Stefan Sackmann, Marlen Hofmann, and Hans Betke on "Towards a Model-Based Analysis of Place-Related Information in Disaster Response Workflows" at ISCRAM 2013 in Baden-Baden. 10th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management 12-15 May 2013, Baden-Baden, Germany

1. Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
Towards a Model-Based Analysis
of Place-Related Information
in Disaster Response Workflows
10th International Conference on Information Systems
for Crisis Response and Management
Stefan Sackmann,
Marlen Hofmann, and Hans Betke
Chair of Business Informatics
Department of Information Systems and Operations Research
Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
http://informationsmanagement.wiwi.uni-halle.de

2. 2
Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
ISCRAM 2013,
May12 – 15, 2013
Towards a Model-Based Analysis of Place-Related Information in DRWfM
(Tierney et al. 2007)
Leveloffunctionality%
Disaster Response Workflow Management Systems
Pre-Disaster
Management
Disaster-Response
Management
Post-Disaster
Management
Strategic
level
Tactical
Level
Operational
Level
Information-
manager
Information
system
Analytical
tools
Visualization/
Decision
Support
Pro-active
DRWfMS

3. 3
Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
ISCRAM 2013,
May12 – 15, 2013
Towards a Model-Based Analysis of Place-Related Information in DRWfM
Cordon
area
Simplified(!) DRM Process
• Starting with pre-
planned process
• Adaptation of (many)
ongoing processes
• Relevant issues (in
real-time):
– Meaning of new infor-
mation/adaptation
– Process execution/
anticipating conflicts
– Identify necessary
information
– Provision of process
improvements
– …
Take injured
people into
ambulance
Water
hydrant
Extinguish
fire
Museum of
arts is on
fire
Evacuate trap-
ped people
Barrier
material
Police
Ambulance
Fire
fighter
Water
hose
Emergency
successful
handled
Hospitalize
injured people
Hospital
bed

4. 4
Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
ISCRAM 2013,
May12 – 15, 2013
Towards a Model-Based Analysis of Place-Related Information in DRWfM
ResourceResource
(Inter-)Dependencies in WFM-Approaches
Research issues:
– How to model?
– How to analyze?
– How to interprete results?
– How to counteract conflicts?
ActivityActivityActivity
PlaceTime
Resource
• Delias, Doulamis A.,
Doulamis N., and
Matsatsinis, 2011;
• Franke et al., 2010;
• Leong, Si, Fong, and Biuk-
Aghai, 2009;
• Russe, van der Aalst, Ter
Hofstede and Edmond,
2005
• …
Stationary
Activity
Long/Lat
Mobile
Activity
Long/Lat
Stationary
Resource
Long/Lat
Mobile
Resource
Long/Lat

5. 5
Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
ISCRAM 2013,
May12 – 15, 2013
Towards a Model-Based Analysis of Place-Related Information in DRWfM
Cordon
area
Simplified(!) DRM Process and Interdependencies
• Classes of
Interdependencies:
– Activity-Activity
– Resource-Resource
– Activity-ResourceTake injured
people into
ambulance
Water
hydrant
Extinguish
fire
Museum of
arts is on
fire
Evacuate trap-
ped people
Barrier
material
Police
Ambulance
Fire
fighter
Water
hose
Emergency
successful
handled
Hospitalize
injured people
Hospital
bed

6. 6
Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
ISCRAM 2013,
May12 – 15, 2013
Towards a Model-Based Analysis of Place-Related Information in DRWfM
Cordon
area
Dependencies between Activities and Resources
Barrier
material
Police
Dependen-
cies (Place)
X=Y  no conflict
X<>Y  Real problem
Bring resource Y to X.
 e.g., insert transportation
activity
Execute activity X at Y
 re-place activity
Find best place for X and Z
• Set X=Z or Z = X
• Find Y and bring X/Z to Y
Resource(s) Y
Activity X
Resource(s) Y
Activity X

7. 7
Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
ISCRAM 2013,
May12 – 15, 2013
Towards a Model-Based Analysis of Place-Related Information in DRWfM
Categorization of Place-Related Interdpenedencies
Activity-to-
resource
Stationary resource (Place: C) Mobile resource (Place: D)
Stationary
activity
(Place: A)
A!=C
Search for alternative activities and/or
resources
Search for additional connecting activity and/or
resource
A!=D
Search for alternative activities and/or resources
Transport mobile resource to stationary activity
Mobile
activity
(Place: B)
B!=C
Search for alternative activities and/or
resources
Transfer mobile activity to stationary resource
B!=D
Search for optimal place
Transport resource and/or transfer activity to the
optimal place
Resource-to-
resource
Stationary resource (Place: C) Mobile resource (Place: D)
Stationary
resource
(Place: A)
A!=C
Search for alternative resources
Search for additional connecting resources
Same case as field
Mobile resource/Stationary resource
Mobile
resource
(Place: B)
B!=C
Search for alternative resources
Transport mobile resource to stationary
resource
B!=D
Search for optimal place
Transport resource(s) to the optimal place
Activity-to-
activity
Stationary activity (Place: C) Mobile activity (Place: D)
Stationary
activity
(Place: A)
A!=C
Search for alternative activities
Search for additional connecting activities
Same case as field
Mobile activity/Stationary activity
Mobile
activity
(Place: B)
B!=C
Search for alternative activities
Transfer mobile activity to stationary activity
B!=D
Search for optimal place
Transfer activities to the optimal place
Sackmann, Stefan / Hofmann, Marlen / Betke, Hans Julius:
PRIMA: A Model-based Method for
Analyzing Place-Related Information in
Disaster Response Processes
19th Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS’13),
Chicago, 2013

8. 8
Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
ISCRAM 2013,
May12 – 15, 2013
Towards a Model-Based Analysis of Place-Related Information in DRWfM
Results and Current Research Issues
• Main question:
are planned/adapted processes (still) executable?
• Approach:
– Extending the flexible WfMS Aristaflow with real-time analysis
– using place-related information as valuable information!
– Identify foreseeable conflicts for each adaptation in real-time
• Direct dependencies
• Indirect dependencies resulting from ongoing process flow
• Interdependencies between ongoing process instances
– Providing (automated) conflict solutions
()

!

9. 9
Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
ISCRAM 2013,
May12 – 15, 2013
Towards a Model-Based Analysis of Place-Related Information in DRWfM
Results and Current Research Issues
• Shortcomings
– „Location“ is too simple
 semantic/relative places?  dedicated model of location
– „Resource“ is too simple
 sharable/consumed resources?  dedicated model of resources
– „Categories“ are not complete?
 Make scenario more realistic;
however, do not change the basic approach!
 Open issue:
Evaluation  we are open for any cooperation!!!

10. Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
Towards a Model-Based Analysis
of Place-Related Information
in Disaster Response Workflows
10th International Conference on Information Systems
for Crisis Response and Management
Prof. Dr. Stefan Sackmann,
Marlen Hofmann, and Hans Betke
Chair of Business Informatics
Department of Information Systems and Operations Research
Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
http://informationsmanagement.wiwi.uni-halle.de

11. 11
Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
ISCRAM 2013,
May12 – 15, 2013
Towards a Model-Based Analysis of Place-Related Information in DRWfM
Similar goals in DRM and modern BPM/ WFMS
DRM
BPM/
WFMS
coordination and management of processes
process transparency & increased process quality
time advantages by process optimization
management of running process instances
management of resources, communication & delegation
BPM/WFMS & DRM aim at similar goals!










DRP
+ +
management of highly dynamic, adaptive processes
 ()E.g. AristaFlow® BPM Suite, iTask

12. 12
Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
ISCRAM 2013,
May12 – 15, 2013
Towards a Model-Based Analysis of Place-Related Information in DRWfM
Pro-active Workflows:
Next step for more flexibility
Flexibility
(Level of Management)
WfM-
Approach
hard
wired
by
definition
at
design-time
by under-
specification
at
design &
run-time
by
deviation
at
run-time
Level of
Worflow-Schemata
Level of
Worflow-Instances
Vgl. Schonenberg et al. (2008)
by
pro-activity
Automated,
at
run-time
with
real-time
information
Next Step

13. 13
Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
ISCRAM 2013,
May12 – 15, 2013
Towards a Model-Based Analysis of Place-Related Information in DRWfM
Integrated architecture for DRWfMS
Disaster Response WfMS
Disaster Process Analyser
Geo Information System
Enterprise Ressource Planing System
Adaptive WfMS
External Information Receiver
External Context Information Provider
User
Inter
face
Information Manager
Process Modeling and Adaption Engine
Interdependency Analyser
Disaster
Rule
Repository
Process
Template
Repository

14. 14
Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
ISCRAM 2013,
May12 – 15, 2013
Towards a Model-Based Analysis of Place-Related Information in DRWfM
Exemplary Processing and Interplay of
Architecture Components
Disaster Response WfMS
Disaster Process Analyser
Geo Information System
Enterprise Ressource Planing System
Adaptive WfMS
External Information Receiver
External Context Information Provider
User
Inter
face
Information Manager
Process Modeling and Adaption Engine
Interdependency Analyser
Disaster Rule
Repository
Process
Template
Repository
Information Manager
Call interdependency analyzer
+ +
Interdependency Analyser
+ +
Call Process Modeling and Adoption Engine
Process Modeling and Adaption Engine
+ +A
Submit to WfMS
A
+ +

15. 15
Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
ISCRAM 2013,
May12 – 15, 2013
Towards a Model-Based Analysis of Place-Related Information in DRWfM
Aggregation of Place-Related Dependencies
disaster event
core activity X core axtivity X
requires
requires requires
e.g., fire extinction e.g., inform people
activity Z activity Z activity Z activity Z
R Y
R Y R Y
R Y
Lot X
Lat Y

16. 16
Information
Management
Chair of Business
Informatics
ISCRAM 2013,
May12 – 15, 2013
Towards a Model-Based Analysis of Place-Related Information in DRWfM
Open Issue in DRWfMS: Process Adaptation
Nuclear
plant on fire
Shut down
reactor
Alarm civil
protection
Nuclear plant
under control+ +
Send fire
fighting vehicles
fire fighting
Cordon off
area
Evacuate
people
Methods for (semi-) automated data analysis and process adaptation are
not yet integrated in current DRWfMS.
Send fire fighting
helicopters
Consideration of interdependencies