IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/binfse/v58y2016i1d10.1007_s12599-015-0413-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Criteria and Heuristics for Business Process Model Decomposition

Author

Listed:
  • Fredrik Milani

    (University of Tartu)

  • Marlon Dumas

    (University of Tartu)

  • Raimundas Matulevičius

    (University of Tartu)

  • Naved Ahmed

    (University of Tartu)

  • Silva Kasela

    (University of Tartu)

Abstract

It is generally agreed that large process models should be decomposed into sub-processes in order to enhance understandability and maintainability. Accordingly, a number of process decomposition criteria and heuristics have been proposed in the literature. This paper presents a review of the field revealing distinct classes of criteria and heuristics. The study raises the question of how different decomposition heuristics affect process model understandability and maintainability. To address this question, an experiment is conducted where two different heuristics, one based on breakpoints and the other on data objects, were used to decompose a flat process model. The results of the experiment show that, although there are minor differences, the heuristics cause very similar results in regard to understandability and maintainability as measured by various process model metrics.

Suggested Citation

  • Fredrik Milani & Marlon Dumas & Raimundas Matulevičius & Naved Ahmed & Silva Kasela, 2016. "Criteria and Heuristics for Business Process Model Decomposition," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 58(1), pages 7-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:binfse:v:58:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1007_s12599-015-0413-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s12599-015-0413-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12599-015-0413-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12599-015-0413-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shazia Sadiq & Guido Governatori, 2010. "Managing Regulatory Compliance in Business Processes," International Handbooks on Information Systems, in: Jan vom Brocke & Michael Rosemann (ed.), Handbook on Business Process Management 2, pages 159-175, Springer.
    2. Florian Johannsen & Susanne Leist, 2012. "Wand and Weber’s Decomposition Model in the Context of Business Process Modeling," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 4(5), pages 271-286, October.
    3. Malone, Thomas W., 1993. "Tools for inventing organizations : toward a handbook of organizational processes," Working papers #88-93. Working paper (Sl, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    4. Artem Polyvyanyy & Sergey Smirnov & Mathias Weske, 2010. "Business Process Model Abstraction," International Handbooks on Information Systems, in: Jan vom Brocke & Michael Rosemann (ed.), Handbook on Business Process Management 1, pages 149-166, Springer.
    5. Pimmler, Thomas U. (Thomas Udo) & Eppinger, Steven D., 1994. "Integration analysis of product decompositions," Working papers 3690-94., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fredrik Milani & Marlon Dumas & Raimundas Matulevičius & Naved Ahmed & Silva Kasela, 2016. "Criteria and Heuristics for Business Process Model Decomposition," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 58(1), pages 7-17, February.
    2. Staudenmayer, Nancy A. (Nancy Ann), 1997. "Interdependency : conceptual, empirical, & practical issues," Working papers 162-97. Working paper (Sl, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    3. Kirn, Stefan, 1995. "Organisational intelligence and distributed AI," Arbeitsberichte des Instituts für Wirtschaftsinformatik 40, University of Münster, Department of Information Systems.
    4. Alan MacCormack & John Rusnak & Carliss Y. Baldwin, 2006. "Exploring the Structure of Complex Software Designs: An Empirical Study of Open Source and Proprietary Code," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(7), pages 1015-1030, July.
    5. Henning Skirde & Wolfgang Kersten & Meike Schröder, 2016. "Measuring the Cost Effects of Modular Product Architectures — A Conceptual Approach," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 13(04), pages 1-23, August.
    6. Staudenmayer, Nancy A. (Nancy Ann) & Cusumano, Michael A., 1954-, 1998. "Alternative designs for product component integration," Working papers WP 4016-98., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    7. Malone, Thomas W. & Crowston, Kevin., 1993. "The interdisciplinary study of coordination," Working papers 3630-93. CCSTR ; #157., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    8. Kartik Kalaignanam & Tarun Kushwaha & Anand Nair, 2017. "The Product Quality Impact of Aligning Buyer-Supplier Network Structure and Product Architecture: an Empirical Investigation in the Automobile Industry," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 4(1), pages 1-17, September.
    9. Cabigiosu, Anna & Zirpoli, Francesco & Camuffo, Arnaldo, 2013. "Modularity, interfaces definition and the integration of external sources of innovation in the automotive industry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 662-675.
    10. Tyson R. Browning, 1999. "Designing system development projects for organizational integration," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 2(4), pages 217-225.
    11. Rashmi Jain & Anithashree Chandrasekaran & Ozgur Erol, 2010. "A systems integration framework for process analysis and improvement," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(3), pages 274-289, September.
    12. Jukrin Moon & Dongoo Lee & Taesik Lee & Jaemyung Ahn & Jindong Shin & Kyungho Yoon & Dongsik Choi, 2015. "Group Decision Procedure to Model the Dependency Structure of Complex Systems: Framework and Case Study for Critical Infrastructures," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(4), pages 323-338, July.
    13. Avner Engel & Tyson R. Browning, 2008. "Designing systems for adaptability by means of architecture options," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 11(2), pages 125-146, June.
    14. Becker, Jörg (Ed.) & Matzner, Martin (Ed.), 2013. "Promoting business process management excellence in Russia: Proceedings and report of the PropelleR 2012 Workshop held in Moscow, April 24 to 26, 2012," ERCIS Working Papers 15, University of Münster, European Research Center for Information Systems (ERCIS).
    15. Tobias K.P. Holmqvist & Magnus L. Persson, 2003. "Analysis and improvement of product modularization methods: Their ability to deal with complex products," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 6(3), pages 195-209.
    16. Unland, Rainer & Kirn, S. & Wanka, U. & O'Hare, G. M. P. & Abbas, S., 1995. "AEGIS: Agent oriented organisations," Arbeitsberichte des Instituts für Wirtschaftsinformatik 36, University of Münster, Department of Information Systems.
    17. Michael P. Voigt & Daniel Roth & Matthias Kreimeyer, 2023. "Decision Support for Defining Adaptive Façade Design Goals in the Early Design Phase," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-28, April.
    18. Fine, Charles H. & Whitney, Daniel E., 1996. "Is the make-buy decision process a core competence?," Working papers #140-96. Working paper (S, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    19. Habib, Tufail & Kristiansen, Jimmi Normann & Rana, Mohammad Bakhtiar & Ritala, Paavo, 2020. "Revisiting the role of modular innovation in technological radicalness and architectural change of products: The case of Tesla X and Roomba," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    20. Bernardo A. Delicado & Alejandro Salado & Rafael Mompó, 2018. "Conceptualization of a T‐Shaped engineering competency model in collaborative organizational settings: Problem and status in the Spanish aircraft industry," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 21(6), pages 534-554, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:binfse:v:58:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1007_s12599-015-0413-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.