Reflection of a Year Long Model-Driven Business and UI Modeling Development Project

Model-driven software development enables users to specify an application at a high level --- a level that better matches problem domain. It also promises the users with better analysis and automation. Our work embarks on two collaborating domains --- business process and human interactions --- to build an application. Business modeling expresses business operations and flows then creates business flow implementation. Human interaction modeling expresses a UI design, its relationship with business data, logic, and flow, and can generate working UI. This double modeling approach automates the production of a working system with UI and business logic connected. This paper discusses the human aspects of this modeling approach after a year long of building a procurement outsourcing contract application using the approach --- the result of which was deployed in December 2008. The paper discusses in multiple areas the happy endings and some heartache. We end with insights on how a model-driven approach could do better for humans in the process.