Traceability and Synchronization Between BPMN and UML Use Case Models Aljia Bouzidi 1* , Nahla Haddar 1 , Kais Haddar 2 1 FSEGS, Sfax University, Tunisia 2 FSS, Sfax University, Tunisia Corresponding Author Email: aljia.bouzidi@gmail.com https://doi.org/10.18280/isi.240214 ABSTRACT Received: 18 January 2019 Accepted: 25 March 2019 The purpose of this paper is to ensure and maintain the alignment between business modeling and requirement elicitation. To do this, we propose an approach that combines the strengths of traceability and model transformations to bridge the gap between BPMN model and the UML use Case models in particular, we propose an intermediate integrated model (BPSUC), and bidirectional transformation rules between the use case and BPMN models into the BPSUC and vice versa. We have implemented an editor to design and visualize BPSUC, and ATL transformation rules to carry out transformation and have successfully tested our approach on a case study, and evaluation criteria. The engineers and the business design can use BPSUC to work together in a single integrated diagram as well as they can synchronize their initial model through the bidirectional model transformations. Keywords: alignment, traceability, synchronization, model integration, BPMN, use case model, integration mechanism, model transformations 1. INTRODUCTION The traceability and synchronization (trace&synch) are widely accepted as crucial concerns to bridge the gap between heterogeneous models. Organizations Model Driven Development (MDD) deals with trace&synch through model transformations (forward: such as transformation from the Computation Independent Model (CIM) to the Platform Independent Model (PIM) level of the model-driven architecture (MDA) [1] or backward). However, by model transformations trace&synch exclusively emphasize on the transformed related elements while the non-transformed and the nonrelated elements are beyond their scope. Therefore, establishing traceability/synchronization based only on model transformation may give rise to incomplete and inconsistent results. Trace&synch may be defined as an external trace (meta)model to express all relationship types. These relationships help to understand interrelations among heterogeneous model elements. A trace&synch (meta) model may be built through an integration mechanism that defines explicitly relationships between related elements as well as maintains traceability information throughout. Hence, an integration mechanism allows not only associating related elements but also preserving the nonrelated elements within the integrated model. Another benefit in favor is that it enables the coevolution of heterogeneous models by handling simultaneously all existing elements as well as trace links between them. However, an integrated trace&synch metamodel does not tolerate the synchronization of the source models. Therefore, to obtain a rigorous solution that ensures trace&synch, it is important to explore both, model transformation and the definition of an external integrated trace model. Accordingly, the issues for establishing traceability as well as synchronization to ensure the global consistency between information systems and business processes, and keep them aligned even if they evolve are still open problems and need methods and approaches to bridge the gap between requirements and business processes. To solve these defects, this paper combines the use of both model transformation and metamodeling mechanisms to yield an accurate approach that establishes and maintains traceability as well as synchronization between business process and requirement models in a straightforward way. Particular attention is paid to the UML use case models [2] as the most used models to specify the requirements, and to BPMN [3] as the most commonly used notation to model business process models. Thereby, we first define an integrated trace&synch metamodel for representing the BPMN and the UML use cases models in the form of a unified metamodel. Our integrated trace&synch metamodel denotes explicitly trace links as new modeling elements to correlate related elements. Then, we define an integrated trace&synch model as an instantiation of our integrated trace&synch metamodel. We represent the integrated trace&synch model as a new diagram that we call BPSUC (Business Process Supported Use Cases). BPSUC is built not only to keep track of the transformations between BPMN and UML use case elements but also to provide a visualization means for representing graphically the trace links in a user-friendly way. It combines joint usage of BPMN and UC models. Thus, business designers can determine more accurately schedules and costs of business model changes instead of depending on requirement designers to know which artifacts will be affected by these changes. Then, we propose sets of forward and backward transformations that establish traceability links between BPMN and UML use cases models and ensure a semi-automated synchronization of them. The transformation is carried out by going through the BPSUC model to check, correct and validate the changes performed before integrating them into the BPMN and the UML Use Case models. We have implemented a proof of concept prototype in the form of an editor to design and visualize BPSUC models, and sets of Ingénierie des Systèmes d’Information Vol. 24, No. 2, April, 2019, pp. 215-228 Journal homepage: http://iieta.org/journals/isi 215