9 research outputs found
A Value-Driven Framework for Software Architecture
Software that is not aligned with the business values of the organization for which it
was developed does not entirely fulfill its raison d’etre. Business values represent what
is important in a company, or organization, and should influence the overall software
system behavior, contributing to the overall success of the organization. However, approaches
to derive a software architecture considering the business values exchanged
between an organization and its market players are lacking. Our quest is to address this
problem and investigate how to derive value-centered architectural models systematically.
We used the Technology Research method to address this PhD research question.
This methodological approach proposes three steps: problem analysis, innovation, and
validation. The problem analysis was performed using systematic studies of the literature
to obtain full coverage on the main themes of this work, particularly, business value
modeling, software architecture methods, and software architecture derivation methods.
Next, the innovation step was accomplished by creating a framework for the derivation
of a software reference architecture model considering an organization’s business values.
The resulting framework is composed of three core modules: Business Value Modeling,
Agile Reference Architecture Modeling, and Goal-Driven SOA Architecture Modeling.
While the Business value modeling module focuses on building a stakeholder-centric
business specification, the Agile Reference Architecture Modeling and the Goal-Driven
SOA Architecture Modeling modules concentrate on generating a software reference architecture
aligned with the business value specification. Finally, the validation part of
our framework is achieved through proof-of-concept prototypes for three new domain
specific languages, case studies, and quasi-experiments, including a family of controlled
experiments. The findings from our research show that the complexity and lack of rigor
in the existing approaches to represent business values can be addressed by an early requirements
specification method that represents the value exchanges of a business. Also,
by using sophisticated model-driven engineering techniques (e.g., metamodels, model
transformations, and model transformation languages), it was possible to obtain source
generators to derive a software architecture model based on early requirements value
models, while assuring traceability throughout the architectural derivation process. In conclusion, despite using sophisticated techniques, the derivation process of a software
reference architecture is helped by simple to use methods supported by black box
transformations and guidelines that facilitate the activities for the less experienced software
architects. The experimental validation process used confirmed that our framework
is feasible and perceived as easy to use and useful, also indicating that the participants
of the experiments intend to use it in the future
Automated software systems generation for process-oriented organizations
Tese de doutoramento do Programa Doutoral em Tecnologias e Sistemas de InformaçãoCada vez mais, as organizações suportam as suas operações em sistemas de software. Torna-se, portanto, muito relevante
o correto mapeamento das operações nos sistemas de software.
Esta tese foca-se em organizações orientadas a processos de negócio, devido à relevância dada pelas normas de qualidade,
pelos modelos de excelência, e pelos requisitos dos clientes, a esse tipo de estruturação interna das organizações.
Nas organizações orientadas a processos de negócio existem diversos fatores, como o tempo envolvido nos projetos de
implementação de processos de negócio em software, as diferenças existentes entre os modelos de processos de negócio
e a sua implementação real, ou a quantidade e o tipo de recursos envolvidos nesses projetos, que fazem com que os
projetos de desenvolvimento de software sejam demasiado dispendiosos, demorem demasiado tempo, e não garantam
que o produto de software resultante seja o mais adequado à realidade da organização que o vai usar.
Esta tese propõe que os sistemas de informação e de software devam ser desenvolvidos, desde o início, incorporando
os modelos das organizações onde irão ser usados. Além disso, e como existem disponíveis modelos de referência de
processos de negócio, esta tese também propõe o seu uso explícito aquando da recolha de requisitos.
Assim, o objetivo principal da tese é propor uma metodologia que se inicie com modelos de processos de negócio e que
termine com a geração de sistemas de software, para organizações orientadas a processos de negócio. A metodologia
denomina-se BIM e é formalizada através do metamodelo EPF.
Dada a abrangência dos temas a tratar, a tese foi conduzida tendo em atenção que o processo de desenvolvimento de
software para suportar organizações orientadas a processos pode ser otimizado. Para melhor mostrar os diversos passos
e resultados intermédios, usamos a metodologia de investigação Action Research. A tese propõe que as atividades de
investigação sejam terminadas quando uma dada condição de paragem seja atingida, e para isso usa uma avaliação
baseada num conjunto de indicadores para os resultados do produto e do processo, e uma adaptação do modelo de
excelência EFQM para a forma como foi executado o processo de desenvolvimento. O foco das Action são os sistemas de
software MES, essenciais na ligação entre sistemas de software embebido e sistemas ERP.
Nesta tese, as Action iniciam-se com modelos de processos e com arquiteturas de software standard, e terminam com
uma proposta de modelo de processo e com arquiteturas de software e tecnologias adaptadas à execução de processos
de negócio. A tese propõe também alguns conceitos como IAvO (extensão de modelos de processos de negócio), OBO
(componentes de software intermutáveis e não-proprietários), OA (aspetos organizacionais), e PF (framework de processos)
para aumentarem a eficiência e eficácia na implementação em software de processos de negócio.Increasingly, organizations support their operations by using software systems, turning very relevant the proper mapping
of operations into software systems.
This thesis focuses on organizations oriented to business processes, due to the importance that quality norms, excellence
models, and customer requirements put on this type of internal structures of organizations. Process-oriented organizations
have characteristics, such as the time needed to implement business processes in software, the differences between the
business process models and the real business processes, or the quantity and type of the required resources, that lead to
development projects too expensive, taking too long to complete, and that do not assure that the resulting product is the
most adequate to the reality of the client organization.
This thesis proposes that the development of information and software system embodies, since the early stages, the models
of the organization where they operate. In addition, and since business process reference models are available, the thesis
also proposes to use explicitly such reference models by requirements collection time.
Thus, the main goal of the thesis is to propose a methodology that picks business process reference models and ends with
software systems, for process-oriented organizations. The methodology is denominated BIM and is formalized by using the
EPF metamodel.
Due to the wide scope of the studied areas, the thesis is tailored considering that the development process for processoriented
organizations can be optimized. To express better the intermediate steps and results, we use the Action Research
methodology. The thesis proposes that the research activities terminate when a stopping condition is met, based on a set
of indicators for the product, and a tailoring of the EFQM model for the development process. The Actions are focused on
MES, crucial for the linking of embedded software systems with ERP systems.
In this thesis, the Actions start by using standard process models and software architectures, and end by using a proposed
process model, and software architectures and technologies adapted to the execution of business software. The thesis
also proposes new concepts like IAvO (extension to business process reference models), OBO (interchangeable and nonproprietary
software components), AO (organizational aspects), and PF (process framework) to increase the efficiency and
the effectiveness of the implementation of business processes in software
A Scholarship Approach to Model-Driven Engineering
Model-Driven Engineering is a paradigm for software engineering where software models are the primary artefacts throughout the software life-cycle. The aim is to define suitable representations and processes that enable precise and efficient specification, development and analysis of software. Our contributions to Model-Driven Engineering are structured according to Boyer\u27s four functions of academic activity - the scholarships of teaching, discovery, application and integration. The scholarships share a systematic approach towards seeking new insights and promoting progressive change. Even if the scholarships have their differences they are compatible so that theory, practice and teaching can strengthen each other.Scholarship of Teaching: While teaching Model-Driven Engineering to under-graduate students we introduced two changes to our course. The first change was to introduce a new modelling tool that enabled the execution of software models while the second change was to adapt pair lecturing to encourage the students to actively participate in developing models during lectures. Scholarship of Discovery: By using an existing technology for transforming models into source code we translated class diagrams and high-level action languages into natural language texts. The benefit of our approach is that the translations are applicable to a family of models while the texts are reusable across different low-level representations of the same model.Scholarship of Application: Raising the level of abstraction through models might seem a technical issue but our collaboration with industry details how the success of adopting Model-Driven Engineering depends on organisational and social factors as well as technical. Scholarship of Integration: Building on our insights from the scholarships above and a study at three large companies we show how Model-Driven Engineering empowers new user groups to become software developers but also how engineers can feel isolated due to poor tool support. Our contributions also detail how modelling enables a more agile development process as well as how the validation of models can be facilitated through text generation.The four scholarships allow for different possibilities for insights and explore Model-Driven Engineering from diverse perspectives. As a consequence, we investigate the social, organisational and technological factors of Model-Driven Engineering but also examine the possibilities and challenges of Model-Driven Engineering across disciplines and scholarships
Human Practice. Digital Ecologies. Our Future. : 14. Internationale Tagung Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI 2019) : Tagungsband
Erschienen bei: universi - Universitätsverlag Siegen. - ISBN: 978-3-96182-063-4Aus dem Inhalt:
Track 1: Produktion & Cyber-Physische Systeme
Requirements and a Meta Model for Exchanging Additive Manufacturing Capacities
Service Systems, Smart Service Systems and Cyber- Physical Systems—What’s the difference? Towards a Unified Terminology
Developing an Industrial IoT Platform – Trade-off between Horizontal and Vertical Approaches
Machine Learning und Complex Event Processing: Effiziente Echtzeitauswertung am Beispiel Smart Factory
Sensor retrofit for a coffee machine as condition monitoring and predictive maintenance use case
Stakeholder-Analyse zum Einsatz IIoT-basierter Frischeinformationen in der Lebensmittelindustrie
Towards a Framework for Predictive Maintenance Strategies in Mechanical Engineering - A Method-Oriented Literature Analysis
Development of a matching platform for the requirement-oriented selection of cyber physical systems for SMEs
Track 2: Logistic Analytics
An Empirical Study of Customers’ Behavioral Intention to Use Ridepooling Services – An Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model
Modeling Delay Propagation and Transmission in Railway Networks
What is the impact of company specific adjustments on the acceptance and diffusion of logistic standards?
Robust Route Planning in Intermodal Urban Traffic
Track 3: Unternehmensmodellierung & Informationssystemgestaltung (Enterprise Modelling & Information Systems Design)
Work System Modeling Method with Different Levels of Specificity and Rigor for Different Stakeholder Purposes
Resolving Inconsistencies in Declarative Process Models based on Culpability Measurement
Strategic Analysis in the Realm of Enterprise Modeling – On the Example of Blockchain-Based Initiatives for the Electricity Sector
Zwischenbetriebliche Integration in der Möbelbranche: Konfigurationen und Einflussfaktoren
Novices’ Quality Perceptions and the Acceptance of Process Modeling Grammars
Entwicklung einer Definition für Social Business Objects (SBO) zur Modellierung von Unternehmensinformationen
Designing a Reference Model for Digital Product Configurators
Terminology for Evolving Design Artifacts
Business Role-Object Specification: A Language for Behavior-aware Structural Modeling of Business Objects
Generating Smart Glasses-based Information Systems with BPMN4SGA: A BPMN Extension for Smart Glasses Applications
Using Blockchain in Peer-to-Peer Carsharing to Build Trust in the Sharing Economy
Testing in Big Data: An Architecture Pattern for a Development Environment for Innovative, Integrated and Robust Applications
Track 4: Lern- und Wissensmanagement (e-Learning and Knowledge Management)
eGovernment Competences revisited – A Literature Review on necessary Competences in a Digitalized Public Sector
Say Hello to Your New Automated Tutor – A Structured Literature Review on Pedagogical Conversational Agents
Teaching the Digital Transformation of Business Processes: Design of a Simulation Game for Information Systems Education
Conceptualizing Immersion for Individual Learning in Virtual Reality
Designing a Flipped Classroom Course – a Process Model
The Influence of Risk-Taking on Knowledge Exchange and Combination
Gamified Feedback durch Avatare im Mobile Learning
Alexa, Can You Help Me Solve That Problem? - Understanding the Value of Smart Personal Assistants as Tutors for Complex Problem Tasks
Track 5: Data Science & Business Analytics
Matching with Bundle Preferences: Tradeoff between Fairness and Truthfulness
Applied image recognition: guidelines for using deep learning models in practice
Yield Prognosis for the Agrarian Management of Vineyards using Deep Learning for Object Counting
Reading Between the Lines of Qualitative Data – How to Detect Hidden Structure Based on Codes
Online Auctions with Dual-Threshold Algorithms: An Experimental Study and Practical Evaluation
Design Features of Non-Financial Reward Programs for Online Reviews: Evaluation based on Google Maps Data
Topic Embeddings – A New Approach to Classify Very Short Documents Based on Predefined Topics
Leveraging Unstructured Image Data for Product Quality Improvement
Decision Support for Real Estate Investors: Improving Real Estate Valuation with 3D City Models and Points of Interest
Knowledge Discovery from CVs: A Topic Modeling Procedure
Online Product Descriptions – Boost for your Sales?
Entscheidungsunterstützung durch historienbasierte Dienstreihenfolgeplanung mit Pattern
A Semi-Automated Approach for Generating Online Review Templates
Machine Learning goes Measure Management: Leveraging Anomaly Detection and Parts Search to Improve Product-Cost Optimization
Bedeutung von Predictive Analytics für den theoretischen Erkenntnisgewinn in der IS-Forschung
Track 6: Digitale Transformation und Dienstleistungen
Heuristic Theorizing in Software Development: Deriving Design Principles for Smart Glasses-based Systems
Mirroring E-service for Brick and Mortar Retail: An Assessment and Survey
Taxonomy of Digital Platforms: A Platform Architecture Perspective
Value of Star Players in the Digital Age
Local Shopping Platforms – Harnessing Locational Advantages for the Digital Transformation of Local Retail Outlets: A Content Analysis
A Socio-Technical Approach to Manage Analytics-as-a-Service – Results of an Action Design Research Project
Characterizing Approaches to Digital Transformation: Development of a Taxonomy of Digital Units
Expectations vs. Reality – Benefits of Smart Services in the Field of Tension between Industry and Science
Innovation Networks and Digital Innovation: How Organizations Use Innovation Networks in a Digitized Environment
Characterising Social Reading Platforms— A Taxonomy-Based Approach to Structure the Field
Less Complex than Expected – What Really Drives IT Consulting Value
Modularity Canvas – A Framework for Visualizing Potentials of Service Modularity
Towards a Conceptualization of Capabilities for Innovating Business Models in the Industrial Internet of Things
A Taxonomy of Barriers to Digital Transformation
Ambidexterity in Service Innovation Research: A Systematic Literature Review
Design and success factors of an online solution for cross-pillar pension information
Track 7: IT-Management und -Strategie
A Frugal Support Structure for New Software Implementations in SMEs
How to Structure a Company-wide Adoption of Big Data Analytics
The Changing Roles of Innovation Actors and Organizational Antecedents in the Digital Age
Bewertung des Kundennutzens von Chatbots für den Einsatz im Servicedesk
Understanding the Benefits of Agile Software Development in Regulated Environments
Are Employees Following the Rules? On the Effectiveness of IT Consumerization Policies
Agile and Attached: The Impact of Agile Practices on Agile Team Members’ Affective Organisational Commitment
The Complexity Trap – Limits of IT Flexibility for Supporting Organizational Agility in Decentralized Organizations
Platform Openness: A Systematic Literature Review and Avenues for Future Research
Competence, Fashion and the Case of Blockchain
The Digital Platform Otto.de: A Case Study of Growth, Complexity, and Generativity
Track 8: eHealth & alternde Gesellschaft
Security and Privacy of Personal Health Records in Cloud Computing Environments – An Experimental Exploration of the Impact of Storage Solutions and Data Breaches
Patientenintegration durch Pfadsysteme
Digitalisierung in der Stressprävention – eine qualitative Interviewstudie zu Nutzenpotenzialen
User Dynamics in Mental Health Forums – A Sentiment Analysis Perspective
Intent and the Use of Wearables in the Workplace – A Model Development
Understanding Patient Pathways in the Context of Integrated Health Care Services - Implications from a Scoping Review
Understanding the Habitual Use of Wearable Activity Trackers
On the Fit in Fitness Apps: Studying the Interaction of Motivational Affordances and Users’ Goal Orientations in Affecting the Benefits Gained
Gamification in Health Behavior Change Support Systems - A Synthesis of Unintended Side Effects
Investigating the Influence of Information Incongruity on Trust-Relations within Trilateral Healthcare Settings
Track 9: Krisen- und Kontinuitätsmanagement
Potentiale von IKT beim Ausfall kritischer Infrastrukturen: Erwartungen, Informationsgewinnung und Mediennutzung der Zivilbevölkerung in Deutschland
Fake News Perception in Germany: A Representative Study of People’s Attitudes and Approaches to Counteract Disinformation
Analyzing the Potential of Graphical Building Information for Fire Emergency Responses: Findings from a Controlled Experiment
Track 10: Human-Computer Interaction
Towards a Taxonomy of Platforms for Conversational Agent Design
Measuring Service Encounter Satisfaction with Customer Service Chatbots using Sentiment Analysis
Self-Tracking and Gamification: Analyzing the Interplay of Motivations, Usage and Motivation Fulfillment
Erfolgsfaktoren von Augmented-Reality-Applikationen: Analyse von Nutzerrezensionen mit dem Review-Mining-Verfahren
Designing Dynamic Decision Support for Electronic Requirements Negotiations
Who is Stressed by Using ICTs? A Qualitative Comparison Analysis with the Big Five Personality Traits to Understand Technostress
Walking the Middle Path: How Medium Trade-Off Exposure Leads to Higher Consumer Satisfaction in Recommender Agents
Theory-Based Affordances of Utilitarian, Hedonic and Dual-Purposed Technologies: A Literature Review
Eliciting Customer Preferences for Shopping Companion Apps: A Service Quality Approach
The Role of Early User Participation in Discovering Software – A Case Study from the Context of Smart Glasses
The Fluidity of the Self-Concept as a Framework to Explain the Motivation to Play Video Games
Heart over Heels? An Empirical Analysis of the Relationship between Emotions and Review Helpfulness for Experience and Credence Goods
Track 11: Information Security and Information Privacy
Unfolding Concerns about Augmented Reality Technologies: A Qualitative Analysis of User Perceptions
To (Psychologically) Own Data is to Protect Data: How Psychological Ownership Determines Protective Behavior in a Work and Private Context
Understanding Data Protection Regulations from a Data Management Perspective: A Capability-Based Approach to EU-GDPR
On the Difficulties of Incentivizing Online Privacy through Transparency: A Qualitative Survey of the German Health Insurance Market
What is Your Selfie Worth? A Field Study on Individuals’ Valuation of Personal Data
Justification of Mass Surveillance: A Quantitative Study
An Exploratory Study of Risk Perception for Data Disclosure to a Network of Firms
Track 12: Umweltinformatik und nachhaltiges Wirtschaften
Kommunikationsfäden im Nadelöhr – Fachliche Prozessmodellierung der Nachhaltigkeitskommunikation am Kapitalmarkt
Potentiale und Herausforderungen der Materialflusskostenrechnung
Computing Incentives for User-Based Relocation in Carsharing
Sustainability’s Coming Home: Preliminary Design Principles for the Sustainable Smart District
Substitution of hazardous chemical substances using Deep Learning and t-SNE
A Hierarchy of DSMLs in Support of Product Life-Cycle Assessment
A Survey of Smart Energy Services for Private Households
Door-to-Door Mobility Integrators as Keystone Organizations of Smart Ecosystems: Resources and Value Co-Creation – A Literature Review
Ein Entscheidungsunterstützungssystem zur ökonomischen Bewertung von Mieterstrom auf Basis der Clusteranalyse
Discovering Blockchain for Sustainable Product-Service Systems to enhance the Circular Economy
Digitale Rückverfolgbarkeit von Lebensmitteln: Eine verbraucherinformatische Studie
Umweltbewusstsein durch audiovisuelles Content Marketing? Eine experimentelle Untersuchung zur Konsumentenbewertung nachhaltiger Smartphones
Towards Predictive Energy Management in Information Systems: A Research Proposal
A Web Browser-Based Application for Processing and Analyzing Material Flow Models using the MFCA Methodology
Track 13: Digital Work - Social, mobile, smart
On Conversational Agents in Information Systems Research: Analyzing the Past to Guide Future Work
The Potential of Augmented Reality for Improving Occupational First Aid
Prevent a Vicious Circle! The Role of Organizational IT-Capability in Attracting IT-affine Applicants
Good, Bad, or Both? Conceptualization and Measurement of Ambivalent User Attitudes Towards AI
A Case Study on Cross-Hierarchical Communication in Digital Work Environments
‘Show Me Your People Skills’ - Employing CEO Branding for Corporate Reputation Management in Social Media
A Multiorganisational Study of the Drivers and Barriers of Enterprise Collaboration Systems-Enabled Change
The More the Merrier? The Effect of Size of Core Team Subgroups on Success of Open Source Projects
The Impact of Anthropomorphic and Functional Chatbot Design Features in Enterprise Collaboration Systems on User Acceptance
Digital Feedback for Digital Work? Affordances and Constraints of a Feedback App at InsurCorp
The Effect of Marker-less Augmented Reality on Task and Learning Performance
Antecedents for Cyberloafing – A Literature Review
Internal Crowd Work as a Source of Empowerment - An Empirical Analysis of the Perception of Employees in a Crowdtesting Project
Track 14: Geschäftsmodelle und digitales Unternehmertum
Dividing the ICO Jungle: Extracting and Evaluating Design Archetypes
Capturing Value from Data: Exploring Factors Influencing Revenue Model Design for Data-Driven Services
Understanding the Role of Data for Innovating Business Models: A System Dynamics Perspective
Business Model Innovation and Stakeholder: Exploring Mechanisms and Outcomes of Value Creation and Destruction
Business Models for Internet of Things Platforms: Empirical Development of a Taxonomy and Archetypes
Revitalizing established Industrial Companies: State of the Art and Success Principles of Digital Corporate Incubators
When 1+1 is Greater than 2: Concurrence of Additional Digital and Established Business Models within Companies
Special Track 1: Student Track
Investigating Personalized Price Discrimination of Textile-, Electronics- and General Stores in German Online Retail
From Facets to a Universal Definition – An Analysis of IoT Usage in Retail
Is the Technostress Creators Inventory Still an Up-To-Date Measurement Instrument? Results of a Large-Scale Interview Study
Application of Media Synchronicity Theory to Creative Tasks in Virtual Teams Using the Example of Design Thinking
TrustyTweet: An Indicator-based Browser-Plugin to Assist Users in Dealing with Fake News on Twitter
Application of Process Mining Techniques to Support Maintenance-Related Objectives
How Voice Can Change Customer Satisfaction: A Comparative Analysis between E-Commerce and Voice Commerce
Business Process Compliance and Blockchain: How Does the Ethereum Blockchain Address Challenges of Business Process Compliance?
Improving Business Model Configuration through a Question-based Approach
The Influence of Situational Factors and Gamification on Intrinsic Motivation and Learning
Evaluation von ITSM-Tools für Integration und Management von Cloud-Diensten am Beispiel von ServiceNow
How Software Promotes the Integration of Sustainability in Business Process Management
Criteria Catalog for Industrial IoT Platforms from the Perspective of the Machine Tool Industry
Special Track 3: Demos & Prototyping
Privacy-friendly User Location Tracking with Smart Devices: The BeaT Prototype
Application-oriented robotics in nursing homes
Augmented Reality for Set-up Processe
Mixed Reality for supporting Remote-Meetings
Gamification zur Motivationssteigerung von Werkern bei der Betriebsdatenerfassung
Automatically Extracting and Analyzing Customer Needs from Twitter: A “Needmining” Prototype
GaNEsHA: Opportunities for Sustainable Transportation in Smart Cities
TUCANA: A platform for using local processing power of edge devices for building data-driven services
Demonstrator zur Beschreibung und Visualisierung einer kritischen Infrastruktur
Entwicklung einer alltagsnahen persuasiven App zur Bewegungsmotivation für ältere Nutzerinnen und Nutzer
A browser-based modeling tool for studying the learning of conceptual modeling based on a multi-modal data collection approach
Exergames & Dementia: An interactive System for People with Dementia and their Care-Network
Workshops
Workshop Ethics and Morality in Business Informatics (Workshop Ethik und Moral in der Wirtschaftsinformatik – EMoWI’19)
Model-Based Compliance in Information Systems - Foundations, Case Description and Data Set of the MobIS-Challenge for Students and Doctoral Candidates
Report of the Workshop on Concepts and Methods of Identifying Digital Potentials in Information Management
Control of Systemic Risks in Global Networks - A Grand Challenge to Information Systems Research
Die Mitarbeiter von morgen - Kompetenzen künftiger Mitarbeiter im Bereich Business Analytics
Digitaler Konsum: Herausforderungen und Chancen der Verbraucherinformati
Abstract delta modeling : software product lines and beyond
To prevent a large software system from collapsing under its own complexity, its code needs to be well-structured. Ideally we want all code related to a certain feature to be grouped together __called feature modularization__ and code belonging to different features not to mix __ called separation of concerns. But many concerns are known as 'cross-cutting concerns'. By their very nature their implementation needs to be spread around the code base. The software engineering discipline that has the most to gain from those properties is Software Product Line Engineering. It is concerned with the development and maintenance of multiple software systems at the same time, each possessing a different (but often overlapping) set of features. This gives rise to an additional need: The code for a given feature must not only be separated and modular; it also needs to be composable and able to deal gracefully with the presence or absence of other features. This thesis presents Abstract Delta Modeling, a formal framework developed to achieve these goals in software. The thesis is a product of the European HATS project. It formalizes the techniques of delta modeling, the main approach to variability used by HATSAlgorithms and the Foundations of Software technolog