Blockchain Applications for Business Process Management

A special issue of Information (ISSN 2078-2489). This special issue belongs to the section "Information Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2024) | Viewed by 7582

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Applied Informatics, University of Macedonia, GR 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: business process management; enterprise architectures; fake news classification; cybercrime incident management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Applied Informatics, University of Macedonia, PC 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: business process redesign; business process management; cybercrime classification; cyber security
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Blockchain technology has the potential to disrupt the environment in which business processes operate. Due to its distributed tamper-resistant nature, multiple parties can share a single source of truth, enabling trustworthy process execution and monitoring. Given these new business opportunities and the inherent complexity of blockchain technology, it is critical to support the systematic modelling of blockchain-based interactions prior to process execution on a blockchain network. However, there is a lack of standard notations or guidelines for modelling blockchain-oriented processes, especially in representing blockchain-specific patterns, such as propagation of transactions, consensus mechanisms, tokenization of assets, on-chain and off-chain data management, security aspects, etc. To this extent, there is a necessity for the Business Process Management (BPM) community to forward research on blockchain applications for business processes.

The contributions should be relevant for researchers and analysts from both business and IT, who use process models to understand the technology, create documentation, support communication between users and developers, and provide input to the model-driven engineering of smart contracts.

This Special Issue offers a venue for researchers and practitioners to contribute their original and high-quality research papers on the intersection of blockchain technology and BPM, with a focus on applications of blockchain to business processes. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Modelling of blockchain-based business processes;
  • Blockchain-oriented extensions of existing modelling notations;
  • Challenges of conventional modelling techniques specific to blockchain peculiarities;
  • Identification and design of commonly occurring patterns specific to blockchain applications;
  • Model-driven engineering of smart contracts;
  • Design and implementation of blockchain-based Business Process Management Systems (BPMSs);
  • Redesign of blockchain-based business processes;
  • BPM lifecycle support for the management of blockchain-based business processes;
  • Blockchain support for collaborative business processes;
  • Simulation of blockchain-based processes;
  • Blockchain for business process monitoring.

Dr. Kostas Vergidis
Dr. George Tsakalidis
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • blockchain
  • business process management
  • business processes
  • process modelling
  • design
  • model-driven engineering

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 6226 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Business Processes Through BPM Methodology: A Case Study on Data Analysis and Performance Improvement
by António Ricardo Teixeira, José Vasconcelos Ferreira and Ana Luísa Ramos
Information 2024, 15(11), 724; https://doi.org/10.3390/info15110724 - 11 Nov 2024
Viewed by 722
Abstract
This study explores the application of the BPM lifecycle to optimize the market analysis process within the market intelligence department of a major energy company. The semi-structured, virtual nature of the process necessitated careful adaptation of BPM methodology, starting with process discovery through [...] Read more.
This study explores the application of the BPM lifecycle to optimize the market analysis process within the market intelligence department of a major energy company. The semi-structured, virtual nature of the process necessitated careful adaptation of BPM methodology, starting with process discovery through data collection, modeling, and validation. Qualitative analysis, including value-added and root-cause analysis, revealed inefficiencies. The redesign strategy focused on selective automation using Python 3.10 scripts and Power BI dashboards, incorporating techniques such as linear programming and forecasting to improve process efficiency and quality while maintaining flexibility. Post-implementation, monitoring through a questionnaire showed positive results, though ongoing interviews were recommended for sustained performance evaluation. This study highlights the value of BPM methodology in enhancing decision-critical processes and offers a model for adaptable, value-driven process improvements in complex organizational environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blockchain Applications for Business Process Management)
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16 pages, 2069 KiB  
Article
Trading Cloud Computing Stocks Using SMA
by Xianrong Zheng and Lingyu Li
Information 2024, 15(8), 506; https://doi.org/10.3390/info15080506 - 21 Aug 2024
Viewed by 882
Abstract
As cloud computing adoption becomes mainstream, the cloud services market offers vast profits. Moreover, serverless computing, the next stage of cloud computing, comes with huge economic potential. To capitalize on this trend, investors are interested in trading cloud stocks. As high-growth technology stocks, [...] Read more.
As cloud computing adoption becomes mainstream, the cloud services market offers vast profits. Moreover, serverless computing, the next stage of cloud computing, comes with huge economic potential. To capitalize on this trend, investors are interested in trading cloud stocks. As high-growth technology stocks, investing in cloud stocks is both rewarding and challenging. The research question here is how a trading strategy will perform on cloud stocks. As a result, this paper employs an effective method—Simple Moving Average (SMA)—to trade cloud stocks. To evaluate its performance, we conducted extensive experiments with real market data that spans over 23 years. Results show that SMA can achieve satisfying performance in terms of several measures, including MAE, RMSE, and R-squared. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blockchain Applications for Business Process Management)
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Review

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14 pages, 1142 KiB  
Review
Systematic Literature Review of Blockchain Technology’s Technical Challenges: A Tertiary Study
by Anulipt Chandan, Vidyasagar Potdar and Michele John
Information 2024, 15(8), 475; https://doi.org/10.3390/info15080475 - 11 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1710
Abstract
Research into blockchain technology has expanded significantly due to its potential to enhance transparency and trust in business operations, yet adoption is limited by technical challenges like scalability, consensus mechanisms, and security, as well as non-technical barriers such as governance and standardization. This [...] Read more.
Research into blockchain technology has expanded significantly due to its potential to enhance transparency and trust in business operations, yet adoption is limited by technical challenges like scalability, consensus mechanisms, and security, as well as non-technical barriers such as governance and standardization. This study synthesizes findings from 21 systematic literature reviews (SLR) published between January 2009 and January 2024, focusing on the technical performance of blockchain and its integration with technologies like cloud computing and machine learning. The analysis highlights advancements in scalability, security, privacy, and smart contracts alongside areas needing more research, such as interoperability and integration with legacy systems. This comprehensive review aims to map current technological developments, identify ongoing limitations, and identify specific technical challenges that impede broader adoption. The findings direct future research towards overcoming these barriers, facilitating the smoother implementation of blockchain across various business sectors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blockchain Applications for Business Process Management)
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18 pages, 1243 KiB  
Review
Blockchain and Business Process Management (BPM) Synergy: A Comparative Analysis of Modeling Approaches
by Hamed Taherdoost and Mitra Madanchian
Information 2024, 15(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/info15010009 - 22 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3145
Abstract
Blockchain technology has become a powerful disruptive force that upends established ideas in several industries. A fascinating point of convergence is that of blockchain technology and Business Process Management (BPM), where the distributed and immutable characteristics of blockchain promise to completely transform the [...] Read more.
Blockchain technology has become a powerful disruptive force that upends established ideas in several industries. A fascinating point of convergence is that of blockchain technology and Business Process Management (BPM), where the distributed and immutable characteristics of blockchain promise to completely transform the modeling, implementation, and oversight of business processes. This symbiosis offers a singular chance to develop corporate processes that are more efficient, safe, and transparent. Nevertheless, to guarantee that blockchain-specific components are accurately represented in these processes, modeling techniques need to be critically examined as part of integrating blockchain into BPM. This literature review examines blockchain-BPM integration using different modeling methodologies. Though well-established, traditional BPM approaches may need help with blockchain-specific aspects. Blockchain-oriented modeling includes smart contracts and decentralized consensus. Hybrid models with blockchain and traditional elements are popular. Adaptability, model clarity, and blockchain integration are evaluated in the analysis. This literature review aims to improve corporate processes’ efficiency, security, and transparency by investigating how to model the integration of blockchain and BPM better. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blockchain Applications for Business Process Management)
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