Learn the 1-on-1 of Semantics & Ontology by international authorities. Explore how semantics and ontology is used as the underlying conceptual structure of an enterprise by transforming interoperability beyond existing boundaries. Understand the complex interdependencies of enterprise operations through semantics and ontology. Discover how the Global University Alliance researches, compares, analyzes and develops Best and LEADing Practices around Enterprise Semantics & Ontology. Professor Simon Polovina International authority and thought leader in Enterprise Semantics Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom Head of Enterprise Semantics research and development at the Global University Alliance Professor Wim Laurier International authority and thought leader in Enterprise Ontology Université Saint-Louis, Bruxelles and Ghent University Head of Enterprise Ontology research and development at the Global University Alliance

1. Thought Leadership Session:
Enterprise Semantics & Ontology
Prof. Simon Polovina
Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom
Head of Enterprise Semantics research and
development at the Global University Alliance
Co-Chairman of the Global University Alliance
Twitter ID: @SimonPolovina
The Power of Understanding the Enterprise
Prof. Wim Laurier
Université Saint-Louis, Bruxelles and Ghent University
Head of Enterprise Ontology research and
development at the Global University Alliance
Board Member at the Global University Alliance
Twitter ID: @LaurierWim

2. 2
Agenda
Action Design Research
(Too) many Tools, Frameworks,
Modelling Languages
Productivity of Computers &
Creativity of Humans
Ontology, Semantics & Semiotics
Let’s go to the lab…
All models are wrong, some are
useful
Make it so…

3. 3
Situation

4. 4
Action Research Design

5. 5
Action Research Design
Practice:
Relevance at
Instance Level

6. 6
Action Research Design
Academia:
Rigor at
Type Level

7. 7
Action Research Design
Combination
Internalization
Socialization
Externalization
Practice:
Relevance at
Instance Level
Academia:
Rigor at
Type Level
Explicit Knowledge
Tacit Knowledge

8. 8
Many Notations
Many Tools
Many Frameworks
Many (Types) of Diagrams
…
PLUS
Computers are Smart at Data Processing
BUT
Dumb at Creativity
WHILE
Humans are Smart at Creativity
BUT
Dumb at Data Processing
AND
Enterprises need Both … in Harmony !
Complication

9. 9
Question
“How can we bring the productivity of computers to
the creativity of humans in enterprise modelling,
engineering and architecture?”
Aspects to consider in addressing the question:
 Limiting the amount of data to avoid information
overload (for humans)
 Guaranteeing everyone involved understands
the diagrams relevant to them
 Guaranteeing that everyone involved has the
same interpretation.

10. 10
How to go about it (Answer to the Question)
In their (mental) models,
 Humans work with Concepts
 Computers work with Structures
For that we need shared set of concepts backed
by a computable theory about the world.
In 1984, John Sowa published a book called
“Conceptual Structures – Information Processing
in Mind and Machine”, in which he shows how
this can be achieved.
This work spawned the discipline of ontology in
computer science.

11. 11
How to apply it?
Let’s take the Way of LEADing Practice:
And go into the Lab…

12. 12
But first…
An introduction to:
 Semantics
 Ontology
 Semiotics
And how they relate to:
 Enterprise Modelling
 Enterprise Engineering
 Enterprise Architecture

13. 13
Ontology as a foundation for modelling
Social World Pragmatics Ontology

14. 14
The Semiotic Ladder
PHYSICAL WORLD signals, traces, physical dimensions,
hardware, component density, speed, economics
EMPIRICS patterns, variety, noise, entropy,
channel capacity, redundancy, efficiency, codes, ...
SYNTACTICS formal structure, language, logic,
data, records, deduction, software, files, ...
SEMANTICS meanings, propositions,
validity, truth, signification, denotations, ...
PRAGMATICS intentions, communication,
conversations, negotiations, ...
SOCIAL WORLD beliefs, expectations,
commitments, contracts, law, culture, ...
HumanInformationFunctions
VALUEPRODUCING
TheTechnologyPlatform
COSTIMPOSING
The Semiotic Ladder Challenge
(Organisational Semiotics, after Stamper 1997)
Engineering
Ontology
Business
Science

15. 15
What is Ontology?
Context
Rule of 3
Object Object
relation
 Ontology is an ancient science that deals with the
structure of the world.
 An ontology is an unambiguous semantic structure
defining a universe of discourse related to a context.

16. 16
Avoiding ambiguity
Ideal
Word

17. 17
Meta object elements and Ontology - example: Purpose & Goal
The study of their nature, behavior, description etc.

18. 18
Semantic relationships between meta objects

19. 19
Categorization

20. 20
Categorization

21. 21
Categorization

22. 22
Categorization

23. 23
Categorization

24. 24
Categorization

25. 25
Categorization

26. 26
Categorization

27. 27
Categorization

28. 34
Semantic relationships between meta objects

29. 35
Semantic relationships between meta objects

30. 36
Semantic relationships between meta objects

31. 38
some triples...
Laurier & Poels (2012)
Polovina (2007)
w3c.org
Performance Meta Model, leadingpractice.com
Three meta objects........

32. 43
Specific categories of meta object elements within the system

33. 45
Examples of meta objects that are used within an Enterprise
Model (any kind)

34. 46
Examples of meta objects that are used within an Enterprise
Model (any kind)
Business Model
Customer3.0CommercialDivision
3.1Marketing3.2&3.3Chartering&Project
3.4Insurance
andContracting
3.5CargoAlocation
Desk
3.6Post
Fixture
Operations
7.0ShipManagementand
EngineeringDivision
7.2EngineeringVessel
8.0Project
Management
Review
Tender
documents
10
Prepare
indication
8
Semiliner Heavy
Lift Shipping
Service
Perform
Market
Campaign
1
Request Firm
Quote
Award
Contract
Receive
Tender
Pre-Quote
Request
Receive Pre-
Quote
Contractor
Selection
Customer
Information
Manage
Prospects
2
Pre-quote Inquiry
Retreive
customer
information
3
Customer
registered in
Database?
No
Yes
Indication
Send Indication
9
Store Indication in
Outlook
Selected for
Tendering?
Yes
No
Tender
Inquiry
Prepare Quote
14
Issue Quote
15
Quote
Negotiate
Contract
16
Prepare
Contract
17
Issue Contract
18
tore quote in
ProjectFolder
Allocate
Voyage
20
Port Call
Loading
Coordination
22
Nautical
Operations
26
Loading
23
Discharge
25
Port Call
Discharge
Coordination
24
Review of
inquiry
12
Create
technical
proposal
13
RequestBid
Parts
11
Technical
Proposal
Contract
Perform quick
feasibility
check
6
Technical
Feasibility
Review
Inquiry
4
Review
Feasibility
7
Request
Feasibility
Check
5
Feasible?
Yes
No
Decline Inquiry
Yes
Perform Win-
Loss Analysis
19
No
End
Handover to
Operations
21
Handover
Cargo
36
Issue Invoice
34
Recieve
Propjector
Cargo
Voyage
End
Cargo
Perform Loss
Analysis
End
Mobilization
29
Installation
30
Kick-offProject
27
Execution
Detail Planning
28
Handover
Project
31
Demobilization
32
Evaluatre
Project
33
Evaluate
Voyage
37
End
End
No
Yes
Receive
Payment
35
Service Model

35. 47
Examples of meta objects that are used within an Enterprise
Model (any kind)
Business Model
Customer3.0CommercialDivision
3.1Marketing3.2&3.3Chartering&Project
3.4Insurance
andContracting
3.5CargoAlocation
Desk
3.6Post
Fixture
Operations
7.0ShipManagementand
EngineeringDivision
7.2EngineeringVessel
8.0Project
Management
Review
Tender
documents
10
Prepare
indication
8
Semiliner Heavy
Lift Shipping
Service
Perform
Market
Campaign
1
Request Firm
Quote
Award
Contract
Receive
Tender
Pre-Quote
Request
Receive Pre-
Quote
Contractor
Selection
Customer
Information
Manage
Prospects
2
Pre-quote Inquiry
Retreive
customer
information
3
Customer
registered in
Database?
No
Yes
Indication
Send Indication
9
Store Indication in
Outlook
Selected for
Tendering?
Yes
No
Tender
Inquiry
Prepare Quote
14
Issue Quote
15
Quote
Negotiate
Contract
16
Prepare
Contract
17
Issue Contract
18
tore quote in
ProjectFolder
Allocate
Voyage
20
Port Call
Loading
Coordination
22
Nautical
Operations
26
Loading
23
Discharge
25
Port Call
Discharge
Coordination
24
Review of
inquiry
12
Create
technical
proposal
13
RequestBid
Parts
11
Technical
Proposal
Contract
Perform quick
feasibility
check
6
Technical
Feasibility
Review
Inquiry
4
Review
Feasibility
7
Request
Feasibility
Check
5
Feasible?
Yes
No
Decline Inquiry
Yes
Perform Win-
Loss Analysis
19
No
End
Handover to
Operations
21
Handover
Cargo
36
Issue Invoice
34
Recieve
Propjector
Cargo
Voyage
End
Cargo
Perform Loss
Analysis
End
Mobilization
29
Installation
30
Kick-offProject
27
Execution
Detail Planning
28
Handover
Project
31
Demobilization
32
Evaluatre
Project
33
Evaluate
Voyage
37
End
End
No
Yes
Receive
Payment
35
Service Model
The relationship
between the 2 models

36. 48
Example SAL Heavylift: Semi-Liner and Project Business Model

37. 49
Example SAL Heavylift: Semi-Liner Business Model with the
Project Service Flow

38. 51
Semiotics: What is a Model?
A model is a symbol that stands for a reality, which is called the referent.
It evokes concepts in the mind of the observer that stand for this reality.
The Symbol-Concept-Referent triangle is called the semiotic triangle.

39. 52
Semiotics: Notations as a basis for standard Models

40. 53
Semiotic Triangle: Business World
Notations used in Models (with clear defined semantic relations)
and data flow) is needed to produce accurate and useful process and service models.
Figure 5 presents an example of such an eXtended BPMN diagram. This example
contains business, information, and data objects; identifying “issue”, “caller info”, and
“survey”, respectively.
Figure 5: Example of business, information, and data objects.Source: http://www.leadingpractice.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/LEADing-Practice-XBPMN.pdf

41. 54
Semiotic Triangle: Business World
different objects is very relevant as it provides the means to use process notations for
the realization of executable applications and software solutions. This includes relating
the objects to the organization, roles, rules, and compliance aspects, as well as,
business and information flow. The set of rules and modelling techniques associated
with identifying, designing, and relating business, information, and data object types
allows one to fully describe the different relevant object’s behavior and representation.
Understanding this behavior might include an analysis of the business function, roles
and services it delivers. Additionally, its interaction with the business process and
activities (input and output and the associated flow), information (objects, flow),
applications (function, task, service and flow) and data (objects, entities, data services,
and data flow) is needed to produce accurate and useful process and service models.
Figure 5 presents an example of such an eXtended BPMN diagram. This example
contains business, information, and data objects; identifying “issue”, “caller info”, and
“survey”, respectively.
Figure 5: Example of business, information, and data objects.
The ability of having a link between the models of understanding e.g. the process models and
thereby the BPMN diagrams and the models of executions e.g. in software development it
would be UML and if an ERP system exist it would for example be SAP. Such a link between
the BPMN diagrams and SAP solution manager include linking/redocumenting information /
data flow in SAP SolMan, includes mapping the business/data/information object artifacts to
bindings in interface scenarios in SolMan. In order to drill down the various topics that may
arise, the main aspect is to identify the matching fields in SAP Solution Manager. It must be
clear, research and development starts whether SAP Solution Manager and the SAP Gateway
supports addressing the data.

42. 62
Let’s Go to the Lab …

43. 64
Lessons Learned
“The truth is rarely pure and never simple”
(Oscar Wilde)
“Start by doing what's necessary; then do
what's possible; and suddenly you are doing
the impossible (Francis of Assisi)
“Everything should be made as simple as
possible, but not simpler than that” (att.
Einstein)
“All Models are Wrong BUT Some are Useful”
(George Box)
The LEADing Practice community is the ideal
environment for developing and enhancing a
complex enterprise ontology.

44. 65
Conclusion (Take Away)
Semantics – Making meaning
Ontology – Formalizing meaning
Pragmatics – Sharing meaning
Conceptual Structures – harmonise the creativity of human and
business endevour (“enterprise”) with the productivity of computers
Understanding the thought process behind Ontology and Semantics
(from the ‘live lab session’)
All we need to do is:

45. 71
Questions?
Prof Wim Laurier
Tel: +32 2 211 79 48
Saint-Louis University
Brussels
Belgium
Ontology research coordinator
Global University Alliance
wim.laurier@globaluniversityalliance.net
For more information:
https://be.linkedin.com/pub/wim-laurier/1/b65/b62
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Wim_Laurier/info
Prof Simon Polovina
Tel: +44 114 225 6825
Sheffield Hallam University
United Kingdom
S.Polovina@shu.ac.uk
Co-Chairman
Global University Alliance
Simon.Polovina@globaluniversityalliance.net
For more information:
www.globaluniversityalliance.net
www.polovina.me.uk

47. 73
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