A String Comparison Approach to Process Logic Differences between Business Process Models

Abstract

Analyzing process logic differences between company's process and best practice process can assist project team in discovering process improvement opportunities. Process logic comparison has been mentioned in some literature, but research in this area still lacks effectively and efficiently analytical approach. This research has applied string coding and comparison to analyze the process logic differences between business process models. There are three portions in this approach. First of all, all process paths embedded in each compared process model are identified and coded into alphabetical process path strings. Then, all process path pairs necessary for further processing difference analysis are decided. Finally, process path string comparison is applied to each process path pair to identify the differences in processing sequence and processing mode.

A Simulation-Based Difference Detection Technique for Bottom-Up Process Reconciliation

“…Also, the ability to start from two predefined process logics enables the technique to be used from bottom up, which makes it possible to replace the expensive top-down approach to cross-organisational process reconciliation. Furthermore, the technique can also be applied in the area of process compliance (Cheung, 2003) as well as process benchmarking (Juan and Ou-Yang, 2005;Juan, 2006), in which customer defined processes are checked for compliance issues against certain standard or bestof-breed process.…”

“…If these techniques were applied directly to process reconciliation, they either confine themselves to minor passive adaptations (Krukkert, 2003;Du et al, 2005;Wombacher, 2005) or handle drastic changes without giving user any selection right (Yeoh et al, 2004). Juan (2006) proposes a string comparison approach to tackling process logic differences however the preliminary case study shows that the approach is restrictive because it requires to express the process in digraph form into strings that is on sequential level. Demanded by the interactive and repetitive nature of the process reconciliation task, discrepancies must be identified according to the progress of reconciliation.…”

Business process design: Process comparison and integration

“…Juan and Ou-Yang (2005) applied string coding and comparison to analyze the process logic differences between business process models. Juan (2006) developed an algorithm to search out the alternative process paths in a flowchart and measure the similarity degree of activities contained in process paths compared. Nevertheless, these two methods of comparison are based on selected process path pairs, not on the whole model.…”