Improving reviews of conceptual models by extended traceability to captured system usage

Abstract When specifying change for an existing system, the history and functionality of the system to be replaced has to be considered. This avoids neglecting important system functionality and repeating errors. The properties and the rationale behind the existing system can be elicited by analysing concrete system-usage scenarios [Pohl, K., Weidenhaupt, K., Domges, R., Haumer, P., Jarke, M., Klamma, R., 1999. Process-integrated (modelling) environments (PRIME): foundation and implementation framework. ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology (TOSEM), vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 343–410]. The results of the analysis of the existing system are then typically represented using conceptual models. To establish conceptual models of high quality reviewing the models is common practice. The problem faced with when reviewing conceptual models, is that the reviewer cannot assess and therefore understand the basis (concrete system usage) on which the conceptual models were built. In this paper, we present an approach to overcome this problem. We establish Extended Traceability, by recording concrete system-usage scenarios using rich media (e.g. video, speech, graphic) and interrelating the recorded observations with the conceptual models. We discuss the main improvements for review processes and illustrate the advantages with excerpts from a case study performed in a mechanical engineering company.