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vi Preface
BPM offerings and the fact that product knowledge does not generalize. This means
that it remains difficult for end users to really leverage the capabilities of their BPM
investment.
So where does this leave those interested in the field of BPM? First, it is unwise
to become too aligned with or invest too heavily in particular standards, tools, or
technologies. These all come and go. It is imperative that the conceptual, formal,
and technological foundations of BPM are thoroughly understood. Only this way
can one survive the onslaught of “the latest and greatest” in BPM and not have the
wool pulled over one’s eyes by vendors, training organizations, and other interested
parties. Second, it is important to not only develop an understanding of the business
context of BPM and its main drivers but also of the fundamentals of business pro-
cess automation. To automate processes, it is vital to have a correct understanding of
the operation of the business processes. This can be obtained by process mining and
advanced simulation techniques. Measurable benefits can be realized by business
process automation if the right set of patterns is supported. Finally, the (increased)
uptake of Linux and other open-source products in the past decade has provided real
momentum for the open-source movement. This has also influenced the BPM land-
scape, and where once there was no alternative to commercial, closed-source, and
expensive solutions, such alternatives have now become viable in many instances.
The markedly lower acquisition costs and the ability to modify the software to suit
one’s own needs cannot be ignored as factors in software selection processes and
make the use of BPM technology an attractive proposition for a much wider range
of potential users, including those in small and medium-sized enterprises for whom
it was previously cost-prohibitive.
The book in front of you is the culmination of more than ten years of research
and development conducted at universities in different parts of the world. It aims
to provide the reader with a deep insight into fundamental concepts and tech-
niques that are core to understanding BPM and its application. The focus is not
on business/motivational aspects, though these aspects are not ignored.
The book is primarily intended as a textbook for undergraduate and postgrad-
uate students in the field of workflow, or BPM more broadly. However, it is also
eminently suitable as a reference for BPM researchers and professionals as it cov-
ers a wide range of BPM-related topics in a highly accessible yet thorough way.
Exercises to deepen the reader’s knowledge are provided throughout and the chap-
ter notes at the end of many chapters provide the reader with references to further
work in the area. The book uses YAWL (Yet Another Workflow Language), a powerful
language based on the well-known workflow patterns, and its open-source support
environment, to explain advanced concepts and their realization.
This book is an edited work and would not have been possible without the con-
tributions of a wide range of experts in the field. They take the reader through
the fundamentals of business process modeling and automation, various aspects of
flexibility, a number of current industry standards, and advanced topics such as inte-
gration, verification, mining, and configuration. In addition, implementation aspects
relevant to modern BPM environments are addressed in depth and applications of
BPM in the domains of health and screen business are discussed.