There are two fundamental ways of (re-)engineering information systems. The “formal driven” approach is based on the goal of developing and implement… - August-Wilhelm Scheer

Reference models can be quite comprehensive, consisting of hundreds or thousands of model objects. This is why various levels of aggregation are used. Reference models provide enterprises with an initial process engineering solution, letting them determine the degree of detail of the model and the business content.

Business information systems can be either designed as custom applications or purchased as off-the-shelf standard solutions. The development of custom applications is generally expensive and is often plagued by uncertainties, such as the selection of appropriate development tools, the duration of the development cycle, or the difficulties involved in assessing costs. Thus, empirical surveys have shown that between half to two-thirds of information systems projects fail. The current tendency to shift from individual development to standardized, prepackaged software solutions is therefore not surprising.

At the heart of the book are the functional areas of an industrial firm. Although the data structures are thereby designed according to functional area the integration principle of supra-functional processing of tasks occupies the foreground. This book aims to achieve both a scientifically-based procedural method and a practically relevant, tried and tested approach. The author's experience of developing and introducing integrated information systems in several large industrial firms is incorporated in the treatment presented.