Component-based Software Process Support

Only recently has the research community started to consider how to make software process models interoperable and reusable. The task is difficult. Software processes are inherently creative and dynamic, difficult to define and repeat at an enactable level of detail. Additionally, interoperability and reusability have not been considered important issues. Recent interoperability and reusability solutions advocate the development of standard process model representations based on common concepts or generic schemas, which are used as a basis for translating between heterogeneous process representations. In this paper we propose an alternative approach through the development of process-based components. We present the Open Process Components Framework, a componentbased framework for software process modeling. In this approach, process models are constructed as sets of components which interact in meaningful ways. Interoperability and reuse are obtained through encapsulation of process representations, an explicit representation of process state, and an extendable set of class relationships.