eQuality: An Application of DDucks to Process Management

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 framework called DDUCKS that is being designed to support the process management life cycle. We take a knowledge acquisition approach to the development of the tool, emphasizing the importance of mediating and intermediate knowledge representations. Sharing and reuse of tools, models, and representations is facilitated through a layered architecture. eQuality's process documentation capability includes a number of views, that can be used either in sketchpad or model mode. Using the views, an integrated business enterprise model may be developed. 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.

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