Roland Holten

A reference model for workflow application development processes

The success of workflow projects to a large extent depends on how workflow application development processes are planned, organized, and conducted. Based on lessons learned from problems encountered during real-world workflow application development projects, this paper presents a reference model for workflow application development processes, which guides project managers and developers through the complex structure of these processes, with the aim of developing more adequate, usable, and reliable workflow applications.

Integration von Informationssystemen

Standards and techniques relevant to information systems integration are arranged using the development phases conceptual specification, design specification and implementation. Core concepts like XML, SOAP, Schema Matching, EAI and the work of councils to develop reference models for business integration are discussed. Methodical aspects of information systems integration are systematically organized by an integration framework.

Specifying information systems for business process integration : a management perspective

Abstract.Supply chain management and customer relationship management are concepts for optimizing the provision of goods to customers. Information sharing and information estimation are key tools used to implement these two concepts. The reduction of delivery times and stock levels can be seen as the main managerial objectives of an integrative supply chain and customer relationship management. To achieve this objective, business processes need to be integrated along the entire supply chain including the end consumer. Information systems form the backbone of any business process integration. The relevant information system architectures are generally well-understood, but the conceptual specification of information systems for business process integration from a management perspective, remains an open methodological problem. To address this problem, we will show how customer relationship management and supply chain management information can be integrated at the conceptual level in order to provide supply chain managers with relevant information. We will further outline how the conceptual management perspective of business process integration can be supported by deriving specifications for enabling information system from business objectives.

The emergence of shared understanding: applying functional pragmatics to study the requirements development process

While the importance of social interactions and especially communication is generally acknowledged in information systems development and requirements development, there are few studies that investigate communication. Departing from the conceptualisation of information systems development as a language development and formalisation process, we focus on linguistic communication and the development of language‐based shared understanding of requirements. We investigate and analyse the semantic alignment process by which stakeholders achieve shared understanding in requirements development. We adopt Functional Pragmatics and examine how linguistic communication is shaped and regulated during requirements development in an actual project. By developing a pattern for semantic alignment and its use as an analytical lens, we enable a systematic and insightful understanding of communication in information systems development.

The Role of Communication in Agile Systems Development

Agile systems development (SD) is described as a cooperative game of invention and communication, in which teams are characterized by relying heavily on informal communication mechanisms such as face-to-face conversations. Our current state of knowledge about the actual communication process in agile SD projects is fragmented because of the lack of an integrative lens across different studies. On the basis of the Unified Model of SD Success, we provide an integrated view on the role of communication in agile SD by conducting a structured, systematic literature review. Our data collection process resulted in 333 relevant papers on agile SD and communication. We find that despite its acknowledged importance, our knowledge on communication and agile SD is limited and research is scattered, inconclusive, as well as contradictory. In consequence, we present several research gaps that deserve future research attention. Specifically, we call for research that opens up the communication process and empirically validates the implications for communication frequency and quality triggered by agile SD.

Framework and Method for Information Warehouse Development Processes

Management’s information requirements must be the focus of interest in any Data Warehouse based ROLAP system development process. For that reason the concepts required for the conceptual specification of ROLAP systems defining management’s information requirements and suitable representation formalisms supporting these concepts must be provided. Additionally an integrated framework is needed that depicts how these concepts and representations can be used in the sense of a methodically integrated development process focussing on both conceptual and implementational development phases. This framework is then used as basis for the implementation of tools supporting the methodical approach presented.

The variety engineering method: analyzing and designing information flows in organizations

In every organization, various decisions have to be made continuously, from the simple choice, which customer order to be processed next, to the serious question, whether to select a new supplier or to cancel an existing one. All of these decisions are supported by the provision of relevant information. Therefore the efficiency of a value chain is strongly influenced by the accurate setup of information flows. To make organizations more effective and efficient, one needs to understand what information flows are currently available and how information flows should be designed for a given organization. However, there is hardly any methodology available in order to analyze and redesign information flows in organizations in a structured way. Using the design science research framework, we develop a method for the analysis and design of information flows in organizations. Our research on the Variety Engineering Method (VEM) attempts to develop a method to analyze, diagnose and design information flows. VEM is built based on systems theory and cybernetics, especially the Viable System Model. VEM has been tested internally, and evaluated externally through field studies. In this paper, we present VEM in detail and discuss some general issues involved in its development, including the application of concepts form method engineering and evaluation in field studies.

Fachkonzeptuelle Spezifikation von Führungsinformationssystemen

Fuhrungsinformationssysteme haben den vornehmlichen Zweck, Information fur Entscheider auf oberen Unternehmensebenen bereitzustellen. Entsprechend mus diese Zweckorientierung in einem fur FIS adaquaten Informationsbegriff zum Ausdruck kommen. BODE weist darauf hin, das jede Begriffsdefinition im Sinne einer Nominaldefinition weder wahr noch falsch, sondern nur fur die Verwendung in wissenschaftlichen Aussagen mehr oder weniger zweckmasig sein kann.1 Er entwickelt einen umfassenden funfdimensionalen Rahmen, der die Einordnung verschiedener im betriebswirtschaftlichem Schrifttum existierender Informationsbegriffe erlaubt.2 BODE unterscheidet die Dimensionen Semiotik, Trager, Neuheitsgrad, Wahrheitsgehalt und Zeitbezogenheit.

Language Quality in Requirements Development: Tracing Communication in the Process of Information Systems Development

Knowledge transfer, communication, and shared understanding between project stakeholders are important factors in requirements development and in the information systems development process. Nevertheless, the impact and analysis of language and linguistic communication during requirements development is still an open issue. In our research, we claim that requirements development depends on the ability to deal with language and communication issues in practice and reach shared understanding of requirements. We propose the concept of language quality as a suitable means for analyzing the emergence of coherent and meaningful requirements. By applying the thereby developed dimensions of language quality to a real information systems development project, we are able to obtain practice-grounded propositions to further evaluate the consequences of different actions on the interaction and communication process of stakeholders in requirements development.

Combining cybernetics and conceptual modeling: the concept of variety in organizational engineering

Organizational engineering addresses various aspects of changing organizations in order to create and keep the alignment between business and information technology (IT). In this paper, we show how the combination of cybernetic theories with conceptual modeling contributes to the analysis and design of information systems and organizations. Based on the discussion of a language-driven understanding of information systems as socio-technical systems, we show how conceptual models can significantly contribute to organizational engineering if used in combination with the concept of variety, an established theory from cybernetics. Within an IT controlling case, we show how our approach can be applied to the diagnosis of an IT controlling and reporting system in the German subsidiary of a large European bank.