Search

En ingeniería de software, es usual hablar de prácticas a diferentes niveles, como grupos de actividades que se repiten y que entregan buenos resultados con su uso. Los requisitos no funcionales (entendidos como restricciones en los servicios o funciones del sistema) también tienen prácticas asociadas. Sin embargo, existen formas de nombramiento que no permiten generar un consenso alrededor de dichas prácticas, pues se utilizan productos de trabajo, restricciones, descripciones y otros elementos que impiden reconocer la práctica y su uso. Por ello, en este artículo se nombra un conjunto de prácticas sobre requisitos no funcionales a partir de su descripción en la literatura y tomando en consideración los elementos que requiere el buen nombramiento. Se espera que este conjunto de prácticas de requisitos no funcionales sirva como punto de partida para la representación detallada en estándares gráficos que se definan para ese fin.

Industry 4.0 and digital transformation are hot topics in Latin America related to higher education. Some authors explore such topics from different points of view. However, we need to understand the context surrounding higher education in Latin America to weigh the challenges and opportunities these hot topics face in our region. Accordingly, in this chapter, we propose a knowledge representation of the context of higher education in Latin America based on the so-called pre-conceptual schemas. We aim to provide a framework for understanding how to implement the solutions proposed in the remainder of this book, related to the different fields of Industry 4.0 and digital transformation. We start by performing a state-of-the-art review of the context of higher education in Latin America. Then, we identify the main concepts and relationships addressed in the resulting papers to unify terminology about this context. Finally, we develop the pre-conceptual schema, and we discuss findings based on such knowledge representation. Moreover, the pre-conceptual schema presented in this chapter can be used to identify interconnections and relationships among the diversity of solutions and cases proposed in this book.

Artificial intelligence is nowadays a well-known technology in Latin America, while Industry 4.0 is a hot trend with different approaches in our region. We recognize Industry 4.0 is supported in some aspects by artificial intelligence. This fact is validated by the work of some researchers in our region. The mature work in some artificial intelligence techniques such as natural language processing, digital image processing, neural networks, and fuzzy and intelligent systems is complemented by the emerging work on Industry 4.0. Consequently, in this chapter, we summarize the trends related to artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0 in Latin America by using domain models, a previous form of class diagrams. We perform a systematic literature review to this aim for identifying the main elements of the domain model. Different terms are unified as a way to compare the work performed in the Latin America region related to such technologies. Our graphical summary can be used throughout this book for understanding the close relationship artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0 exhibits in our region and analyzing the contents of the different chapters.

Performance measurement is crucial for achieving business success. Moreover, such success is also related to the fulfillment of the organizational strategic objectives. Hence, an adequate determination of relevant performance indicators—or key performance indicators (KPIs)—and their relationships to organizational objectives is needed. Even though several approaches for treating KPIs and objective-KPI relationships have been proposed, they exhibit some drawbacks associated with the lack of reusability and traceability. We attempt to fill this gap by proposing a set of patterns based on pre-conceptual schemas for supporting the systematic derivation of KPIs and their relationships to organizational objectives. In this way, the proposed patterns guarantee a reusable and traceable derivation process of a set of candidate KPIs from organizational strategic objectives. Lastly, we provide a lab study in order to illustrate the usefulness of this proposal. La medición del desempeño es crucial para alcanzar el éxito empresarial. Dicho éxito también se relaciona con el cumplimiento de los objetivos estratégicos organizacionales. Por lo tanto, es necesario determinar adecuadamente, indicadores de desempeño relevantes— o indicadores clave de desempeño (KPIs por sus siglas en inglés) —, y sus relaciones con los objetivos organizacionales. Existen varios enfoques para tratar los indicadores clave de desempeño y sus relaciones con los objetivos, pero presentan algunos inconvenientes asociados con la falta de reusabilidad y trazabilidad. Para cubrir este vacío, en este artículo se propone un conjunto de patrones basados en esquemas preconceptuales que permiten determinar sistemáticamente los indicadores clave de desempeño y sus relaciones con los objetivos organizacionales. Así, los patrones propuestos garantizan un proceso de derivación reusable y trazable de un conjunto candidato clave de indicadores de desem peño a partir de objetivos estratégicos organizacionales. Finalmente, se desarrolla un estudio de laboratorio con el fin de ilustrar la utilidad de esta propuesta.

Interoperability among heterogeneous software systems is a software quality sub-characteristic. Some methods for dealing with interoperability exhibit differences in aspects like generality, development method, and work products, among others. However, some authors understand interoperability as a non-functional requirement with general-purpose practices for identifying and specifying such requirement. Other authors assess and achieve interoperability by using work products falling beyond defined practices. Consequently, in this paper we propose four best practices in order to accomplish interoperability among heterogeneous software systems. Our best practices are represented with the Semat (Software Engineering Method and Theory) kernel, since it includes a language with simple and precise elements. Definition of interoperability best practices enables unification of the effort focused on software systems interoperability.

Organizational strategic alignment implies consistency among the organizational elements. Organizational objectives act as essential elements for leading such alignment. In addition, key performance indicators (KPIs) have demonstrated usefulness for assisting the strategic alignment allowing for a holistic control of the organization. Some approaches emphasizing objective-KPI relationships have been proposed; however, they lack of a fully appropriate method for treating organizational objectives, KPIs, and objective-KPI relationships. They exhibit some drawbacks in terms of ambiguity, stakeholder understandability, and subjectivity. In this paper, we propose a method for overcoming such drawbacks, by using pre-conceptual-schema-based organizational patterns as a way to operationalize organizational objectives in terms of the KPIs. So, a systematic method for deriving a set of candidate KPIs from a specific organizational objective is provided. In addition, we present a lab study in order to illustrate the main aspects of this proposal.

This article shows a theoretical adaptation of the 6D gamification model, originally designed to be applied in marketing. The model establishes six steps that must be considered when applying gamification, in order to design the activity in which the game elements are going to be used. Each of these steps are described in a general way and considering how it can be applied in an educational context, specifically in the teaching of software development.

CMMI-DEV model framework includes a set of practices for developing products and services. CMMI-DEV Graphical representations exhibit a general composition of the model structure, the component hierarchy and eventually the obligatory nature the model elements. However, CMMI-DEV graphical representations exclude some of the CMMI-DEV practices, sub-practices, and examples. The Semat (Software Engineering Methods and Theory) kernel has essential elements that are common in all of the software engineering methods. We can describe practices by using the universal language provided by the Semat kernel in order to ease the model manipulation and contribute to the thinking framework used for evaluating effort and quality. In this paper we describe a representation of the proposed CMMI-DEV practices and its components by using the Semat kernel. We aim to contribute to the development and consolidation of the software engineering theory.

Semat (Software Engineering Method and Theory) is an initiative comprising an Essence kernel and language for defining a common terminology in the software engineering discipline. The Essence kernel has alphas, activity spaces, and competencies. Particularly, alphas represent the things we always work with when running a software engineering endeavor. They allow for tracking health and progress of any software engineering endeavor via alpha states and checklists. Since alpha checklists define some criteria for guiding teams to successfully achieve alpha states, they should be terminologically consistent and unambiguous. However, they seem to be inconsistent. So, alpha checklists are not guiding adequately teams in progressing the Essence kernel alphas. Such a fact represents a problem to the actionable feature of the Essence kernel. Terminological problems can be addressed by syntactically, semantically, and pragmatically regularizing alpha checklists, i.e., by unifying checklists terminology with the Essence kernel terminology. Consequently, in this paper we propose a terminology unification approach by using syntax trees, thematic roles, and the Essence kernel controlled language. By solving such problems, we allow for guiding teams in progressing the Essence kernel alphas. Also, we allow for solving problems with Essence kernel actionable feature.

Los procesos que se suelen asociar con los programas académicos y los objetivos organizacionales que los respaldan aún no se unifican en la literatura especializada. Esa unificación se puede lograr empleando procesos de gestión del conocimiento. Por ello, en este artículo se propone una ampliación a una versión previa del esquema preconceptual que representa la gestión de programas académicos, tomando en consideración la opinión de expertos mediante una encuesta diseñada para tal fin. El esquema resultante se ejemplifica con el programa de Ingeniería de Sistemas de la Universidad de Medellín.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) represent some geographic-dynamic phenomena and contain spatio-temporal data of geographical entities. Such data can be represented by using several diagrams: entity-relationship, object-oriented, and class diagrams. These diagrams have several ways to represent and store the spatio-temporal data, but they do not use the information contained on them for the improvement of the inter-diagram interoperability. In this paper we propose a spatiotemporal data representation. From such a representation, we can identify the minimal data to be used for promoting interoperability among several GIS communities. We use the so-called pre-conceptual schemas for representing knowledge in this subject. Pre-conceptual schemas allow exemplifying concepts and they are computationally manageable. Los Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG) representan fenómenos geográfico-dinámicos y contienen datos espacio-temporales de entidades geográficas. Las representaciones de estos datos se basan en diferentes tipos de diagramas: entidad-relación, orientados a objetos, orientados a eventos y clases. Estos diagramas tienen diferentes formas de representación y almacenamiento de los datos espacio-temporales, pero no consideran la información contenida en dichos diagramas para mejorar la interoperabilidad existente entre ellos. Además, los usuarios de estos diagramas requieren habilidades técnicas de modelado, que no suelen tener los usuarios de los SIG. La interoperabilidad en los SIG se interpreta como la necesidad de integrar datos de diferentes fuentes. En este artículo se propone una representación de datos espacio-temporales, que permite identificar los datos mínimos requeridos para la interoperabilidad entre diferentes estándares para SIG. Se emplean los denominados esquemas preconceptuales para la representación del conocimiento en este tema, pues posibilitan la ejemplificación de los conceptos y son computacionalmente tratables

ISO/IEC 9126 standard was developed for addressing software product quality and supporting software product evaluation based on quality characteristics and associated metrics. SEMAT is an initiative developed for re-founding the software engineering by defining theoretical basis, best practices, and a set of widely-agreed elements. ISO/IEC 9126 metrics can be related to the alphas states of the SEMAT kernel. In this paper we relate some ISO/IEC 9126 metrics with some alpha states of the SEMAT kernel. The alphas can be used for assessing the health and progress of a software endeavor. The proposal is focused on the selection of the appropriate metrics for the alphas states in order to verify and validate them.

In this paper, we propose a top-down approach for converting business processes information from corporate documents into controlled language. This proposal is achieved with a multi-level methodology. We first characterize document structure by using rhetorical analysis to determine relevant sections for information extraction. Then, a verb-centered event analysis is performed to start defining the typical patterns featured by business processes information. Lastly, morpho-syntactic and dependency parsing is carried out for extracting this information. This multi-level knowledge is used to define rules for converting the extracted sentences into a controlled language, which is intended to be used in software requirements elicitation.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) give important support for analyzing and problem solving of areas like health, hydrology, engineering and territorial management. GIS method development lacks proper specifications; instead, such development results are modifications of work products, activities, and resources from traditional development methods like Rational Unified Process (RUP). Agustín Codazzi Geographic Institute (IGAC) has one GIS development methods. Semat (Software Engineering Method and Theory) is an initiative intended to capture common elements of any software development endeavor. Looking for the proper GIS development specifications, in this paper we propose a representation of the IGAC development method based on the Semat framework. We also identify the relationship between the IGAC method and RUP. We can determine—from such representation—the practices associated with the IGAC method and inherited from well-known methods Los Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG) constituyen un apoyo importante para el análisis y solución de problemas en áreas, como: salud, hidrología, ingeniería y gestión territorial, entre otras. El desarrollo metodológico de los SIG no incluye especificaciones propias; por el contrario, son propuestas modificadas de otros métodos, que contienen los mismos productos de trabajo, actividades y recursos de los métodos tradicionales de desarrollo, tales como el Rational Unified Process (RUP). Uno de esos métodos es del Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi (IGAC). Semat (Teoría y Métodos de la Ingeniería de Software) es una iniciativa que ayuda a capturar elementos esenciales y comunes, universales a todos los esfuerzos de desarrollo de software. En busca de las especificaciones propias de los métodos de desarrollo de SIGs, en este artículo se propone una representación basada en el núcleo de Semat del método IGAC para identificar la relación con el método tradicional Proceso Unificado de Racional (RUP). Con esta representación es posible determinar las prácticas asociadas con el método IGAC que se heredan de los métodos tradicionales.

Las pruebas garantizan la calidad en los productos de software. Mediante la ejecución de un conjunto de pruebas se pueden identificar y corregir defectos presentes en los productos de software. Existen diferentes métodos que estiman el esfuerzo invertido en las pruebas. Cada método valora distintos conceptos en sus estimaciones. Sin embargo, las representaciones graficas de estos métodos muestran los conceptos particulares sin incluir mayor detalle. Específicamente, algunas de las fórmulas usadas para obtener la medida del esfuerzo se pierden en estas representaciones, por lo que no es posible calcular el esfuerzo solo con la información dispuesta en estos gráficos. En este artículo se identifican los conceptos presentes en la medición del esfuerzo de pruebas, que se obtienen de la revisión de varios métodos. Finalmente, se propone una representación que integre estos conceptos mediante esquemas preconceptuales, que constituyen un tipo de diagramas para la representación del conocimiento de un dominio en un lenguaje cercano al natural.

KPIs (key performance indicators) are sets of measures for assessing organizational performance and fulfilling organizational strategic objectives. Such measures are useful for achieving organizational success. Therefore, a good representation of KPIs is required; a good knowledge representation should exhibit the following features: (i) proficiency in computational tractability; (ii) clear and accurate syntax; (iii) clear and accurate semantics; (iv) stakeholder understandability; and (v) extensibility. Several approaches have been proposed for representing KPIs; however, they are incomplete; and they exhibit some of the aforementioned drawbacks. In this paper we propose an executable pre-conceptual schema to achieve an appropriate knowledge representation of KPIs. This work demonstrates the benefits of using such a schema by developing a case study, and by providing a comparison of our proposal against relevant studies aimed at representing KPIs.

Several business areas, like Management and Negotiation, have used games like a didactic way to simulate world reality, to introduce students to the day-to-day generated problems, and to extract from the application of games, concrete learning for theoretical knowledge securing. In this paper we present “Requirements Game”, a practical way to simulate software development conditions in a competitive environment similar to real life. This game has been played by several groups of students from Facultad de Minas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, and this paper summarizes the results from this experience.

A simple representation framework for ontological knowledge with dynamic and deontic characteristics is presented. It represents structural relationships (is-a, part/whole), dynamic relationships (actions such as register, pay, etc.), and conditional relationships (if-then-else). As a case study, we apply our representation language to the task of requirements elicitation in software engineering. We show how our pre-conceptual schemas can be obtained from controlled natural language discourse and how these diagrams can be then converted into standard UML diagrams. Thus our representation framework is shown to be a useful intermediate step for obtaining UML diagrams from natural language discourse.