Jun Sawamoto

A Method of Linking Business Process Modeling with Information System Design Using UML and its Evaluation by Prototyping

In recent years, business modeling has attracted attention in the development of information systems for analyzing and designing the working procedures of the system under development. The paper concentrates upon the use of business modeling in the process of analysis from the point of view of early identification of procedural bottlenecks. It goes on to propose and evaluate a method of configuring information systems that links business modeling with UML. The proposed method builds a business process model from the requirement specifications and translates the model into UML. The proposed method was applied to the prototyping of a bus booking and control system, comparing the results obtained using the proposed method with those using only UML for the configuration. The proposed method proved effective in the early detection and removal of bottlenecks, in coping with changes in the specifications, and in accurate modeling.

An Information System Development Method Based on the Link of Business Process Modeling with Executable UML Modeling and its Evaluation by Prototyping

Currently, Business Process Modeling (BPM) is used to create current analytical model (As-Is model) of the work processes, upon which an optimized model (the To-Be model) can be based, including the optimization of system configuration. Also, there is strong interest in the eXecutableUML (xUML), which makes it possible to validate system viability before it is implemented. This paper proposes a methodology for configuring information systems that links BPM and xUML techniques, and evaluates its applicability. In the proposed method, bottlenecks are analyzed and evaluated using simulation of the work process flow in BPM and, after translating this model into UMI model elements, and after the UMI model has been created, expands it to xUMI. Then, in xUMI modeling, dynamic system evaluation is carried out with automatic generation of the code for actual implementation. The proposed method was applied to the development of an actual prototype information system and evaluated.

Continuous Truck Delivery Scheduling and Execution System with Multiple Agents

In this paper, we propose a practical method for solving the delivery-scheduling problem and discuss its implementation. The method is based on the cooperative problem solving with multiple agents. In the truck delivery scheduling method, the covered region is partitioned into multiple subregions and each sub-region is assigned a sub-problem solving agent. For integrating those sub-problem solving agents, an integration-and-evaluation agent solves the total problem. We also discuss the functions for building cooperative decision support system in a mobile environment in delivery scheduling domain. We consider a delivery center with function, i.e., generating and integrating delivery schedule, acquiring and managing the information shared commonly by all delivery persons, and dispatching the selected information to delivery persons, and the mobile terminal that a delivery person uses for exchanging information with the center. By employing the multi-agent problem solving framework for the delivery scheduling problem, we achieved an easy incorporation of various evaluation parameters in the process of scheduling, efficient use and management of scheduling knowledge of various levels.

A smart method of cooperative learning including distant lectures and its experimental evaluations

Cooperative learning links students together to help them attain their learning objective under the guidance of teachers. With the spread of the Internet, cooperative learning has attracted educational technology interest, and research is proceeding into the use of bulletin boards, teleconferencing and chat rooms, etc., to support cooperative learning systems. However, cooperative learning systems tend to be used independently of distance learning, and very little work is being done on cooperative learning methods that include distant lectures. We believed that if remote lectures could be included in cooperative learning by students, the effectiveness of this cooperative learning could be improved. The article proposes a methodology for incorporating distant lectures in cooperative learning and provides an experimental evaluation. To evaluate this method we created a cooperative learning prototype and performed evaluations within our department.

A proposal of a multi-agent supporting system for network community formation

Information-oriented network society is advancing far beyond our speculation based on the rapid innovations of information and network technologies. Large amount of people become suffering from so-called information barrier When we consider people with informational handicaps, a large gap is opening up between those who can use computers effectively to process information and those who cannot. People interact in the network society through network communities and one of the major issues in the network society is how to bring people together, that is how to form the communities that share similar interests. Active usage of information with the help of personal agents that interact with each other, gather information, and assist the user seems inevitable. Although, users interact through explicit communities, it is more natural and with fewer barriers to form communities as implicit communities using users profiles and then to introduce users to explicit communities. In this paper, we propose a multi-agent supporting system for implicit community formation and discuss methods to encourage effective information exchanges between community members and to improve the quality of their lives.

A delivery scheduling problem-solving by distributed cooperative framework

In this paper, we propose a practical method for solving the delivery scheduling problem and discuss its implementation. The method is based on the distributed cooperative problem solving. In the delivery scheduling method, the covered region is partitioned into multiple subregions and each subregion is assigned a subproblem solving agent. Integrating those subproblem solving agents, an integration-and-evaluation agent solves the total problem. By employing the distributed cooperative problem solving framework for the delivery scheduling problem, we achieved an easy incorporation of various evaluation parameters in the process of scheduling, efficient use and management of scheduling knowledge of various levels, and reduction of computer processing by division of the problem into subproblems.

A delivery scheduling system by the distributed cooperative multiple agents

In this paper, we propose a practical method for solving the delivery scheduling problem with multiple agents and discuss its implementation. The method is based on the distributed cooperative problem solving. In the delivery scheduling system, the covered region is partitioned into multiple subregions and each subregion is assigned a subproblem solving agent which solves the problem of scheduling of drivers and trucks in the subregion. Integrating those subproblem solving agents, an integration-and-evaluation agent solves the total problem. By employing the distributed cooperative problem solving framework for the delivery scheduling problem, we achieved an easy incorporation of various evaluation parameters in the process of scheduling, efficient use and management of scheduling knowledge of various levels, and reduction of computer processing by division of the problem into subproblems.