New Approaches - University Chapter.pdf

New
Approaches
to Process Automation from
Research

Hello again 👋
Welcome back
@hafflgav
Augsburg, Germany
Thomas Heinrichs
BPM Consultant @ Miragon

The Camunda University Chapter
People can learn
about challenges
Share their
experiences in
teaching BPM
Network with
each other
Covering a wide
range of
Camunda and
BPM-related
subjects in
academics

Join the
Camunda
University Slack
Workspace
A platform for exchanging and discussing recent research
papers, student projects, and exercises. We also want to give
students an opportunity to develop further into this topic and
find a mentor to assist them on their journey.
https://join.slack.com/t/camunda-
university/shared_invite/zt-1uda1i1vo-
gU_n3_afufBOoH~VEzK8Uw

From where are you
joining today?
https://www.menti.com/al51yx3upg9j

Our agenda for today
Sustainable Process Automation with
the Process-Driven Approach
Establishing an internship program
for Business Automation students
The Pursuit of Software Quality
through Test Automation on Process-
Aware Information Systems
Networking in Gather Town

INTERNSHIPS
Students from Colombia and the world exchanging
knowledge and contributing to the improvement
of the BPM discipline in the world.

COLOMBIA “Tierra
querida”
01 A little bit of our land. Who
are we Colombians?
Universidad de los
Llanos
02 My faculty (FCBI)
BP Sw Eng
based Course
03 Content and technologies
What are we
looking for?
04 Our interest with this
presentation
TABLE OF CONTENTS

COLOMBIA
“Tierra Querida”
A Symphony of Culture,
Coffee, and Coastlines
01

WHERE IS COLOMBIA?
COLOMBIA
We are located in South America,
bordered by Venezuela to the east,
Brazil to the southeast, Peru to the
south, Ecuador and Panamá to the
west, and the Caribbean Sea to the
north.

Colombia offers an unparalleled sensory journey. Enjoy world-
renowned coffee in Antioquia's hills or dance to cumbia and vallenato
rhythms. The country's musical diversity, from salsa to reggaeton,
mirrors its ethnic tapestry. Colombia is not just a place to see—it's a
place to feel, hear, and taste.
Colombia is a rich blend of cultures and landscapes, from Cartagena's
colonial beauty to Bogotá's modern skyline. With Andean mountains,
Caribbean beaches, and Amazonian jungles, there's something for
every traveler. Its diverse culture is shaped by indigenous, Spanish,
and African heritages.
Rhythms and Flavors of Life
A tapestry of cultures and landscapes
ABOUT COLOMBIA

Universidad
de los Llanos
“Our faculty (FCBI)”
02

University of The Llanos
The Universidad de los Llanos in
Villavicencio (Colombia) , excels in
blending academic rigor with
regional relevance. Known for
strong programs in animal health,
agroindustry and engineering, it
serves as an innovation hub that
addresses the unique challenges and
opportunities of the Llanos region.

The Faculty of Basic Sciences and Engineering (FCBI) at the Universidad de los Llanos is a
center of academic excellence, offering high-quality programs in various engineering and basic
science disciplines. Committed to innovation and research, FCBI serves as a vital resource for
the scientific and technological advancement of the region.
Our programs:
BIOLOGY
SYSTEMS
ENGINEERING
PROCESS
ENGINEERING
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING
ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERING

BP Sw Eng
based Course
03 Content and technologies

BP based Sw Eng. Course
This course belongs to Systems and Computing Engineering grade program. In
this course, students learn the BPM Life Cycle in its stages ofmodeling
(discovery) and executing (implementation) a business process.

This course belongs to Systems and Computing Engineering grade program.
In this course, students learn the BPM Life Cycle in its stages ofmodeling and
executing them.

We use N-layer approach and Rest style.

TECHNOLOGIES EMPLOYED
Some of the tools we use to enhance our work with BPMN are shown below:
Camunda Platform (Modeler,
Engine and Swager API)
Programming
language
Programming
language Development
framework
Development
framework
Virtualization and
Containerization
Deployment

What are we
looking for?
04 Our interest with this presentation

OPPORTUNITIES
Exchange Program (University)
Internships (Enterprise)
… and more
coworkers?
postgraduate studies?

Ready students
… and more currently pursuing the BP Course.

CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo,
including icons by Flaticon, infographics & images by Freepik
THANKS!
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
olvegam@unillanos.edu.co
+57 3108816229
Please keep this slide for attribution

Sustainable Process
Automation with the
Process-Driven
Approach
Volker Stiehl
© Volker Stiehl 1

Disclaimer
This presentation // the content of this
document is intended purely for personal
usage.
DO NOT distribute this document,
DO NOT put it "online"!
2

Question 1:
How long does it take for a process application to reach the state
of "Never change a running system"?
Question 2:
Imagine your development team, responsible for your
process application, is completely leaving the company.
How long does it take for a completely new team with the
same skills to make significant process changes?
Thought experiment
What does "sustainability" mean in process automation?
© Volker Stiehl 3

The definition of “sustainability” is closely related to the term
"technical debt”
What are technical debts?
Definition*:
In software development […] technical debt is the
implied cost of future reworking
required when choosing an easy but limited solution
instead of a better approach that could take more time.
Technical Dept
4
*Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_debt

Consequence:
As software evolves, technical debt inevitably accumulates:
e.g. Quick and dirty fixes (time pressure)
e.g. Laziness
e.g. Regulations that take effect from a certain date
This code is usually never rolled back later
Over time software becomes unmaintainable
Technical Dept
5

The problem is fueled by the turnover of developers who
take their knowledge with them
Finally the point is reached when
no one dares to make changes anymore
The state of "never change a running system" has been
reached
Even worse:
IT becomes incapable of action!
Technical Dept
6

The fatal thing: We can no longer afford the
inability to act in the age of digital transformation
Why?
Because speed is what matters
And if speed cannot be achieved,
the survival of companies in this new era is at risk!
Technical Dept in the Digital Transformation Era
7

Consequences of the buildup of technical debt
8
„Keeping the
lights on“
Business
Innovation
„Keeping the
lights on“
Business
Innovation
Capacity
© Volker Stiehl

© Volker Stiehl 9
Processes First
Standard processes
Buy
No sustainable competitive advantage
No innovation
No differentiation
No flexibility
No transparency
No control over the processes
Dependency on the vendor
Build up technical debt
 Requires a lot of personnel
 Start of a downward spiral
when "buy" becomes
the corporate strategy!

Core processes
Build
Individual development
Potential for innovations
Preserving Innovation
Evolutionary
Step by step innovation
Based on existing processes
Bottom-up approach
Disruptive Innovation
Implementation of new
digital business models
Rethink business/processes
Top-down approach
How to implement?
Programming (inefficient, error-prone, difficult to maintain, inflexible, non-transparent,
dependency on programmers)
Build up technical debt  no longer contemporary
No Code/Low Code platforms (Quick & Dirty)  Build up technical debt
Robotic Process Automation  Unusable, Build up technical debt
Event-Driven Microservices  Build up technical debt
Process-driven approach  Basis for reducing technical debt
Alternatives in comparison
Recommendation:
As much as necessary,
as little as possible.

The "digital transformation" requires IT departments
with the ability to act forcefully with
high productivity
First conclusion
© Volker Stiehl 10

The way we have implemented processes and developed
process applications so far cannot continue!
„The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and
over again and expecting different results.“*
The "digital transformation" requires new approaches for
the implementation of innovative processes.
Second conclusion
© Volker Stiehl 11
* Source: Unknown. Attributed to Einstein,
which is, however, doubted, see here.

How?
Key question
Implement sustainable process automation correctly
12
© Volker Stiehl

How?
Process-Driven Approach
© Volker Stiehl 13
By providing the
Process Driven Approach,
a project management and
implementation methodology based on
BPMN process models
for digital transformation projects
to implement any innovative processes

Process Engine
Essence
BPMN

• Process-driven collaboration (BizDevs and BizDevOps)
• Process-driven methodology (Development of process models top-
down and detached from restrictions - Ideally without as-is analysis)
• Process-driven thinking (e.g. consideration of a process engine)
• Process-driven architecture (Architecture as a reusable pattern)
• Process-driven development (Consistently applying the separation-of-
concerns principle  Maximum parallelism thanks to the greatest
possible independence; programming in the large)
• Process-driven technologies
• Process management: BPMN engine
• Decision management: Rules engine
• Integration: Partially BPMN (for the process part) combined with specialized integration
software or an integration framework
The process-driven approach is innovative in many ways and includes...
15
© Volker Stiehl

Derivation of the "process-driven architecture” – How not to do it (1)
16
© Volker Stiehl

After additions by the business process analyst:
17
© Volker Stiehl

After additions by IT experts:
18
The use of BPMN does not automatically
lead to sustainable applications!
Direct calls to systems from business processes
must be avoided at all costs!
© Volker Stiehl

Process-driven
application(PDA):
The "diamond" of the
company - not contaminated
with technical details.
Architectural option - business process logic finds a home!
19
Service contract
implementation layer(SCIL)
Service contract
Derived solely from the
requirements of the PDA.
© Volker Stiehl

Only a BPMN engine is needed to implement this architecture
Clear separation between domain-oriented and integration-centric processes
and thus elimination of dependencies at the domain level (e.g. dependency on
specific back-end systems and data types)
Retention of the executable domain-oriented processes in the form in which
the subject matter experts for the domain had originally modeled them
Processes of the two layers communicate directly with each other and the
integration-centric process communicates directly with the back-end systems
Architecture properties (without integration software)
20
© Volker Stiehl

• Architecture without integration software assumes that BPMN engines include an
infrastructure to connect to any back-end systems. However, this is often not the case.
• Process models still need to be adapted if...
• …systems are added/removed that are relevant to the integration-centric process.
• …interface changes are required for services called from the integration layer.
• Integration-centric process takes on tasks for which it was not optimized:
• Receiver determination
• Interface determination
• Mapping between complex interfaces
Architecture properties (without integration software)
21
Disadvantages
Typical tasks of
integration software
Architecture can be further optimized by introducing integration software!
© Volker Stiehl

Architecture (with integration software)
22
Architecture with
integration
• System and partner-
independent business
processes
• Optional system- and
partner-dependent
integration processes
• Simple integration via
integration software
Service
contract
© Volker Stiehl

Architecture (with integration software, stateful integration via BPMN engine)
23
Integration software
(without processes)
SAP Non-SAP DBs
Message-
Queue
© Volker Stiehl

Demo
DEMO
Architecture with integration software
Process Engine: ProcessCube® by 5Minds.

The two basic rules of the
Process-Driven Architecture:
Never mix business processes and
integration processes in one process model
Never call external systems and services
directly from the BPMN models

• Productivity increase through the newly developed processes themselves
• Increased productivity during the project’s execution
• Productivity increase during initial implementation
• Productivity increase in maintenance and further development
• Productivity increase during operations
• As a company, you must be able to afford not to use the "process-driven
approach" (too much money and time; technical debt)
Fivefold increase in productivity
© Volker Stiehl 26

What does the process-driven approach stand for?
© Volker Stiehl 27
Sustainability
Efficiency
Transparency
Quality
Flexibility

Possible applications
28
The process-driven approach is
field-tested and works for
all industries and
for all company sizes!
© Volker Stiehl

Who...
…does not eliminate superfluous processes…
…does not digitally transform or at least digitize existing processes in
the most efficient way…
…does not develop, operate and enhance new processes in the most
efficient way…
…does not address technical debt…
…is also acting irresponsibly in an ecological sense!
Here, too, the process-driven approach contributes to environmental
sustainability through its multiple positive attributes (e.g., the five productivity
gains, flexibility)!
Final thoughts on sustainability (including environmental sustainability)
© Volker Stiehl 29

How can you also benefit from the process-driven approach?
• BPMN (Vocabulary)
• BPMN Best Practices (Grammar)
• PDA development methodology: active work with the basic
technologies, e.g. Engines (BPMN, DMN), Integration
• Training paths: PDA for managers, consultants, architects, developers…
• Success factors :
• PDA evangelist in the domain-specific area
• PDA evangelist on development side as well as operations
• Unlimited management support
• PDA training for the entire project team
Education
30
© Volker Stiehl

• Since the introduction of computers, nothing at all has changed in the "production" of
processes and process applications (= enterprise applications) :
Processes are programmed
• The process-driven approach is a new "software production method" for digitization or
digital transformation solutions with a fundamental paradigm shift :
Away from non-transparent programmed processes, towards
consistently transparent model-based processes
• With the process-driven approach, companies gain the sustainability they so urgently
need to shape the era of digital transformation
Contribute to the dissemination of this knowledge!
Conclusion
© Volker Stiehl 31

„Process-driven approach" website
© Volker Stiehl 32
https://volkerstiehl.de/

More Informationen
33
• Prozessgesteuerte Anwendungen
entwickeln und ausführen mit
BPMN
• dpunkt.verlag
• Ca. 390 Seiten
• ISBN 978-3-86490-007-5
© Volker Stiehl

More Informationen
34
• Process-Driven Applications with
BPMN
• Springer
• approx. 350 pg.
• ISBN 978-3-319-07217-3
• Available since September 2014
© Volker Stiehl

More Informationen
35
• Empirical Studies on the
Development of Executable
Business Processes
• Springer
• approx. 260 pg.
• ISBN 978-3030176655
• Chapter 3: Effectively and Efficiently
Implementing Complex Business
Processes: A Case Study
• Available: July 2019
© Volker Stiehl

Quote W. Edwards Deming
36
Quelle: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/75857
© Volker Stiehl

„ Nothing is more powerful than an idea
whose time has come.“
Quote Victor Hugo
37
Victor Hugo
© Volker Stiehl

Contact
© Volker Stiehl 38
Thank You!
volker.stiehl@thi.de

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose
without the express permission of Volker Stiehl. The information contained herein may be
changed without prior notice.
Volker Stiehl assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in this document. Volker
Stiehl does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information, text, graphics,
links, or other items contained within this material. This document is provided without a
warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied
warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.
Volker Stiehl shall have no liability for damages of any kind including without limitation
direct, special, indirect, or consequential damages that may result from the use of these
materials. This limitation shall not apply in cases of intent or gross negligence.
The statutory liability for personal injury and defective products is not affected. Volker Stiehl
has no control over the information that you may access through the use of hot links
contained in these materials and does not endorse your use of third-party Web pages nor
provide any warranty whatsoever relating to third-party Web pages.
© 2023 Volker Stiehl. All rights reserved

Tales Paiva
Software Engineering MSc Candidate, UFRJ, Brazil
International Visiting Graduate Student, UWaterloo, Canada
7 September 2023
SUPPORTING THE AUTOMATED GENERATION
OF ACCEPTANCE TESTS OF
PROCESS-AWARE INFORMATION SYSTEMS
University Chapter:
New Approaches to Process
Automation from Research

7 Sept 2023 Supporting the Automated Generation of Acceptance Tests of PAIS
Agenda
2/25
● Introduction
○ Process-Aware Information Systems
○ Business Process Model and Notation
● Background
○ Software Development and Testing Life Cycles
○ Robotic Process Automation
● Solution Overview
○ Concepts
○ Proof of Concept
○ Results
● Conclusion, Limitations and Future Work

Introduction - Context
Test coverage in Process-Aware Information Systems (PAIS)
can be challenging due to:
● Complexity and variability of Process Models
● Necessity to consider both Functional and Non-Functional Requirements
● Data complexity
● Dynamic behavior
3/25

Introduction - Process-Aware Information Systems
Process-Aware Information Systems (PAIS) are software systems that support
the execution and management of business processes (Dumas et al., 2013).
A PAIS typically consist of three main components:
4/25
Modeler
Process
Engine
Monitoring &
Analysis Tool
interpret interact
improve

Introduction - Business Process Model and Notation
5/25
Some elements:
XML

Background - Software Development and Testing Life Cycles
6/25
FONTE: PFLEEGER; ATLEE (2010, p. 53)

7 Sept 2023 Supporting the Automated Generation of Acceptance Tests of PAIS 7/25
FONTE: BAMBOO AGILE (2023)
Background - Software Development and Testing Life Cycles

Background - Acceptance Testing
8/25
It’s main objective is evaluating the system readiness for operational use.

Background - Model-Based Testing
In Model-Based Testing, test cases are wholly or partially generated from a model.
9/25
TC01
TC0
2
TC03
…

Background - Model-Based Testing
The reported benefits of MBT, according to Dias-Neto and Travassos (2010):
1. Lower cost and effort for testing planning/execution and shorter testing schedule;
2. Improvement of the final product quality, because the models are used as an oracle for
testing;
3. Testing process can be automated;
4. Ease of communication between the development and testing teams;
5. Capacity of automatically generating and running large sets of useful and non-repetitive
(non-redundant) tests;
6. Ease of updating the test cases set after the software artifacts used to build the software
model changes;
7. Capacity of evaluating regression testing scenarios.
10/25

Background - Robotic Process Automation
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) refers to the use of software robots or ”bots”
to automate repetitive, rule-based tasks within business processes.
These bots mimic human interactions with various software systems and
perform tasks such as data entry, form filling and screen navigation.
Some RPA solution providers:

Solution Overview - Introduction
Manipulate3 the process model1 and the PAIS reference architecture artifacts2.
Generate the automated execution scripts4.
Execute the test cases utilizing a keyword-driven RPA5.
12/25

Concepts - PAIS reference architecture artifacts
KIPApp Application Generator
JSON
Start Form generation JSON Start Form generated interface
13/25

Concepts - RPA keyword-driven scripts
14/25

15/25

JDL type Faker type
String
Word or
Sentence
Integer Random Int
LocalDate Date
Boolean Boolean
Many-to-one
String
Word or
Sentence
Solution Overview - Implementation
JSON
BPMN/XML
16/25

17/25

18/25

19/25

Solution Overview - Proof of Concept

All 3 paths covered.
22/25
Solution Overview - Results

Conclusion - Contributions
Automated testing of PAIS seems to be a topic scarcely explored in the
scientific literature.
The proposed solution for automated acceptance testing in BPMN-based PAIS
offers a promising approach to enhance software quality assurance.
By leveraging MBT and RPA, comprehensive acceptance test coverage can be
achieved, guided by the human interactions within the BPMN models of a PAIS.
The automation of test case implementation and execution streamlines the
testing process, reducing manual effort and improving efficiency.
23/25

Conclusion - Limitations
● Model complexity vs. Test Coverage: There could be elements, loops, paths
and subprocesses that might not be possible to capture. The automated
test generation process may not cover all possible scenarios and edge
cases.
● Test quality: The quality of the generated tests may not be as good as
manually written tests.
● Maintenance: The models and tests generated using a model-based
approach may require ongoing maintenance and updates as the system
evolves.
24/25

Conclusion - Future Work
● Conduct a thorough Literature Review on the subject.
● Create a tool that takes a BPMN file as an input and outputs an
understandable keyword-driven Test Suite, covering all paths and
scenarios present in the aforementioned process model.
● Evaluate better strategies for the implementation and execution (e.g.
Selenium vs. Playwright).
● Evaluate the possible interplay between the automated generation of a
keyword-driven Test Suite and Living Documentation.
25/25

Obrigado!
Thank you!
Danke!
Kiitos!
University Chapter:
New Approaches to Process
Automation from Research
talesmellopaiva@gmail.com
in/tales-mello-paiva/
@tmpaiva55
talesmp

The next meetup will be realeased soon!
Stay tuned! 🧐
November 2023

Gather
Town -
Networking
https://app.gather.town/app/gjmuWmilY3fUwXnR/BPM%20University

Thank you for tuning in!
See you next time 👋

New Approaches - University Chapter.pdf

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to New Approaches - University Chapter.pdf

Similar to New Approaches - University Chapter.pdf (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

New Approaches - University Chapter.pdf