REA transaction, DEMO, transaction pattern, REA model

The notion of transaction is used in some business process modeling approaches such as the DEMO (Design & Engineering Methodology for Organizations) and the REA (resource-event-agent) value modeling approach. The DEMO?s transaction forms a basic building block from which a business process is composed. The REA value modeling approach utilizes transactions in an REA model representing a business process. In eneral, both methodologies utilize the notion of transaction, which has, however, a different meaning in these approaches. The aim of the paper is to describe the basic models of both approaches and to show, with the ?rent-a-car? example, the principal differences between the notions of transaction between them.