Towards User Interface Derivation from Business Processes:A Model-Driven Approach for Organizational Engineering

Kênia Sousa, Hildeberto Mendonça, Jean Vanderdonckt

Université catholique de Louvain (UCL)Louvain School of Management (LSM)

Information Systems Unit (ISYS)Belgian Laboratory of Computer-Human Interaction (BCHI)

ACM SAC 2008Organizational Engineering Track

Issues

• Weak correlation between business process and UI design;

• Difficulties in understanding business process documents;

• Difficulties to understand, find, and keep updated information spread in different artifacts;

• Product knowledge owned mostly by business analysts;

• Design is done mainly by example, not based on processes;

• Difficulties in doing impact analysis after changes.

“…receiving only screen shots not linked with the process makes our work very difficult.”

Business AnalystSystem Analyst

“…docs are too detailed… no prior training… they use a tool we do not have… we wait for updated docs…”

UI Designer

“we are overloaded to stop and read these documents…”

All: “changes impact hundreds of screens…we spend lots of times on meetings to decide what to do…”

Main Goals

• Provide a communication means between these two domains

• Maintain consistency between business processes and user interfaces

• Predict the impact of changes on business

processes and user interfaces

(Smith, 2007)

4

Task Model

UI –Business AlignmentBusiness Process

5

Task ModelUser Interface

UI –Business Alignment

Why task models?

• Its hierarchical structure provides an overview of the user interaction;

• Decomposition and temporal operators deliver the flexibility that users need.

• It is closer to business process structure;• Using task models to bridge business processes and

UI design addresses the user perspective;• User interaction has increased its importance in

making IT add value for organizations.

Model-Driven Approach

• The Cameleon Reference Framework is a flexible approach for model-driven UI development using UsiXML.

• For the context of large organizations, we present a business–driven approach organized in three phases:

External Models Tools

Task & Concepts

Abstract UI

Concrete UI

Task & Concepts

Abstract UI

Concrete UI

Conception Management Application

Platform A Platform B

Tools Final UI

(Calvary, 2003)

Roles, Artifacts, Tools

Conception Phase (1 of 3)

• Business analysts model business processes that serve as requirements for UI design.

• They can be created using any available process modeling tool.

• These tools are able to export their models into XML format, to interchange information with tools for UI models.

Business ProcessProcess = 10 sub-processesSub-process = 17 activitiesActivity = 30 tasksTask = 99 business rules

Management Phase (2 of 3)

• The focus changes from business orientation to user orientation.

• Business process analysts help system analysts to create the task model.

• Task models should be reviewed by human factors experts to make sure that the user perspective was considered.

• Tools can use the exported XML and transform it into a UsiXML representation of the task model.

Associate tasks and screens

Grouping tasks in screens

One subprocess can present one screen.

Screen 1 Screen 2

Screen 1

But the same subprocess can also be decomposed into several screens.

Application Phase (3 of 3)

• A tool processes the models to transform them into a FUI.

• Each CUI is derived into a FUI, when aspects such as architecture, programming languages and infra-structure are taken into account.

Final UIs

Traceability

BusinessProcess

Data Model

Task Model

Domain Model

Abstract UI

Business User Interface

Screen group

Screen

Screen fragment

Screen element

Decompose the task model in containers

New activity

compare

Task not here

New screen

Traceability

Screen group

Screen

Screen fragment

Screen element

Abstract UI

Title of page

Task Model Task Model Task Model

Task Model Task Model

Label of field

Label of field

Label of field

Name of fragment

Name of fragment

Concrete UI

Final UI

A concrete UI can be inspired in an abstract UI Java Swing

HTML

Render

Style Guide

Forward Example

• Business analysts and UI designers noticed that different activities had tasks related to personal information of the applicant.

• Difficult for bank agents to interact with customers because related information were placed in different screens.

• Some tasks from the activity ‘present insurance’ were moved to the activity ‘inform applicant’

• Screen fragment ‘personal data’ (for activity ‘inform applicant’) had to add the screen elements ‘marital status’ and ‘birth date’ and deleted from the screen fragment ‘insurance data’ (for activity ‘present insurance’).

Backward Example

• Tasks running business rules; • As users fill out fields certain rules are executed in

parallel;• The return of a rule requiring to change values

appears on the top of the screen (the scroll is down);

• They receive a second warning because of restrictive range of vision and extra navigation (scrolling);

• More compact CUI enables a better user experience.

Backward Example

Example of rules

• Change the business process;• Update the task model;• Find out what kind of change is necessary in

screens based on comparing BP and task model:– Add screen/SF - new activity in the BP not in TM– Delete screen/SF – task in TM, but deleted from BP– Add screen element – new task in BP, not in TM– Delete screen element – task in TM, but deleted from BP– Change order of SF – order act. in BP <> order in TM– Change order of SF – order tasks in BP <> order in TM– Simple review - new description, rule, but same structure in

BP and TM

Tool Support

Assessment (1 of 2)

Criteria Sub-criteria Automation

Cost Training on task modeling

2 days

Training on new method

1 day

Implementation XML > UsiXML + synchronization

Working time Creation and refinement of task models

Feasibility Tool support Development

Assessment (2 of 2)

Criteria Sub-criteria Automation

Maintainability

Avoid Redundancy Need for synchronization

Task model refinement

Relationships + grouping manually

Impact analysis Association with any screen level

Acceptance Change in way of work

Creation of Task model

Intended Results

• Continuity – Models are derived one from each other with aligned and consistent result.

• Traceability – Models are synchronized to propagate changes when needed.

• User centered – The user experience is considered in alignment with business needs.

• Efficient communication – designers use specific models for each goal.

Thank you for your attention

http://www.isys.ucl.ac.be/bchi BCHI Lab

http://www.programalban.orgProgram Alban

http://www.usixml.orgUI extensible Markup Language