Merging Modelling Techniques: A Case Study and its Implications

Abstract: There are a countless number of methods in the field of Information Systems Development (ISD) today, where only a few have received much attention by practitioners. These ISD methods are described and developed using knowledge in the field of Method Engineering (ME). Most methods concern either what a system is to contain or how the system is to be realised, but as of now, there is no best method for all situations. Bridging the gap between the fuzzier "what"-methods and the more formal "how"-methods is difficult, if not impossible. Methods therefore need to be integrated to cover as much of the systems life cycle as possible. An integration of two methods, one from each side of the gap, can be performed in a number of different ways, each way having its own obstacles that need to be overcome. The case study we have performed concerns a method integration of the fuzzier Business Process Model (BPM) in the EKD method with the more formal description technique SDL (Specification and Description Language). One meta model per technique was created, which were then used to compare BPM and SDL. The integration process consisted of translating EKD business process diagrams into SDL correspondences, while carefully documenting and analysing encountered problems. The encountered problems mainly arose because of either transaction-independence differences or method focus deviations. The case study resulted in, for example, a number of implications for both EKD and SDL, as well as for ME, and include suggestions for future work.