Industry structure modeling for competitive analysis: An integrated AI and systems approach

This paper describes a new approach to model the industry structure that will determine the market share equilibrium in a competitive environment. This approach takes advantage of certain developments in the Expert Systems area in the field of Artificial Intelligence to organize qualitative knowledge of industry structure, and combines such a knowledge base with mathematical systems modeling techniques to develop a market share equilibrium model. The rich structural information embedded in the model makes it potentially a very powerful tool for use in industry assessment and competitive strategy development. One version of the model is implemented in SRI International. The system is fully interactive and is currently used to assess the competitive environment for the polyolefins industry.     

Improving the management of product lines by performing domain knowledge extraction and cross product line analysis

ContextIncrease in market competition is one of the main reasons for developing and maintaining families of systems, termed Product Lines (PLs). Managing those PLs is challenging, let alone the management of several related PLs. Currently, those PLs are managed separately or their relations are analyzed assuming explicit specification of dependencies or use of an underlying terminology. Such assumptions may not hold when developing the PLs in different departments or companies applying various engineering processes.ObjectiveIn this work we call for utilizing the knowledge gained from developing and maintaining different PLs in the same domain in order to recommend on improvements to the management of PLs.MethodThe suggested approach conducts domain knowledge extraction and cross PL analysis on feature diagrams – the main aid for modeling PL variability. The domain knowledge is extracted by applying similarity metrics, clustering, and mining techniques. Based on the created domain models, the approach performs cross PL analysis that examines relations in the domain models and generates improvement recommendations to existing PLs and overall management recommendations (e.g., merging or splitting PLs).ResultsThe approach outcomes were evaluated by humans in a domain of mobile phones. The evaluation results may provide evidence that the outcomes of the approach in general and its recommendations in particular meet human perception of the given domain.ConclusionWe conclude that through domain knowledge extraction and cross PL analysis the suggested approach may generate recommendations useful to the management of individual PLs, as well as to the overall management of different PLs in the same domain.     

Analogy-based domain analysis approach to software reuse

Domain analysis is an expansion of conventional requirements analysis. Domain analysis can support effective software reuse. However, domain analysis is time consuming and is limited to a particular application area. Analogical approaches to software reuse, on the other hand, often occur across domains. Analogical problem solving is a process of transferring knowledge from a well-understood base domain to a new target problem area. Analogy can facilitate software reuse for poorly understood problems or new application areas. Analogy shares similar concepts with reuse and some analogy theories have been applied to software reuse. However, current research on software analogy often overlooks the importance of analysis for the base domain and does not consider some critical aspects of analogy concepts. Reuse must be based on high quality artifacts, especially reuse across domains. This paper presents an approach to integrate domain analysis and analogy methods. In our view, domain analysis and software analogy have complementary roles. Domain analysis is regarded as a process to identify and supply necessary information for analogical transfer. Software analogy can provide the analyst with similar problems and solutions to reuse previous domain analysis knowledge or artifacts for a new domain. This paper presents case studies to demonstrate the increase of efficiency in applying the approach. Evaluation of the approach from various perspectives is also reported.     

Observability analysis for structured bilinear systems: A graph-theoretic approach

This paper is devoted to the generic observability analysis for structured bilinear systems using a graph-theoretic approach. On the basis of a digraph representation, we express in graphic terms the necessary and sufficient conditions for the generic observability of structured bilinear systems. These conditions have an intuitive interpretation and are easy to check by hand for small systems and by means of well-known combinatorial techniques for large-scale systems.     

An integrated modelling approach for the representation and embodiment of engineering systems with standard components

In todays global markets the commercial success of a product, however defined, is highly dependent upon the rapid and efficient transformation of an engineering system from a design schema to a fully embodied optimal solution. The ability of the designer to achieve this is severely frustrated by the analytically intensive and time-consuming aspects of embodying a concept. This is particularly the case where standard components have to be considered. This paper presents a new modelling approach that supports the designer during the transformation of a concept to an embodied solution. This modelling approach provides for the representation of conceptual schemas and their subsequent embodiment with standard components from third-party electronic representations. The modelling strategies and associated software issues for representing a mechanical system, handling the interactions between components and incorporating the governing representations for the design and selection of individual components are discussed. The process of constructing a system model, specifying the desired performance characteristics and the process of system resolution are also described. The paper concludes with an industrial case study which is used to demonstrate the capabilities and potential of the new approach for supporting the embodiment of systems and the important task of design synthesis.     

Managing requirements specifications for product lines - An approach and industry case study

Software product line development has emerged as a leading approach for software reuse. This paper describes an approach to manage natural-language requirements specifications in a software product line context. Variability in such product line specifications is modeled and managed using a feature model. The proposed approach has been introduced in the Swedish defense industry. We present a multiple-case study covering two different product lines with in total eight product instances. These were compared to experiences from previous projects in the organization employing clone-and-own reuse. We conclude that the proposed product line approach performs better than clone-and-own reuse of requirements specifications in this particular industrial context.     

An integrated neuro-genetic approach incorporating the Taguchi method for product design

Product design is a multidisciplinary activity that requires the integration of concurrent engineering approaches into a design process that secures competitive advantages in product quality. In concurrent engineering, the Taguchi method has demonstrated an efficient design approach for product quality improvement. However, the Taguchi method intuitively uses parameters and levels in measuring the optimum combination of design parameter values, which might not guarantee that the final solution is the most optimal. This work proposes an integrated procedure that involves neural network training and genetic algorithm simulation within the Taguchi quality design process to aid in searching for the optimum solution with more precise design parameter values for improving the product development. The concept of fractals in computer graphics is also considered in the generation of product form alternatives to demonstrate its application in product design. The stages in the general approach of the proposed procedures include: (1) use of the Taguchi experimental design procedure, (2) analysis of the neural network and genetic algorithm process, and (3) generation of design alternatives. An electric fan design is used as an example to describe the development and explore the applicability of the proposed procedures. The results indicate that the proposed procedures could enhance the efficiency of product design efforts by approximately 7.8%. It is also expected that the proposed design procedure will provide designers with a more effective approach to product development.     

嵌入式控制系统程序模式的自动分析方法

嵌入式控制系统通常都有模式,比如启动模式、正常工作模式以及紧急模式等。程序模式是由其输入变量值范围组合构成的输入变量约束表达式表示的。基于源程序,获取其模式,不仅能够验证实现的模式与设计是否一致,还能够更加精确地计算程序的WCET。在对源程序进行分析的基础上,提出了一种自动获取程序模式的新方法。该方法基于C语言源程序,针对程序控制流程图,通过调整循环中节点流向以及去除与输入变量无关的节点,获得输入变量相关控制流程图ICFG,通过对ICFG每条路径建立线性规划问题并求解,获得每一个潜在的程序模式及其输入变量约束表达式。对基准程序的实验结果,表明了该方法的可行性和有效性。     

An integrated approach for simulation of mechatronic systems applied to a hexapod robot

Mechatronics is the integration of mechanism, electronics and computer control to produce a functional system. The design process involves application of many engineering areas and various approaches are possible. Computer programs are available in different engineering areas. Engineers define systems and inputs, and user-friendly programs establish mathematical models, solve them and give simulation outputs. In this study, SolidWorks is used for solid modeling and assembly, CosmosMotion is used for rigid body dynamics, CosmosWorks is used for finite element vibration and strength analyses, and Adlink module is used for actuator control. The integration of the design process is achieved with a main program developed in Visual Basic, which uses the application programming interface (API) capabilities. The procedure is applied to a hexapod robot. The robot has been produced to develop and test the procedure. CosmosMotion results are verified by the analytical results obtained from the dynamic equations of the hexapod. Besides known kinematic workspace definition of robots, kinetic and rigidity workspace concepts are introduced. Mechatronic systems can be designed and evaluated easily and effectively by using the design process developed in this work.     

A knowledge based component/service repository to enhance analysts’ domain knowledge for requirements analysis

Knowledge of the business domain (e.g., insurance claim, human resources) is crucial to analysts’ ability to conduct good requirements analysis (RA). However, current practices afford little assistance to analysts in acquiring domain knowledge. We argue that traditional reuse repositories could be augmented by adding rich faceted information on component/services and artifacts such as business-process templates to help analysts acquire domain knowledge during RA. In this paper, we present the design of a Knowledge Based Component Repository (KBCR) for facilitating RA. Then, we report on the design and development of a KBCR prototype. We illustrate its application in a system that is populated with components and process templates for the auto insurance claim domain. An empirical study was conducted to assess its effectiveness in improving RA. Results showed that KBCR enhanced analysts’ business domain knowledge and helped them better prepare for RA. Our key research contribution is to offer analysts a rich repository (i.e., KBCR) containing domain knowledge that they could utilize to acquire domain knowledge that is crucial for carrying out RA. While repositories of reusable components have been employed for some time, no one has used such repositories to help analysts acquire domain knowledge in order improve the RA of the system.     

GoBIS: An integrated framework to analyse the goal and business process perspectives in information systems

ContextOrganisational reengineering, continuous process improvement, alignment among complementary analysis perspectives, and information traceability are some current motivations to promote investment and scientific effort for integrating goal and business process perspectives. Providing support to integrate information systems analysis becomes a challenge in this complex setting.ObjectiveThe GoBIS framework integrates two goal and business process modelling approaches: i^⁎ (a goal-oriented modelling method) and Communication Analysis (a communication-oriented business process modelling method).MethodIn this paper, we describe the methodological integration of both methods with the aim of fulfilling several criteria: i) to rely on appropriate theories; ii) to provide abstract and concrete syntaxes; iii) to provide scenarios of application; iv) to develop tool support; v) to provide demonstrable benefits to potential adopters.ResultsWe provide guidelines for using the two modelling methods in a top-down analysis scenario. The guidelines are validated by means of a comparative experiment and a focus-group session with students.ConclusionsFrom a practitioner viewpoint (modeller and/or analyst), the guidelines facilitate the traceability between goal and business process models, the experimental results highlight the benefits of GoBIS in performance and usability perceptions, and demonstrate an improvement on the completeness of the latter having an impact on efficiency. From a researcher perspective, the validation has produced useful feedback for future research.     

An integrated programme for critical thinking in information systems research

Abstract. This paper sets out to demonstrate that critical systems thinking can provide the necessary theoretical background for the development of an integrated approach to critical thinking in information systems research. Critical systems thinking is itself a relatively new development in management science. By about 1990, however, it had established itself on the basis of five commitments; to critical awareness, to social awareness, to complementarism at the level of methodology, to complementarism at the level of theory, and to human well-being and emancipation. The paper discusses these critical systems commitments and shows that each of them has, at one time or another, received attention in the literature on information systems. Addressing them as a whole, as in critical systems thinking, can yield an integrated programme for critical thinking in information systems research.     

面向服务的领域需求分析方法及模型研究

面向特征方法是当前进行领域分析的基本方法,但是由于特征的抽象性,使得用面向特征方法所生成的领域模型在领域需求描述和向领域设计、领域实现的转换方面略显不足.提出了面向服务的领域需求分析方法,将Web服务结合到领域分析过程中,通过分析不同的领域需求来源,形成共性和个性领域服务,并以领域服务为中心构建领域需求模型,并在公共出行信息服务系统中进行应用.     

An instrument for measuring the success of the requirements engineering process in information systems development

There exists a strong motivation for evaluating, understanding, and improving requirements engineering practices given that a successful requirements engineering process is necessary for a successful software system. Measuring requirements engineering success is central to evaluation, understanding, and improving these practices. In this paper, a research study whose objective was to develop an instrument to measure the success of the requirements engineering process is described. The domain of this study is developing customer-specific business information systems. The main result is a subjective instrument for measuring requirements engineering success. The instrument consists of 32 indicators that cover the two most important dimensions of requirements engineering success. These two dimensions were identified during the study to be: quality of requirements engineering products and quality of requirements engineering service. Evidence is presented demonstrating that the instrument has desirable psychometric properties, such as high reliability and good validity.This paper is a longer and more detailed version of the study reported in El Emam and Madhavji (1995).This work was supported in part by the IT Macroscope Project and NSERC Canada.     

An ontological approach for reliable data integration in the industrial domain

Ontologies are structural components of modern information systems. The taxonomy, the core of an ontology, is a delicate balance between adequacy considerations, minimal commitments and implementation concerns. However, ontological taxonomies can be quite restrictive and entities that are commonly used in production and services might not find room in a official or de facto standard or ontological system. This mismatch between the company's view and the ontological constraints can limit or even jeoparize the adoption of modern formal ontologies in industry. We study the roots of this problem and individuate a general set of principles to relate the ontology and those non-ontological entities that are yet important for the core business of the company. We then introduce a theoretically sound and formally robust approach to expand a given ontology with new dependency relations, which make available information regarding the non-ontological entities without affecting the consistency of the overall information system.     

A feature-oriented approach for developing reusable product line assets of service-based systems

Service orientation (SO) is a relevant promising candidate for accommodating rapidly changing user needs and expectations. One of the goals of adopting SO is the improvement of reusability, however, the development of service-based system in practice has uncovered several challenging issues, such as how to identify reusable services, how to determine configurations of services that are relevant to users’ current product configuration and context, and how to maintain service validity after configuration changes. In this paper, we propose a method that addresses these issues by adapting a feature-oriented product line engineering approach. The method is notable in that it guides developers to identify reusable services at the right level of granularity and to map users’ context to relevant service configuration, and it also provides a means to check the validity of services at runtime in terms of invariants and pre/post-conditions of services. Moreover, we propose a heterogeneous style based architecture model for developing such systems.     

Stability analysis and guaranteed domain of attraction for a class of hybrid systems: an LMI approach

This paper presents sufficient conditions for the regional stability problem for switched piecewise affine systems, a special class of Hybrid Systems. This class of systems are described by an affine differential equation of the type x˙=A(δ)x+b(δ), where x denotes the continuous state vector and δ is a vector of logical variables that modifies the local model of the system in accordance with the continuous dynamics. Using a Lyapunov function of the type v(x)=x′P(x)x, we present LMI conditions that, when feasible, guarantee local stability of the origin of the switched system. Examples of switched affine systems are used to illustrate the results. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stakeholders, soft systems and technology: separation and mediation in the analysis of information system requirements

This paper describes the application of stakeholder analysis and soft systems thinking for an investigation of information system requirements. It is argued that it is appropriate to approach IS development as an exercise in managing complexity (soft systems) and pluralism (stakeholder analysis). A framework for investigating IS requirements is proposed that contrasts the current situation with the future situation and the real world with conceptual thinking about the real world. These aspects are viewed as outcomes of the process of IS requirements analysis, for which the metaphor of mediation is adopted in preference to presenting requirements analysis as a binary distinction between social construction and objectivity. The IS requirements analysis framework is applied in action research and the findings and learning that arose are presented.     

An improved LMI-based approach for stability of piecewise affine time-delay systems with uncertainty

The stability problem for uncertain piecewise affine (PWA) time-delay systems is investigated in this article. It is assumed that there exists a known constant time delay in the system and the uncertainly is norm-bounded. Sufficient conditions for the stability of nominal systems and the stability of systems subject to uncertainty are derived using the Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional with a triple integration term. This approach handles switching based on the delayed states (in addition to the states) for a PWA time-delay system, considers structured as well as unstructured uncertainty and reduces the conservativeness of previous approaches. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated by comparing with the existing methods through numerical examples.     

An integrated trust and reputation model for open multi-agent systems

Trust and reputation are central to effective interactions in open multi-agent systems (MAS) in which agents, that are owned by a variety of stakeholders, continuously enter and leave the system. This openness means existing trust and reputation models cannot readily be used since their performance suffers when there are various (unforseen) changes in the environment. To this end, this paper presents FIRE, a trust and reputation model that integrates a number of information sources to produce a comprehensive assessment of an agent’s likely performance in open systems. Specifically, FIRE incorporates interaction trust, role-based trust, witness reputation, and certified reputation to provide trust metrics in most circumstances. FIRE is empirically evaluated and is shown to help agents gain better utility (by effectively selecting appropriate interaction partners) than our benchmarks in a variety of agent populations. It is also shown that FIRE is able to effectively respond to changes that occur in an agent’s environment.