eQuality: a knowledge acquisition approach to process management and decision support tools

Process management is a method for improving Boeing's business processes, however many aspects have been difficult to implement. eQuality is a software system based on a shell called Axotl that is being designed to support the process management life cycle. The authors take a knowledge acquisition approach to the development of the tool, emphasizing the importance of mediating and intermediate knowledge representations; and also sharing and reuse of knowledge through a layered architecture. eQuality's process documentation capability includes sketchpad views to allow the recording of informal text or graphic information. Model views are used for interactive graphical editing of on integrated business enterprise model. Analysis and simulation tools supporting process improvement are implemented with attribute, function, and task editors that make use of a user scripting language and extensible function library. A virtual project notebook is used to organize project information and help facilitate group meetings.<<ETX>>

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