Empirical modelling for participative business process reengineering

Page xii ✍ The purpose of this thesis is to introduce a new broad approach to computing – Empirical Modelling (EM) – and to propose a way of applying this approach for system development so as to avoid the limitations of conventional approaches and integrate system development with business process reengineering (BPR). Based on the concepts of agency, observable and dependency, EM is an experiencebased approach to modelling with computers in which the modeller interacts with an artefact through continuous observations and experiments. It is a natural way of working for business process modelling because the modeller is involved in, and takes account of, the real world context. It is also adaptable to a rapidly changing environment as the computer-based models serve as creative artefacts with which the modeller can interact in a situated and open-ended manner. This thesis motivates and illustrates the EM approach to new concepts of participative BPR and participative process modelling. That is, different groups of people, with different perceptions, competencies and requirements, can be involved during the process of system development and BPR, rather than just being involved at an early stage. This concept aims to address the well-known high failure rate of BPR. A framework SPORE (situated process of requirements engineering), which has been proposed to guide the process of cultivating requirements in a situated manner, is extended to participative BPR (i.e. to support many users in a distributed environment). Two levels of modelling are proposed for the integration of contextual understanding and system development. A comparison between EM and object-orientation is also provided to give insight into how EM differs from current methodologies and to point out the potential of EM in system development and BPR. The ISMs (interactive situation models), built using the principles and tools of EM, are used to form artefacts during the modelling process. A warehouse and logistics management system is taken as an illustrative case study for applying this framework. Abstract Abstract Yih-Chang Chen (2001) “Empirical Modelling for Participative Business Process Reengineering”Yih-Chang Chen (2001) “Empirical Modelling for Participative Business Process Reengineering” Abbreviations Page xiii ✍ ADM ................ Abstract Definitive Machine AI .................... Artificial Intelligence AMORE ........... A Methodology based on Object-Orientation for Reengineering Enterprises BPR ................ Business Process Reengineering BPRC .............. Business Processes Resource Centre CORBA ........... Common Object Request Broker Architecture CREWS .......... Cooperative Requirements Engineering With Scenarios DEM ................ Distributed Empirical Modelling DoNaLD .......... Definitive Notation for Line Drawing DSS ................ Decision Support System EDDI ............... Eden Definition Database Interpreter EDEN .............. Evaluator for Definitive Notations EM .................. Empirical Modelling GST ................ General System[s] Theory HCI .................. Human-Computer Interaction IS .................... Information System[s] ISM ................. Interactive Situation Model IT ..................... Information Technology LSD ................. Language for Specification and Description LSE ................. The London School of Economics and Political Science Abbreviations Abbreviations Yih-Chang Chen (2001) “Empirical Modelling for Participative Business Process Reengineering” Abbreviations Page xiv ✍ MIS ................. Management Information Systems MIT .................. Massachusetts Institute of Technology OMG ............... Object Management Group OMT ................ Object Modelling Technique OO .................. Object-Orientation; Object-Oriented OOBE ............. Object Oriented Business Engineering OOSE ............. Object Oriented Software Engineering RE ................... Requirements Engineering SCCS .............. Source Code Control System SCOUT ........... Notation for Screen Layout SPORE ........... Situated Process of Requirements Engineering SSM ................ Soft System Methodology TQM ................ Total Quality Management UML ................ Unified Modelling Language Abbreviations Yih-Chang Chen (2001) “Empirical Modelling for Participative Business Process Reengineering”