Using BPEL Process Descriptions for Building Up Strategic Models of Inter-organizational Networks

In previous work, we proposed the prototype environment SNet for the representation and dynamic evaluation of agent-based designs for inter-organizational networks. A key feature of SNet is the automatic translation of extended i* models into the action language ConGolog. An issue we have not yet considered is how to arrive at the foundational and hopefully realistic i* model. Currently there is no support to incorporate information from already existing descriptions of business processes in an enterprise. BPEL is expected to play an important role in the future by enabling interoperability of different partners’ business processes – not only in the web service domain. Once standardized a wide-spread availability of BPEL-based process descriptions can be expected. In this paper we suggest how to map BPEL descriptions into i* descriptions, thus opening the door to generating SNet simulations of business processes from BPEL descriptions.