Event-based conceptual modeling

Purpose - The purpose of the paper is to obtain insight into, and provide practical advice for, event-based conceptual modeling. Design/methodology/approach - The paper analyzes a set of event concepts and uses the results to formulate a conceptual event model that is used to identify guidelines for creation of dynamic process models and static information models. Findings - The paper characterizes events as short-duration processes that have participants, consequences, and properties, and that may be modeled in terms of information structures. The conceptual event model is used to characterize a variety of event concepts and it is used to illustrate how events can be used to integrate dynamic modeling of processes and static modeling of information structures. Originality/value - The results are unique in the sense that no other general event concept has been used to unify a similar broad variety of seemingly incompatible event concepts. The general event concept can be used to improve dynamic and static modeling.