Toward continuous enterprise improvement: analysis and supporting mechanisms in the GeMM (generic methodology model) proposal

Enterprise integration (EI) proposals have provided a methodological and architectural framework for the improvement of enterprises, broadening the scope, vision and achievements of traditional CIM approaches. However, their application in real-world enterprises has often not lead to the expected results, and their acceptance by business users and vendors is still a pending issue. One reason that explains this situation is the wrong understanding of El as a one-time effort and the lack of both inherent and practical support for continuous improvement (CI) in many of the existing proposals. GeMM (generic methodology model), defined within the ongoing Matiis (methodology-architecture-tools for the engineering of integrating infrastructures) R&D initiative, is a structured methodological framework which intends to: (1) give the business user a structured view of all the involved methodological concepts and elements, (2) provide him/her with a template from which a particular user specific methodology can be derived, and (3) enable computer-oriented support for the derivation process and for the application of a specific methodology. Within GeMM, CI issues have been analysed and the proposal has been designed to address them. Thereby, GeMM provides constructs to support the achievement of CI in an enterprise. It is also implemented as an OMG IDL API and a CAEE prototype tool built upon this API. Therefore it also enables the practical CAEE-oriented application of CI in a real-world enterprise.