WEM: A design method for CMS-based web applications

Abstract

The development of complex, data-intensive web applications is becoming simpler due to the usage of content management systems. Conventional information systems development methods as well as web application development methods do not cover the specific needs of a method for web content management implementations. In this research an assembly-based situational method engineering approach is applied to develop a new design method, called the WebEngineering Method (WEM). First, a literature research is done to existing design methods and method engineering. Then, the development processes and implementation situations are identified. Consequently candidate methods are selected and analyzed. Finally, a new method of useful method fragments is assembled. By using route map configuration, the method fragments are tailored to obtain situationality. A meta-modeling technique is proposed that integrates UML activity diagrams and class diagrams for the purpose of analyzing existing methods and assembling the new method. The method developed was validated in a case study, which consisted of a technology testing web application at a large telecommunication organization in the Netherlands. The case study results were promising.