Service Quality Delivery of Benadir Local Government in Somalia

Purpose: In today’s competitive and rapidly moving world, local governments lose so many citizens because of the poor quality of public services they provide for these products, because of the quality and/or lack of products and the lack of ability to provide quality service. The purpose of this study is to examine the service quality delivery of the Benadir local government in Somalia.    Theoretical framework: This research studied the degree service quality delivery offered of the Benadir local government in Somalia. Service quality has been defined as a difference between customers' service perception and expectations.   Methodology: To achieve the objectives of this study, data was collected through online questionnaire from a sample of 354 major customers of the Benadir local government in Mogadishu-Somalia. These respondents were selected using convenient random sampling method. The data collected from the online questionnaire were analyzed using Descriptive Statistical tools such as compute, percentage, mean, and standard deviation.   Findings: The results of this study indicate that the three out five dimensions of level quality service delivery (reliability, responsiveness, and assurance) have slightly positive satisfied and except two elements empathy and tangibility have negative satisfied with customers' expectations and perception. Furthermore, customers were most a little satisfied with the three dimensions of service quality delivery by the Benadir local administration in Mogadishu-Somalia. On the contrary, customers were negative satisfied with tangibility and empathy dimensions of service quality.   Research limitation/ implication: The researcher forwards some recommendations for the Benadir local government in Somalia. In order to improve the level of citizen satisfaction in terms of quality service delivery offered by the Benadir local government in Somalia, the Benadir local government should come up with policies and programs that prioritize the level of citizen satisfaction and should develop and contribute the level client expectation and perception of dimensions quality service delivery by the Benadir local government in Somalia, the Benadir local government should make the information easily obtainable and can get prompt service delivery by the citizens, therefore, the study recommends that a strategy should be put in place to gain these benefit. The limitations faced by the study included time constraints and limited resources taken to complete the study.   Originality/Value: This investigation differs from previous explores as it examines the influence of level service quality delivery in Benadir local government on outcomes and operations in particular. Furthermore, this study is specifically based on the Benadir Regional Government

Business process model customisation using domain-driven controlled variability management and rule generation

Business process models are abstract descriptions and as such should be applicable in different situations. In order for a single process model to be reused, we need support for configuration and customisation. Often, process objects and activities are domain-specific. We use this observation and allow domain models to drive the customisation. Process variability models, known from product line modelling and manufacturing, can control this customisation by taking into account the domain models. While activities and objects have already been studied, we investigate here the constraints that govern a process execution. In order to integrate these constraints into a process model, we use a rule-based constraints language for a workflow and process model. A modelling framework will be presented as a development approach for customised rules through a feature model. Our use case is content processing, represented by an abstract ontology-based domain model in the framework and implemented by a customisation engine. The key contribution is a conceptual definition of a domain-specific rule variability language

Business process model customisation using domain-driven controlled variability management and rule generation

Business process models are abstract descriptions and as such should be applicable in different situations. In order for a single process model to be reused, we need support for configuration and customisation. Often, process objects and activities are domain-specific. We use this observation and allow domain models to drive the customisation. Process variability models, known from product line modelling and manufacturing, can control this customisation by taking into account the domain models. While activities and objects have already been studied, we investigate here the constraints that govern a process execution. In order to integrate these constraints into a process model, we use a rule-based constraints language for a workflow and process model. A modelling framework will be presented as a development approach for customised rules through a feature model. Our use case is content processing, represented by an abstract ontology-based domain model in the framework and implemented by a customisation engine. The key contribution is a conceptual definition of a domain-specific rule variability language

Dynamic adaptation of service compositions with variability models

Web services run in complex contexts where arising events may compromise the quality of the whole system. Thus, it is desirable to count on autonomic mechanisms to guide the self-adaptation of service compositions according to changes in the computing infrastructure. One way to achieve this goal is by implementing variability constructs at the language level. However, this approach may become tedious, difficult to manage, and error-prone. In this paper, we propose a solution based on a semantically rich variability model to support the dynamic adaptation of service compositions. When a problematic event arises in the context, this model is leveraged for decision-making. The activation and deactivation of features in the variability model result in changes in a composition model that abstracts the underlying service composition. These changes are reflected into the service composition by adding or removing fragments of Business Process Execution Language (WS-BPEL) code, which can be deployed at runtime. In order to reach optimum adaptations, the variability model and its possible configurations are verified at design time using Constraint Programming. An evaluation demonstrates several benefits of our approach, both at design time and at runtime.This work has been developed with the support of MICINN under the project everyWare TIN2010-18011 and co-financed with ERDF.Alférez Salinas, GH.; Pelechano Ferragud, V.; Mazo, R.; Salinesi, C.; Díaz, D. (2014). Dynamic adaptation of service compositions with variability models. Journal of Systems and Software. 91:24-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2013.06.034S24479

Development of service-oriented architectures using model-driven development : a mapping study

Context: Model-Driven Development (MDD) and Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) are two challenging research areas in software engineering. MDD is about improving software development whilst SOA is a service-based conceptual development style, therefore investigating the available proposals in the literature to use MDD when developing SOA may be insightful. However, no studies have been found with this purpose. Objective: This work aims at assessing the state of the art in MDD for SOA systems. It mainly focuses on: what are the characteristics of MDD approaches that support SOA; what types of SOA are supported; how do they handle non-functional requirements. Method: We conducted a mapping study following a rigorous protocol. We identified the representative set of venues that should be included in the study. We applied a search string over the set of selected venues. As result, 129 papers were selected and analysed (both frequency analysis and correlation analysis) with respect to the defined classification criteria derived from the research questions. Threats to validity were identified and mitigated whenever possible. Results: The analysis allows us to answer the research questions. We highlight: (1) predominance of papers from Europe and written by researchers only; (2) predominance of top-down transformation in software development activities; (3) inexistence of consolidated methods; (4) significant percentage of works without tool support; (5) SOA systems and service compositions more targeted than single services and SOA enterprise systems; (6) limited use of metamodels; (7) very limited use of NFRs; and (8) limited application in real cases. Conclusion: This mapping study does not just provide the state of the art in the topic, but also identifies several issues that deserve investigation in the future, for instance the need of methods for activities other than software development (e.g., migration) or the need of conducting more real case studies.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Informationssystem und Methodenbausteine zur Ableitung situationsadäquater Vorgehensmodelle für die Entwicklung und Erbringung kundenindividuell anpassbarer Dienstleistungen

Die Dienstleistungswirtschaft stellt heutzutage in allen westlichen Gesellschaften den bedeutendsten Wirtschaftssektor dar. Aus diesem Grund sind Unternehmen, die sich in diesem Umfeld bewegen, einem großen Konkurrenzdruck ausgesetzt und stehen zwei wesentlichen Herausforderungen gegenüber. Einerseits müssen sie Dienstleistungen möglichst effizient erbringen, was u.a. durch die Nutzung standardisierter Prozesse und formalisierter Konzepte erreicht werden kann. Andererseits sind sie aber auch gezwungen, sich den immer weiter ausdifferenzierenden Bedarfen von Kunden zu stellen, um sich gegenüber der Konkurrenz abzugrenzen. Die beiden Anforderungen Professionalisierung mittel Standardisierung und Formalisierung sowie Anpassung an Kundenbedarfe stehen in einem Spannungsverhältnis, da sie auf unterschiedlichen Ansätzen beruhen. Während mittels Standardisierung Unsicherheiten abgebaut werden sollen, ergeben sich durch individuelle Anpassungswünsche von Kunden zusätzliche Ungewissheiten. Mittels Ansätzen des Mass Customisation soll diesem Spannungsverhältnis entgegengewirkt werden. Dazu wurden in der Vergangenheit eine Reihe von Vorgehensmodellen entwickelt, an denen sich Anbieter bei der Entwicklung und Erbringung von Dienstleistungen orientieren können. Es ist allerdings zu konstatieren, dass existierende Vorgehensmodelle oftmals nicht flexibel genug sind, um dem stetigen Innovationsdruck gewachsen zu sein, der sich aus den Anforderungen der Kunden ergibt. Hier sind beispielsweise die zunehmende Verbreitung von Product-Service-Systemen und von internetbasierten Dienstleistungen zu nennen. Um dieser Herausforderung zu begegnen wird in der vorliegenden Arbeit ein Informationssystem realisiert, welche die Entwicklung und Erbringung kundenindividuell angepasster Dienstleistungen unterstützt. Der Fokus liegt dabei auf einer flexiblen Umgebung, die an verschiedene Dienstleistungsparameter angepasst werden kann. Das System basiert auf sogenannten Methodenbausteinen, die abhängig vom Charakter eines Dienstleistungsprojekts miteinander kombiniert werden, um ein auf dessen spezifischen Eigenschaften zugeschnittenes Vorgehensmodell abzuleiten. Die Methodenbausteine, die in der Arbeit entwickelt werden, fokussieren dabei die kundenindividuelle Anpassung von Dienstleistungen. Zur Umsetzung des konstruktionsorientierten Forschungsvorhabens der Arbeit wird ein Method-Engineering-Ansatz verfolgt. Dazu wird zunächst ein UML-basiertes Metamodell für das Informationssystem entwickelt, welches die enthaltenen Konzepte formalisiert. Die modulare Architektur des Informationssystems besteht aus drei Komponenten. Die Komponente Methodenbasis enthält vordefinierte Methodenbausteine. Zur Definition der Eigenschaften einer Dienstleistung und damit zur Beschreibung der spezifischen Situation wird die Komponente Projektcharakterisierung genutzt. Die anhand der definierten Situation ausgewählten Methodenbausteine werden zu einem Vorgehensmodell zusammengesetzt und an die Komponente Workflow Management Anbindung übertragen. Aufbauend auf dieser konzeptuellen Beschreibung wird die technische Realisierung des Informationssystems dargestellt. Um eine möglichst nahtlose Integration in existierende Unternehmensinfrastrukturen zu ermöglichen, wird ein XML-basiertes Austauschformat entwickelt. Mit Hilfe der XML-Spezifikation können einzelne Komponenten des Informationssystems ausgetauscht werde. Die Anbindung an ein Workflow-Management-System wird durch die Transformation gewählter Methodenbausteine in ein BPMN-Prozessmodell ermöglicht. Neben der Realisierung eines Informationssystems werden in der Arbeit weiterhin konkrete Inhalte für das System vorgestellt. Dazu wurden mit Hilfe von strukturierten Literaturrecherchen 23 Eigenschaften von Dienstleistungen sowie 82 Konzepte zur kundenindividuellen Anpassung von Dienstleistungen aus der wissenschaftlichen Literatur identifiziert. Die Konzepte bilden den Ausgangspunkt zur Definition von Methodenbausteinen und werden dazu mit Eigenschaften kombiniert, die die Situation spezifizieren, in der ein Methodenbaustein eingesetzt werden kann. Mit Hilfe dieses Vorgehens wurden 30 Methodenbausteine für die Entwicklung und Erbringung kundenindividuell anpassbarer Dienstleistungen erstellt. Die Auswahl von Methodenbausteinen anhand von Eigenschaften wird durch zwei exemplarische Dienstleistungen dargestellt. Die Evaluation der Ergebnisse der Arbeit erfolgt mit Hilfe eines mehrstufigen Verfahrens. Zunächst wird geprüft, ob die Ergebnisse den vorab definierten Anforderungen an das Informationssystem und die Methodenbausteine entsprechen. Darüber hinaus werden die Ergebnisse hinsichtlich existierender Evaluationskriterien wie den Grundsätzen ordnungsgemäßer Modellierung sowie den Gütekriterien für Method Engineering bewertet. Um Rückmeldungen aus der Praxis zu integrieren, wurden vier Workshops mit Anwendern durchgeführt. Neben überwiegend positiven Einschätzungen konnten im Rahmen der Workshops auch Verbesserungsvorschläge aufgenommen werden, mit denen die praktische Anwendbarkeit des Informationssystems erhöht werden kann

VIVACE: A framework for the systematic evaluation of variability support in process-aware information systems

Context: The increasing adoption of process-aware information systems (PAISs) such as workflow management systems, enterprise resource planning systems, or case management systems, together with the high variability in business processes (e.g., sales processes may vary depending on the respective products and countries), has resulted in large industrial process model repositories. To cope with this business process variability, the proper management of process variants along the entire process lifecycle becomes crucial. Objective: The goal of this paper is to develop a fundamental understanding of business process variability. In particular, the paper will provide a framework for assessing and comparing process variability approaches and the support they provide for the different phases of the business process lifecycle (i.e., process analysis and design, configuration, enactment, diagnosis, and evolution). Method: We conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) in order to discover how process variability is supported by existing approaches. Results: The SLR resulted in 63 primary studies which were deeply analyzed. Based on this analysis, we derived the VIVACE framework. VIVACE allows assessing the expressiveness of a process modeling language regarding the explicit specification of process variability. Furthermore, the support provided by a process-aware information system to properly deal with process model variants can be assessed with VIVACE as well. Conclusions: VIVACE provides an empirically-grounded framework for process engineers that enables them to evaluate existing process variability approaches as well as to select that variability approach meeting their requirements best. Finally, it helps process engineers in implementing PAISs supporting process variability along the entire process lifecycle. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.This work has been developed with the support of MICINN under the project EVERYWARE TIN2010-18011.Ayora Esteras, C.; Torres Bosch, MV.; Weber, B.; Reichert, M.; Pelechano Ferragud, V. (2015). VIVACE: A framework for the systematic evaluation of variability support in process-aware information systems. Information and Software Technology. 57:248-276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2014.05.009S2482765

VIVACE: A framework for the systematic evaluation of variability support in process-aware information systems

Context: The increasing adoption of process-aware information systems (PAISs) such as workflow management systems, enterprise resource planning systems, or case management systems, together with the high variability in business processes (e.g., sales processes may vary depending on the respective products and countries), has resulted in large industrial process model repositories. To cope with this business process variability, the proper management of process variants along the entire process lifecycle becomes crucial. Objective: The goal of this paper is to develop a fundamental understand-ing of business process variability. In particular, the paper will provide a framework for assessing and comparing process variability approaches and the support they provide for the different phases of the business process life

SDSN@RT: a middleware environment for single-instance multi-tenant cloud applications

With the Single-Instance Multi-Tenancy (SIMT) model for composite Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications, a single composite application instance can host multiple tenants, yielding the benefits of better service and resource utilization, and reduced operational cost for the SaaS provider. An SIMT application needs to share services and their aggregation (the application) among its tenants while supporting variations in the functional and performance requirements of the tenants. The SaaS provider requires a middleware environment that can deploy, enact and manage a designed SIMT application, to achieve the varied requirements of the different tenants in a controlled manner. This paper presents the SDSN@RT (Software-Defined Service Networks @ RunTime) middleware environment that can meet the aforementioned requirements. SDSN@RT represents an SIMT composite cloud application as a multi-tenant service network, where the same service network simultaneously hosts a set of virtual service networks (VSNs), one for each tenant. A service network connects a set of services, and coordinates the interactions between them. A VSN realizes the requirements for a specific tenant and can be deployed, configured, and logically isolated in the service network at runtime. SDSN@RT also supports the monitoring and runtime changes of the deployed multi-tenant service networks. We show the feasibility of SDSN@RT with a prototype implementation, and demonstrate its capabilities to host SIMT applications and support their changes with a case study. The performance study of the prototype implementation shows that the runtime capabilities of our middleware incur little overhead