The Model Driven Architecture (MDA) brings benefits to software development, among them the potential for connecting software models with the business domain. This paper focuses on the upstream or Computation Independent Model (CIM) phase of the MDA. Our contention is that, whilst there are many...

that, by allowing a variety of stakeholders to take part in modelling, projects will be both more efficient than traditional approaches and will produce software that meets the needs of those stakeholders. This will be facilitated by transforming initial (CIM), models to design (PIM) and...

An agent-based e-commerce environment is regarded as one of the most suitable open environments for electronic marketplaces. Because of agent?s autonomous, reactive and proactive features, agents can, on the one hand, act on behalf of their owner, and use individual strategies to increase the...

As a result of the expanding trend to globalise software development there is a specific requirement to understand and address issues which previously did not arise. This includes the important impact distance has on the success of globally distributed software development projects. Research has...

This sections outlines some of the experiences gained and the lessons learned while establishing and operating virtual software development and maintenance teams by an Irish based company, Software Future Technologies (a pseudonym) who were partnered with a large US financial organisation Stock...

The fundamentals of a good decision-making are, first, clear understanding of the decision itself and, second, the availability of properly focused information to support the decision. Decision-making techniques help with both these problems. However, the techniques should be thought of as aids...

Over the last 5 years a quiet revolution in business systems development has taken place towards the use of enterprise-wide, off-the-shelf software solutions. At the end of 1997, BusinessWeek estimated the value of this global enterprise applications package (EAP) market at $10billion and still...

We analyse the benefits and limitations of the integration of sourcing decisions into the operational route compilation task of a road-haulage company. A trucking company has to supply several customer sides. The demanded quantities are given. The trucking company has to decide which truck...