Enabling Normalized Systems in Practice – Exploring a Modeling Approach

Contemporary organizations are required to adapt to a changing environment in an agile way, which is often deemed very challenging. Normalized Systems (NS) theory attempts to build highly evolvable software systems by using systems theory as its theoretical underpinning. A modeling method which supports the identification of the NS elements, required for building NS sofware in practice, is currently missing. Therefore, the paper introduces an approach for creating both data models and processing models in the context of NS, as well as their integration. It is discussed how these models can be taken as the input for the actual creation of evolutionary prototypes by using an earlier developed supporting tool. The modeling approach and its suitability for feeding the tool are evaluated to discover their current strengths and weaknesses.

[1]  David C. Hay,et al.  Data Model Patterns: Conventions of Thought , 1965 .

[2]  Volker Gruhn,et al.  Model-Driven Software Development , 2005 .

[3]  Daniel L. Moody,et al.  The method evaluation model: a theoretical model for validating information systems design methods , 2003, ECIS.

[4]  Michael Jackson,et al.  Principles of program design , 1975 .

[5]  Meir M. Lehman.  Programs, life cycles, and laws of software evolution , 1980 .

[6]  Keith Moss,et al.  The Entity-Relationship model , 2012, Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON).

[7]  Philip Huysmans,et al.  Tailoring an Analysis Approach for Developing Evolvable Software Systems: Experiences from Three Case Studies , 2016, 2016 IEEE 18th Conference on Business Informatics (CBI).

[8]  Sergio de Cesare,et al.  Collaborative Modeling Using UML and Business Process Simulation , 2006, Proceedings of the 39th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS'06).

[9]  Dieter Van Nuffel,et al.  Towards designing modular and evolvable business processes , 2011 .

[10]  Len Silverston.  The Data Model Resource Book, Vol. 1: A Library of Universal Data Models for All Enterprises , 2001 .

[11]  E. F. Codd,et al.  A relational model of data for large shared data banks , 1970, CACM.

[12]  Craig Larman,et al.  Applying UML and patterns , 1997 .

[13]  Monique Snoeck,et al.  Pragmatic guidelines for business process modeling , 2014 .

[14]  Terry A. Halpin,et al.  Information Modelling and Relational Databases , 2001 .

[15]  Jorge L. C. Sanz,et al.  Entity-centric operations modeling for business process management — A multidisciplinary review of the state-of-the-art , 2011, Proceedings of 2011 IEEE 6th International Symposium on Service Oriented System (SOSE).

[16]  Peter P. Chen.  The entity-relationship model: toward a unified view of data , 1975, VLDB '75.

[17]  Li Zheng,et al.  Business process design: Process comparison and integration , 2012, Inf. Syst. Frontiers.

[18]  Tim Verbelen,et al.  Towards an evolvable data management system for wind turbines , 2017, Comput. Stand. Interfaces.

[19]  Juha-Pekka Tolvanen,et al.  Domain-Specific Modeling: Enabling Full Code Generation , 2008 .

[20]  Jan Mendling,et al.  Seven process modeling guidelines (7PMG) , 2010, Inf. Softw. Technol..

[21]  Amrit Tiwana,et al.  Editorial - Evolvable Systems: Through the Looking Glass of IS , 2015, Inf. Syst. Res..

[22]  A. Scheer.  Business Process Engineering: Reference Models for Industrial Enterprises , 1994 .

[23]  Kris Ven,et al.  Towards evolvable software architectures based on systems theoretic stability , 2012, Softw. Pract. Exp..

[24]  Jan Mendling,et al.  Modularity in Process Models: Review and Effects , 2008, BPM.

[25]  Jörg Becker,et al.  Guidelines of Business Process Modeling , 2000, Business Process Management.

[26]  Kris Ven,et al.  The transformation of requirements into software primitives: Studying evolvability based on systems theoretic stability , 2011, Sci. Comput. Program..

[27]  David Sammon,et al.  TASC²S: designing a data driven business process , 2016 .

[28]  Erki Eessaar.  The Database Normalization Theory and the Theory of Normalized Systems: Finding a Common Ground , 2016 .

[29]  Leon A. Kappelman,et al.  The 2014 SIM IT Key Issues and Trends Study , 2014, MIS Q. Executive.

[30]  Klaus Schmid,et al.  A Comprehensive Survey of UML Compliance in Current Modelling Tools , 2009, Software Engineering.

[31]  John Krogstie,et al.  Quality in Business Process Modeling , 2016, Springer International Publishing.

[32]  Edward Yourdon,et al.  Structured design : fundamentals of a discip!ine of computer proqram and system desiqn , 1979 .

[33]  Rajkumar Roy,et al.  Optimisation of business process designs: An algorithmic approach with multiple objectives , 2007 .

[34]  Pavel Hruby,et al.  Model-Driven Design Using Business Patterns , 2011, J. Inf. Syst..

[35]  Jan Verelst,et al.  Normalized systems theory : from foundations for evolvable software toward a general theory for evolvable design , 2016 .

[36]  Peter De Bruyn.  Generalizing normalized systems theory : towards a foundational theory for enterprise engineering , 2014 .