The vision of the DIME project is to create a user-oriented, distributed, Web-based, collaborative framework for process modeling consisting of descriptive modeling languages, analysis techniques, modeling methodologies, intelligent support, and software tools for modeling, analyzing, controlling, and improving next-generation enterprises. The realization of this vision requires a theory base, as well as significant developmental effort. Only fragments for a theory base exist at the present time. Toward this vision, we have completed significant work to demonstrate the need and feasibility of our framework in the exploratory phase (Phase I). Research completed in Phase I was supported by an NSF grant under the Scalable Enterprise Systems initiative.
 

DMI-0075588

M. Kamath

Summary of Accomplishments and Activities

This project involved the definition, design, and development of a theory-based framework that integrates methods and technologies from engineering, accounting, process modeling, and distributed computing in order to provide a means to accelerate business process design, control, and improvement. The vision is to develop an innovative framework for a new generation of user-oriented, graphical, scalable, Web-based business process and performance modeling tools. This research builds on existing process modeling approaches to provide an integrative framework for enterprise process modeling. Many of the shortcomings of existing techniques were addressed with the help of Petri net theory and by integrating modern concepts such as activity-based management, linkages between engineering and business approaches, and the distributed computing paradigm of the Internet.

The first version of a new graphical process modeling language has been completed (Chaugule 2001). This language builds on the strengths of existing process modeling techniques such as data flow diagrams, IDEF techniques, and SAP’s Event-driven Process Chain technique. The syntax and semantics of the language constructs incorporate the knowledge derived from Petri net representations of workflow constructs. The linkage between Petri net theory and the graphical process modeling language in a Web context represents a corner stone in the establishment of a scalable theoretical foundation for user-oriented enterprise process modeling. A preliminary version of an XML-based schema for model representation has been completed. The theory behind the two-way mapping scheme between graphical language and the Petri net representations has been worked out. A Web-based prototype using XML and related technologies is underway.

Significant impact in the business process-modeling field is expected. The linkage between Petri net theory and graphical process modeling represents a cornerstone in the establishment of a theoretical basis for user-oriented ERP systems. The integration of distributed computing constructs and the use of XML – the language of the Internet – will provide evidence that the proposed framework will work in the distributed Internet-based environment of next-generation ERP systems.
 

Edited Book

Scalable Enterprise Systems, 2003, V. Prabhu, S. Kumara, and M. Kamath (Editors), Kluwer Academic Publishers, MA, in press.
 

Book Chapters

Sivaraman, E. and M. Kamath, 2005, “Verification of Business Process Designs using MAPS,” in The Next Wave in Computing, Optimization, and Decision, Technologies, (B.L. Golden, S. Raghavan, E.A. Wasil, Eds.), Springer, 303-318.

Kamath, M., N. Dalal, W.J. Kolarik, A. Chaugule, and E. Sivaraman, 2003, “A review of enterprise process modeling techniques,” Scalable Enterprise Systems, (V. Prabhu, S. Kumara, and M. Kamath, Eds.), Kluwer Academic Publishers, MA.
 

Theses and Dissertation

Chalavadi, M., 2004, “Automatic Configuration of Queueing Network Models from Business Process Descriptions,” MS Thesis, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.

Chaugule, A., 2001, “A User-Oriented Enterprise Modeling Language,” MS Thesis, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.

Sivaraman, E., 2003, “Formal Techniques for Analyzing Business Process Models,” PhD Dissertation, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.
 

Publications

Dalal, N., M. Kamath, W. Kolarik, and E. Sivaraman, “Toward an integrated framework for modeling enterprise processes,” Communications of the ACM, Vol. 47, No. 3, 83-87, 2004.
 

Kamath, M., N. Dalal, and R. Chinnasamy, 2002, “The application of XML-based markup languages in enterprise process modeling,” Industrial Engineering Research Conference (IERC) 2002 CD_ROM Proceedings.
 

Sivaraman, E., and M. Kamath, 2002, “On the use of Petri nets for business process modeling,” Industrial Engineering Research Conference (IERC) 2002 CD-ROM Proceedings.
 

Kamath, M., N. Dalal, W. Kolarik, A. Lau, E. Sivaraman, A. Chaugule, S. Choudhury, A. Gupta, and R. Channahalli, 2002, “An integrated framework for process and performance modeling of next-generation enterprise systems: design and development issues” Proceedings of the University Synergy Program (USP) Conference.
 

Kamath, M., N. Dalal, W. Kolarik, A. Chaugule, E. Sivaraman, and A. Lau, 2001, “Process-modeling techniques for enterprise analysis and design: a comparative evaluation,” IERC 2001 CD-ROM Proceedings.
 

Presentations (only abstracts published)

Kamath, M. and E. Sivaraman, 2002, “Analysis of business processes,” INFORMS Annual Meting, San Jose, CA.
 

Kamath, M., N.P. Dalal, W.J. Kolarik, R. Channahalli, A. Chaugule, A. Gupta, S. Choudhury, and E. Sivaraman, 2001, “A user-oriented framework for process and performance modeling of enterprise systems,” Scalable Enterprise Systems Workshop, Dallas, TX.
 

Kamath, M., N.P. Dalal, W.J. Kolarik, and A. Lau, 2001, “A user-oriented framework for process and performance modeling of enterprise systems,” 2001 NSF Design, Service, and Manufacturing Grantees and Research Conference, Tampa, FL.
 

Krishnamoorthy, B. and Kamath, M., 2000, “Flexible shop-floor control systems,” INFORMS San Antonio 2000.
 

Kamath, M., N.P. Dalal, W.J. Kolarik, and A. Lau, 2000, “A user-oriented framework for process and performance modeling of enterprise systems,” INFORMS San Antonio 2000.