Carlos E. Salgado

Using Process-Level Use Case Diagrams to Infer the Business Motivation Model with a RUP-Based Approach

Building a business model for a software-based information system in ill-defined contexts is close to an impossible mission. Our recent work in eliciting and managing requirements from a process-perspective allows deriving a logical architecture but fails to provide a business and strategic view of the system. Adaptation of standard techniques to infer goals and requirements from scenarios and process-like diagrams, mapping backwardly the traditional business to process workflow, could help in building a business model and defining a strategy for the information system. We extend our V-Model approach with a Business Motivation Model representation, guided by a RUP-based backward transformation from process to business, so allowing for better and continuous alignment between Business and IS/IT, with improved traceability.

A SoaML Approach for Derivation of a Process-Oriented Logical Architecture from Use Cases

Designing logical architectures for cloud computing environments can be a complex endeavor, moreover when facing ill-defined contexts or insufficient inputs to requirements elicitation. Existing solutions are no longer enough to embrace challenges brought by complex scenarios and multi-stakeholder realities, as in Ambient Assisted Living ecosystems. As new concepts and cross-domain solutions emerge, these problems are tackled by connecting evermore the world of requirements and architectures, of business and technology, through service-oriented approaches. This due, we propose to extend the Four-Step-Rule-Set (4SRS) method, which has proven successful in generating a proper candidate logical architecture for an information system in ill-defined contexts, to a Service-Oriented Architecture approach for greater business integration, flexibility, and agility, by using the SoaML language. We present the result of a demonstration project, based in an industrial live setting where the 4SRS-SoaML reshaped method was applied, by generating the architectural participants, and respective channels of services and requests.

Generating a Business Model Canvas through Elicitation of Business Goals and Rules from Process-Level Use Cases

Business Models play a pivotal role in organizations, especially in building bridges and enabling the dialogue between business and technological worlds. Complementarily, while Use Cases are one of the most popular techniques for eliciting requirements in the design of Information Systems, Business Goals and Business Rules associate with Business Process Use Cases to compose a Business Model base structure. However, methods for relating Business Processes, Goals and Rules (PGR) are scarce, dissonant or highly analyst-dependent. In this sense, we propose a two-step method to help in guiding the elicitation of Business Goals and Rules from Process-level Use Cases, and their mapping to a Business Model representation. As a result, a solution Business Model generated by aligning the resulting trios (PGR) with a Business Model Canvas is presented to the organization stakeholders for review, validation and further negotiation.

Modeling the alignment between business and IS/IT: a requirements engineering perspective

Requirements Engineering plays a central role on software-based information system specification and evolution, and in the alignment between Business and IS/IT, nevertheless, contributes from other areas of research are important to advance and mature existing solutions. Our recent work in eliciting and managing requirements in ill-defined contexts, from a process-perspective, presents some challenges that need to be tackled from other perspectives. We present some insights from three different areas (business model, strategy and goals, and enterprise architecture) concerning innovative methods and techniques, to apply in our existing V-process solution. At the moment, we have defined the methods and techniques to include and adapt, and will empirically test and evaluate their suitability and results in new contexts.

A three-dimensional, requirements-based, balanced scorecard business model

Business models play a pivotal role in organizations, building bridges and enabling dialogue between business and technological worlds, where goals and rules associate with processes to compose its base structure, driving and supporting the organizations strategy. In addition, as balanced scorecard is the reference in strategy management, a combination of these three dimensions could lead to a stronger, more strategy-oriented, business model. In this sense, we propose the specification of a three-dimensional business model, covering the elicitation of business goals and rules from process-level use cases, and their connection to balanced scorecard, aggregating functional, nonfunctional and strategy dimensions. Along-side it, the definition of a method (within a SPEM approach), adaptable to this model variations, allows for different approaches and viewpoints from diverse stakeholders.

Generating a Business Model through the Elicitation of Business Goals and Rules within a SPEM Approach

Business Models play a pivotal role in organizations, especially in building bridges and enabling dialogue between business and technological worlds. Complementarily, as Use Cases are one of the most popular techniques for eliciting requirements in the design of Information Systems, Business Goals and Business Rules associate with Business Process Use Cases to compose a Business Model base structure. However, methods for relating Business Processes, Goals and Rules (PGR) are scarce, dissonant or poorly grounded. In this sense, we propose the specification of a method, within a SPEM approach, covering the elicitation of Business Goals and Rules from Process-level Use Cases, and their mapping to a Business Model representation. As a result, a tailorable method for the generation of a solution Business Model, by aligning the resulting trios (PGR) with a Business Model Canvas, is presented and demonstrated in a live project.

Modeling an IaaS Broker Based on Two Cloud Computing Reference Models

Due to its rapid growth, short history and lack of regulation, eliciting the requirements for an information system broker in an IaaS Cloud Computing context can be a challenging task. Reference models such as the NIST Cloud Computing Reference Architecture and The Open Group Cloud Ecosystem Reference Model stand as recognized models in this domain. Additionally, Use Case models allow representing the process view of a system and can be considered as an adequate elicitation method for the cloud. Mapping these processes on both reference models may allow for a Cloud Computing-suitability check for a proposed solution. Along these lines, we present the results of our work on an industrial project for a cloud broker platform in an IaaS service model. This approach allows for a feasibility and consistency check of the elicited system, pointing some incompletions and flaws, but also important differences in the reference models.

Aligning Business Requirements with Services Quality Characteristics by Using Logical Architectures

Derivation of logical architectures has been largely focused on the elicitation of functional requirements, disregarding the non-functional ones. Consequently, relevant business requirements content is not reflected in the information system architectural solution, so lowering its quality. Although research has recently been approaching this issue, much is left to do, especially regarding the alignment of business requirements with the logical architecture components. Following our proposed metamodel for relating processes, goals and rules (PGR), elicited from business requirements, and the 4SRS-SoaML method for the derivation of a logical architecture in SOA environments, we now aim to extend our work by generating the quality information associated to architectural services from business requirements. By extending our PGR metamodel to include the architectural services and associated quality characteristics, we hope to contribute to the improved alignment and traceability between the use cases problem-set and the logical architecture’s components solution.

An OMG-based Meta-Framework for Alignment of IS/IT Architecture with Business Models

The topic of alignment between Business and Information Systems has been for some time, and remains actually, a top concern of research in diverse areas. It presents many open roads for research, even if leading to much dispersion and fuzziness due to the different views and subjects involved. On the path to build a conceptual, structured framework that incorporates the related topics of requirements engineering, enterprise architecture and strategy alignment, our literature search uncovered three main themes: the business model artifact, strategy and goal modelling, and enterprise modelling. Following, the research problem and its related research questions, which answers will give origin to artifacts, through design science (working on existing knowledge) and action research (working in live projects), were laid out. Initial steps in our incremental research approach, with a perspective on the requirements engineering and business model topics, and the development of a new method around an existing solution for the generation of logical architectures, have been well received by the research community. Current and future work in our plan will deepen and extend our research, further grounding the business model artifact and the strategy and goal modelling issues, while approaching the enterprise modelling, framework structuring and tools support.

A Three-Dimensional Approach for a Quality-Based Alignment Between Requirements and Architecture

The relation between requirements and architecture is a crucial part of an information system, standing as one of the main challenges for its successful development, with traditional projects focused on the connection of functional requirements with architecture components having a tendency to ignore quality concerns. As the quality attributes of a system support its architecture high level structure and behavior, also being highly related to its early nonfunctional requirements, there is a pressing need to align these two realities. Following our solution for aligning business requirements with services quality characteristics by derivation of a logical architecture, we now propose the specification of a metamodel and method supporting a three-dimensional approach for handling the alignment of quality issues between requirements and architecture. Taking advantage of a cube structure and method definition within a SPEM approach, which is adaptable to model variations, our proposal contributes to an improved aligned and traceable solution.