Navigating in Complex Process Model Collections

The increasing adoption of process-aware information systems (PAIS) has led to the emergence of large process model collections. In the automotive and healthcare domains, for example, such collections may comprise hundreds or thousands of process models, each consisting of numerous process elements (e.g., process tasks or data objects). In existing modeling environments, process models are presented to users in a rather static manner; i.e., as image maps not allowing for any context-specific user interactions. As process participants have different needs and thus require specific presentations of available process information, such static approaches are usually not sufficient to assist them in their daily work. For example, a business manager only requires an abstract overview of a process model collection, whereas a knowledge worker (e.g., a requirements engineer) needs detailed information on specific process tasks. In general, a more flexible navigation and visualization approach is needed, which allows process participants to flexibly interact with process model collections in order to navigate from a standard (i.e., default) visualization of a process model collection to a context-specific one. With the Process Navigation and Visualization (ProNaVis) framework, this thesis provides such a flexible navigation approach for large and complex process model collections. Specifically, ProNaVis enables the flexible navigation within process model collections along three navigation dimensions. First, the geographic dimension allows zooming in and out of the process models. Second, the semantic dimension may be utilized to increase or decrease the level of detail. Third, the view dimension allows switching between different visualizations. All three navigation dimensions have been addressed in an isolated fashion in existing navigation approaches so far, but only ProNaVis provides an integrated support for all three dimensions. The concepts developed in this thesis were validated using various methods. First, they were implemented in the process navigation tool Compass, which has been used by several departments of an automotive OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). Second, ProNaVis concepts were evaluated in two experiments, investigating both navigation and visualization aspects. Third, the developed concepts were successfully applied to process-oriented information logistics (POIL). Experimental as well as empirical results have provided evidence that ProNaVis will enable a much more flexible navigation in process model repositories compared to existing approaches

Has Covid-19 increased gender inequalities in professional advancement? Cross-country evidence on productivity differences between male and female software developers

Objective: This article analyzed gender differences in professional advancement following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic based on data from open-source software developers in 37 countries. Background: Men and women may have been affected differently from the social distancing measures implemented to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. Given that men and women tend to work in different jobs and that they have been unequally involved in childcare duties, school and workplace closings may have impacted men’s and women’s professional lives unequally. Method: We analyzed original data from the world’s largest social coding community, GitHub. We first estimated a Holt-Winters forecast model to compare the predicted and the observed average weekly productivity of a random sample of male and female developers (N=177,480) during the first lockdown period in 2020. To explain the cross-country variation in the gendered effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on software developers’ productivity, we estimated two-way fixed effects models with different lockdown measures as predictors – school and workplace closures, in particular. Results: In most countries, both male and female developers were, on average, more productive than predicted, and productivity increased for both genders with increasing lockdown stringency. When examining the effects of the most relevant types of lockdown measures separately, we found that stay-at-home restrictions increased both men’s and women’s productivity and that workplace closures also increased the number of weekly contributions on average – but for women, only when schools were open. Conclusion: Having found gender differences in the effect of workplace closures contingent on school and daycare closures within a population that is relatively young and unlikely to have children (software developers), we conclude that the Covid-19 pandemic may indeed have contributed to increased gender inequalities in professional advancement.Fragestellung: In diesem Artikel untersuchen wir anhand von Open Source-Softwareentwicklern Produktivitätsunterschiede zwischen Männern und Frauen in Folge der Covid-19-Pandemie für insgesamt 37 Länder. Hintergrund: Die Maßnahmen, die zur Eindämmung der Covid-19 Pandemie getroffen wurden, hatten möglicherweise unterschiedliche Auswirkungen auf das berufliche Fortkommen von Männern und Frauen. Wie haben sich insbesondere die Schließungen von Arbeitsstätten, Schulen und Kitas ausgewirkt? Methode: Grundlage der Analysen sind Daten der weltweit größten Social Coding Community GitHub. In einem ersten Schritt schätzen wir Holt-Winters-Vorhersagemodelle, um die tatsächliche Produktivität mit der vorhergesagten Produktivität von männlichen und weiblichen Softwareentwicklern während des ersten Lockdowns im Jahr 2020 zu vergleichen (N=177.480). In einem zweiten Schritt schätzen wir two-way fixed-effects Modelle, um Unterschiede in den geschlechtsspezifischen Auswirkungen der Covid-19-Pandemie auf die Produktivität von Softwareentwicklern anhand verschiedener Lockdownmaßnahmen zu erklären, insbesondere der Schließung von Schulen und Arbeitsstätten. Ergebnisse: In den meisten Ländern waren sowohl männliche als auch weibliche Entwickler im Durchschnitt produktiver als erwartet. Diese Produktivitätszuwächse stiegen bei beiden Geschlechtern mit zunehmender Lockdownintensität. Eine getrennte Betrachtung der verschiedenen Maßnahmen zeigt, dass Ausgangssperren mit einer höheren Produktivität bei Männern und Frauen einhergingen. Gleiches gilt für die Schließung von Arbeitsstätten – bei Frauen jedoch nur dann, wenn die Schulen gleichzeitig geöffnet waren. Schlussfolgerung: Angesichts der Tatsache, dass unsere Untersuchungspopulation relativ jung und in der Tendenz kinderlos ist, wir aber dennoch in Abhängigkeit von Schul- und Kitaschließungen geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede in den Auswirkungen geschlossener Arbeitsstätten finden, kommen wir zu dem Schluss, dass die Covid-19-Pandemie in der Tat zu größeren Ungleichheiten zwischen den Geschlechtern beim beruflichen Aufstieg beigetragen haben könnte

BOLD fMRI Correlation Reflects Frequency-Specific Neuronal Correlation

SummaryThe brain-wide correlation of hemodynamic signals as measured with BOLD fMRI is widely studied as a proxy for integrative brain processes [1–3]. However, the relationship between hemodynamic correlation structure and neuronal correlation structure [4–6] remains elusive. We investigated this relation using BOLD fMRI and spatially co-registered, source-localized MEG in resting humans. We found that across the entire cortex BOLD correlation reflected the co-variation of frequency-specific neuronal activity. Resolving the relation between electrophysiological and hemodynamic correlation structures locally in cortico-cortical connection space, we found that this relation was subject specific and even persisted on the centimeter scale. At first sight, this relation was strongest in the alpha to beta frequency range (8–32 Hz). However, correcting for differences in signal-to-noise ratios across electrophysiological frequencies, we found that the relation extended over a broad frequency range from 2 to 128 Hz. Moreover, we found that the frequency with the tightest link to BOLD correlation varied across cortico-cortical space. For every cortico-cortical connection, we show which specific correlated oscillations were most related to BOLD correlations. Our work provides direct evidence for the neuronal origin of BOLD correlation structure. Moreover, our work suggests that, across the brain, BOLD correlation reflects correlation of different types of neuronal network processes and that frequency-specific electrophysiological correlation provides information about large-scale neuronal interactions complementary to BOLD fMRI

On the Context-aware, Personalized Delivery of Process Information: Viewpoints, Problems, and Requirements

Enterprises are confronted with an increasing amount of data. This data overload makes it difficult to provide knowledge-workers and decision-makers with the needed information. Particularly challenging in this context is the integrated provision of both structured and unstructured information depending on the current process context and user, i.e., the context-aware, personalized delivery of process information. Examples of unstructured process information include all kinds of office documents or e-mails. Examples of structured process information are business process models or data from enterprise information systems. Picking up the need for a context-aware, personalized delivery of process information, this paper presents results from three empirical studies: two exploratory case studies from the automotive domain and the healthcare sector, and an online survey among 219 participants. In a first step, we identify and describe problems with respect to process-oriented information management in general and the personalized provision of process information in particular. In a second step, we derive requirements on the user-adequate handling of process information

Navigating in Process Model Collections: A new Approach Inspired by Google Earth

In complex business environments, business processes (e.g., engineering processes in the automobile industry) may comprise hundreds up to thousands of process steps. Though typically captured in a process model (or a collection of process models), these processes are presented to process participants in a rather static manner, e.g., as simple drawings. However, to effectively support process enactment and to link processes with relevant information,enterprises crave for new ways of visualizing processes and for interacting with them. In particular, process models must be provided in an interactive, more dynamic manner, i.e., they must be both "experiencable" and user-adequate from the perspective of the user. In this paper, we introduce a new process navigation concept for querying process model collections. Specically, we pick up an existing navigation concept for complex information spaces, namely Google Earth, and apply it to business processes. Thereby, we distinguish between geographical and semantic zoom functions, introduce different process views and filter mechanisms, and discuss options to manually configure needed process visualizations

Navigating in Complex Business Processes

In order to provide information needed in knowledge-intense business processes, large companies often establish intranet portals, which enable access to their process handbook. Especially, for large business processes comprising hundreds or thousands of process steps, these portals can help to avoid time-consuming access to paper-based process documentation. However, business processes are usually presented in a rather static manner within these portals, e.g., as simple drawings or textual descriptions. Companies therefore require new ways of making large processes and process-related information better explorable for end-users. This paper picks up this issue and presents a formal navigation framework based on linear algebra for navigating in large business processes

On credibility improvements for automotive navigation systems

Automotive navigation systems are becoming ubiquitous as driver assistance systems. Vendors continuously aim to enhance route guidance by adding new features to their systems. However, we found in an analysis of current navigation systems that many share interaction weaknesses, which can damage the system’s credibility. Such issues are most prevalent when selecting a route, deviating from the route intentionally, or when systems react to dynamic traffic warnings. In this work, we analyze the impact on credibility and propose improved interaction mechanisms to enhance perceived credibility of navigation systems. We improve route selection and the integration of dynamic traffic warnings by optimizing route comparability with relevance-based information display. Further, we show how bidirectional communication between driver and device can be enhanced to achieve a better mapping between device behavior and driver intention. We evaluated the proposed mechanisms in a comparative user study and present results that confirm positive effects on perceived credibility

Navigating in Process Model Repositories and Enterprise Process Information

Although process-aware information systems have been adopted in enterprises for many years, they still do not properly link the business processes they implement with related enterprise process information (e.g., guidelines, checklists, templates, and e-mails). On one hand, process management technology is used to design, implement, enact, and monitor processes. On the other, enterprise process information is spread over various sources like shared drives, databases, and enterprise information systems. As a consequence, users often manually link process information with particular process objects (e.g., using process portals). What is needed instead, however is an integrated access to both processes and related enterprise process information. This paper establishes such a link by introducing an integrated navigation space for process model collections and related enterprise process information. In particular, this navigation space allows process participants to flexibly navigate within process model collections, single process models, and related process information. In turn, this enables advanced end-user support for process repositories

Interaction Weaknesses of Personal Navigation Devices

Automotive navigation systems, especially portable navigation devices (PNDs), are gaining popularity worldwide. Drivers increasingly rely on these devices to guide them to their destination. Some follow them almost blindly, with devastating consequences if the routing goes wrong. Wrong messages as well as superfuous and unnecessary messages can potentially reduce the credibility of those devices. We performed a comparative study with current PNDs from different vendors and market segments, in order to assess the extent of this problem and how it is related to the interaction between device and driver. In this paper, we report the corresponding results and identify multiple interaction weaknesses that are prevalent throughout all tested device classes