Håvard D. Jørgensen

Process models representing knowledge for action: a revised quality framework

A semiotic framework for evaluating the quality of conceptual models was proposed by (Lindland OI, Sindre G and Sølvberg A (1994) Understanding Quality in Conceptual Modelling, IEEE Software 11(2), 41–49) and has later been extended in several works. While the extensions have fixed some of the limitations of the initial framework, other limitations remain. In particular, the framework is too static in its view upon semantic quality, mainly considering models, not modelling activities, and comparing these models to a static domain rather than seeing the model as a facilitator for changing the domain. Also, the frameworks definition of pragmatic quality is quite narrow, focusing on understanding, in line with the semiotics of Morris, while newer research in linguistics and semiotics has focused beyond mere understanding, on how the model is used and impact its interpreters. The need for a more dynamic view in the semiotic quality framework is particularly evident when considering process models, which themselves often prescribe or even enact actions in the problem domain, hence a change to the model may also change the problem domain directly. This paper discusses the quality framework in relation to active process models and suggests a revised framework based on this.

Interaction as a framework for flexible workflow modelling

There are a number of approaches to making workflow management systems more flexible. Most follow conventional notions of workflow models as formally complete and consistent, and look at how change can be handled by migrating instances from one stable state to another. This paper argues that interaction should be pursued more vigorously as an approach to enactment. In this framework, interpretation is not fully automated. Involving users in situated model interpretation, interactive enactment allows inconsistent and incomplete models to emerge, better matching the contingencies of real work. This reassessment of the concept of workflow models is illustrated by the Workware prototype and modelling language, showing that the interaction perspective can inform design of simple and flexible workflow architectures. A case from an interorganisational project further illustrates this.

Interactive Models for Supporting Networked Organisations

This paper presents a novel approach to the development and operation of dynamic networked organization. The approach is based on the idea of using interactive models. Interactive models are visual models of enterprise aspects that can be viewed, traversed, analyzed, simulated, adapted and executed by industrial users as part of their work. The approach was developed in the EXTERNAL-project, where experiences from three case studies were used as a basis for validation and further enhancement of the approach in follow-up projects. The main innovative contributions include an environment to support concurrent modelling, meta-modelling, management and performance of work, integrated support for planned and emergent processes, and customisable model- and process-driven integration.

User involvement in e-government development projects

The deployment of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) methods and processes in e-Government development projects requires knowledge of how user involvement is actually conducted in these projects today. In order to generate such knowledge, an interview survey of Norwegian e-Government project leaders has been conducted. It was found that user involvement is regarded as important by e-Government project leaders, but actual user involvement is often conducted according to the participation practice of industrial democracy rather than the processes and methods advocated within the traditions of HCI. The most frequently deployed user involvement activity is user representation in project terms. Users employed by the government units responsible for the project are more often involved in the development process, and in earlier project phases. The majority of the e-Government projects did not include activities to ensure Universal Design. Studies published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the British Government indicate that the results of the present investigation may be generalized to other European countries. It is concluded that the current practice of e-Government development will benefit on the systematic introduction of HCI methods. Further work should focus on the integration of HCI methods with the user involvement practice of industrial democracy.

Quality of Interactive Models

Interactive models have been proposed as a general technique for increasing the flexibility of computerised information systems. Interactive models are first made during development, but are also available for manipulation by the users at run-time, and the model contents influence the behaviour of the system. Such models are more immersed in day-to-day work activities than the models conventionally developed during software development. Consequently, they face stronger requirements, particularly regarding comprehensibility, simplicity and flexibility. A comprehensive overview and classification of these requirements is currently lacking in the literature on interactive models. We have earlier developed a framework for understanding and assessing the quality of models in general, with emphasis on conceptual models. The framework has earlier been specialised in several directions, but primarily for passive models such as enterprise and requirements models. In this paper we extend our quality framework towards assessing interactive models. These extensions are based on our experiences from implementing interactive modelling languages and support systems. Whereas parts of the framework can be used as originally defined, other areas give quite different results due to the much tighter interplay between model changes and domain changes than what is found when using traditional modelling and system development approaches. This results in a useful deepening of our framework, and improvement of its practical applicability for understanding the quality of interactive models.

Model-driven visual requirements engineering

This paper describes the requirements handling process of a set of research projects, the ATHENA IP, and how this process is supported by modeling and visualizing requirement structures. First, users and external stakeholders register requirements through easy-to-use Web interfaces. Then developers and managers utilize an integrated modeling tool for visual classification, analysis, elicitation, and selection of requirements. In this paper, we show how advanced visualization techniques improve and support state-of-the-art within requirements handling. This requirement handling system was first applied in the UEML project, and a variant of it is in day-today use by a commercial software vendor and its customers. We finally describe the overall experiences from use of the system.

Collaborative Modelling and Metamodelling with the Enterprise Knowledge Architecture

This paper presents the Modelling Platform for Collaborative Enterprises (MPCE) currently being developed in the ATHENA project. The platform enables interoperability between enterprises by providing an environment where most aspects of the collaboration can be negotiated and described as enterprise models and metamodels. It also facilitates business interaction by executing the models. We here introduce the metamodelling framework of the MPCE, known as the Enterprise Knowledge Architecture (EKA). The EKA can represent models on any metalevel in a uniform way. It departs from the conventional ordered meta-levels of software engineering. Instead it treats models as a constellation of mutually reflective, partial views, e.g. different views from different companies. Currently five tools are exchanging models through this framework, and we plan to submit it for standardization.

Utilizing Active Knowledge Models in an Infrastructure for Virtual Enterprises

We present in this paper a novel approach to support the development and operations of virtual enterprises. The approach is based on utilizing active knowledge models (AKMTM). An AKM is a visual model of enterprise aspects that can be viewed, traversed, analyzed, simulated, adapted and executed by industrial users. The AKM-approach is currently applied in the EXTERNAL-project (IST 1999-10091), where experiences from three comprehensive case-studies are used as a basis for the further development of the approach.

Emergent workflow: the AIS workware demonstrator

We describe a prototype cooperation support system incorporating adaptive workflow currently being developed in the AIS project. A workware system that includes task management and adaptive workflow support, available through a simple web browser user interface, is being prototyped. Our primary objective is to support the dynamic and ad-hoc work that is becoming increasingly important in todays knowledge intensive organizations. We cover unstructured and partly structured representations of work, and allow dynamic modification of workflows during performance. The proposed architecture is highly tailorable, allowing users to add and interconnect new tools and information types. This paper is also available in the PDF-format. 1. The Adaptive Workflow Challenge We view workflow as active support for planning, performance and coordination of work that is based upon a (more or less complete) explicit process model. In line with (Miers 1996), we primarily are interested in workflow allowing for coordination through mutual adjustment in creating, adapting, combining and linking process model fragments. Empowerment with respect to workflow process models and their encoded behavior implies an ability to browse available organizational actions and to create oneâs own libraries of actions to ainvokea when they are found suitable (Carlsen and Gjersvik 1997a), resembling aadvisorya process models (Abbot and Sarin 1994). It is also related to layered policies in business process definitions as in Obligations (Bogia and Kaplan 1995) and to an organizational handbook of business processes

Semi-formal modelling of the organisational collaboration processes with operational design tool

Since the notion of business processes proved successful in integrating the major aspects of a single organization, i.e. activities, roles and business objects, it is now challenging to study how to relate business processes with cross enterprise collaboration issues as effective and efficient inter-organizational collaboration becomes more and more important. This paper introduces the notion of semi-formal modelling of the collaboration processes in order to define the collections of activities, roles and behaviours that support critical organisational functions in achieving a joint objective. It also emphasizes that formal modelling techniques (UML, ARIS, BPMN etc) are not perfectly suited for describing collaboration processes, because they lack the most appropriate and simple notations for representing the coordination behaviours of multiple actors participating in collaborative work, and offer no meaningful support for expressing responsibilities in collaboration context with respect to formality, simplicity and expressiveness or resulting complexity. A support environment, called Operational Design Tool (ODT), is presented in this paper, which enables the user to easily create, adapt, change and publish process diagrams within turbulent environments using easy-to-use modelling notations.