Exception handling in the context of fragment-based case management

Abstract

Case Management supports knowledge workers in defining, executing, and monitoring the handling of their cases, e.g. in healthcare or logistics. Fragment-based case management (fCM) allows to define a case model with the help of several process fragments, which can be flexible combined at run-time based on case characteristics and the case worker’s intuition. Cases are often influenced by unknown exception, e.g., the sudden change of patient condition’s or a storm delaying transports. So far, fCM only reacts to known circumstances. In this paper, we want to extend fCM by an exception handling approach. Thereby, existing exception patterns for workflow systems are used and extended by the fragment-level for handling unknown events. In order to enable direct integration and avoid a duplication of semantics, precise rules are specified in order to clarify how to extend which pattern in detail. The applicability of the developed exception handling technique is exemplified on a last mile delivery for parcels.