Content:

Workflow Management Systems (WFMS) support the handling of business processes according to predefined workflows. The support of flexible workflows, which allow deviations, for example to handle exceptions, to adapt to modified process environments or for ad hoc workflows, is becoming more and more important. The lecture starts with the classification of WFMS in business information systems and establishes the connection with business process modeling. Formal basics for WFMS are introduced (Petri nets, Pi-calculus). Modelling methods for workflows and the development process of workflow management applications are presented and deepened in exercises. In particular, the use of internet technologies, especially web services, and standardizations for process modeling, orchestration and choreography in this context are presented. In the part Realization of Workflow Management Systems, various implementation techniques and architecture questions as well as system types and concrete systems are dealt with. Finally, application-driven procedures for changing workflows, especially business process reengineering and continuous process improvement, as well as methods and concepts for supporting dynamic workflows are discussed.

Goal:

At the end of the course, the participants should be able to model workflows, explain the modeling aspects and their interaction, compare modeling methods and assess their applicability in different application areas. They should know the technical structure of a workflow management system with the most important components and be able to evaluate different architectures. Finally, the participants should have gained an insight into the current relevant standards and the state of the art through current research topics.

References to literature:

• Slide script in the student portal
• Jakob Freund, Bernd Rücker: Practical Manual BPMN. 6th edition, Hanser Verlag, 2019
• Matthias Weske: Business Process Management: Concepts, Languages, Architectures. 2nd edition, Springer, 2012
• W.M.P. van der Aalst: Business Process Management: A Comprehensive Survey. ISRN Software Engineering, 2013, pp. 1-37alst: Process mining: discovery, conformance and enhancement of business processes. Springer Science & Business Media, 2011
• Frank Leymann, Dieter Roller: Production Workflows - Concepts and Techniques. Prentice Hall, 2000

Further reading:

• Thomas Allweyer: BPMN 2.0 Business Process Model and Notation. 2nd edition, Norderstedt Books on Demand, 2009
• M. Dumas, M. La Rosa J. Mendling, and H.A. Reijers: Fundamentals of Business Process Management Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2013