Identifying scenarios to guide transformations from DEMO to BPMN

Abstract

The heterogeneity in enterprise design stakeholders and models generally demands for consistent and efficient transformations of enterprise design knowledge between different conceptual modelling languages. A systematic process and precise model transformation specifications are a prerequisite for realizing such transformations. The Design and Engineering Methodology for Organizations (DEMO) approach represents the organization design of an enterprise in four linguistically based, semantically sound aspect models. The Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) on the other hand enables more flexibility in creating models and benefits from wide adoption in industry, the execution of processes e.g., by simulations, and the availability of proper tooling. A transformation of DEMO models into BPMN models is thus desirable to avail of both, the semantic sound foundation of DEMO and the wide adoption and execution possibilities of BPMN. Previous research already developed some principles and practices for transforming DEMO models into BPMN models, based on DEMOSL 3.7. This study focuses on the latest DEMO language specification, DEMOSL 4.5, since we believe that more clarity is required to specify consistent, well-motivated transformation specifications. We present a list of main requirements for developing transformation specifications to transform concepts represented in a Coordination Structure Diagram and Process Structure Diagram of DEMO into corresponding concepts in a BPMN collaboration diagram. The article makes three contributions: (1) Generic requirements for developing DEMO-to-BPMN transformation specifications; (2) Nine transformation scenarios that are validated by multiple demonstration cases; and (3) A comprehensive college case that demonstrates all transformation scenarios.