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A Formal Approach to Workflow Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Amit Basu

    (Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37203)

  • Robert W. Blanning

    (Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37203)

Abstract

Agile manufacturing, fast-response micromarketing, and the rise of the virtual organization have led managers to focus on cross-functional business processes that link various divisions and organizations. These processes may be realized as one or more workflows, each of which is an instantiation of a process under certain conditions. Because an ability to adapt processes to workflow conditions is essential for organizational responsiveness, identifying and analyzing significant workflows is an important activity for managers, organization designers, and information systems specialists. A variety of software systems have been developed to aid in the structuring and implementation of workflow systems, but they are mostly visualization tools with few analytical capabilities. For example, they do not allow their users to easily determine which information elements are needed to compute other information elements, whether certain tasks depend on other tasks, and how resource availability affects information and tasks. Analyses of this type can be performed by inspection, but this gives rise to the possibility of error, especially in large systems. In this paper, we show how a mathematical construct called a metagraph can be used to represent workflows, so that such questions can be addressed through formal operations, leading to more effective design of organizational processes.

Suggested Citation

  • Amit Basu & Robert W. Blanning, 2000. "A Formal Approach to Workflow Analysis," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 11(1), pages 17-36, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:orisre:v:11:y:2000:i:1:p:17-36
    DOI: 10.1287/isre.11.1.17.11787
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Amit Basu & Robert W. Blanning, 1998. "The Analysis of Assumptions in Model Bases Using Metagraphs," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(7), pages 982-995, July.
    2. Amit Basu & Robert W. Blanning & Avraham Shtub, 1997. "Metagraphs in Hierarchical Modeling," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 43(5), pages 623-639, May.
    3. Anitesh Barua & C. H. Sophie Lee & Andrew B. Whinston, 1996. "The Calculus of Reengineering," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 7(4), pages 409-428, December.
    4. Amit Basu & Robert W. Blanning, 1994. "Model Integration Using Metagraphs," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 5(3), pages 195-218, September.
    5. Amit Basu & Robert W. Blanning, 1994. "Metagraphs: A Tool for Modeling Decision Support Systems," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 40(12), pages 1579-1600, December.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Xue Bai & Ramayya Krishnan & Rema Padman & Harry Jiannan Wang, 2013. "On Risk Management with Information Flows in Business Processes," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 731-749, September.
    2. Toshihiro Wakayama, 2008. "Thematic Networks: Structuring the Organization for Strategic Fit," Working Papers EMS_2008_09, Research Institute, International University of Japan.
    3. Sagnika Sen & T. S. Raghu, 2013. "Interdependencies in IT Infrastructure Services: Analyzing Service Processes for Optimal Incentive Design," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 822-841, September.
    4. T. S. Raghu & B. Jayaraman & H. R. Rao, 2004. "Toward an Integration of Agent- and Activity-Centric Approaches in Organizational Process Modeling: Incorporating Incentive Mechanisms," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 15(4), pages 316-335, December.
    5. Luning Liu & Jingrui Ju & Yuqiang Feng, 2017. "An extensible framework for collaborative e-governance platform workflow modeling using data flow analysis," Information Technology for Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(3), pages 415-437, July.
    6. Amit Basu & Robert W. Blanning, 2003. "Synthesis and Decomposition of Processes in Organizations," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 14(4), pages 337-355, December.
    7. Amit Basu & Akhil Kumar, 2002. "Research Commentary: Workflow Management Issues in e-Business," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, March.
    8. Yair Wand & Ron Weber, 2002. "Research Commentary: Information Systems and Conceptual Modeling—A Research Agenda," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 13(4), pages 363-376, December.
    9. Therani Madhusudan, 2007. "A web services framework for distributed model management," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 9-27, March.
    10. Haluk Demirkan & Sagnika Sen & Michael Goul & Jason Nichols, 2012. "Ensuring reliability in B2B services: Fault tolerant inter-organizational workflows," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 765-788, July.
    11. Sherry X. Sun & J. Leon Zhao & Jay F. Nunamaker & Olivia R. Liu Sheng, 2006. "Formulating the Data-Flow Perspective for Business Process Management," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 17(4), pages 374-391, December.

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