Icebricks: Business process modeling on the basis of semantic standardization

Abstract

Within this article the prototype icebricks is described by its main characteristics which are layers of abstraction, attribution, reference models and semantic standardization by the use of a glossary. The layers are predefined in order to enhance the clarity and comparability of the processes. Attribution is used - beside the layers of abstraction - as means to reduce the complexity of the models by shifting information to analyzable and easily maintainable attributes instead of sophisticated control flows within the process elements. The glossary is inspired by the idea of model conventions. Each business object within it is defined once and can be used with defined activities as process building blocks within all models with the same semantic meaning. Furthermore, reference models are incorporated into the prototype to enable modelers with the possibility to create or derive purposeful models in a short period of time. The prototype was thoroughly and very successfully evaluated in its web based version in two process modeling projects aiming for process reorganization for an ERP system change and for a complete documentation of the process landscape for knowledge management. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.