Business Process Simulation

Interchange Standard

Denis Gagné,
www.BusinessProcessIncubator.com
Chair BPSWG at WfMC
XPDL Co-Editor at WfMC
BPMN 2.0 FTF Member at OMG
BPMN 2.1 RTF Member at OMG
CMMN Submission at OMG
Business Process Simulation Working Group

BPSWG

www.BPSim.org
 BPSim Inception

Q1 2013

2012
Q3 2011

2011 Meeting in Paris, BPSim V1.0

Fr. General Availability
Trisotech and Lanner Meeting in Nashua,
XPDL4BPMN 2010 WfMC Establishes the USA
cooperation
Business Process
ModSim 2009 John Januszczak presented: Simulation Working BPSim sandboxed by
Creation of the Process
«Simulation for Business Group (BSWG) many of the
Analysis Framework (PAF)
Denis Gagné presented: Process Management» contributers
with intent to submit as an
«Modeling and Proposed a first draft Trisotech and Lanner
Open Standard
Simulation in Business specification of Business contributes the Process
Process Management» Process Simulation Scenarios Analysis Framework
PAF mapping to L-Sim,
(SIM4BPM) (PAF
Process Analytica and
Sim4BPM
Robert Shapiro presented: 66 individual members
«Analytics for Performance joins the effort
Optimization of BPMN 2.0
Business Processes»
Combined use of statistics
and simulation for structural
optimization

Town Hall Discussions

Participants expressed the
desire for a standardized
transport of analysis and
simulation parameters along
with results of simulation runs
BPSWG by Definition

What it is:
A Standardization Effort

What it is not:
A Pure Thought Leadership Effort

Mandate:
Developing, reviewing, promoting BPM Simulation relevant
standard(s)
BPSWG Goal

Define a Specification for the Parameterization and Interchange of process

analysis data allowing Structural and Capacity Analysis of a process model
providing for Pre-execution and Post-execution optimization.

Focused on the Data («in/out») (commonly the «what») and its

Interchange not its interpretation or its use (the «how») or tool
smart.
Why BPSim

Encourage wider adoption of simulation within BPM

community through a standards led approach

Process simulation is a valuable technique to support process

design, reduce risk of change and improve efficiency in the
organisation

Provide a framework for the specification of simulation

scenario data and results as a firm foundation for
implementation

Open interchange of simulation scenario data between

modeling tool, simulator, results analysis/presentation tool
BPSim Tenets

 Not Reinvent the Wheel

 Complements XPDL and BPMN

 Separations of Concerns
 Multiple perspectives

 Reductionist
 Divide and conquer

 Human Consumable over Conceptual Abstraction

 Structured serialization

 Validation via Running Code

 Sand boxing from day 1

 Success Measured by Adoption

 Why is Interchange Desirable?

To increase, stimulate, facilitate:

Understanding
Adoption
Interoperability
Creates an open market allowing:
Repurposing
Cost Reduction
Migration
Remove Vendor Lock In
Best of Breed Choice
within tool categories
across tools categories (Suites)
Who Benefits from Interchange?

Business
Modeling
Analysts
Technical
Analysis
Developers

Business
Simulation
People

Business
Execution
Partners

Vendors
End Users

Attract and retain customers

Choice in tools
Demonstrate market leadership
Speed of deployment
Create competitive advantage
Readily available Skills
Develop and maintain best
Flexibility
practice Agility
BPSim Scope

Complements existing process modeling standards

“Not Reinvent the Wheel”

BPSim Approach

Parameterization of Business Process Model (BPMN or XPDL)

from different perspectives for process analysis, simulation and
optimization purposes

“Separations of Concerns”
BPSim Perspectives
Time Control

Process

Resource Cost

Property Priority
BPSim Scenario
Collections of Scenarios containing Collections of Element Parameters
Used to provide complementary information to a BPMN or XPDL
business process model in the context of process analysis, simulation
and optimization (ASO)

A collection of Element Parameters augmenting the Business Process

Model

A Scenario can capture:

input parameter specification for ASO; or
results from ASO; or
historical data from past real world execution of the business
process model.

“Reductionist”
Some Concepts and Terms
Meta-model Notation
underlying computer- Notational symbols
interpretable and graphical
representation representation

Standard
Abstract Reference Concrete
Syntax Syntax

instance instance

Your Work Interchange

Reference
Model Diagram Format

electronic file format that

• Process diagrams can be considered like pictures of the process model. eases the safeguard and
• Many diagrams (or pictures) of the same process model are possible, each transfer of this data between
showing or hiding various aspects of the process model details. different tools
BPSim Conceptual Model

BPMN or Reference
XPDL

instance instance instance

Reference Scenario Reference

Process (Input)
Scenario
Model Reference (Output)
BPSim Interchange Format
Characteristics

Can be transported within the process model file or

outside
Proper extension to XPDL
Proper extension to BPMN

Can transport Input scenarios and Output scenarios

Human Consumable (Readability) of the Resulting XML

“Human Consumable over Conceptual Abstraction”

BPSim Element Parameters
Each element parameter of a scenario references a specific element of
a process within the business process model

Each element of the business process model may be parameterized

with zero or multiple element parameters

Perspectives
 TimeParameters
 ControlParameters
P  ResourceParameters
 CostParameters
 InstanceParameters
 PriorityParameters
class Scenario

ScenarioParameters
Scenario «enumeration»
«interface» +scenarioParameter + start :Parameter TimeUnit
BPSimData
BusinessProcessModel +scenarios + id :String
+ duration :Parameter
+ name :String 1 0..1 + replication :int ms
1 1..* + description :String s
+ seed :long
+ created :DateTime + baseTimeUnit :TimeUnit min
+ modified :DateTime + baseCurrencyUnit :String hour
+result + author :String day
+ vendor :String year
1
+ version :String +vendorExtensions
+inherits VendorExtension
External BPMN or XPDL 1 0..*
Business Process Model + name :String
1
with its elements + value :Object
+vendorExtensions +propertyParameters

1 0..* 0..*
+elementParameter 0..*
«interface»
BusinessProcessModelElement ElementParameters
+elementRef +propertyParameters PropertyParameters
+ id :String
1 0..1 + property :Map<String, Parameter>
1 0..* + elementRef :BusinessProcessModelElement
+ vendorExtensions :VendorExtension
class Element Parameter

«interface»
BusinessProcessModelElement ElementParameters VendorExtension
+elementRef +vendorExtensions
+ id :String + name :String
1 0..* + elementRef :BusinessProcessModelElement 1 0..* + value :Object
+ vendorExtensions :VendorExtension
1 1 1 1 1
1
+timeParameters +priorityParameters
TimeParameters +resourceParameters 0..1
0..1 +controlParameters 0..1 0..1 PriorityParameters
+ transferTime :Parameter ResourceParameters
+ queueTime :Parameter ControlParameters + interruptible :Parameter
+ waitTime :Parameter + availability :Parameter + priority :Parameter
+ setupTime :Parameter + interTriggerTimer :Parameter + quantity :Parameter
+ triggerCount :Parameter
+ processingTime :Parameter + selection :Parameter
+ validationTime :Parameter + probability :Parameter + role :List<Parameter>
+ condition :Parameter
+ reworkTime :Parameter
+propertyParameters 0..1
+costParameters 0..1
PropertyParameters
CostParameters + property :Map<String, Parameter>
+ fixedCost :Parameter
+ unitCost :Parameter
class Parameter

Parameter ParameterValue Calendar

+value 0..* +validFor
+ kpi :boolean = false + validFor :Calendar + id :String
+ sla :boolean = false 1 0..* + instance :String 0..1 + name :String
+ value :ParameterValue + result :ResultType + calendar :Object
+ resultRequest :ResultType

«enumeration» ExpressionParameter
ResultType
+ value :String
min A
max ConstantParameter DistributionParameter
mean
count + value :Object + timeUnit :TimeUnit
sum + currencyUnit :String
+values

1..* 1

EnumParameter

A
 Parameter Usage - Constants

Duration IntegerParameter
You can set the duration for the Task to 5 minutes using a You can set the duration for the Task to 5 minutes using an Integer
Duration Parameter. Parameter.
<ElementParameters elementRef="task"> <ElementParameters elementRef="task">
<TimeParameters> <TimeParameters>
<ProcessingTime> <ProcessingTime>
<DurationParameter value="PT5M"/> <IntegerParameter value=“5” timeUnit=“min”/>
</ProcessingTime> </ProcessingTime>
</TimeParameters> </TimeParameters>
</ElementParameters> </ElementParameters>
 Parameter Usage - Distributions

User Distribution
You can set the duration for the Task to 5 minutes 90% of the
times and 10 minutes 10% of the times using the processing
Distributions time.
You can set the duration for the Task to be uniformly distributed <ElementParameters elementRef="task">
between 3 and 10 minutes using the processing time. <TimeParameters>
<ElementParameters elementRef="task"> <ProcessingTime>
<TimeParameters> <UserDistribution>
<ProcessingTime> <UserDistributionDataPoint probability=“0.9”>
<UniformDistribution min=“3” max=“10” <DurationParameter value=“PT5M”/>
timeUnit=“min”/> </UserDistributionDataPoint>
</ProcessingTime> <UserDistributionDataPoint probability=“0.1”>
</TimeParameters> <DurationParameter value=“PT10M”/>
</ElementParameters> </UserDistributionDataPoint>
</UserDistribution>
</ProcessingTime>
</TimeParameters>
</ElementParameters>
 Parameter Usage - Enumeration

Enumeration
You can set the duration for the Task to 5, 3 and 4 minutes
using the processing time.
<ElementParameters elementRef="task">
<TimeParameters>
<ProcessingTime>
<EnumParameter>
<DurationParameter value=“PT5M”/>
<DurationParameter value=“PT3M”/>
<DurationParameter value=“PT4M”/>
</ EnumParameter >
</ProcessingTime>
</TimeParameters>
</ElementParameters>
 Parameter Usage - Expression

Expression
You can set the duration for the Task according to an expression
using the processing time.
<ElementParameters elementRef="task">
<TimeParameters>
<ProcessingTime>
<ExpressionParameter value=
“bpsim:getProperty(‘duration’)” />
</ProcessingTime>
</TimeParameters>
</ElementParameters>
 Parameter Usage - Calendar

Varying value according to a Calendar

You can set the duration for the Task to 5 minutes but on Friday <Calendar id="C1" name="Friday Afternoon">
afternoon to 7 minutes using the processing time. BEGIN:VCALENDAR
<ElementParameters elementRef="task"> BEGIN:VEVENT
<TimeParameters> DTSTAMP:20120525T142704
<ProcessingTime> UID:1337970424871@localhost
<DurationParameter value=“PT5M”/> DTSTART:20020101T120000
<DurationParameter value=“PT7M” validFor=“C1”/> DTEND:20020101T170000
</ProcessingTime> RRULE:FREQ=WEEKLY;BYDAY=FR
</TimeParameters> END:VEVENT
</ElementParameters> PRODID:PAF Editor
VERSION:2.0
END:VCALENDAR
</Calendar>
BPMN Example

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SLA
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SLA
Input Scenario Example

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Discussions & Questions

www.BPSim.org
BPSim Contributors

and numerous others…

“Success Measured by Adoption”

BPSim Acknowledgement

BPSim 1.0 was a collaborative effort coordinated by Denis Gagne and Robert Shapiro.

BPSim 1.0 required many hours of work by individuals who had to find time to contribute
while carrying out their normal duties for the company that employs them. We
acknowledge the valuable contribution of the following individual:

Andy Adler (Process Analytica), Francois Bonnet (W4), Justin Brunt (Tibco), Mike
Carpenter (CACI), Peter Denno (NIST), Lloyd Dugan (DCMO), Denis Gagne (Trisotech),
Torben Haag (Open Text), Hanaa Hammad (IBM), Charles Harrell (CACI), Geoff Hook
(Lanner), Jeremy Horgan (Lanner), John Januszczak(SIM4BPM), Alberto Manuel
(Process Sphere), Razvan Radulian (Why What How), Simon Ringuette (Trisotech),
William Rivera (BizAgi), Jesus Sanchez (BizAgi), Redirley Santos (FedEx), Robert
Shapiro (Process Analytica), Frances Sneddon (Simul8), Tim Stephenson (KnowProcess),
Tihomir Surdilovic (Red Hat).