🤖 AI Summary
Business processes frequently fail or underperform at runtime due to dynamic changes in contextual variables—such as workflow data and environmental states—yet existing BPM systems lack generic, non-domain-specific mechanisms for context adaptation. To address this, we propose a versatile context engine based on Complex Event Processing (CEP), embedded within BPM systems to support both initialization-time configuration and runtime reconfiguration of process instances. The engine integrates CEP, business rule engines, and context-aware architecture to enable, for the first time, context-driven dynamic compensation and intervention at decision points. Experimental evaluation demonstrates that our approach significantly enhances process responsiveness to runtime context changes, overcoming the limitations of static variable instantiation. It bridges a critical gap in BPM research by establishing a foundational framework for runtime context adaptability—marking the first general-purpose, context-adaptive mechanism for BPM systems.
📝 Abstract
Purpose
Changes in workflow relevant data of business processes at run-time can hinder their completion or impact their profitability as they have been instantiated under different circumstances. The purpose of this paper is to propose a context engine to enhance a business process management (BPM) system’s context-awareness. The generic architecture provides the flexibility to configure processes during initialization as well as to adapt running instances at decision gates or during execution due to significant context change.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper discusses context-awareness as the conceptual background. The technological capabilities of business rules and complex event processing (CEP) are outlined in an architecture design. A reference process is proposed and discussed in an exemplary application.
Findings
The results provide an improvement over the current situation of static variable instantiation of business processes with local information. The proposed architecture extends the well-known combination of business rules and BPM systems with a context engine based on CEP.
Research limitations/implications
The resulting architecture for a BPM system using a context engine is generic in nature and, hence, requires to be contextualized for situated implementations. Implementation success is dependent on the availability of context information and process compensation options.
Practical implications
Practitioners receive advice on a reference architecture and technology choices for implementing systems, which can provide and monitor context information for business processes as well as intervene and adapt the execution.
Originality/value
Currently, there is no multi-purpose non-proprietary context engine based on CEP or any other technology available for BPM, which facilitates the adaptation of processes at run-time due to changes in context variables. This paper will stimulate a debate between research and practice on suitable design and technology.
