J 2020

Process Mining Approach to Formal Business Process Modelling and Verification: A Case Study

ITO, Sohei, Dominik VYMĚTAL and Roman ŠPERKA

Basic information

Original name

Process Mining Approach to Formal Business Process Modelling and Verification: A Case Study

Authors

ITO, Sohei (392 Japan, belonging to the institution), Dominik VYMĚTAL (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Roman ŠPERKA (703 Slovakia, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Journal of Modelling in Management, Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. 2020, 1746-5664

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

50204 Business and management

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

RIV identification code

RIV/47813059:19520/20:A0000153

Organization unit

School of Business Administration in Karvina

Keywords in English

Business process modelling; Computing; Formal method; Modelling; Process mining; Timed automaton

Tags

International impact, Reviewed
Změněno: 9/7/2021 10:22, doc. RNDr. Ing. Roman Šperka, Ph.D.

Abstract

V originále

Purpose: The need for assuring correctness of business processes in enterprises is widely recognised in terms of business process re-engineering and improvement. Formal methods are a promising approach to this issue. The challenge in business process verification is to create a formal model that is well-aligned to the reality. Process mining is a well-known technique to discover a model of a process based on facts. However, no studies exist that apply it to formal verification. This study aims to propose a methodology for formal business process verification by means of process mining, and attempts to clarify the challenges and necessary technologies in this approach using a case study. Design/methodology/approach: A trading company simulation model is used as a case study. A workflow model is discovered from an event log produced by a simulation tool and manually complemented to a formal model. Correctness requirements of both domain-dependent and domain-independent types of the model are checked by means of model-checking. Findings: For business process verification with both domain-dependent and domain-independent correctness requirements, more advanced process mining techniques that discover data-related aspects of processes are desirable. The choice of a formal modelling language is also crucial. It depends on the correctness requirements and the characteristics of the business process. Originality/value: Formal verification of business processes starting with creating its formal model is quite new. Furthermore, domain-dependent and domain-independent correctness properties are considered in the same framework, which is also new. This study revealed necessary technologies for this approach with process mining.