Abstract

The complexity of socio-technical interaction is increasingly representing a challenge to systems analysists and designers. A good practice, therefore, is to analyze socio-technical systems extensively to discover demands, needs and requirements for a better design solution both on a macro- and micro-level perspective. In order to combine both perspectives, we developed an Activity Theory meta-model and connected it with UML Activity Diagrams by means of a trace-linking approach. The resulting trace-link model features both holistic and granular analysis, in which Activity Theory is used to describe the broad activity context and the UML Activity Diagram is used to describe the process of actions undertaken by the users.

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A Holistic Socio-Technical Approach to Systems Analysis: Trace-Linking Activity Theory to UML Activity Diagrams

The complexity of socio-technical interaction is increasingly representing a challenge to systems analysists and designers. A good practice, therefore, is to analyze socio-technical systems extensively to discover demands, needs and requirements for a better design solution both on a macro- and micro-level perspective. In order to combine both perspectives, we developed an Activity Theory meta-model and connected it with UML Activity Diagrams by means of a trace-linking approach. The resulting trace-link model features both holistic and granular analysis, in which Activity Theory is used to describe the broad activity context and the UML Activity Diagram is used to describe the process of actions undertaken by the users.