Faulty EPCs in the SAP Reference Model

Little is known about error probability in enterprise models as they are usually kept private. The SAP reference model is a publically available model that contains more than 600 non-trivial process models expressed in terms of Event-driven Process Chains (EPCs). We have automatically translated these EPCs into YAWL models and analyzed these models using WofYAWL, a verification tool based on Petri nets, in order to acquire knowledge about errors in large enterprise models. We discovered that at least 34 of these EPCs contain errors (i.e., at least 5.6% is flawed) and analyzed which parts of the SAP reference model contain most errors. This systematic analysis of the SAP reference model illustrates the need for verification tools such as WofYAWL.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2006
• Where: BPM
• Authors: Jan Mendling, Michael Moser, Gustaf Neumann, H. M. W. Verbeek, Boudewijn F. van Dongen, Wil M. P. van der Aalst
• Keywords: BPM 2006, Business, Enterprise Models, EPCs Contain Errors, SAP Reference Model