Carsten Pitz - 2014-05-08

What? Who? Why?

What is it?

The ProcessModel is a process model and architecture framework that covers Enterprise Architecture, Solution Architecture, Application Architecture, Quality Management, Documentation, Coding, ...

The ProcessModel as is is taylored to software development. But it is not limited to that.

The ProcessModel summerizes my 15+ years professional experience with

  1. RUP, SCRUM, V-Model
  2. TOGAF
  3. ITIL
  4. NAF, DODAF, MODAF
  5. IEC/ISO 61508, CENELEC

And yes, I am aware of https://xkcd.com/927/.

Who is intended audience?

The intended audience are primarily
1. process designers
2. process implementators
but also
3. department managers
4. project managers
5. enterprise architects
6. solution architects
7. application architects
8. quality mananagers
9. software developers
10. software testers

Why use it?

The ProcessModel is a hand rail that leads you
1. setting up projects
2. (re-)structuring department organizations
3. planning trainings, ...
4. creating architectures
5. developing (software) products
6. performing quality management and quality assurance

The ProcessModel provides a scheme to organize
1. teams, including departments
2. architecture (as a Zachmann framework it defines views)
3. documentation (mainly generated out of the model)
4. the (software) development
5. the quality management and quality assurance

Status Quo

  1. enterprise architecture model is in an usable state
  2. solution architecture model is in an usable state
  3. misc. documentation incl. glossary modeled as semantic network is in an usable state

Consequently you can start using the ProcessModel.

Nevertheless the actual state is aimed to give a idea of what I or we? intend to do. Not a single report so far is implemented. The model itself is not complete.

But always, "Release early, release often".

Please feel free to
1. study the ProcessModel
2. use the ProcessModel
3. contribute to the ProcessModel.

How to start

The suggested way

The ProcessModel is modeled in UML 2.4.1 using PolarSys as free UML tool. As a result the easiest way to start is
1. to visit http://polarsys.org to get the PolarSys UML tool (it is free OSS)
2. clone the GIT archive provided into a new directory
3. fire up Polarsys and import that directory as existing project into the workspace.

An alternative procedure

At the moment only
1. Papyrus http://www.eclipse.org/papyrus/ and
2. Acceleo http://www.eclipse.org/acceleo/
are used. I intend to use GenDoc http://www.eclipse.org/proposals/modeling.gendoc/ as soon it is available.

Consequently you might also extend your Eclipse installation adding Papyrus and Acceleo support and proceed.

My Motivation

I like working systems. I like systems doing what these are intended to do.

Information gets lost

In my 15+ year experience as architect and even before as software developer I noticed the information I require is not in the place I expect it or is completely missing. I also noticed I am not alone with that experience.

If the developer at the end of the chain does not know what the customer's stakeholders require, but has to deliver, (s)he will develop what (s)he thinks is to be developed. That often is something comletely different the customer's stakeholders require.

Loss of information or missing information is in my experience the main reason not working systems get developed. Systems not doing what is expected.

The ProcessModel
1. defines what documentation (information) is to be provided
1.1 by whom (author)
1.2 to whom (intended audience)
1.3 in which task (view)
2. defines a single place to store a specific document (information)
2.1 single place (find, do not search approach)
2.2 predefined (no need to reinvent the wheel over and over again)
2.3 single responsibility (ITIL)
3. provides an A to Ω scheme
3.1 once defined entities can be reused by referencing
3.2 no transformations, no format changes, ...
3.3 find, do not search approach

The duty of a project manager is

to manage projects, not to design process models. A project manager is expected to use a process model not to develop one.

The process model is to use, comprehensive and well documented. And that is the aim of this very project.

I like to do it

I am an architect. I will have to life with that.

 

Last edit: Carsten Pitz 2014-05-10