Toward automated verification of timed business process models using timed-automata networks and temporal properties

Abstract

This paper addresses the challenges in verifying the correctness and effectiveness of business process models with time constraints by introducing an automated approach that combines formal model abstraction with Time Computation Tree Logic (TCTL) property expression. The proposed framework transforms BPMN models into UPPAAL timed-automata networks, utilizing structural process block patterns to generate TCTL property expressions for verification. Key innovations include automated transformation and verification processes that significantly reduce time and effort compared to traditional methods. The transformation rules and generated TCTL properties are comprehensively tested, and the correctness and effectiveness of the derived UPPAAL constructs are validated through extensive simulations and real-world case studies in the UPPAAL-TIGA environment. Results demonstrate the practical applicability of this approach, with substantial improvements in verification efficiency and accuracy and a notable reduction in the time needed for model abstraction and TCTL property expression. The framework includes rules for transforming block timed BPMN models into UPPAAL and logic for automatically generating temporal properties, highlighting its potential to enhance business process modeling and verification practices.