San Francisco-based Axiom Information Consulting Inc has the latest release of Axiom’s Information Methodology, AIM. AIM, a framework for implementing software engineering, is an Information Engineering-based methodology that has been used by major companies including IBM, Phillips Petroleum, Puget Sound Power & Light Co, and Pacific Bell. The latest release of AIM, Version 2.0 has new additions including a complete update to the existing three phases, Information Strategy Planning, Business Area Analysis, and Business Systems Design, and an all new fourth phase, Business Systems Implementation. The last of these provides a complete methodology for successfully implementing a system via code generation using KnowledgeWare Inc’s Application Development Workbench tool set. Its format is the same as the previous three volumes and includes an on-line hypertext version. AIM is structured in such a way that it addresses the varying needs of managers and practitioners as it consists of four layers, one for each audience involved in the application development life cycle: the Executive Layer which facilitates top-level sponsorship during development; the Management Layer that combines project management rigour with information engineering techniques; the Practitioner Layer providing detailed technique and CASE tool support for each life cycle deliverable; and the Quality Assurance Layer that enforces quality reviews and controls throughout the life cycle.
