Application of the SEPA methodology and tool suite to the National Cancer Institute

In health care, as with many domains, a lack of automation has hindered its ability to accomplish its primary objectives. The paper introduces a development methodology and tool suite which provide a domain based approach to system development that addresses differing client perspectives and fosters reuse. The Systems Engineering Process Activities (SEPA) methodology emphasizes early analysis and requirements gathering activities to provide a sound foundation for object derivation. Attention paid to these early analysis activities facilitates maintaining traceability and verification of deliverables. The paper explores an example application of SEPA to the National Cancer Institute´s current Protocol Authoring Tool development effort.