Geelong University Library: EPC Diagram for Borrowing Management

This document provides a comprehensive analysis of an event-driven process chain (EPC) diagram created for a Business Process Management assignment (MITS5507) at Geelong University Library. The assignment focuses on the library's borrowing management system and aims to address issues such as delays in book returns. The EPC diagram, developed using Signavio, illustrates the workflow, starting with the event of a delayed book return. The process involves system notifications to the customer, librarian intervention, and actions based on customer responses, including potential escalation to a manager. The diagram adheres to EPC rules, effectively visualizing the process flow, decision points, and data objects. The document concludes with a discussion of the diagram's quality and references relevant academic sources on EPC diagrams and business process modeling.

Running head: BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT
Business Process Management
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s note:

1BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT
Introduction:
EPC or event-driven process chain diagram can be described as the flowchart based
model which is utilized for resource planning as well as recognizing potential enhancements of a
business procedure [2]. EPC diagram helps in identifying the relation between events and
activities. It represents hierarchical modelling.
This report provides description on event-driven process chain along with the actual
model for Geelong University Library. This library is facing various issues currently maintaining
its borrowing management. The number of delays and corresponding response of library staff are
not enough to cope with the situation. The organization needs a library management system that
can handle the current situation by automating various processes like notifying customer, fee
generate and more. Proposed event-driven process chain diagram does not include any thing
within its scope outside of delay handling.
Event-Driven Process Chain Diagram:
The activity or function within an event-driven process chain diagram can be best
described as the activity done by any human or system that consumes both time and resource.
The activities has decision making capabilities [1]. The event can be described as the condition
that can trigger a set of activities. There are mainly six rules of creating event-driven process
chain diagram, these are as following.
i. The diagram should always initiate and finish with an event
ii. Event and function should always present in alternative way [4]
iii. Only connection operators can be used to connect the events and functions
iv. Event trigger a function and function create an event

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v. Only same operator can be used to branch together the path
vi. Only functions have the decision making abilities [3]
Figure 1: Event-Driven Process Chain Diagram
(Source: Created by Author)

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The event-driven process chain diagram starts with an event, delay in book return,
occurred in the library management system. As soon as this event occurs, system notifies the
person through an email. In case customer do not return the book after 7 days of sending the
mail, the system now notify the librarian. As there can be two situations after sending mail to
customer, the activity further divided into two branches. Once the librarian is notified, he/she
searches for the customer through name or customer id. The branch is again divided into two
parts. Librarian calls the customer if phone number is registered or write a letter. After receiving
the letter, customer can either return the book or not. In case book is returned, case is closed.
Otherwise manager is informed.
Conclusion:
From the above study it can be concluded that the generated event-driven process chain
diagram has followed all the six major rules mentioned above. The process starts and ends with
events only. No event the in the diagram has branched itself. Only activities in the diagram have
got decision making authority. Proper connection operator has been used in all the areas. The
process diagram also visualizes the input or output data object for few activities. The overall
quality of the diagram is good. Labeling used for each element is properly understandable. The
diagrams also shows joining of branches using same operator. Branches have only been used
wherever necessary.

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References:
[1]A. Amjad, F. Azam, M. Anwar, W. Butt, M. Rashid and A. Naeem, "UMLPACE for
Modeling and Verification of Complex Business Requirements in Event-Driven Process Chain
(EPC)", IEEE Access, vol. 6, pp. 76198-76216, 2018. Available: 10.1109/access.2018.2883610.
[2]L. Liu, "Research on Collaboration Business Process Model of Logistics Supply Chain
System Based on Event-Driven Process Chain", Journal of Computational and Theoretical
Nanoscience, vol. 13, no. 12, pp. 9570-9573, 2016. Available: 10.1166/jctn.2016.5885.
[3]X. LI and S. ZHAO, "Research and Implementation of Event Driven Multi Process
Collaboration Interaction Platform", DEStech Transactions on Computer Science and
Engineering, no., 2017. Available: 10.12783/dtcse/wcne2016/5124.
[4]S. Adi and D. Kristin, "Strukturisasi Entity Relationship Diagram dan Data Flow Diagram
Berbasis Business Event-Driven", ComTech: Computer, Mathematics and Engineering
Applications, vol. 5, no. 1, p. 26, 2014. Available: 10.21512/comtech.v5i1.2577.