Computer-implemented method and system to support in developing a process specification for a collaborative process

DETAILED DESCRIPTION According to one aspect, the present invention provides a computer-implemented method to support in developing a process specification for a collaborative process involving distributed computer-based participant systems exchanging messages through an asynchronous messaging network, the method embodied by a computer program product executable by a computer system and causing, when executed, the computer system to carry out the steps of retrieving from a first storage location, sub-system state information on sub-system states and sub-system state transitions in relation to a plurality of software sub-systems of each participant system, the sub-system state information specifying in relation to each sub-system state transition, starting and target sub-system states of the corresponding software sub-system and events triggering, and resulting from, the respective sub-system state transition; processing the retrieved sub-system state information to generate, and store in a second storage location, collaboration state information on collaboration states and collaboration state transitions of the process, the collaboration states being defined by a sub-system state for each software sub-system of each participant system and a communication status of each message exchangeable between the participant systems, the collaboration state transitions being determined based on the sub-system state transitions; upon generation and storage of the collaboration state information, retrieving the collaboration state information from the second storage location; processing the retrieved collaboration state information to generate information on incompletely specified terminal collaboration states among the collaboration states, an incompletely specified terminal collaboration state being a terminal collaboration state in which at least one message is underway between the participant systems; and generating a result data object containing information on every incompletely specified terminal collaboration state found