Computational Business Processes as Software Components for Electronic Commerce Walt Scacchi USC ATRIUM Laboratory

Overview What are Computational Business Processes Why are they useful for Intranets and Extranets How do they work Who should use them, when, where What about XML, CORBA, DCOM, etc.

What are CBPs; why useful New type of software component Model, redesign and execute engineering or business processes over intranets/extranets Enable interorganizational workflow via networked process execution environment Can be represented, linked and navigationally traversed as a global semantic hypertext

Computational Business Processes Growing interest among start-ups for Internet-based sources for the provision of intermediate products or services. Potential trading partners can negotiate and electronically contract for remote sourcing agreements via network ties. Can lead to the configuration of virtual enterprises via CBP components

How do they work, for who, when and where Link people (“agents in roles”), tasks, resources, products, tools and network infrastructure into organizational process architecture Organizational operating system manages, updates and supports execution of OPA Businesses form virtual enterprises by interlinking their OPAs via OOSs

Example Problem

Computational Business Processes--Life Cycle Activities

Computational Business Processes See Life_Cycle.html for definitions, experience reports, and examples. See Process_Life_Cycle.html for the paper.

A Computational Business Process

Computational Business Processes

Virtual Enterprise Solution as Process-Driven Extranet

What about XML, CORBA, DCOM, etc. CBPs are neutral on choice of data definition notation and integration middleware CBPs operate at a higher, business-oriented level XML, CORBA, etc. are neither necessary nor sufficient as CBP infrastructure Goal is to accommodate heterogeneity, integration and legacy IS in transparent, autonomy preserving manner.

Research and Education Opportunities in EC We need to adopt, implement, and proliferate the use of experimental learning laboratories for trying out new forms of EC ELLs can serve as testbeds for computational business processes for EC. ELLs can be developed for each of the academic, corporate, and government markets.

Conclusions There are substantial R&D opportunities in figuring out how to model, integrate, and enact inter-organizational business processes for use in EC information infrastructures.

References Process-Driven Intranets, IEEE Internet Computing, 1(5):42-49, September 1997 Process Life Cycle Engineering, Intelligent Systems in Accounting, Finance and Management, 6(1):83-107, 1997 Supporting Software Development Projects in Virtual Enterprises, Journal of Digital Information, 1(4), December 1998