An Optimization Ontology for Goal Modelling Frameworks.

Enterprises are driven by specific business objectives which should be delivered in the best possible manner within constrained business environments. In this paper, we propose a new ontology for goal modeling frameworks that enables enterprises to formally capture the business objectives and constraints associated with business goals as an optimization problem. We associate optimization problems with goals in such a manner that the solutions to the problems at the lower levels of the goal decomposition tree can be combined to obtain the solution for goals higher up in the tree. As a proof-of-concept, we have developed a web-based supply chain configuration management tool, deployed over the Ethereum blockchain, that relies on the Google OR-tools API to find optimal solutions. The interface allows the user to specify business objectives and constraints and then provides the best possible supply chain configuration that optimizes the business objectives.