Business Process Modeling in a Virtual 3D World

Abstract

The (improved) digitalization of economy and administration is a common major endeavor. In general digitalization looks quite simpe: the currently semi-automated business processes are to be formalized and based of these formal business process models highly automated systems are to be developed. One challenge is to formalize the informal knowledge of the stakeholders driving the processes. To optimize and document business processes, it is important that different stakeholders can form a common understanding of them. This understanding is formally expressed in modeling languages like BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation). However, misunderstandings and errors occur time and time again. This paper presents a novel approach, based on a three-dimensional representation of the process, which on the one hand maintains the clarity of the overall process, but also allows an improved representation of details. The stakeholders may play their roles in the processes with avatars, and these roles may be recorded as the base of a formal process model. © 2022 The authors and IOS Press. All rights reserved.