Coordination-based design for tailorable business software: A computerized maintenance management system example.

Abstract

This thesis investigates the applicability of "Coordination Based Design" (CBD) as a software design methodology for the development of large commercial tailorable software systems, with the use of components. CBD provides an intuitive engineering approach to developing software and effectively facilitates its modification, growth and tailoring. More specifically, for the design of large systems, such as a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), it is argued that CBD is a practicable means of accomplishing this. The CMMS was chosen as an example of a commercial application to discuss in relation to CBD, as it is a "good fit", due to the many challenges in the design, tailoring and upkeep of this class of applications. The fundamentals of CBD are discussed in further detail in the body of the thesis. To define a meaningful CMMS example, a survey was done, by selecting a set of various CMMS packages and then determining the more typical types of functionality available. This information was then used as a basis for establishing a reasonable set of functional requirements on which to base the design. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)