Comparative Research of Modeling Methods for Workflow Process

The workflow model is key component of workflow system, it is significant for business process reengineering and optimization that the workflow management system is researched and developed. In this paper, the current state of research in workflow process modeling are overviewed after describing the essence and standard of workflow process modeling, the main common modeling theories include flow figure, status figure, activity network figure, IDEF, ECAA, Petri net, and so on. In order to solve the deficiency of formalized and graphic expression ability, complicated modeling procedure, the methods of solution for problems and development trend of workflow related theories are put forward, the main single advanced modeling methods are process data mining, extended Petri nets and process algebra, and suit modeling environment for these methods are analyzed and compared, and the combined modeling framework is introduced in the last part.