This document discusses the limitations of traditional process modeling approaches based on flows and proposes a shift towards constraint-based processes. Constraint-based processes address challenges like scalability, flexibility, and ownership that arise from flows. They capture individual stakeholder constraints that can then be used to infer variable processes. This allows for stepless shifting between workflow, case management, and straight-through processing based on constraint levels. Constraint-based processes also enable modularity, embedded compliance, and new business models.

1. Towards Webscale Business Processes
Jeroen van Grondelle

2. From
Hierarchies
to
Networks

3. Flow
doesn’t
Scale!
Contextuality and up front consolidation
lead to combinatoric explosion

4. Flow
requires
Up
Front
Consolida<on
0
1000
2000
5
10
15
Number of Potential Coalitions
at Execution Time

5. Flow
encodes
Contextuality
0
500
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Number of Process Configurations
at Execution Time
Contextuality follows from multiple target groups, actors,
products or product variants, change over time, etc.

6. When
does
it
break?
Or
did
it
already?
High
Numbers
of
Process
variants?
BIG
spreadsheets?
Consistency?
Maintenance
cost?

7. A
Paradigm
Shi,
towards
Constraint-­‐based
Processes

8. Declara<ve
Processes
Now
in
Be
Informed!
Conven<onal
BPM
captures…
Constraint
Oriented
Processes
capture…

9. Implicitly
captures
Alterna<ve
Routes

10. And
Excep<onal
Routes

11. Inferring
Flow

12. Automated
Consolida<on
=
???

13. Seman<c
Technology

14. Seman<c
Technology
Case
ActivityRole
<Abstract>
Artifact
Time Limit
Object
Assigns
Creates
Performs
Decision
Decides
Post Condition
Requires Running
Requires Expired
Pre Condition
Requires Role
Requires
Available
Requires
Taken
Requires
Available
Requires
Completed
Document Appointment Note
Begins
Ends
Suspends
Resumes
Creates
Changes
Corrects
Deletes
Lookup
Subtypes

15. Addressing the Challenges
of Webscale Business Processes

16. Constraint
Level
Flexibility
Freedom
Intui<ve
property
of
constraint
based
processes:
High
flexibility
follows
from
low
numbers
of
constraints
(In
Flow:
‘Adding’
flexibility
requires
extra
flow,
such
as
excep<on
flows,
etc.)

17. Stepless
Shicing
between
BPM
Approaches
Adaptive
Case
Management
(ACM)
Workflow
Management
(WFM)
Straight
Through
Processing
(STP)
Expert
Flexibility in
20% Cases
Dealing with
Impediments
Locally
Providing Support
and Consistency
in 80% Cases
Variable
Levels of
Guidance
+ Flow at Runtime -
-ActorAutonomyatRuntime+
‘Variable’
flexibility
across
business
process
phases
Support
in
80%
AND
Freedom
in
20%
cases

18. Ownership
Consolidated
flow
design
has
no
natural
owner,
as
it
represents
no
one’s
‘real
stake’
In
constraint-­‐based
approach,
each
stakeholders
constraints
can
be
captured
explicitly

19. New
Business
Models
Modularity
of
reusable
constraint
sets
Including
cross
cugng
aspects

20. Embedded
Compliance
Regulators
are
‘just’
another
stakeholder
Processes
inferred
from
constraints
are
inherently
compliant

21. Innovate
with
us!

22. Download the whitepaper
at www.beinformed.com
Questions? Ideas? Suggestions?
Jeroen van Grondelle
j.vangrondelle@beinformed.com