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Business process modeling and validation using decision process Petri nets. (English) Zbl 1129.91012

Summary: This paper presents a formal framework for business process modeling and validation using partially ordered transition decision process Petri nets (DPPN). The advantage of this approach is its ability to represent the dynamic behavior of the business process. The business process model is supported by an information technology strategic planning (ITSP) model and methodology. The modeling methodology is based on business strategy transformation. High-level business strategies are refined up to the point when they can be described in terms of the activities needed to achieve a certain tactical business strategy given only in terms of goals and strategies. At this point, partially ordered Petri nets are used for business process representation and analysis. DPPN extends the place-transitions Petri nets theoretic approach including the Markov decision process. In this sense, DPPN corresponds to a series of strategies which guide the selection of actions that lead to a final (decision) state. By taking into account different possible courses of action the overall utility of each strategy is considered. The utility function of each business process is represented by a Lyapunov like function. Conditions of equilibrium and stability for the DPPN are recalled. For illustration purposes, two examples are presented.

MSC:

91B06 Decision theory
93D05 Lyapunov and other classical stabilities (Lagrange, Poisson, \(L^p, l^p\), etc.) in control theory
39A05 General theory of difference equations
39A11 Stability of difference equations (MSC2000)
62C99 Statistical decision theory

Software:

DPPN
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