• Formal paradigm to systems development, lifecycle support, and evolution
  • Combines simple OPDs (diagrams) with OPL (constrained natural language)
  • Basic building blocks:
    • object — thing that exists or has potential of existence, physically or mentally,
    • process — pattern of transformation that object undergoes,
    • state — situation object can be at

• [Reflective] methodology refers to system lifecycle as system evolution
  • In OPM, “process” is a reserved word; therefore, “system process” is used
  • System Developing process (SD1) contains three main stages, each can be “zoomed” of which can be further zoomed
    • Requirement Specifying
    • Analyzing & Developing
    • Implementing
    • [also, Using & Implementing stage]

• Visual models tool- and vendor-specific (see Tool Support below)

• Tool support for OPM is provided via OPCAT Software Solutions. This product suite supports the concepts related to the OPM metamodel for the system development process, including modeling support of the System Diagram (SD).

• The commercial OPCAT tool suite has a configurable template for a number of types of document artifacts, including but not limited to System Overview, The Current State, Future Goals, Business or Program Constraints, and Hardware and Software Requirements. In addition, OPCAT has facilities for animated simulation, requirements management, and other advanced features.

• Commercial OPCAT software for OPM systems modeling, systems engineering and lifecycle support, as well as professional services, and education & training can be obtained via: http://www.opcat.com/.

• Estefan, Jeff A., “Survey of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) Methodologies,” Rev. B, INCOSE Technical Publication, Document No.: INCOSE-TD-2007-003-01, International Council on Systems Engineering, San Diego, CA, June 10, 2008.
  

• Dori, Dov, Object-Process Methodology: A Holistic Systems Paradigm, Springer-Verlag: Berlin Heidelberg, Germany, 2002.

• Reinhartz-Berger, Iris and Dov Dori, “A Reflective Metamodel of Object-Process Methodology: The System Modeling Building Blocks,” Business Systems Analysis with Ontologies, P. Green and M. Rosemann (Eds.), Idea Group: Hershey, PA, USA, pp. 130-173, 2005.

• Dori, Dov, Reinhartz-Berger, Iris, and Arnon Sturm, “OPCAT – A Bimodal Case Tool for Object-Process Based System Development,” 5th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems (ICEIS 2003), pp. 286-291, 2003.

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