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Investigators:
Professor K Liu, Dr L Sun, The University of Reading
Jointly with Professor A Alderson, Dr H Shah, Staffordshire University

Industrial Partners:
Winning Moves Ltd Lindale Associates Ltd, British Telecom Advanced Communications Technologies Centre, Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd

EPSRC Funding:
£200,828

Duration:
Started from 1 April 2002, expected completed in March 2005

Abstract:
We propose to evaluate an approach to organisational modelling which, we believe, may enable a better match between organisations and their information systems. Our thesis is that the organisation should first be specified as an information system, regardless of any technology, but in a precise and formal way. Information requirements expressed in this formal business specification will then make it easier to pull the technology into a seamless relationship with the organisation.

The proposed approach, based on the concepts of organisational semiotics, captures the kernel of a business’s information requirements (the relevant organisational knowledge, concepts, terminology, meanings, responsibilities and priorities) with formality and precision so that the IT requirements may be deduced logically.

The project will:

• integrate a collection of techniques using a common, underlying representation based on the concept of the social norms that govern organisational functions;
• prepare in prototype form the instruments that will enable the integrated methodology to be readily adopted by the mainstream of system development practice;
• with industrial collaboration, validate the new methodology on real problems of sufficient size and complexity.

Supporting the investigation are Professor Joseph Goguen, of the University of California at San Diego, and Professor Ronald Stamper, Visiting Fellow at Staffordshire University.