A contract-based workflow execution framework for realizing artifact-centric business processes in a dynamic and collaborative environment

Abstract

Purpose The paper aims to study realization requirements for the flexible enactment of artifact-centric business processes in a dynamic, collaborative environment and to develop a workflow execution framework that can effectively address those requirements. Design/methodology/approach This study proposed a framework and contract-based, event-driven architecture design and implementation that can directly realize collaborative artifact-centric business processes in service-oriented architecture (SOA) without any model conversion. Findings The results show that the approach is feasible in presenting several key benefits over the use of existing workflow systems to run artifact-centric processes. Originality/value Most of the existing approaches require an artifact-centric model to be transformed into executable workflow languages to run on existing workflow management systems. This study argues that the model conversion can incur losses of information and affect traceability and monitoring ability of workflows, especially in an SOA where a workflow can span across multiple inter-business entities.

Examining Collaborative Business Process Modeling Techniques

“…A limited number of academics use web-based methodologies to provide assistance for the collaborative aspect of process modeling. The technique presented in reference [27] tackles the problem of formulating dynamic collaborative business processes and has successfully proved its practicality. The researchers used the Business-OWL ontology.…”