An automated optimisation framework for the development of re-configurable business processes: a web services approach

The practice of optimising business processes has, until recently, been undertaken mainly as a manual task. This article provides insights into an automated business process optimisation framework by using web services for the development of re-configurable business processes. The research presented here extends the optimisation framework by introducing additional web services as a mechanism for facilitating process interactions, identifying enhancements to support business processes and undertaking three case studies to evaluate the proposed enhancements. The featured case studies demonstrate that an increase in the amount of available web services gives rise to improvements in the business processes generated. This research highlights an increase in the efficiency of the algorithm and the quality of the business process designs that result from the enhancements. Future research directions are proposed for the further improvement of the framework.

[1]  NedjahNadia,et al.  Evolutionary multi-objective optimisation , 2015 .

[2]  Serge Mankovskii,et al.  Service Oriented Architecture , 2009, Encyclopedia of Database Systems.

[3]  Robert Padulo,et al.  Business Process Reengineering: BreakPoint Strategies for Market Dominance , 1994, J. Inf. Technol..

[4]  T S Baines,et al.  State-of-the-art in product-service systems , 2007 .

[5]  George Chryssolouris,et al.  Web-services-based supply-chain-control logic: an automotive case study , 2013 .

[6]  Sotiris Makris,et al.  Towards the Internet-based supply chain management for the ship repair industry , 2004, Int. J. Comput. Integr. Manuf..

[7]  Bart Baesens,et al.  Robust Process Discovery with Artificial Negative Events , 2009, J. Mach. Learn. Res..

[8]  L. Jain,et al.  Evolutionary multiobjective optimization : theoretical advances and applications , 2005 .

[9]  Sotiris Makris,et al.  Customer's behaviour modelling for manufacturing planning , 2010, Int. J. Comput. Integr. Manuf..

[10]  Namkyu Park,et al.  An XML-based process definition language for integrated process management , 2003, Comput. Ind..

[11]  Michael Havey,et al.  Essential business process modeling , 2005 .

[12]  Michael Hammer,et al.  Reengineering Work: Don’t Automate, Obliterate , 1990 .

[13]  Eric S. Fraga,et al.  Process design optimisation using embedded hybrid visualisation and data analysis techniques within a genetic algorithm optimisation framework , 2004 .

[14]  Kostas Vergidis.  Business process optimisation using an evolutionary multi-objective framework , 2008 .

[15]  Emanuele Della Valle,et al.  Realizing Service-Finder Web Service Discovery at Web Scale , 2008 .

[16]  Hsin-Hsi Lai,et al.  Constructing an interoperable, design-centric, service-oriented and knowledge-sharing architecture , 2011, Int. J. Comput. Integr. Manuf..

[17]  Sotiris Makris,et al.  On the information modeling for the electronic operation of supply chains: A maritime case study , 2008 .

[18]  Ashutosh Tiwari,et al.  Business process improvement using multi-objective optimisation , 2006 .

[19]  Fabio Casati,et al.  Business Process Intelligence , 2018, Encyclopedia of Social Network Analysis and Mining. 2nd Ed..

[20]  Ramesh Nagappan,et al.  Developing Java Web services : architecting and developing secure Web services using Java , 2003 .

[21]  Sotiris Makris,et al.  A web-services oriented workflow management system for integrated digital production engineering , 2011 .

[22]  Rajkumar Roy,et al.  Optimisation of business process designs: An algorithmic approach with multiple objectives , 2007 .

[23]  Samuel H. Huang,et al.  Computer-assisted supply chain configuration based on supply chain operations reference (SCOR) model , 2005, Comput. Ind. Eng..

[24]  Rajshekhar G. Javalgi,et al.  Sustainable Competitive Advantage of Internet Firms - A Strategic Framework and Implications for Global Marketers , 2005 .

[25]  Mike P. Papazoglou,et al.  Web Services - Principles and Technology , 2007 .

[26]  Ashutosh Tiwari,et al.  Evolutionary Multi-objective Optimisation of Business Processes , 2009, WSC.

[27]  Sotiris Makris,et al.  Supply chain control logic for enabling adaptability under uncertainty , 2011 .

[28]  Xun Xu,et al.  Computer-aided process planning – A critical review of recent developments and future trends , 2011, Int. J. Comput. Integr. Manuf..

[29]  Mark Lycett,et al.  Service-oriented architecture , 2003, 2003 Symposium on Applications and the Internet Workshops, 2003. Proceedings..

[30]  Krishnamurthy Srinivasan,et al.  E-Business Process Modeling: The Next Big Step , 2002, Computer.

[31]  Rakesh Kumar Phanden,et al.  Integration of process planning and scheduling: a state-of-the-art review , 2011, Int. J. Comput. Integr. Manuf..

[32]  Yuchun Xu,et al.  Process mining: from theory to practice , 2012, Bus. Process. Manag. J..

[33]  Marcel Bauer.  Web Services Explained Solutions And Applications For The Real World , 2016 .

[34]  Sotiris Makris,et al.  Supply chain modeling and control for producing highly customized products , 2008 .

[35]  W. D. Li,et al.  A simulated annealing-based optimization approach for integrated process planning and scheduling , 2007, Int. J. Comput. Integr. Manuf..

[36]  Carlos A. Coello Coello,et al.  Recent Trends in Evolutionary Multiobjective Optimization , 2005, Evolutionary Multiobjective Optimization.

[37]  Rudolf Vetschera,et al.  Algorithmical approaches to business process design , 2001, Comput. Oper. Res..

[38]  Ashutosh Tiwari,et al.  Business Process Analysis and Optimization: Beyond Reengineering , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Part C (Applications and Reviews).

[39]  Doug Kaye,et al.  Loosely Coupled: The Missing Pieces of Web Services , 2003 .