The Integrated Feasibility Experiment Process

The Integrated Feasibility Experiment (IFE) Process J. Allen Sears Corporation for National Research Initiatives 1895 Preston White Drive Reston, Va. 20191 asears@cnri.reston.va.us Stephen E. Cross Software Engineering Institute Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 sc@sei.cmu.edu ABSTRACT In this paper, we describe a process used for guiding the evaluation and transformation process for language processing research and development. The Integrated Feasibility Experiment process is explained by describing the key six steps, and then providing a specific example to help understand how to implement the steps. 1. INTRODUCTION The objective of this paper is to describe a reliable and repeatable process used to guide the development of information systems where technology teams must come together to implement a concept. This paper describes an “IFE process” that has been used successfully multiple times over the last eight years, and has served as both a framework for language experimentation, and as a vehicle for integrating and applying language technology components. 2. DESCRIBING THE IFE SIX KEY STEPS The IFE process consists of six steps that guide development and experimentation. The emphasis placed on each step depends on the maturity of the technology and the involvement of the users. The six steps are as follows (note that the six steps are summarized in Figure 1) 2.1 Step #1: Scenario Describe a scenario for employing the information technology that will allow everyone to visualize how the technology is to be used during a real situation. This step places emphasis on making the technology look and behave like a system. This is a critical step for two main reasons: a. For the technology teams that are to integrate technology, the scenario provides a real and accessible description of how the technology should be used. This assists the teams directly in describing the architecture and components needed to build an information system for the given scenario. b. The scenario is key in describing the intent of the information system to the operational user. Typically, operational users become involved in this scenario building process to give early and helpful feedback to the technology development teams. 2.2 Step #2: Architecture Many people believe that describing the architecture is the key step in building and information system. However, if the ideas about components and interconnections are vague or incomplete, then the architecture step is actually best developed using a hypothesis and test process. In all cases the architecture must allow plug-and-play concepts that support the inclusion and reuse of mature processing components, plus the inclusion of new components that will be the focus of experimentation. 2.3 Step #3: Reuse Components: The third step is to identify and make plans to reuse components that one will depend on during the IFE. This step is critical for the technology teams because many of the components to be used come from years of development and experimentation. With mature components populating a large share of the architecture, the development teams are then free to experiment with new components that are considered to be necessary for …

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