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1 – 10 of over 170000Wieland Schwinger, Werner Retschitzegger, Andrea Schauerhuber, Gerti Kappel, Manuel Wimmer, Birgit Pröll, Cristina Cachero Castro, Sven Casteleyn, Olga De Troyer, Piero Fraternali, Irene Garrigos, Franca Garzotto, Athula Ginige, Geert‐Jan Houben, Nora Koch, Nathalie Moreno, Oscar Pastor, Paolo Paolini, Vicente Pelechano Ferragud, Gustavo Rossi, Daniel Schwabe, Massimo Tisi, Antonio Vallecillo, Kees van der Sluijs and Gefei Zhang
Ubiquitous web applications (UWA) are a new type of web applications which are accessed in various contexts, i.e. through different devices, by users with various interests, at…
Abstract
Purpose
Ubiquitous web applications (UWA) are a new type of web applications which are accessed in various contexts, i.e. through different devices, by users with various interests, at anytime from anyplace around the globe. For such full‐fledged, complex software systems, a methodologically sound engineering approach in terms of model‐driven engineering (MDE) is crucial. Several modeling approaches have already been proposed that capture the ubiquitous nature of web applications, each of them having different origins, pursuing different goals and providing a pantheon of concepts. This paper aims to give an in‐depth comparison of seven modeling approaches supporting the development of UWAs.
Design/methodology/approach
This methodology is conducted by applying a detailed set of evaluation criteria and by demonstrating its applicability on basis of an exemplary tourism web application. In particular, five commonly found ubiquitous scenarios are investigated, thus providing initial insight into the modeling concepts of each approach as well as to facilitate their comparability.
Findings
The results gained indicate that many modeling approaches lack a proper MDE foundation in terms of meta‐models and tool support. The proposed modeling mechanisms for ubiquity are often limited, since they neither cover all relevant context factors in an explicit, self‐contained, and extensible way, nor allow for a wide spectrum of extensible adaptation operations. The provided modeling concepts frequently do not allow dealing with all different parts of a web application in terms of its content, hypertext, and presentation levels as well as their structural and behavioral features. Finally, current modeling approaches do not reflect the crosscutting nature of ubiquity but rather intermingle context and adaptation issues with the core parts of a web application, thus hampering maintainability and extensibility.
Originality/value
Different from other surveys in the area of modeling web applications, this paper specifically considers modeling concepts for their ubiquitous nature, together with an investigation of available support for MDD in a comprehensive way, using a well‐defined as well as fine‐grained catalogue of more than 30 evaluation criteria.
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This second part of the paper summarizes typical pitfalls as they can be observed in larger process modeling projects.
Abstract
Purpose
This second part of the paper summarizes typical pitfalls as they can be observed in larger process modeling projects.
Design/methodology/approach
The identified pitfalls have been derived from a series of focus groups and semi‐structured interviews with business process analysts and managers of process management and modeling projects.
Findings
The article continues the discussion of the first part. It covers issues related to tools and related requirements (7‐10), the practice of modeling (11‐16), the way we design to‐be models (17‐19), and how we deal with success of modeling and maintenance issues (19‐21). Potential pitfalls related to strategy and governance (1‐3) and the involved stakeholders (4‐6) were discussed in the first part of this paper.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is a personal viewpoint, and does not report on the outcomes of a structured qualitative research project.
Practical implications
The provided list of intotal 22 pitfalls increases the awareness for the main challenges related to process modeling and helps to identify common mistakes.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the very few contributions in the area of challenges related to process modeling.
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Behjat Zuhaira and Naveed Ahmad
Significant numbers of business process management (BPM) projects fail. Their failure is attributed toward many factors. Among them, low quality of BPM is one reason. Some of the…
Abstract
Purpose
Significant numbers of business process management (BPM) projects fail. Their failure is attributed toward many factors. Among them, low quality of BPM is one reason. Some of the tasks in BPM have their roots in business process reengineering (BPR). The literature has cited many different critical success and failure factors for quality BPM and BPR. Lack of software tools is one of the technology-oriented factors that results in poor BPM and BPR. This paper aims to build a generic feature set offered by software tools for process modeling their analysis implementation and management. It presents an objective analysis in identifying weaknesses and strengths of these tools, primarily for BPM.
Design/methodology/approach
A method is proposed to evaluate the quality of process reengineering and management delivered by software tools. It consists of four phases: feature extraction, tool selection, data extraction and tool evaluation.
Findings
The data gathered is quantified to test research hypotheses, the results are statistically significant and highlight multiple areas for future improvements. Moreover, the cluster visualizations created also help to understand the strengths and weaknesses of BPM/BPR tools.
Research limitations/implications
Despite the research approach used, there is a chance of subjectivity when it comes to evaluating different tools.
Practical implications
The paper includes implications for practitioners and researchers for choosing appropriate software tool for process modeling, analysis, implementation and management, matching their requirements with BPM and BPR. It also identifies features that are missing in these tools.
Originality/value
This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of BPM and supporting tools, relates them to key stages of BPM life cycle and BPR methodologies. It also identifies various areas for further development in these tools.
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Ross Brown, Jan Recker and Stephen West
Process modeling is a complex organizational task that requires many iterations and communication between the business analysts and the domain specialists. The challenge of…
Abstract
Purpose
Process modeling is a complex organizational task that requires many iterations and communication between the business analysts and the domain specialists. The challenge of process modeling is exacerbated, when the process of modeling has to be performed in a cross‐organizational, distributed environment. This paper aims to suggest a three‐dimensional (3D) environment for collaborative process modeling, using virtual world technology.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper suggests a new collaborative process modeling approach based on virtual world technology. It describes the design of an innovative prototype collaborative process modeling approach, implemented as a 3D Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) modeling environment in Second Life. We use a case study to evaluate the suggested approach.
Findings
Based on a case study application, the paper shows that our approach increases user empowerment and adds significantly to the collaboration and consensual development of process models even when the relevant stakeholders are geographically dispersed.
Research limitations/implications
The paper presents design work and a case study. More research is needed to more thoroughly evaluate the presented approach in a variety of real‐life process modeling settings.
Practical implications
The research outcomes as design artifacts are directly available and applicable by business process management professionals and can be used by business, system and process analysts in real‐world practice.
Originality/value
This research is the first reported attempt to develop a process modeling approach on the basis of virtual world technology. It describes a novel and innovative 3D BPMN modeling environment in Second Life.
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Kristin Lee Sotak and Barry A. Friedman
Addressing occupational stress and fostering employee wellness helps meet a host of organizational stakeholder expectations including high quality of work life (employees)…
Abstract
Addressing occupational stress and fostering employee wellness helps meet a host of organizational stakeholder expectations including high quality of work life (employees), reasonable return on investment (investors), increased productivity (management), and competitiveness (owners). Despite being dynamic in nature, stress and wellness are often studied using a static perspective. One reason for the scarcity of dynamic empirical research is the limited knowledge and use of the tools available to assess change over time. To address this limitation, four tools used to assess change and dynamics of occupational stress and well-being are described: growth models, latent change score models, spectral analysis, and computational modeling. First, we begin by discussing growth curve models and then transition to latent change score models. We then expand into spectral analysis, a tool used to determine cycles of ups and downs that repeat regularly. Last, computational modeling is discussed, where computers and simulations are used to understand a dynamic process. For each tool, we give examples of how they have been used, make recommendations for future use, and provide readers with suggestions and references for how to complete analyses in software and programs, most of which are freely available (i.e., R, Vensim).
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Keywords
This paper summarizes typical pitfalls as they can be observed in larger process modeling projects.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper summarizes typical pitfalls as they can be observed in larger process modeling projects.
Design/methodology/approach
The identified pitfalls have been derived from a series of focus groups and semi‐structured interviews with business process analysts and managers of process management and modeling projects.
Findings
The paper provides a list of typical characteristics of unsuccessful process modeling. It covers six pitfalls related to strategy and governance (1‐3) and the involved stakeholders (4‐6). Further issues related to tools and related requirements (7‐10), the practice of modeling (11‐16), the way we design to‐be models (17‐19), and how we deal with success of modeling and maintenance issues (19‐21) will be discussed in the second part of this paper.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is a personal viewpoint, and does not report on the outcomes of a structured qualitative research project.
Practical implications
The provided list of total 22 pitfalls increases the awareness for the main challenges related to process modeling and helps to identify common mistakes.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the very few contributions in the area of challenges related to process modeling.
Details
Keywords
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose an availability modeling method of complex multiple units system (CMUS) based on the multi-agent technique.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the multi-agent technique, this paper describes the availability model structure for CMUS and develops agent-based models of components, maintenance policies, maintenance tools, maintenance fields, and maintenance staff, as well as the communication method among the different agents. On the basis of the agent-based availability modeling theory, the availability simulation scheme of CMUS is given using MATLAB. Thus, the availability modeling theory of CMUS and its simulation method are developed. To demonstrate the applicability of the proposed availability modeling method, a numerical example is given.
Findings
The proposed agent-based modeling method is applicable to availability modeling of CMUS, including the modeling of component failure, maintenance tools/fields/staff, maintenance policy, and structural/economic dependence among components.
Practical implications
As a bottom-top, modular, expandable, and reusable modeling theory, the agent-based modeling method might be useful for availability modeling of different CMUSs in reality.
Originality/value
The multi-agent technique is introduced into availability modeling of multi-component systems in this paper. Thus, it is possible to model failure of many components, maintenance policies, maintenance tools, maintenance fields, and maintenance staff together for availability analysis of complex systems of equipment.
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Markus Strohmaier and Stefanie Lindstaedt
The purpose of this contribution is to motivate a new, rapid approach to modeling knowledge work in organizational settings and to introduce a software tool that demonstrates the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this contribution is to motivate a new, rapid approach to modeling knowledge work in organizational settings and to introduce a software tool that demonstrates the viability of the envisioned concept.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on existing modeling structures, the KnowFlow toolset that aids knowledge analysts in rapidly conducting interviews and in conducting multi‐perspective analysis of organizational knowledge work is introduced.
Findings
This article demonstrates how rapid knowledge work visualization can be conducted largely without human modelers by developing an interview structure that allows for self‐service interviews. Two application scenarios illustrate the pressing need for and the potentials of rapid knowledge work visualizations in organizational settings.
Research limitations/implications
The efforts necessary for traditional modeling approaches in the area of knowledge management are often prohibitive. This contribution argues that future research needs to take economical constraints of organizational settings into account in order to be able to realize the full potential of knowledge work management.
Practical implications
This work picks up a problem identified in practice and proposes the novel concept of rapid knowledge work visualization for making knowledge work modeling in organizations more feasible.
Originality/value
This work develops a vision of rapid knowledge work visualization and introduces a tool‐supported approach that addresses some of the identified challenges.
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Constructing and evaluating behavioral science models is a complex process. Decisions must be made about which variables to include, which variables are related to each other, the…
Abstract
Constructing and evaluating behavioral science models is a complex process. Decisions must be made about which variables to include, which variables are related to each other, the functional forms of the relationships, and so on. The last 10 years have seen a substantial extension of the range of statistical tools available for use in the construction process. The progress in tool development has been accompanied by the publication of handbooks that introduce the methods in general terms (Arminger et al., 1995; Tinsley & Brown, 2000a). Each chapter in these handbooks cites a wide range of books and articles on specific analysis topics.
Sahin Akin, Oguzcan Ergun, Elif Surer and Ipek Gursel Dino
In performative architectural design, daylighting is a crucial design consideration; however, the evaluation of daylighting in the design process can be challenging. Immersive…
Abstract
Purpose
In performative architectural design, daylighting is a crucial design consideration; however, the evaluation of daylighting in the design process can be challenging. Immersive environments (IEs) can create a dynamic, multi-sensory, first-person view in computer-generated environments, and can improve designers' visual perception and awareness during performative design processes. This research addresses the need for interactive and integrated design tools for IEs toward better-performing architectural solutions in terms of daylighting illumination. In this context, building information modeling and performance simulations are identified as critical technologies to be integrated into performative architectural design.
Design/methodology/approach
This research adopts a design science research (DSR) methodology involving an iterative process of development, validation and improvement of a novel and immersive tool, HoloArch, that supports design development during daylighting-informed design processes. HoloArch was implemented in a game engine during a spiral software development process. HoloArch allows users to interact with, visualize, modify and explore architectural models. The evaluation is performed in two workshops and a user study. A hybrid approach that combines qualitative and quantitative data collection was adopted for evaluation. Qualitative data analyses involve interviews, while quantitative data analyses involve both daylighting simulations and questionnaires (e.g. technology acceptance model (TAM), presence and system usability scale (SUS)).
Findings
According to the questionnaire results, HoloArch had 92/100 for SUS, a mean value of 120.4 for presence questionnaire (PQ) and 9.4/10 for TAM. According to the simulation results, all participants improved the given building's daylighting performance using HoloArch. The interviews also indicated that HoloArch is an effective design tool in terms of augmented perception, continuous design processes, performative daylighting design and model interaction. However, challenges still remain regarding the complete integration of tools and simultaneous simulation visualization. The study concludes that IEs hold promising potentials where performative design actions at conceptual, spatial and architectural domains can take place interactively and simultaneously with immediate feedback.
Originality/value
The research integrates building information modeling (BIM), performative daylighting simulations and IEs in an interactive environment for the identification of potentials and limitations in performative architectural design. Different from existing immersive tools for architecture, HoloArch offers a continuous bidirectional workflow between BIM tools and IEs.
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