James D. Lee

Technological support for group process modeling

During business analysis, business activities are modeled and analyzed. Redefined models become the blueprints for improved business activities. The cost to produce models of the organization is high and model accuracy is important. Involvement from knowledgeable participants and stakeholders is desirable during business modeling and analysis. Traditional modeling approaches limit direct participation to a small handful of participants. This paper discusses the development and evaluation of an electronic meeting system (EMS) based activity modeling tool. Modeling efforts supported by this new approach are compared with modeling efforts supported by analysts with a single-user tool. The results of this comparison reveal that the EMS-based modeling tool allows a greater number of individuals to participate efficiently in model development. Models are developed between 175 percent and 251 percent faster with the new approach than with the traditional approach. Specific features are discussed that help relatively novice modelers work with analysts to develop models of reasonable quality. Measures are set forth that can be used to assess modeling efficiency and quality.

Enabling the effective involvement of multiple users: methods and tools for collaborative software engineering

The paper presents results of ongoing research to support effective user involvement during systems development projects. The Collaborative Software Engineering Methodology is presented as a framework that contains mechanisms to support three layers of user involvement: selected user representatives, user groups, and the broader user community. Productivity and user participation of traditional group meetings have been limited by chauffeured facilitation and by support of single-user tools designed for analysts rather than users. The paper introduces electronic meeting systems (EMS) modeling tools designed to allow users to work in parallel to contribute directly during meetings. These tools are easy to use while containing support features traditionally associated with CASE tools. The methodology includes a sequence of requirements abstractions that users engage directly including activity models, data models, scenarios, system use cases, and prototypes. This methodology is designed to help organizations respond to todays rapidly changing information processing needs.

Evolutionary development and research on Internet-based collaborative writing tools and processes to enhance eWriting in an eGovernment setting

The Center for the Management of Information (CMI) at the University of Arizona has been actively involved in research with various U.S. government organizations for nearly twenty years. This article details the years of evolutionary development and research conducted by CMI in an eGovernment setting that resulted in the creation of an Internet-based collaborative writing (eWriting) tool, called Collaboratus. By embracing persistence, serendipity, and years of multi-methodological research in the field and in the lab, CMI has built on the foundation of eWriting research that was largely abandoned at the beginning of the eBusiness revolution. This research shows the promising potential for Collaboratus and eWriting tools to help improve digital government through improved document production and collaboration, and highlights many future research opportunities.

Users' experiences in collaborative writing using Collaboratus, an Internet-based collaborative work

This paper reviews several user experiences that researchers at the University of Arizona have had in building Internet-based tools to support collaborative writing. First, the technological framework for an advanced collaborative writing tool called Collaboratus is presented. Next, we review the tools that make up Collaboratus, and then provide an overview of the various user experiences we have had. Finally, many suggestions are provided for developing the next generation of collaborative writing tools.

Tools and methods for group data modeling: a key enabler of enterprise modeling

The need for tools and meeting methods to provide effective support during data model development meetings has been an elusive goal. Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed collaborative tools and methods to support groups during these meetings. This paper discusses meeting methods to support such meetings. A process is described that orchestrates the work in a way that gives non-analyst participants an ordered set of tasks that they can complete. Use of this approach with a group data modeling tool provides a means for larger groups to effectively participate during data model development and review. Users can see and contribute model content in parallel. The approach manages complexity, supports comprehension, and fosters agreement among participants.

Reengineering with enterprise analyzer

A flexible set of electronic meeting systems (EMS) tools and methodologies which have the potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of cross-functional teams involved in business process redesign was developed. Collectively, this set of tools and methodologies, and the supporting automated infrastructure, are referred to as enterprise analyzer (EA). The literature on reengineering is reviewed, and the role of EMS technology in providing support to business process redesign is discussed. The EA architecture and methodology are described. Past and ongoing reengineering applications are identified. A framework for future research is proposed.<<ETX>>

Supporting the group creation of formal and informal graphics during business process modeling

Abstract Since the 1960s, research in systems analysis and design has been performed along two distinct tracts: the automation of software design, implementation, and verification; and the elicitation of high level systems requirements. Computer-aided software engineering, rapid prototyping, and more recently, visual programming have been the tools developed for the automation of software development. Enterprise Analysis, in the form of process and information modeling, has been a primary area of focus for requirements development research. The application of Electronic Meeting Systems technology to Enterprise Analysis is a promising technology for the timely elicitation of requirements from groups of subject matter experts. However, Electronic Meeting Systems do not explicitly support the development of graphical models—a requirement for many process modeling techniques. This paper describes a research effort to provide support for the creation of graphical business models by groups. Design decisions were made based on use of the tools by real-world groups, as well as a result of laboratory studies. One of the most interesting findings was that users found it particularly efficient to be able to enter model definitions through a textual interface and view computer generated graphical views of the model.

Current advances in group-supported business process reengineering

Studies at the University of Arizona and elsewhere have suggested that an electronic meeting system (EMS) designed to support construction of IDEFO models can effectively support groups during development of semantic models. Group electronic modeling tools enable large groups of subject matter experts (SMEs) from the business areas to actively participate in the model building process and to build models significantly faster than traditional modeling methods. This paper details ongoing research at the University of Arizona concerned with computer supported collaborative model development. Specifically it describes improvements to the Enterprise Analysis/Activity IDEFO based modeling software. It has taken advantage of object-oriented technology advances and modeling process refinements to improve five areas of model construction: graphics creation, ICOM creation, bundle formation, semantic analysis, and group coordination.

Group-enabled DEVS model construction methodology for distributed organizations

A USAF project has been initiated to enable groupware that currently supports IDEF activity model capture to be extended to support DEVS model construction. The methodology developed for this purpose enables team participants to enter activity data and then be queried for additional data that support DEVS system decomposition, assigning the activities to components and adding in relevant dynamics.

Volumetric segmentation of magnetic resonance images

Current computer graphics techniques can generate 3-D views of the human anatomy from magnetic resonance images. These techniques require that the images first be segmented into the various tissue types. However, there has been no fully automated system that can perform this task on a single set of high-resolution 3-D magnetic resonance images. We present a fully automated segmentation algorithm based on the 3-D difference of Gaussians (DOG) filter. A novel method for the classification of regions found by the DOG filter, as well as a correction procedure that detects errors from the DOG filter, is presented. Regions are classified based on the mean gray level of the voxels within closed contours. In previous work, the user had to manually split falsely merged regions. Our automated correction algorithm detects such errors and splits the merged regions. Spatial information is also incorporated to help discriminate between tissues. Encouraging results were obtained with an average of less than five percent error in each image. Integral shading is used to obtain a 3-D rendering of the data set.