Rediscovering workflow models from event-based data

Contemporary workflow management systems are driven by explicit process models, i.e., a completely specified workflow design is required in order to enact a given workflow process. Creating a workflow design is a complicated time-consuming process and typically there are discrepancies between the actual workflow processes and the processes as perceived by the management. Therefore, we propose a technique for rediscovering workflow models. This technique uses workflow logs to discover the workflow process as it is actually being executed. The workflow log contains information about events taking place. We assume that these events are totally ordered and each event refers to one task being executed for a single case. This information can easily be extracted from transactional information systems (e.g., Enterprise Resource Planning systems such as SAP and Baan). The rediscovering technique proposed in this paper can deal with noise and can also be used to validate workflow processes by uncovering and measuring the discrepancies between prescriptive models and actual process executions.

[1]  Wil M. P. van der Aalst,et al.  Business Process Management, Models, Techniques, and Empirical Studies , 2000 .

[2]  Alexander L. Wolf,et al.  Discovering models of software processes from event-based data , 1998, TSEM.

[3]  Wolfgang Reisig,et al.  Application and Theory of Petri Nets , 1982, Informatik-Fachberichte.

[4]  Dimitrios Gunopulos,et al.  Mining Process Models from Workflow Logs , 1998, EDBT.

[5]  Frank Leymann,et al.  Data Mining von Workflow-Protokollen zur teilautomatisierten Konstruktion von Prozeßmodellen , 2001, BTW.

[6]  Wil M. P. van der Aalst,et al.  The Application of Petri Nets to Workflow Management , 1998, J. Circuits Syst. Comput..

[7]  Clarence A. Ellis,et al.  Modeling and Enactment of Workflow Systems , 1993, Application and Theory of Petri Nets.

[8]  Fabio Casati,et al.  Workflow Evolution , 1996, ER.

[9]  Lars G Fischer.  Workflow Handbook 2002, Workflow Management Coalition , 2002 .

[10]  Joachim Herbst,et al.  A Machine Learning Approach to Workflow Management , 2000, ECML.

[11]  Alexander L. Wolf,et al.  Event-based detection of concurrency , 1998, SIGSOFT '98/FSE-6.

[12]  Grzegorz Rozenberg,et al.  Dynamic change within workflow systems , 1995, COCS '95.

[13]  Joachim Herbst,et al.  Dealing with Concurrency in Workflow Induction , 2000 .

[14]  Dimitris Karagiannis,et al.  An Inductive Approach to the Acquisition and Adaptation of Workflow Models , 1999 .

[15]  Dimitris Karagiannis,et al.  Integrating machine learning and workflow management to support acquisition and adaptation of workflow models , 2000, Intell. Syst. Account. Finance Manag..

[16]  Alexander L. Wolf,et al.  Software process validation: quantitatively measuring the correspondence of a process to a model , 1999, TSEM.

[17]  Christoph Bussler,et al.  Workflow Management: Modeling Concepts, Architecture and Implementation , 1996 .