Richard Veryard
Encyclopedia
Richard Veryard is a British computer scientist
, author and business consultant, known for his work on Service Oriented Architecture and the Service-Based Business.
from 1966 to 1972, where he was taught by Gerd Sommerhoff
. He received a MA Mathematics and Philosophy from Merton College, Oxford
in 1976, and a MSc Computing Science at the Imperial College London
in 1977. Later he received a MBA from the Open University
in 1992.
He began his career with Data Logic Limited, Middlesex
, U.K. where he first developed and taught public data analysis courses. He had many years of practical experience in the field of pragmatic data analysis, when he wrote his first book about this in 1984. In 1987 he became an IT consultant with James Martin Associates
(JMA), specializing in the practical problems of planning and implementing information systems. He became a Principal Consultant in the Software Business of Texas Instruments
and a member of TI Group Technical Staff, after the European operation of JMA were acquired by the Texas Instruments Inc., Dallas in 1991. Here he was one of the developers of IE\Q, which is a TI proprietary methodology for software quality management. Since 1997 he has been a freelance consultant under the flag of Veryard Projects Ltd. Since 2006 he is a Principal Consultant at CBDi, a research forum for Service Oriented Architecture and engineering.
Veryard has taught courses at City University, Brunel University and the Copenhagen Business School, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London.
as a branch of systems analysis
, which shared the same principles. His position on data modelling would appear to be implicit in the term data analysis. He presented two philosophical attitudes towards data modeling, which he called "semantic relativism and semantic absolutism. According to the absolutist way of thinking, there is only one correct or ideal way of modeling anything: each object in the real world must be represented by a particular construct. Semantic relativism, on the other hand, believe that most things in the real world can be modeled in many different ways, using basic constructs".
Veryard further examined the problem of the discovery of classes and objects. This may proceed from a number of different models, that capture the requirement
s of the problem domain. Abbott (1983) proposed that each search starts from a textual description of the problem. Ward (1989) and Seidewitz and Stark (1986) suggested starting from the products of structured analysis
, namely data flow diagram
s. Veryard examined the same problem from the perspective of data modeling
.
Veryard made the point, that the modeler has some choice in whether to use an entity, relationship or attribute to represent a given Universe of Discourse (UoD) concept. This justifies a common position, that "data models of the same UoD may differ, but the differences are the result of shortcomings in the data modeling language. The argument is that data modeling is essentially descriptive, but that current data modeling languages allow some choice in how the description is documented."
, software engineering
and economics
, contribute their expertise concerning the economics of systems software, including evaluation of benefits, types of information and project costs and management.
s both within and between businesses. A centralized information model is not appropriate for many organizations," Veryard explains.
His book "takes the approach that multiple information models exist and the differences and links between them have to be managed. Coordination is currently an area of both intensive theoretical speculation and of practical research and development. Information Coordination explains practical guidelines for information management
, both from on-going research and from recent field experience with CASE
tools and methods".
for distributed systems.
s, in which "an enterprise is configured as a dynamic network of components providing business services to one another". In the new millennium there has been "a phenomenal growth in this kind of new autonomous business services, fuelled largely by the internet and e-business".
The concept of "component-Based Business constitutes a radical challenge to traditional notions of strategy, planning, requirements, quality and change, and tries to help you improve how you think through the practical difficulties and opportunities of the component-based business". This applied to both hardware and software, and to business relationships.
Veryard's subsequent work on organic planning for SOA has been referenced by a number of authors.
Computer scientist
A computer scientist is a scientist who has acquired knowledge of computer science, the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their application in computer systems....
, author and business consultant, known for his work on Service Oriented Architecture and the Service-Based Business.
Biography
Veryard attended Sevenoaks SchoolSevenoaks School
Sevenoaks School is an English coeducational independent school located in the town of Sevenoaks, Kent. It is the oldest lay school in the United Kingdom, dating back to 1432. Almost 1,000 day pupils and boarders attend, ranging in age from 11 to 18 years. There are approximately equal numbers of...
from 1966 to 1972, where he was taught by Gerd Sommerhoff
Gerd Sommerhoff
Gerd Sommerhoff OBE , was a pioneer of theoretical neuroscience and a noted humanist.A great-grandson of the German composer Robert Schumann, he was living in England at the onset of the Second World War...
. He received a MA Mathematics and Philosophy from Merton College, Oxford
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
in 1976, and a MSc Computing Science at the Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
in 1977. Later he received a MBA from the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
in 1992.
He began his career with Data Logic Limited, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, U.K. where he first developed and taught public data analysis courses. He had many years of practical experience in the field of pragmatic data analysis, when he wrote his first book about this in 1984. In 1987 he became an IT consultant with James Martin Associates
James Martin (author)
James Martin is a British Information Technology consultant and author, who was nominated for a Pulitzer prize for his book, The Wired Society: A Challenge for Tomorrow .- Biography :...
(JMA), specializing in the practical problems of planning and implementing information systems. He became a Principal Consultant in the Software Business of Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
and a member of TI Group Technical Staff, after the European operation of JMA were acquired by the Texas Instruments Inc., Dallas in 1991. Here he was one of the developers of IE\Q, which is a TI proprietary methodology for software quality management. Since 1997 he has been a freelance consultant under the flag of Veryard Projects Ltd. Since 2006 he is a Principal Consultant at CBDi, a research forum for Service Oriented Architecture and engineering.
Veryard has taught courses at City University, Brunel University and the Copenhagen Business School, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London.
Pragmatic data analysis
In "Pragmatic data analysis" (1984) Veryard presented data analysisData analysis
Analysis of data is a process of inspecting, cleaning, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of highlighting useful information, suggesting conclusions, and supporting decision making...
as a branch of systems analysis
Systems analysis
Systems analysis is the study of sets of interacting entities, including computer systems analysis. This field is closely related to requirements analysis or operations research...
, which shared the same principles. His position on data modelling would appear to be implicit in the term data analysis. He presented two philosophical attitudes towards data modeling, which he called "semantic relativism and semantic absolutism. According to the absolutist way of thinking, there is only one correct or ideal way of modeling anything: each object in the real world must be represented by a particular construct. Semantic relativism, on the other hand, believe that most things in the real world can be modeled in many different ways, using basic constructs".
Veryard further examined the problem of the discovery of classes and objects. This may proceed from a number of different models, that capture the requirement
Requirement
In engineering, a requirement is a singular documented physical and functional need that a particular product or service must be or perform. It is most commonly used in a formal sense in systems engineering, software engineering, or enterprise engineering...
s of the problem domain. Abbott (1983) proposed that each search starts from a textual description of the problem. Ward (1989) and Seidewitz and Stark (1986) suggested starting from the products of structured analysis
Structured analysis
Structured Analysis in software engineering and its allied technique, Structured Design , are methods for analyzing and converting business requirements into specifications and ultimately, computer programs, hardware configurations and related manual procedures.Structured analysis and design...
, namely data flow diagram
Data flow diagram
A data flow diagram is a graphical representation of the "flow" of data through an information system, modelling its process aspects. Often they are a preliminary step used to create an overview of the system which can later be elaborated...
s. Veryard examined the same problem from the perspective of data modeling
Data modeling
Data modeling in software engineering is the process of creating a data model for an information system by applying formal data modeling techniques.- Overview :...
.
Veryard made the point, that the modeler has some choice in whether to use an entity, relationship or attribute to represent a given Universe of Discourse (UoD) concept. This justifies a common position, that "data models of the same UoD may differ, but the differences are the result of shortcomings in the data modeling language. The argument is that data modeling is essentially descriptive, but that current data modeling languages allow some choice in how the description is documented."
Economics of Information Systems and Software
In the 1991 book "The Economics of Information Systems and Software", edited by Veryard, experts from various areas, including business administration, project managementProject management
Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...
, software engineering
Software engineering
Software Engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software, and the study of these approaches; that is, the application of engineering to software...
and economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, contribute their expertise concerning the economics of systems software, including evaluation of benefits, types of information and project costs and management.
Information Coordination
In the 1993 book "Information Coordination: The Management of Information Models, Systems, and Organizations" Veryard gives a snapshot of the state of the art around these subjects. "Maximizing the value of corporate data depends upon being able to manage information modelInformation model
An information model in software engineering is a representation of concepts, relationships, constraints, rules, and operations to specify data semantics for a chosen domain of discourse...
s both within and between businesses. A centralized information model is not appropriate for many organizations," Veryard explains.
His book "takes the approach that multiple information models exist and the differences and links between them have to be managed. Coordination is currently an area of both intensive theoretical speculation and of practical research and development. Information Coordination explains practical guidelines for information management
Information management
Information management is the collection and management of information from one or more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences. This sometimes involves those who have a stake in, or a right to that information...
, both from on-going research and from recent field experience with CASE
Computer-aided software engineering
Computer-aided software engineering is the scientific application of a set of tools and methods to a software system which is meant to result in high-quality, defect-free, and maintainable software products...
tools and methods".
Enterprise Modelling Methodology
In the 1990s Veryard worked together in an Enterprise Computing Project and developed a version of Business Relationship Modelling specifically for Open Distributed Processing, under the name Enterprise Modelling Methodology/Open Distributed Processing (EMM/ODP). EMM/ODP proposed some new techniques and method extensions for enterprise modellingEnterprise modelling
Enterprise modelling is the abstract representation, description and definition of the structure, processes, information and resources of an identifiable business, government body, or other large organization....
for distributed systems.
Component-based business
In 2001 Veryard introduced the concept of "component-based business". Component-based business relates to new business architectureBusiness architecture
A business architecture is a part of an enterprise architecture related to corporate business, and the documents and diagrams that describe that architectural structure of business...
s, in which "an enterprise is configured as a dynamic network of components providing business services to one another". In the new millennium there has been "a phenomenal growth in this kind of new autonomous business services, fuelled largely by the internet and e-business".
The concept of "component-Based Business constitutes a radical challenge to traditional notions of strategy, planning, requirements, quality and change, and tries to help you improve how you think through the practical difficulties and opportunities of the component-based business". This applied to both hardware and software, and to business relationships.
Veryard's subsequent work on organic planning for SOA has been referenced by a number of authors.
Publications
Veryard has written several books and articles, a selection:- 1984. Pragmatic data analysis. Oxford : Blackwell Scientific Publications.
- 1991. The Economics of information systems and software. (ed.) Oxford : Butterworth-Heinemann.
- 1992. Information modelling : practical guidance. New York : Prentice Hall.
- 1994. Information coordination : the management of information models, systems, and organizations. New York : Prentice Hall.
- 2000. Reasoning about systems and their properties. In Peter Henderson (ed) Systems Engineering for Business Process Change, Springer-Verlag, 2002
- 2001. Component-based business : plug and play. London : Springer.
- 2004. Business-Driven SOA. CBDI Journal, May–June 2004
External links
- Richard Veryard Home page
- List of recent publications by Richard Veryard.