Project A8 SME Interoperability in Practice Igor Santos, European Software Institute

1. ATHENA Final Review 28 March 2007 Madeira, Portugal Project A8 SME Interoperability in Practice Igor Santos, European Software Institute Håvard Jørgensen, AKM David Chen, UB1

2. Presentation Outline • Introduction • Project Goals • General view • Problem domain • SME Interoperability needs • Scenario • Requirements domain • Interoperability barriers • Conceptual solutions • Solution domain • Methodology • Provisioning model • Impact • Conclusion and outlook

3. -Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Project Goals • Understand the interoperability needs and requirements of SMEs compared to large scale enterprises (LSEs). (WP.A8.1) • Analyze typical interoperability scenarios involving SMEs. (WP.A8.1) • Evaluate the applicability of ATHENA results in SME environments. (WP.A8.4) • Adapt, integrate and target solutions for SMEs based on ATHENA results identifying provision models adequate for them. (WP.A8.2) • Develop a simple establishment methodology including an assessment of the capability to interact of an SME and an improvement plan. (WP.A8.3) • Support and maintenance of the tools used in piloting activities with SMEs within B5 sub-project. (WP.A8.4)

4. -Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook A8 View WPA8.1 SME needs Establishment WPA8.2 methodology WPA8.3 Interoperability WPA8.4 Provision address gaps and models barriers uses solution for Tool support - ATHENA Collaboration B5 feedback Solutions spaces applied to improves validates Proposed Adaptation of conceptual ATHENA solution results Scenarios applied to based on give Proposed input for access to t echnical solution

5. -Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook A8 Process

6. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Problems to adopt interoperability • Limited financial and human resources • Absence of value proposition for an interoperability solution • Scarce perception of the benefits of interoperability (e.g. successful case studies) • Lack of trust (e.g. loss of knowledge)

7. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook SMEs vs LSEs • SMEs face similar interoperability problems • Differences arise from business perspective and scale of solutions demanded

8. Shipper - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook A8 Scenario: Carrier-Shipper Carrier A Carrier B How can SMEs easily switch between carriers? How can SMEs adapt their processes to different carriers? Which carrier applications should the SME interface, and how? What data should be exchanged? Sales Order Calculate Rate Delivery Calculate Rate Picking Generate Routing Code Generate Routing Code Packing Generate Label Generate Label Shipment

9. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Carrier-Shipper Scenario

10. Guidelines and best practices for interoperability solutions adoption Integration in several network organizations, with as few investment and resources as possible Provision of cost effective, mature, "Plug-and-play” and flexible ICT solutions Support of mapping and interconnection of the internal methods and standards with the standards of the market Mapping definition between several information models, independently of meta-model used The technologies for interoperability should allow openness, while preserving IPR and know how in front of their competitors - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Overall SME requirements

11. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Requirements from the Scenario • The solution should be easy to install, run and maintain, • The design and execution of the business processes implemented by the solution should take the existing business constraints into account, • The solution should support interaction with services with the same business functionality but different business protocols and document formats • The messaging infrastructure of the solution should support web services, synchronous and asynchronous messaging and a rule based definition of message sequences • Predefined and easy configurable adapters to different devices for populating messages inside the SME

12. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Building on ATHENA Results - The AIF POP* Meta-model PIM4SOA Meta-model EIDM EIMM Athos, ARES, A*, THEMIS, ASSERT MPCE PIM4SOA to AgentMM Maestro, Gabriel, Nehemiah, Johnson, WSDL analyzer

13. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook ATHENA Interoperability Methodology (AIM)

14. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Interoperability Establishing Methodology for SMEs

15. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook EIMM for SMEs - Questionnaire

16. EIMM for SMEs - Results

17. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook EIDM

18. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Template: Business Process Configuration BARRIER LEVEL

19. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Provisioning models • Objective • Describe how IT and interoperability services can be provided to SMEs • Address business level interoperability barriers • Cost of interoperability • IT competence and maturity • Business alignment and trust • A service provider hosts a network for cooperating businesses • Reduce the need to invest in interoperability software • Pool IT competence Customer (SME) Provider (SME) Carrier 1 (Provider) Customer 1 SME Service Provider Customer Shipper (SME) Carrier 2 (Provider) Provider (SME) Customer N Carrier 3 (Provider) Customer Service Provider Customer (SME)

20. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Services Provided to the SMEs • ‘Service’ means different, related things to different people • Web service, e.g. placeOrder(orderId, …) • User service, e.g. a project management application • Business service, e.g. interoperability consulting • Services for SMEs at different maturity levels • Email and web portals • Data mapping (EAI) • Shared document repositories • Shared catalogues and reference models • Cross-organisational BPM • Federated product knowledge repositories • Consulting services • Infrastructure • Model-configured collaboration spaces decrease hosting and customization costs

21. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Model-Configured Collaboration Spaces • Define collaboration spaces through active knowledge models • Products, components, properties, requirements, constraints etc. • Organizational roles and networks, users • Processes and tasks • IT Infrastructure, services and systems • Customised workplaces for each user • Adapted to their modelled roles, tasks, product responsibilities, information and IT needs • Pilot testing experience • EADS • Intracom • Electronics SMEs (MAPPER) • Automotive supplier (MAPPER)

22. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Model-Configured Collaboration Spaces

23. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook I-ESA Conference - Workshop • “Overcoming the pain of culture, knowledge and cost of interoperability in SMEs” • Identify barriers and priorities to enable, deploy and manage rapid and reliable SME specific interoperability. • Elaborate on the challenges and provide solutions for SMEs focusing on three particular viewpoints: • Culture • Knowledge • Cost

24. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Dissemination • Paper presented at European Semantic Web Conference, Semantics for Business Process Management Workshop, 11-14 June 2006, Budva. • Towards Business Level Verification of Cross-Organizational Business Processes • Paper presented at Fourth German Conference on Multiagent System Technologies, 19-20 September 2006, Erfurt. • Meta-models, Models, and Model Transformations: Towards Interoperable Agents • Paper presenteded at E-Challenges 2006, 25-27 October, Barcelona. • SME Interoperability Establishing Methodology • Paper to be presented at Challenges in Collaborative Engineering Workshop, April 10-12, 2007, Krakow • Business Process Management for Electronics SMEs

25. Action Line A Action Line A A1 – Enterprise Modelling A1 – Enterprise Modelling A2 – Cross-Organizational Business Processes A2 – Cross-Organizational Business Processes A3 – Knowledge Support and Semantic Mediation A3 – Knowledge Support and Semantic Mediation A4 – Interoperability Framework and Services A4 – Interoperability Framework and Services A5 – Planned and Customizable Service-Oriented Architectures A5 – Planned and Customizable Service-Oriented Architectures A6 – Model-Driven and Adaptive Interoperability Architectures A6 – Model-Driven and Adaptive Interoperability Architectures A8 – SME Interoperability A8 – SME Interoperability A7 – Business Documents and Protocols A7 – Business Documents and Protocols Action Line B Action Line B B2 – Knowledge Sharing B2 – Knowledge Sharing B3 – Business Interoperability Research B3 – Business Interoperability Research B4 – Dynamic Requirement Definition B4 – Dynamic Requirement Definition B5 – Piloting B5 – Piloting Action Line C Action Line C B6 – Training B6 – Training - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Links to other ATHENA projects

26. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Overall Contribution to ATHENA • Demonstration of relevance of ATHENA solutions to SMEs • Building on and using existing results for solving the problem scenario • Validate technical applicability of these results in SME environments • Guidelines and Best Practices for applying AIF • Interoperability Establishing Methodology • Development of conceptual solutions • Development technical solutions • Identification of “missing pieces” and adaptation/configuration needs • Technical solution -> adaptation requirements • Relevance of solutions for SMEs • Adapted to SME’s infrastructure, no maintenance • Allow them adapt to LSE’s requirements • Don’t require large investments

27. - Introduction - Problem domain - Requirements domain - Solution domain - Impact - Conclusion and outlook Fulfilment of objectives • Understand the interoperability needs and requirements of SMEs compared to large scale enterprises (LSEs). (D.A8.1) • Analyze typical interoperability scenarios involving SMEs. (D.A8.1. WD.A8.1) • Evaluate the applicability of ATHENA results in SME environments. (D.A8.3) • Adapt, integrate and target solutions for SMEs based on ATHENA results identifying provision models adequate for them. (D.A8.2, D.A8.3) • Develop a simple establishment methodology including an assessment of the capability to interact of an SME and an improvement plan. (D.A8.2) • Support and maintenance of the tools used in piloting activities with SMEs within B5 sub-project. (WD.A8.4)