Henk Sol

Modeling and design of service-oriented architecture

Component-based development (CBD) and Web services (WS) are today widely used for building flexible enterprise-scale systems organized in a service-oriented architecture (SOA). In order to gain the full benefits of the emerging technology and standards, an effective approach for modeling and designing this complex distributed computing model is required. Current efforts in this direction are much behind the technology ones. This work presents an approach to SOA modeling and design based on the concept of service component and standard UML modeling constructs. The interface of a service component goes well beyond the list of operation signatures to specify the complete contract between the service provider and consumer. The paper defines service components of different types, scope and granularity and puts them in the context of a model-driven design approach to provide bidirectional traceability between business requirements and software artifacts.

Decision support systems: A decade in perspective

Introducing a new hobby for other people may inspire them to join with you. Reading, as one of mutual hobby, is considered as the very easy hobby to do. But, many people are not interested in this hobby. Why? Boring is the reason of why. However, this feel actually can deal with the book and time of you reading. Yeah, one that we will refer to break the boredom in reading is choosing decision support systems a decade in perspective as the reading material.

Evaluating the role of intermediaries in the electronic value chain

E‐commerce enables new kinds of business models to coordinate a value chain. Coordination of the value chain can be accomplished using direct communication or with the help of intermediaries such as brokers, dealers and auctions. The role of electronic intermediaries is becoming increasingly more important. The introduction of new business models in a value chain is a cumbersome process, due to the complexity of the value chain, unclear implications, different goals and interests of the stakeholders and unclear business models. Therefore, there is a need for a business engineering methodology that supports the design and development of new business models by helping the identification of these new business models and by providing insight into the implications of these business models. A business engineering methodology is presented that supports the identification and evaluation of various alternative value chain configurations. The goal of this methodology is to give stakeholders insight into their current, and possible alternative, situations by means of visualization, to evaluate the added value of business models using simulation and to gain experience with the new business models using gaming.

An environment to support problem solving

Abstract An environment to support problem solving provides means for the recognition, specification and analysis of problem situations, and integrates these with automated tools for the realization of systems that will aid in finding and implementing solutions. As such, it addresses both the methodological and the technological aspect of problem solving. An important feature of a problem solving support environment is that the results of both problem analysis (formal descriptions) and solution finding (working system components) can be stored and documented effectively, as they represent knowledge of a specific problem area that can later be applied in related situations.

The illusion of effective management information: a critical perspective

The availability of effective management information is essential when coping with todays complexity and dynamism, both within and around organizations. Information technology can be used to derive such information. The enormous amount of electronic data currently available, and the development of new technologies like data warehousing and data mining, have intensified efforts to support organizational control. However, the contribution of the management information generated is disappointing. Many projects do not produce the results that organizations expect and the added value of the implemented technology seems to be limited. This paper examines the effectiveness of management information for organizational control. Through literature research and field experiences, we identify important shortcomings of current methods, techniques, and supporting technologies. On this basis, four design guidelines for the specification of effective management information are presented. Their application is illustrated in a case study at the Dutch Internal Revenue Service.

Business engineering: dynamic modeling instruments for a dynamic world

In this article, Business Engineering (BE) is defined as the integral design of both organizational structures and information systems. A literature review shows that despite the numerous success stories, BE has so far achieved little theoretical and methodological support. A 4-year, action research project was started to overcome this problem. Dynamic modeling, a structured problem-solving approach for real-life problems using simulation, was taken as the initial intervention technique. Two BE case studies were carried out within the Amsterdam Municipal Police Force. Dynamic modeling together with practical experiences from the case studies and theoretical findings from fields such as system science, mathematical statistics, and socio-technical design were merged into a design approach, a design theory, and a set of automated tools for supporting, structuring, and guiding future BE efforts. The results of this project give outlook to a new and promising interdisciplinary research domain.

The Impact of Electronic Commerce on Interorganizational Coordination: A Framework from Theory Applied to the Container-Transport Industry

Information and communication technology (ICT) enables organizations to decrease costs and increase capabilities, and thus to change their interorganizational coordination structures. While ICT is the driving force, other factors can also influence interorganizational coordination structures. These are described and are combined with ICT to present a framework indicating the direction in which interorganizational coordination structures will change under the impact of electronic commerce. This framework is applied to the container-transport industry for evaluation. The results suggest areas for further research.Information and communication technology (ICT) enables organizations to decrease costs and increase capabilities, and thus to change their interorganizational coordination structures. While ICT is the driving force, other factors can also influence interorganizational coordination structures. These are described and are combined with ICT to present a framework indicating the direction in which interorganizational coordination structures will change under the impact of electronic commerce. This framework is applied to the container-transport industry for evaluation. The results suggest areas for further research.

The impact of information and communication technology on interorganizational coordination

It is widely believed that information and communication technology (ICT) enables organizations to decrease costs and increase capabilities and thus enables one to change interorganizational coordination. The paper focuses on the possible directions of change by describing the impact of ICT on interorganizational coordination structures. So far, ICT is considered to be a driving force. There are, however, other aspects that have an influencing impact on interorganizational coordination. Those aspects are described and by combining those with the possibilities of ICT, guidelines are presented to indicate the direction in which the coordination structures will change. These guidelines are translated to the container transport industry for evaluation purposes. An expert panel was used in which experts from the port of Rotterdam were asked for their opinion in a game. The results of the evaluation lead to conclusions and directions for further research on the impact of ICT on interorganizational coordination.

Collaborative simulation modeling: experiences and lessons learned

Experiences with a collaborative design approach, supported by discrete event simulation are presented. Four studies, in which alternative designs of organizational processes are explored, are discussed. One study takes place at an insurance company and three at an airport. The way of working followed, is evaluated and compared to the existing problem solving approach, which represents a tradition of collaborative business engineering. Furthermore the collaborative aspect and the simulation support are evaluated, in order to come with improvements for the participative way of working and its support.

Snapshot of E-Commerce's Opportunities and Threats

E-commerce offers opportunities to change the way of doing business. However fully utilizing these opportunities and overcoming the bottlenecks, requires more than just getting online. The currently low Internet trade volumes confirm this. This paper gives a snapshot of opportunities and bottlenecks for e-commerce, regarding the internal organization as well as the organization within a larger business network. How should organizations integrate e-commerce into their current business processes? Which strategies should be followed to be successful on electronic markets? Which roles within the business network should and can be played utilizing e-commerce? Apparently new business models and strategies are required, but the engineering question is open for the future. The identified bottlenecks and opportunities, placed in a research framework of analysis, can serve as a handle in these re-engineering projects.