A Reference Architecture for Automation of Inter-Organizational Process-Oriented Collaboration

Mollahoseini Ardakani, Mohammad Reza; Hashemi, Seyyed Mohsen; Razzazi, Mohammadreza

A Reference Architecture for Automation of Inter-Organizational Process-Oriented Collaboration

Document Type: Original Manuscript

Authors

¹ Computer Engineering Department, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, IRAN

² Assistant Professor, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, IRAN

³ Associate Professor, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, IRAN

Abstract

In today’s competitive, dynamic, and changing business environment, being able to collaborate globally within and beyond the enterprise borders is critical. Inter-Organizational Collaborations (IOCs) have been proposed as a response to the characteristics of highly competitive global business environments. So far, a number of reference models, frameworks, and ad hoc architectures related to some manifestations of inter-organizational collaborations have emerged. However, less research attention has been focused on concrete cases of IOCs establishment. This paper derives a distributed service-oriented reference architecture for inter-organizational process-oriented collaboration support system from the conceptual architectures of three examined research projects in collaborative networks domain: CrossWork, ECOLEAD, and eSRA. The reference architecture covers both the IOCs’ establishment and management systematically. The proposed reference architecture is then evaluated using three other research projects: SUDDEN, MISE and Pilarcos projects. The reference architecture can serve as a foundation for analysis and design of concrete architectures of IOC systems.

Keywords