Showing papers on "Enterprise software published in 2010"

A multi-project model of key factors affecting organizational benefits from enterprise systems

Abstract: This paper develops a long-term, multi-project model of factors affecting organizational benefits from enterprise systems (ES), then reports a preliminary test of the model. In the shorter-term half of the model, it is hypothesized that once a system has gone live, two factors, namely functional fit and overcoming organizational inertia, drive organizational benefits flowing from each major ES improvement project. The importance of these factors may vary from project to project. In the long-term half of the model, it is hypothesized that four additional factors, namely integration, process optimization, improved access to information, and on-going major ES business improvement projects, drive organizational benefits from ES over the long term. Preliminary tests of the model were conducted using data from 126 customer presentations from SAP's 2003 and 2005 Sapphire U.S. conferences. All six factors were found to be important in explaining variance in organizational benefits from enterprise systems from the perspective of senior management.

Cloudward bound: planning for beneficial migration of enterprise applications to the cloud

Abstract: In this paper, we tackle challenges in migrating enterprise services into hybrid cloud-based deployments, where enterprise operations are partly hosted on-premise and partly in the cloud. Such hybrid architectures enable enterprises to benefit from cloud-based architectures, while honoring application performance requirements, and privacy restrictions on what services may be migrated to the cloud. We make several contributions. First, we highlight the complexity inherent in enterprise applications today in terms of their multi-tiered nature, large number of application components, and interdependencies. Second, we have developed a model to explore the benefits of a hybrid migration approach. Our model takes into account enterprise-specific constraints, cost savings, and increased transaction delays and wide-area communication costs that may result from the migration. Evaluations based on real enterprise applications and Azure-based cloud deployments show the benefits of a hybrid migration approach, and the importance of planning which components to migrate. Third, we shed insight on security policies associated with enterprise applications in data centers. We articulate the importance of ensuring assurable reconfiguration of security policies as enterprise applications are migrated to the cloud. We present algorithms to achieve this goal, and demonstrate their efficacy on realistic migration scenarios.

System and interface for monitoring information technology assets

Abstract: An application service provider (ASP)-based interface and system for analyzing performance and costs of respective enterprise information technology assets from the correlation of metrics data of enterprise SNMP-enabled devices.

Handbook on Enterprise Architecture

Abstract: This handbook is about methods, tools and examples of how to architect an enterprise through considering all life cycle aspects of Enterprise Entities.Itis based on ISO15704:2000, or the GERAM Framework.A wideaudience is addressed, as the handbook covers methods and tools necessary to design or redesign enterprises, as well as those necessary to structure the implementation into manageable projects.

A framework for investigation into extended enterprise resilience

Abstract: This article proposes a framework for investigation into 'extended enterprise resilience' based on the key attributes of enterprise resilience in the context of extended enterprises. Such attributes, namely agility, flexibility, adaptability and connectivity, are frequently defined as supporting attributes of enterprise resilience, but the issue is how they can be more effectively applied to extended enterprises. The role of information technology in assisting connectivity and collaboration is frequently recognised as contributing to resilience on all levels, and will likewise be employed on the level of extended enterprise systems. The proposed framework is based on the expanded application of two primary enablers of enterprise resilience: (i) the capability of an enterprise to connect systems, people, processes and information in a way that allows enterprise to become more connected and responsive to the dynamics of its environment, stakeholders and competitors; (ii) the alignment of information technology with business goals. The former requires inter-and intra-level interoperability and integration within the extended enterprises, and the latter requires modelling of the underlying technology infrastructure and creation of a consolidated view of, and access to, all available resources in the extended enterprises that can be attained by well-defined enterprise architecture.

Automated enterprise software development

Abstract: The preferred embodiment provides a system and method for automatically generating enterprise software applications with minimal level of manual coding. The preferred embodiment provide a graphical design tool that models an application using Unified Model Language (UML), validate the UML model, and automatically generate deployable application. The preferred embodiment also provides a framework of libraries that the target application can be build from.

Design of Enterprise Systems: Theory, Architecture, and Methods

Abstract: In practice, many different people with backgrounds in many different disciplines contribute to the design of an enterprise. Anyone who makes decisions to change the current enterprise to achieve some preferred structure is considered a designer. What is problematic is how to use the knowledge of separate aspects of the enterprise to achieve a globally optimized enterprise. The synthesis of knowledge from many disciplines to design an enterprise defines the field of enterprise engineering. Because enterprise systems are exceedingly complex, encompassing many independent domains of study, students must first be taught how to think about enterprise systems. Specifically written for advanced and intermediate courses and modules, Design of Enterprise Systems: Theory, Architecture, and Methods takes a system-theoretical perspective of the enterprise. It describes a systematic approach, called the enterprise design method, to design the enterprise. The design method demonstrates the principles, models, methods, and tools needed to design enterprise systems. The author uses the enterprise system design methodology to organize the chapters to mimic the completion of an actual project. Thus, the book details the enterprise engineering process from initial conceptualization of an enterprise to its final design. Pedagogical tools available from the authors website include: For instructors: PowerPoint slides for each chapter Project case studies that can be assigned as long-term projects to accompany the text Quiz questions for each chapter Business Process Analyzer software available for download For students: Templates, checklists, forms, and models to support enterprise engineering activities The book fills a need for greater design content in engineering curricula by describing how to design enterprise systems. Inclusion of design is also critical for business students, since they must realize the import their decisions may have on the long-term design of the enterprises they work with. The books practical focus and project-based approach coupled with the pedagogical tools featured on the authors website gives students the knowledge and skills they need to lead enterprise engineering projects.

Measurement of resilience and its application to enterprise information systems

Abstract: In this article, we present a measure for resilience in the context of enterprise information systems or service systems in a more general sense. Resilience of the system is a property of the system, which focuses on the recovery ability of the system after a partial damage of the system. Enterprise information systems such as enterprise resource planning, supply chain management, customer relationship management, manufacturing execution system, etc. play a critical role in the daily operation of modern enterprises by timely and sustainable delivery of information. Therefore, resilience is especially important for the enterprise information systems. The proposed measure for resilience is based on the recovery ability of the system, which departs from the existing approaches in literature and presents a unique contribution. An example is given to illustrate how the proposed measure works.

An ontology-based Enterprise Architecture

Abstract: The Enterprise Architecture refers to a comprehensive description of all of the key elements and relationships that make up an organization [Harmon, P. (2003). Developing an Enterprise Architecture, Business process trends: Whitepaper]. Through the Enterprise Architecture, enterprises can implement enterprise integration to cope with dynamically changing business environment. Existing Enterprise Architectures, however, lack of semantics for humans and systems to understand them exactly and commonly, which causes communication problems between humans or between systems or between human and system. These communication problems keep enterprises from implementing integration and collaborating with other enterprises. In order to solve this problem, the ontology-based Enterprise Architecture is suggested in this paper. The Enterprise Architecture ontology is composed of ontologies in three levels. Ontologies of business terms are in the first level, ontologies of Enterprise Architecture components are in the second level, and ontologies of relationships among Enterprise Architecture components are in the top level. The ontologies of business terms are defined in the approach of the WordNet, and the ontologies of Enterprise Architecture components and relationships of them are defined in the approach of the SBVR. Through these ontologies, it is expected that humans and systems can understand Enterprise Architectures exactly and commonly, which supports integrations in enterprises and collaborations between enterprises.

Enterprise Cloud Computing: Technology, Architecture, Applications

Abstract: Cloud computing promises to revolutionize IT and business by making computing available as a utility over the internet. This book is intended primarily for practising software architects who need to assess the impact of such a transformation. It explains the evolution of the internet into a cloud computing platform, describes emerging development paradigms and technologies, and discusses how these will change the way enterprise applications should be architected for cloud deployment. Gautam Shroff provides a technical description of cloud computing technologies, covering cloud infrastructure and platform services, programming paradigms such as MapReduce, as well as 'do-it-yourself' hosted development tools. He also describes emerging technologies critical to cloud computing. The book also covers the fundamentals of enterprise computing, including a technical introduction to enterprise architecture, so it will interest programmers aspiring to become software architects and serve as a reference for a graduate-level course in software architecture or software engineering.

Method and system for dynamically implementing an enterprise resource policy

Abstract: A rules evaluation engine that controls user's security access to enterprise resources that have policies created for them. This engine allows real time authorization process to be performed with dynamic enrichment of the rules if necessary. Logging, alarm and administrative processes for granting or denying access to the user are also realized. The access encompasses computer and physical access to information and enterprise spaces.

End-To-End Secure Cloud Computing

Abstract: A method includes receiving, at a control node of a cloud computing network, a first enterprise policy specific to the first enterprise and a second enterprise policy specific to the second enterprise, and managing communications between at least one user device of the first enterprise and the at least one enterprise application hosted on behalf of the first enterprise based on the first enterprise policy. The method also includes managing communications between at least one user device of the second enterprise and the at least one enterprise application hosted on behalf of the second enterprise based on the second enterprise policy.

Meaningful difficulties in the mapping of social enterprises

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight conceptual and technical difficulties in mapping “social enterprise” and “social purpose business” organizations.Design/methodology/approach – This paper reflects on the design and administration of a social enterprise population survey in Ontario, Canada.Findings – Numerous approaches used to frame social enterprise organizations were seriously flawed and fundamentally problematic, and criteria to distinguish social enterprise from other organizations were seemingly arbitrary, unstable, or unworkable.Originality/value – This paper both contributes to those attempting to empirically research social enterprise organizations, and to the broader discussion concerning whether social enterprise is usefully approached as a distinctive organizational form.

Enterprise Cloud Service Architecture

Abstract: Cloud computing, a new paradigm of distributed computing, introduces many new ideas, concepts, principals, technologies and architectural styles into enterprise service-oriented computing. The enterprise service-oriented architecture (ESOA) style is an abstraction of concrete enterprise service-orientated architectures, which includes SOA architectural elements, service design patterns as well as principles, and SOA quality attributes. It can be extended to a new style for realizing enterprise cloud computing. Meanwhile, the principles and style of enterprise service-oriented computing facilitate the enterprise-wide adoption of cloud computing. This paper extends the ESOA style to a new hybrid architectural style, Enterprise Cloud Service Architecture (ECSA). The style is described by extending enterprise service-oriented formula for ESOA. We model the style through specifying each element in the formula with both service-oriented and cloud architectural styles.

Fuzzy quality function deployment based methodology for acquiring enterprise software selection requirements

Abstract: In many software acquisition methods, functional software requirements are resolved, but non-functional requirements are more or less deliberately put aside. A large body of research exists on the necessity of handling specific non-functional requirements as major drivers in the software development process. However, prior research does not provide adequate support for managing non-functional requirements in the software selection process, and suggests a unique technique and methodology for identifying the selection criteria. This paper presents a fuzzy quality function deployment approach for determining which of the non-functional requirements reported by earlier studies are important to a company's software selection decision based on and integrated with its functional requirements. The solution provided in this study not only assists decision makers in acquiring software requirements and defining selection criteria, but also supports determining the relative importance of these criteria. An actual case in Audio Electronics of Turkey's electronic industry demonstrates the feasibility of applying the proposed framework in practice.

Linking Enterprise Data

Abstract: Enterprise data is growing at a much faster rate than traditional technologies allow. New enterprise architectures combining existing technologies are desperately needed. This book suggests a way forward by applying new techniques of the World Wide Web to enterprise information systems. Linking Enterprise Data is an edited volume contributed by worldwide leaders in Semantic Web and Linked Data research, standards development and adoption. Linking enterprise data is the application of World Wide Web architecture principles to real-world information management issues faced by commercial, not-for-profit and government enterprises. This book is divided into four sections: Benefits of applying Linked Data principles in enterprise settings, enterprise approval and support of Linked Data projects, specific Linked Data techniques and a number of real-world success stories from early enterprise adopters. Linking Enterprise Data targets professionals working as CTOs, CIOs, enterprise architects, project managers and application developers in commercial, not-for-profit and government organizations concerned with scalability, flexibility and robustness of information management systems. Computer science graduate students and researchers focusing on enterprise information integration will also benefit.

Enterprise Integration, Interoperability and Networking, Proceedings of the 5th IFAC/IFIP EI2N'2010 workshop, Lecture Notes in Computer Sciences, On the Move to Meaningful Internet Systems: OTM 2010: International Workshops, Hersonissou, Crete, Greece

Abstract: After the successful fourth edition in 2009, the fifth edition of the Enterprise Integration, Interoperability and Networking workshop (EI2N'2010) has been organised as part of the OTM'2010 Federated Conferences and is supported by the IFAC Technical Committee 53 "Enterprise Integration and Networking", the IFIP TC 8 WG 81 "Design and Evaluation of Information Systems", the SIG INTEROP Grande-Region on "Enterprise Systems Interoperability" and the French CNRS National Research Group GDR MACS Collaboration is necessary for enterprises to prosper in the current extreme dynamic and heterogeneous business environment Enterprise integration, interoperability and networking are the major disciplines that have studied how to do companies to collaborate and communicate in the most effective way These disciplines are well-established and are supported by international conferences, initiatives, groups, task forces and governmental projects all over the world where different domains of knowledge have been considered from different points of views and a variety of objectives (eg, technological or managerial) Enterprise Integration involves breaking down organizational barriers to improve synergy within the enterprise so that business goals are achieved in a more productive and efficient way The past decade of enterprise integration research and industrial implementation has seen the emergence of important new areas, such as research into interoperability and networking, which involve breaking down organizational barriers to improve synergy within the enterprise and among enterprises The ambition to achieve dynamic, efficient and effective cooperation of enterprises within networks of companies, or in an entire industry sector, requires the improvement of existing, or the development of new, theories and technologies Enterprise Modelling, Architecture, and semantic techniques are the pillars supporting the achievement of Enterprise Integration and Interoperability Internet of Things and Cloud Computing now present new opportunities to realize inter enterprise and intra enterprise integration For these reasons, the workshop's objective is to foster discussions among representatives of these neighbouring disciplines and to discover new research paths within the enterprise integration community After peer reviews, 6 papers have been accepted out of 12 submissions to this workshop Prof Michael Sobolewski (Polish-Japanese Institute of IT, Poland) has been invited as EI2N plenary keynote on "Exerted Enterprise Computing: from Protocol-oriented Networking to Exertion-oriented Networking" In addition to the presentations of the accepted papers, groups have been organised into what E2IN traditionally calls "workshop cafes", to discuss and debate the presented topics This year discussion enabled putting forward new research related to "interoperability issues in collaborative information systems" These groups reported the results of the respective discussions during a plenary session that was jointly organised with the CoopIS'2010 conference, in order to share the vision for future research on this top domain The papers published in this volume of proceedings present samples of current research in the enterprise modelling, systems interoperability, services management, cloud integration and, more globally, systems engineering and enterprise architecture domains Some new architecting principles that has gained currency in the recent past is semantic technique, service oriented architecture and cloud computing with their principles, reference models and technology, and if applied correctly can be an important contributor to the future of interoperable, networked and collaborative enterprises The success of this complex field also depends on the maturity and coherency of the management of the involved enterprises, a topic covered by the second workshop cafe As a special track of EI2N'2010, SeDeS'2010 is the first international workshop on Semantics & Decision Support The call for papers saw 12 submissions, among which the Programme Committee has selected 4 papers to be presented at EI2N'2010 The selected papers cover the topics of ontology-based decision making applications in the fields of eGovernment, eLearning, business rule management and Human Resource Management

Application of Enterprise Models for Engineering Enterprise Transformation

Abstract: Enterprise models constitute a valuable basis for enterprise transformation because they usually represent a widely accepted image of an enterprise. Practitioners often put a lot of effort in the creation and maintenance of such models that therefore represent a significant investment. However, so far the information contained in enterprise models is to a large extend ‘dateless’ which means it is hardly used to describe the transformation itself consistently. Therefore we propose a method to systematically derive an enterprise transformation model based on existing models representing enterprise structures at different points in time. The result of the method application is a set of project outlines derived from enterprise models. In order to generalise our approach to a multiperiod transformation model capable of coping with dynamic changes and plan deviations we propose a respective conceptual system. Our research artefact (the method) is finally demonstrated in a case study.

Enterprise Modeling for Business Intelligence

Abstract: Business Intelligence (BI) software aims to enable business users to easily access and analyze relevant enterprise information so that they can make timely and fact-based decisions. However, despite user-friendly features such as dashboards and other visualizations, business users still find BI software hard to use and inflexible for their needs. Furthermore, current BI initiatives require significant efforts by IT specialists to understand business operations and requirements, in order to build BI applications and help formulate queries. In this paper, we present a vision for BI that is driven by enterprise modeling. The Business Intelligence Model (BIM) aims to enable business users to conceptualize business operations and strategies and performance indicators in a way that can be connected to enterprise data through highly automated tools. The BIM draws upon well-established business practices such as Balanced Scorecard and Strategy Maps as well as requirements and conceptual modeling techniques such as goal modeling. The connection from BIM to databases is supported by a complementary research effort on conceptual data integration.

Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Small Business

Abstract: PART ONE: STUDYING ENTERPRISE, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SMALL BUSINESS Introduction Studying Enterprise What, Where, When, Who and How? PART TWO: INSIDE ENTERPRISE Entrepreneuring Firms, Organizations and the Entrepreneur Entrepreneuring Explanations of the Entrepreneurial Self Managing Smaller/Entrepreneurial Enterprises Working in Smaller/Entrepreneurial Enterprises Entrepreneuring in the Corporate Environment Reflecting on Practice Finance, Marketing and Networking, Strategy and Growth PART THREE: OUTSIDE ENTERPRISE Economic Contexts of Enterprise Social Contexts of Enterprise Cultural Centrality, Diversity and Marginality Political Contexts of Enterprise Governments and Smaller Enterprise Conclusion

A Research Journey into Enterprise Governance of IT, Business/IT Alignment and Value Creation

Abstract: Enterprise governance of IT is a relatively new concept in literature, and is gaining more interest in the academic and practitioner’s world. Enterprise governance of IT addresses the definition and implementation of processes, structures and relational mechanism that enable both business and IT people to execute their responsibilities in support of business/IT alignment and the creation of value from IT-enabled business investments. This article introduces important theories and practices around Enterprise governance of IT based on joint research and practical experience of the authors (and editors-in-chief of this journal) within the Information Technology Alignment and Governance (ITAG) Research Institute (University of Antwerp Management School). The article is based on the authors’ 8-year journey into Enterprise Governance of IT and aims to outline the core themes of interest of this new International Journal on IT/Business Alignment and Governance. In this way, this introductory article paves the way for many more research initiatives within this challenging research domain.

Alignment of Business Enterprise Architectures using fact-based ontologies

Abstract: Strategy is the key factor for success of enterprises. In order to survive competitive business environment, enterprises have to build strategies which are appropriate to the business environment. But, just only to build business strategies is worthless. Proper business processes should be executed for the business strategies flexibly, and proper enterprise resources should support the business processes systematically. In addition, members of enterprises should recognize relationships among business strategies, business processes and enterprise resources explicitly. To fulfill the requirements, strategy alignment based on the Business Enterprise Architecture is suggested in this paper. The Business Enterprise Architecture is composed of Business Architecture and resource architectures which are loosely-coupled to each other. Detailed architecture modeling is conducted with an enterprise meta-model in the form of fact-based ontologies. Enterprise models are verbalized in the form of facts based on the meta-model. Strategy alignments are visualized through matrix-shaped alignment tables under the Business Enterprise Architecture.

Examining the Impact of Pre-Implementation Expectations on Post-Implementation Use of Enterprise Systems: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract: This article builds upon the technology acceptance model and theories of technology sensemaking to explore pre-enterprise system adoption expectations and post-enterprise system adoption outcomes in a longitudinal setting. Building on the exploitation and exploration paradigm, we propose that task productivity and task innovation expectations are the key drivers of users’ pre-adoption enterprise system usage intention. Further, we argue that the enterprise system facilitates generation of a common knowledge base that may encourage a more integrated organizational culture and promote shared understanding among employees. Considering the distinction between mandatory and voluntary contexts, we propose that user acceptance of the enterprise system at the pre- and post-adoption stages will mediate these relationships in a mandatory context. The results show that the influence of pre-adoption expectations regarding task productivity and task innovation on intention to use an enterprise system is mediated by user acceptance of the enterprise system. Intention to use an enterprise system is positively related to actual use. At the post-adoption stage, the influence of actual use on shared understanding is mediated by user acceptance of an enterprise system and enterprise system use has a direct negative impact on task efficiency in the initial period after implementation. Overall, the results highlight that user acceptance at both pre- and post-adoption stages are critical factors when usage is mandatory. These findings suggest a number of important implications for research and for managerial action.

Real-world Service Interaction with Enterprise Systems in Dynamic Manufacturing Environments

Abstract: The factory of the future will be heavily based on internet and web technologies. A new generation of devices with embedded hardware and software will feature greatly improved storage, computing, and networking capabilities. This will lead to a system landscape of millions of networked devices that is heterogeneous with respect to functionality but features standard interfaces. This new breed of devices will not only be able to store and report information about themselves and their physical surroundings, but execute more computations and local logic. They will form collaborative peer-to-peer networks and also connect to central systems. By eliminating media breaks, e.g. by replacing manual data entry with a direct connection to devices, this “internet of things” will feature end-to-end connectivity, making the models of the real world, as they exist in business systems, follow reality more precisely and with shorter delay. This will change the way we design, deploy and use services at all layers of the system, be it the device, line, plant, or company level or even between collaborating organizations. This chapter describes an architecture for effective integration of the services from the internet of things with enterprise services. We describe the case of centrally managing a population of devices that are located at different sites, including dynamic discovery of devices and the services they offer, near real-time cross-site interaction, interaction with business processes and distributed system management.

Enterprise Information Systems Design, Implementation and Management: Organizational Applications

Abstract: Enterprise Information Systems Design, Implementation and Management: Organizational Applications investigates the creation and implementation of enterprise information systems. Covering a wide array of topics such as flow-shop scheduling, information systems outsourcing, ERP systems utilization, Dietz transaction methodology, and advanced planning systems, it is an essential reference source for researchers and professionals alike.

An RFID-based enterprise application integration framework for real-time management of dynamic manufacturing processes

Abstract: Enterprise application integration (EAI) is an important issue for a company trying to transform itself into a ubiquitous real-time organization. However, traditional techniques for EAI are only suitable for integrating the virtual information among different applications. The challenge of integrating physical objects with corresponding business processes and applications at the right time and location is a critical concern for companies building a real-time enterprise (RTE) information system. In this research, we proposed an EAI framework based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. On the basis of this framework, a prototype system is developed to demonstrate the applicability of the framework in a shop floor environment. This paper also presents a RFID-based standard operation procedure to configure a prototype system for a particular shop floor operation and an operator orientation for performing the corresponding tasks. The findings of this paper demonstrate that the proposed framework is more capable than most current industrial practices in both managing dynamic manufacturing processes and in providing real-time visibility of work-in-process information. Using this framework, an enterprise can easily integrate an RFID-based solution into its IT infrastructure and manufacturing environment to facilitate real-time management of dynamic production operations.

Enabling Strategic Transformations with Enterprise Systems: Beyond Operational Efficiency Research-in-Progress

Abstract: The last few decades have seen the widespread adopt ion of large-scale, integrated, packaged software suites collectively called Enterprise Syst ems. However, most studies done so far have largely focused on the operational efficiency achie ved by using these systems. This paper reports on research-in-progress that seeks to explore the spotential of Enterprise Systems to enable business transformations. In doing so, a new model is proposed that places the emphasis on the potential of Enterprise Systems to achieve i nnovation and reshape business strategy, rather than merely focusing on operational benefits. This model proposes that Enterprise Systems, when used to integrate, optimise and informate, can help firms achieve alliance innovation, process innovation and reshaped business strategy. The pape r also provides preliminary empirical evidence that supports the propositions. This model will be tested further through primary case studies and a survey. This research, once completed , will assess the strategic role of Enterprise Systems in enabling business transformations beyond operational benefits.