IBimp

An interval-based approach for business process simulation based on genetic algorithms and the BPMN

To simulate organizational processes characterized by interacting human activities, resources, business rules and constraints, is a challenging task, because of the inherent uncertainty, inaccuracy, variability and dynamicity. With regard to this problem, currently available Business Process Simulation (BPS) methods and tools are unable to efficiently capture the process behavior along its life cycle. To build and manage simulation models according to the proposed approach, the IBimp simulation system is designed, developed and tested on pilot case studies as well as on real-world processes. The proposed approach exploits interval-valued data to represent model parameters, in place of conventional single-valued or probability-valued parameters. Indeed, an interval-valued parameter is comprehensive, it is the easiest to understand and express, and the simplest to process, among multi-valued representations. In order to compute the interval-valued output of the system a genetic algorithm is used. The resulting process model allows forming mappings at different levels of detail and therefore at different model resolutions. The system has been developed as an extension of a publicly available simulation engine, based on the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) standard.