Full text preview of the chapter [PDF] - Politecnico di Milano

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HEADINGwithin the See Comments page). The activity terminates after 1 week as requestedin the BPMN model.(a)(b)(c)Fig. 7. (a) BPMN notation for a social-based activity; (b) CorrespondingWebML application model; (c) Visual rendering of an activity UI in theprototype generated by WebRatio.16

HEADINGFigure 7(c) shows the snapshot of the Publish to social community Web pagegenerated as a prototype from the WebML model of Figure 7(b). The user cansee: his name (Roland Still), his role (Worldwide Manager), the details aboutthe process and the task together with the correlated social history registeredso far (in the Process Details box). A link leads to the See Commentspage. The actual inputs required by the current process step must be submittedin the Prepare Content and Attachment boxes). The Social Activitybox contains the possible actions that can be performed at the communitylevel. In the example, the user can share the outcomes on Facebook (the socialnetwork of choice). The Activity Events box displays the list of BPMevents to be handled (in the example, the deadline for closing the activity).Finally, in the bottom part of the page, the list of all the social platforms involvedin the whole application is listed (and the one of the current task ishighlighted). By clicking on the various icons, the user can see the respectiveevents happened so far.Implementation within the WebRatio toolsuiteThe described generative framework has been implemented as an extensionof the WebRatio Model-Driven Web application environment, which enablesdevelopers to edit WebML models and automatically transform them intorunning applications for the JEE and Service Oriented Architectures. WebRatiois commercially available and has been used to produce large scaleWeb and BPM solutions; the BPM edition, presented at the BPM 2010 Conference(Hoboken, NJ) [BBF10], comprises: a BPMN editor, a code generatorthat includes the transformation from BPMN to WebML and a quick prototypingfunction that produces JEE-compliant process enactment applications(one-click prototyping). This functionality invokes in sequence the twotransformations from BPMN to WebML and from WebML to JEE, yielding adynamic, multi-actor enactment application with a default look & feel. Thegenerator creates a few exemplary users for each BPMN actor, which allowsthe analyst to impersonate each role in the process. We are now extendingthis framework to support the newly introduced social features: BPMN socialartifacts, new WebML components implementing the different behaviors andthe interaction with various social networks APIs, and the new model transformationrules that generate the WebML models from the social BPMN notation.As a result, the prototyping function will deliver in one-click socialprocess enactment applications, whereby the analyst can actuate both thestructured and the social part of the BPMN specification, impersonating allroles: internal performers, internal observers and also external users in a socialcommunity of choice. The rapid prototype validated in this way can thenbe evolved by the WebML designer into the final version of the processenactment applications, deployable on top of any industrial-strength JEEplatform.CONCLUSIONSThis chapter has discussed the levels of adoptions of social features insideorganizations and business process models, and examined the requirementsthat Social BPM poses to process specification languages. Based on that, wehave illustrated a set of extensions and exemplary scenarios for designingsocial BPM applications with BPMN 2.0 and briefly described the technicalarchitecture of a tool suite for the generation of rapid prototypes directlyfrom socially-extended BPMN models. Our future work will concentrate on17

HEADINGFigure 7(c) shows <strong>the</strong> snapshot <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Publish to social community Web pagegenerated as a prototype from <strong>the</strong> WebML model <strong>of</strong> Figure 7(b). The user cansee: his name (Roland Still), his role (Worldwide Manager), <strong>the</strong> details about<strong>the</strong> process and <strong>the</strong> task toge<strong>the</strong>r with <strong>the</strong> correlated social history registeredso far (in <strong>the</strong> Process Details box). A link leads to <strong>the</strong> See Commentspage. The actual inputs required by <strong>the</strong> current process step must be submitte<strong>di</strong>n <strong>the</strong> Prepare Content and Attachment boxes). The Social Activitybox contains <strong>the</strong> possible actions that can be performed at <strong>the</strong> communitylevel. In <strong>the</strong> example, <strong>the</strong> user can share <strong>the</strong> outcomes on Facebook (<strong>the</strong> socialnetwork <strong>of</strong> choice). The Activity Events box <strong>di</strong>splays <strong>the</strong> list <strong>of</strong> BPMevents to be handled (in <strong>the</strong> example, <strong>the</strong> deadline for closing <strong>the</strong> activity).Finally, in <strong>the</strong> bottom part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> page, <strong>the</strong> list <strong>of</strong> all <strong>the</strong> social platforms involve<strong>di</strong>n <strong>the</strong> whole application is listed (and <strong>the</strong> one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> current task ishighlighted). By clicking on <strong>the</strong> various icons, <strong>the</strong> user can see <strong>the</strong> respectiveevents happened so far.Implementation within <strong>the</strong> WebRatio toolsuiteThe described generative framework has been implemented as an extension<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> WebRatio Model-Driven Web application environment, which enablesdevelopers to e<strong>di</strong>t WebML models and automatically transform <strong>the</strong>m intorunning applications for <strong>the</strong> JEE and Service Oriented Architectures. WebRatiois commercially available and has been used to produce large scaleWeb and BPM solutions; <strong>the</strong> BPM e<strong>di</strong>tion, presented at <strong>the</strong> BPM 2010 Conference(Hoboken, NJ) [BBF10], comprises: a BPMN e<strong>di</strong>tor, a code generatorthat includes <strong>the</strong> transformation from BPMN to WebML and a quick prototypingfunction that produces JEE-compliant process enactment applications(one-click prototyping). This functionality invokes in sequence <strong>the</strong> twotransformations from BPMN to WebML and from WebML to JEE, yiel<strong>di</strong>ng adynamic, multi-actor enactment application with a default look & feel. Thegenerator creates a few exemplary users for each BPMN actor, which allows<strong>the</strong> analyst to impersonate each role in <strong>the</strong> process. We are now exten<strong>di</strong>ngthis framework to support <strong>the</strong> newly introduced social features: BPMN socialartifacts, new WebML components implementing <strong>the</strong> <strong>di</strong>fferent behaviors and<strong>the</strong> interaction with various social networks APIs, and <strong>the</strong> new model transformationrules that generate <strong>the</strong> WebML models from <strong>the</strong> social BPMN notation.As a result, <strong>the</strong> prototyping function will deliver in one-click socialprocess enactment applications, whereby <strong>the</strong> analyst can actuate both <strong>the</strong>structured and <strong>the</strong> social part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> BPMN specification, impersonating allroles: internal performers, internal observers and also external users in a socialcommunity <strong>of</strong> choice. The rapid prototype validated in this way can <strong>the</strong>nbe evolved by <strong>the</strong> WebML designer into <strong>the</strong> final version <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> processenactment applications, deployable on top <strong>of</strong> any industrial-strength JEEplatform.CONCLUSIONSThis <strong>chapter</strong> has <strong>di</strong>scussed <strong>the</strong> levels <strong>of</strong> adoptions <strong>of</strong> social features insideorganizations and business process models, and examined <strong>the</strong> requirementsthat Social BPM poses to process specification languages. Based on that, wehave illustrated a set <strong>of</strong> extensions and exemplary scenarios for designingsocial BPM applications with BPMN 2.0 and briefly described <strong>the</strong> technicalarchitecture <strong>of</strong> a tool suite for <strong>the</strong> generation <strong>of</strong> rapid prototypes <strong>di</strong>rectlyfrom socially-extended BPMN models. Our future work will concentrate on17

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