Simulating business processes with EPML.SIM

ABSTRACT

Business Process Simulation (BPS) is widely acknowledged as an effective technique to increase the chance for success of Business Process (re-)Engineering projects and, in general, to drive strategic business decisions. Business Processes are complex entities resulting from the coordination of several users and software systems, potentially spanning across different organizations. Simulating a Business Process is then not just about modeling the structure of the process but also its logic (the decisions that have to be taken during a process), the structure of the interested organization(s) and the environment the process operates in.

Most of the existing BPS tools, however, assume rather simple models which can turn out to be a limiting factor when they do not fit the real world Business Process that has to be simulated.

In this paper we present a tool that can be used to simulate business processes with complex structure and logic and eases the interaction with complex organizational and environment models, addressing the limitations of the existing simulation tools.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.6 SIMULATION AND MODELING
      I.6.5 Model Development
          Subjects: Modeling methodologies

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
        D.2.11 Software Architectures
      D.2.2 Design Tools and Techniques

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.6 SIMULATION AND MODELING
      I.6.8 Types of Simulation
          Subjects: Discrete event

Keywords:
EPML, business process management, business process simulation