Design and implementation of a knowledge-based decision support system for estimating software development work-effort

Up to now, the assessment of work-effort in software engineering is based on statistical methods. Among the best known are COCOMO (Boehm [2]) or SPQR (Jones [6]). Nevertheless it is generally recognized that many qualitative factors enter into the cost of development, such as effectiveness of the team, user's motivation, and accuracy of the specifications. We have designed a Decision Support System (DSS) for estimating the work-effort, in which the processing of the qualitative data is made by an expert system while a function points analysis provides the theoretical work-effort according to the type of software and the past experience. The evaluation is performed at two levels: global and detailed. The global evaluation is made at the beginning of the development according to the data that are, at this moment, available. The detailed evaluation takes place when the design of the software becomes more precise. The software manager can follow the evolution of the changes at the detailed level during the development.In software development, project leaders mostly reason by using their past experience. It therefore follows that a DSS must contain a learning process. We have accordingly designed our system to record the data of the completed developments. These data serve for the new evaluations. At the end of each project, the learning module examines to what extent the already-recorded information must be updated. Thus our system combines statistic data and knowledge-based reasonings.     

A decision support system for evaluating intangible investments

In this research project we have connected the procedural and substantive decision support by means of modern information technology. We have showed how the semistructured strategic decisions concerning intangible investments can be supported effectively by relating appropriate analysis methods to the different phases of the investment process. Because for the intangible investments there is no well-defined solution procedure available, a variety of methods must be integrated to support the solution process.

As a demonstrative example we showed how the intangible investments in logistic systems can be managed. It was highlighted that the logistics systems are complex, cross-functional systems that affect all major functions or departments within the firm beginning from the raw material deliveries and ending with the deliveries of finished goods. Investments in the logistics systems have corporatewide, cross-functional effects, and the investment decisions are strategic decisions. Consequently, the investments in the logistics systems should be strategically justified, not only cost-justified. The cross-functional effects imply that the investment analysis concerning the whole logistics system must be fulfilled under multiple, diversified criteria. We can not, however, ignore the financial, cost and revenue oriented, traditional investment criteria. They just have to be used in a new, flexible way in relation to the goals and objectives of the firm.

Strategic planning is a managerial area where semistructured problems frequently exist. One of the key problems faced in strategic management is the issue of investment decisions. Investments in information systems, logistic systems, flexible production systems, corporate image, etc, are examples of complex investment problems that are difficult to quantify and analyze with traditional techniques. Modern computer technology can enrich the analysis and improve the quality of strategic decision making.     

Empirical evaluation of a decision support model for adopting software product line engineering

ContextThe software product line engineering (SPLE) community has provided several different approaches for assessing the feasibility of SPLE adoption and selecting transition strategies. These approaches usually include many rules and guidelines which are very often implicit or scattered over different publications. Hence, for the practitioners it is not always easy to select and use these rules to support the decision making process. Even in case the rules are known, the lack of automated support for storing and executing the rules seriously impedes the decision making process.ObjectiveWe aim to evaluate the impact of a decision support system (DSS) on decision-making in SPLE adoption. In alignment with this goal, we provide a decision support model (DSM) and the corresponding DSS.MethodFirst, we apply a systematic literature review (SLR) on the existing primary studies that discuss and present approaches for analyzing the feasibility of SPLE adoption and transition strategies. Second, based on the data extraction and synthesis activities of the SLR, the required questions and rules are derived and implemented in the DSS. Third, for validation of the approach we conduct multiple case studies.ResultsIn the course of the SLR, 31 primary studies were identified from which we could construct 25 aspects, 39 questions and 312 rules. We have developed the DSS tool Transit-PL that embodies these elements.ConclusionsThe multiple case study validation showed that the adoption of the developed DSS tool is justified to support the decision making process in SPLE adoption.     

An investigation on the nature of decision support system software

Decision Support Systems (DSS) software is investigated and a conceptual model presented in this paper. The purpose of this model is to facilitate a better understanding of the nature of DSS software. The model is composed of six problem transformational processes linking up seven problem phases. The six transformational processes are: problem transforming system, problem mapping system, problem solving system, procedural program generation system, programming language compiling system, and code generation system, by identifying the seven problem phases this hierarchical provides a conceptual foundation for developing DSS software. Spun-off from this model is a framework for implementing knowledge-based DSS with automatic modeling capabilities. The structure of future DSS software to run on fifth generation computers is also addressed.     

关于决策支持系统发展综述

通过分析决策支持系统的定义和发展历史,对决策支持系统的逻辑结构、技术层次结构和物理结构进行了剖析,描述了其对应的逻辑关系,并结合最新的计算机技术和网络通信技术,讨论了决策支持系统的发展趋势.     

Knowledge engineering concepts for decision support system design and implementation

The design of computer-based systems that simulate expert human consulting by drawing on large amounts of task-specific knowledge has been a major research activity of applied artificial intelligence over the last ten years. Building decision support systems that incorporate aspects of this research is a promising new field. The purpose of this paper is to discuss concepts of “knowledge engineering” that are most relevant in designing and building knowledge-based decision support systems.     

A decision support system for product design in concurrent engineering

Compared with the traditional sequential design method, concurrent engineering is a systematic approach to integrate concurrent design of products and their related processes. One of the key factors to successfully implement concurrent engineering is information technology. In order to design a product and its manufacturing process simultaneously, information on product features, manufacturing requirements, and customer demands must be processed while the design is concurrently going on. There is an increased understanding of the importance of the correct decisions being made at the conceptual design and development stages that involve many complex evaluation and decision-making tasks. In order to promote the efficiency in concurrent product development, appropriate evaluation and decision tools need to be provided. In this paper, the characteristics of fuzzy, multi-stage evaluation and decision making in concurrent product development process are analyzed and a decision support system for product design in concurrent engineering is presented. An example is given to illustrate the application of the system.     

Change-driven development for scientific software

Scientific software production dates back to the days before the computer science discipline obtained its own name. Over the past 76 years, scientists have been producing software, which means that most of the modern techniques and software engineering methods available these days did not exist while part of this process was taking place. Change-driven development was born as a new approach to maintain and develop scientific software. Founded on the principles of software essence (changeability, complexity, intangibility, and conformity), integrated development tools, and automated source code transformation. This new, agile approach takes change as a working unit devised to drive the entire development process, which is performed in a four-stage cycle. One of the most interesting approaches to apply change-driven development on scientific software is to update, modernize and even parallelize sequential programs that have been written 20 or 30 years ago and are still running in production environments. This process will be thoroughly described and implemented. Two successful case studies will be presented and analyzed in depth.     

面向项目绩效评价的软件过程改进模型与决策支持研究

在探讨项目绩效与过程改进关系基础上,分析了传统的模型驱动的软件过程改进模型的不足,论述了项目绩效驱动的过程改进的理论框架。为实现该框架,建立了面向项目绩效的过程改进决策支持系统逻辑模型,并提出了持续绩效评价及过程改进的软件项目开发策略。     

A decision support tool for evaluating customer intentions

It is crucial for any manager to keep a close watch on customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and the customer’s intention to recommend the company. In this article, a new decision support tool is developed to support a manager with this task. This tool has been developed with companies in mind that posses limited customer satisfaction data. It uses model-based knowledge discovery to extract the customer’s expectation and the expectation-performance compatibility from the data. Two hypotheses are formulated which posit that compatibility between product performance and customer expectation have a positive influence on the customer’s intentions. Both hypotheses are supported by the data. Finally, a decision support tool is developed which visualizes the impact of customer satisfaction, product performance and expectation-performance compatibility on the customer’s intentions. The decision support tool contains three views which offer the manager important information at a glance.     

Web模式下“软件工程”双语教学系统开发技术的研究

采用多层体系结构,以SQL Server 2000为后台数据库,运用E-R模型进行数据库设计和数据库表设计,结合ASP.NET技术和ADO.NET技术,以Visual C#.NET作为主要开发语言,实现软件工程双语课程的网络教学平台的设计,完成系统的教学资源管理与利用、教学信息交互及系统管理等基本功能。     

The design and development of a computerized tool support for conducting senior projects in software engineering education

This paper presents a computerized tool support, the Meetings-Flow Project Collaboration System (MFS), for designing, directing and sustaining the collaborative teamwork required in senior projects in software engineering (SE) education. Among many schools’ SE curricula, senior projects serve as a capstone course that provides comprehensive training in collaborative project development. With the focus on collaboration training, instructors of senior projects often address issues that include how to encourage collaboration and ensure that collaborative efforts are sustained throughout the project’s development. In order to help resolve these issues, the MFS takes a holistic approach. The meetings-flow concept that undergirds the MFS introduces a novel macro-level and meeting-oriented group process to guide the proceeding of the project’s collaborative work. The design of the MFS facilitates a computerized environment that helps to institutionalize and monitor such a group process. In introducing the MFS, we focus initially on the elaboration of the concept and design, after which we present and validate the system implementation and usage. We also evaluate the MFS and receive a positive result with respect to the educational issues raised in this paper. Finally, we comparatively summarize the MFS to discuss its values and the role it plays in CSCL (computer supported collaborative learning) and PBL (project-based learning) of SE education.     

Research software engineering and the importance of scientific models

Software and Systems Modeling -     

Applying a decision support system

Decision support systems (DSS) are in use in a major retail organization for a variety of purposes. One is being used to monitor a change of strategy within the retail outlets. Accountants, engineers, local and senior management are finding uses for DSS.     

A decision support system for engineering design based on an enhanced fuzzy MCDM approach

Design concept is an important wealth-creating activity in companies and infrastructure. However, the process of designing is very complex. Besides, the information required during the conceptual stage is incomplete, imprecise, and fuzzy. Hence, fuzzy set theory should be used to handle linguistic problem at this stage. This paper presents a fuzzy integrated approach to assess the performance of design concepts. And those criteria rating, relative weights and performance levels are captured by fuzzy numbers, and the overall performance of each alternative is calculated through an enhanced fuzzy weighted average (FWA) approach. A practical numerical example is provided to demonstrate the usefulness of this study. In addition, this paper, in order to make computing and ranking results easier to increase the recruiting productivity, develops a computer-based decision support system to help make decisions more efficiently.     

Product-cost modelling approach for the development of a decision support system for optimal roofing material selection

Selection of optimal roofing materials is very important but it is a complex and onerous task as varieties of materials are available for housing roof construction. In order to select suitable materials, an extensive range of criteria would need to be considered. This paper presents the framework and the development of a knowledge-based decision support system for material selection implemented in roofing material selection domain, called ‘Knowledge-based Decision Support system for roofing Material Selection and cost estimating’ (KDSMS). It was developed to facilitate the selection of optimal materials for different roof sub elements. The system consists of a database and knowledge base that is equipped with an inference engine. The former is used to store different types of roofing materials with assigned attribute values. The later is used to hold qualitative and quantitative knowledge which were collected from domain experts and other technical literatures such as building regulations, price guide book and product catalogues. The proposed system employs the TOPSIS (Technique of ranking Preferences by Similarity to the Ideal Solution) multiple criteria decision making method to solve materials selection and optimisation problem. This study utilised the available roofing materials in the UK housing market in developing the system reported. The main contribution of the developed system is that it provides a tool for the architects, quantity surveyors or self house builder to select optimal materials from a wide array of possibilities for different roof sub elements and also to estimate the conceptual cost for the roof element in the early stage of building design.     

A multi-criteria decision support model for evaluating the performance of partnerships

Partnership is one of the strategies that could help companies increase their competiveness in a global market. Previous studies reported that a high percentage of partnerships fail to achieve their drivers of entering into partnership. The lack of a comprehensive partnership evaluation has been identified as one of the main reasons for partnership failure. In this paper, a multi-criteria decision support model is developed to evaluate the performance of an ongoing partnership in different periods based on the measures associated with the drivers for entering into the partnership. Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM), Analytical Network Process (ANP) and Fuzzy Logic (FL) are used in order to address the interdependency, the importance of, and the uncertainty in performance measures, respectively. The outputs of the model are the importance of each performance measure and a single number for the overall partnership performance in each period, named as Partnership Performance Index (PPI) here. PPI is different from either mere financial or operational performance measures. PPI is a multi-dimensional measure which includes multiple performance measures associated with the partnership drivers and accounts for their importance and interdependencies. The model is applied to a partnership between a logging company and a sawmill in British Columbia, Canada. PPI is used to evaluate this partnership in three different periods. PPI values are compared to conventional measures for partnership evaluation and the managers confirmed that PPI values better represent the performance of their partnership. The sensitivity of the PPIs is investigated based on the changes in the importance as well as the value of the measures. The rankings from the model are compared to the ones estimated by the managers, and the results showed that the rankings are compatible. This model contributes to the literature by developing an index for partnership performance which captures partnership drivers and performance measures as well as their importance and interdependencies.     

区域人口发展决策支持系统的设计与实现

利用计算机相关技术,设计了人口预测决策支持系统的总体框架,将人口预测的各项内容分类组织,加以分析论述,给出了一些科学可行的参考对策。最后对某一地区的人口历史数据进行模拟预测分析,并以总人口的发展趋势和劳动资源结构对经济结构的影响问题为例,阐述了该系统的分析决策过程。     

Object-oriented programming for engineering software development

The representation of engineering systems in a manner suitable for computer processing is an important aspect of software development for computer aided engineering. The process of abstraction is a well-known technique for developing data representations. Objects are a mechanism for representing data using abstraction, and object-oriented languages are languages for writing programs to manipulate objects. The paper shows through examples the advantages of object-oriented programming for developing engineering software. Mathematical graphs are used as an abstraction for two problems: (1) sorting activities in a schedule and (2) ordering nodes and elements in a finite element mesh. Classes of objects are developed for generic graphs, activity procedence graphs, and graphs of elements meshes. Object-oriented program development leads to modular programs and a substantial reuse of code for the two problems.