Product Line Stakeholder Preference Elicitation via Decision Processes

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 35-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Bashari ◽  
Mahdi Noorian ◽  
Ebrahim Bagheri
Keyword(s):  
Utility Function ◽  
Decision Process ◽  
Optimal Strategy ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Product Line ◽  
Product Configuration ◽  
Quality Properties ◽  
Utility Elicitation ◽  
Decision Points ◽  
Elicitation Process

In the software product line configuration process, certain features are selected based on the stakeholders' needs and preferences regarding the available functional and quality properties. This book chapter presents how a product configuration can be modeled as a decision process and how an optimal strategy representing the stakeholders' desirable configuration can be found. In the decision process model of product configuration, the product is configured by making decisions at a number of decision points. The decisions at each of these decision points contribute to functional and quality attributes of the final product. In order to find an optimal strategy for the decision process, a utility-based approach can be adopted, through which, the strategy with the highest utility is selected as the optimal strategy. In order to define utility for each strategy, a multi-attribute utility function is defined over functional and quality properties of a configured product and a utility elicitation process is then introduced for finding this utility function. The utility elicitation process works based on asking gamble queries over functional and quality requirement from the stakeholder. Using this utility function, the optimal strategy and therefore optimal product configuration is determined.

Constraints

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raúl Mazo ◽  
Camille Salinesi ◽  
Daniel Diaz ◽  
Olfa Djebbi ◽  
Alberto Lora-Michiels
Keyword(s):  
Domain Engineering ◽  
Product Line ◽  
The Other ◽  
Feature Model ◽  
Product Configuration ◽  
Constraint Program ◽  
Engineering Strategy ◽  
Application Engineering ◽  
The One ◽  
Line Engineering

Drawing from an analogy between features based Product Line (PL) models and Constraint Programming (CP), this paper explores the use of CP in the Domain Engineering and Application Engineering activities that are put in motion in a Product Line Engineering strategy. Specifying a PL as a constraint program instead of a feature model carries out two important qualities of CP: expressiveness and direct automation. On the one hand, variables in CP can take values over boolean, integer, real or even complex domains and not only boolean values as in most PL languages such as the Feature-Oriented Domain Analysis (FODA). Specifying boolean, arithmetic, symbolic and reified constraint, provides a power of expression that spans beyond that provided by the boolean dependencies in FODA models. On the other hand, PL models expressed as constraint programs can directly be executed and analyzed by off-the-shelf solvers. This paper explores the issues of (a) how to specify a PL model using CP, including in the presence of multi-model representation, (b) how to verify PL specifications, (c) how to specify configuration requirements, and (d) how to support the product configuration activity. Tests performed on a benchmark of 50 PL models show that the approach is efficient and scales up easily to very large and complex PL specifications.

An Exploration of Five Stages in Faculty Retirement Decision Making

2020 ◽  
pp. 193672442098298
Author(s):  
Beverlee B. Anderson ◽  
Jennifer Jeffries ◽  
Janet McDaniel
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Decision Process ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Working Life ◽  
Substantial Portion ◽  
Retirement Decision ◽  
Faculty Retirement ◽  
Cognitive Decision

Humans make thousands of decisions each day. Most of the decisions we make are trivial or relatively unimportant in possible consequences. However, there are a few decisions we make in life that are lifechanging; one of those is the decision to retire from the professoriate. Voluntarily deciding to leave a profession where one has spent a substantial portion of one’s working life is one of life’s major decisions. This qualitative research looks at the various influences, actions, and feelings through the process of deciding to retire. Using a five-stage cognitive decision-process model as a framework, this paper reports on the reflections of 20 recent retirees over the five stages of the decision process from when first seriously considering the decision to postretirement activities and feelings. The results show that while all faculty progressed through the five stages, the timeframe, influences, feelings, and actions were unique to each individual.

The Knowledge Transfer Process

2009 ◽  
pp. 1622-1637
Author(s):  
M. Millie Kwan ◽  
Pak-Keung Cheung
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Transfer Process ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Product Line ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Knowledge Management Tools ◽  
Group Product

Knowledge transfer in an organization is the process through which one unit (e.g., group, department, or division) is affected by the experience of another. Yet, experience has shown that transferring knowledge, whether at the individual, group, product line, department, or division level, is usually a laborious, time-consuming, and difficult task. In this article, we review 20 recent empirical studies on knowledge transfer and suggest a fourstage process model to summarize and organize their findings. This resulted in a framework where determinants for success at each stage of the knowledge transfer process are defined. Based on this knowledge transfer framework, we propose a knowledge transfer management system that integrates current knowledge management tools and technologies to support the needs at different stages of the knowledge transfer process.

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