This is draft version so that this version has high possibility to be revised!
First of all, we must agree with the definition of each term. Software process [1] is a set of activities, methods, practices and transformations that people use to develop and maintain software and the associated product( e.g, project plans, design documents, code, test cases and user manuals).
A business process[2] or business method is a collection of related, structured activities or tasks that produce a specific service or product (serve a particular goal) for a particular customer or customers.
Organization that uses software whether it is either bespoke or off-the-shelf always needs to make some adjustments or tailoring between business process and software process. The adaption is needed because the two process have different characteristics and purposes. One example for this integration is in Rational Unified Process where there is Business Modeling workflow before Requirement which the first is business process activity and the latter is software process activity.
The integration between two processes forms a software project management. To make successful software project management, we must understand and resolve some questions about the relation between these processes :
The main question is : Are all of the integration between two processes resolved automatically when we tailor software process?
If the answer is 'no' that means we must find different point of view from the business process perspective as the impact of this integration so that we must find answers from these questions :
1. How do we tailor software process based on business process context?
2. What business process factors that must be considered and addressed before software process tailoring? Is it the same if we want to tailor agile software development?
3. Is there any business process tailoring into software process?
4. How can we know that successful software project come from the integration of business and software process?
5. What is the workflow of business and software process integration?
Reference : part of my research progress report and not published yet for confidential issues
[1] Process Tailoring and the Software Capability Maturity Model, Technical Report CMU/SEI
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_process
[3] A Systematic Review of Software Process Tailoring
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Modeling : from Business Process to Software
What is so special on modeling? Why we often hear : business process modeling and also software modeling?
Before going to far, we must understand that modeling can be interpreted as simplication of real problem or we can say in other words abstraction because we emphasize on most important features than more detail features. It is not meaning that we dispel detail features, but we manage them in different perspectives. It is best recommended that we have many views so we can use them in various purposes.
The special ones about modelings are their functions.
First, they can reduce complexity from business or software complexity. It is related with how human can handle and memorize problems in the same time.
Second, they can increase our understanding on problems that we face. As our understanding increase, we can find many ideas to overcome them.
Lastly, they can be used as communication tool among all related stakeholders. Solving problems mean we need to communicate to our clients, our team and also our stakeholder. We need mean to do that and the model is the answer.
From software engineering perspective there are some questions in using models to help making software :
1. Do we need both business process and software modeling?
2. Can we use only business process modeling?
3. Is software modeling enough to product software without business process modeling?
Here are some of the answers :
1. We can use firstly Business Process Modeling Notation( BPMN, de-facto Business Process Modeling ) and than be integrated with Unified Modeling Language( UML, de-facto Software Engineering Modeling ). The problem is this approach is becoming uncommon, because nowadays, we can use BPEL instead of UML to make software.
2. It means we use BPMN and latter we use BPEL. I believe we have still face so many technical problems on formal and semantics completeness due of business process modeling.
3. We can extend UML to provide more on business process modeling, for example : using business use case model and extend activity diagram notation to model more detail on business process entities.
Ultimately, i believe this is not the end of our problem in modeling because modeling is not capture all aspect in problem domain and it is a nature that changing always happens in our problem domain. But for now, i have to move on other topic in software engineering.
Before going to far, we must understand that modeling can be interpreted as simplication of real problem or we can say in other words abstraction because we emphasize on most important features than more detail features. It is not meaning that we dispel detail features, but we manage them in different perspectives. It is best recommended that we have many views so we can use them in various purposes.
The special ones about modelings are their functions.
First, they can reduce complexity from business or software complexity. It is related with how human can handle and memorize problems in the same time.
Second, they can increase our understanding on problems that we face. As our understanding increase, we can find many ideas to overcome them.
Lastly, they can be used as communication tool among all related stakeholders. Solving problems mean we need to communicate to our clients, our team and also our stakeholder. We need mean to do that and the model is the answer.
From software engineering perspective there are some questions in using models to help making software :
1. Do we need both business process and software modeling?
2. Can we use only business process modeling?
3. Is software modeling enough to product software without business process modeling?
Here are some of the answers :
1. We can use firstly Business Process Modeling Notation( BPMN, de-facto Business Process Modeling ) and than be integrated with Unified Modeling Language( UML, de-facto Software Engineering Modeling ). The problem is this approach is becoming uncommon, because nowadays, we can use BPEL instead of UML to make software.
2. It means we use BPMN and latter we use BPEL. I believe we have still face so many technical problems on formal and semantics completeness due of business process modeling.
3. We can extend UML to provide more on business process modeling, for example : using business use case model and extend activity diagram notation to model more detail on business process entities.
Ultimately, i believe this is not the end of our problem in modeling because modeling is not capture all aspect in problem domain and it is a nature that changing always happens in our problem domain. But for now, i have to move on other topic in software engineering.
Friday, August 14, 2009
How to make software from Business Process, a modeling perspective
A lite definition of model is a notation to simplify and make formal abstraction about real word system.
From business process view, business process model can be use to model business process complexity into activity entities and its dynamic flow. But the problem is not all business owners can draw this model using standard notation even though that they can describe and model it using free notation. The importance of modeling business process is can be used as an input to software engineering process. One of the standard widely used is Business Process Modeling Notation.
Software engineering in other side needs to model its complexity using different model than business process model. State of the art to model software is using UML. Even though UML can model system behavior using use case and activity diagram, this two diagrams are still in software perspective point of view. Both diagram is strongly related with actors using software and activities relating with computational processes.
It is reasonable that BPMN and UML can not be replaced each other in their use.
My question is can we find another way to make integration between business and software engineering process easier?
From business process view, business process model can be use to model business process complexity into activity entities and its dynamic flow. But the problem is not all business owners can draw this model using standard notation even though that they can describe and model it using free notation. The importance of modeling business process is can be used as an input to software engineering process. One of the standard widely used is Business Process Modeling Notation.
Software engineering in other side needs to model its complexity using different model than business process model. State of the art to model software is using UML. Even though UML can model system behavior using use case and activity diagram, this two diagrams are still in software perspective point of view. Both diagram is strongly related with actors using software and activities relating with computational processes.
It is reasonable that BPMN and UML can not be replaced each other in their use.
My question is can we find another way to make integration between business and software engineering process easier?
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Beasiswa LN DIkti untuk dosen PTS
Apa yang perlu ketahui dari beasiswa LN Dikti
( unleashed story especially for PTS lecturer )
1. Ikuti petunjuk dari web Ditnaga DIkti untuk masing-masing tahapan.
Secara garis besar adalah :
1. Pengumuman pemberitahuan adanya beasiswa, disana akan diumumkan syarat2nya, untuk tahap ini penuhi saja syarat-syarat tsb.
2. Panggilan untuk wawancara, anda akan dipanggil jika semua syarat terpenuhi, yang boleh kurang lengkap adalah : LoA( Letter of Acceptance ) kalo di Australia adalah Offer Letter, maksudnya boleh jika masih conditional( misal : kurang memenuhi syarat bahasa Inggris )
3. Wawancara, jawab saja dengan aman dan khusus bagian membawa keluarga, jawab : "Ya, akan membawa keluarga jika saya sudah settle"
4. Pengumuman penerimaan, penuhi saja prasyarat yang ada, namun ada juga yang tidak tertera di web ditnaga.dikti.go.id loh
2. Namun, ada yang tidak tertera di web Ditnaga....
1. Biasanya pada saat wawancara, akan ditanyakan surat rekomendasi dari Kopertis, jawab saja : "Ya bu, akan disusulkan". Saran untuk menyusulkannya nanti saja, pas kita dinyatakan diterima. Untuk surat ini, maka kita harus meminta surat pengantar dari Rektor bahwasanya kita diberikan tugas untuk belajar ke luar negeri dengan dana APBN ditjen Dikti, jangan lupa juga syarat2 sbb utk Kopertis : pengumuman penerimaan kita di beasiswa Dikti, Toefl ITP/IELSTS/iBT, FC JFA, FC SK Yayasana, LoA, Surat Tugas Belajar( dikeluarkan Rektor )
2. Nah ini yang bahkan universitas/institut negeri yang besar2 pun tidak tahu adalah Surat Permintaan Guarantee Letter dari Rektor ke Direktur Ditnaga Dikti.
3. Pengumuman penanda tanganan kontrak beasiswa( sampai saat ini belum ada kabarnya ).
4. DIPA Dikti utk beasiswa baru turun bulan Agustus( satunya lagi tidak hapal bulannya, namun 6 bulan sekali ). Sehingga semua pendanaan baru akan diberikan oleh Dikti setelah Agustus( kemungkinan besar terlambat ). Hal ini pasti akan mendatangkan masalah bagi karyasiswa yang harus memulai perkuliahan sebelum Agustus.
Permasalahan yang ada
Terkait dengan turunya DIPA Dikti yang baru Agustus, maka yang bisa dilakukan karyasiswa adalah mencari pendanaan untuk memenuhi segala persiapan dan administrasi untuk perkuliahan dari tuition fee, asuransi kesehatan, living cost+settlement allowance( untungnya tiket pesawat bisa dibayar Dikti asal brangkatnya Agustus ). Berdasar pengalaman rekan-rekan di Unpad, pihak Unpad menalangi dahulu dana tersebut.
Terakhir semoga IT Telkom dan YPT dapat memberikan bantuan kepada dosen-dosennya untuk bersekolah ke Luar Negeri.
Dan semoga tahun depan dan seterusnya, beasiswa LN Dikti masih tetap ada ya bu Istri( Direktur SDM Ditnaga Dikti ) walaupun utk S3 saja.
( unleashed story especially for PTS lecturer )
1. Ikuti petunjuk dari web Ditnaga DIkti untuk masing-masing tahapan.
Secara garis besar adalah :
1. Pengumuman pemberitahuan adanya beasiswa, disana akan diumumkan syarat2nya, untuk tahap ini penuhi saja syarat-syarat tsb.
2. Panggilan untuk wawancara, anda akan dipanggil jika semua syarat terpenuhi, yang boleh kurang lengkap adalah : LoA( Letter of Acceptance ) kalo di Australia adalah Offer Letter, maksudnya boleh jika masih conditional( misal : kurang memenuhi syarat bahasa Inggris )
3. Wawancara, jawab saja dengan aman dan khusus bagian membawa keluarga, jawab : "Ya, akan membawa keluarga jika saya sudah settle"
4. Pengumuman penerimaan, penuhi saja prasyarat yang ada, namun ada juga yang tidak tertera di web ditnaga.dikti.go.id loh
2. Namun, ada yang tidak tertera di web Ditnaga....
1. Biasanya pada saat wawancara, akan ditanyakan surat rekomendasi dari Kopertis, jawab saja : "Ya bu, akan disusulkan". Saran untuk menyusulkannya nanti saja, pas kita dinyatakan diterima. Untuk surat ini, maka kita harus meminta surat pengantar dari Rektor bahwasanya kita diberikan tugas untuk belajar ke luar negeri dengan dana APBN ditjen Dikti, jangan lupa juga syarat2 sbb utk Kopertis : pengumuman penerimaan kita di beasiswa Dikti, Toefl ITP/IELSTS/iBT, FC JFA, FC SK Yayasana, LoA, Surat Tugas Belajar( dikeluarkan Rektor )
2. Nah ini yang bahkan universitas/institut negeri yang besar2 pun tidak tahu adalah Surat Permintaan Guarantee Letter dari Rektor ke Direktur Ditnaga Dikti.
3. Pengumuman penanda tanganan kontrak beasiswa( sampai saat ini belum ada kabarnya ).
4. DIPA Dikti utk beasiswa baru turun bulan Agustus( satunya lagi tidak hapal bulannya, namun 6 bulan sekali ). Sehingga semua pendanaan baru akan diberikan oleh Dikti setelah Agustus( kemungkinan besar terlambat ). Hal ini pasti akan mendatangkan masalah bagi karyasiswa yang harus memulai perkuliahan sebelum Agustus.
Permasalahan yang ada
Terkait dengan turunya DIPA Dikti yang baru Agustus, maka yang bisa dilakukan karyasiswa adalah mencari pendanaan untuk memenuhi segala persiapan dan administrasi untuk perkuliahan dari tuition fee, asuransi kesehatan, living cost+settlement allowance( untungnya tiket pesawat bisa dibayar Dikti asal brangkatnya Agustus ). Berdasar pengalaman rekan-rekan di Unpad, pihak Unpad menalangi dahulu dana tersebut.
Terakhir semoga IT Telkom dan YPT dapat memberikan bantuan kepada dosen-dosennya untuk bersekolah ke Luar Negeri.
Dan semoga tahun depan dan seterusnya, beasiswa LN Dikti masih tetap ada ya bu Istri( Direktur SDM Ditnaga Dikti ) walaupun utk S3 saja.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The good entertainment
Even though there are many kinds of entertainment and it is hard to choose the good, we can select some of them. There are some characteristics that determine the quality of entertainment. First, It must have values. Nowadays, many films have violence in the scenes and much music contains meaningless lyrics. There are no advantages to watch or hear these. In contrast, some films and music inspire and help people around to do better things because they have universal values.
Second, controlled entertaintment is a limited entertainment that can prevent us to be addictive. The negative effect from excessive entertainment is we can forget everything else and only satisfy ourselves. The good entertainment should have a mechanism to ensure people still have time to do other things by creating session break. This way will make the entertainment enjoyable because people will wait. Not only the entertainment itself but also people must have good self control to manage the entertainment.
Finally, the entertainment should add new knowledge. People should not waste their time to the same added value. We will get advantages from entertainment that always gives new knowledge. For example, when i saw National Geographic Channel, besides i entertained, i also got new knowledge about Green Environment.
We must select entertainment to make our life happier. The best entertainment will make our time meaningful and useful because there are so many new things that we will get.
2 days before the test
Second, controlled entertaintment is a limited entertainment that can prevent us to be addictive. The negative effect from excessive entertainment is we can forget everything else and only satisfy ourselves. The good entertainment should have a mechanism to ensure people still have time to do other things by creating session break. This way will make the entertainment enjoyable because people will wait. Not only the entertainment itself but also people must have good self control to manage the entertainment.
Finally, the entertainment should add new knowledge. People should not waste their time to the same added value. We will get advantages from entertainment that always gives new knowledge. For example, when i saw National Geographic Channel, besides i entertained, i also got new knowledge about Green Environment.
We must select entertainment to make our life happier. The best entertainment will make our time meaningful and useful because there are so many new things that we will get.
2 days before the test
Information Techonology Research Nation
I believe that Indonesia will become an Information Technology Research Center in the next five years. There are three reasons why I feel my country will become IT Research Nation. The main signal is Indonesia have had Information Communication Technology( ICT ) Ministry which means ICT supported and governed by government. The Ministry have passed Electrical Transaction bill that regulates online transaction like e-Payment, e-Commerce, e-Government etc. The existence of the department depicts IT have become an integrated aspect in our people life.
Second, Indonesia’s national budget on education is 20% begun last year that means more research conducted by academics will be paid by this budget. Even though it is not only for IT research, there is more opportunity to increase IT Research. The funding can also sponsor scholarships in the IT field and increase IT education. More IT-educated people will be produced by increasing budget on education, more resources will continue and develop IT.
Finally, nowadays many businesses are using IT to be more competitive. IT is used as tools in supporting works and making advantages. To be winner in the competition, IT must be unique and reliable. It needs research and development on IT products and services to become fastest company giving services to its customers. For example in the bank, best bank will give real time and online service to its customer every time and everywhere. It can be done only by IT support.
In conclusion the need and all support above will make my country become Information Technology Research Nation in the next few years.
third try toward iBT
Second, Indonesia’s national budget on education is 20% begun last year that means more research conducted by academics will be paid by this budget. Even though it is not only for IT research, there is more opportunity to increase IT Research. The funding can also sponsor scholarships in the IT field and increase IT education. More IT-educated people will be produced by increasing budget on education, more resources will continue and develop IT.
Finally, nowadays many businesses are using IT to be more competitive. IT is used as tools in supporting works and making advantages. To be winner in the competition, IT must be unique and reliable. It needs research and development on IT products and services to become fastest company giving services to its customers. For example in the bank, best bank will give real time and online service to its customer every time and everywhere. It can be done only by IT support.
In conclusion the need and all support above will make my country become Information Technology Research Nation in the next few years.
third try toward iBT
Thursday, March 05, 2009
How can IT create value?
In my opinion, IT can create value. Lessons from past experience, some people have been success in creating value from IT product. There are some characteristics of successful IT product that create value.
First, it can fulfill people need on their work.
In the competitive world based on informative economy, people must use IT to make their works effective and efficient. Using IT can make people do collaboration and sharing in finishing their jobs easily, so it can save time because distance in working is no matter.
Second, the product can connect people to others.
Basically, people are social creature. We need to socialize and communicate to others. Many IT products like handphone, instant messenger and social network attain people attention around the world. One of the examples is facebook, a social network site,that its user increase 5 millions per week.
Finally, it can help people do their business easier.
Nowadays people don’t have many time to do their business because they are always busy with their jobs. IT product can help people do their business fast because everything can be done online and automatically.
first try toward iBT
First, it can fulfill people need on their work.
In the competitive world based on informative economy, people must use IT to make their works effective and efficient. Using IT can make people do collaboration and sharing in finishing their jobs easily, so it can save time because distance in working is no matter.
Second, the product can connect people to others.
Basically, people are social creature. We need to socialize and communicate to others. Many IT products like handphone, instant messenger and social network attain people attention around the world. One of the examples is facebook, a social network site,that its user increase 5 millions per week.
Finally, it can help people do their business easier.
Nowadays people don’t have many time to do their business because they are always busy with their jobs. IT product can help people do their business fast because everything can be done online and automatically.
first try toward iBT
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Improving english skills
Even though english is not my first language, in my opinion my english can be improved.
We can learn from children's experience in learning new things. They're natural learner and they will master something systematically through education. The two reasons before make me convince that i can improve my english skills.
In the first place, becoming natural learner means we can understand something if we live in its environment. Living in the english environment makes us use and develop our skills because all communication channels are in english. In non-english enviroment we should maximize english usage. For example, writing blog in english, speaking english with some relatives and watching english film at home. All of the things are simple and easy to do and give almost the same natural english environment.
Second, systematic education is the best way to make structural knowledge. Education give basic theory to be used in all english skills. It consists of rule and grammar of using english. Because language is a standard, so it need formal and standard guidance to use. We must master the english grammar to communicate to the others. The better of english grammar we use, the easier foreign people understand us.
In conclusion, i think mastering english is just a matter of time. By doing and learning english, it will make english a common language to non-native speaker.
second try toward ibT test
We can learn from children's experience in learning new things. They're natural learner and they will master something systematically through education. The two reasons before make me convince that i can improve my english skills.
In the first place, becoming natural learner means we can understand something if we live in its environment. Living in the english environment makes us use and develop our skills because all communication channels are in english. In non-english enviroment we should maximize english usage. For example, writing blog in english, speaking english with some relatives and watching english film at home. All of the things are simple and easy to do and give almost the same natural english environment.
Second, systematic education is the best way to make structural knowledge. Education give basic theory to be used in all english skills. It consists of rule and grammar of using english. Because language is a standard, so it need formal and standard guidance to use. We must master the english grammar to communicate to the others. The better of english grammar we use, the easier foreign people understand us.
In conclusion, i think mastering english is just a matter of time. By doing and learning english, it will make english a common language to non-native speaker.
second try toward ibT test
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