OPM Tutorial
Object-Process Methodology (OPM, ISO 19450:2024)
Redefining Systems Engineering in the AI Era
The rise of advanced artificial intelligence and Large Language Models (LLMs) introduces new challenges in systems engineering. Consequently, managing semantic alignment across multidisciplinary human-AI teams requires new approaches. Object-Process Methodology (OPM) addresses this complexity through a native bimodal framework that unifies graphical diagrams with structured text-based sentences.
Furthermore, OPM explicitly embeds teleology by modeling the system’s purpose and its beneficiary at the very beginning of system development. This initial model of purpose encapsulates the essence of the entire solution, which, although not yet realized, is already fully present in the mind of its creator. Consequently, further system development, with some methodological exaggeration, merely involves describing internal technical details through progressive and syntactically controlled decomposition into detailed sub-models. This precise focus on unified, multi-level decomposition remains unsupported by traditional modeling languages.
Moreover, OPM models act as formal conceptual structures that can be dynamically simulated and verified. This capability provides a significant advantage, as it allows domain experts and systems engineers to verify and validate the evolving model through visual inspection and simulation. Consequently, the human remains the final arbiter within this AI-supported systems engineering ecosystem.
In this light, OPM can be understood not simply as another modeling notation, but rather as a significant qualitative leap in systems thinking. For half a century, the traditional object-oriented paradigm and modeling languages like UML have subordinated dynamic behavior to static data structures by making processes (methods) the strict property of a single object class. In contrast, OPM is based on an entirely different modeling paradigm with deep philosophical foundations. This innovative approach establishes a symmetric ontology in which objects and processes exist as completely equal entities that mutually define each other through interconnected links.
Organizers
About the organizer: Vojtěch Merunka is an Associate Professor of Information Management at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague and additionally at the Czech Technical University in Prague. He holds a Master’s degree in computer engineering along with a Ph.D. in data processing and mathematical modeling. His expertise focuses on software engineering, object-oriented programming, modelling and simulation methodologies based on the combination of the object-oriented paradigm and finite-state machines, and graph database design. Furthermore, he combines his academic research with practical experience, including more than two decades as an expert advisor to Deloitte Central Europe. Consequently, he acts as a leading Czech specialist in Object-Process Methodology (OPM).
Organizer: Jiří Kofránek
Affiliation: Charles University in Prague and Czech Technical University in Prague
About the organizer: Jiří Kofránek is an Associate Professor in Pathophysiology at the Charles University as well as an Associate Professor of Cybernetics at the Czech Technical University. He leads the Laboratory of biocybernetics at the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and is cofounder of the spin-off company Creatice Connections Ltd. He holds an M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) along with a Ph.D. in mathematical modeling of physiological systems and biocybernetics. He has been a long-time promoter of IT in the Czech Republic. His primary expertise focuses on the computer modeling and simulation of complex systems and interactive digital twins for medicine. His current research explores the application of OPM within next-generation frameworks for e-Health, medicine, and smart transportation systems.
About the organizer: Pavel Beránek is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Informatics, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, and a Ph.D. candidate in Systems Engineering and Informatics at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. Throughout his career, he has participated as a co-investigator in various research projects focused on software engineering, machine learning, and the use of virtual reality in cognitive therapy and education. His current research, as well as his doctoral dissertation, focuses on the use of large language models in the software development process and on the application of the Object-Process Methodology for AI-driven information system modelling.
About the organizer: Yahya Sa’d is a Ph.D. candidate in Systems Engineering and Informatics at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, with an academic background in computer science and information systems. His work focuses on requirements modelling and graph database design. His research explores formal techniques for graph normalization, reusable metadata representation, and trait-based data modelling. He also works with technologies and methods such as Neo4j, Cypher, database modelling, object-oriented modelling, and Object-Process Methodology. Consequently, his research aims to connect theoretical software engineering concepts with practical information systems development.
Goal and specific area of interest
The goal of this tutorial is to provide participants with a hands-on introduction to Object-Process Methodology (OPM) according to the international ISO 19450 standard. Following an introductory lecture on the foundational concepts of the methodology, participants will actively engage with a small, real-world case study to gain practical experience. Specifically, they will utilize the modeling tool OPCloud in combination with Large Language Models (LLMs) such as Claude or Gemini in an interactive dialogue thinking mode. This integrated setup will be used to verify the generated models and automatically derive software development cost estimations based on the COCOMO-II approach. Furthermore, the tutorial will include a brief introduction to the visual process simulator.
Tutorial format
The tutorial will be held as a 90-minute session combining theoretical insights, interactive discussion, and hands-on application in small teams. The structure of the session is organized as follows:
Theoretical Foundations: Systems Thinking and the OPM Paradigm (35 minutes)
This introductory lecture covers the foundational principles of Object-Process Methodology (OPM) according to the ISO 19450 standard. During this session, participants will explore the native bimodal logic of OPM, which seamlessly unifies graphical diagrams with textual language. The presentation highlights the symmetric ontology of objects and processes alongside the benefit-providing pattern, focusing on the system’s purpose and its teleology. Furthermore, the lecture contrasts OPM with the traditional object-oriented paradigm and UML to demonstrate how OPM manages complexity through the built-in hierarchical mechanisms of zooming and folding.
Interactive Discussion: Methodological Insights and Q&A (15 minutes)
Following the lecture, this discussion will allow participants to ask questions and clarify foundational concepts.
Practical Session: Collaborative Modeling and Simulation (40 minutes)
During this practical session, participants will work in teams on a small, real-world case study. Specifically, they will utilize the cloud modeling platform OPCloud in combination with Large Language Models such as Claude or Gemini in an interactive dialogue thinking mode. As a result, teams will verify their models, derive software development cost estimations based on FP and COCOMO-II approaches, and use the visual process simulator to animate and validate system behavior.
Participants
This tutorial is designed for students, researchers, and practitioners who have an interest in conceptual modeling, systems thinking, and systems architecture. Furthermore, it is equally suitable for software developers, business analysts, and domain experts involved in digital transformation, automation, or digitalization initiatives within public administration and healthcare. The workshop is structured to be fully accessible to beginners who are new to Object-Process Methodology, while simultaneously offering fresh paradigmatic insights for experienced modeling experts.
No prior knowledge of OPM is required to successfully complete this session, although a background in software engineering techniques or business informatics is recommended. Ultimately, participants will gain hands-on experience with the OPCloud tool and learn how to integrate Large Language Models into the process of model creation, verification, and system simulation.
Required Infrastructure
Participants are required to bring their own laptops equipped with the Google Chrome web browser. Furthermore, it is essential to have active access to Anthropic Claude or Google Gemini, including the capability to create personal projects and utilize the advanced “thinking” mode. This technical setup is necessary for active participation in the practical part of the tutorial.