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Astract: The urgent demand for optimistic version control support for software models induced active research within the modeling community. Recently, several approaches have been proposed addressing the task of detecting conflicts when merging two concurrently changed versions of a model. In this context, the holistic representation and supportive visualization of detected merge conflicts pose a challenge. In this paper, we present a modeling language independent conflict model comprising all necessary information to profoundly represent merge conflicts. From this conflict model, we leverage the dynamic extension power of UML profiles by introducing a dedicated conflict profile to visually assist modelers in resolving merge conflicts of UML models. As a result, modelers may resolve conflicts in the concrete graphical syntax conducting their familiar UML editors without tool extensions.

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Astract: Conceptual languages to describe business models - not business process models - become increasingly important. One of the most expressive approaches towards business models is the Resource-Event-Agent (REA) ontology. REA has a substantial back-up in economic and accounting theory, but did lack a dedicated representation language for many years. Recently, we have introduced a domain specific modeling language including a REA meta model and a pertinent graphical notation. In this paper we build upon our previous work, but aim for a representation language that is able to serve as a serialization syntax also for other REA modeling approaches using UML class diagrams or OWL, etc. As a result we come up with REA-XML, an XML schema that allows a precise, tool-independent representation of REA models and that may also serve as an REA model exchange language between different tools.

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Astract: One of the key challenges in the development of model transformations is the resolution of recurring semantic and syntactic heterogeneities. Thus, we provide a systematic classification of heterogeneities building upon a feature model that makes the interconnections between them explicit. On the basis of this classification, a set of benchmark examples was derived and used to evaluate current approaches to the specification of model transformations. We found, that approaches on the conceptual level lack expressivity whereas execution level approaches lack support for reuse. Moreover, only few of the approaches evaluated provide key features such as an automatic trace model or the ability to reuse specifications by inheritance.

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Astract: Huge classes with more than 800 students pose a major challenge to lecturers as well as to students, especially when a practical part is included. In order to successfully master lectures of this size, novel kinds of teaching media provide a multitude of enhanced opportunities. In this paper, we present our experiences with the application of new media in our undergraduate course Introduction to Object-Oriented Modeling (OOM). In this course, we teach approximately 800-1000 students per year the principles and techniques of UML 2.0. New media, i.e., technologies other than the traditional blackboard presentation like a document camera, web-based self assessments, or lecture recordings, are applied to support both, students and lecturers when learning and teaching, respectively. We empirically underline the acceptance of our concept with the feedback of our students concerning the newly used technologies gained through an extensive survey.

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Astract: In the discipline of accounting, the resource-event-agent (REA) ontology is a well accepted conceptual accounting framework to analyze the economic phenomena within and across enterprises. Accordingly, it seems to be appropriate to use REA in the requirements elicitation to develop an information architecture of accounting and enterprise information systems. However, REA has received comparatively less attention in the field of business informatics and computer science. Some of the reasons may be that the REA ontology despite of its well grounded core concepts is (1) sometimes vague in the definition of the relationships between these core concepts, (2) misses a precise language to describe the models, and (3) does not come with an easy to understand graphical notation. Accordingly, we have started developing a domain specific modeling language specifically dedicated to REA models and corresponding tool support to overcome these limitations. In this paper we present our REA DSL which supports the basic set of REA concepts.

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Astract: Choreography modeling and service integration received a lot of attention in the last decade. However, most real-world implementations of inter-organizational systems are still realized by traditional Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) standards. In traditional EDI standards, the notion of process or choreography is not explicitly specified. Rather, every business document exchange stands for its own. This lack of process awareness in traditional EDI systems hinders organizations from applying Business Process Management (BPM) methods in such settings. To address this shortcoming, we seek to derive choreographies from EDI message exchanges. Thereby, we employ and extend process mining techniques, which have so far concentrated on business processes within single organizations. We discover the interaction sequences between the partners as well as the business information conveyed in the exchanged documents, which goes beyond the state-of-the-art in process mining. As a result, we lift the information gained on the IT level to the business level. This enables us to derive new insights that help organizations to improve their performance, e.g., an organization may get insights into the value of its business partnerships to support an efficient decision making process. This way we hope to bring the merits of BPM to inter-organizational systems realized by traditional EDI standards.

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Astract: The Resource-Event-Agent (REA) ontology has its roots in the accounting discipline and was originally developed as a reference framework to conceptualize economic phenomena in an enterprise. In its proposal in 1982, McCarthy already had the vision to facilitate the design of data structures of accounting information systems by means of REA. Since this time the REA model has been further extended and evolved into a domain ontology. All REA concepts are based on well established concepts of the literature in economic theory - which is certainly one of the strengths of REA. However, REA has no dedicated representation format and, consequently, no graphical syntax. Thus, users may struggle when describing the REA models leading to the impression that REA is a rather heavy-weight approach. A dedicated graphical syntax - such as it exists for e3-value - may help in overcoming this problem and may lead to a much more significant adoption of REA. Accordingly, we have started the endeavor of developing a domain specific modeling language for REA.