A Modeling Approach for Business Processes Based on Variability

The business processes of an enterprise are its core asset, enabling a prompt and flexible response to business changes. Recently, business processes have attracted considerable interest with the emergence of service-oriented computing environments. In these environments, the business process acts as a connection point between the business and information technology. Therefore, a systematic and practical process model is required to develop business processes efficiently. We propose a process model that consists of a business definition and a business decision, and a process definition phase for developing a business process by combining product-line concepts. The proposed process model can facilitate the efficient development of a business process by providing explicit templates and supporting tools.