Showing papers on "Enterprise software published in 2014"

Integration of Distributed Enterprise Applications: A Survey

Abstract: Many industrial enterprises acquire disparate systems and applications over the years. The need to integrate these different systems and applications is often prominent for satisfying business requirements and needs. In an effort to help researchers in industrial informatics understand the state-of-the-art of the enterprise application integration, we examined the architectures and technologies for integrating distributed enterprise applications, illustrated their strengths and weaknesses, and identified research trends and opportunities in this increasingly important area.

Enterprise system implementation and employee: understanding the role of advice networks

Abstract: The implementation of enterprise systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, alters business processes and associated workflows, and introduces new software applications that employees must use. Employees frequently find such technology-enabled organizational change to be a major challenge. Although many challenges related to such changes have been discussed in prior work, little research has focused on post-implementation job outcomes of employees affected by such change. We draw from social network theory-- specifically, advice networks--to understand a key post-implementation job outcome (i.e., job performance). We conducted a study among 87 employees, with data gathered before and after the implementation of an ERP system module in a business unit of a large organization. We found support for our hypotheses that workflow advice and software advice are associated with job performance. Further, as predicted, we found that the interactions of workflow and software get-advice, workflow and software give-advice, and software get- and give-advice were associated with job performance. This nuanced treatment of advice networks advances our understanding of post-implementation success of enterprise systems.

The Cost of High-Powered Incentives: Employee Gaming in Enterprise Software Sales

Abstract: This article investigates the pricing distortions that arise from the use of a common nonlinear incentive scheme at a leading enterprise software vendor. The empirical results demonstrate that salespeople are adept at gaming the timing of deal closure to take advantage of the vendor’s accelerating commission scheme. Specifically, salespeople agree to significantly lower pricing in quarters in which they have a financial incentive to close a deal, resulting in mispricing that costs the vendor 6%–8% of revenue. Robustness checks demonstrate that price discrimination by the vendor does not explain the identified effects.

Methods and Apparatus to Perform Web-Based Installations and/or Upgrade Architectures for Enterprise Software

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to perform web-based installations and/or upgrade architectures for enterprise software. An example method disclosed herein includes obtaining configuration information at an installation handler via a web-based interface, the configuration information including a source locator identifying a source location of a source package and a target locator identifying a target machine on which to install the source package, the target machine being separate from the installation handler and the source location. The example method also includes validating the configuration information, and, in response to determining that the configuration information is valid, deploying the source package to the target machine.

Claiming the future of enterprise education

Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of enterprise educators working collectively to develop a unique scholarship of teaching. The authors argue that the time is right for educators in this domain to secure the future of enterprise education. Acknowledging the debate between "entrepreneurship education" and "enterprise education," the authors set out to develop a unification model through which educators can act collectively to demonstrate the leadership required to secure the autonomy of the domain. Design/methodology/approach The authors bring several pertinent ideas (pedagogical content knowledge, heutagogy and academagogy) to the attention of academics/researchers involved in the design, development and delivery of enterprise education. The innovative approach to combine these ideas with prevailing thinking in this domain has facilitated a model for collective action. Findings It is at the level of the shared philosophical positions that the authors can best cooperate to shape the future direction of enterprise education. The authors argue against dwelling upon how the authors differ in terms of context and process issues. Such matters can only fragment the theory and practice of enterprise education. The authors need to develop greater appreciation of shared philosophical positions and leverage this understanding into a unique scholarship of teaching, specific to enterprise education. Practical implications – As enterprise education becomes more global, it is also likely to become more attractive to business schools that long for a new positioning tool in the increasingly overcrowded markets that they compete in. Originality/value This paper encourages enterprise educators to reflect upon the knowledge they hold of their own practice, and that of other enterprise educators.

Exploring determinants of adoption intentions towards Enterprise 2.0 applications: an empirical study

Abstract: Enterprise 2.0 is identified as one of the most promising technological innovations in the business domain, with immense potential for enriching communication, enabling collaboration and facilitating learning. Although organisations are increasingly implementing Enterprise 2.0 as a useful means of knowledge sharing and collaboration, no empirical research has been performed to identify individuals’ motivations to participate in Enterprise 2.0 activities. The high practical relevance and dearth of research indicate the importance of the present study. This study aims to apply the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology to propose a research model that incorporates context-specific variables as enhancing constructs to predict individuals’ adoption intentions towards Enterprise 2.0 applications. We also categorise Enterprise 2.0 users into silent and social users and conduct a comparative analysis to examine whether differences exist in factors predicting users’ adoption intentions towards Enterpr...

From Data to Insight Work Practices of Analysts in the Enterprise

Abstract: With greater availability of data, businesses are increasingly becoming data-driven enterprises, establishing standards for data acquisition, processing, infrastructure, and decision making. Enterprises now have people dedicated to performing analytic work to support decision makers. To better understand analytic work, particularly the role of enterprise business analysts, researchers interviewed 34 analysts at a large corporation. Analytical work occurred in an ecosystem of data, tools, and people; the ecosystem's overall quality and efficiency depended on the amount of coordination and collaboration. Analysts were the bridge between business and IT, closing the semantic gap between datasets, tools, and people. This article provides an overview of the analytic work in the enterprise, describing challenges in data, tools, and practices and identifying opportunities for new tools for collaborative analytics.

How ontologies benefit enterprise applications

Abstract: This paper contributes an argumentation line for how technological features of ontologies lead to benefits for enterprise applications. Although many features are also available in precursory or alternative technologies, we claim that combinations of specific features are uniquely provided by ontologies. A careful elicitation of the available features therefore is a prerequisite for the argumentation line. As a second contribution, this paper reports on several challenges that frequently occur when trying to adopt ontologies in existing enterprise settings. These challenges have to be contrasted with the often overstressed benefits in Semantic Web literature. Together with reports for several SAP Research case studies, this paper channels back experiences to the Semantic Web community. As a third contribution, we give several recommendations for future research directions based on the gathered experiences.

Coordination in Large-Scale Agile Software Development: A Multiteam Systems Perspective

Abstract: The widespread use of lean and agile development methods shows a fundamental shift in how organizations try to cope with complexity and volatility issues. In large-scale settings, the coordination of many people often results in a team of teams setup. We introduce the multiteam systems perspective to describe different conceptual strategy types for inter-team coordination. These types are illustrated with examples from a large enterprise software development organization.

Variability in Multi-Tenant Enterprise Software

Abstract: Enterprise software applications have changed significantly over the last decades. Increasingly, software is deployed in a central location to be accessed through the internet, instead of installing software at end-users. Having software in a central location enables multi-tenancy, where multiple customers transparently share a system’s resources. Currently, multi-tenancy is a popular way to offer functionality of a software product through the internet to numerous customers, offering many advantages to both software vendors and customers. A challenge in this domain is offering variable features to multiple customers. This dissertation provides software architecture patterns for the realization of variability in multi-tenancy settings, in the domain of online enterprise software. The results support software architects on structuring the decision making process by providing a collection of multi-tenant architecture and variability patterns, guidelines for pattern selection, and a model to setup pattern evaluation and comparison sessions. The results reported have been gathered from case studies at software companies and evaluated by experts from the software industry. With these artifacts in hand, software architects can make well-informed decisions and find appropriate patterns for their specific situation, solving the challenges involved in selecting an architecture that supports multi-tenant online enterprise software. Also, these research results contribute to academia by reporting on numerous case studies in an emerging domain and presenting a vocabulary for further and more extensive research.

Enterprise Information Systems Engineering : The MERODE Approach

Abstract: The increasing penetration of IT in organizations calls for an integrative perspective on enterprises and their supporting information systems. MERODE offers an intuitive and practical approach to enterprise modelling and using these models as core for building enterprise information systems. From a business analyst perspective, benefits of the approach are its simplicity and the possibility to evaluate the consequences of modeling choices through fast prototyping, without requiring any technical experience. The focus on domain modelling ensures the development of a common language for talking about essential business concepts and of a shared understanding of business rules. On the construction side, experienced benefits of the approach are a clear separation between specification and implementation, more generic and future-proof systems, and an improved insight in the cost of changes. A first distinguishing feature is the methods grounding in process algebra provides clear criteria and practical support for model quality. Second, the use of the concept of business events provides a deep integration between structural and behavioral aspects. The clear and intuitive semantics easily extend to application integration (COTS software and Web Services). Students and practitioners are the books main target audience, as both groups will benefit from its practical advice on how to create complete models which combine structural and behavioral views of a system-to-be and which can readily be transformed into code, and on how to evaluate the quality of those models. In addition, researchers in the area of conceptual or enterprise modelling will find a concise overview of the main findings related to the MERODE project. The work is complemented by a wealth of extra material on the authors web page at KU Leuven, including a free CASE tool with code generator, a collection of cases with solutions, and a set of domain modelling patterns that have been developed on the basis of the methods use in industry and government.

From Agile Software Development to Mercury Business

Abstract: The rapid downfall of the Nokia software ecosystem has radically altered the landscape of software industry in Finland in recent years. There has been a shift from largely corporate driven way of working, which is often dominant in large companies, to more agile practices, and in general software organizations are seeking new, leaner ways of composing, delivering, and using software also inside already established companies. To accelerate this transformation in large scale, a collaborative research program has been created, called Need for Speed (N4S). In this paper, we give an insight to the joint goals and concrete actions of the program and discuss the motivations of individual companies that are participating in the program. As one concrete goal of the project, we introduce the concept of Mercury business, where the principles of the Lean startup framework are applied in a more conventional industrial setting.

Building an Infrastructure for Empirical Research on Social Enterprise: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract: Purpose Despite the increase in empirical studies of social enterprise in management and organization research, the lack of a cohesive knowledge base in this area is concerning. In this chapter, we propose that the underdevelopment of the attendant research infrastructure is an important, but oft-overlooked, barrier to the development of this body of empirical research. Design/methodology We explore this proposition through a review of 55 empirical studies of social enterprises published in the last fifteen years, in which we examine the mix and trajectory of research methods used and the research infrastructure on which these studies depend. Findings We find that empirical research has used social enterprise largely as a context for theory development, rather than deductively testing, and thus building upon, existing theories. The latter pattern is due largely to the absence of two key dimensions of infrastructure: well-defined samples, and consistent, operational measures of social enterprise success. Finally, we identify present trends along both dimensions that contribute to changing the research infrastructure for empirical social enterprise research. Originality/value Our analysis highlights the critical need for research infrastructure to advance empirical research on social enterprise. From this perspective, research infrastructure-building provides an important opportunity for researchers interested in social enterprise and others interested in enabling high-quality empirical research in this setting.

Software-defined networking single-source enterprise workload manager

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a software-defined networking (SDN) single-source enterprise workload manager. An aspect includes a computer-implemented method for SDN single-source enterprise workload management. A network flow graph of a workload is received at an SDN controller in an enterprise network from a workload compiler of the enterprise network. The network flow graph defines interactions between a plurality of subprograms distributed in the enterprise network based on compile-time information of the workload. The SDN controller analyzes the network flow graph to identify the interactions between the subprograms as prompts. The SDN controller allocates network resources to define a plurality of flows through the enterprise network based on the prompts and characteristics of the enterprise network. Network traffic in the enterprise network is controlled based on the flows.

Managing Technical Debt in Enterprise Software Packages

Abstract: We develop an evolutionary model and theory of software technical debt accumulation to facilitate a rigorous and balanced analysis of its benefits and costs in the context of a large commercial enterprise software package. Our theory focuses on the optimization problem involved in managing technical debt, and illustrates the different tradeoff patterns between software quality and customer satisfaction under early and late adopter scenarios at different lifecycle stages of the software package. We empirically verify our theory utilizing a ten year longitudinal data set drawn from 69 customer installations of the software package. We then utilize the empirical results to develop actionable policies for managing technical debt in enterprise software product adoption.

The impact of Enterprise 2.0 in organizations

Abstract: Many organizations have embarked on Enterprise 2.0. However, not many have successfully implemented it. Availability of inexpensive tools does not guarantee their usage by organizations and their employees. To have Enterprise 2.0 implemented widely and effectively by organizations, it is important that both managers and employees benefit from using it. It is expected that the level of congruence of management–employees perceived benefits would affect the level of adoption of Enterprise 2.0 in organizations. Testing this is the purpose of this research. Using the case study of two large global organizations, this study analyzed the use of Enterprise 2.0 by both employees and managers. The results showed that even though both employees and managers believe that Enterprise 2.0 usage does have a positive impact on communication, collaboration, community building, and employee engagement, the level of belief is different: managers’ perception of Enterprise 2.0 benefits is less than that of employees. There was a greater degree of congruence though between both the groups on the perceived benefits of Enterprise 2.0 on knowledge management and organizational outcomes. The size and the type (not-for-profit) of organization was a disadvantage in adopting such tools. The not-for-profit organization was more at loss when applying Enterprise 2.0 as its employees are less aware of the type of tools and of their benefits, and there is less managerial support.

Infrastructure for synchronization of mobile device with mobile cloud service

Abstract: Techniques are described for implementing a cloud computer system (e.g., "a cloud service") for facilitating the synchronization of enterprise data between mobile computing devices and enterprise computing systems (e.g., human resource management systems, business management systems, or the like). The cloud service may convert enterprise data received from different enterprise computing systems to a format that can be managed and updated easily by mobile computing devices. The converted format may enable distinct information to be easily identified. The enterprise data may be associated with policy information and version information to manage synchronization of the enterprise data. In some aspects, the cloud service may manage synchronization with mobile computing devices based on classification of a communication connection the mobile computing devices have to a wireless network. The communication connection may be used to determine a manner for synchronizing enterprise data between the mobile computing devices and the cloud computer system.

Architectural Support of Enterprise Transformations: Insights from Corporate Practice

Abstract: Enterprise architecture management (EAM) is considered to be a means to contribute to fundamental change (enterprise transformations) in organizations. Based on qualitative interview data, we investigate how EAM contributes to meeting the information needs of transformation managers during an enterprise transformation (ET). We identify the type of information EAM can provide to ET management. We further identify the activities conducted during ETs that foster information needs. Our results differentiate between information that EAM can provide, can partially provide, or cannot provide, to an ET effort.

Model-Driven Online Capacity Management for Component-Based Software Systems

Abstract: Capacity management is a core activity when designing and operating distributed software systems. It comprises the provisioning of data center resources and the deployment of software components to these resources. The goal is to continuously provide adequate capacity, i.e., service level agreements should be satisfied while keeping investment and operating costs reasonably low. Traditional capacity management strategies are rather static and pessimistic: resources are provisioned for anticipated peak workload levels. Particularly, enterprise application systems are exposed to highly varying workloads, leading to unnecessarily high total cost of ownership due to poor resource usage efficiency caused by the aforementioned static capacity management approach. During the past years, technologies emerged that enable dynamic data center infrastructures—e. g., leveraged by cloud computing products. These technologies build the foundation for elastic online capacity management, i.e., adapting the provided capacity to workload demands based on a short-term horizon. Because manual online capacity management is not an option, automatic control approaches have been proposed. However, most of these approaches focus on coarse-grained adaptation actions and adaptation decisions are based on aggregated system-level measures. Architectural information about the controlled software system is rarely considered. This thesis introduces a model-driven online capacity management approach for distributed component-based software systems, called SLAstic. The core contributions of this approach are a) modeling languages to capture relevant architectural information about a controlled software system, b) an architecture-based online capacity management framework based on the common MAPE-K control loop architecture, c) model-driven techniques supporting the automation of the approach, d) architectural runtime reconfiguration operations for controlling a system’s capacity, e) as well as an integration of the Palladio Component Model. A qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the approach is performed by case studies, lab experiments, and simulation.

Cost-sensitive learning for defect escalation

Abstract: While most software defects (i.e., bugs) are corrected and tested as part of the prolonged software development cycle, enterprise software venders often have to release software products before all reported defects are corrected, due to deadlines and limited resources. A small number of these reported defects will be escalated by customers whose businesses are seriously impacted. Escalated defects must be resolved immediately and individually by the software vendors at a very high cost. The total costs can be even greater, including loss of reputation, satisfaction, loyalty, and repeat revenue. In this paper, we develop a Software defecT Escalation Prediction (STEP) system to mine historical defect report data and predict the escalation risk of current defect reports for maximum net profit. More specifically, we first describe a simple and general framework to convert the maximum net profit problem to cost-sensitive learning. We then apply and compare four well-known cost-sensitive learning approaches for STEP. Our experiments suggest that cost-sensitive decision trees (CSTree) is the best methods for producing the highest positive net profit.

Uncovering the phenomenon of employees' enterprise social software use in the post- acceptance stage - proposing a use typology

Abstract: Social software applications – such as wikis, weblogs, and social networking sites – have in recent years attracted the attention of organizations. However, a better understanding of employees’ enterprise social software use behaviors would help organizations to make better informed decisions regarding enterprise social software implementations. As an important step toward addressing this need, this study – on the basis of (i) qualitative empirical data and (ii) existing literature – identifies four post-acceptance information system (IS) use behaviors related to how employees leverage implemented enterprise social software platforms (ESSPs): Consumptive use, contributive use, hedonic use, and social use. A conceptualization of these four distinct use behaviors is proposed and subsequently validated based on data from 233 employees using an ESSP in the post-acceptance stage at a communications and high-tech sector organization. By providing an enterprise social software use framework, developing and rigorously validating an according measurement instrument, this study provides researchers as well as practitioners with a proven instrument to assess employees’ post-acceptance enterprise social software use behaviors.

How Agile Practices Influence the Performance of Software Development Teams: The Role of Shared Mental Models and Backup

Abstract: This study draws on team adaptation theory to examine how agile behavior within Information Systems development (ISD) teams influences team performance. We conceptualize agile behavior as the degree to which ISD teams use agile practices and test a theoretical model that links agile practice use to two key components of team adaptation—shared mental models and backup behavior. Moreover, in line with team adaption theory, shared mental models among team members are hypothesized to increase backup behavior, which in turn is suggested to lead to higher levels of ISD team performance in complex environments. To test our hypotheses, we collected data from Scrum masters, project leaders and more than 490 professional software engineers of a global enterprise software development company. Our findings broadly confirm our theoretical model linking agility, adaptation, and ISD team performance, leading to several theoretical and practical contributions.

The Flexible Enterprise

Abstract: This inspiring book becomes one that is very booming. After published, this book can steal the market and book lovers to always run out of this book. And now, we will not let you run out any more to get this book. Why should be flexible enterprise? As a book lover, you must know that enjoying the book to read should be relevant to how you exactly need now. If they are not too much relevance, you can take the way of the inspirations to create for new inspirations.