Tools and Methodologies for Business Processes Formalization: Application to Multi-agent Systems

Currently there are various methodologies for business processes formalization. As well as various approaches to business process definition. Authors find a multi-agent approach the most efficient at the current level of information technology. This became the reason for development of BPsim.DSS -- a simulation-based decision support system, based on multi-agent resource conversion processes apparatus. To design the architecture authors compared several methodologies that are popular in Russia, identified positive and negative sides, and developed their own multi-agent resource conversion processes model that considers and fixes all drawbacks of existing methodologies. Paper focuses on results of this analysis, showing the main idea of each methodology, introducing it to the reader, points out the main advantages and disadvantages. Second part of the paper describes the self-developed resource conversion processes methodology, emphasizes its advantages over existing methodologies, and concludes with a brief mention of developed decision support system, based on the methodology.