Data in Business Process Models. A Preliminary Empirical Study

Traditional activity-centric process modeling languages treat data as simple black boxes acting as input or output for activities. Many alternate and emerging process modeling paradigms, such as case handling and artifact-centric process modeling, give data a more central role. This is achieved by introducing lifecycles and states for data objects, which is beneficial when modeling data-or knowledge-intensive processes. We assume that traditional activity-centric process modeling languages lack the capabilities to adequately capture the complexity of such processes. To verify this assumption we conducted an online interview among BPM experts. The results not only allow us to identify various profiles of persons modeling business processes, but also the problems that exist in contemporary modeling languages w.r.t. The modeling of business data. Overall, this preliminary empirical study confirms the necessity of data-awareness in process modeling notations in general

Invited Paper: A Generalized, Enterprise-Level Systems Development Process Framework for Systems Analysis and Design Education

Current academic and industry discussions regarding systems development project approaches increasingly focus on agile development and/or DevOps, as these approaches are seen as more modern, streamlined, flexible, and, therefore, effective as compared to traditional plan-driven approaches. This extends to the current pedagogy for teaching systems analysis and design (SA&D). However, overemphasizing agile and DevOps neglects broader dimensions that are essential for planning and executing enterprise-level systems projects. Thus, a dilemma may arise: do we teach agile and DevOps techniques that may be inadequate for enterprise-level projects or do we teach the wider range of plan-driven skills and techniques that may conflict with the tenets and benefits of agile and DevOps? In this paper, we advocate for resolving this dilemma by adopting a generalized process framework that both fully supports enterprise-level projects but can also be selectively scaled back toward increased agility for smaller, less complex projects. In its full realization, this framework combines extensive project planning and up-front requirements with iterative delivery – an increasingly popular approach today for enterprise projects. In scaling back toward agile, the framework carefully accounts for system, environment, and team characteristics. Further, the model emphasizes issues frequently underemphasized by agile approaches, including the use of external software such as commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), Software- as-a-Service (SaaS), and open source products and components; the need for business-oriented project planning and justification; and support for change management to ensure successful system adoption. The framework thereby flexibly accommodates the full range of activities that software projects must support to be successful

TLAD 2010 Proceedings:8th international workshop on teaching, learning and assesment of databases (TLAD)

This is the eighth in the series of highly successful international workshops on the Teaching, Learning and Assessment of Databases (TLAD 2010), which once again is held as a workshop of BNCOD 2010 - the 27th International Information Systems Conference. TLAD 2010 is held on the 28th June at the beautiful Dudhope Castle at the Abertay University, just before BNCOD, and hopes to be just as successful as its predecessors.The teaching of databases is central to all Computing Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems and Information Technology courses, and this year, the workshop aims to continue the tradition of bringing together both database teachers and researchers, in order to share good learning, teaching and assessment practice and experience, and further the growing community amongst database academics. As well as attracting academics from the UK community, the workshop has also been successful in attracting academics from the wider international community, through serving on the programme committee, and attending and presenting papers.This year, the workshop includes an invited talk given by Richard Cooper (of the University of Glasgow) who will present a discussion and some results from the Database Disciplinary Commons which was held in the UK over the academic year. Due to the healthy number of high quality submissions this year, the workshop will also present seven peer reviewed papers, and six refereed poster papers. Of the seven presented papers, three will be presented as full papers and four as short papers. These papers and posters cover a number of themes, including: approaches to teaching databases, e.g. group centered and problem based learning; use of novel case studies, e.g. forensics and XML data; techniques and approaches for improving teaching and student learning processes; assessment techniques, e.g. peer review; methods for improving students abilities to develop database queries and develop E-R diagrams; and e-learning platforms for supporting teaching and learning

TLAD 2010 Proceedings:8th international workshop on teaching, learning and assesment of databases (TLAD)

This is the eighth in the series of highly successful international workshops on the Teaching, Learning and Assessment of Databases (TLAD 2010), which once again is held as a workshop of BNCOD 2010 - the 27th International Information Systems Conference. TLAD 2010 is held on the 28th June at the beautiful Dudhope Castle at the Abertay University, just before BNCOD, and hopes to be just as successful as its predecessors.The teaching of databases is central to all Computing Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems and Information Technology courses, and this year, the workshop aims to continue the tradition of bringing together both database teachers and researchers, in order to share good learning, teaching and assessment practice and experience, and further the growing community amongst database academics. As well as attracting academics from the UK community, the workshop has also been successful in attracting academics from the wider international community, through serving on the programme committee, and attending and presenting papers.This year, the workshop includes an invited talk given by Richard Cooper (of the University of Glasgow) who will present a discussion and some results from the Database Disciplinary Commons which was held in the UK over the academic year. Due to the healthy number of high quality submissions this year, the workshop will also present seven peer reviewed papers, and six refereed poster papers. Of the seven presented papers, three will be presented as full papers and four as short papers. These papers and posters cover a number of themes, including: approaches to teaching databases, e.g. group centered and problem based learning; use of novel case studies, e.g. forensics and XML data; techniques and approaches for improving teaching and student learning processes; assessment techniques, e.g. peer review; methods for improving students abilities to develop database queries and develop E-R diagrams; and e-learning platforms for supporting teaching and learning

An approach to modeling database activity

Results in the field of data modeling currently suffer from many of the same ills which plagued data management systems in the late 1960's. Advanced semantic modeling systems such as the Semantic Data Model and the Relational Model/Tasmania are extremely complex to understand as well as somewhat ad hoc in design. Such systems capture only static snapshots of activity in the world being modeled. On the other hand, behavioral models which do attempt to model system dynamics typically provide less overall modeling power than comprehensive semantic models. Further, the specifications of behavior which can be expressed with such models are themselves static snapshots which are not integrated with other database objects.This work describes one approach for capturing dynamic relationships by distilling the concepts found in semantic and behavioral data models into a small number of flexible constructs. The resulting Prototype Activity Modeling System (PAMS) captures the containment, feedback, operational, and state dependency roles of entities in the world being modeled. Further, these definitions of database activity are captured as database objects (rather than as a schema) so as to allow dynamic manipulation of entity roles.The key concept of the approach is the bundle - a purposefully designed extension of time-proven relational database modeling concepts which includes support for presentation ordering and complex Cartesian aggregations. By applying the basic nested bundle principle, it is possible to obtain complex hierarchies of static structural information. The static templates so constructed, when used with a non-procedural query language and the value nomination principle which reduces relations to scalar values when necessary, provide a conventional database modeling system for applications. By extending these templates with the non-procedural thunk principle which embeds query specifications within object definitions, variations caused by dependencies within the application can cause the apparent contents of the database description to change. When further extended by the activity monitoring principle which records the interaction between the application and its environment, these dynamic templates can account for changes outside the scope of the application

Evaluating system utility and conceptual fit using CASSM

There is a wealth of user-centred evaluation methods (UEMs) to support the analyst in assessing interactive systems. Many of these support detailed aspects of use – for example: Is the feedback helpful? Are labels appropriate? Is the task structure optimal? Few UEMs encourage the analyst to step back and consider how well a system supports users’ conceptual understandings and system utility. In this paper, we present CASSM, a method which focuses on the quality of ‘fit’ between users and an interactive system. We describe the methodology of conducting a CASSM analysis and illustrate the approach with three contrasting worked examples (a robotic arm, a digital library system and a drawing tool) that demonstrate different depths of analysis. We show how CASSM can help identify re-design possibilities to improve system utility. CASSM complements established evaluation methods by focusing on conceptual structures rather than procedures. Prototype tool support for completing a CASSM analysis is provided by Cassata, an open source development

Current Usage and Future Potential for SISTeM\u27s Tools in IS Evaluation

This paper explores, through a short case study, the utility of the Soft Information Systems Technology Methodology (SISTeM) and its expressive and matrix models in supporting evaluation of IS applications as part of a procurement process. In addition the potential of these tools in evaluating RAD based, ‘time-box’, contingency approaches to IS development is examined. This suggests a future research agenda for exploring and further development of SISTeM’s modeling tools in support of the evaluation of compartmentalized information systems development and its resultant organizational benefits

Factors in the Design and Development of a Data Warehouse for Academic Data.

Data warehousing is a relatively new field in the realm of information technology, and current research centers primarily around data warehousing in business environments. As new as the field is in these environments, only recently have educational institutions begun to embark on data warehousing projects, and little research has been done regarding the special considerations and characteristics of academic data, and the complexity of analyzing such data. Educational institutions measure success very differently from business-oriented organizations, and the analyses that are meaningful in such environments pose very unique and intricate problems in data warehousing. This research describes the process of developing a data warehouse for a community college, focusing on issues specific to academic data