简介:Workflowmanagementaimsatthecontrolling,monitoring,optimizingandsupportingofbusinessprocesses.Welldesignedformalmodelswillfacilitatesuchmanagementsincetheyprovideexplicitrepresentationsofbusinessprocessesasthebasisforcomputerizedanalysis,verificationandexecution.PetriNetshavebeenrecognizedasthemostsuitablecandidateforworkflowmodeling,andassuch,formalmodelsbasedonPetriNetshavebeenproposed,amongthemWF-netbyAalstisthemostpopularone.ButWF-nethasturnedouttobeconceptuallychaoticaswillbeillustratedinthispaperwithanexamplefromAalst'sbook.Thispaperproposesaseriesofmodelsforthedescriptionandanalysisofbusinessprocessesatconceptuallydifferenthierarchicallayers.Analyticgoalsandmethodsat.theselayersarealsodiscussed.Theunderlyingstructure,sharedbyallthesemodels,isSYNCHRONIZER,whichisdesignedwiththeguidanceofsynchronytheoryofGNT(GeneralNet.Theory)andservesastheconceptualfoundationofworkflowformalmodels.Structurally,synchronizersconnecttaskstoformawholewhiledynamicallysynchronizerscontroltaskstoachievesynchronization.