On Merging Business Process Management and Geographic Information Systems : Modeling and Execution of Ecological Concerns in Processes

Business Process Management describes a holistic management approach for the systematic design, modeling, execution, validation, monitoring and improvement of organizational business processes. Traditionally, most attention within this community has been given to control-flow aspects, i.e., the ordering and sequencing of business activities, oftentimes in isolation with regards to the context in which these activities occur. In this paper, we propose an approach that allows executable process models to be integrated with Geographic Information Systems. This approach enables process models to take geospatial and other geographic aspects into account in an explicit manner both during the modeling phase and the execution phase. We contribute a structured modeling methodology, based on the well-known Business Process Model and Notation standard, which is formalized by means of a mapping to executable Colored Petri nets. We illustrate the feasibility of our approach by means of a sustainability-focused case example of a process with important ecological concerns.

Understanding the behavior of workshop facilitators in systems analysis and design projects: Developing theory from process modeling projects

Organizational and technological systems analysis and design practices such as process modeling have received much attention in recent years. However, while knowledge about related artifacts such as models, tools, or grammars has substantially matured, little is known about the actual tasks and interaction activities that are conducted as part of analysis and design acts. In particular, key role of the facilitator has not been researched extensively to date. In this paper, we propose a new conceptual framework that can be used to examine facilitation behaviors in process modeling projects. The framework distinguishes four behavioral styles in facilitation (the driving engineer, the driving artist, the catalyzing engineer, and the catalyzing artist) that a facilitator can adopt. To distinguish between the four styles, we provide a set of ten behavioral anchors that underpin facilitation behaviors. We also report on a preliminary empirical exploration of our framework through interviews with experienced analysts in six modeling cases. Our research provides a conceptual foundation for an emerging theory for describing and explaining different behaviors associated with process modeling facilitation, provides first preliminary empirical results about facilitation in modeling projects, and provides a fertile basis for examining facilitation in other conceptual modeling activities.

Analysis of Business Process Variants in Apromore

In this paper we illustrate a set of features of the Apromore process model repository for analyzing business process variants. Two types of analysis are provided: one is static and based on differences on the process control flow, the other is dynamic and based on differences in the process behavior between the variants. These features combine techniques for the management of large process model collections with those for mining process knowledge from process execution logs. The tool demonstration will be useful for researchers and practitioners working on large process model collections and process execution logs, and specifically for those with an interest in understanding, managing and consolidating business process variants both within and across organizational boundaries.

BPMVM Evaluation Experiment Materials

All the materials used for our two experimental studies for evaluating the BPMVM modeller.

A thermometer for interdependence: Exploring patterns of interdependence using networks of affordances

Interdependence is a central concept in systems and organizations, yet our methods for measuring it are not well developed. Here, we report on a novel method for transforming digital trace data into networks of events that can be used to visualize and measure interdependence. The edges in the network represent sequential flow and the vertices represent actors, actions and artifacts. We refer to this representation as an affordance network. As with conventional approaches such as process mining, our method uses input from a stream of time-stamped occurrences, but the representation is simpler and more appropriate for exploration and theory building. As digital trace data becomes more widely available, this method may become more useful in information systems research and practice. Like a thermometer, it helps us measure a basic property of a system that would otherwise be difficult to see.

Suur-Saimaan vesitase ja tulovirtaaman ennustaminen

Summary: Conceptual modelling of inflow into Lake Suur-Saimaa from the surrounding watersheds

Challenging assumptions of future coastal habitat development around the UK

One habitat management requirement forced by 21st century relative sea-level rise (RSLR), will be the need to re-comprehend the dimensions of long-term transgressive behaviour of coastal systems being forced by such RSLR. Fresh approaches to the conceptual modelling and subsequent implementation of new coastal and peri-marine habitats will be required. There is concern that existing approaches to forecasting coastal systems development (and by implication their associated scarce coastal habitats) over the next century depend on a certain premise of orderly spatial succession of habitats. This assumption is shown to be questionable given the possible future rates of RSLR, magnitude of shoreline retreat and the lack of coastal sediment to maintain the protective morphologies to low-energy coastal habitats. Of these issues, sediment deficiency is regarded as one of the major problem for future habitat development. Examples of contemporary behaviour of UK coasts show evidence of coastal sediment starvation resulting from relatively stable RSLR, anthropogenic sealing of coastal sources, and intercepted coastal sediment pathways, which together force segmentation of coastal systems. From these examples key principles are deduced which may prejudice the existence of future habitats: accelerated future sediment demand due to RSLR may not be met by supply and, if short- to medium-term hold-the-line policies predominate, long-term strategies for managed realignment and habitat enhancement may prove impossible goals. Methods of contemporary sediment husbandry may help sustain some habitats in place but otherwise, instead of integrated coastal organization, managers may need to consider coastal breakdown, segmentation and habitat reduction as the basis of 21st century coastal evolution and planning.

Hidrogeomorfologia e sustentabilidade de recursos hídricos subterrâneos

A água subterrânea de rochas duras é uma fonte importante para fins domésticos, industriais e agrícolas e mesmo para o consumo humano. A geologia, a tectónica, a geomorfologia e as características hidrológicas controlam o fluxo, ocorrência e armazenamento das águas subterrâneas. A disponibilidade da água subterrânea no meio geológico está totalmente dependente das áreas de recarga e de descarga numa determinada bacia. A precipitação é a principal fonte de recarga em aquíferos descontínuos, enquanto que a descarga depende dos declives do terreno e dos gradientes do nível hidrostático e ainda das condições hidrogeológicas do solo. A hidrogeomorfologia é um domínio interdisciplinar emergente, que estuda as relações entre as unidades geomorfológicas e o regime das águas superficiais e subterrâneas de uma determinada área. A compreensão do papel da geomorfologia é essencial para avaliar de forma rigorosa os sistemas hidrogeológicos e os recursos hídricos. Os dados de detecção remota providenciam uma informação espacial valiosa e actualizada da superfície terrestre e dos recursos naturais. Os recentes avanços tecnológicos colocaram as técnicas de detecção remota e os sistemas de informação geográfica (SIG) numa posição cimeira como ferramentas de gestão metodológica. Foi criada, em ambiente SIG, uma base de geo-dados, essencialmente derivada da detecção remota, da cartografia e do trabalho de campo. Esta base de dados, organizada em diferentes níveis de informação, inclui uma avaliação principalmente focalizada no uso do solo, climatologia, declives, geologia, geomorfologia e hidrogeologia. No presente estudo foram cruzados diversos níveis de informação, com a geração de múltiplos mapas temáticos para atingir um quadro integrado dos diversos sectores no Norte e Centro de Portugal. Os sectores em estudo (Caldas da Cavaca, Termas de Entre-os-Rios, Águas de Arouca e Águas do Alardo) estão localizados em sistemas hidrogeológicos predominantemente constituídos por rochas graníticas, por vezes intersectadas por filões de quartzo, aplito-pegmatíticos e doleríticos. Para apoiar a elaboração dos mapas hidrogeomorfológicos foi criada uma base SIG, contendo diversa informação, nomeadamente topografia, hidrografia, litologia, tectónica, morfoestrutura, hidrogeologia, geofísica e uso do solo. Além disso, foram realizadas várias campanhas de campo, as quais permitiram: o estabelecimento dum mapeamento geológico, geomorfológico e hidrogeológico; a caracterização in situ do grau de alteração, resistência e grau de fracturação dos maciços rochosos; o desenvolvimento de um inventário hidrogeológico em conjunto com alguns ensaios expeditos in situ. A interligação entre os parâmetros geomorfológicos, hidrológicos e hidrogeológicos dos sistemas de água subterrânea “normal” e hidromineral destaca a importância de uma cartografia e duma modelação conceptual hidrogeomorfológica. Além disso, contribuirá para um melhor apoio à decisão na gestão sustentável dos recursos hídricos.

Modelo SIG para apoio à análise de sistemas de transportes e usos do solo

Dissertação de natureza científica para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil

Studies Using Computer Simulation Models to Solve Problems Related to Logistics Terminals

This thesis deals with the use of simulation as a problem-solving tool to solve a few logistic system related problems. More specifically it relates to studies on transport terminals. Transport terminals are key elements in the supply chains of industrial systems. One of the problems related to use of simulation is that of the multiplicity of models needed to study different problems. There is a need for development of methodologies related to conceptual modelling which will help reduce the number of models needed. Three different logistic terminal systems Viz. a railway yard, container terminal of apart and airport terminal were selected as cases for this study. The standard methodology for simulation development consisting of system study and data collection, conceptual model design, detailed model design and development, model verification and validation, experimentation, and analysis of results, reporting of finding were carried out. We found that models could be classified into tightly pre-scheduled, moderately pre-scheduled and unscheduled systems. Three types simulation models( called TYPE 1, TYPE 2 and TYPE 3) of various terminal operations were developed in the simulation package Extend. All models were of the type discrete-event simulation. Simulation models were successfully used to help solve strategic, tactical and operational problems related to three important logistic terminals as set in our objectives. From the point of contribution to conceptual modelling we have demonstrated that clubbing problems into operational, tactical and strategic and matching them with tightly pre-scheduled, moderately pre-scheduled and unscheduled systems is a good workable approach which reduces the number of models needed to study different terminal related problems.

Behaviour models clarify definitions of affordance and capability

There is ongoing work on conceptual modelling of such busi- ness notions as Affordance and Capability. We have found that such business notions as Affordance and Capability are constructively defned using elements and properties of exe- cutable behaviour models. In this paper, we clarify the def- initions of Affordance and Capability using Coloured Petri Nets and Protocol models.The illustrating case is the process of drug injection. We show that different behaviour modelling techniques provide different precision for definition of Affordance and Capability and clarify the conceptual models of these notions. We generalise that the behaviour models can be used to improve the precision of conceptualization.

Preface to CMLSA 2007

Life sciences applications typically involve large volumes of data of various kinds and a multiplicity of software tools for managing, analyzing and interpreting them. There are many challenging problems in the processing of life sciences data that require effective support by novel theories, methods and technologies. Conceptual modelling is the key for developing high-performance information systems that put these theories, methods and technologies into practice. The fast-growing interest in life sciences applications calls for special attention on resource integration and collaborative efforts in information systems development.