Application of web service technologies on a b2b communication platform by means of a pattern and UML based software development process (PDF)

Diploma Thesis from the year 2003 in the subject Computer Science - Software, grade: 1,0 (A), Technical University of Berlin (Computer Science (Open Communication Systems)), language: English, abstract: There are about 230.000 establishments in the Spanish hotel, restaurant and
catering industry accounting for a turnover of about 15.6 thousand million
euros. All of them sell food to private consumers. On the other hand suppliers
and traders supply the catering trade with food and beverage products. Usually
the different players in this food distribution network trade products by means
of orders which are placed manually. This is a process which can be enhanced
through the application of computer and Internet technology.
A project lately also supported by the Spanish government is supposed to fill
this gap. This project is called "Catanet" and has been established three years
ago.
Actually the Catanet platform is used by more than 100 customers, amongst
them very important industry players like Lauren Films, Pepsi, Unilever and
Nestle. Some of them will carry out a significant part of their overall food
orders by the Catanet platform, which corresponds to a turnover volume of
many million euros.
In the former version of the Catanet platform clients had to apply a web page
based interface in order to use the Catanet services. As this approach
prohibited the full exploitation of the benefits the use of computer assistance
provides (e.g. human participation still constitutes an inevitable and crucial part
of the transaction, the interaction is completely asynchronous) an additional
level is being added to the Catanet platform eliminating these shortcomings.
During the time of this work the number of Catanet customers has grown
explosively increasing also the diversity of the customer's computer systems.
Additionally new subprojects could be launched due to the acquisition of a
government grant. These encompassed among others new value added
services demanded by the customers like an instant messaging module and a
module for the automatic update of the local product catalog. The characteristics of the IT infrastructure of the new customers which will
carry out transactions with a serious turnover via the Catanet platform and the
necessity to integrate the new subprojects required an adaptation of the design
of the platform prototype which had been developed by this time and which is
described in this work. [...]