Towards a Process Modeling Language for Method Engineering Support

A Method Assessment Framework

“…Although not discussing assessment per se, Niknafs and Asadi [56], in the context of CAME (computer-aided method engineering), do split the process into four stages: enactment, elicitation, evolution and evaluation and focus on static descriptors (that they call aspects) rather than a time-based characterization as we discuss here. Key notions for method adaptation are examined in [57] although, once again, there is no discussion regarding how this might be incorporated into process assessment.…”

Turning Method Engineering Support into Reality

“…In our proposal we use meta-modeling techniques for the creation of the method model, in particular following the SPEM standard. A study about the applicability of SPEM to ME is presented in [22]. In this work, the authors present some of the SPEM advantages and disadvantages for supporting the method design.…”

“…Among the SPEM advantages we highlight: (1) wide acceptance in the field of process engineering, (2) good ME process coverage, (3) support to both product and process parts of methods and (4) good abstraction and modularization. Regarding its disadvantages, [22] points out the lack of executable semantics, but proposes to overcome this limitation by using a model transformation to transform the process models into executable representations that can be executed by workflow engines.…”

A Model-Driven Approach for the Design, Implementation, and Execution of Software Development Methods

“…To this end, we applied the evaluation framework that Niknafs et al present in [21]. This framework consists of a set of quality criteria for evaluating Process Modeling Languages with respect to their suitability for Method Engineering.…”

“…The process part of methods is understood in two slightly different ways. Some authors consider the process part as the overall development process of the method, which encompasses all the task-related issues that are needed for software development (e.g., the tasks to be carried out until the final software system is delivered, the participants that are involved in these tasks, and the workflow that establishes the task execution order) [21,22]. In contrast, other authors use the term process at a smaller scale, considering a process as a "product-producer" (i.e., as the description of how a single method product must be built) [4,7,20,23].…”