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Method engineering

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Method engineering in the field of information systems is the discipline to construct new methods from existing methods.[1]

Overview

New technologies are increasingly being introduced to improve business processes, and it's information systems. In order to implement these developments more often different information sytems design techniques and development methods have to be incorporated and integrated into the software development process. Many information systems development methods provide a road map to carry out the development process.[2] In the past decades hundreds of those method descriptions and numerous appraoches have been proposed to improve productivity. According to Dahanayake (2001) based on several publications the "majority of these methods are seen as fuzzy and artificial concepts, that contain few guidelines and are highly complex, incomplet, and lacking in quality control.[2]

Method engineering in emerged the field of information systems as the discipline to construct new methods from existing methods. In order to reconstruct these methods a Method engineering languages has to be constucted to reflect on and merge excisting methods. These language, according to Harmsen and Saeki (1996), should be able:[1]

  • to represent IS development and management methods and fragments thereof[1]
  • to enable the assembly of information systems development methods by offering constructs to manipulate method fragments[1]

Such a languages is called a Metamodeling languages. With the emerge of method engineering several representation and manipulation languages have been developed based on different school of thoughts.[1]

Types of method engineering

Computer Aided Method Engineering

The Meta-Process Modeling process is often supported through software tools, called Computer Aided Method Engineering (CAME) tools, or Meta-CASE tools (Computer Assisted Software Engineering tools on a Meta-level). Often the instantiation technique “has been utilised to build the repository of Computer Aided Method Engineering environments” [3]. (referring to [4], [5], [6], [7]. Example tools for meta-process modeling are represented in Rolland (1997). A Primer for Method Engineering [8].

Method tailoring

In the literature, different terms refer to the notion of method adaptation, including ‘method tailoring’, ‘method fragment adaptation’ and ‘situational method engineering’. Method tailoring is defined as:

A process or capability in which human agents through responsive changes in, and dynamic interplays between contexts, intentions, and method fragments determine a system development approach for a specific project situation.[9]

Potentially, almost all agile methods are suitable for method tailoring. Even the DSDM method is being used for this purpose and has been successfully tailored in a CMM context.[10] Situation-appropriateness can be considered as a distinguishing characteristic between agile methods and traditional software development methods, with the latter being relatively much more rigid and prescriptive. The practical implication is that agile methods allow project teams to adapt working practices according to the needs of individual projects. Practices are concrete activities and products that are part of a method framework. At a more extreme level, the philosophy behind the method, consisting of a number of principles, could be adapted (Aydin, 2004).[9]

Situational method engineering

Methods in Mobile business development can be designed with the use of Situational method engineering. Situational method engineering can be described as the creation of an ad-hoc method from fragments (method fragments) from known methods. This enables the creation of development methods to be me suitable for any development situation.

In case of mobile business development, there are methods available for specific parts of the business model design process and ICT development. Situational method engineering can be used to combine these methods into one unified method that adopts the characteristics of mobile ICT services.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e F. Harmsen & M. Saeki (1996). "Comparison of four method engineering languages". In: Sjaak Brinkkemper et al. (eds.) Proceedings of the IFIP TC8, WG8.1/8.2 working conference on method engineering on Method engineering : principles of method construction and tool support: principles of method construction and tool support. January 1996, Atlanta, Georgia, United States. p.209-231
  2. ^ a b Ajantha Dahanayake (2001). Computer-aided method engineering: designing CASE repositories for the 21st century. Idea Group Inc (IGI), 2001. ISBN 1878289942. pp. 1-7
  3. ^ Colette Rolland (1998). A Comprehensive View of Process Engineering. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference CAiSE'98, B. Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1413, Pernici, C. Thanos (Eds), Springer. Pisa, Italy, June 1998.
  4. ^ S. Kelly, K. Lyyttinen, M. Rossi. Meta Edit+: A fully configurable, multi-user and multi-tool CASE and CAME environment, Proc. CAiSE'96 Conf., Springer Verlag, 1996
  5. ^ F. Harmsen, S. Brinkkemper, Design and implementation of a method base management system for situational CASE environment. Proc. 2nd APSEC Conf., IEEE Computer Society Press, pp 430-438, 1995
  6. ^ G. Merbeth. Maestro II- das intergrierte CASE-system von Softlab, CASE systeme and Werkzeuge (Ed. H. Balzert) BI Wissenschaftsverlag, pp 319-336, 1991
  7. ^ S. Si Said. Guidance for requirements engineering processes. In: Proceedings of the 8th international conference and workshop on ‘database and experts system application’, DEXA’97, Toulouse, 1–5 September 1997
  8. ^ C. Rolland. A Primer for Method Engineering. Proceedings of the INFORSID Conference (INFormatique des ORganisations et Systemes d'Information et de Decision), Toulouse, France, June 10-13, 1997.
  9. ^ a b Aydin, M.N., Harmsen, F., Slooten, K. v., & Stagwee, R. A. (2004). An Agile Information Systems Development Method in use. Turk J Elec Engin, 12(2), 127-138
  10. ^ Abrahamsson, P., Warsta, J., Siponen, M.T., & Ronkainen, J. (2003). New Directions on Agile Methods: A Comparative Analysis. Proceedings of ICSE'03, 244-254

Further reading

  • Sjaak Brinkkemper, Kalle Lyytinen, Richard J. Welke (1996). Method engineering: principles of method construction and tool support : proceedings of the IFIP TC8, WG8.1/8.2 Working Conference on Method Engineering 26-28 August 1996, Atlanta, USA. Springer. ISBN 041279750X
  • Sjaak Brinkkemper, Saeki and Harmsen (1998) Assembly Techniques for Method Engineering, Advanced Information Systems Engineering, Proceedings of CaiSE'98, Springer Verlag
  • Ajantha Dahanayake (2001). Computer-aided method engineering: designing CASE repositories for the 21st century. Idea Group Inc (IGI), 2001. ISBN 1878289942
  • Brian Henderson-Sellers, Jolita Raylte and Sjaak Brinkkemper eds. (2008). Situational method engineering : fundamentals and experiences. New York : Springer, 2008
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