Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/G58168/01
Title:	A COMPUTER ASSISTED ENVIRONMENT FOR THE IMFORMATION SYSTEM DESIGN PROCESS
Principal Investigator:	Holden, Dr T
Other Investigators:	Fallside, Professor F
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Engineering
Organisation:	University of Cambridge
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	24 March 1992	Ends:	23 December 1995	Value (£):	88,351
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
(a) Extension and integration of the KADIS object- centred domain understanding and TEMPORA formulation models. (b) Development of a prototype environment for the support of the IS design process using the process developed in (a). (c) Experimental evaluation of the process and prototype environment. Progress:Underpinning safe and reliable decision making is information that is accurate and up-to-date. A problem in large enterprises is the maintenance of large information systems that reflect both the enterprise, its structure (e.g. as-build engineering CAD plant drawings) and processes. Typically, these get out of step over the years as an enterprise experiences additions and changes. A consequence of this is that the (shared) mental model that people have of the information that surrounds them is often wrong and misleading.The overall aim of this project has been the improvement of models, processes and tools that assist in the activity of information systems design. To meet this aim the three objectives outlined above were defined at the outset. Each one of these objectives addresses different concerns but their confluence is the essential factor for achieving the aim of improved enterprise modelling. The original models of the 'Object Life Cycle' (OLC) and TEMPORA have evolved to better reflect enterprise aspects. For example the Cambridge OLC model has evolved into the Agent Relationship Modelling Analysis technique (ARMAj whereas the UMIST TEMPORA model has evolved to accommodate goal structuring and analysis. The synergy between the two models provides an excellent coverage of the different enterprise concerns namely teleological, agent roles, operational and service concerns. The models have been further developed in twos ways. The ARMA model consists of twos components: the informal and the formal. The informal model allows the specification of an object and agent based representation of an enterprise system. Following the development of the informal ARMA model, it can then be translated into a formal Z specification and the various processes (e.g. work permit management) verified for consistency against business rules (such as those governing the persons authorised to sign permits). The aim of the exercise is to make sure that, in the course of working, employees do not unwittingly perform actions that could lead to dangerous situations. The development of the TEMPORA model addresses the problem faced by information system designers and managers as how to efficiently develop and integrate the information models that underpin these systems into existing ones. Algorithms have also been developed for transforming TEMPORA formalisms into relational and deductive database schemata and transactions. The development of ARMA and subsequent extension to it as well as the TEMPORA model address the needs of objective (a) . On the basis of this work the project has developed a set of CASE tools which support and validate their usage. One aspect of this work has been the development of a graphical tool called G-ORML (Graphical-Object Relationship Modelling Language). In addition to it a general purpose meta-CASE environment called Phedias has been developed in order to accommodate many different graphical notations, to verify application-specific schemata against a metamodel stored in an Object-Oriented Database and to generate prototype applications. This part of the research has addressed the needs of objectives (b). The modelling aspects of the project have been tested against a number of industrial applications. These are the problem of maintenance and permit management system for a British Petroleum (BP) Chemical Plant and also, to a lesser extent, a cost reduction task for the manufacturing production line of a large Mediterranean cigarette company. Future Work:Further work will endeavour to perform further experimental evaluations and refinements on the approach developed. The ultimate result of this will be a me
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk Summary Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.cam.ac.uk