A reference architecture for managing business process variants

Business process management systems (BPMS) have been prevalent in business information systems, yet still striving to cope with emerging demands from current business environments. It is particularly challenging in managing knowledge intensive business processes, which has partially led to the demand for more complex BPMS functionality such as instance adaptation and streamlined process evolution. On the other hand, various process analysis and discovery techniques have been developed as an important component in BPMS. In this paper, we present a technology framework that supports process discovery from preferred work practices in a flexible process management system. The framework supports instance adaptation and a systematic approach towards process evolution/improvement.