document [created] Delivery note [created] Warehouse DB CRM System ERP System

Persistent and Transient Data

· Persistent - Data objects are available after the process instance has terminated · Transient - Data objects are created during the process instance and are not available after its termination · In BPMN, all data objects are transient, unless they are - associated with a data storage - data input or data output of a business process Send parcel Parcel sent Parcel [sent] Customer data [verified] Transport document [created] Delivery note [created] Warehouse DB CRM System ERP System 123/16/2016

Activities, Data Objects, States, Systems

Reseller Order Order [rejected] [received] Reject order Order rejected Check order 5 Order received Approve order Prepare parcel Send parcel Parcel sent Reseller .. Order Order [checked] Parcel [prepared] Parcel (sent] Customer data [verified] Transport document [created] Delivery note [created] Warehouse DB CRM System ERP System [accepted] Data Objects and Sub-Processes 133/16/2016

Processing of Data Object Collections

· Idea - Data objects defined as collection can be processed by multiple instances (MI) activities · Input - Each data object of a collection is processed by one activity instance - Parallel or sequential execution possible · Example - Pack order - Parallel execution Pack order Send order = Reseller Order item [accepted] Order item [packed] Order item [sępt]

Processing of Data Object Collections Output

· Output - Each activity instance creates a data object for an output collection · Example - The state of each Order item is changed from accepted to packed by the Pack order MI activity Pack order Send order Reseller Order item [accepted] Order item [packed] Order item [sept] 143/16/2016

Processing of Data Object Collections Input/Output

· Input, output of data object collections - Activities can also process collections of data objects · Example - The Send order activity reads the Order item data collection in state packed and changes the state of each order item to sent Pack order Send order Reseller Order item [accepted] Order item [packed] Order item [sent]

Processing of Data Object Collections Consolidation

· Input / output consolidation - An activity can read a data object collection and create just one output data object · Example: Consolidate order - After termination of the activity instance, a new data object Order in state consolidated is created Consolidate order Reseller Order item [accepted] Order [consolidated] 153/16/2016

Data in Processes and Sub-Processes

· Transfer of the data objects between a sub-process activity and its child process · Approach - Manual assignment of a data object on the process level to a data object on the sub-process level - Use of references · Attention - Assignment of, e.g., Order to Invoice is possible - No consistency check, modeler has the responsibility to preserve consistency · Notice - Data input and data output can also be applied to sub-processes

Context of Data Objects

Handle order + Order [accepted] Order [sent] Reference Reference Pack order Send order Order [accepted] Order [packed] Customer information [verified] Order [sent] 16