Progressive Refinement Model for Business Processes

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for refining a business process model includes receiving business process data pertaining to a first phase of a business process definition from a first class of users, creating a model of a business process using the business process data received from the first class of users, receiving business process data pertaining to a second phase of the business process definition from a second class of users, and augmenting the model of the business process based on the business process data received from the second class of users. The method further includes iteratively refining the model of the business process in response to input provided by the first class of users and/or the second class of users.

1 . A method in a computer system comprising:
 establishing a first class of users, wherein
 the first class of users corresponds to a first phase of a business process definition; 
   establishing a second class of users, wherein
 the second class of users corresponds to a second phase of the business process definition; 
   exposing only a subset of details of the business process definition to the first class of users, wherein
 the subset of details is part of the first phase, and 
 the subset of details is limited to details of the business process definition specific to the first phase; 
   excluding the second class of users from exposure to the subset of details;   receiving business process data for the first phase from the first class of users;   creating, using a processor of the computer system, a model of a business process using the business process data received from the first class of users;   receiving business process data for the second phase from the second class of users;   augmenting the model of the business process based on the business process data received from the second class of users; and   iteratively refining the model of the business process in response to input provided by at least one of the first class of users and the second class of users.   
     
     
         2 .- 23 . (canceled)