Scientific publications

Usability is a recognized quality of software and complex systems. To investigate relevance of usability methodologies for specialized software tools, this exploratory project surveyed the literature, interviewed three TNO-ESI industry partners on their needs, and scanned the usability knowledge landscape in Dutch universities.

Ensuring safety and security on today’s systems, and systems of systems (SoS), has become a challenge. Systems have become large and complex, they operate in dynamic context and face an ever-changing threatlandscape. Realistically, potential hidden weaknesses and residual flaws must be expected in an SoS, potentially causing undesired emergent behavior.

A critical task for system operators is the precise identification of the root causes underlying an error situation. This identification is fundamental in deciding optimal maintenance actions, such as replacing a component versus calibrating it. However, the actual causes of an error are often neither measured nor unique.

Onboarding developers is a difficult task that many companies are faced with every day. One solution would be to have developers read the documentation for the codebase, but documentation can be incomplete and even incorrect. An alternative would be using tools for program comprehension to understand the codebase, with hybrid program analysis being one of the possible ways to infer information from the program and its code.

With the support of TNO-ESI, Canon Production Printing is stepping up its optimization game from a single printer to a complete print production line, including the human factor.

In close collaboration with TNO-ESI, Vanderlande is initiating young professionals in the art of systems thinking. Together, the partners have developed a highly interactive hybrid training for global teams to create an intermediate level of system designers.

Software rejuvenation, also known as software restructuring or legacy removal, plays a critical role in preserving and enhancing the value of software assets within organizations. However, rejuvenation work can be difficult and tedious, and the benefit is not always clear. Therefore many individuals and organizations are reluctant to perform it.