Process Modeling Requirements Framework

Overview

Any ontology-based process model needs to address three fundamental requirements. This framework, developed for materials science, generalizes to most workflow and process representation problems.

The Three Requirements

1. Process Structure The organization of processes: constituent steps, sub-processes, execution order, and sequencing logic. What happens, in what order, with what dependencies.

2. Data and Resources The flow of inputs and outputs, plus the parameters that define each step. What goes in, what comes out, what settings control the transformation.

3. Project Goals and Participant Roles The organizational context: who’s involved, what roles they play, what the goals are, and how processes connect to larger objectives.

Why This Matters

Most process ontologies handle Structure well. Fewer handle Resources adequately. Even fewer capture Project context.

The gap shows up when you try to answer questions like: “Who was responsible for this step?” or “What was this process trying to achieve?” If the ontology only models Structure, these questions have no answer.

Application

When evaluating or building process representations, check coverage against all three requirements. Missing categories reveal blind spots in what the representation can support.

Limitations

This framework emerged from materials science workflows. Other domains may have additional requirements, regulatory compliance, security constraints, cost tracking, that would extend the framework.

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