Verification of SAP reference models

Abstract

To configure a process-aware information system (e.g., a workflow system, an ERP system), a business model needs to be transformed into an executable process model. Due to similarities in these transformations for different companies, databases with reference models, such as ARIS for MySAP, have been developed. The models stored in such a database can be customized to generate an executable model. Since these customized models are typically used on an execution level, it is of the utmost importance that both the reference models and their customizations are free of erroneous constructs. In this paper, we analyze a reference model for SAP R/3 that is stored in the ARIS for MySAP database, and we verify whether it is correct. Since the model is stored as an Event-driven Process Chains (EPC), we use a verification approach tailored towards the verification of this language to check for errors in the model. We show that using this approach adds value to a set of reference models, such as ARIS for MySAP, since modelling errors are discovered at an early stage and can be avoided on an execution level. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.