An Intentional Perspective on Enterprise Modeling - Intentional Perspectives on Information Systems Engineering - page 227

5.5 EM Tool Requirements

Even very simple and short EM projects require some tool support for represent-
ing the modeling results during the modeling session. More advanced projects also
need tools for analysis, making the project documentation, communication among
project participants, and, in some cases, for presenting the modeling result to the
target audience. Additional tool requirements can be envisioned for support of col-
laborative work and for voting on alternatives. An extensive process for choosing
and acquiring EM tools in organizations depending on intentional and situational
factors in proposed in [ 27] . In this section we discuss the main choices that the
method provider has to make with respect to the tools used in an EM project. More
specifically the following issues are to be typically addressed:

• The choice between the “plastic wall” and computerized tool to support the mod-

eling workshop, which is to a large extent by the nature of the modeling activity.
If modeling is mainly focusing on creating and capturing new knowledge and
communicating among the stakeholders the “plastic wall” is more efficient. If, on
the other hand, the main purpose of modeling is to improve and refine an existing
model, an EM tool should be used.

• Simple drawing tools (e.g. Visio) vs. more advanced tools with repository sup-

port. The factors motivating the usage of more advanced tools are intention to
maintain and/or reuse the models for a long time, availability of the tool usage
competence, the need to integrate enterprise models with other model types, as
well as the need to comply with standards.

Develop vision and strategies. Since the main focus is on supporting efficient
knowledge capture of knowledge and communication during the modeling work-
shop the “plastic wall” should be preferred. After the workshop the models can be
documented in a simple drawing tool.
Design/re-design the business. The “plastic wall” should be used for those tasks
that require knowledge capture and a more advanced EM tool for analysis and
refinement of models. In many cases the enterprise models serve as input to sub-
sequent organizational development, governance, and implementation activities. In
these cases the EM tools should be integrated with the IS supporting the business.
For instance the MAPPER project proposed an approach a tool for configuring
collaborative work support system with Active Knowledge Models (AKM) [ 15]
supported by the Metis tool. More about this is available in [26] . An alternative
that allows avoiding the integration is documenting the enterprise model with the
tools that will be used for the implementation of the models, even if this requires
compromising on the model representation.
Develop IS. The more advanced tools should also be used if the goal is to develop
an IS and the team wants to reuse the enterprise models in later development stages
for tasks such as requirements management and IS architecture design.
Ensure acceptance for business decisions. The “plastic wall” is suitable for cap-
turing the initial model and making the joint decisions. Once this is done, the models