Achieving Business Process Model Interoperability Using Metamodels and Ontologies

Common userand business-requirements demand an integrated view on the multitude of available information resources that are processed in a variety of heterogeneous information systems. Therefore, the research field of semantic integration which is a prerequisite for the interoperability of systems is of high importance. In this paper we focus on the semantic interoperability of business process models which is, for instance, of relevance for the interoperability of standard software or workflow engines that are configured by such processes. In order to perform such a task, the use of two alternative concepts is often proposed in literature: metamodels and ontologies. These two concepts are most often used without really reflecting their characteristics and their relationship to one another which is a critical shortcoming. Therefore, we provide an extensive discussion of these concepts which establishes the basis for their combined use for achieving semantic interoperability of business processes. In this context we will also discuss basic approaches for the mapping of model elements and ontology constructs which is of importance for providing inherent semantics. The paper is concluded with an outlook on the ongoing implementation of the proposed interoperability approach and its possible benefits for the area of service oriented architectures.