Architecture blueprint for a business process simulation engine

Abstract

Simulation of business process models allows for drawing conclusions on the performance and costs of business processes before they are implemented or changed. Requirements for a business process simulation engine are specific to a concrete use case and a dedicated business domain. In this paper, we focus on the simulation of clinical pathways in a hospital. We elaborate on the requirements imposed by this use case in detail and propose an architecture blueprint for a simulation engine. It is based on annotated BPMN process models and uses timed and colored Petri nets as the underlying formalism.