Gamification as a Service: Conceptualization of a Generic Enterprise Gamification Platform

Gamification is a novel method to improve engagement, motivation, or participation in non-game contexts using game mechanics. To a large extent, gamification is a psychological- and design-oriented discipline, i.e., a lot of effort has to be spent already in the design phase of a gamification project. Subsequently, the design is implemented in information systems such as portals or enterprise resource planning applications. These systems act as mediators to transport a gameful design to its users. However, the efforts for the subsequent development and integration process are often underestimated. In fact, most conceptual gamification designs are never implemented due to the high development costs that arise from building the gamification solution from scratch, imprecise design or technical requirements, and communication conflicts between different stakeholders in the project. This thesis addresses these problems by systematically defining the phases and stakeholders of the overall gamification process. Furthermore, the thesis rigorously defines the conceptual requirements of gamification based on a broad literature review. The identified conceptual requirements are mapped to a domain-specific language, called the Gamification Modeling Language. Moreover, this thesis analyzes 29 existing gamification solutions that aim to decrease the implementation efforts of gamification. However, using the different language elements, it is shown that none of the existing solutions suffices all requirements. Therefore, a generic and reusable platform as runtime environment for gamification is proposed which fulfills all presented functional and non-functional requirements. As another benefit, it is shown how the Gamification Modeling Language can be automatically compiled into code for the gamification runtime environment and, thus, further reduces development efforts. Based on the developed artifacts and five real gamified applications from industry, it is shown that the efforts for the implementation of the gamification can be significantly reduced from several months or weeks to a few days. Since the technology is designed as a reusable service, future projects benefit continuously with regards to time and efforts

Model-Supported Business Alignment of IT — Conceptual Foundations

Business Information Technology (IT) alignment focuses on the efficient support of business processes by IT. Therefore,existing software artifacts are addressed by business process models. When the processes change, however, there is a need toadjust the supporting software systems. Thus, already during the design phase of business process models, IT artifacts shouldto be considered. The instrument of conceptual modeling gains wide acceptance, especially in the health care sector todescribe and manage clinical processes, such as Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) and Clinical Pathways (CP). There are noholistic approaches so far that provide the alignment between these two concepts and ensure the quality of treatment and theconsistent adaptation of a Hospital Information System (HIS), in particular the hospital’s Workflow Management System(WfMS). To link business process models and the WfMS, the Description Kit Approach (DKA) is used to prepare conceptualmodels to make them automatically analyzable. It is suggested that at an early stage of the modeling process the use ofguidelines has an substantial benefit for avoiding integration conflicts in conceptual models. Furthermore, due to the way theapproach bridges the semantic gap, changes of business requirements as well as technical implementation restrictionsinfluence each other. This results in an ongoing system development process that can be interpreted as a permanentmanagement of application systems. Our results contribute to model-based management theories that have so far neglectedthe distributed construction of conceptual models

Multilevel Modeling

Domain-specific modeling languages (DSMLs) promise clear advantages over general-purpose modeling languages. However, their design poses a fundamental challenge. While economies of scale advocate the development of DSMLs that can be used in a wide range of cases, modeling productivity demands more specific language concepts tuned to individual requirements. Inspired by the actual use of technical languages (German: “Fachsprachen”), this paper presents a novel multilevel modeling approach to conceptual modeling and to the design of information systems. Unlike traditional language architectures such as Meta Object Facility (MOF), it features a recursive architecture that allows for an arbitrary number of classification levels and, hence, for the design of hierarchies of DSMLs ranging from reference DSMLs to “local” DSMLs. It can not only diminish the conflict inherent in designing DSMLs, but enables the reuse and integration of software artifacts in general. It also helps reduce modeling complexity by relaxing the rigid dichotomy between specialization and instantiation. Furthermore, it integrates a meta-modeling language with a metamodel of a reflective meta-programming language, thereby allowing for executable models. The specification of the language architecture is supplemented by the description of use scenarios that illustrate the potential of multilevel modeling and a critical discussion of its peculiarities

A Comprehensive Workflow for General-Purpose Neural Modeling with Highly Configurable Neuromorphic Hardware Systems

In this paper we present a methodological framework that meets novel requirements emerging from upcoming types of accelerated and highly configurable neuromorphic hardware systems. We describe in detail a device with 45 million programmable and dynamic synapses that is currently under development, and we sketch the conceptual challenges that arise from taking this platform into operation. More specifically, we aim at the establishment of this neuromorphic system as a flexible and neuroscientifically valuable modeling tool that can be used by non-hardware-experts. We consider various functional aspects to be crucial for this purpose, and we introduce a consistent workflow with detailed descriptions of all involved modules that implement the suggested steps: The integration of the hardware interface into the simulator-independent model description language PyNN; a fully automated translation between the PyNN domain and appropriate hardware configurations; an executable specification of the future neuromorphic system that can be seamlessly integrated into this biology-to-hardware mapping process as a test bench for all software layers and possible hardware design modifications; an evaluation scheme that deploys models from a dedicated benchmark library, compares the results generated by virtual or prototype hardware devices with reference software simulations and analyzes the differences. The integration of these components into one hardware-software workflow provides an ecosystem for ongoing preparative studies that support the hardware design process and represents the basis for the maturity of the model-to-hardware mapping software. The functionality and flexibility of the latter is proven with a variety of experimental results

Enterprise Integration Modeling Linking Enterprise Integration Architecture With Business Strategy Planning

The goals for this study were twofold. The first goal was to identify planning variables for linking both organizational and architectural objectives for developing enterprise integration architecture. The second goal was to validate enterprise integration modeling methodology as a viable planning tool for the design, development, and maintenance of the enterprise integration architecture. This lack of linkage at the intellectual dimension level can be characterized as having a dysfunctional effect on enterprise integration strategy formulation and infrastructure development. There is a disjoint between adoptions of appropriate information technology in relation to organizational objectives. This includes misapplication of investments in information technology selection and business systems development portfolio, failed information systems projects, architectures that do not support the strategic direction, and the organization\u27s inability to manage change associated with environmental imperatives that impact the firm\u27s ability to define information technology and systems requirements for competitive positioning. In order to achieve the objectives the author in this research, developed a conceptual Enterprise Integration Architecture Planning Model and Methodology (EIAPMIM) model as the basis for linking enterprise integration architecture objectives and organizational objectives. Research data confirmed the need to effect linkages between organizational objectives and architectural objectives to achieve enterprise integration and validated enterprise integration modeling as the means by which enterprise integration architecture is developed

Adaptive Modeling, Engineering Analysis and Design of Advanced Aerospace Vehicles

This paper describes initial progress towards the development and enhancement of a set of software tools for rapid adaptive modeling, and conceptual design of advanced aerospace vehicle concepts. With demanding structural and aerodynamic performance requirements, these high fidelity geometry based modeling tools are essential for rapid and accurate engineering analysis at the early concept development stage. This adaptive modeling tool was used for generating vehicle parametric geometry, outer mold line and detailed internal structural layout of wing, fuselage, skin, spars, ribs, control surfaces, frames, bulkheads, floors, etc., that facilitated rapid finite element analysis, sizing study and weight optimization. The high quality outer mold line enabled rapid aerodynamic analysis in order to provide reliable design data at critical flight conditions. Example application for structural design of a conventional aircraft and a high altitude long endurance vehicle configuration are presented. This work was performed under the Conceptual Design Shop sub-project within the Efficient Aerodynamic Shape and Integration project, under the former Vehicle Systems Program. The project objective was to design and assess unconventional atmospheric vehicle concepts efficiently and confidently. The implementation may also dramatically facilitate physics-based systems analysis for the NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Mission. In addition to providing technology for design and development of unconventional aircraft, the techniques for generation of accurate geometry and internal sub-structure and the automated interface with the high fidelity analysis codes could also be applied towards the design of vehicles for the NASA Exploration and Space Science Mission projects

Semantically valid integration of development processes and toolchains

As an indispensable component of today’s world economy and an increasing success factor in production and other processes, as well as products, software needs to handle a growing number of specific requirements and influencing factors that are driven by globalization. Two common success factors in the domain of Software Systems Engineering are standardized software development processes and process-supported toolchains. Development processes should be formally integrated with toolchains. The sequence and the results of toolchains must also be validated with the specifications of the development process on several levels. The outcome of a conceptual deductive analysis is that there is neither a formal general mapping nor a generally accepted validation mechanism for the challenges that such an integrated concept faces. To close this research gap, this paper focuses on the core issue of the integration of development processes and toolchains in order to create benefits for modeling and automatization in the domain of systems engineering. Therefore, it describes a self-developed integration approach related to the recently introduced prototypical technical implementation TOPWATER. A unified metamodel specifies how processes and toolchains are linked by a general mapping mechanism that considers test options for the structural, content, and semantic levels

Modeling of Traceability Information System for Material Flow Control Data.

This paper focuses on data modeling for traceability of material/work flow in information layer of manufacturing control system. The model is able to trace all associated data throughout the product manufacturing from order to final product. Dynamic data processing of Quality and Purchase activities are considered in data modeling as well as Order and Operation base on lots particulars. The modeling consisted of four steps and integrated as one final model. Entity-Relationships Modeling as data modeling methodology is proposed. The model is reengineered with Toad Data Modeler software in physical modeling step. The developed model promises to handle fundamental issues of a traceability system effectively. It supports for customization and real-time control of material in flow in all levels of manufacturing processes. Through enhanced visibility and dynamic store/retrieval of data, all traceability usages and applications is responded. Designed solution is initially applicable as reference data model in identical lot-base traceability system

Knowledge formalization in experience feedback processes : an ontology-based approach

Because of the current trend of integration and interoperability of industrial systems, their size and complexity continue to grow making it more difficult to analyze, to understand and to solve the problems that happen in their organizations. Continuous improvement methodologies are powerful tools in order to understand and to solve problems, to control the effects of changes and finally to capitalize knowledge about changes and improvements. These tools involve suitably represent knowledge relating to the concerned system. Consequently, knowledge management (KM) is an increasingly important source of competitive advantage for organizations. Particularly, the capitalization and sharing of knowledge resulting from experience feedback are elements which play an essential role in the continuous improvement of industrial activities. In this paper, the contribution deals with semantic interoperability and relates to the structuring and the formalization of an experience feedback (EF) process aiming at transforming information or understanding gained by experience into explicit knowledge. The reuse of such knowledge has proved to have significant impact on achieving themissions of companies. However, the means of describing the knowledge objects of an experience generally remain informal. Based on an experience feedback process model and conceptual graphs, this paper takes domain ontology as a framework for the clarification of explicit knowledge and know-how, the aim of which is to get lessons learned descriptions that are significant, correct and applicable