EMC - A Modeling Method for Developing Web-based Applications

Abstract

Early information systems were mainly built around secondary, administrative processes of the value chain (e.g., accounting). But since the internet came into use, more and more primary processes have become accessible to automation: customer acquisition, ordering, billing and, in the case of intangible goods such as software, even delivery. Hence an increasing part of an enterprise has to be modeled and a substantial part thereof is implemented, usually in an object-oriented programming language like Java. To facilitate this complex task, the MEMO methodology (Multi-perspective Enterprise MOdeling) allows the description of the enterprise on three levels – strategy, organization and information system – and from four angles – process, structure, resources and goals. All partial models for the views are integrated via a common object-oriented core. In this framework we suggest a modeling method for the IS layer, the Event-driven Method Chain (EMC). It is based on the Event-driven Process Chain (EPC) by Scheer, which we adapt to fit both the MEMO methodology and the object-oriented paradigm thus making it suitable for the development of web-based applications. To illustrate this we use the example of a software trading company.