Evaluation of Reference Models

Evaluating a reference model is a demanding task. Not only that reference models inherit the problems well known from the evaluation of conceptual models in general. Furthermore, their claim for general (re-) usability implies to take into account the possible variety of requirements and specific constraints within the set of potential applications. This chapter presents a method that is aimed at fostering a differentiated and balanced judgement of reference models. For this purpose, it takes into account various perspectives - among others an economic, an engineering and an epistemological perspective. It also includes a process model that demonstrates how to organize a specific evaluation project.

Reference Model Management

Reference modeling is located in a field of conflict between research and practice. Despite the array of theoretical concepts there is still a deficit in knowledge about the use and problems inherent in the implementation of reference models. Accordingly, in the past years the supply-sided development of reference models predominant in the science world has distanced itself from their demand-sided use in business and administration. This contribution will analyze the causes of these problems and present a solution in the form of an integrative approach to computer-supported management of re¬fe¬rence ¬mo¬dels. The task to be carried out with this solution approach will be concretized using data structures and a system architecture and then, prototypically implemented in the form of a reference model management system.

A Reference Model for Retail Enterprise

In order to provide a structural framework for information systems that serves as a basis for understanding the organizational structure and the information systems of the retail sector, we present an architecture, the „Retail-H“, that outlines the various facets of trade information systems. The framework encompasses two further criteria, the types of businesses and the differentiation of goods. This architecture and its graphical representation aims at enhancing the orientation within the heap of information models applied in the retail sector. These information models are crucial for the management of information systems and organizational processes.

Design Principles for Reference Modeling

With the design of reference models, an increase in the efficiency of information systems engineering is intended. This is expected to be achieved by reusing information models. Current research focuses mainly on configuration as one principle for reusing artefacts. According to this principle, all variants of a model are incorporated in the reference model facilitating adaptations by choices. In practice however, situations arise whereby various requirements to a model are unforeseen: Either results are inappropriate or costs of design are exploding. This paper introduces additional design principles that aim towards giving more flexibility to both the design and application of reference models.

Business Modeling in Process-Oriented Organizations for RUP-Based Software Development

Several organizations are nowadays not particularly comfortable with their internal structuring based on a hierarchical arrangement (sub-divided in departments), where collaborators with a limited view of the overall organization perform their activities. Those organizations recognize the need to move to a model where multi-skilled teams run horizontal business processes that cross the organization, and impact suppliers and clients. To develop software systems for any organization, the development process must always be appropriate and controlled. Additionally for organizations who want to migrate to a horizontal business processes view, it is required to model the organizational platform where the organizational processes will run. This necessity is also true when the organization under consideration is a software house. In this chapter, a proposal of a generic framework for process-oriented software houses is presented. The way of managing the process model and the instantiation of their processes with the Rational Unified Process (RUP) disciplines, whenever they are available, or with other kind of processes is recommended as a way to control and define the software development process. To illustrate the usefulness of the proposal, it is presented how the generic reference framework was executed in a real project called “Premium Wage” and shown, in some detail, the created artifacts (which include several UML models) during the development phases following the RUP disciplines, especially the artifacts produced for business modeling.

Configuration Management for Reference Models

In this chapter we analyse how a configuration management system can support reference modelling activities. We argue that a configuration management system can not only record the changes made to a single model but also administer different relations between models. To show how such a system can be useful for reference modelling, we analyse the different relations between models from a reference modelling perspective and formulate our findings as requirements for an ideal system. In the next step, we show how configuration management operations map to these requirements. Finally, we demonstrate that the usage of a configuration management system can significantly increase the productivity of the reference modelling activities.

Configurable Reference Modeling Languages

This chapter discusses reference modeling languages for business systems analysis and design. In particular, it reports on reference models in the context of the design-for/by-reuse paradigm, explains how traditional modeling techniques fail to provide adequate conceptual expressiveness to allow for easy model reuse by configuration or adaptation, and elaborates on the need for reference modeling languages to be configurable. We discuss requirements for and the development of reference modeling languages that reflect the need for configurability. Exemplarily we report on the development, definition and configuration of Configurable Event-driven Process Chains. We further outline how configurable reference modeling languages and the corresponding design principles can be used in future scenarios such as process mining and data modeling.

A Reference Model for Strategic Supply Network Development

Based on rapidly changing market conditions and increasing pressure on cost and productivity, companies in different industries have started to concentrate on their core competencies and to decrease vertical range of manufacture. This resulted in an increasing dependency between the producing companies and their suppliers. Enterprise networks are formed emerging the necessity to focus on the strategic development of supply network partners. While currently strategic purchasing mainly deals with direct suppliers future strategic purchasing needs to deal with flexible and dynamic supply networks. This results in a paradigm shift in the domain of strategic sourcing from a supplier centric to a supply network scope. In order to support the paradigm shift the development of a reference model specifying the organizational and functional implications is necessary. This chapter therefore introduces a reference model for the domain of strategic supply network development extending the traditional frame of reference in strategic sourcing to a supply network perspective.

Evaluation of Selected Enterprise Reference Models

This chapter describes a comprehensive evaluation of ten enterprise reference models, including the models underlying the two leading ERP systems (SAP and Baan) and a number of prominent data model libraries. The main purpose of the chapter is to explore how well various model evaluation criteria and the associated metrics can be applied to real-life enterprise models. The analysis is structured into syntactic, semantic and pragmatic criteria. Not all criteria can be measured using clear or unambiguous metrics and some novel, exploratory approaches are suggested. The chapter does not only provide an insight how some of the better-known enterprise models compare against each other, but it also highlights the many practical problems and issues encountered with applying evaluation criteria to industrial-strength models.

A Reference Model for Industrial Enterprises

The introduction of the CIM concept approximately 20 years ago paved the way for holistic examination of logistical and engineering processes alongside the integrated support of information technology within the industrial sector. With the advent of new business management ideas and technological developments, CIM has gradually been developed further and become more integrated with complementary and contemporary concepts. Reference models are developed for the aim of using the CIM concept. The Y-CIM reference model is now established and recognised as a standard reference model within the industrial sector. Furthermore other sectors are increasingly having success with the Y-CIM reference model in order to benefit from improved competences acquired in industry during the last few decades. In recent years the Y-CIM reference model has gradually transformed into a comprehensive reference model that can be applied in a number of sectors. This chapter focuses on the development of business process concepts within the industrial sector and critically discusses the changes made to them over time. There is particular emphasis on the development of CIM and its implementation using the Y-CIM reference model. The article also illustrates the features of the Y-CIM reference model and discusses its applicability in service industries.