Abstract:
Emergent processes are high-level business processes; they
are opportunistic in nature whereas production workflows are routine.
Emergent processes may not be managed; they may contain goal-driven
sub-processes that can be managed. A multiagent system supports
emergent processes. Each player is assisted by an agent. The system
manages goal-driven sub-processes and manages the commitments that
players make to each other during emergent sub-processes. These
commitments will be to perform some task and to assume some level of
responsibility. The way in which the selection of tasks and the
delegation of responsibility is done attempts to retlect high-level
corporate principles and to 'sit comfortably' with the humans involved.
Commitments are derived through a process of inter-agent negotiation
that considers each individual's constraints and performance statistics.
The system has been trialed on business process management in a
university administrative context.
