On the de-facto standard of event-driven process chains: reviewing EPC implementations in process modelling tools

Abstract

Nowadays, most process modelling tools implement popular modelling languages such as the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) or the Event-driven Process Chain (EPC). However, in contrast to BPMN, no effort has yet been undertaken to standardize the EPC language, thus rendering EPCs as being merely a de-facto standard for business process modelling. Subsequently, this paper addresses this issue by laying ground for a successful EPC standardization. To achieve this task, several process modelling tools have been evaluated regarding their implementation of the EPC language with the objective to derive consensus about important language constructs. The evaluation reveals that there is a high degree of variety in the way tools implement EPCs. Especially syntax, semantic and pragmatic of the EPC language are not perceived homogenously and, in fact, commonly neglected. Hence, our research provides valuable implications for further EPC standardization by highlighting the state-of-the-art of the EPC from a software point of view.