UML or Unified Modeling Language can be defined as a standard language used for specifying, documenting, constructing as well as visualizing the software systems artifacts. The Object Management Group (OMG) first created it and the specification of UML 1.0 in January 1997. It was initially started to capture the behavior of complex software and non-software system behaviors are understood using the UML methodology.
The UML modelling language does not give any specific recommendations about the sequence in which the activities should be performed in the life cycle of any project. It is crucial to understand the difference between activities and sequences in UML diagrams, which are used for effective project management. Activity diagrams depict the data flow of the use cases. Whereas sequence diagrams representation of the interaction between classes as well as objects with respect to time. A proper set of guidelines are not provided by UML regarding the sequence in which the activities should be carried out (Kumar and Singh 2015). However, use case diagrams are used to identify the activities itself that should be carried out no matter irrespective of the sequence followed. Therefore, it can be understood that use case UML diagrams help in identifying the activities but do not define the sequences in which they need to be carried out.
It is an extremely important task for project managers to effectively understand the tasks or the activities that they should be carrying out in the entire life cycle of any given project. Identifying the activities is more important for the project managers than knowing their sequence in the first place. The reason being if the activities in the different stages of the project lifecycle is not clear, there is no point in defining the sequence to perform them. In any project of systems development, it is of extremely importance for the project managers to effectively understanding the different tasks or the activities required to be carried out by the different teammates as well as other employees. Once the activities are identified, there sequence can be developed in due course of tie using other business strategy models as well as advices from experts, based on the assigned deadlines of individual tasks and other parameters (Herrera et al. 2014). Therefore, it is extremely important for the project managers to keep in mind that the business strategy they adopt in the course of the project lifecycle remain flexible for changes to be incorporated at any given point of time based on project and business requirements.
UML does not clearly define the sequence in which the activities should be performed during the life cycle of any given project. It only enable the project managers to effectively identify the required activities thereby often causing an ambiguity in their decision-making. It makes it a problematic situation for them to decide on the importance and preference of one activity over the other especially in complex cases (Swain et al. 2014).
In practical scenarios within organizations, the UML language should be able to combine the use cases with a particular model of objects as well as states. The functional requirements that specify the system behavior of a system are captured by the use cases as seen from the perspective of the user. On the other hand, the model of object/state include the state space as well as their operations of modification (Foster 2015). Due to UML’s inability to perform that, classes are identified using use cases thereby only allowing the activities to be identified and not the way in which they should be performed or the their sequence. This again causes issues for the mangers and is a drawback for the model.
Understanding the UML model needs extensive training for its complexity. The team members should be adequately training on the terminologies in order to effectively determine the project requirements as well as the specific tasks assigned to them. Most importantly, the UML methodology allows the designing of the notations. However, it does not recommend or specify the exact process of how the notations should be designed to meet the project requirements. The requirements as per the user feedbacks helps the model to make use of an iterative as well as an incremental approach, which does not recommend the strategies of developing the software or the data flow associated to it (Rumpe 2017). Projects dealing with real-time systems can be effectively completed using this model wherein identifying the activities play a more significant role. Simulation processes are being used in the UML method, which often might not give desired results as expected by the project managers at the end of any given project (Mahali and Acharya 2013). That again makes it necessary for managers follow notations for analysis independent of the UML methodology principles.
From this study, I have gathered feedbacks from eight other students regarding their views and opinions. There have been opinions from three students that insists on the importance of the series of tasks, which plays an important role in the lifecycle of a project completion. According to the feedbacks of four other students about this article, they have said that in case of applying UML methodology it is more important to first identify the sequence of activities and then thinking critically about each of these tasks separately. This eliminates the need for even identifying what tasks have to be performed or eliminated in a project life cycle, which is not really an effective approach for any project manager (Sindi and Roe 2017).
However, I have understood that the ultimate deciding factor of any given project is the final project outcome irrespective of the sequence of the tasks involved in the completion of the project. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for the project managers to understand in the first place the effectiveness for the different activities such as initial planning, deciding the cost factors, assigning specific tasks to team members as well deciding the time frame and budget of the entire project. I have also changed my article to explain the importance of understanding the activities first, and then their order in the lifecycle of any given project, using UML methodology. There are projects wherein the project managers should only be concerned only with the results irrespective how they are achieved or what sequence of activity do the team members follow. This opinion of other students made me change my article and perform a detailed analysis how the decision making of project managers is affected using the UML methodology. I have gained an in depth understanding of the importance of activity diagrams and use case diagrams used by the managers in order to set targets for the team members. I have been able to identify the applications of the different kinds of UML diagrams such as activity diagrams, class diagrams as well as sequence diagrams and their importance in the lifecycle of any given project and how they directly affect the final output of any given project.
Some of the recommendations that can be provided to overcome the issues faced by UML are using stereotypes, which are the in-built highly functional extensions of UML’s. They can be used to address specific needs of the users based on extensions that are user-definable, redefining the language elements without changing the language metamodel completely thus providing flexibility (Prades et al. 2013). One students who have reviewed this article also shared similar opinions and recommendations. Profiles can also be used which can help in the adaptivity of the UML’s to specific needs in the systems development projects. Few other recommendations are:
References:
Foster, E.C., 2015, November. Three Innovative Software Engineering Methodologies. In Information and Computer Technology (GOCICT), 2015 Annual Global Online Conference on (pp. 90-103). IEEE.
Herrera, F., Posadas, H., Penil, P., Villar, E., Ferrero, F., Valencia, R. and Palermo, G., 2014. The COMPLEX methodology for UML/MARTE Modeling and design space exploration of embedded systems. Journal of Systems Architecture, 60(1), pp.55-78.
Kumar, B. and Singh, K., 2015. Testing uml designs using class, sequence and activity diagrams. International Journal for Innovative Research in Science and Technology, 2(3), pp.71-81.
Mahali, P. and Acharya, A.A., 2013. Model based test case prioritization using UML activity diagram and evolutionary algorithm. International Journal of Computer Science and Informatics, 3(2), pp.42-47.
Prades, L., Romero, F., Estruch, A., Garcia-Dominguez, A. and Serrano, J., 2013. Defining a methodology to design and implement business process models in BPMN according to the standard ANSI/ISA-95 in a manufacturing enterprise. Procedia Engineering, 63, pp.115-122.
Rhazali, Y., Hadi, Y. and Mouloudi, A., 2015, November. A methodology for transforming CIM to PIM through UML: From business view to information system view. In Complex Systems (WCCS), 2015 Third World Conference on (pp. 1-6). IEEE.
Rumpe, B., 2017. Agile and UML-Based Methodology. In Agile Modeling with UML (pp. 9-31). Springer, Cham.
Sharma, C., Sabharwal, S. and Sibal, R., 2014. Applying genetic algorithm for prioritization of test case scenarios derived from UML diagrams. arXiv preprint arXiv:1410.4838.
Sindi, S. and Roe, M., 2017. A Methodology for the Strategic Supply Chain Model. In Strategic Supply Chain Management(pp. 101-107). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Swain, R.K., Panthi, V., Mohapatra, D.P. and Behera, P.K., 2014. Prioritizing test scenarios from UML communication and activity diagrams. Innovations in Systems and Software Engineering, 10(3), pp.165-180.
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