Automated Business Process Model Discovery

• US 20090112667A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Tseng, Benny, Blackwell, Ken
• Application Number:
  US12/262,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20090112667A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes: (A) receiving descriptions of a plurality of paths of instances of a transaction through a computer system; and (B) generating, based on the descriptions, a description of a business process model of the transaction. The description describes the plurality of paths through the computer system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

(A) receiving descriptions of a plurality of paths of instances of a transaction through a computer system;

(B) generating, based on the descriptions, a description of a business process model of the transaction, the description describing the plurality of paths.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises:

(B)(1) identifying frequencies of paths in the plurality of paths; and

(B)(2) including, in the business process model description, a description of the frequencies of the paths.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises generating the business process model description in a business process modeling language.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises generating the business process model description to describe the plurality of paths as a directed graph representing a union of the plurality of paths.

5. A computer system comprising:

a business transaction analyzer to receive descriptions of a plurality of paths of instances of a transaction through a computer system; and

a business process model analyzer to generate, based on the descriptions, a description of a business process model of the transaction, the description describing the plurality of paths.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the business process model analyzer comprises:

means for identifying frequencies of paths in the plurality of paths; and

means for including, in the business process model description, a description of the frequencies of the paths.

7. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the business process model analyzer comprises means for generating the business process model description in a business process modeling language.

8. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the business process model analyzer comprises means for generating the business process model description to describe the plurality of paths as a directed graph representing a union of the plurality of paths.