Generating Rule-Based Executable Process Models for Service Outsourcing

Service-oriented architecture based on Web services technology provides a promising platform where the enterprises are allowed to coordinate seamlessly application services on the heterogeneous information systems. In this paper, a methodology of generating rule-based process models is introduced by use of event-driven Web services interaction and active rule processing. We first presented a distributed collaborative process model, which is composed of three sub-models: a global process model, local process models, and service interaction models. The models are then transformed to active rules which are expressed in form of event-condition-action (ECA). Finally, the transformed rules contain control and message-flow constraints and service interactions. The active rules can be executed to accomplish the distributed collaborative process model. We illustrate the proposed methodology with a case scenario of an international post-sales service company of electronic products.