Referencing Capabilities for Collaborative Engineering of Conceptual Process Modeling with Object-Role Modeling

Conceptual modeling has been proved to bring tangible advantages as a mean to formalize specifications in collaborative multi-partner projects. Particularly, the Object-Role Modeling language-the most prominent conceptual data modeling language-offers verbalization capabilities that ensure a common semantic understanding of the data specification, specifically for complex data systems and for non-native English speakers. However, ORM is primarily aimed at data specifications and has been more marginally used for process specifications. The paper reports part of the results on an experimental activity undertaken to probe the use of ORM for conceptual process modeling. In particular, the paper introduces the definitions of referencing capabilities for linking data models to the activity-the fundamental element of a process-models in ORM. Specifically, two new concepts have been identified as potentially necessary for supporting conceptual process modeling using ORM: Extended Facts, for distinguishing current Facts from potentially true Facts, and Set of Facts for indicating the Extended Facts affected by the activity. An activity schema definition also shows how these concepts can support the definition of an ORM interlayer for conceptual process modeling.