arXiv subjects

Humam Kourani

Publications and source records attributed to Humam Kourani.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Inductive Process Discovery from Partially Ordered Event Data

The Inductive Miner (IM) family is a prominent class of process discovery techniques, combining efficient recursive decomposition with soundness-by-construction guarantees. However, IM techniques usually assume traces to be totally ordered sequences of activity occurrences. This assumption is convenient, but can introduce systematic bias: activities may have durations, events may share coarse timestamps, or the data may constrain only some event pairs. Forcing such executions into arbitrary sequences hides inherent concurrency and may introduce sequential dependencies that were never observed as causal constraints. Partial orders provide a more faithful representation, but integrating them into IM discovery is challenging because standard abstractions are sequence-based; directly reusing them would require linearizing each partial order, which becomes prohibitively expensive under high concurrency. We introduce a lifting of IM discovery from total orders to partially ordered traces. Instead of redesigning the miner and its cut detection logic, we redefine the trace abstraction layer and the recursive projections to operate directly on partial orders. The approach is conservative over totally ordered traces, avoids linearization explosion, and preserves the recursive structure and guarantees that make IM attractive. Experimental results show that the proposed lifting avoids the combinatorial overhead of linearization, reduces sensitivity to arbitrary tie-breaking in timestamped event data, and allows process behavior to be learned from fewer observations by preserving concurrency at the trace level.

cs.DB↗

arXiv2026

Beyond Control-Flow: Integrating the Resource Perspective into Multi-Collaborative Process Modeling from Text

Process modeling is a sub-domain of Business Process Management (BPM) focused on the translation of process artifacts into formal models. This task traditionally requires extensive human input and domain expertise in both BPM notations and the specific business context. While Large Language Models (LLMs) can now automate much of this manual work, current text-to-model approaches focus predominantly on the control-flow perspective-ordering activities without considering the collaborative aspect of the processes. In this paper, we introduce a resource-aware generation pipeline that produces formal BPMN 2.0 collaboration diagrams from natural-language descriptions. Rather than solely prompting an LLM for raw XML, we describe a compact, executable intermediate language with mandatory resource details defining both the organization (pool) and the role (lane). Cross-organization dependencies are materialized using the standard formal notation for such interactions-message events-while an orthogonal layout routine automatically handles the spatial arrangement of elements within pools and lanes. Experiments on ten business processes with nine LLMs show strong resource discovery while preserving control-flow quality and adding only marginal runtime overhead. This approach moves generative modeling toward a more comprehensive, multi-collaborative representation of business operations.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2026

PMAx: An Agentic Framework for AI-Driven Process Mining

Process mining provides powerful insights into organizational workflows, but extracting these insights typically requires expertise in specialized query languages and data science tools. Large Language Models (LLMs) offer the potential to democratize process mining by enabling business users to interact with process data through natural language. However, using LLMs as direct analytical engines over raw event logs introduces fundamental challenges: LLMs struggle with deterministic reasoning and may hallucinate metrics, while sending large, sensitive logs to external AI services raises serious data-privacy concerns. To address these limitations, we present PMAx, an autonomous agentic framework that functions as a virtual process analyst. Rather than relying on LLMs to generate process models or compute analytical results, PMAx employs a privacy-preserving multi-agent architecture. An Engineer agent analyzes event-log metadata and autonomously generates local scripts to run established process mining algorithms, compute exact metrics, and produce artifacts such as process models, summary tables, and visualizations. An Analyst agent then interprets these insights and artifacts to compile comprehensive reports. By separating computation from interpretation and executing analysis locally, PMAx ensures mathematical accuracy and data privacy while enabling non-technical users to transform high-level business questions into reliable process insights.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2026

Hierarchical Decomposition of Separable Workflow-Nets

The Partially Ordered Workflow Language (POWL) has recently emerged as a process modeling notation, offering strong quality guarantees and high expressiveness. While early versions of POWL relied on strict block-structured operators for choices and loops, the language has recently evolved into POWL 2.0, introducing choice graphs to enable the modeling of non-block-structured decisions and cycles. To bridge the gap between the theoretical advantages of POWL and the practical need for compatibility with established notations, robust model transformations are required. This paper presents a novel algorithm for transforming safe and sound workflow nets (WF-nets) into equivalent POWL 2.0 models. The algorithm recursively identifies structural patterns within the WF-net and translates them into their POWL representation. Unlike the previous approach that required separate detection strategies for exclusive choices and loops, our new algorithm utilizes choice graphs to capture generalized decision and cyclic patterns. We formally prove the correctness of our approach, showing that the generated POWL model preserves the language of the input WF-net. Furthermore, we prove the completeness of our algorithm on the class of separable WF-nets, which corresponds to nets constructed via the hierarchical nesting of state machines and marked graphs. We evaluate our algorithm on large-scale process models to demonstrate its high scalability. Furthermore, to test its practical expressiveness, we applied it to a benchmark of 1,493 industrial and synthetic process models. Our algorithm successfully transformed all models in this benchmark, suggesting that POWL 2.0's expressive power is generally sufficient to capture the complex logic found in real-world business processes. This work paves the way for broader adoption of POWL in practical process analysis and improvement applications.

cs.DB↗

arXiv2025

Integrating Domain Knowledge into Process Discovery Using Large Language Models

Process discovery aims to derive process models from event logs, providing insights into operational behavior and forming a foundation for conformance checking and process improvement. However, models derived solely from event data may not accurately reflect the real process, as event logs are often incomplete or affected by noise, and domain knowledge, an important complementary resource, is typically disregarded. As a result, the discovered models may lack reliability for downstream tasks. We propose an interactive framework that incorporates domain knowledge, expressed in natural language, into the process discovery pipeline using Large Language Models (LLMs). Our approach leverages LLMs to extract declarative rules from textual descriptions provided by domain experts. These rules are used to guide the IMr discovery algorithm, which recursively constructs process models by combining insights from both the event log and the extracted rules, helping to avoid problematic process structures that contradict domain knowledge. The framework coordinates interactions among the LLM, domain experts, and a set of backend services. We present a fully implemented tool that supports this workflow and conduct an extensive evaluation of multiple LLMs and prompt engineering strategies. Our empirical study includes a case study based on a real-life event log with the involvement of domain experts, who assessed the usability and effectiveness of the framework.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2025

Knowledge-Driven Hallucination in Large Language Models: An Empirical Study on Process Modeling

The utility of Large Language Models (LLMs) in analytical tasks is rooted in their vast pre-trained knowledge, which allows them to interpret ambiguous inputs and infer missing information. However, this same capability introduces a critical risk of what we term knowledge-driven hallucination: a phenomenon where the model's output contradicts explicit source evidence because it is overridden by the model's generalized internal knowledge. This paper investigates this phenomenon by evaluating LLMs on the task of automated process modeling, where the goal is to generate a formal business process model from a given source artifact. The domain of Business Process Management (BPM) provides an ideal context for this study, as many core business processes follow standardized patterns, making it likely that LLMs possess strong pre-trained schemas for them. We conduct a controlled experiment designed to create scenarios with deliberate conflict between provided evidence and the LLM's background knowledge. We use inputs describing both standard and deliberately atypical process structures to measure the LLM's fidelity to the provided evidence. Our work provides a methodology for assessing this critical reliability issue and raises awareness of the need for rigorous validation of AI-generated artifacts in any evidence-based domain.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2025

Revealing Inherent Concurrency in Event Data: A Partial Order Approach to Process Discovery

Process discovery algorithms traditionally linearize events, failing to capture the inherent concurrency of real-world processes. While some techniques can handle partially ordered data, they often struggle with scalability on large event logs. We introduce a novel, scalable algorithm that directly leverages partial orders in process discovery. Our approach derives partially ordered traces from event data and aggregates them into a sound-by-construction, perfectly fitting process model. Our hierarchical algorithm preserves inherent concurrency while systematically abstracting exclusive choices and loop patterns, enhancing model compactness and precision. We have implemented our technique and demonstrated its applicability on complex real-life event logs. Our work contributes a scalable solution for a more faithful representation of process behavior, especially when concurrency is prevalent in event data.

cs.DB↗

arXiv2025

Unlocking Non-Block-Structured Decisions: Inductive Mining with Choice Graphs

Process discovery aims to automatically derive process models from event logs, enabling organizations to analyze and improve their operational processes. Inductive mining algorithms, while prioritizing soundness and efficiency through hierarchical modeling languages, often impose a strict block-structured representation. This limits their ability to accurately capture the complexities of real-world processes. While recent advancements like the Partially Ordered Workflow Language (POWL) have addressed the block-structure limitation for concurrency, a significant gap remains in effectively modeling non-block-structured decision points. In this paper, we bridge this gap by proposing an extension of POWL to handle non-block-structured decisions through the introduction of choice graphs. Choice graphs offer a structured yet flexible approach to model complex decision logic within the hierarchical framework of POWL. We present an inductive mining discovery algorithm that uses our extension and preserves the quality guarantees of the inductive mining framework. Our experimental evaluation demonstrates that the discovered models, enriched with choice graphs, more precisely represent the complex decision-making behavior found in real-world processes, without compromising the high scalability inherent in inductive mining techniques.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2025

Translating Workflow Nets into the Partially Ordered Workflow Language

The Partially Ordered Workflow Language (POWL) has recently emerged as a process modeling notation, offering strong quality guarantees and high expressiveness. However, its adoption is hindered by the prevalence of standard notations like workflow nets (WF-nets) and BPMN in practice. This paper presents a novel algorithm for transforming safe and sound WF-net into equivalent POWL models. The algorithm recursively identifies structural patterns within the WF-net and translates them into their POWL representation. We formally prove the correctness of our approach, showing that the generated POWL model preserves the language of the input WF-net. Furthermore, we demonstrate the high scalability of our algorithm, and we show its completeness on a subclass of WF-nets that encompasses equivalent representations for all POWL models. This work bridges the gap between the theoretical advantages of POWL and the practical need for compatibility with established notations, paving the way for broader adoption of POWL in process analysis and improvement applications.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2024

Evaluating Large Language Models on Business Process Modeling: Framework, Benchmark, and Self-Improvement Analysis

Large Language Models (LLMs) are rapidly transforming various fields, and their potential in Business Process Management (BPM) is substantial. This paper assesses the capabilities of LLMs on business process modeling using a framework for automating this task, a comprehensive benchmark, and an analysis of LLM self-improvement strategies. We present a comprehensive evaluation of 16 state-of-the-art LLMs from major AI vendors using a custom-designed benchmark of 20 diverse business processes. Our analysis highlights significant performance variations across LLMs and reveals a positive correlation between efficient error handling and the quality of generated models. It also shows consistent performance trends within similar LLM groups. Furthermore, we investigate LLM self-improvement techniques, encompassing self-evaluation, input optimization, and output optimization. Our findings indicate that output optimization, in particular, offers promising potential for enhancing quality, especially in models with initially lower performance. Our contributions provide insights for leveraging LLMs in BPM, paving the way for more advanced and automated process modeling techniques.

cs.DB↗

arXiv2024

Bridging Domain Knowledge and Process Discovery Using Large Language Models

Discovering good process models is essential for different process analysis tasks such as conformance checking and process improvements. Automated process discovery methods often overlook valuable domain knowledge. This knowledge, including insights from domain experts and detailed process documentation, remains largely untapped during process discovery. This paper leverages Large Language Models (LLMs) to integrate such knowledge directly into process discovery. We use rules derived from LLMs to guide model construction, ensuring alignment with both domain knowledge and actual process executions. By integrating LLMs, we create a bridge between process knowledge expressed in natural language and the discovery of robust process models, advancing process discovery methodologies significantly. To showcase the usability of our framework, we conducted a case study with the UWV employee insurance agency, demonstrating its practical benefits and effectiveness.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2024

Leveraging Large Language Models for Enhanced Process Model Comprehension

In Business Process Management (BPM), effectively comprehending process models is crucial yet poses significant challenges, particularly as organizations scale and processes become more complex. This paper introduces a novel framework utilizing the advanced capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs) to enhance the interpretability of complex process models. We present different methods for abstracting business process models into a format accessible to LLMs, and we implement advanced prompting strategies specifically designed to optimize LLM performance within our framework. Additionally, we present a tool, AIPA, that implements our proposed framework and allows for conversational process querying. We evaluate our framework and tool by i) an automatic evaluation comparing different LLMs, model abstractions, and prompting strategies and ii) a user study designed to assess AIPA's effectiveness comprehensively. Results demonstrate our framework's ability to improve the accessibility and interpretability of process models, pioneering new pathways for integrating AI technologies into the BPM field.

cs.DB↗

arXiv2024

PM-LLM-Benchmark: Evaluating Large Language Models on Process Mining Tasks

Large Language Models (LLMs) have the potential to semi-automate some process mining (PM) analyses. While commercial models are already adequate for many analytics tasks, the competitive level of open-source LLMs in PM tasks is unknown. In this paper, we propose PM-LLM-Benchmark, the first comprehensive benchmark for PM focusing on domain knowledge (process-mining-specific and process-specific) and on different implementation strategies. We focus also on the challenges in creating such a benchmark, related to the public availability of the data and on evaluation biases by the LLMs. Overall, we observe that most of the considered LLMs can perform some process mining tasks at a satisfactory level, but tiny models that would run on edge devices are still inadequate. We also conclude that while the proposed benchmark is useful for identifying LLMs that are adequate for process mining tasks, further research is needed to overcome the evaluation biases and perform a more thorough ranking of the competitive LLMs.

cs.CL↗

arXiv2024

Process Modeling With Large Language Models

In the realm of Business Process Management (BPM), process modeling plays a crucial role in translating complex process dynamics into comprehensible visual representations, facilitating the understanding, analysis, improvement, and automation of organizational processes. Traditional process modeling methods often require extensive expertise and can be time-consuming. This paper explores the integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) into process modeling to enhance the accessibility of process modeling, offering a more intuitive entry point for non-experts while augmenting the efficiency of experts. We propose a framework that leverages LLMs for the automated generation and iterative refinement of process models starting from textual descriptions. Our framework involves innovative prompting strategies for effective LLM utilization, along with a secure model generation protocol and an error-handling mechanism. Moreover, we instantiate a concrete system extending our framework. This system provides robust quality guarantees on the models generated and supports exporting them in standard modeling notations, such as the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) and Petri nets. Preliminary results demonstrate the framework's ability to streamline process modeling tasks, underscoring the transformative potential of generative AI in the BPM field.

cs.SE↗

arXiv2024

Evaluating Large Language Models in Process Mining: Capabilities, Benchmarks, and Evaluation Strategies

Using Large Language Models (LLMs) for Process Mining (PM) tasks is becoming increasingly essential, and initial approaches yield promising results. However, little attention has been given to developing strategies for evaluating and benchmarking the utility of incorporating LLMs into PM tasks. This paper reviews the current implementations of LLMs in PM and reflects on three different questions. 1) What is the minimal set of capabilities required for PM on LLMs? 2) Which benchmark strategies help choose optimal LLMs for PM? 3) How do we evaluate the output of LLMs on specific PM tasks? The answer to these questions is fundamental to the development of comprehensive process mining benchmarks on LLMs covering different tasks and implementation paradigms.

cs.DB↗

arXiv2024

ProMoAI: Process Modeling with Generative AI

ProMoAI is a novel tool that leverages Large Language Models (LLMs) to automatically generate process models from textual descriptions, incorporating advanced prompt engineering, error handling, and code generation techniques. Beyond automating the generation of complex process models, ProMoAI also supports process model optimization. Users can interact with the tool by providing feedback on the generated model, which is then used for refining the process model. ProMoAI utilizes the capabilities LLMs to offer a novel, AI-driven approach to process modeling, significantly reducing the barrier to entry for users without deep technical knowledge in process modeling.

cs.DB↗