Showing papers on "Enterprise software published in 2008"

Eight paradoxes of the social enterprise research agenda

Abstract: Purpose – This paper summarises key issues arising from a comprehensive research monograph and accompanying discussion paper on social enterprise that reviewed over 150 sources. It aims to provide insight into the future development of the social enterprise research agenda, and how to attract scholars new to the field to contribute to it. Design/methodology/approach – The paper seeks to identify and address some of the difficulties faced by social enterprise researchers, in terms of defining their field, overcoming institutional pressures that may deter scholars from tackling the social enterprise research agenda and in dealing with some of its complexities. Findings – In developing the monograph, two key themes were diversity and distinctiveness. Social enterprise is a form of business that is distinctly different to conventional commercial enterprise and that has an extraordinary diversity in organisational form, legal structure, purpose, culture, scale and scope. There are also a number of “paradoxical” elements to the research agenda for social enterprises arising from their “hybrid” nature. Research limitations/implications – These findings create many challenges for researchers, practitioners and policy-makers, not least in terms of defining social enterprises consistently, and also in terms of understanding what makes them different to commercial enterprises and what the implications of those differences are. Originality/value – The insights provided by this discussion should help to resolve and explain some of the debates and conceptual and practical difficulties that have hampered the development of the social enterprise research agenda.

Automatic virtual machine configuration for database workloads

Abstract: Virtual machine monitors are becoming popular tools for the deployment of database management systems and other enterprise software. In this article, we consider a common resource consolidation scenario in which several database management system instances, each running in a separate virtual machine, are sharing a common pool of physical computing resources. We address the problem of optimizing the performance of these database management systems by controlling the configurations of the virtual machines in which they run. These virtual machine configurations determine how the shared physical resources will be allocated to the different database system instances. We introduce a virtualization design advisor that uses information about the anticipated workloads of each of the database systems to recommend workload-specific configurations offline. Furthermore, runtime information collected after the deployment of the recommended configurations can be used to refine the recommendation and to handle changes in the workload. To estimate the effect of a particular resource allocation on workload performance, we use the query optimizer in a new what-if mode. We have implemented our approach using both PostgreSQL and DB2, and we have experimentally evaluated its effectiveness using DSS and OLTP workloads.

Market Overview of Enterprise Mashup Tools

Abstract: A new paradigm, known as Enterprise Mashups, has been gain momentum during the last years. By empowering actual business end-users to create and adapt individual enterprise applications, Enterprise Mashups implicate a shift concerning a collaborative software development and consumption process. Upcoming Mashup tools prove the growing relevance of this paradigm in the industry, both in the consumer and enterprise-oriented market. However, a market overview of the different tools is still missing. In this paper, we introduce a classification of Mashup tools and evaluate selected tools of the different clusters according to the perspectives general information, functionality and usability. Finally, we classify more than 30 tools in the designed classification model and present the observed market trends in context of Enterprise Mashups.

A Survey on the Flexibility Requirements Related to Business Processes and Modeling Artifacts

Abstract: In competitive and evolving environments only organizations which can manage complexity and can respond to rapid change in an informed manner can gain a competitive advantage During the early 90's, workflow technologies offered a transversal integration capacity to the enterprise applications. Today, to "integrate " enterprise applications -and the activities they support- into business processes is not sufficient. The architecture of this integration should also be flexible. Enterprise requirements highlight flexible and adaptive processes whose execution can evolve (i) according to situations that cannot always be prescribed, and/or (ii) according to business changes (organizational, process improvement, strategic ...). More recent works highlight requirements in term of flexible and adaptive workflows, whose execution can evolve according to situations that cannot always be prescribed. This paper presents the state of the art for flexible business process management systems and criteria for comparing them.

Enterprise ontology in enterprise engineering

Abstract: Originating from quite different fields of theory and practice, the terms "Enterprise Ontology" and "Enterprise Architecture" currently belong to the standard vocabulary of those professionals who are concerned with (re) designing and (re) engineering enterprises, thereby exploiting modern information and communication technologies for innovating products and services as well as for optimizing operational performance. Because of the inherent characteristics of modern enterprises, often operating within networks of cooperating enterprises, the task of these professionals can rightly be characterized as having to master unprecedented high complexity. The statement, put forward in the paper, that the current notion of Enterprise Ontology does not offer satisfactory help and thus needs to evolve into an effective conceptual tool, is clarified in a historical context. A standard is recently set by DEMO (Design and Engineering Methodology for Organizations). In this methodology, Enterprise Ontology is conceptually defined as the implementation independent essence of an enterprise, understood from a holistic systemic point of view. Operationally, it consists of a complete, consistent and coherent set of ontological aspect models, by which a reductio of complexity is achieved of well over 90%. The new, evolved notion of Enterprise Ontology is clarified and illustrated using a case example.

Automatic virtual machine configuration for database workloads

Abstract: Virtual machine monitors are becoming popular tools for the deployment of database management systems and other enterprise software applications. In this paper, we consider a common resource consolidation scenario, in which several database management system instances, each running in a virtual machine, are sharing a common pool of physical computing resources. We address the problem of optimizing the performance of these database management systems by controlling the configurations of the virtual machines in which they run. These virtual machine configurations determine how the shared physical resources will be allocated to the different database instances. We introduce a virtualization design advisor that uses information about the anticipated workloads of each of the database systems to recommend workload-specific configurations offine. Furthermore, runtime information collected after the deployment of the recommended configurations can be used to refine the recommendation. To estimate the effect of a particular resource allocation on workload performance, we use the query optimizer in a new what-if mode. We have implemented our approach using both PostgreSQL and DB2, and we have experimentally evaluated its effectiveness using DSS and OLTP workloads.

The rise of enterprise 2.0

Abstract: This paper looks at how collaborative technologies are being adapted inside the enterprise, based on global field research involving more than 2,800 executives, and enriched by an online board discussion contrasting motivations of early versus late adopters of ‘enterprise 2.0’. It is observed that ‘enterprise 2.0’ diffusion is relatively rapid and that one key rationale of adoption is to leverage new dimensions of collaborations that can form the basis for a new source of competitive advantage. While there is evidence of large pay-offs from the use of ‘enterprise 2.0’, the key challenge lies not in the promise of the technology, but more into superb execution — the paper closes with a set of key themes for successful implementation.

Enterprise Systems for Management

Abstract: Motiwalla teaches students the components of an ERP system as well as the process of implementing the systems within a corporation to increase its success. This text covers ERP systems, implementation of these systems, issues involving employees and organizational change, as well as ERP extensions such as Supply Chain Management and Customer Resource Management. This book would be helpful for professionals, top management, and other participants like subject matter experts, involved in an enterprise systems implementation project. Professionals would find this as a good reference for terminology and a knowledge-base for launching enterprise systems.

A Business Process Intelligence System for Enterprise Process Performance Management

Abstract: Business process management systems traditionally focused on supporting the modeling and automation of business processes, with the objective of enabling fast and cost-effective process execution. As more and more processes become automated, customers become increasingly interested in managing process execution. This paper presents a set of concepts and a methodology toward business process intelligence (BPI) using dynamic process performance evaluation, including measurement models based on activity-based management (ABM) and a dynamic enterprise process performance evaluation methodology. The proposed measurement models support the analysis of six process flows within a manufacturing enterprise including activity flow, information flow, resource flow, cost flow, cash flow, and profit flow, which are crucial for enterprise managers to control the process execution quality and detect problems and areas for improvements. The proposed process performance evaluation methodology uses time, quality, service, cost, speed, efficiency, and importance as seven evaluation criteria. A prototype system supporting dynamic enterprise process modeling, analysis of six process flows, and process performance prediction has been implemented to validate the proposed methodology.

Enterprise Mashups: Design Principles towards the Long Tail of User Needs

Abstract: A new type of Web-based applications, known as Enterprise Mashups, has been gaining momentum in the last years. Novel design principles are currently about to emerge allowing to cover the long tail of user needs and to provide individual and heterogeneous enterprise applications in a shorter time. In this paper, we introduce the main components of this new paradigm, and discuss the design principles of the architecture (Enterprise Mashup Stack), upcoming intermediaries and mass collaboration, lightweight composition as well as perpetual beta development model.

Providing supplier relationship management software application as enterprise services

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including systems and computer program products, for a services architecture design that provides enterprise services having supplier relationship management functionality at the level of an enterprise application. The design includes a set of service operations, process components, and optionally deployment units. Suitable business objects are also described.

Enterprise architecture governance: the need for a business-to-IT approach

Abstract: The importance of enterprise architecture is not only understood in corporate IS/IT departments. The numerous usage potentials for corporate planning as well as for compliance management, business continuity management, risk management etc. are successively discovered by the business side. In order to provide an aligned support instrument for IS/IT departments as well as business units and the corporate center, enterprise architecture management has to be anchored in IS/IT as well as in business. Clear and effective governance is required to assure consistency and timeliness of enterprise architecture process outputs. Based on a business-to-IT approach to enterprise architecture, governance practices in industry are analyzed, and initial findings are consolidated which contribute to design requirements for effective enterprise architecture governance.

An Approach for Enterprise Interoperability Measurement.

Abstract: Developing or improving enterprise interoperability implies that the degree of interoperability can be measured, and causes identified and analysed. This paper aims at presenting an enterprise interoperability measurement approach developed within the frame of the two main European IST projects in this field: INTEROP NoE and ATHENA IP. Having given the basic concepts on enterprise interoperability, the paper focuses on presenting three kinds of enterprise interoperability measurements: interoperability potentiality, interoperability compatibility and interoperability performance. Future works and perspective are discussed as part of conclusion.

Potential critical success factors for enterprise architecture

Abstract: First published in the Journal of Enterprise Architecture, Vol. 2, No. 4, 2006 pp. 29-40. Republished with the kind permission of the Journal of Enterprise Architecture

An approach to enterprise process dynamic modeling supporting enterprise process evolution

Abstract: This study presents an evolutionary approach to support dynamic enterprise modeling for enterprise process cooperative scheduling and management. In this paper, an evolutionary dynamic enterprise process modeling method was proposed from the concepts of enterprise process evolution to zero-time enterprise modeling and layered complex enterprise modeling. Based on an autonomous agent development platform, an agent-based enterprise collaborative modeling environment has been implemented by integrating several software resource agents that wrap main function modules of EPMS. Scheduling strategies, algorithms, and process-driven cooperative scheduling mechanism are also discussed.

Method and system for creating, deploying, and utilizing a service

Abstract: A system and method of utilizing a service, comprising: designing the service in a visual modeling environment such that low level machine centric and/or platform dependent programming language is not used, the service capable of being implemented across an enterprise; and deploying the service in a plurality of technology infrastructures within the enterprise in a manner that interacts with enterprise software and/or other technology infrastructures by tailoring the service for each such infrastructure.

A Consulting Diaspora? Enterprising Selves as Agents of Enterprise

Abstract: While the concept of enterprise identity has been extensively discussed, the active role of individuals in promoting enterprise is less understood. This article presents enterprising selves not sim...

A neural network evaluation model for ERP performance from SCM perspective to enhance enterprise competitive advantage

Abstract: Due to increasing global competition, many enterprises are aware of the benefits of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). While the external environments and alliance partnerships facing an enterprise are becoming more complex, executives should consider appropriate partners to enhance efficiency and performance of supply chain management (SCM) as well as to gain potential competitive advantages. This study constructs a conceptual model to evaluate the performance and competitive advantages associated with ERP from a SCM perspective. The resulting model can be used to assist an enterprise in evaluating the potential partnerships. The survey data was gathered from a transnational textile firm in Taiwan. The training and learning models were based on the strategic thrust theory and used the Back-Propagation Network (BPN) as an evaluation tool.

Decentralized Overlay for Federation of Enterprise Clouds

Abstract: This chapter describes Aneka-Federation, a decentralized and distributed system that combines enterprise Clouds, overlay networking, and structured peer-to-peer techniques to create scalable wide-area networking of compute nodes for high-throughput computing. The Aneka-Federation integrates numerous small scale Aneka Enterprise Cloud services and nodes that are distributed over multiple control and enterprise domains as parts of a single coordinated resource leasing abstraction. The system is designed with the aim of making distributed enterprise Cloud resource integration and application programming flexible, efficient, and scalable. The system is engineered such that it: enables seamless integration of existing Aneka Enterprise Clouds as part of single wide-area resource leasing federation; self-organizes the system components based on a structured peer-to-peer routing methodology; and presents end-users with a distributed application composition environment that can support variety of programming and execution models. This chapter describes the design and implementation of a novel, extensible and decentralized peer-to-peer technique that helps to discover, connect and provision the services of Aneka Enterprise Clouds among the users who can use different programming models to compose their applications. Evaluations of the system with applications that are programmed using the Task and Thread execution models on top of an overlay of Aneka Enterprise Clouds have been described here.

CSCW and Enterprise 2.0 - Towards an Integrated Perspective.

Abstract: In CSCW we are researching support for collaboration in work groups for several decades now. Web 2.0 and Social Software entered this field from another starting point recently, and quickly expanding towards support for collaboration in enterprises (Enterprise 2.0). However, the interaction between both fields is minimal. In this paper I am trying to contribute to bridging the gap by identifying the core contributions of the two fields, and how they can be integrated or used to the benefit of both fields.

Method and apparatus for enabling enterprise project management with service oriented resource and using a process profiling framework

Abstract: A service-oriented architecture for enterprise project management integrates business processes, human resources and project management within an enterprise or across the value chain network. A representation having direction and attributes is provided to show the dependencies between a business value layer and a project-portfolio layer, and between the project-portfolio layer and resources. The representation is mapped to a Web Services representation in UDDI, Web Services interfaces, and Web Services based business processes through rope hyper-linking.

To Establish Enterprise Service Model from Enterprise Business Model

Abstract: One of the key activities that are needed to construct a quality service-oriented solution is the identification of its architectural elements with the right granularity. The selection of an appropriate method for identification of services from business models of an enterprise is thus quite crucial to the success of any service-oriented solution for that enterprise. Existing methods for service identification ignore required performance metrics and semantics integrity of business elements; more importantly, they focus on entity-based services while ignoring process based ones. This paper proposes a new process for identification and specification of enterprise software services and their architectural elements. A novel clustering technique, named elementary business process and business entity affinity analysis technique (EEAT), is introduced for identifying candidate architectural elements. This technique identifies each candidate service with the right granularity, while satisfying low coupling, high cohesion, and low reuse cost principles for reusable software services.

Building the Agile Enterprise: With SOA, BPM and MBM

Abstract: In the last ten years IT has brought fundamental changes to the way the world works. Not only has it increased the speed of operations and communications, but it has also undermined basic assumptions of traditional business models and increased the number of variables. Today, the survival of major corporations is challenged by a world-wide marketplace, international operations, outsourcing, global communities, a changing workforce, security threats, business continuity, web visibility, and customer expectations. Enterprises must constantly adapt or they will be unable to compete. Fred Cummins, an EDS Fellow, presents IT as a key enabler of the agile enterprise. He demonstrates how the convergence of key technologies--including SOA, BPM and emerging enterprise and data models--can be harnessed to transform the enterprise. Cummins mines his 25 years experience to provide IT leaders, as well as enterprise architects and management consultants, with the critical information, skills, and insights they need to partner with management and redesign the enterprise for continuous change. No other book puts IT at the center of this transformation, nor integrates these technologies for this purpose. "Building the Agile Enterprise not only covers many corner stones of enterprise agility, it delivers an integrated view of how agility is enabled by policies and a business awareness supported by technology architecture/design patterns. Fred Cummins has hit the mark by aggregating the many tributaries of agility instead of picking one pattern and/or technology. This is a sophisticated and integrated atlas that is a challenge for IT professionals to implement, but a must for flourishing organizations." ~Jim Sinur, Vice President, Gartner "Never before has technology been so close to the business. In fact, technology is becoming more and more embedded in the business. This means that change has to go hand in hand on both at the business and the technology side, -- or that technology has to at least support the high demands of business change. In particular, enterprise agility is a major requirement for those organizations that want to succeed in this new world dominated by rapid change. Business are increasingly asked to change and to react quickly to changes in market conditions -- look at what's happening currently in the car manufacturing space with the increases in petrol prices or in the financial community with the sub-prime crises as just two examples. This book provides a marvelous, clear, and comprehensive road map of how key technologies such as service-oriented architecture, business process management, and model-based management are instrumental and key in realizing a truly agile enterprise. It explains why and how a structured and strategic approach to SOA, along with the adoption of other available paradigms and technologies, can enable future enterprise agility. As Fred suggests, this is a must-read for CIOs, enterprise architects, and IT management in general that is embracing transformation and innovation programs; I would go further and say that some key chapters will make great reading for CxOs outside IT and in the driving seat of the enterprise." ~Diego Lo Giudice, Principal, Forrester Research "The author, Mr. Cummins, has already made a tremendous contribution to the discipline of Enterprise Business Management through his leadership in the development of business modeling standards as a co-chair of the Object Management Group's Business Modeling and Integration Domain Task Force. This book breathes life into those standards, with simple and clear explanations of how to apply these and other information technology standards in what is described as the Agile Enterprise, incorporating and expounding upon the most important trends in the advancement of information technology, such as Service Oriented Architecture and Business Process Management, culminating in a what he defines and explains as the discipline of Model Based Management. The authors level of experience is obvious from the generous use of industry examples and analogies. A must read for business leaders that need to demystify these technologies and standards, and other agents of enterprise transformation and adaptation!" ~George Thomas, Enterprise Chief Architect, US General Services Administration (GSA) * Shows how to integrate and deploy critical technologies to foster agility. * Details how to design an enterprise architecture that takes full advantage of SOA, BPM, business rules, enterprise information management, business models, and governance * Outlines IT's critical mission in providing an integration infrastructure and key services, while optimizing technology adoption throughout the enterprise. * Illustrates concepts with examples and cases from large and small commercial enterprises. * Shows how to create systems that recognize and respond to the need for change. * Identifies the unique security issues that arise with SOA and shows how to deploy a framework of technologies and processes that address them.

Supporting Runtime System Adaptation through Product Line Engineering and Plug-in Techniques

Abstract: Product line engineering and plug-in techniques pursue different but complementary goals Software product line engineering strives for modeling the variability of software systems on different levels of abstraction, whereas plug-in systems support software extensibility, customizability, and evolution We present an approach demonstrating the benefits of integrating those two areas and discuss the integration of a plug-in platform for enterprise software with an existing product line engineering tool suite The plug-in platform provides extensibility as well as runtime reconfiguration and adaptation mechanisms on the NET platform Automatic runtime adaptations are attained by using the knowledge documented in variability models We discuss several usage scenarios developed in cooperation with our industry partner illustrating the need of our approach in the enterprise software domain Finally, we validate the approach on a commercial ERP system of our industry partner