Transforming Collaborative Process Models into Interface Process Models by Applying an MDA Approach

Abstract

Collaborative business models among enterprises require defining collaborative business processes. Enterprises implement B2B collaborations to execute these processes. In B2B collaborations the integration and interoperability of processes and systems of the enterprises are required to support the execution of collaborative processes. From a collaborative process model, which describes the global view of the enterprise interactions, each enterprise must define the interface process that represents the role it performs in the collaborative process in order to implement the process in a Business Process Management System. Hence, in this work we propose a method for the automatic generation of the interface process model of each enterprise from a collaborative process model. This method is based on a Model-Driven Architecture to transform collaborative process models into interface process models. By applying this method, interface processes are guaranteed to be interoperable and defined according to a collaborative process.

A distributed repository for managing business process models in cross-organizational collaborations

“…through a choreography of message exchange between roles that organizations fulfill, and serves as a contractual basis for the cross-organizational collaboration [11]. CBPs are abstract processes in the sense they are not directly executable [12].…”

An MDA‐based framework for collaborative business process modelling

“…This includes for instance detecting deadlocks, livelocks, etc.Implementation of a set of model transformations, at the PIM level, that allows automated derivation of respective specific partner's processes, from the high‐level abstract CBP global model.A model and a code generation framework, at the PSM level, that facilitates the generation of the correspondent respective partner's executable processes expressed by the Web Service Business Process Execution Language (WS‐BPEL) and Web Service Description Language (WSDL) (Bean, 2009; Jordan and Evdemon, 2007). In other words, the two executable files, BPEL and WSDL, are generated from a correspondent process model represented by Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) process modelling language (OMG, 2009a) or from a correspondent process model represented by an event process chain (EPC) process modelling language (Scheer, 1999; Lazarte et al , 2009). In addition, in order to exemplify and give a flavour of the effectiveness of our framework, we implement a case study aiming at:showing that the generic CBP metamodel can be instantiated; andshowing that the specific participant's business processes are generated automatically.So, an e‐Procurement case study in which the model transformations and code generation mentioned above are applied to generate BPMN models, WS‐BPEL and WSDL codes from higher‐level CBP UML2 Profiles.…”

“…A model and a code generation framework, at the PSM level, that facilitates the generation of the correspondent respective partner's executable processes expressed by the Web Service Business Process Execution Language (WS‐BPEL) and Web Service Description Language (WSDL) (Bean, 2009; Jordan and Evdemon, 2007). In other words, the two executable files, BPEL and WSDL, are generated from a correspondent process model represented by Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) process modelling language (OMG, 2009a) or from a correspondent process model represented by an event process chain (EPC) process modelling language (Scheer, 1999; Lazarte et al , 2009).…”