The current invention relates to a technology for processing of compensation scopes comprised within atomic scopes of a process model by a Workflow Management System or a computer system with comparable functionality (WFMS). The method comprises a step of checking whether the atomic scope of the process instance of that process model has been aborted abnormally. If this is the case, in a further step it is analyzed if in the process model the compensation scope has been associated with a specific atomic scope behavior specification, defining a specific abort handling for the compensation scope in the particular case that the compensation scope is comprised within an atomic scope and the atomic scope has been aborted. In a final step the compensation scope is processed according to the specific atomic scope behavior specification.