According to standard definition “Process is a series of actions or operations leading toward a particular result”.

We use processes both to produce and consume or apply knowledge. The process definition itself is part of the knowledge. Process model describes the act of producing certain results, while consuming data, information and knowledge.

In the recent years Business Process Management (BPM) has become the formal approach for managing and improving processes. While BPM focuses mostly on Business aspect of process management, many of its principles are agnostic to the type of process and as such applicable to Knowledge Capture and Modeling (KCM).

In this context the process definition (or process model) augments knowledge and facilitates knowledge retention, exchange and improvement as an orthogonal dimention to data and information aspect of knowledge modeling.

 

Following example shows the treatment process for AML patients, as defined by a clinical trial protocol. It describes how the drug usage, dosage and timing is applied according to patient condition and response.

LR	Low Risk
SR	Standard Risk
HR	High Risk
LD	Low Dose
HD	High Dose
AraC	Cytarabine
ADE	Daunorubicin
VPA	Valproic Acid
Eto	Etoposide
Clo	Clofarabine
Sor	Sorafenib
NK	Natural Killer Cells
MA	Mitoxantrone
Asp	L-Asparaginase
KIR	Killer Inhibitory Receptor
MRD	Minimal Residual Disease

 

As another example, the following process model encapsulates the Procedural knowledge of developing a new product and introducing it to the marketplace. (click here for the complete paper on this topic a.k.a NPDI)

 

 

Note: Above process diagrams are defined based on BPMN or “Business Process Modeling Notation”. BPMN is the standardized graphical notation by OMG (Object Management Group) for process modeling.

 

 

11. Copyright

This paper is copyrighted by Pejman Makhfi, but it may, by the author's permission, be freely downloaded, translated, printed, copied, quoted, distributed in any appropriate media providing only that it not be altered in any way in text or intent and the author is properly credited.