Artifact-Centric Modeling of Business Processes Using UML Diagrams

摘要

The modeling of business processes to date has focused on an activity-based perspective while business artifacts associated with the process have been modeled on an abstract and informal level. Ad hoc, dynamic business processes have recently emerged as a requirement. Subsequently, BPMN was extended with ad hoc sub-processes and a new standard, Case Management Modeling and Notation (CMMN), has been created by the Object Management Group (OMG). CMMN has an information-centric approach, whereas the extension of BPMN adheres to an activity-based perspective. The focus on BPMN and on processes in general has caused UML to fade into the background. UML combines an activity-based perspective (i.e., activity diagrams) with an information-centric perspective (i.e., state machines). This paper promotes an information-centric approach based on UML use case, state machine, and class diagrams that allows for an opportunistic execution of activities based solely on UML models.