Home // International Journal On Advances in Intelligent Systems, volume 10, numbers 1 and 2, 2017 // View article

Design Pattern-based Modeling of Collaborative Service Chains

Authors:
Maik Herfurth
Thomas Schuster

Keywords: service processes; service objects; service e-procurement; hybrid services; integrated modeling approach; modeling language; design patterns; service phase pattern; service module pattern

Abstract:
Increased market competition between service providers has promoted differentiation, currently often based on offerings of so-called hybrid services. Hybrid services are complex since service providers and service consumers collabo-rate and interact in network structures – also called service chains. Service chains also include collaborative, cross-company service processes amongst different participants. The effective-ness of these processes constitutes a major competitive factor since they possess potential to increase efficiency and reduce cost. Along with hybrid services, e-procurement becomes stra-tegically important. While basic service processes are typically company internal, service chains include cross-company admin-istration, especially for service e-procurement. If enough do-main specific data is available, information systems can support service operations and e-procurement in an integrated mode. Hence, a precise description, modeling and analysis of service processes is required for the implementation of process-oriented information systems is required to unlock these potentials and optimize network collaboration. To improve the transition from planning to implementation of collaborative service chains with incorporated e-procurement, we suggest an integrated and for-malized modeling approach. Our modeling approach is based on Petri nets and includes a pattern-based tactic to develop busi-ness process models. To improve this collaboration systemati-cally we distinguish hierarchically between service phase pat-terns and service module patterns. Finally, our approach will be demonstrated by case studies taken from the domain of indus-trial service procurement.

Pages: 117 to 135

Copyright: Copyright (c) to authors, 2017. Used with permission.

Publication date: June 30, 2017

Published in: journal

ISSN: 1942-2679