Coloured Petry Net Technology Usage

in Business Process Change Management

Gordan Topić
ERP & Business Processes
Ericsson Nikola Tesla d.d.
Krapinska 45, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Telefon: +385 1 365 4618 Fax: +385 1 365 3219 E-mail: [email protected]

A problem that arises in Business Process Change Management 80'ies by developing of high-level and hierarchical Petri nets.
is predicting of a behavior in new constructed processes, Coloured Petri Nets (CPN) is one of the two most known
regarding to the spent time for planned process activities or dialects of high-level Petri nets, incorporate both data
information flows between support platforms and information
structuring and hierarchical decomposition. CPN was
structures. Possibly way to resolve the problem is to use
Coloured Petry Net Technology for the process modeling,
developed more than 20 years by CPN Group at the
especially in complicated process structures. This article University of Aarhus, and the group is the world leader with
describes how to predict and simulate new business processes respect to the industrial application of high-level Petri Nets.
regarding to resources that deals with. CPN Tool, as the CPN combine the strengths of ordinary Petri nets with the
graphic-mathematical language, is used for the sake of strengths of a high-level programming language. CPN has an
simulating new busines processes. intuitive, graphical representation which is appealing to
human beings [4].
A CPN model consists of a set of modules that contains a
I. INTRODUCTION network of places, transitions and arcs. The modules interact
with each other through a set of well defined interfaces, in a
Change Management activities in Business Process similar way as known from many modern programming
development are primarily needful, because of the process languages. The graphical representation makes it easy to see
optimisation that causes cost and manual work reduction. the basic structure of a complex CPN model, i.e. to
Problems that arise in the activities are related with understand how the individual processes interact with each
prediction of dynamics and performance estimation in the other. CP-nets also has a formal, mathematical representation
suggested business processes that have to be constructed in with a good defined syntax and semantics. Without the
the future. The problems are more difficult if the parallelism mathematical representation it would have been totally
is presented as a concurrent execution of different process impossible to develop a powerful CPN language, analogous
activities, where more people are involved in the same time to programming languages which are successfully applied by
in the concurrent executions. In the article is described a users who are not familiar with the formal, mathematical
possible way of the problem resolving by process modelling definitions of the languages. CP-nets can be simulated
and simulating, regarding to the spent time and human interactively by the user control or automatically. Effects of
resources. A simple example of business process is chosen to the individual steps are shown directly on the graphical
compare characteristics before and after possible change representation of the CP-net. That means the user can
management. The example is involved in SAP R/3 system investigate the different states and sub-process flows. An
usage, i.e. Material Management module functionalities. interactive simulation is similar to single-step debugging that
Process estimations are calculated by modelling and process provides a way to "walk through" a CPN model, for the sake
simulation in Coloured Petri Net tools. of investigating and checking different process scenarios.
This is in contrast to many simulation packages which often
act as black boxes, where the user can define inputs and
II. COLOURED PETRI NETS inspect the results, but otherwise have very little possibility
to understand and validate the models on which the
Petri nets, one of the most adequate and sound languages simulations was built [4, 5].
for description and analysis of synchronisation, CPN offers more formal verification methods, e.g. state
communication and resource sharing between concurrent space analysis and invariant analysis, used for mathematical
processes, were originally developed in the 60'ies and the view on modeled system.
70'ies. First versions of the languages were no data concepts,
hence the models often became excessively large, because all CPN are used for three different purposes:
data manipulation had to be represented directly into the net - to make description of the modelled system useful
structure. Another drawback was that there were no as a presentation (explanation to others or system
hierarchy concepts, so it wasn’t possible to build large investigation before constructing)
models as a sets of separate sub-models with defined - analysis of system behavior by simulation or formal
interfaces. Those problems were removed just in the late analysis methods for verification
 - understanding of the modelled system business operations such as purchasing, inventory
management, reorder point processing, etc. [2]. Purchasing
Other advantages of CPN give us a more reasons to use it: Info Record serves as a source of information for Purchasing.
- CPN have very good and intuitively graphical The purchasing info contains information on a specific
representation, easy to understand material and a vendor supplying the material. For example,
- well defined semantics which clearly define the net the vendor's current pricing is stored in the info record. The
behavior info record allows buyers to quickly determine which
- generality; usable for different systems (work materials have been previously offered or supplied by a
processes, communication protocols, hardware and specific vendor, and which vendors have offered or supplied
software systems) a specific material. The info record contains: data such as
- few but powerful primitives that assure easy prices and conditions that you can store for the relevant
learning and developing purchasing organization or plant, the number of the last
- explicit description of both, states and actions purchase order, tolerance limits for overdeliveries and
- semantics that builds upon true concurrency, instead underdeliveries, the planned delivery time (lead time
of interleaving required by the vendor to deliver the material), vendor
- hierarchical descriptions and modularity usable for evaluation data, an indicator showing whether the vendor
large net constructing counts as the regular vendor for the material, the vendor sub-
- integration of control and synchronization with the range to which the material belongs and the availability
description of data manipulation period during which the vendor can supply the material. The
- time concept extension with the global clock info record contains quotation and ordering data. The data in
- stable towards minor changes: modelled system do the info record (prices for example) is also used as default
not completely change the structure data for purchase orders. Source list is another type of master
- interactive simulation: the results are presented data that specifies the possible sources of supply for a
directly on the CPN diagram material over a given period of time. It shows the time period
- a number of formal analysis methods by which in which a material may be ordered from a given vendor or
properties of a net can be proved under a certain long-term purchase agreement. The source
- computer tools for supporting (drawing, simulation list supports the user in answering the question: "Which
and formal analysis) vendors or internal suppliers can supply a material at a given
point in time?" It is also used in the automatic selection of
Strength of CPN and their tools are visible in the spread vendors for a material [3].
world industrial usage. CPN have been used in numerous The problem that was arisen in existing info records and
practical projects within a large variety of different source lists update process is connected with lot of manual
application areas, e.g. hardware and software industrial work. The problem is specially visible at the beginning of a
projects (VLSI Chip in the US Hewlett-Packard, Nokia, etc.), business year. Existing procedures usually cause duplicate
protocols and networks (Intelligent Networks at Deutsche and sometimes not correct data. So, the project goal had been
Telekom, IEEE 802.6 Configuration Control at Telstra to secure correct prices and source lists updating with
Research Laboratories, etc.), control of systems (Peugeot- minimum manual work. Automatic upload of vendor price
Citroen, European Train Control, Traffic Signals in Brazil, lists and update info record and source lists within SAP. In
Chemical Production in Germany), military systems (US Air other words, that means to minimize manual work, revise
Force, Naval Command and Control System in Canada, and update working procedures in order to secure correct and
Missile Simulator in Australia) and other systems (Nuclear not duplicate data.
Waste Management Programme in the US, Computer
Simulation of Biochemical Processes, Bank Courier Network
PROCESS: INFO RECORD AND SOURCE LIST UPDATING (TODAY)
at Shawmut National Coop, etc.) [4, 5, 6].
Vendor Price List
Info Record
Material List
updated in
Manual comparation for updating
Manual SAP Manual
Vendor Price List
updating price updating
and purchased
in Info Record Source List
III. INFO RECORD AND SOURCE LIST UPDATING Purchased
Material from
material Source List
Updated

PROCESS the last year

Info Record and Source List Updating Process (IRSLU), Fig. 1. Info Record and Source List Updating (IRSLU) Process
is chosen as a small example in evaluation of new business before Change Management process activity (old process).
proces that is involved in the change management activities.
Purchasing Info Record, also referred to in abbreviated form
as the "info record", is a SAP R/3 functionality that occurs in
the Master Data area. Master Data is a part of Purchasing As it’s shown by the picture Fig.1, IRSLU process had been
sub-module in the logistic SAP R/3 module named Materials consisted of three sub-process phases:
Management [3]. Materials Management supports the - Manual comparation Vendor Price List and
procurement and inventory functions occurring in day-to-day purchased material
 - Manual updating price in Info Record IV. BUSINESS PROCESS MODELING AND
- Manual updating Source List SIMULATING BY CPN TOOLS

Input in the IRSLU process had been a Vendor Price List Before the process is modeling, process data must be
(VPL) document, which contains code numbers of Materials colected. Every process activity has to be measured and
with the prices, that are offered by vendor. The other input in estimated regarding to the needful human resources and
the process had been a document, that contains purchased spent time per an activity, as it shows Table I.
material, with the prices from the last year. In first sub-
process phase those two documents had been compared each
other, i.e. theirs equal code numbers used to correct prices of TABLE I
offered material. So, in that way the last year prices of the SPENT TIME PER ACTIVITY IN IRSLU PROCESSES
offered material had been corrected manually by the
controller. Output from the described phase had been a ACTIVITY MEN TIME
Material List, ready for the next sub-process phase named Manual comparation of vendor 4 minutes/
1
price transaction
Manual updating price in Info Record. That phase had been
Manual updating price in Info 4 minutes/
connected with manual correcting directly in SAP system Record
1
transaction
through the Info Record Update functionality. After the Info 2 minutes/
Record had been updated, the next task had been manual Manual updating of the Source List 1
transaction
updating of Source List, also in the SAP system. 1200 minutes/
*Preparing SPL for SAP 1
transaction
*Automatic Info Record & Source 5 minutes/
1
NEW PROCESS: INFO RECORD & SOURCE LIST UPDATING List updating (import) document
*Automatic Info Record & Source 400 minutes/
-
Info Record
updated in
Info Record
and Source List updating in SAP document
Vendor Price List Automatic Info SAP List Updated
Prepared file for
SAP
Txt. file
Record and
Source List
Result
Checking
*Result checking 1 1min/ document
Updating * new IRSLU Process

Quantity of 10000 items in VPL document is taken for the

Fig. 2. Info Record and Source List Updating Process that would process modeling and simulating, but only 40% of the items
have a new implemented SAP activity (high lighted sub-process). are taken as an estimation of useful items that are recognised
in manual comparation with the document of last year
purchased material. Because of that, the result in first
Regarding to the change management project goals that simulation (of the old process) is based on 4000 transaction,
were defined before, the suggested new process for Info Fig.3.
Record and Source List updating is shown on the figure
Fig.2. Input in the new process is the same VPL document 1`PurchMaterial
T`transaction
that is consisted of vendor offered new prices, but there isn't Vendor
Price
1`PurchMaterial
Transactions
Purchased
material
x
0
x+1

from the
more another document (Document of purchased material List SAP
last year
P
PM SAP
1`transaction x+1
from the last year), that was presented in the old process. So,
in the first sub-process phase the VPL document is prepared @+4
Manual
@+4

Manual Info Record

for the importing to SAP system. The VPL document is 1`transaction Material List 1`transaction updating 1`transaction x
Comparation updated in
for updating price in
Vendor Price SAP
Info Record
transported in the text document suitable for the importing.
P P
(emp,min) (emp,min+4)
(emp, min) 1`transaction

In the second sub-process phase text document is imported in (emp, min+4) (emp,min) Manual
@+2

SAP system where is developed a new program functionality updating

Source List

within SAP for automatic Info Record and Source List

Updating. New items from the VPL and old code numbers of EMPLOYEE (emp, min+2)
1`transaction

RESOURCE Source
last year purchased material are compared. Items with MHR
List
Updated
1`(ETKDZL, 0)++
identical code numbers of materials are updated. After this 1`(ETKGDF, 0)
RESULT
resultOF 4000`transaction
P

phase, Info Record is automatically updated and prepared for P

the last sub-process phase, i. e. Result Checking. Fig. 3. CPN model of old IRSLU process: grey rectangles are
That idea about change management on the IRSLU transitions (activities) and ellipses are places (resources or states)
process has to be cost calculated, regarding to the change
costs and cost saving that could be achieved by the dynamics
of the new IRSLU process. For the sake of the cost
estimation, both (old and new) processes had to be modelled In other CPN model (new process), simulation is based on
and simulated by the CPN tools. 10000 transaction, because all items from the VPL must be
imported via text document in SAP system, and
automatically compared by new SAP functionality that is the two employees calculations. Those two employees could
developed for the purpose, Fig.4. execute some tasks in the same time, so it will be noticed as
a parallelism in the simulation in some time intervals. That
depends about the availability of the employees.
Vendor
VPLtransactions
Info Record
Old and new IRSLU process simulation are done, and
Price and Source results are shown in the Table2.
List List Updated
P P
1`(emp,min+1)
all`VPLtransactions 1`InfRec
@+1200
Team @+1 TABLE II
1`(ETKDZL,min)++
Prepared 1`(ETKGDL,min) EMPLOYEE 1`(emp,min) Result
SIMULATION RESULTS, OLD AND NEW IRSLU PROCESS
file for
RESOURCE Checking
SAP
MHR OLD NEW
1`(ETKDZL,min+600) MEASUREMENT
++1`(ETKGDL,min+600) PROCESS PROCESS
1`(emp,min+5)
1`TxtFile 1`InfRec
HR spent time in total [minutes] 40000 1206
1`(emp,min)
Process execution [minutes] 20000 1601
@+400 No. of triggered requests in SAP 8000 1
Automatic
1`TxtFile 1`InfRec Info Record
Info Record
Text File updated in
and Source
SAP
P List Updating
P The needful time for processing of 4000 transaction per VPL
1`request
document in old IRSLU process is calculated on 670 man
SAP hours, i.e. that is about 33 time greater than in estimated new
SAP IRSLU process. Process execution in old process is about
Fig. 4. CPN model of new IRSLU process that is the result of 12,5 time greater than new IRSLU process execution, shown
Change Management activities by figure Fig.5.

As it is shown on figures Fig.3 and Fig.4, CPN models are 50000[minutes]

consisted of 3 kinds of elements: places, transitions and arcs. HR spent time [min]
A fourth element of a CPN model is a token that represent an 40000
Process execution [min]
process entity such as a document, an employee, a 30000
transaction or anything else that flows through process
structure. The tokens in the models are visible as marks in 20000
upper right corner of the initial process phase, i.e. ellipse. In
the simulations, tokens travel through the places and 10000
transitions via arcs. The tokens are associated to the different
0
colors that represent a different families or sets of tokens.
Coloring in CPN disables interference of different process 1 2
flows in the same transition that are represented by different 1- Old Process 2 - New Process
process flows. A place can contain only tokens that belong to
the same color. Besides, a place can represent a pool for
resources or a process entity state placed between process Fig. 5. Ratio between old and new IRSLU process performances
actions. It can represent an input or output interface that simulated by CPN tools
contains entities of the same color, and usually is visible as a
ellipse or a circle with associated marks. Every process That means the cost saving could be about 650 man hours
action is represented by the transition that is symbolized by a per year. Change management project activities are estimated
grey rectangle with corresponding time marks. Transitions on 150 man hours, so the conclusion is the expected pay
must be connected by arcs with one or more places. That arcs back time for the activities is less than 3 months. There is
define a kind of token flow. Three different process flows on one more important information that is connected with
Fig.3 are visible as three colors that represent: the document number of triggered requests in SAP system. In other words
flow (empty, white places with mark P), flow of human the information representing a traffic in IS/IT systems that
resources (blue place with mark MHR) and SAP triggering support a process activities, e.g. intranet, SAP environment
(black place with mark SAP). Document flow color and etc. In new IRSLU process an operator must trigger SAP
human resource color are defined in the time domain, i.e. system only one (for VPL importing), but manual work
they have a dimension of time. Human resource pool in the described in old IRSLU process requires 8000 accessing
CPN models contains two tokens which represent two (triggering) to SAP system. So, the conclusion is that old
employees that are involved in IRSLU process. It is possible IRSLU process occupy IS/IT resources more than new
to change number of the tokens for the purpose of different process and spends more electric energy used for process
process calculation, but these two simulations are based on supporting.
 V. CONCLUSION REFERENCES

In the article is shown a method how to estimate a [1] G. Topić, Nadziranje kvalitete temeljeno na analizi i sintezi
business process dynamics and predict performances of a procesa razvoja programske opreme, Magistarski rad br. 03-
business process which is passed through a change Ac-25/2000, Fakultet elektrotehnike i računarstva, Zagreb,
2005.
management activities. A simple example of a business
[2] SAP R/3, Wikipedia – the free encyclopedia, 2006,
process is modelled and simulated by Coloured Petri Net http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAP_R/3
tools, powerful graphic-mathematical language. Info Record [3] Material Management, SAP R/3 Application Help, SAP
and Source List Updating Process is introduced that uses Library, version 4.7
functionalities of SAP R/3 Material Management module. [4] Home page of CPN Tools – Documents and manuals, CPN
Old and new processes are simulated and compared by each Group, University of Aarhus, Denmark,
other. Results are commented regarding to the costs, time http://wiki.daimi.au.dk/cpntools/cpntools.wiki
and human resources usability. The results of the process [5] CPN Tools for Coloured Petri Nets - Help, CPN Group,
estimations could be fundamental information as a University of Aarhus, Denmark,
http://wiki.daimi.au.dk:8000/cpntools-help
presentation to a process steering committee that has to make
[6] CP Net Fundamentals – Design/CPN Tutorial for the
decisions for a change management projects and cost Macintosh, CPN Group, University of Aarhus, Denmark,
planning. CPN tools are very powerful tools used by many http://wiki.daimi.au.dk:8000/cpntools-help
industries for the purpose of modelling and simulation of [7] William E.Perry, Effective Methods for Software Testing,
process parallelism. It could be very usable for business Second Edition, Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
process modelling to predict and to estimate project
resources, especially when is more process join together in
large process model (e.g. Software Development Process)
[1]. Suitability of the method is predicting of bottle-necks in
a process dynamics, also correction of process faults by
modelling and simulation of the process. Regarding to
experiences from the software development industry, the
fault correction in the early phases is exponential cheaper
than in a later phases [7].