European Projects
Unified Enterprise Modelling Language (UEML) - Update
February 2004
A variety of Enterprise Modelling Languages (EMLs) exist, aiming to describe processes and other enterprise aspects. Most EMLs are implemented in tools with proprietary terminology, modelling constructs and templates. Each modelling language employs a particular syntax, and limited, tool-embedded semantics and graphical notations. The tools support conflicting modelling paradigms Hence the foundations of Enterprise Modelling, Engineering and Visual Management are fragmented and lack formal definitions.
The Main Objective of the UEML - Unified Enterprise Modelling Language project (IST – 2001 – 34229) is to provide industry with a unified and expandable modelling language. For this purpose, the project is setting up an UEML Working Group which aims at :
The UEML network is created via Membership and Dissemination
Workshops
with invited experts coming from IT-Users, Consulting Companies,
IT-Vendors,
Research Organisations, Universities, Standardisation Bodies and
Associations.
| Membership Workshops | Dissemination Workshops |
| June 20, 2002, Bordeaux | |
| September 19, 2002, Oslo | October 18, 2002, Prague |
| December 13, 2002, Berlin | |
| March 13, 2003, Valencia | May 23, 2003, Munich |
Project deliverables:
WP1 "State of the art" has defined a framework for characterising
current
Enterprise Modelling (EM) approaches, which is used as a guideline to
support
the design of the language constructs.
WP2 "Needs and requirements" has completed a set of requirements, structured in a schema of over 300 requirements from enterprise modelling application domains and from various user requirements.
WP3 "Definition of UEML" has analysed the language requirements defined in WP2 , and related it to an application scenario. A first version UEML 1.0 comprising a common meta model of core constructs derived from the meta models of the tools of the project partners has and a development strategy has been defined .
WP4 "UEML Demonstrator Portal " (UDP) presents the language requirements as well as UEML 1.0 and serves as a focal point of knowledge storage and dissemination for all reports and documents (www.UEML.org). The UDP is also used to publish the descriptions and to manage the communications of the UEML core constructs.
WP5 "Dissemination, evaluation and market prospects" has set up and
is animating the UEML network through the membership and dissemination
workshops and via other communication. Further, an Enterprise
Modelling/Market
study and a tutorial, as well as a report on standardisation have been
produced.
The UEML project has been terminated on 06.30.2003. All project
deliverables
can be found on the Web-Portal www.UEML.org
.
Summary: The UEML 1.0 core language is limited to the scenario based exchange capability between the three modelling tools available in the consortium and therefore considered a feasibility effort. Yet, the UEML development strategy has the potential to provide significant contributions enabling basic interoperability on the business process model level and to become a generic methodology for shared enterprise modelling and model exchange leading to a potential industry standard.
Further work: UEML 2.0 will be developed within the INTEROP-NoE project (IST-2003-508011) launched in January 2004. Workpackage 5, titled 'Common Enterprise Modelling Framework' has started work focussing on the development of UEML in the environment of distributed enterprises and with the goal to integrate other research work and to demonstrate the benefits of Interoperability.
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