The Role of Modelling in Business Software Development: Case Study of Teaching and Industrial Practice in Zrenjanin, Serbia

This paper describes the role of modelling and visualization in artefacts of software development, in the context of diversity in modelling methods, languages and tools, different software development processes and architectures. It particularly addresses issues in reverse engineering, reengineering and modelling with agile software development, which leads to the need for adaptable and adaptive modelling. This paper contributes with the description of the previously presented methodology of integrated modelling approaches in business software development and empirical research with two case studies. First case study shows experiences of modelling business-oriented software in educational process at University of Novi Sad, Technical faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, Zrenjanin, Serbia, while second case study analyses experiences of IT companies in Zrenjanin region, Serbia. Conclusion of the paper is that educational process in teaching modelling gives mental models to students to use them in industrial practice. Agile software development with constant changes in software products leave companies out of modelling or minimize their use. Adaptive and adaptable modelling and visualization is needed in industrial practice, since it brings lower software development costs.