Characterization of an ad-hoc Geo-referenced BPM supported by Microblogging

Abstract

There are many scenarios in which business processes will benefit from the integration of geographical information for its management. In this paper we discuss a set of requirements for ad-hoc geo-referenced Business Process Management (BPM), noting in particular the conflicts between spatial and task dependencies when coordinating activities. We suggest the predominance of spatial dependencies and propose the integration of process models in georeferencing tools. We analyse the communication needs of georeferenced and BPM processes and suggest the adoption of microblogging platforms for coordination support. We also discuss the implementation of an ad-hoc georeferenced BPM tool, specify the microblogging messages needed to coordinate georeferenced activities, and discuss a preliminary formative evaluation of the proposed implementation.