Layered Architecture in Enterprise BPM Systems as a Foundation for Long-Term Extensibility

Abstract

This article addresses the challenge of ensuring the long-term extensibility of enterprise business process management (BPM) systems under conditions of increasing architectural complexity and a growing number of integrations with external systems. Particular attention is paid to the limitations of traditional architectural approaches based on tightly coupled components, where even minor modifications affect multiple system layers and reduce maintainability. The study combines an analytical review of recent research on enterprise architecture, business process management, event-driven execution, and data-driven BPM with a case analysis of the OpenText MBPM platform. The findings demonstrate that a system’s capacity for sustainable evolution is determined primarily by its architectural structure and the distribution of changes across layers rather than by the number of implemented functions or modular extensions. Based on the analysis, the study proposes the Layered Extensibility Architecture for BPM Systems (LEA-BPM), which distinguishes a stable architectural core comprising data storage, process execution, and deployment from design and interaction layers where modifications are localized. The proposed model extends existing approaches to BPM architecture by conceptualizing extensibility as a structural property achieved through change isolation across architectural layers. The practical value of the model lies in supporting the design and evolution of enterprise BPM systems operating in environments characterized by continuous process changes and intensive system integration, enabling the introduction of new functionality and external connections without modifying core system components. The article is intended for researchers and practitioners in enterprise architecture, enterprise information systems development, business process management, and digital transformation.