On domain modelling of the service system with its application to enterprise information systems

TLDR

Information systems function as pervasive service systems across modern industrial and business contexts, yet their heterogeneity stems from extreme uncertainty in system changes. The study proposes a domain modelling framework for service systems to enable effective management of information systems. The framework employs the function‑context‑behaviour‑principle‑state‑structure (FCBPSS) model, decomposing systems into core concepts of function, context, behaviour, principle, state, and structure. Applying FCBPSS to both infrastructure and substance systems proves novel and effective for modelling service systems, demonstrating that domain modelling facilitates integration of heterogeneous systems and resilience to unanticipated situations. Domain modelling of systems, such as enterprise information systems, is essential for integrating heterogeneous systems and managing unforeseen challenges.

Abstract

Information systems are a kind of service systems and they are throughout every element of a modern industrial and business system, much like blood in our body. Types of information systems are heterogeneous because of extreme uncertainty in changes in modern industrial and business systems. To effectively manage information systems, modelling of the work domain (or domain) of information systems is necessary. In this paper, a domain modelling framework for the service system is proposed and its application to the enterprise information system is outlined. The framework is defined based on application of a general domain modelling tool called function-context-behaviour-principle-state-structure (FCBPSS). The FCBPSS is based on a set of core concepts, namely: function, context, behaviour, principle, state and structure and system decomposition. Different from many other applications of FCBPSS in systems engineering, the FCBPSS is applied to both infrastructure and substance systems, which is novel and effective to modelling of service systems including enterprise information systems. It is to be noted that domain modelling of systems (e.g. enterprise information systems) is a key to integration of heterogeneous systems and to coping with unanticipated situations facing to systems.