User:Mdd/EPC

Example of a process chain.

The event-driven process chain ( EPC ) is a graphical modeling language for the representation of business processes of an organization in the business process modeling / representation of the process organization (processes and procedures) in the corporate image. It was founded in 1992 by a working group led by August-Wilhelm Scheer at the University of Saarland in Saarbrücken in the context of a research project with the SAP developed for the semi-formal description of business processes AG. [1] The method was at the Architecture Integrated Information Systems (ARIS) developed for visual-oriented modeling of business processes and is an essential element of the ARIS concept.

Basics

EPK make work processes in a semi-formal modeling language with graphical syntax rules dar. This is intended operational processes systematized and parallelization are to save time and money can. Since in the process decisions are made ​​on the basis of conditions and rules, there are in the EPK join operators ("and", "or," " exclusive or "). The basic model of the event-driven process chain includes not only these operators also events and functions. These objects are in the directed graph associated with linking lines and arrows in a 1:1 mapping (except for logical links). In such a logic sequence, objects alternate in their importance between event and function, that is, they form an alternating sequence to a bipartite graph leads.

Symbols and syntax rules

Topologically process chains are directed graphs without loop. The nodes are entities of an organization, methods of a process or auxiliary node patterning. The edges are information flows. Feedback or iterations are not visualized in this procedure. The chain processes lead to a common business goal.

• An event is a state that occurs before or after a function. The symbol for an event is hexagonal. In the example above, "order is accepted."
• A function (process) is an action or task that follows an event. Functions are symbolized by rectangles with rounded corners. In the above example: "Check Program".
• Connectors are used for splitting or combining the control flow . There are three connectors AND, OR and XOR are available, each represented in a small circle with the appropriate symbol.
• Process guide are references to other processes. They are symbolized by a rectangle, behind which hides a hexagon.
• Information objects provide documents or other data storage Represents the symbol of an information object is a rectangle. Example: "Customer Database"
• Organizational units (symbol: ellipse that contains a vertical line before the left margin) symbolize roles or individuals who are responsible for the process. Organizational units are connected by a solid line with features. Examples of organizational units are "Customer" or "marketing department".

Here are organizational units and information objects symbols of the extended event-driven process chains (EPC). The flow of information between the individual symbols is indicated by arrows. Functions and events have exactly one incoming and one outgoing arrow (exceptions: In the beginning of events, no directed edge enters at end events is also no arrow). If multiple events to lead to a function such connectors must be used (for example, AND).

Because of the mindset that events and passive functions are active, the following applies: An event can not be split by an OR or an XOR connector to two functions because an event has no decision-making power.

Extended Event-driven Process Chain (EPC)

Example of a more complex EPC diagram (in German).

An extended form of the modeling method EPK, the extended event-driven process chain (EPC) dar. The EPC shown in the logical processes of a business process to be extended on the basis of EPC to the elements of the organizational, data and power modeling. Thus, for example, are also connected with an information object, each function can be downloaded from the Information or stored in the information.

For example, additional information about performers, support systems, data used, generated files, etc. can be added, which connect to other model views the here ARIS -house manufacture. Furthermore, information objects used (for example, databases, customer data) which affect functions (change) or information they can get.

The capabilities of the EPC are in the extended EPK essentially about the elements and relationships of function allocation diagram adds. Under the EPC, it is then also possible to create images of data flows, organizational units, or application systems.

The resulting additional possible relations functions to the other elements are also known as non-structure-forming relationships called because it is neither the functional body structure nor the process structure describing an organization. The edges, which exist between the graphic objects are understood in the EPC as rollers. For example, an edge between an organization unit and a function, the role of an organizational unit with respect to the execution of the function is (for example, "throws", "is technically responsible", etc.).

Areas

EPCs can be used for various tasks:

• Evaluation and implementation of standard software
• Representation of processes in-house developments
• Process optimization in Business Process Reengineering
• Analysis and optimization of business processes within the Performance Management Process
• Visibility operations in user training
• Business process modeling (standard in small and medium-sized enterprises)
• Process Costing
• Modeling of BPEL processes [2]
• Simulation Workflows
• Process documentation according to ISO 900x

Extended Event-driven process chains (EPCs) with their free placement of elements on the artboard be used in a similar way and can represent the same facts as process chain diagrams (PCDs) with its column-wise ordering of the elements.

Advantages and disadvantages of event-driven process chain

Benefits

• Event-driven process chains offer through the free placement of elements on the artboard advantages in the representation of alternative or parallel processes and feedback loops as well as the utilization of the available drawing area.
• Description standardized processes possible
• Extensive tool support
• Great proximity to standard software systems

Disadvantages

• In the recognition of organization fractures (change of organizational unit), system fractures (changing the application system) or data breaks (change the volume or data format) are event-driven process chains opposite process chain diagrams at a disadvantage because process chain diagrams provide a column-wise ordering of the elements by type.
• Problems mapping creative and complex activities
• Problems in the modeling of monitoring and control activities
• Acquisition of a purely formal structures and processes
• Compared to the BPMN lacks the EPC standardization by an appropriate organization, facilitating the dissemination outside the German speaking lower.

Literature

• Jörg Becker, Martin Kugeler, Michael Rosemann: Prozessmanagement – Ein Leitfaden zur prozessorientierten Organisationsgestaltung. 6. überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage, Springer, Berlin 2008, ISBN 3-540-79248-1.
• G. Keller, M. Nüttgens, A.-W. Scheer: Semantische Prozeßmodellierung auf der Grundlage Ereignisgesteuerter Prozeßketten (EPK) (PDF; 140 kB). Erschienen in der Reihe: Veröffentlichungen des Instituts für Wirtschaftsinformatik. A.-W. Scheer (Hrsg.). Heft 89, Saarbrücken 1992.
• Markus Nüttgens, Frank J. Rump: Syntax und Semantik Ereignisgesteuerter Prozessketten (EPK) (PDF; 364 kB). In: J. Desel; M. Weske (Hrsg.): Promise 2002 - Prozessorientierte Methoden und Werkzeuge für die Entwicklung von Informationssystemen - Proceedings des GI-Workshops und Fachgruppentreffens (Potsdam, Oktober 2002). Bonn 2002, S. 64-77.
• August-Wilhelm Scheer: ARIS – Modellierungsmethoden, Metamodelle, Anwendungen. 4. Auflage, Springer, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-540-41601-3.
• August-Wilhelm Scheer: ARIS – Vom Geschäftsprozess zum Anwendungssystem. 4. Auflage, Springer, Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-540-65823-8.
• August-Wilhelm Scheer: ARIS-House of Business Engineering: Von der Geschäftsprozessmodellierung zur Workflow-gesteuerten Anwendung: vom Business Process Reengineering zum Continuous Process Improvement (PDF; 837 kB). Erschienen in der Reihe: Veröffentlichungen des Instituts für Wirtschaftsinformatik. A.-W. Scheer (Hrsg.). Heft 133, Saarbrücken 1996.
• Josef L. Staud: Geschäftsprozessanalyse: Ereignisgesteuerte Prozessketten und objektorientierte Geschäftsprozessmodellierung für Betriebswirtschaftliche Standardsoftware. 3. Auflage, Springer, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-540-24510-3.

References

1. ↑ A.-W. Scheer (2002). ARIS. From Business Process to Application System . Springer. p.20.
2. ↑ Cf Oliver Kopp: . illustration of EPCs to BPEL using the process modeling tool Nautilus University of Stuttgart, Faculty of computer science, electrical engineering and information technology, Thesis No. 2341 (2005) ; Simon / Freedom / Olbrich ( PDF )

External links

• ARIS Express - free modeling tool of the Software AG
• First published by Keller / Nüttgens / Scheer on the concept of event-driven process chain (EPC) (PDF file; 137 kB)
• LibreOffice Gallery symbols for the modeling of EPCs and EPCs
• Visio shapes for the modeling of EPCs
• Slide objects for modeling of EPCs
• eEPC online e-learning tool (German)
• bflow Toolbox open source modeling tool based on Eclipse