Context-aware Process Management for the Software Engineering Domain

Historically, software development projects are challenged with problems concerning budgets, deadlines and the quality of the produced software. Such problems have various causes like the high number of unplanned activities and the operational dynamics present in this domain. Most activities are knowledge-intensive and require collaboration of various actors. Additionally, the produced software is intangible and therefore difficult to measure. Thus, software producers are often insufficiently aware of the state of their source code, while suitable software quality measures are often applied too late in the project lifecycle, if at all. Software development processes are used by the majority of software companies to ensure the quality and reproducibility of their development endeavors. Typically, these processes are abstractly defined utilizing process models. However, they still need to be interpreted by individuals and be manually executed, resulting in governance and compliance issues. The environment is sufficiently dynamic that unforeseen situations can occur due to various events, leading to potential aberrations and process governance issues. Furthermore, as process models are implemented manually without automation support, they impose additional work for the executing humans. Their advantages often remain hidden as aligning the planned process with reality is cumbersome. In response to these problems, this thesis contributes the Context-aware Process Management (CPM) framework. The latter enables holistic and automated support for software engineering projects and their processes. In particular, it provides concepts for extending process management technology to support software engineering process models in their entirety. Furthermore, CPM contributes an approach to integrate the enactment of the process models better with the real-world process by introducing a set of contextual extensions. Various events occurring in the course of the projects can be utilized to improve process support and activities outside the realm of the process models can be covered. That way, the continuously growing divide between the plan and reality that often occurs in software engineering projects can be avoided. Finally, the CPM framework comprises facilities to better connect the software engineering process with other important aspects and areas of software engineering projects. This includes automated process-oriented support for software quality management or software engineering knowledge management. The CPM framework has been validated by a prototypical implementation, various sophisticated scenarios, and its practical application at two software companies

Function-oriented in-line quality assurance of hybrid sheet molding compound

Die Verwendung von faserverstärkten Kunststoffen (FVK) nimmt weltweit stetig zu. Die Kombination von diskontinuierlichem Sheet Molding Compound (DiCo-SMC) und kontinuierlichem SMC (Co-SMC) in einer neuen, hybriden Materialklasse (CoDiCo-SMC) verspricht günstige Herstellungskosten bei gleichzeitig hoher lokaler Steifigkeit und Festigkeit zu erreichen. Allerdings gefährden auftretende Fertigungsabweichungen die Funktionserfüllung der gefertigten Bauteile. Die resultierende Forderung nach fehlerfreien FVK-Bauteilen gilt neben den hohen Preisen für Rohmaterialien als ein weiterer Kostentreiber. Mithilfe des Ansatzes einer bauteilindividuellen, funktionsorientierten In-line-Qualitätssicherung soll im Rahmen dieser Arbeit Abhilfe geschaffen werden. Für diese Art der Qualitätssicherung werden In-line-Messergebnisse in Funktionsmodelle integriert. Metamodelle der Funktionsmodelle beschleunigen die Funktionsbewertung und ermöglichen eine Funktionsaussage innerhalb der Zykluszeit in der Produktion. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die bauteilindividuelle, funktionsorientierte In-line-Qualitäts-sicherung exemplarisch für die neue Werkstoffklasse CoDiCo-SMC umgesetzt. Zur Quantifizierung von drei relevanten Fertigungsabweichungen (lokale Glasfaseranteile, Pose des Co-SMC Patches, Delamination) wurden drei verschiedene Messtechniken eingesetzt. Die Terahertz-Spektroskopie wurde zum ersten Mal zur In-line-Messung lokaler Glasfaseranteile in DiCo-SMC eingesetzt. Die Puls-Phasen-Thermografie wurde zur Quantifizierung der Delamination und eine Industriekamera zur Messung der Pose des Co-SMC Patches genutzt. Für jede Messtechnik wurde die Messunsicherheit gemäß des „Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement“ (GUM) quantifiziert. Die Messergebnisse wurden in einem parametrierten Finite-Elemente-Modell (FE) weiterverarbeitet und zu einer Funktionsprädiktion aggregiert. Mit Hilfe der Messergebnisse und der modellierten Funktion konnten über diese Input-Output-Beziehungen Metamodelle trainiert werden. In dieser Arbeit wird die prädizierte Bauteilfunktion ebenfalls als Messergebnis verstanden. Daher wurden die Mess-unsicherheiten sowohl der FE-Modelle als auch der Metamodelle bestimmt. Der vorgeschlagene Ansatz wurde anhand von zwei exemplarischen Prüfkörpern validiert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass insbesondere die Messung der lokalen Glasfaseranteile und der Pose des Co-SMC Patches Rückschlüsse auf die bauteilspezifische Steifigkeit zulassen. Allerdings muss aufgrund der ermittelten Messunsicherheiten derzeit noch auf eine industrielle Anwendung verzichtet werden. Die Nutzung bauteilspezifischer Funktionsinformationen nach der Fertigung ermöglicht es, gängige Sicherheitsfaktoren in der Dimensionierung von FVK-Bauteilen zu reduzieren

Reference Model for Management of RFID System Implementations

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is adopted in supply chain as it possesses high potential for optimization. However, the adoption is constrained with management and technological issues for certain domains. Applicability and profitability of the technology and implementation approaches as well as maturity of the technology and data integration are few of the concerns in this regard. Therefore, many enterprises are still skeptical about investment in RFID technology. Rightly, for instance, there are no appropriate approaches for management of the RFID system implementations at present that consider specific concerns of preparation of the food manufacturing enterprises. This research suggests a reference model for the purpose. The model is a result of extensive literature reviews and practice-oriented research aiming practical solutions to the problems of the respective domain. The model, which involves planning, organization and realization of RFID system implementation activities, considers multiple facets of RFID system implementations in order to increase understanding of RFID technology (i.e. knowledge development), ease decision making of an RFID implementation (i.e. willingness), and reduce cost and complexity of RFID system implementations (i.e. effectiveness and efficiency). It is an artifact of design-oriented information system research and includes a frame of reference, a process model, input and output templates, and tools and techniques. The model is applied in ‘real life context’ in order to achieve objectives of the involved enterprises. Similarly, the model aims effectiveness and efficiency in the future use, for example, by providing free of cost acquisition and appropriateness for manufacturing industries of food businesses of Saxony-Anhalt. However, adaptation efforts (e.g. by instantiation or specialization) may vary depending on the skills of users of individual enterprises. The reference model provides flexibility in terms of independence from specific vendors, openness by complying with available standards (e.g. PMBOK), and relationship to RFID system development artifacts during technical work realization

Dagstuhl-Workshop MBEES:

modellbasierte automobile Steuergeräteentwicklun

Theory and Practice for System Services Providers in Complex Value and Service Systems: ISSS 2013 Proceedings

In September 2013, the „International Symposium on Service Science (ISSS)“ offered various participants a unique platform for advancing research and discussions in service science for the fifth consecutive year. Being held as part of the “Leipzig Days of Applied Informatics/Leipziger Tage der Angewandten Informatik”, researchers and practitioners alike joined in their effort to better understand the emergence of system services providers in complex value chains and service systems. The proceedings book documents some of their insights and wants to serve as reference for the advancing discussion.:Research Paper Session: Stefan Kirn, Johannes Murray, Marc Premm, Michael Schüle, Tobias Widmer Towards a Research Framework for Multiagent Organizations Sven Tackenberg, Sönke Duckwitz, Christopher M. Schlick Simulation- and Optimization-based Development of Proposals for Service and Engineering Projects Michael Sonnenberg, Boris Ansorge, Michael Becker Potential of Service Engineering in the Field of Renewable Energies Discussion Paper Session: Sebastian Schneider, Susanne Mütze-Niewöhner Process-Oriented Simulation of Complex Service Provision Based on the Design Structure Matrix Axel Hummel, René Keßler, Arndt Döhler, Stefan Kühne Simulation as a Decision-Making Support Tool for Full-Service E-Commerce Providers Bernd Pfitzinger, Thomas Jestädt, Dragan Macos Enhancing dependability through simulations: The example of the German toll system Routis Forum: Nicola Saccani Towards a maturity assessment of service business development by manufacturers. A framework Deniz Özcan, Christina Niemöller, Michael Fellmann, Michel Matijacic, Gerald Däuble, Michael Schlicker, Oliver Thomas, Markus Nüttgens A Use Case-driven Approach to the Design of Service Support Systems: Making Use of Semantic Technologies Sibylle Hermann, Walter Ganz, Philipp Westner The path to a computer-aided design system for services Lars-Peter Meyer, Michael Thieme, Kyrill Meyer Round-Trip Engineering for System Service

Applications and Experiences of Quality Control

The rich palette of topics set out in this book provides a sufficiently broad overview of the developments in the field of quality control. By providing detailed information on various aspects of quality control, this book can serve as a basis for starting interdisciplinary cooperation, which has increasingly become an integral part of scientific and applied research

Proceedings. 22. Workshop Computational Intelligence, Dortmund, 6. - 7. Dezember 2012

Dieser Tagungsband enthält die Beiträge des 22. Workshops "Computational Intelligence" des Fachausschusses 5.14 der VDI/VDE-Gesellschaft für Mess- und Automatisierungstechnik (GMA) der vom 6. - 7. Dezember 2012 in Dortmund stattgefunden hat. Die Schwerpunkte sind Methoden, Anwendungen und Tools für - Fuzzy-Systeme, - Künstliche Neuronale Netze, - Evolutionäre Algorithmen und - Data-Mining-Verfahren sowie der Methodenvergleich anhand von industriellen Anwendungen und Benchmark-Problemen

Aerosol characterization over a Central Asian site: long-term lidar profiling at Dushanbe, Tajikistan (March 2015 – August 2016)

For the first time, a comprehensive characterization of optical, microphysical, and cloud-relevant properties of Central Asian aerosol particles with a state-of-the-art lidar has been performed. This study fills a gap between observations in Eastern Mediterranean (e.g., in Greece, Cyprus, and Israel) and Eastern Asian (e.g, in China, Korea, and Japan) aerosol monitoring. During the Central Asian Dust Experiment (CADEX), an automatic multiwavelength polarization Raman lidar PollyXT was operated in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, from 17 March 2015 until 31 August 2016. During the 18-month campaign, on 487 days, lidar data has been acquired for a time period of at least 3 h. On 308 of these days, the lidar ran even longer than 20 h. 328 manually analyzed profiles of nighttime observations build the data basis of this study and cover well the annual cycle of dust and pollution aerosol layering. Thorough quality assurance and calibration efforts have been made before, during, and after the measurement campaign. With the lidar, vertical profiles of the particle backscatter coefficient at 355 nm, 532 nm, and 1064 nm, of the particle extinction coefficient at 355 nm and 532 nm, and of the particle linear depolarization ratio at 355 nm and 532 nm wavelength were determined. From these quantities, lidar ratios and backscatter-related and extinction-related Ångström exponents were derived. Furthermore, the optical properties were converted to mass concentration and cloud-relevant parameters (CCN and INP concentration) by means of the recently developed lidar technique POLIPHON

New Opportunities for Integrated Formal Methods

Formal methods have provided approaches for investigating software engineering fundamentals and also have high potential to improve current practices in dependability assurance. In this article, we summarise known strengths and weaknesses of formal methods. From the perspective of the assurance of robots and autonomous systems~(RAS), we highlight new opportunities for integrated formal methods and identify threats to their adoption to be mitigated. Based on these opportunities and threats, we develop an agenda for fundamental and empirical research on integrated formal methods and for successful transfer of validated research to RAS assurance. Furthermore, we outline our expectations on useful outcomes of such an agenda

4th International Probabilistic Workshop: 12th-13th October 2006, Berlin, BAM (Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing)

Die heutige Welt der Menschen wird durch große Dynamik geprägt. Eine Vielzahl verschiedener Prozesse entfaltet sich parallel und teilweise auf unsichtbare Weise miteinander verbunden. Nimmt man z.B. den Prozess der Globalisierung: Hier erleben wir ein exponentielles Wachstum der internationalen Verknüpfungen von der Ebene einzelner Menschen und bis zur Ebene der Kulturen. Solche Verknüpfungen führen uns zum Begriff der Komplexität. Diese wird oft als Produkt der Anzahl der Elemente eines Systems mal Umfang der Verknüpfungen im System verstanden. In anderen Worten, die Welt wird zunehmend komplexer, denn die Verknüpfungen nehmen zu. Komplexität wiederum ist ein Begriff für etwas unverstandenes, unkontrollierbares, etwas unbestimmtes. Genau wie bei einem Menschen: Aus einer Zelle wächst ein Mensch, dessen Verhalten wir im Detail nur schwer vorhersagen können. Immerhin besitzt sein Gehirn 1011 Elemente (Zellen). Wenn also diese dynamischen sozialen Prozesse zu höherer Komplexität führen, müssen wir auch mehr Unbestimmtheit erwarten. Es bleibt zu Hoffen, dass die Unbestimmtheit nicht existenzielle Grundlagen betrifft. Was die Komplexität der Technik angeht, so versucht man hier im Gegensatz zu den gesellschaftlichen Unsicherheiten die Unsicherheiten zu erfassen und gezielt mit ihnen umzugehen. Das gilt für alle Bereiche, ob nun Naturgefahrenmanagement, beim Bau und Betrieb von Kernkraftwerken, im Bauwesen oder in der Schifffahrt. Und so verschieden diese Fachgebiete auch scheinen mögen, die an diesem Symposium teilnehmen: Sie haben erkannt, das verantwortungsvoller Umgang mit Technik einer Berücksichtigung der Unbestimmtheit bedarf. Soweit sind wir in gesellschaftlichen Prozessen noch nicht. Wünschenswert wäre, dass in einigen Jahren nicht nur Bauingenieure, Maschinenbauer, Mathematiker oder Schiffsbauer an einem solchen Probabilistik- Symposium teilnehmen, sondern auch Soziologen, Politiker oder Manager... (aus dem Vorwort) --- HINWEIS: Das Volltextdokument besteht aus einzelnen Beiträgen mit separater Seitenzählung.PREFACE: The world today is shaped by high dynamics. Multitude of processes evolves parallel and partly connected invisible. For example, the globalisation is such a process. Here one can observe the exponential growing of connections form the level of single humans to the level of cultures. Such connections guide as to the term complexity. Complexity is often understood as product of the number of elements and the amount of connections in the system. In other words, the world is going more complex, if the connections increase. Complexity itself is a term for a system, which is not fully understood, which is partly uncontrollable and indeterminated: exactly as humans. Growing from a single cell, the humans will show latter a behaviour, which we can not predict in detail. After all, the human brain consists of 1011 elements (cells). If the social dynamical processes yield to more complexity, we have to accept more indetermination. Well, one has to hope, that such an indetermination does not affect the basic of human existence. If we look at the field of technology, we can detect, that here indetermination or uncertainty is often be dealt with explicitly. This is valid for natural risk management, for nuclear engineering, civil engineering or for the design of ships. And so different the fields are which contribute to this symposium for all is valid: People working in this field have realised, that a responsible usage of technology requires consideration of indetermination and uncertainty. This level is not yet reached in the social sciences. It is the wish of the organisers of this symposium, that not only civil engineers, mechanical engineers, mathematicians, ship builders take part in this symposium, but also sociologists, managers and even politicians. Therefore there is still a great opportunity to grow for this symposium. Indetermination does not have to be negative: it can also be seen as chance