Simulate models with sustainability info, and process and visualize the simulation results.
The plugin works by extending Scylla, a business process simulator, by processing sustainability information of a business process, passing it through the Scylla simulation, and outputs data insights.
Provides insights into the environmental impact of business processes/activities.
Cost Driver is the term used to describe the cost of an activity. Here we abbreviate them into CD. Abstract cost driver (ACD) is a category consuming resource and causes environmental impact. Concrete cost driver (CCD) is the concreteized case of ACD. Take Delivery packages in our life, delivery can be considered as an ACD while delivery by a lorry or bicycle can be its CCD.
Cost variants govern what specific combinations of concretizations can occur during individual process instances based on the environmental cost driver hierarchy. In other words, what sets of concrete environmental cost drivers can, during process execution, take the place of the abstract environmental cost drivers during activity execution?
A quantified score of environmental impacts associated with the life cycle of a commercial product.
Whilst the concern for the world’s ecosystem seems to grow, industries need to measure how much their business processes impact the environment. Thus, considering the environmental impacts of business processes has become an important factor that needs to be considered. Business process model and notation (BPMN) has been introduced to organizations to allow them to construct models of their business processes. Within this business process exist activities that contain further information about the activity itself. Scylla is a BPMN simulator being used in the case, the plugin is an extension of Scylla by dealing with the additional sustainability info.
More information can be found in our report.
- git clone our repository
- Download and add Scylla.jar and scylla-tests.jar into libs
- Navigate to src/main/java/cost_driver/Main and run.
- Select the desired configuration files in the samples UI and check "cost_driver" as a plugin.
*1. Please remember to put the latest scylla.jar & scylla-tests.jar files in the ./lib folder
*2. Another way of managing the plugin is by replacing the current Scylla dependencies, with the following. Please ensure you are using the latest Scylla package
<dependency>
<groupId>de.hpi.bpt</groupId>
<artifactId>scylla</artifactId>
<version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
<type>test-jar</type>
<scope>test</scope>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>de.hpi.bpt</groupId>
<artifactId>scylla</artifactId>
<version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
<scope>compile</scope>
</dependency>
- Download the latest version of scylla.zip
- Download our plugin package cost_driver.zip
- Unzip them
- Create a directory "samples" under Scylla and put desired samples in
- Double click scylla.jar and obtain the UI as step 4 above
A demo video can be found here.
Three Plugins are cooperating to achieve this.
Parses the global config file which describes the abstract CDs and their children, concreteCDs with details that it consists of:
<bsim:costDriver>
<bsim:abstractCostDriver id="[Abstract Cost Driver ID]">
<bsim:concreteCostDeiver id="[Concrete Cost Driver ID]" cost="[LCA Score]"/>
<bsim:concreteCostDeiver id="[Concrete Cost Driver ID]" cost="[LCA Score]"/>
...
</bsim:abstractCostDriver>
...Parses the simulation config file which describes the cost variant by ID, frequency of occurrence, and cost:
<bsim:costVariantConfig>
<bsim:variant id="[Cost Variant ID]" frequency="[double]">
<bsim:driver id="[Abstract Cost Driver ID]" cost="[Cost]"/>
</bsim:variant>Logs the extended simulation data as an XES and XML file.
The results will be shown in two files, *.xes and *_statistic.xml.
The event log is composed of a sequence of activity instances. We put the activity cost, process cost reference Abstract Cost Driver, and Concrete Cost Driver inside so that the utilization of resources used is clear.
<trace>
<string key="concept:name" value="cost[Process_Instance_ID]"/>
<string key="cost:Process_Instance" value="[Total Cost]"/>
<string key="cost:variant" value=[Cost Variant A]/>
<event>
<string key="cost:driver" value=[Abstract Cost Driver(Concrete Cost Driver): [cost]]/>
<string key="cost:driver" value=[Abstract Cost Driver(Concrete Cost Driver): [cost]]/>
<string key="concept:name" value=[Activity]]/>
<string key="lifecycle:transition" value="[state]"/>
<date key="time:timestamp" value="2023-12-25T09:00:00+01:00"/>
<string key="cost:activity" value=[activity cost]/>
</event>
...
</trace>The outputted file shows a complete detailed breakdown of sustainability info. Explanation of nodes moving downwards:
<Sustainability_Info>
<Average_Cost_Variant_Cost id="[id]">[cost]</Average_Cost_Variant_Cost>
...
<Average_Process_Instance_Cost>[cost]</Average_Process_Instance_Cost>
<Activity_Cost>
<Activity id="[id]">
<Activity_Average_Cost_Variant_Cost id="[id]">[cost]</Activity_Average_Cost_Variant_Cost>
...
<Activity_Average_Cost>[cost]</Activity_Average_Cost>
</Activity>
...
</Activity_Cost>
<Activity_Instance_Cost>
<Activity id="[id]">
<Cost_Variant id="[id]">
<activity_instance_cost ProcessInstance_IDs="[IDs]" count="[counts]">[cost]</activity_instance_cost>
</Cost_Variant>
...
</Activity>
...
</Activity_Instance_Cost>
</Sustainability_Info>Pufahl, L., & Weske, M. (January 2018). Design of an Extensible BPMN Process Simulator. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322524759_Design_of_an_Extensible_BPMN_Process_Simulator?enrichId=rgreq-55dc4561329b473ce8f8871f05e56dba-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzMyMjUyNDc1OTtBUzo1OTU2ODQ2MDQ1MjY1OTJAMTUxOTAzMzY4NTAwNg%3D%3D&el=1_x_3&_esc=publicationCoverPdf
Ng, K. Y. (1996). An Algorithm for Acyclic State Machines. Acta Informatica, 33(4), 223–228. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02986351