Refinement of SDBC Business Process Models Using ISDL

Aiming at aligning business process modeling and software specification, the SDBC approach considers a multi-viewpoint modeling where static, dynamic, and data business process aspect models have to be mapped adequately to corresponding static, dynamic, and data software specification aspect models. Next to that, the approach considers also a business process modeling viewpoint which concerns real-life communication and coordination issues, such as meanings, intentions, negotiations, commitments, and obligations. Hence, in order to adequately align communication and dynamic aspect models, SDBC should use at least two modeling techniques. However, the transformation between two techniques unnecessarily complicates the modeling process. Next to that, different techniques use different modeling formalisms whose reflection sometimes causes limitations. For this reason, we explore in the current paper the value which the (modeling) language ISDL could bring to SDBC in the alignment of communication and behavioral (dynamic) business process aspect models; ISDL can usefully refine dynamic process models. Thus, it is feasible to expect that ISDL can complement the SDBC approach, allowing refinement of dynamic business process aspect models, by adding communication and coordination actions. Furthermore, SDBC could benefit from ISDL-related methods assessing whether a realized refinement conforms to the original process model. Our studies in the paper are supported by an illustrative example

Designing a Cultural Heritage Sector Broker Using SDBC

Among the actual cultural-heritage-related problems is the one of effectively managing and globally distributing digitized cultural (and scientific) information. The only feasible way to realize this goal is via the Internet. Hence, a significant issue to be considered is the adequate design of software applications which to realize brokerage tasks within the global space. However, due to the great complexity of this cultural-heritage- related task (compared to other brokerage tasks successfully realized by software systems), the usage of the existing popular modeling instrumentarium seems inadequate. Hence, in this paper, an approach is presented and it is briefly discussed how the approach could be useful for building cultural heritage sector brokers

Interim research assessment 2003-2005 - Computer Science

This report primarily serves as a source of information for the 2007 Interim Research Assessment Committee for Computer Science at the three technical universities in the Netherlands. The report also provides information for others interested in our research activities

A Re-engineering approach for software systems complying with the utilisation of ubiquitous computing technologies.

The evident progression of ubiquitous technologies has put forward the introduction of new features which software systems can sustain. Several of the ubiquitous technologies available today are regarded as fundamental elements of many software applications in various domains. The utilisation of ubiquitous technologies has an apparent impact on business processes that can grant organisations a competitive advantage and improve their productivity. The change in the business processes in such organisations typically leads to a change in the underlying software systems. In addressing the need for change in the underlying software systems, this research is focused on establishing a general framework and methodology to facilitate the reengineering of software systems in order to allow the incorporation of new features which are introduced by the employment of ubiquitous technologies. Although this thesis aims to be general and not limited to a specific programming language or software development approach, the focus is on Object-Oriented software. The reengineering framework follows a systematic step-based approach, with greater focus on the reverse engineering aspect. The four stages of the framework are: program understanding, additional-requirement engineering, integration, and finally the testing and operation stage. In its first stage, the proposed reengineering framework regards the source code as the starting point to understand the system using a static-analysis based method. The second stage is concerned with the elicitation of the user functional requirements resulting from the introduction of ubiquitous technologies. In the third stage, the goal is to integrate the system’s components and hardware handlers using a developed integration algorithm and available integration techniques. In the fourth and final stage, which is discussed in a general manner only in this thesis, the reengineered system is tested and put in the operation phase. The proposed approach is demonstrated using a case study in Java to show that the proposed approach is feasible and promising in its domain. Conclusions are drawn based on analysis and further research directions are discussed at the end of the study

Financial stability of banking system in China

This thesis aims at investigating the financial stability of China's banking system. Since the banking system is one of the most important financial intermediaries in the financial systems, the financial soundness of banks could secure the stability of the whole financial system. Two of the factors that may significantly increase imbalance of the banking system, and hence affect financial stability of an economy is the accumulated non-performing loans of banks and the macro-economic turbulences. This fact raises the questions of how macroeconomic condition, as a determinant of systemic distress, can be assessed more comprehensively and consistently, and what the implications are for modelling it within an integrated credit risk framework. The aim of this thesis is addressing these issues. We develop a framework for macro stress-testing of China's banking system. Our estimates of the correlations between banks' stability indicators and macroeconomic factors establish significant relationships between the non-performing loan ratio and key macro-economic variables, such as GDP growth, the retail price index, the unemployment rate, total fixed investment, the money supply, interest rates and exchange rates. Further, results from the macro stress tests show that robustness, or otherwise, of the banking system is highly dependent on the source of the potential risk. Our value-at-risk tests suggest that (at a 99% confidence level) the Chinese banking system is robust with respect to interest rate shocks. However, GDP growth and exchange rate shocks exhibit a profound negative effect, indicating that significant losses become likely. We also examine the determinants of non-performing loan ratio for regional China‘s banking system, using data from 2002 to 2011 for 31 regions in China. Our estimations suggest that the non-performing loan ratio worsens with decreasing economic growth, shrinking export and property market depression. Further, with the help of a probit model, we identify the leading indicators of banking distress and estimate the banking distress probability for regional China. Moreover, this study provides an overview of banking system stability in the geographical distribution of these indicators. The findings show there are significant relationships between the regional banking distress indicator and key macroeconomic variables, such as GDP growth, the consumer price index, the unemployment rate, and house price. Based on the findings, we designed an early-warning system to monitor banking stability of regional China. These results should prove informative for policymakers and regulators alike, regarding awareness of loss-limitation in China‘s banking system, the banking distress signals and macro-prudential perspectives to monitor the potential risk exposure of the banking system in China's regions