A multi-perspective methodology for modelling inter-enterprise business processes

Abstract

We propose an agent-oriented methodology for modelling business processes between enterprises that consists of the steps of analysis and design. The analysis starts by modelling intentional dependencies between the actors of the problem domain at hand, and continues by modelling intentional relationships that are internal to the actors, such as task decomposition links. In the design, intentional dependencies between the actors are transformed to commitment-based models of interactions between the agents. Models of tasks performed by the actors, obtained as a result of means-ends analysis, are transformed to activities and reaction rules, defining the behaviours of agents. The methodology is evaluated by using the case study of an electronic advertising process in newspapers.