This interesting research paper explores the simulation-based analysis of business processes (BP), covering all phases in the BP life cycle, starting from design, to execution and improvement, to post-implementation enhancement.

The goal of the paper is to introduce reliability in an analysis that considers unexpected failures of resources to execute the process task due to unavailability of a resource allocated to a task.

The paper exploits both model-driven principles and discrete event system specification (also known as DEVS). This process requires first interpreting the business process model and notation (BPMN) model with the allocation of task resources described in terms of performance and reliability properties of the task resources and then transforming the annotated BPMN model into a DEVS-based model that in turn analyzes and produces the better outcome. This DEVS-based model can be used effectively by business analysts despite their unfamiliarity with or lack of deep knowledge of the formalism.

In addition, the authors propose an automated model-driven approach, which would overcome the issues related to the manual building DEVS model. The mapping of BPMN elements to DEVS atomic models is later linked to the process control flow logic to get the final DEVS coupled model. Work is currently in process to complete the specification of mapping rules for basic BPMN elements.

If this research is applied to advanced BPMN and becomes successful, it will have more uses in writing business requirements, business rules, and designing systems.