Theoretical foundation for browser-based management information system development

Abstract

The theoretical foundation of the model theory approach to management information systems (MIS) development is presented. To supplement previous reports on the new approach, which focused on the development procedure and implementation for applications (Takahara et al. 2005), the theoretical foundation for the approach is presented here in the context of general systems theory. A formalization of a browser-based MIS is presented as a causal stationary time system. And the formalized model is shown to have a canonical representation to which every reduced, initial-state-reachable model is isomorphic. An implementation model is derived from the canonical model, which consists of a state transition function and a memory of state. The state transition function is decomposed into a family of atomic processes. The atomic process consists of an interface component and an implementation component, the latter of which is the engine that carries out the activity required by a user command. This activity is categorized as either transaction processing or problem solving. The problem-solving component is constructed by embedding a solver into the implementation component, combining the goal-seeking model of general systems theory with the problem solving process. This construction provides a scheme that seamlessly connects transaction processing and problem solving activities.