R-BPMN for abstract modeling of business process patterns

Purpose The authors use the extension mechanism provided by the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) to define roles, which allows roles to be fully aligned with the BPMN standard. The authors describe how a pattern can be defined in terms of roles and present the formal semantics of pattern realization and refinement to support systematic reuse of patterns in business process development. Design/methodology/approach It is widely agreed that the use of business process patterns improves the efficiency and quality of business process development. However, few techniques are available to describe business process patterns at an appropriate level of abstraction to facilitate the reuse of patterns. To address this, this paper presents the role-based Business Process Model and Notation (R-BPMN), an extension of BPMN for abstract modeling of business process patterns based on a novel notion of role. Findings The authors apply R-BPMN in case studies for pattern realization and refinement and discuss tool support via an existing tool. The case studies demonstrate the practical benefits of R-BPMN in capturing pattern variability and facilitating pattern reuse. Practical implications The findings imply a potential impact of R-BPMN on practical benefits when it is supported at the metamodel level in tool development. Originality/value This study addresses the need for abstract modeling of process patterns at the metamodel level, which facilitates the formalization of pattern variability and tool development to support various realizations of process patterns at the model level.

Automated summary

The authors introduce the role-based Business Process Model and Notation (R-BPMN) as an extension of BPMN to abstractly model business process patterns. They demonstrate the practical benefits of R-BPMN in capturing pattern variability and facilitating pattern reuse through case studies and tool support. The potential impact of R-BPMN on practical benefits is highlighted when supported at the metamodel level in tool development.