The Bounding Effect of is Design Tools: A Critical Examination of Case Technology

Abstract

Methodologies for information systems development bound the vocabulary of design (what arethe "things that matter?), as well as control the design discourse (how should we go aboutdiscussing them?). Computer Aided System Engineering tools - collectively referred to as "CASEtechnology" --further bound the analysis and design process both semantically (e.g., the range ofavailable methodologies) and syntactically (e.g., implementation details). In this paper we explorethe effects of bounding in CASE technology. We first delineate the concept of bounding in generalterms, and then develop a more operational notion of it through the qualitative examination of anactual use of a CASE tool. This examination results in a preliminary list of concrete dimensions ofthe bounding phenomenon, which is in turn used to guide a critical survey of related features incurrent CASE technology, Implications for practice, education and research are discussed.