Visual simulation for the BPM-based process automation

Abstract

A graphical standard notation for the analysis and execution of operational business processes is available since 2011 the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) 2.0. A new possibility is now established to automate complex, longer-than-average, interdisciplinary process chains including a powerful human task management cost-efficiently. The end-to-end process automation in life science automation demands comprehensive systems integration in heterogeneous, hybrid automation environments. Already at the early stages of the development of such solutions exists a great need for simulations of process execution. The presented simulation solution, interesting also for other target industries, is an important tool to an early staged quality assurance, to a definition of the components related automation demand and a validation of the process model. This visual simulation system shows the potentials of a BPMS-based automation using an animated process model, application simulations of the distributed automation and information systems, controlled video sequences or application screenshots and corresponding detailed information. It supports the argumentation for process-controlled, model-based applications, which transform the currently autonomous sub-systems and isolated applications into an overall system with a comprehensive, reproducible process control and monitoring. This article explains the solution and the impact of the BPM-oriented process simulation. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.