Building a process model is a natural part of the requirements engineering (RE) when creating requirements for a computerized system/service to support a business process. When a process in question is workflowable (i.e. a process in which the order and the flow of tasks/ operations/activities can be predefined), there are plenty of modeling techniques, notations and tools that can help in this undertaking. These techniques, however, are of little use for discovering requirements for support of non-workflowable processes in which the information artifacts created in the process (e.g. reports, lecture slides, budget documents) are of more importance than the flow of tasks/operations/activities. Other types of techniques, notations and tools are required in this case. This paper reports on a project of using a data-centric modeling approach supported by a computerized tool in RE. The goal of the project was to test whether the approach could be useful for the task of discovering requirements on a computerized system/service supporting the process, and which and how much of requirements could be captured using it. The process used in the test is a process of course preparation in the author's own department. The paper reports on the environment in which the project has been conducted, results achieved, and lessons learned.

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Using Data-Centric Business Process
Modeling for Discovering Requirements
for Business Process Support Systems:
Experience Report
Ilia Bider - IbisSoft/DSV SU
Erik Perjons, Zakra Riaz Dar - DSV SU
Pre-proceedings - http://bit.ly/1chB3pW
Springer proceedings –
http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-642-38484-4_6.pdf

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Goal
Investigate whether a data-centric modeling
technique supported by a tool is suitable for
discovering requirements on a BPS systems for a non-
workflowable process
1. Can it be used directly in facilitating workshops?
2. Are the results are suitable for discussions with stakeholder
that have not been part of the requirements discovery team?
3. Which and how much of requirements can be discovered ?

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Working definitions
Data-centric process modeling
any process modeling technique that permits to start
structuring data/information processed in the frame of
the process before the details of the flow of
tasks/operations/activities are known or decided upon.
Workflowable process
a process where the order and the flow of
tasks/operations/ activities can be predefined.

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Project context
1. Organization
Department of Computer and System Sciences (DSV) at SU
Teaching (BS,MS, PhD) + Research
5 700 student, 280 Staff members
2. Business process
Preparing a course occasion
(for an old course or a new one)
3. Project team
Authors + 2 teachers from DSV

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Process in more details

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Looking for a tool – High-level
requirements
Can be used in facilitating workshops and can represent:
1. Structure of data/information created and utilize
2. Data/information flow in the process
3. Participant collaboration in the frame of instances
4. Categories of users engaged in the process and limitation on the
data/information they can access
5. Operations/activities in the process and restrictions on their order
+ usable for
6. Designing a prototype
7. Discussing and recoding process scenarios (cases)
We has own tool that satisfied above but wanted to check whether
there is something better

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Requirements refined
• Availability
• Domain-independence
• Completeness – have means to express all important concepts
• Comprehensibility – for domain experts
• Tasks flexibility –can be used for modeling, prototyping, scenario
testing
• Tasks suitability - suitable for the tasks
• Usage flexibility - freedom to choose how to use
• Coherence - produce a whole
Found no easy available tool that satisfies the
requirements – stayed

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iPB functionality
From “iPB online reference” http://docs.ibissoft.se/node/6

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Main modeling concepts
1. Process Map
A collection of process steps + layout + relationships
2. Process step
3. Step Form – data structure defined for a step
A collection of form fields + layout
4. Form field
An elementary unit of data structure

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Process map
Steps

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Step form
Form
Fields

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Step form in runtime
Form
Fields

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Process map in runtime
Steps
Business rules – step relationships
Business rules – step synchronizations

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Process modeling with iPB
• Structure of data/information – Step forms
• Data/information flow - References to fields from one form to
another
• Participant collaboration - Journal fields
• Categories of users & access restrictions – User profiles
• Operations/activities – Steps for big blocks, action lists for
smaller ones, showing a field to fill also function as an instruction
• Order – business rules: Steps relationships + mandatory fields
• Prototyping – Runtime system
• Recoding scenarios – Runtime system

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Project execution
1. Facilitating workshop
Informal discussion
2. Facilitating workshop
First draft of a process map + suggestions for the forms
3. Extending the model between workshops
Step forms + scenario recording
4. Facilitating workshop
Going through recorded scenario + suggestions for
improvement
5. Further development of the model
Based on suggestions
6. Demonstration and brainstorming
in the extended group

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The model
First draft
Final map

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Comparison
Operation based
Data-centered

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Difference explained

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Synchronization explained
Synchronized

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Analysis of results
1. Can it be used directly in facilitating workshops?
Yes based on our own reflections
2. Are the results are suitable for discussions with
stakeholder that have not been part of the
requirements discovery team?
Yes based on the opinion of external domain experts
3. Which and how much of requirements can be
discovered ?
Those 5 that we wanted based on the brain storming
discussion by the extended group. However there are
limitations … next slide

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Possibilities and limitations
Captured
• Structure of data/information
• Data/information flow
• Participant collaboration
• Categories of users & access restrictions – User profiles
• Operations/activities & Oder
• Order – business rules: Steps relationships + mandatory fields
Not captured
• Stakeholders goals
• Integration with other system
Would it work for a more complex project?

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Thank you for your attention!
Q & A
Ilia Bider, DSV SU/IbisSoft
Email: ilia@dsv.su.se
ilia@ibissoft.se