Comparison of the BPMN 2.0 Extension Mechanism to Domain-Specific Ad-Hoc Extensions

The main objective of this paper is to present a satisfying argument either for or against the use of the official BPMN extension mechanism when developing extensions of BPMN to model domain-specific concepts. Therefore, it will answer the question, whether or not the BPMN 2.0 extension mechanism results in improved applicability of the extension compared to ad-hoc created ones. This, in turn, will also provide recommendations on the development of further extensions of BPMN regarding the way in which extensions are developed.
Depending on the outcome of the thesis' comparison between the use of the extension mechanism and an ad-hoc approach to BPMN extension development, different implications will be drawn for future extension proposal efforts. Should the use of the extension mechanism be seen as essential, this thesis will provide an incitement to researchers, to adopt the universally structured approach of the extension mechanism to future BPMN extension efforts. In a broader sense, the result will also hint at a dire need for further research on the mechanism itself, figure out exactly why it is so underused despite its importance and how the situation could be improved.
Alternatively, the thesis' results could also justify the predominantly used ad-hoc approaches to extension development. In that case, the thesis will provide researchers with a convincing argument for future BPMN extension efforts to adopt ad-hoc approaches instead of the extension mechanism. The thesis will then also function as a kind of reassurance for the development approaches of past BPMN extensions endeavours.