EFFICIENT SYSTEM FOR REALIZING BUSINESS PROCESS FAMILIES USING MODEL-DRIVEN TECHNIQUES

• US 20130110577A1
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kulkarni, Vinay, Barat, Souvik
• Granted Patent: US 8,874,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for developing a set of business process definitions sharing the common business intent as a business process family using model-driven techniques. The present invention minimizes on development time and resources thus leading to a cost effective system and method for developing business process families. The invention enables to create a business process family which can be easily configured to behave as a specific business process thus meeting the needs of a set of apriori known situations. The invention supports configuration process at different stages (i.e. design time, and run time) of the business process application and also support extension of the configuration structure at different stages (i.e. design time, and run time). The invention enables to create a business process family which can be easily extended to meet the needs of an as yet unseen situation.

Claims

1. A computationally efficient system for developing a set of business process definitions sharing the common business intent as a business process family using model driven techniques, the said system comprising:

a network; and

a host system in communication with the network, the said host system having processor configured to execute programmed instructions for;

a) specifying a business process family as an extension of essential BPMN meta model;

b) viewing a business process definition as a set of connecting objects which connect a set of flow objects exchanging data objects using the said essential BPMN meta model;

c) capturing a process structure for specifying concrete business processes using essential BPMN meta model;

d) enabling an activity to be specified as a placeholder and making another process to fit in via orchestration or choreography by using essential BPMN meta model;

e) defining a BPMN meta model to support a business process family concept, comprises of

i. describing the business process family by using a process structure, wherein the Process structure is defined by set of activities and events;

ii. essentially specifying each template by using BPMN meta model;

iii. introducing a placeholder to support two kinds of variability with respect to composition and integration, wherein the placeholder comprises of an Event activity or an Abstract Activity;

iv. defining composition or integration of a process part at the placeholder by using a map, wherein the map comprises of an event map or an activity map

v. introducing a configuration structure to describe entire configuration context in terms of the parts that can be fitted at placeholders;

vi. specifying multiple placeholders and a set of candidate processes for each placeholders to enables modelling of the business process family; and

f) Integrating at least one business process definition from the business process family and at least one technology platform to create an executable business process.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the activity comprises activity type and activity kind.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the activity type comprises concrete type and abstract type.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the activity kind comprises composite kind, atomic kind or communicating kind.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein essential BPMN meta-model enables the modeling of the business process family, wherein each business process member of the business process family serves the same intent in a specific situation.