Process Design by Discovery in Workflow Management

This document is a project proposal that addresses the limitations of current workflow management systems in supporting ad-hoc and evolutionary changes. It outlines a novel approach where the design and execution of workflows are integrated, allowing real executions to inform the creation and revision of workflow designs. The proposal emphasizes the concept of process mining, which involves distilling structured process descriptions from actual workflow executions using inductive learning techniques. The document details the challenges faced by existing systems, including their rigid separation of design and enactment, which hinders flexibility. It identifies various perspectives on changes within workflows, such as process, resource, control, task, and system perspectives, focusing primarily on the process perspective. Additionally, it discusses the need for a system that can adapt dynamically to changes while maintaining control and providing management information. The proposal aims to enhance the robustness of learning techniques and improve the overall support for ad-hoc changes in workflow processes.