A Top-Down Petri Net-Based Approach for Dynamic Workflow Modeling

A top-down approach for workflow design is proposed in the framework of Petri net theory. Simple but powerful refinement rules are proposed that guarantee soundness of the resulting workflow nets. The refinement process supports the definition of regions, which are parts of the workflow that correspond to logistically related items. Exception handlers can be associated to regions. Defining regions helps determining the impact areas of the unexpected events during workflow execution.