Using Conceptual Modeling for Designing Multi-View Modeling Tools

Multi-view modeling methods (MVMM) can cope with the increasing complexity of today\u27s enterprise and information systems by decomposing the corresponding model into several viewpoints. The combination of the instantiated views gives the whole model of the system. Modeling tools are vital for efficient utilization of MVMMs. However, sufficient support in the conceptual design of multi-view modeling tools is not given. The paper at hand introduces the MuVieMoT modeling method, dedicated towards the conceptualization of multi-view modeling tools. The method is focused on how to capture, with conceptual modeling means, the constituents of MVMMs, in terms of viewpoints, modeling procedure and consistency mechanisms specification. The method is aimed at method engineers and tool developers, bridging the gap between tool design and tool development. Applicability of the method is illustrated by a case study, hereby defining the conceptual design of a multi-view modeling tool for an enterprise modeling method

Semantic Bridging between Conceptual Modeling Standards and Agile Software Projects Conceptualizations

Software engineering benefitted from modeling standards (e.g. UML, BPMN), but Agile Software Project Management tends to marginalize most forms of documentation including diagrammatic modeling, focusing instead on the tracking of a project\u27s backlog and related issues. Limited means are available for annotating Jira items with diagrams, however not on a granular and semantically traceable level. Business processes tend to get lost on the way between process analysis (if any) and backlog items; UML design decisions are often disconnected from the issue tracking environment. This paper proposes domain-specific conceptual modeling to obtain a diagrammatic view on a Jira project, motivated by past conceptualizations of the agile paradigm while also offering basic interoperability with Jira to switch between environments and views. The underlying conceptualization extends conceptual modeling languages (BPMN, UML) with an agile project management perspective to enrich contextual traceability of a project\u27s elements while ensuring that data structures handled by Jira can be captured and exposed to Jira if needed. Therefore, concepts underlying the typical software development project management are integrated with established modeling concepts and tailored (with metamodeling means) for the domain-specificity of agile project management. A Design Science approach was pursued to develop a modeling method artifact, resulting in a domain-specific modeling tool for software project managers that want to augment agile practices and enrich issue annotation

Formal Specification, Implementation, and Evaluation of the AdoBPRIM Approach

Modeling is one of the fundamental aspects of Risk-aware Business Process Management. The conceptualization of new modeling approaches needs to integrate all abstraction layers of risk and business process concepts and requires a highly specialized knowledge in conceptual modeling foundations and formal specification of meta-models. This paper introduces a risk-aware business process modeling approach based on the BPRIM method. In order to comprehensively and unambiguously specify the proposed approach, we revert to the FDMM formalism. Furthermore, a corresponding software prototype called AdoBPRIM has been implemented using the ADOxx meta-modeling platform to assess the technical feasibility of the approach. The usability of the tool has been empirically evaluated and a healthcare process-based example is presented as a proof-of-concept. We show that the AdoBPRIM approach enables Risk-aware Business Process Management with an excellent usability. In summary, this paper constitutes a best-practice for formally specifying, technically implementing, and empirically evaluating modeling method conceptualizations

A Proposal for Deploying Hybrid Knowledge Bases: the ADOxx-to-GraphDB Interoperability Case

Graph Database Management Systems brought data model abstractions closer to how humans are used to handle knowledge - i.e., driven by inferences across complex relationship networks rather than by encapsulating tuples under rigid schemata. Another discipline that commonly employs graph-like structures is diagrammatic Conceptual Modeling, where intuitive, graphical means of explicating knowledge are systematically studied and formalized. Considering the common ground of graph databases, the paper proposes an integration of OWL ontologies with diagrammatic representations as enabled by the ADOxx metamodeling platform. The proposal is based on the RDF-semantics variant of OWL and leads to a particular type of hybrid knowledge bases hosted, for proof-of-concept purposes, by the GraphDB system due to its inferencing capabilities. The approach aims for complementarity and integration, providing agile diagrammatic means of creating semantic networks that are amenable to ontology-based reasoning

An Open Platform for Modeling Method Conceptualization: The OMiLAB Digital Ecosystem

This paper motivates, describes, demonstrates in use, and evaluates the Open Models Laboratory (OMiLAB)—an open digital ecosystem designed to help one conceptualize and operationalize conceptual modeling methods. The OMiLAB ecosystem, which a generalized understanding of “model value” motivates, targets research and education stakeholders who fulfill various roles in a modeling method\u27s lifecycle. While we have many reports on novel modeling methods and tools for various domains, we lack knowledge on conceptualizing such methods via a full-fledged dedicated open ecosystem and a methodology that facilitates entry points for novices and an open innovation space for experienced stakeholders. This gap continues due to the lack of an open process and platform for 1) conducting research in the field of modeling method design, 2) developing agile modeling tools and model-driven digital products, and 3) experimenting with and disseminating such methods and related prototypes. OMiLAB incorporates principles, practices, procedures, tools, and services required to address the issues above since it focuses on being the operational deployment for a conceptualization and operationalization process built on several pillars: 1) a granularly defined “modeling method” concept whose building blocks one can customize for the domain of choice, 2) an “agile modeling method engineering” framework that helps one quickly prototype modeling tools, 3) a model-aware “digital product design lab”, and 4) dissemination channels for reaching a global community. In this paper, we demonstrate and evaluate the OMiLAB in research with two selected application cases for domain- and case-specific requirements. Besides these exemplary cases, OMiLAB has proven to effectively satisfy requirements that almost 50 modeling methods raise and, thus, to support researchers in designing novel modeling methods, developing tools, and disseminating outcomes. We also measured OMiLAB’s educational impact

SITUATIONAL ROADMAP DEVELOPMENT FOR BUSINESS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT VIA A MODELING TOOL

The integration of new technologies as well as the need to increase customer satisfaction and reduce costs require companies to continuously analyze and improve their business processes. Hence, Business Process Improvement (BPI) ranks high on the agenda of many companies. However, existing methods like Six Sigma are often perceived as overly complex for projects with a limited scope. Therefore, more and more companies focus on the application of a few selected BPI techniques only, which are logically arranged in the form of “roadmaps” to tackle process weaknesses. Against this backdrop, the concept of “tool-supported situational roadmap development for BPI” along with a corresponding prototype are introduced. The approach builds on conceptual modeling and is technically realized by means of a metamodeling platform. Accordingly, the research offers practitioners a solution to systematically create project-specific roadmaps for BPI to improve process performance

ENABLING RISK-AWARE ENTERPRISE MODELING USING SEMANTIC ANNOTATIONS AND VISUAL RULES

The engagement in professional risk management is today a fact for most large organizations. In order to satisfy regulation and auditing requirements, an important step thereby is the identification and documentation of risks in an organization and the definition of measures for their mitigation. Thereby, the use of enterprise models provides the foundation for a systematic and holistic analysis of processes, organizational structures and IT systems. In the approach at hand we build upon the SeMFIS approach for semantic annotations of enterprise models with concepts from an OWL2 ontology. By providing an ontology for representing risks and mitigation measures, this additional information can be represented through annotations in arbitrary types of enterprise models without having to adapt the originally used modeling language. In addition, the approach provides a visual modeling language for representing rules according to the SWRL specification. This permits to process the semantic information provided by the annotations. The usage of the approach is illustrated through an example from the domain of risk-aware business process management. Upon the representation of risks in business processes using the semantic annotation approach, it is shown how SWRL rules can be used to automatically generate configurable risk reports

A Development Method for the Conceptual Design of Multi-View Modeling Tools with an Emphasis on Consistency Requirements

The main objective of this thesis is to bridge the gap between modeling method experts on the one side and tool developers on the other. More precisely, the focus is on the specification of requirements for multi-view modeling tools. In this regard, the thesis introduces a methodological approach that supports the specification of conceptual designs for multi-view modeling tools in a stepwise manner: the MuVieMoT approach. MuVieMoT utilizes generic multi-view modeling concepts and the model-driven engineering paradigm to establish an overarching specification of multi-view modeling tools with an emphasis on consistency requirements. The approach builds on and extends the theoretical foundation of metamodeling and multi-view modeling: generic multi-view modeling concepts, integrated multi-view modeling approaches, and possibilities for formalized modeling method specifications. Applicability and utility of MuVieMoT are evaluated using an illustrative scenario, therefore specifying a conceptual design for a multi-view modeling tool for the Semantic Object Model enterprise modeling method. The thesis moreover introduces the MuVieMoT modeling environment, enabling the efficient application of the approach as well as the model-driven development of initial multi-view modeling tools based on the conceptual models created with MuVieMoT. Consequently, the approach fosters an intersubjective and unambiguous understanding of the tool requirements between method experts and tool developers

A Model-Based Approach Towards the Conceptualization of Digital Twins: The Case of the EU-Project COGITO

In agile business ecosystems, digitalization is a key enabler for agility and flexibility. However, digital transformation is often challenging for instance due to unclear definitions and a lack of problem understanding. In this work this complexity is addressed with a model-based approach for conceptualizing digitalization and related meta modelling activities to enable the conceptual integration of diverse concepts. Existing modelling approaches – BPMN and ArchiMate – are leveraged with domain specific considerations that are relevant for the digitalization. The construction use case from the European project COGITO serves as a foundation for ideation and first requirements engineering. Physical experiments in the OMiLAB Innovation Environment are used as an experimental method towards identifying relevant digital twinning concepts, while modelling methods can be seen as an integration platform for physical and digital elements. Key digitalization aspects towards digital twinning are discussed and conceptualized in a meta model

Conceptual modeling for the design of intelligent and emergent information systems

A key requirement to today's fast changing economic environment is the ability of organizations to adapt dynamically in an effective and efficient manner. Information and Communication Technologies play a crucially important role in addressing such adaptation requirements. The notion of `intelligent software' has emerged as a means by which enterprises can respond to changes in a reactive manner but also to explore, in a pro-active manner, possibilities for new business models. The development of such software systems demands analysis, design and implementation paradigms that recognize the need for ‘co-development’ of these systems with enterprise goals, processes and capabilities. The work presented in this paper is motivated by this need and to this end it proposes a paradigm that recognizes co-development as a knowledge-based activity. The proposed solution is based on a multi-perspective modeling approach that involves (i) modeling key aspects of the enterprise, (ii) reasoning about design choices and (iii) supporting strategic decision-making through simulations. The utility of the approach is demonstrated though a case study in the field of marketing for a start-up company