Designing, Aligning, and Visualizing Service Systems

181 Pages·2017·6.74 MB·English

by  Tapandjieva, Gorica

Designing, Aligning, and Visualizing Service Systems
THÈSE NO 8502 (2018)
PRÉSENTÉE LE 30 AVRIL 2018
À LA FACULTÉ INFORMATIQUE ET COMMUNICATIONS
LABORATOIRE DE MODÉLISATION SYSTÉMIQUE
PROGRAMME DOCTORAL EN INFORMATIQUE ET COMMUNICATIONS
ÉCOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FÉDÉRALE DE LAUSANNE
POUR L'OBTENTION DU GRADE DE DOCTEUR ÈS SCIENCES
PAR
Gorica TAPANDJIEVA
acceptée sur proposition du jury:
Prof. M. Odersky, président du jury
Prof. A. Wegmann, directeur de thèse
Prof. I. Rychkova, rapporteuse
Prof. Y. Pigneur, rapporteur
Prof. K. Aberer, rapporteur
Suisse
2018

Abstract
Serviceisaconceptthatseparatestheconcernsofanorganizationinto(1)thevaluecreated
forusersand(2)thewaytheorganizationmanagesitsresourcestoprovidethisvalue. The
disciplineofmanagementofinformationtechnology(IT)usesservicestocoordinateandto
optimizetheuseofITresources(servers,applications,databases,etc.)inawaythatbrings
valuetousers.
Theconcreteapplicationoftheserviceconceptischallengingduetoitsabstract,interde-
pendentandrecursivenature.WeexperiencedthischallengewhilecollaboratingwiththeIT
departmentofouruniversity(ÉcolePolytechniqueFédéraledeLausanne,EPFL)whenthe
ITdepartmentadoptedtheITInfrastructureLibrary(ITIL)best-practicesframeworkforIT
servicemanagement. Asresearchers,wehavethegoalofimprovingtheunderstandingof
servicesasameanstostructuringwhatpeopleandorganizationsdo.InthecontextoftheIT
department,westudiedhowtoapplytheserviceconceptinternallywithintheITdepartment,
andexternally(asbusinessservices)intheoverallorganization.
Inthisthesis,wemodelservicesbyusingsystemsthinkingprinciples.Inparticular,weuse
andimproveSEAM,thesystemicservice-modelingmethoddevelopedinourlaboratory.
OurmainresultisanontologyforSEAMservicemodeling.Ourcontributionsaretheheuristics
thatdefinehowtheontologyrelatestoaperceivedreality:forexample,theheuristicsfocuson
behaviorratherthanorganizationandtheyputanemphasisonserviceinstancesratherthan
servicetypes.Wealsodefinealignmentbetweenservicesystems,basedonthepropertiesof
thesystems’behavior.
Weshowhowtomodelanorganizationbyimplementingtheconceptofserviceasdefined
byourontology.Thisontologysupportsthedesignofservicesystemsthatalignacrossboth
ITandbusinessservices.DuringourworkwithoveronehundredITservices,wedeveloped
severalvisualizationprototypesofaservicecartography;weusetheseprototypestodescribe
andtorelatethedifferentviewsrequiredformanagingservices.
Ourresultsofferaconcretewaytoimplementtheabstractconceptofservices.Thiswaycould
beofinterestforanyorganizationwillingtoembarkonalarge-scaleserviceproject.
Keywords: servicescience,systemsthinking,ITIL,SEAM,servicedesign,servicemodeling,
serviceontology,business/ITalignment,servicevisualization,servicecartography
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Résumé
Le service est un concept qui sépare les enjeux d’une organisation en (1) la valeur créée
pourlesutilisateurset(2)lamanièredontl’organisationgèresesressourcespourfournir
cettevaleur.Ladisciplinedumanagementdestechnologiesdel’information(“information
technology”,IT)utiliselesservicespourcoordonneretoptimiserl’utilisationderessourcesIT
(serveurs,applications,basesdedonnées,etc.)detellemanièreàapporterdelavaleuraux
utilisateurs.
L’application concrète du concept de service est délicate en raison de la nature abstraite,
interdépendanteetrécursivedececoncept.Nousavonsfaitfaceàcedéfiencollaborant
avecledépartementITdenotreuniversité(ÉcolePolytechniqueFédéraledeLausanne,EPFL)
quandledépartementITaadoptél’ITIL(“ITInfrastructureLibrary”,gestiondesbibliothèques
d’infrastructureinformatique),quiestuncadredebonnespratiquespourlemanagementdes
servicesIT.Commechercheurs,notreobjectifestd’améliorerlacompréhensiondesservices
entantquemoyendestructurercequelesgensetlesorganisationsfont.Danslecontexte
dudépartementIT,nousavonsétudiécommentappliquerleconceptdeserviceàl’intérieur
dudépartementinformatiqueetàl’extérieur(commeservicesmétier)dansl’ensemblede
l’organisation.
Danscettethèse,nousmodélisonsdesservicesenutilisantdesprincipesdepenséesysté-
mique.Enparticulier,nousutilisonsetamélioronsSEAM,laméthodesystémiquedemodéli-
sationquiaétédéveloppéedansnotrelaboratoire.
NotrerésultatprincipalestuneontologiepourlamodélisationdeservicesavecSEAM.Nos
contributionssontlesheuristiquesquidéfinissentcommentl’ontologieestliéeàlaréalité
perçue:parexemple,lesheuristiquesseconcentrentsurlecomportementplutôtquel’orga-
nisationetmettentl’accentsurlesinstancesdeservicesplutôtquesurlestypesdeservices.
Nousdéfinissonsaussiunalignementbasésurlespropriétésducomportementdessystèmes.
Nousdémontronsqu’ilestpossibledemodéliseruneorganisationenutilisantleconceptde
servicetelquedéfiniparnotreontologie.Cetteontologiepermetlaconceptiondesystèmes
deservicesalignésquis’étendentdel’ITaubusiness.Pendantnotretravailavecplusd’une
centainedeservicesIT,nousavonsdéveloppéplusieursprototypesdevisualisationd’une
cartographiedesservices;nousutilisonscesprototypespourdécrireetlierlesdifférentes
vuesnécessairesàlagestiondesservices.
Nosrésultatsoffrentunemanièreconcrètedemettreenœuvreleconceptabstraitdeser-
vices.Cettemanièrepourraitprésenterunintérêtpourtouteslesorganisationssouhaitant
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Résumé
commencerunprojetdeserviceàgrandeéchelle.
Motsclefs: sciencedesservices,penséesystémique,ITIL,SEAM,conceptiondesservices,mo-
délisationdesservices,ontologiedesservices,alignementinformatique/métier,visualisation
desservices,cartographiedesservices
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Резиме
Сервисотеконцепткоjгиделиодговорноститенаеднаорганизациjанадваде-
ла:(1)вредностакоjасесоздавазакорисникоти(2)начинотнакоjорганизаци-
jатауправувасосвоитересурсизадаjаобезбедиоваавредност.Полетозаупра-
вување на информaциските технологии (на англиски: information technology,
IT)користисервисизакоординациjаиоптимизациjанаинформaцискиресур-
си(сервери,апликации,базинаподатоци,итн.)наначинкоjимносиодредена
вредностнакорисниците.
Конкретнатаприменанаконцептотнасервисипретставувавистинскипредиз-
викпорадиприродатанасамитесервиси,коjаеапстрактна,мег´узависнаире-
курзивна. Ние се соочивме со овоj предизвик додека соработувавме со одде-
лотзаинформацискитехнологиинанашиотуниверзитет(нафранцуски:E´cole
PolytechniqueFe´de´raledeLausanne,EPFL)когаодделотjаусвоибиблиотекатаза
инфраструктуранаинформацискитетехнологии(наанглиски:ITInfrastructure
Library, ITIL) коjа претставува рамка со добри практики во полето на управу-
вање на овие технологии. Како истражувачи, имаме цел да го подобриме раз-
бирањето на сервисите како начин на структурирање на работата на луг´ето и
организациите. Во случаjот на информацискиот оддел, изучувавме како да се
примениконцептотнасервисиворамкинаодделот,ноинадвороднего.
Вооваадокторскатеза,сервиситесемоделираникористеjк´ипринципинаси-
стемскомислење.Конкретно,гокористимеиподобрувамеSEAMсистемскиот
методзамоделирањенасервисикоjеразвиенвонашаталабораториjа.
Главниотрезултатнанашатаработаеонтологиjазамоделирањенасервисисо
SEAM.Нашпридонессехевристикитекоидефинирааткакоонтологиjатасепо-
врзувасоперцепиранатареалност:например,хевристикитесефокусираатна
активноститеместонаорганизациjатаигинагласуваатинстанцитенаместоти-
повитенасервиси.Истотака,годефинирамеусогласувањетомег´усистемитеод
сервисиврзбазанасвоjстватанаактивноститенасистемите.
Прекуимплементирањенаконцептотнасервисионакакакоштогодефинира-
месонашатаонтологиjа,сеприкажувакакодасемоделираеднаорганизациjа.
Онтологиjатаподдржувадизаjнирањенасистемиодсервисикоиистовремено
сеусогласениисоинформациските,исобизниссервисите.Вонашатаработа
вклучивме повек´е од сто информациски сервиси, што резултираше со разви-
v
Резиме
вањенаповек´епрототипизавизуелизациjанакартографиjатанатиесервиси;
овиепрототиписекориснизаопишувањеиповрзувањенаразличнитепогле-
дипотребнизауправувањесосервиси.
Постигнатитерезултатинудатконкретенначиннаимплементациjанаапстракт-
ниотконцептнасервиси.Овоjначиннаимплементациjаможедабидекорисен
засекоjаорганизациjакоjаеподготвенадазапочнепроектзасервисиодголе-
миразмери.
Клучни зборови: наука за сервиси, системско мислење, ITIL, SEAM, дизаjн на
сервиси,моделирањенасервиси,онтологиjанасервиси,порамнувањенабиз-
нисотсоинформaцискитетехнологии,визуелизациjанасервиси,картографиjа
насервиси
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Acknowledgements
MyjourneyinpursuingaPhDthesiswasaconstantreflectionontheacademic,practical
andpersonalaspectsoftheuniqueexperiencesIhadduringthesepastsixyearsspentinthe
SystemicModelingLaboratory(LAMS);firstasamaster’s,andafterwardsasaPhDstudent.
With these acknowledgements, I present my reflections on all the people who positively
influencedmeandmywork.
Firstandforemost,Iwouldliketoexpressmyprofoundgratitudetomythesisadvisor,Prof.
AlainWegmann,forhiscriticism,support,enthusiasm,andguidanceduringmyPhDjourney.
Thequestionsheraisedinmeetingswerealwayspuzzlingyetmotivatingandstimulatedmy
curiosityforfurtherinquiry.Thankyou,Alain,forbelievinginmefromthemomentyoumet
meandforbeingamentorineveryaspectofmylife. Despitemyresistance,youmademe
confidentthatmyworkistrulyvaluableinpractice.
Iamthankfultothemembersofmythesiscommittee.ItrulyappreciateProf.KarlAberer,Prof.
YvesPigneur,andProf. IrinaRychkovaforevaluatingmythesisandprovidingconstructive
feedback.IamgratefulandhonoredforhavingProf.MartinOderskyasthepresidentofthe
committee.
Mynamemightbeunderthetitle,buttheworkIpresentinthisPhDthesisisasmuchmineas
thatofthepeopleoftheITdepartmentatEPFL.Iwasextremelyfortunatetohavecollaborated
withGiorgioAnastopoulos,MaudeGrossanandDidierReyduringmyPhDresearch. Iam
indebtedtothemforprovidingmevaluableinformationabouttheirwork,whichwascrucial
forthecompletionofmythesis.
LAMSisanextraordinaryplacetoworkthankstothepeoplewhoareandwerepartofit.Iam
thankfultoGilforsteeringmeintherightresearchdirectionthroughourfruitfuldiscussions.
Hehelpedmelearnhowtousemypracticalexperienceinordertogroundmyworkandmy
writing,despitemystubbornnessforpreferringabstractions.Heisstilltheonlypersonwith
whomIfeelcomfortablespeakingFrench.MerciGilpourtoutesnosdiscussions,enfrançais
etenanglais.ThelasttwoyearsinLAMSweremarvelousthankstotimespentwithmydear
friendandcolleagueBetty,intheofficeandoutsideofit. ThankyouBettyforalwaysbeing
openfordiscussionsandmotivatedtocollaboratewithme.Pierre,thankyouforthecheerful
conversationsatlunch,intheoffice,andattheapérosinBC,andofcourseforenlightening
mewiththemusicofLesCowboysFringants. AhugethanksgoestoArashforshowingme
howtoliveaheroicjourneyofbringingmoremusicalriffstolifeandoffollowinghisteaching
passion.IwishtothankLucienforsharingthepracticalandbusinessperspectiveswithLAMS
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Acknowledgements
researchers.ThankstoAnshumanforhiscountlessacademicandprofessionaladvice.Special
thanks to Aarthi for being abundantly positive during her time in LAMS and to Blaise for
SeamCADandorganizingthebestouting. Iwouldalsoliketothankallthestudentsthat
workedonprojectswithme,especiallythetwostudentswithwhomIco-authoredpapers:
GeorgiosPiskasandMatteoFilipponi.
ConductingPhDresearchisaneasyendeavorwhensurroundedandhelpedbyanamazing
administrativestaff,AngelaandPatricia.TherewerenoITissuesthatcouldnotbetakencare
ofbyYvesandMarc-André.HollyproofreadandcorrectedtheEnglishmistakesinthisthesis
andinafewofmypapers.Ahugethankstoallofyou!
IamoverwhelmedbythesupportIreceivedfromalltheMacedoniansImetinSwitzerland.
Blagica and Brane are the people I have known from the first day I came to Switzerland.
Amongmanyotherthings,Iwouldliketothankthemforkeepingmefrombeinghomesickfor
Macedonianfood.ThelistofMacedoniansisofcourseincompletewithoutmyfriendsAnaM.,
Darko,Dino,Filip,Igor,Jovanche,Kristina,Maja,Maki,Mladen,Natasha,Nikolche,Paulina,
Stefan,Vase,andmanyothers.Igenuinelyenjoyedandhadanamazingtimeduringallofour
lunches,dinners,board-gamenights,birthdays,barbeques,andotherevents.
VeryspecialandwarmthanksgotoallthepeopleImetwhileinSwitzerlandwhobecamemy
closefriendsandmademylifemorejoyful–Vijay,Sergio,Rita,Eray,Vassilis,Aleksei,Vagia,
Deniz,Miroslav,Teodoraandmanyothers.
AspecialgratitudegoestoAna,forherkindnessandfriendship.Ifeelveryluckytohaveheras
oneofmyclosestanddearestfriends.TowardstheendofmyPhDjourney,Ihadthepleasure
tomeetAna’ssonPavlewho,withhissmiles,brightenedthedayswhenIwaswritingthis
thesis.
AveryparticularappreciationgoestoAna,Adi,Josif,Koljo,Ole,Elena,andPerica,thepeopleI
haveknownsincemychildhoodandteenageyears. Icouldnotthankthemenoughforthe
love,friendship,andsupporttheyhaveshown,notonlywhileIwaspursuingmyPhDdegree,
butevenbefore.
IamespeciallythankfultomyboyfriendEmilijanwhodecidedtoaccompanymeonthis
journey. From the moment he joined me in Lausanne, he made my days joyful, exciting,
lazy, easyandfun. Icouldnotthankhimenoughforhiscare, patience, encouragements,
understanding,support,andmostofalllove,especiallywhenIwasindeadlinemode.
Finally,Iwouldliketothankthepeopleforwhomtherearenowordsthatcanfullycapture
howmuchtheymeantome. Anexceptionalthankyoutomynephews,AndrejandViktor,
whoalwayskeepmepositive.Myparents,VioletaandMitko,andmysister,Tatjana,havebeen
thegreatestsupportinallmyendeavors.Theyalwaysbelieveinme,givemeunconditional
love,andteachmerealvaluesinlife. Theyalwaysmotivatedmetopursuemydreamsand
mademethepersonIamtoday.
Мама,тато,Тања,фалавизанеизмернатаљубовиподдршка.Оваадисерта-
циjаВиjапосветувамВам.
Lausanne,2April2018 GoricaTapandjieva
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