EPC Markup Language (EPML) - maintained by Jan Mendling

Introduction:

Event-Driven Process Chains (EPC) are a widely used technique for modelling business processes. Standardisation efforts within the EPC research community have led to the Definition of an XML-based interchange format for EPCs called EPC Markup Language (EPML). EPML aims to serve as a tool-neutral interchange and intermediary format for EPC business process models.

EPML is defined by an XML Schema available on this website. There are also transformation programs available between EPML and SVG. Furthermore, EPML is used as an interchange format for EPC Tools, an EPC simulator developed at University of Paderborn. Moreover, static websites including SVG graphics of the process models can be generated automatically with EPML2SVG.

EPML Material:

Technical Report on EPML.
EPML XML Schema File (Version 1.2) - new suppport for C-EPC and yEPC models.
Recent Presentation about EPML at Saarland University (in German): Das EPML-Austauschformat: EPK-Modelle in Bewegung.
EPML XML Schema File (Version 1.11 draft) - checked for validity with XMLSpy 2005, XERCES-C, and XERCES-J.
EPML XML Schema File (Version 1.1 draft) - see Mendling/Nüttgens: Transformation of ARIS Markup Language to EPML, 2004.
EPML XML Schema File (Version 1.0 draft).
EPML Example File (sample).

EPML Tools:

C-EPC-Validator: XSLT validation program that verifies correctness of C-EPCs given in EPML Version 1.2. (C-EPC Validator).
The program used XSLT extensions of XALAN to dynamically evaluate XPath expressions.
EPC Tools: EPC graphical editor and simulator developed by Nicolas Cuntz and Ekkart Kindler (Uni Paderborn - Ekkart Kindler).
Semtalk: A professional BPM Tool that is implemented on top of Microsoft Visio by Semtation GmbH (Semtalk and Semtation GbmH).
It uses EPML as an interchange format for EPC business process models.
AML2EPML 2: Transformation Script from ARIS Toolset AML to EPML developed by Jan Mendling (AML2EPML_2.xslt).
EPML2AML 2: Transformation Script from ARIS Toolset AML to EPML developed by Jan Mendling (EPML2AML_2.xslt).
AML2EPML (old): Transformation Script from ARIS Toolset AML to EPML developed by Jan Mendling (AML2EPML.xsl).
EPML2SVG: Generating websites of EPML files including EPML to SVG transformation developed by A. Brabenetz and J. Mendling (EPML2SVG.xsl).
The program used XSLT extensions of XALAN to generate multiple output files.

Related Articles:

J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: EPC Markup Language (EPML) - An XML-Based Interchange Format for Event-Driven Process Chains (EPC). Technical Report JM-2005-03-10. Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, 2005.

J. Mendling, A. Brabenetz, G. Neumann: EPML2SVG - Generating Websites from EPML Processes. In: M. Nüttgens, F.J. Rump, eds.: Proc. of the 3rd GI Workshop on Event-Driven Process Chains (EPK 2004), Luxembourg, Luxembourg, October 2004.

J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: Transformation of ARIS Markup Language to EPML. In: M. Nüttgens, F.J. Rump, eds.: Proc. of the 3rd GI Workshop on Event-Driven Process Chains (EPK 2004), Luxembourg, Luxembourg, October 2004.

J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: Exchanging EPC Business Process Models with EPML. In: M. Nüttgens, J. Mendling, eds.: Proc. of the 1st GI Workshop XML4BPM - XML Interchange Formats for Business Process Management" at Modellierung 2004, Marburg Germany, pp. 61-79, March 2004.

J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: XML-based Reference Modelling: Foundations of an EPC Markup Language. In: J. Becker, P. Delfmann, eds.: Proc. of the 8th GI Workshop Referenzmodellierung 2004 at MKWI 2004, Essen Germany, pp. 51-72, March 2004.

J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: EPC Syntax Validation with XML Schema Languages. In: M. Nüttgens, F.J. Rump, eds.: Proc. of the 2nd GI Workshop on Event-Driven Process Chains (EPK 2003), Bamberg Germany, pp. 19-30, October 2003.

J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: XML-basierte Geschäftsprozessmodellierung (in German). In: W. Uhr, E. Schoop, W. Esswein, eds.: Proc. of the 6th International GI-Conference Wirtschaftsinformatik "Medien - Märkte - Mobilität" (WI), Dresden Germany, pp. 161-180, September 2003.

J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: EPC Modelling based on Implicit Arc Types. In: M. Godlevsky, S.W. Liddle, H.C. Mayr, eds.: Proc. of the 2nd International Conference on Information Systems Technology and its Applications (ISTA), Kharkiv Ukraine, pp. 131-142, June 2003.

J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: Event-Driven-Process-Chain-Markup-Language (EPML): Anforderungen zur Definition eines XML-Schemas für Ereignisgesteuerte Prozessketten (EPK) (in German). In: M. Nüttgens, F.J. Rump, eds.: Proc. of the 1st GI Workshop on Event-Driven Process Chains (EPK 2002), Trier Germany, pp. 87-93, November 2002.

Further EPC related papers can be found at EPC Community.

References on EPML:

P. Fettke, P. Loos: Referenzmodellierungsforschung. In: Wirtschaftsinformatik, Heft 5/2004, pp. 331-340.

J. vom Brocke: Internetbasierte Referenzmodellierung - State-of-the-Art und Entwicklungsperspektiven. In: Wirtschaftsinformatik, Heft 5/2004, pp. 390-404.

J. Mendling, G. Neumann, M. Nüttgens: A Comparison of XML Interchange Formats for Business Process Modelling. Accepted for the GI Workshop "EMISA 2004 - Development Methods for Information Systems and their Application" (EMISA 2004), Luxembourg, Luxembourg, October 2004.

N. Cuntz, E. Kindler: On the semantics of EPCs: Efficient calculation and simulation. In: M. Nüttgens, F. Rump Proc. of the 3rd GI Workshop "Geschäftsprozessmanagement mit Ereignis-gesteuerten Prozessketten (EPK 2004)", Luxembourg, Luxembourg, October 2004, pp. 7-26.

M. zur Mühlen: Workflow-based Process Controlling. Foundation, Design and Application of workflow-driven Process Information Systems. Logos, Berlin 2004. 315 pages. ISBN 3-8325-0388-9.

A. Winter, C. Simon: Exchanging Business Process Models with GXL. In: M. Nüttgens, J. Mendling, eds.: Proc. of the 1st GI Workshop "XML4BPM - XML Interchange Formats for Business Process Management" at Modellierung 2004, Marburg Germany, March 2004, pp.103-122.

A. Büyükyilmaz, P. Forbrig: Unternehmensportale in Verbindung mit ARIS. http://e-lib.informatik.uni-rostock.de/fulltext/2003/misc/Forbrig-EM-2003.pdf, 2003.

Contact:

Jan Mendling

	J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: *EPC Markup Language (EPML) - An XML-Based Interchange Format for Event-Driven Process Chains (EPC)*. Technical Report JM-2005-03-10. Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, 2005.
	J. Mendling, A. Brabenetz, G. Neumann: *EPML2SVG - Generating Websites from EPML Processes*. In: M. Nüttgens, F.J. Rump, eds.: Proc. of the 3rd GI Workshop on Event-Driven Process Chains (EPK 2004), Luxembourg, Luxembourg, October 2004.
	J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: *Transformation of ARIS Markup Language to EPML*. In: M. Nüttgens, F.J. Rump, eds.: Proc. of the 3rd GI Workshop on Event-Driven Process Chains (EPK 2004), Luxembourg, Luxembourg, October 2004.
	J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: *Exchanging EPC Business Process Models with EPML*. In: M. Nüttgens, J. Mendling, eds.: Proc. of the 1st GI Workshop XML4BPM - XML Interchange Formats for Business Process Management" at Modellierung 2004, Marburg Germany, pp. 61-79, March 2004.
	J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: *XML-based Reference Modelling: Foundations of an EPC Markup Language*. In: J. Becker, P. Delfmann, eds.: Proc. of the 8th GI Workshop Referenzmodellierung 2004 at MKWI 2004, Essen Germany, pp. 51-72, March 2004.
	J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: *EPC Syntax Validation with XML Schema Languages*. In: M. Nüttgens, F.J. Rump, eds.: Proc. of the 2nd GI Workshop on Event-Driven Process Chains (EPK 2003), Bamberg Germany, pp. 19-30, October 2003.
	J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: *XML-basierte Geschäftsprozessmodellierung* (in German). In: W. Uhr, E. Schoop, W. Esswein, eds.: Proc. of the 6th International GI-Conference Wirtschaftsinformatik "Medien - Märkte - Mobilität" (WI), Dresden Germany, pp. 161-180, September 2003.
	J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: *EPC Modelling based on Implicit Arc Types*. In: M. Godlevsky, S.W. Liddle, H.C. Mayr, eds.: Proc. of the 2nd International Conference on Information Systems Technology and its Applications (ISTA), Kharkiv Ukraine, pp. 131-142, June 2003.
	J. Mendling, M. Nüttgens: *Event-Driven-Process-Chain-Markup-Language (EPML):* Anforderungen zur Definition eines XML-Schemas für Ereignisgesteuerte Prozessketten (EPK) (in German). In: M. Nüttgens, F.J. Rump, eds.: Proc. of the 1st GI Workshop on Event-Driven Process Chains (EPK 2002), Trier Germany, pp. 87-93, November 2002.