preparing for the era of cloud computing: towards a framework for selecting business process support...

DSV - Stockholm University1

Preparing for the era of cloud computing:

Towards a framework for selecting business process support services

Ilia Bider - DSV SU Erik Perjons – DSV SU

Presentation for BPMDS 2012 : http://www.bpmds.orgGdansk, Poland, June, 2012

Proceedings: http://bit.ly/MrwJqyPre-proceedings:

http://www.ibissoft.se/publications/BPMDS12.pdf


Cloud computing is already here

• Apian cloud: BPM http://www.appian.com/bpm-software/cloudbpm.jsp

• ActionFlow: http//www.actionflow.com

• SalesForce: http://www.salesforce.com

• Projectplace: http://www.projectplace.com


The fourth revolution

1. Mainframes -> minicomputers

2. Minicomputers → personal computers

3. Personal computers → Web-based systems

4. Web → Cloud

Implications – Business people can choose and test a service without consulting IT department


Goal and approach

• Goal: Help business people to choose right service for their process(es)

• Approach:1. Framework to analyze properties of a business process

without going into details2. List of capabilities that can/should be provided by services3. Recommendations on what capabilities are important

based on the properties identified in the analysis

1. Framework for analyzing services to identify capabilities it provides

2. Recommendations on how to match requirements on capabilities and actual capabilities of services.


What is business process?

Main concepts

• Business process type (BPT) is a plan/template for handling business situations of a certain type

• Business process instance/case (BPI) is a situation (being) handled according to the plan/template

Reguirements

engineering

Reguirements

engineeringDesignDesign CodingCoding TestTest


What is included in the template?

• A situation that warrants application of the plan, i.e. triggers a new instance creation

• A goal to reach• Sub-goals (goal decomposition)• Operations/actions/activities (operational

decomposition)• Rules of responsibility/participation • Rules of collaboration/communication


Where the rules can be found?

• In people's heads: tacit knowledge

• As written documents, e.g., process maps and other kinds of process descriptions: explicit knowledge

• In software systems/services used to support running process instances: built-in knowledge


What is Business Process Support (BPS) Service?

Examples:

• Automates certain operations

• Helps to arrange information flow • Supports coordination/collaboration

Cloud service that helps process participants to follow the plan/template


Somewhat structured processes?

Goal can be decomposed sub-goals and a the whole work can be split in work packages – steps - aimed at achieving sub-goals

Reguirements

engineering

Reguirements



0

High level process analysis?

Requirements Design Coding Test

Requirements

Design

Coding

Test

Reguirements

engineering

Reguirements


Investigate relationships between the steps


1

Input/output relationships

Reguirements Design Coding TestRE spec D spec Code

Test spec

Test resultsTest results

Output Input


Requirements Design *Requirements

specifications Test

results Coding *Design

specifications Test

results Test *Test specifications *Code


2

Transitive input-output matrix


Test spec



Requirements

Design x x

Coding x x x

Test x x x


3

Parallel execution


Test spec



Requirements x x

Design x

Coding x

Test


4

Parallel dependencies =input/output + parallel execution


Test spec



Requirements

Design x

Coding

Test


5

Avoiding parallel dependencies

Design Coding Test

RE spec

D spec Code


SpecifyingReguirements (SR)

Specifying Reguirementstests (SRT)

RE spec


Test spec



6

Avoiding parallel dependencies

New input/output matrix

New parallel execution matrix

SR SRT Design Coding Test

SR

SRT *Requirements specifications

Design *Requirements specifications

Test results

Coding *Design specifications

Test results

Test *Test specifications *Code

SR SRT Design Coding Test

SR

SRT x x

Design x

Coding x

Test


7

Weak dependencies


Test spec



Requirements

Design Rational behind requirements Communication with the customer

Coding Clarification of diagrams

Test


8

Teams matrix


Test spec


R eq u ire m en ts D esig n C od in g T est

R eq u ire m en ts

D esig n

C od in g

T est


9

Inter-step collaboration = Weak dependencies + Teams


Test spec


R eq uire m en ts D esig n C od ing T est

R eq u ire m en ts

D esig n R atio n a l b eh in d req u irem en ts C o m m u n ica tio n w ith th e cu s to m er

C od ing C la rifica tio n o f d iag ra m s

T est


0

Capabilities

Information logisticsupport

Intra-stepcollaboration

support

Inter-stepcollaboration

support

Process flow restriction

enforcement

Process flow

support

Participation restriction

enforcement


1

Matching capabilities and process properties

Information logisticsupport

Intra-stepcollaboration

support

Inter-stepcollaboration

support

Process flow restriction

enforcement

Process flow

support

Participation restriction

enforcement

Input-output

Transitive input-output

Parallel execution TeamsParallel

dependencies

Parallel execution + Teams

Weak dependencies

+ Teams

Weak dependencies

Table 1: Table 2: Table 4: Table 3: Table 9: Table 8: Table 10 : Table 7:

1 . 2. 3 . 4. 5. 6.


2

Process for choosing BPS services

Identifysteps in business process

Fill in basic

matrices

Buildderivedmatrices

Identifycapabilities

usingmatrices

Chose BPS that provides

identifiedcapabilities


3

Thank you for your attention!

Main ContactIlia Bider, SU/IbisSoftEmail: [email protected]

preparing for the era of cloud computing: towards a framework for selecting business process support...

Documents

business process

te

fo rc

ic ip

spec code

spec code

process

spec