Supporting Transaction Design in Conceptual Modelling of Information Systems

. A method and a tool for supporting transaction design in conceptual modelling of information systems is presented. The method derives automatically a transaction specification that integrates in a uniform manner the updating of base and derived information and the checking and maintenance of integrity within an information base conceptual schema. Transaction specifications thus obtained achieve their intended purpose and guarantee that information base consistency will be preserved. When there are several possible solutions, the method derives all of them. The designer may then intervene in various ways in order to select the most appropriate ones. From this choice on, the transaction processing system and the enduser can also play a role in the final application of the transaction specification, for this one can be directly executable. Using a declarative, logic-based approach, the method is general, and can be adapted easily to most conceptual modelling methodologies. 1. Introducti..

Aprovisionamiento de servicios, sistemas y TI, septiembre 2014

Recurs d'aprenentatge de la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.Recurso de aprendizaje de la "Universitat Oberta de Catalunya".Learning material of the "Universitat Oberta de Catalunya"

La experiencia internacional de un centro universitario de informática: análisis y reflexión

La internacionalización de las instituciones de educación superior es un tema recurrente en sus planes estratégicos. La implementación de esos planes depende, entre otros, de la legislación vigente, de la organización interna de la institución, del contexto social y geográfico e incluso del tipo de estudios que ofertan. Nuestro estudio, análisis y clasificación de las acciones de internacionalización de la Facultat d’Informàtica de Barcelona (FIB) desde su creación, pone de manifiesto la importancia de los centros en el cumplimiento de los planes de internacionalización de una universidad muy descentralizada. Para ello, hemos recolectado y analizado una serie de indicadores docentes y de movilidad. Y para clasificar las acciones de internacionalización de la FIB hemos aplicado un novedoso sistema a lo largo de tres ejes que combina diferentes aproximaciones. Uno de los resultados obtenidos es la existencia de un fuerte vínculo entre el diseño de planes de estudio en el área de la informática y la internacionalización. También hemos puesto en evidencia el papel fundamental desempeñado por los diferentes equipos directivos. Estos resultados hacen recomendable un abordaje de la internacionalización más descentralizado por parte de las instituciones de educación superior y una transferencia de conocimiento más efectiva entre los sucesivos equipos directivos.The internationalisation of higher education institutions is a recurrent theme in their strategic plans. The implementation of these plans depends, among others, on the legislation in force, the internal organisation of the institution, the social and geographical context and even the type of studies offered. Our study, analysis and classification of the internationalisation actions of the Facultat d’Informàtica de Barcelona (FIB) since its creation highlights the importance of the centres in the implementation of the internationalisation plans of a highly decentralised university. To this end, we have collected and analysed a series of teaching and mobility indicators. And to classify the internationalisation actions of the FIB, we have applied an innovative system along three axes that combines different approaches. One of the results obtained is the existence of a strong link between the design of curricula in the area of computer science and internationalisation. We have also highlighted the fundamental role played by the different management teams. These results recommend a more decentralised approach to internationalisation by higher education institutions and a more effective transfer of knowledge between successive management teams

Oportunidad y necesidad de la planificación estratégica de la transformación digital en los museos de historia natural

Digital transformation must be addressed strategically in every organization, as it generates complex challenges of improvement and innovation in people, processes, systems and technologies. It is not just a matter of technological investment; it is a matter of considering improved ways of implementing the organization's mission, rethinking its main functions in order to benefit from the digital. For this reason, it is important to approach this transformation from a strategic perspective, avoiding isolated actions and maximizing the institution's support with wellfounded digital projects. What has been said so far applies to all organizations, but even more so to institutions of special purpose and complexity, such as museums, especially Natural History Museums. During the last decades museums have also bet on digital innovation, although it seems that at a slower pace than other sectors, so that today many museums are still far from reaching digital maturity. The perception of the heritage sector is that Natural History Museums have a certain digital advantage over other museum themes, due to the great complexity and volume of their collections. In such circumstances, the strategic planning of their digital transformation, and the right leadership in the deployment of digital projects, are crucial to establish guidelines, objectives and strategic projects that support the achievement of their mission and enhance their relevance in today's society. Although the relative scarcity of resources and staff availability may hinder digital transformation in many museums, such limitations can be better addressed with the right institutional leadership and through the use of guidelines and methods specially adapted to the museum reality; allowing to plan and address digital transformation with a strategic, methodical, systematic, cross-cutting approach that minimizes the associated risks and maximizes the opportunities for success. In order to explore such a strategic approach, the Natural Science Museum of Barcelona and the Polytechnic University of Catalunya are cooperating in an applied research project, approved and funded by the Industrial Doctorate Program of the Generalitat de Catalunya, resulting in a method for the strategic planning of digital transformation initiatives in Natural History Museums, as well as a first digital transformation plan for this museum.La transformación digital debe abordarse estratégicamente en toda organización, pues genera retos complejos de mejora e innovación en las personas, los procesos, los sistemas y las tecnologías. No se trata sólo de inversión tecnológica, se trata de plantear formas mejoradas de implementar la misión de la organización, repensando sus funciones principales para beneficiarse de lo digital. Por eso, conviene abordar dicha transformación de manera estratégica, evitando las actuaciones aisladas y maximizando el apoyo institucional con proyectos digitales bien fundamentados. Lo dicho hasta aquí sirve para el común de las organizaciones, pero aún más para instituciones de especial propósito y complejidad, como es el caso de los museos, especialmente los Museos de Historia Natural. Durante las últimas décadas los museos también han apostado por la innovación digital, aunque a un ritmo más lento que otros sectores, por lo que hoy todavía muchos museos están lejos de alcanzar una elevada madurez digital. La percepción del sector patrimonial es que los Museos de Historia Natural llevan cierta ventaja digital sobre otras temáticas museísticas, motivada por la gran complejidad y volumen de sus colecciones. En tales circunstancias, la planificación estratégica de su transformación digital, y el correcto liderazgo en el despliegue de los proyectos digitales, resultan cruciales para establecer pautas, objetivos y proyectos estratégicos, que apoyen el logro de su misión y potencien su relevancia en la sociedad actual. Aunque la relativa escasez de recursos y disponibilidad del personal puedan dificultar la transformación digital en muchos museos, dichas limitaciones se pueden encajar mejor con el correcto liderazgo institucional y mediante el uso de pautas y métodos adaptados especialmente a la realidad museística que permitan planificar y abordar la transformación digital con un enfoque estratégico, metódico, sistemático, transversal, que minimice los riesgos asociados y maximice las oportunidades de éxito. Con el objeto de explorar dicho enfoque estratégico, el Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona y la Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña están cooperando en un proyecto de investigación aplicada, aprobado y financiado por el Programa de Doctorados Industriales de la Generalitat de Catalunya, del que resulte un método para la planificación estratégica de iniciativas de transformación digital en Museos de Historia Natural, así como un primer plan de transformación digital para dicho museo

Advancing IS strategy for Natural History museums with method engineering in the digital age

The evolution of information systems and technologies (IS/IT) has driven a fundamental transformation of services and processes within various types of organizations. Specifically, technologies such as AI, virtual reality, augmented reality, big data, drones, cloud, 3D printers and IoT have originated the phenomenon in literature known as digital transformation. Digital transformation (DT) is a strategic, organization-wide approach that brings together process, technology and people. It is not just a matter of technological investment, but of considering improved ways of implementing the organisation’s mission, rethinking its core functions to benefit from digital. Over the last decades, museums have also been committed to digital innovation, although at a slower pace than other sectors, so that today many museums are still far from reaching a high level of digital maturity. In such circumstances, the strategic planning of DT and the right leadership for deploying digital projects, are crucial to establish guidelines, objectives and strategic projects that support the achievement of museum’s mission and enhance their relevance in today’s society. In order to explore such a strategic approach, theMuseu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona (MCNB) and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) are cooperating in an applied research project, approved and funded by the Industrial Doctorate Programme of the Generalitat de Catalunya, resulting in a method for the strategic planning of DT initiatives in Natural History Museums, as well as the first DT plan for the collections area of the MCNB

A service-oriented meta-design for the strategic digital transformation process in Natural History museums

The mission and services of natural history museums (NHMs) show, preserve and study life and ecosystems on Earth to understand nature's patterns and support their conservation. The evolution of IS/IT has driven a fundamental transformation of services and processes within different types of organizations such as NHMs, giving rise to the phenomenon known in the literature as digital transformation. Digital Transformation (DT) is a strategic, organization-wide approach that brings and improves together processes, people and technology. DT is a complex process that requires organizational commitment, including the redesign of service/business processes, developing new skills, and sometimes overcoming people resistance and inertia. Museums have been no strangers to DT for the past few decades, but their pace of change has been slower than in other sectors, leaving most museums far from digital maturity. However, in order to open up their biodiversity data and increase the effectiveness of their service processes, NHMs are faced with the need to integrate IS/IT and transform digitally. Therefore, for NHMs strategic planning of DT has become crucial to set both a clear strategic direction for NHMs to fulfill their mission and maintain their relevance in 21st century. Using a design science research approach, the Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona (MCNB) and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) are collaborating in an applied research project, approved and funded by the Industrial Doctorate Programme of the Generalitat de Catalunya. The result will be a new methodology for strategic planning of DT in NHMs, as well as a first DT plan for the Collections area of the MCNB. This paper explains the meta-design carried out to build such a methodology