=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-1439/paper7
|storemode=property
|title=Standardized individual output development: from a scientific print product to cross-media workflow
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1439/paper7.pdf
|volume=Vol-1439
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/bpm/Fahsel15
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==Standardized individual output development: from a scientific print product to cross-media workflow==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1439/paper7.pdf
Standardized Individual Output Development: From a
scientific print product to cross-media workflow.
Jörn Fahsel
Institute for Book Studies, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg (FAU),
Germany.
joern.fahsel@fau.de
Abstract. The concept of the Standardized Individual Output Development can
generally be understood as an approach to the development of output using its
own domain standards, or re-use of standards from other domains via analogies.
Objective is a systematic, qualitative and efficient creation of individual output
and an innovation-framework to systematize the support of a knowledge
transfer from other domains, in the first step human resource based and
supported by IT systems. Goal of the paper is on the one hand to explain the
principles of the approach and the derivation of a roadmap for a technical
support. On the other hand, the Standardized Individual Output Development is
empirically investigated by a case study: The systematic transform of an
individual (output) requirement in an individual output by students in the master
program of book studies using the Standardized Individual Output Development
approach.
Keywords: Standardized Individual Development, Cross-Media-Publishing,
OLAP, Innovation, Agile Methodology
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1 Introduction
Students in the master program of book studies with focus area “Media Economy
Print & Digital ”should applying the authors approach of “Standardized Individual
Output Development” to transform a concrete individual requirement in a
individual output. The individual requirement consisted in suggestions of how a
print product focused publication workflow can be converted to a cross-media
workflow. The students had no deeper knowledge of requirements engineering,
process models or XML-technologies. This raises the question after a successful
project implementation in the absence of project-specific capabilities.
A way to solve this problem as precondition for a successful project-
implementation is the application of “Standardized Individual Output
Development” [5]. The contribution enters the debate at this point. Objective
of the paper is on the one hand to validate the conceptual considerations of
“Standardized Individual Output Development” on a case study analysis and
secondly, a contribution to the penetration and application of the approach for the
Publishing Industry will be provided. Concretized: The individual requirement-
blocks, (1) teaching necessary project qualifications, and (2) the based thereon
successful project implementation should be systematically solved via a coupling
of standardized individual outputs by applying the new approach by the author,
the “Standardized Individual Output Development”.
The structural design of the paper is based on the defined structure of
case study investigations [18]. Accordingly, initially the own approach of the
“Standardized Individual Output Development” is presented as a theoretical basis
for a systematic solution finding. “Standardized Individual Output Development”
forms the analytical framework for the subsequent empirical investigation on the
research approach of the case study. Here is first shown how the requirement of
project specific capabilities of students has been achieved through the development
of the standardized individual output “Agile Teaching”. Based on this, the project
implementation of the students by applying the capability of the “Standardized
Individual Output Development” is described (as distinguished from capability
and application of what is called function, see [17]). Conclusion of the paper forms
the summary of the results. As an outlook an extension of the solution found for
collaborative, online and XML-based cross-media workflow is presented, as a
bundling of academic papers and components after and before academic papers,
for the creation of a compilation, e.g., conference proceedings.
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2 Standardized Individual Output Development
The concept of the “Standardized Individual Output Development” can generally
be understood as an approach to the development of output using its own domain
standards, or re-use of standards from other domains via analogies. Objective is
a systematic, qualitative and efficient creation of individual output on the one
hand. On the other hand an innovation-framework to systematize the support
of a knowledge transfer from other domains, in the first step human resource
based and supported by IT systems, and in the last step by the vision of technical
singularity through artificial intelligence as discussed among others by Ray
Kurzweil, Director of Engineering at Google [9]. Subsequently, the core ideas and
principles are introduced.
Starting from a requirement there is a concrete output creation using the concept
of “Standardizing Individual Output Development”. The result of this process is
the “Standardized Individual Output”. The following illustration visualizes the
overall process.
Fig. 1. Interactions of the Standardized
Individual Output Development (based on [15])
Fundamentals of the approach are the work of Göpfert [7], the concept
of individual output and the mass customization [11]. Göpfert [7] describes
the individual output as a transition from craft to mass production through
standardization and automation to individual output via standardized process
modules which are not visible for the customers [4]. Similarly argued Piller [11]
with the strategic approach of mass customization as a strategy variant between
standardization on one hand and differentiation called mass production on the
other.
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Based on these considerations the “Standardized Individual Output
Development” describes a concrete design process in terms of a reference model
for the development of customized outputs through a systematic re-use their own
standards or other domains through analogies. A conceptualization of the core idea
is carried out via the framework of the “Standardized Individual Development
Cube (SIC)”, which is interpreted both as a synthesis of different approaches and
in the subsequent step as an analytical tool.
The SIC as a synthesis embraces the connection of standards within a domain
and the value chain in an output process – called the “Standard Catalog”. Regarding
to the output development on the re-use of standards from other domains,
the SIC includes the dimensions domain and standards – called the “Standard
Innovation”. A brief introduction is following of the “Standard Catalog” and
“Standard Innovation” as an interpretation of slices of a cube that is based on
the OLAP (Online Analytical Processing)-Cubes operation of slicing (based on
discussions by [19] to Process Cubes and regarding standards of hybrid value
creation [2].
The “Standard Catalog” as vertical slice is here interpreted as a function of
standard and value chain and based on the work of Schacht/Hertel [15] and
Fettke/Loos [6]. Schacht/Hertel [15] discussed the one hand, the interpretation of
standards as explicit knowledge; they furthermore classifies standard categories
and allocates the value chain to individual standards. The idea of domain-specific
storage of standard knowledge based on the work of Fettke/Loos [6], who
formulated a catalog of specific process standards called reference model. In
summary, the vertical slice in SIC is called “Standard Catalog” and describes the
idea to understand standards as knowledge to assign this standards to the value
chain [15] and to provide (intelligent) searchable knowledgebases in a subsequent
step [6] (summarized in the following depiction).
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Fig. 2. Standard knowledge linked to Value Added Chain (based on [15])
Here the question arises, according to the development of output requirements,
for which no reusable standard knowledge exists. This requirement is solved
through the “Standard Innovation” slice. The Standard Innovation based on the
work on the TRIZ approach [10] and the analogies on the pyramiding approach
[12]. If a problem cannot be solved through existing standard knowledge from
the “Standard Catalog”, it is necessary to transfer the problem to another domain.
If solutions for the abstract same problem exist, it can be reused. While abstract
problem-solution mappings are done by pattern search in patents in the TRIZ
approach, in the pyramid approach of Poetz/Prügl [12] interviewing of experts
in analog domains are used to achieve this goal. To summarize, the slice of the
“Standard Innovation” forms a synthesis of the TRIZ and the Pyramid Approach.
The practical implementation can be reached in following iterations (see following
figure):
1. “SIC-Pyramid”: The transfer of knowledge through expert knowledge and
human communication [12].
2. “SIC-OLAP”: IT-supported standard knowledge storing of various domains
and human interpretation and using OLAP data cubes idea with related
operations as “slicing”, “dicing”, “rolling up”, “drilling down” [19].
3. “SIC-OWL”: IT-based knowledge storage and sophisticated machine
connecting of problem issues of different domains over semantic network by
using the Web Ontology Language (OWL) [16].
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4. “SIC-Singularity”: IT-based knowledge storage and sophisticated machine
connecting of requirement and problem issues of different domains – vision
of technical singularity [9].
Fig. 3. Theoretical building blocks of Standard
Innovation: TRIZ and Climbing Pyramids
“Standard Catalog” and “Standard Innovation” form the basis of the approach of
the “Standardized Individual Output Development”, be modeled as a synthesis of
different theoretical and practical approaches in the SIC and form the basis for the
transformation of the synthesis cubes into a concrete IT-supported analysis cube
for automated “Standardized Individual Output Development” (see [4]). Specific
design of “Standardized Individual Output Development” in the case of developing
a user-friendly, collaborative, online and XML-based cross-media workflow at the
Institute for Book Studies is the subject of the following case study.
3 Case Study
The application of the “Standardized Individual Output Development” using
different standards to transform a concrete individual requirement to individual
output of students in the master program of book studies with focus area “Media
84
Economy Print & Digital” is subject of the following described case study
investigation.
3.1 Case Study investigation
A case study analysis is concretized in definition of research subject and research
questions, implementation design and subsequent execution.
Research subject of the contribution is the “Standardized Individual Output
Development” in general and in particular the consideration of application the
theory for development of an individual output, a “cross-media workflow for
a scientific print product”. The aim is on the one hand a user-friendly content
creation and on the other hand reuses once created content for different media and
individual content bundling [8].
Research objectives of the contribution are on the one hand the conceptual
preparation of the “Standardized Individual Output Development” and on the other
hand the empirical investigation. The empirical investigation of this proposed
approach is based on the research method of case study with the following design
(see [18]):
• Objective: The research subject of the “Standardized Individual Output
Development” should be applied in the context of the Publishing Industry and
developed through discussion with the students, so there is a theory-formation
and theory-verification in focus. In terms of the research interest, on the one
hand the objects of analysis are described which represents a phenomenal
interest, on the other hand the practical application of the “Standardized
Output Individual Development” is in the focus, which represents a causal
interest.
• Object Selection: A project work at the Institute for Book Studies is
considered in terms of a embedded single-case study.
• Data Collection: Why and how questions are a key part of the study. For that
reason the collected data are more qualitative than quantitative. In addition
by participant observation the study includes interviews, group discussions
and action research to ensure the quality of the collected data.
• Evaluation: The case study units, project team and project development, will
first individually and the following step analyzed across. The evaluation is
preceded by a short project presentation, and then the particular standard used
is analyzed.
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3.2 Agile Teaching
The project group had the task, using the example of scientific essays within the
annual report of the Erlangen Institute for Book Studies to make proposals for
how one can be converted a print product focused publication workflow to a cross-
media workflow. For this purpose, requirements had to be raised, resulting solution
variants should be derived and an appropriate technical infrastructure (standard /
individual software) must be identified – the first project challenge, because the
students had no deeper knowledge in requirements engineering, process modeling
and XML technologies. Therefore, these foundations needed to be built. After
defining the problem in interpreting the “SIC” as the standard knowledge (input),
the question of problem solving arises. In interpreting the “Standardized Individual
Development” concretized: “How do I reach the transition of the human resources
to project staff?”
Following the approach of “Standardized Individual Development”, initially
the approach of agile software development has been applied to the individual
requirements of teaching. Developed individual output is called “Agile Teaching”.
In a comparable Role of a ScrumMaster the lecturer reacts individual to
information demands of the students among others by intensive introductions
and discussions of requirement techniques and variants of solving variant
systematization, e.g., morphological boxes or the template approach from the
sophists. Furthermore basic knowledge in XML was built on participating of the
students at a parallel seminar lecturer hold.
Within the seminar the project students were shown a fully automated
publishing workflow: from reading information from a database, translation in
XSL-FO, and subsequent generation of a PDF document by the practice speaker
from a big German authority. The seminar structure as an instance of an “Agile
Teaching” and as a composition of didactic standard blocks of construction,
reconstruction and deconstruction by Reich [13] and the flipped classroom
concept, which among others is used by Jörn Loviscach (see http://www.j3l7h.de/),
illustrates the following figure.
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Fig. 4. Agile teaching instance: XML for publishing houses
In addition to the basic technical understanding of XML, as a possible basis
of production used in a cross-media workflow approach, the teaching focused on
methods and techniques for requirements engineering, the solution variant analysis
and project planning. Important statement here: It all starts with a neutral solution
requirements analysis as basis for a solution variant analysis. These results serve
the customers as a basis to derive the desired solution and the solution is the basis
for the detailed planning for an (agile) implementation.
For the requirements documentation the students was taught basic knowledge
in the template approach of the sophists [14]. The template approach consists of
a syntactic part (the template) and a semantic part. The semantic part is based on
the fundamentals of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) of Bandler and Grinder
[1] and heals the defects of deletion, generalization and distortion in a natural
based requirements analysis by questioning techniques. The template approach
can also be interpreted as a “Standardized Individualized Development” over an
composition of different linguistc standard blocks among others, NLP [1] and
Chomsky's Transformational Grammar [3].
In addition to the requirement analysis is a neutral search for alternative
solutions an essential step to identify the best solution for the customer. Here
the students were taught the basics of morphological box as creativity technique.
From combination of cross-media workflow instances theoretically possible set
of properties can then be combined to possible solutions. After presentation of
alternative solutions and selection of a specific solution by the customer, the
implementation needs to be planned. Therefore different process models were
presented the students, with an emphasis was placed on agile process models with
regard to the project context.
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Summarized the requirement of the project-specific qualifications has been
resolved over the standardized individual output “Agile Teaching” by a “Standard
Innovation” of agile process models of the software industry.
3.3 Cross-Media Workflow
In the first step the requirements were taken systematically through the template
approach. The template approach was used in the project to ensure on the one hand
the completeness of the requirements on the use of rules and on the other hand, the
structured requirements definition via templates. The following figure shows the
structure and a concrete template instance within the project.
Fig. 5. Template Approach: structure and instance within the project
The next step in the project implementation was the elaboration of a solution
space for the requirements of a cross-media-workflow over a morphological
box. Goal was the theory-based derivation of possible solutions for cross-media
publishing workflow solutions. For this, the students analyzed different production
methods for a cross-media workflow, starting from Word-based systems, over wiki
solutions up to CM-Systems (CMS) and derived therefrom characteristics for a
morphological box. The project-specific morphological box of the project group
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to identify the possible solutions is characterized by the following characteristics:
content input, content storage, necessary installation, file formats of content
transformation with the same software, usability according ISO 9241.
Using the morphological box different solution types for cross-media workflow
were discussed with the customer. As an example, two solutions are shown at a
glance and the final solution and implementation described in detail subsequently.
The first variant of the solution in the following called “desktop” solution, includes
the following characteristic values: content input (“desktop”), content storage
(“desktop”), necessary installation (“yes”), file formats of the content (“docx”),
transformation with the same software (“yes”), usability to ISO 9241 (“no”) (see
next figure).
Fig. 6. Solution Variant Desktop
On the one hand the familiar Word environment and all Word-based output
formats such as PDF, RTF or DOCX can still be used. On the other hand, an online
output is implemented via an Add In and parameterization through configuration
tables within the word file. The content input (1) and bundling to the online output
(2), within a solution of the company Pragmaticon in Heroldsberg, are shown in
the following figure.
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Fig. 7. Concrete Solution for Variant Desktop
The solution represents a pragmatic cross-media approach, but does not meet
the customer requirements. Emphasis was on a online-based, user-friendly and
XML-based cross media solution. This solution variant was fixed after the
presentation of solutions variants by the customer as implementation target and
the characteristics are visualized in the next figure.
Fig. 8. Solution Variant Cross-Media
The publishing platform building blocks Xeditor and Xpublisher of the
company Appsoft in Munich fullfills the requirements of the Cross-Media Variant
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and were chosen for the subsequent project implementation planning. As agile
planning via a simple backlog was identified as confusing, the students searched
for other possibilities and found an alternative with the standard of “Story Maps”.
Fig. 9. Storymap for agile solution implementation
Finally an overview of the implementation is presented: The Xeditor was
configured for scientific publishing workflow in the following activities by the
students: (1) structure analyzing of scientific essays, (2) creating an XML file
based on the structure, (3) automatic grammar creation using jedit, (4) deliver the
grammat to appsoft.
Fig. 10. Grammar Creation Process
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In the next step the literature function has been implemented. For this a concept
was created together with the students, the lecturer and the Head of Development
of Appsoft and implemented via the standard API of the Appsoft Publishing
building blocks. For evaluating the whole cross-media workflow by the students a
component for an automated bundling and output via XSL-FO was designed and
implemented together with Appsoft in the last step (see following figure).
Fig. 11. Cross-Media-Synthesis: value added chain, functions and technology
In summary the “Standardized Individual Output Development” was
investigated within the project. In the first step an individual output was developed
with “Agile Teaching” to transform human resources to project staff. The project
staff bundles their capabilities in a second step to project specific functions [17] to
transfer the individual requirement of a “user-friendly, collaborative, online and
XML-based cross-media workflow” successfully in a solution on the composition
of different standards, such as the template approach, story map, morphological
boxes and BPML for the process (knowledge) documentation and evaluate the
solution by writing the project paper online and collaborative with the found
solution.
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4 Learnings and Outlook
By applying the approach of the “Standardized Individual Output Development”
following was reached: (1) based on “Agile Teaching” the project-specific
capabilities of the students were built, (2) the students used the approach
of “Standardized Individual Output Development” to transform the individual
requirement via the coupling of standards in an standardized individual output
and through action research the solution was evaluated through writing the
project-seminar documentation on developed solution based on the platform
building blocks for content-creation (Xeditor) and crossmedia content-bundeling
(Xpublisher). The outlook on current research projects of the expansion of the
current solution for creating conference proceedings forms the conclusion of the
contribution.
Using the “Standardized Individual Output Development” the students found
in step one an online-based user-friendly approach for a collaborative creation
of scientific papers. A consistent next step is on expanding the solution for
the production of conference proceedings as a bundling of various articles and
additional components, among others front- and back matter, cover etc. Therefore
conference proceedings are currently analyzed within a project team of students
to derive therefrom a conference proceedings product line with variants and
invariants components. In parallel, the current solution is expanded for conference
proceedings workflow and a first release was sucessfully implemented in the end
of August.
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