This document discusses integrating internet of things (IoT) devices into business process models. It proposes extending the BPMN 2.0 modeling notation to represent IoT devices and native services. A metamodel is introduced that defines IoT devices as resources that can be assigned to tasks. The metamodel also defines IoT parameters and assignments. A prototype implements the extensions and is validated in a use case from the retail industry. The goal is to provide a way to model and automate IoT-aware business processes.

1. Internet of Things-aware Process
Modeling:
Integrating IoT Devices as Business Process Resources
Sonja Meyer1,2, Andreas Ruppen2, Carsten Magerkurth1
1 SAP Research, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland
2 University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
sonj.meyer@sap.com, andreas.ruppen@unifr.ch, carsten.magerkurth@sap.com
19th June 2013, CAiSE 2013, Session 2: Awareness
Universidad Politécnica de Valencia

2. © 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 2
The Internet of Things
 Internet influences the way we make business
 Future internet not limited to humans
 Kevin Ashton identifies objects in supply chains by RFID
 Todays internet covers mainly human created information
 Smart devices overtake information provision of things

3. © 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 3
Internet of Things and BPM Systems?
 Different history and different central concepts
 Promising vision
 Thousands of sensing and actuating devices execute parts of business processes
 Devices could overtake process responsibility
 Smart devices and human performers could interact or compete
 How does the IoT with its main building blocks fit in the traditional
business process environment?

4. © 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 4
Some Background
 BPM a systematic approach to capture, execute, document, monitor, and
control
 Creation of business process model basis before automation
 Business process composed out of tasks
 Tasks can be implemented by exchangeable services
 Traditional web services / IoT services
 Target: Provision of IoT-aware Business Process Model
 Evaluation of existing notations concluded to use BPMN 2.0

5. © 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 5
The IoT Domain Model

6. © 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 6
Process Resource Perspective

7. © 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 7
Devices and Native Services in BPMN 2.0
FlowElementsContainer
processType : ProcessType
isClosed : Boolean
isExecutable : Boolean
Process
+flowElementsContainer
0..1
+laneSets*
name : String
LaneSet
name : String
FlowElement
1
+flowElements
*
FlowNode
name : String
Lane
+laneSet
1
+lanes
*
+parentLane
0..1
+childLaneSet
0..1
id : String
BaseElement
IoTDevice
+/lanes *
+flowNodeRefs *
0..1
+partitionElement 0..1
name : String
extParameterRef : String
IoTParameterDef
IoTAssignment Expression
1
+iotAssignment
0..1
1
+iotParameter
*
0..1
+expression
1
0..1
+expression1
name : String
ResourceRole
NativeService
1 +iotParameter*
1
+iotAssignment 0..1
0..1
*
name : String
Performer

8. © 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 8
Graphical Representation
IoTProcess
LaneIoTDevice
IoT Attributes
- Parameter 1
...
- Parameter X
- Category 1
- Parameter 11
…
- Parameter 1X
- Sub Category 1
…
- Sub Category X
- Category X
Task
Sensing Task
S

9. © 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 9
The implementation

10. © 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 10
Summary and Outlook
 Lack of modeling concepts when representing and automating IoT-aware
business processes
 New BPMN extensions for IoT device and native service:
 Graphical representation
 CMOF metamodel
 XSD metamodel
 General semantic shell
 Prototype and use case implementation in Future Retail Lab
 Broader application of IoT Reference Architecture
 Stepwise implementation and validation

11. © 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 11
Thank you very much for your attention!
Sonja Meyer
Research Associate
SAP (Schweiz) AG, Blumenbergplatz 9, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland
mailto:sonj.meyer@sap.com