Jan Claes is a PhD candidate at Ghent University studying the relationship between modeling behavior and process model quality. He analyzes modeling sessions where every action is logged to study properties of the modeling process like modeling speed, model size, and structured process modeling. His research focuses on whether structured process modeling, where model elements are created together as blocks, leads to higher quality models. Through experiments with students and practitioners, he aims to provide cognitive explanations and develop tool support to help modelers structure their work.

1. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
4 June, 2013
FACULTY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
An exploration of the relationship between
modeling behavior and process model quality
Jan Claes
Teaching assistant : PhD 2009 - 2015aa
Supervisor : Geert Poels
Co-supervisor : Frederik Gailly

2. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
2/16
Outline
Process models, process model quality
Observation, visualization, relations
Structured Process Modeling
Studies, methodology
Progress and planning

3. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
3/16
Business Process Modeling (BPM)
Business process model
 Graphical, abstract representation of processes
 Important tool for analysis and improvement
Business process model in BPMN notation

4. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
4/16
Process model quality
Poor model quality
 Many errors
 Many nodes
 Many crossing arcs
 Many nested gateways
 …
Strong model quality
 Few errors
 Few nodes
 Few crossing arcs
 Few nested gateways
 …

5. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
5/16
Process model quality
Poor model quality
 Many errors
 Many nodes
 Many crossing arcs
 Many nested gateways
 …
Strong model quality
 Few errors
 Few nodes
 Few crossing arcs
 Few nested gateways
 …

6. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
6/16
Process of Process Modeling (PPM)
Properties of
textual description
Properties of
modeler
Properties of
modeling process
Properties of
resulting model
PRIMARY RESEARCH FOCUS
Properties of
real process
Properties of
observation process
Properties of software
and modeling language

7. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
7/16
Process of Process Modeling (PPM)
Observational modeling sessions
 People construct models
 Every action on modeling canvas is logged
 Modeler information is collected through survey
 Different datasets
• 120 students in Eindhoven 2010
• 14 experts in Berlin 2010
• 14 experts in Eindhoven 2011
• 118 students in Eindhoven 2012

8. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
8/16
Process of Process Modeling (PPM)
Properties of the modeling process
Activity Timestamp Attributes
Create start event 10:00 Id = 1; x = 10; y = 10
Create activity 10:04 Id = 2; x = 40; y = 10; name = “Receive order”
Create edge 10:05 Id = 3; from = 1, to = 2
Move activity 10:07 Id = 2; x = 15; y = 10
Create gateway 10:08 Id = 4; x = 65; y = 10; type = “XOR”
Create edge 10:09 Id = 5; from = 2, to = 4
Create activity 10:24 Id = 6; x = 80; y = 0; name = “Reject order”
Create activity 10:25 Id = 7; x = 80; y = 20; name = “Prepare order”
Create gateway 10:27 Id = 8; x = 105; y = 10; type = “XOR”

9. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
9/16
 CREATE_ACTIVITY
 CREATE_START_EVENT
 CREATE_END_EVENT
 CREATE_AND
 CREATE_XOR
 CREATE_EDGE
 MOVE_ACTIVITY
 MOVE_START_EVENT
 MOVE_END_EVENT
 MOVE_AND
 MOVE_XOR
 DELETE_ACTIVITY
DELETE_START_EVENT
 DELETE-END_EVENT
 DELETE_AND
 DELETE_XOR
 DELETE_EDGE
 NAME_ACTIVITY
 RENAME_ACTIVITY
 NAME_EDGE
 RENAME_EDGE
Process of Process Modeling (PPM)
Visualization in PPMChart
 Start event
 Edge
 Activity
 Gateway
 Edge
 Activity
 Edge
 Edge
 Activity
 Edge
 Gateway
 Edge
7
29
8
9
32
14
30
31
10
33
56
34
time
modelelements

10. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
10/16
Process of Process Modeling (PPM)
Analysis of different charts
Modeling speed
Model
size
Aspect-oriented
modeling
Chunked modeling
Move patterns
Structured process
modeling
Modeling pauses
PRIMARY RESEARCH FOCUS

11. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
11/16
Structured Process Modeling (SPM)
Structured process modeling
 Creating blocks ‘as a whole’ (before moving on to
the creation of the rest of the model)
ACT
ACT
X XACT
Process model block

12. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
12/16
Structured Process Modeling (SPM)
Cognitive aspects
 Cognitive Load Theory (CLT)
limited capacity of working memory
 Cognitive Fit Theory (CFT)
effect increase if task representation fits

13. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
13/16
Methodology
Different studies
 Visualization
 Experts vs novices & how to train novices to become experts
 Definition SPM, quality, causal relation
 Influencing factors: modeler, case, tool, language, description
 Tool support: highlighting, errors/warnings, pairwise creation
 Generic application: abstraction, interpretation, notation

14. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
14/16
Methodology
Methodology
 Behavioral science versus design science
 Explorative, explanatory, confirmative
 Literature review
• structured coding, problem solving, cognition
• process model quality, visualization
 Experiments + empirical analysis
• observational, controlled (treatment)
• students, practitioners
 Post-task surveys
• Quantitative, qualitative (actual, perceived)

15. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
15/16
Progress
BPM’12 Explorative relation SPM-quality
Tying process model quality to the modeling process: the impact of structuring, movement and speed
TAProViz@BPM’12 PPMCharts visualization
Visualizing the process of process modeling with PPMCharts
COGNISE@CAiSE’12 Cognitive explanation
Cognitive aspects of structured process modeling
ISeB journal (SUBMITTED) PPMChart visualization++
A visual analysis of the process of process modeling
CPSM@ICSM’13 (IN PROGRESS) Soundness for BPMN

16. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
16/16
Progress
Difference experts/novices & training novices
SPM causes model quality increase
Influencing factors
 modeler, case, tool, language, description, …
Tool support
 highlighting, errors/warnings, pairwise creation
Generic application
 Abstraction, interpretation, notation

17. Ghent university, Economics and Business Administration
jan.claes@ugent.be - www.janclaes.info
ECIS Doctoral Consortium 2013
17/16
Contact information
Jan Claes
jan.claes@ugent.be
http://www.janclaes.info
Twitter: @janclaesbelgium
Thanks for your attention!
Do you have feedback on my research plans?
> explanatory theories <
> behavioral science <
> methodology <
> evaluation <