Internet-of-Things Meets Business Process Management: Challenges

This report, titled "The Internet-of-Things Meets Business Process Management: Mutual Benefits and Challenges," examines the convergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Business Process Management (BPM). It begins by introducing both paradigms, highlighting the IoT's role in collecting and exchanging data through connected devices and BPM's focus on analyzing, designing, and managing business processes. The report argues that BPM can significantly benefit from IoT applications, while the IoT presents unique challenges for BPM methodologies. The core of the report discusses several challenges, including sensor placement, visualization support, the integration of analytical processes, and ensuring process correctness in the context of IoT. It also addresses the need to handle unstructured environments, break down end-to-end processes into micro-processes, and adapt to the dynamic nature of IoT interactions. The report emphasizes the need for enhancements and extensions in the current BPM field to effectively manage and leverage the capabilities of the IoT, covering technological barriers, security, standards, data privacy, and the potential of data analytics, efficient methods for the organization of IoT systems. The paper concludes by highlighting the importance of addressing these challenges to fully realize the potential of integrating IoT and BPM for improved business interactions and process alignment.