Showing papers on "System integration published in 1998"

Putting the enterprise into the enterprise system

Abstract: Enterprise systems present a new model of corporate computing. They allow companies to replace their existing information systems, which are often incompatible with one another, with a single, integrated system. By streamlining data flows throughout an organization, these commercial software packages, offered by vendors like SAP, promise dramatic gains in a company's efficiency and bottom line. It's no wonder that businesses are rushing to jump on the ES bandwagon. But while these systems offer tremendous rewards, the risks they carry are equally great. Not only are the systems expensive and difficult to implement, they can also tie the hands of managers. Unlike computer systems of the past, which were typically developed in-house with a company's specific requirements in mind, enterprise systems are off-the-shelf solutions. They impose their own logic on a company's strategy, culture, and organization, often forcing companies to change the way they do business. Managers would do well to heed the horror stories of failed implementations. FoxMeyer Drug, for example, claims that its system helped drive it into bankruptcy. Drawing on examples of both successful and unsuccessful ES projects, the author discusses the pros and cons of implementing an enterprise system, showing how a system can produce unintended and highly disruptive consequences. Because of an ES's profound business implications, he cautions against shifting responsibility for its adoption to technologists. Only a general manager will be able to mediate between the imperatives of the system and the imperatives of the business.

Integration of quality and environmental management systems

Abstract: Discusses quality and environmental management systems integration. Concepts of a system and a “system of systems” are addressed, followed by a description of different management systems, and their interrelations and integration. Subsequently, strategies for integration of the quality system based on the ISO 9001 standard and the ISO 14001 environmental management system are presented. The harmonization of related audit sub‐systems, namely ISO 10011 and ISO 14010/11/12 is also addressed. Finally, a discussion on the development of a generic performance management system is provided.

Micro Total Analysis Systems: Microfluidic Aspects, Integration Concept and Applications

Abstract: In this contribution three aspects of miniaturized total analysis systems (µTAS) are described and discussed in detail. First, an overview of microfabricated components for fluid handling is given. A description of the importance of sampling- and fluid-handling techniques is followed by details of microvalves, micropumps and micro flowchannels. Secondly, the problems associated with system integration are discussed. As a solution for the realization of microfluidic- and micro analysis systems, the concept of a planar mixed circuit board (MCB) as a platform for the integration of different components is described. In addition, the design, modeling and simulation, and realization of several components in the form of standard modules for integration on a MCB is described. As an illustration of the potential of this approach, the realization of a µTAS demonstrator for the optical detection of the pH change of a pH indicator, is presented. Finally, a number of different applications of µTAS are described, such as on-line process monitoring, environmental monitoring, biomedical and space applications and DNA-analysis.

CyberDesk: a framework for providing self-integrating context-aware services

Abstract: Applications are often designed to take advantage of the potential for integration with each other via shared information. Current approaches for integration are limited, affecting both the programmer and end-user. In this paper, we present CyberDesk, a framework for self-integrating software in which integration is driven by user context. It relieves the burden on programmers by removing the necessity to predict how software should be integrated. It also relieves the burden from users by removing the need to understand how to make different software components work together.

A multi-agent framework for the coordination and integration of information systems

Abstract: This paper describes a framework for the coordination and integration of information systems. By modeling typical enterprise information systems as consisting of multiple agents with different functionalities, the methodology provides the representational formalism, coordination mechanisms, and control schemes necessary for integrating heterogeneous units of an information system while meeting such performance criteria as overall effectiveness, efficiency, responsiveness, and robustness. The framework is applied to the development of a manufacturing information system for managing the production processes for making printed circuit boards. Performance results confirm that the system integration framework is important to support complex business processes that involve multiple steps of activities processed by a group of agents across a variety of functionalities.

The Promise--and Peril--of Integrated Cost Systems

Abstract: Recent advances in managerial accounting have helped executives get the information they need to make good strategic decisions. But today's enterprise resource planning systems promise even greater benefits--the chance to integrate activity-based costing, operational-control, and financial reporting systems. But managers need to approach integration very thoughtfully, or they could end up with a system that drives decision making in the wrong direction. Operational-control and ABC systems have fundamentally different purposes. Their requirements for accuracy, timeliness, and aggregation are so different that no single, fully integrated approach can be adequate for both purposes. If an integrated system used real-time cost data instead of standard rates in its ABC subsystem, for example, the result would be dangerously distorted messages about individual product profitability--and that's precisely the problem ABC systems were originally designed to address. Proper linkage and feedback between the two systems is possible, however. Through activity-based budgeting, the ABC system is linked directly to operations control: managers can determine the supply and practical capacity of resources in forthcoming periods. Linking operational control to ABC is also possible. The activity-based portion of an operational control system collects information that, while it mustn't be fed directly into the activity-based strategic cost system, can be extremely useful once it's been properly analyzed. Finally, ABC and operational control can be linked to financial reporting to generate cost of goods sold and inventory valuations--but again, with precautions.

CyberDesk: a framework for providing self-integrating context-aware services

Abstract: Applications are often designed to take advantage of the potential for integration with each other via shared information. Current approaches for integration are limited, affecting both the programmer and end-user. In this paper, we present CyberDesk, a framework for self-integrating software in which integration is driven by user context. It relieves the burden on programmers by removing the necessity to predict how software should be integrated. It also relieves the burden from users by removing the need to understand how to make different software components work together. q 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Human Factors Design Guidelines for Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) and Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO)

Abstract: Significant advances in electronics and microcomputing during the past few decades have led to the feasibility of a functionally powerful, computer-based Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) as part of the automotive environment. Although these systems range in functionality, they all have the goal of acquiring, analyzing, communicating, and presenting information to assist travelers in moving from a starting location to a desired destination. While systems under development or in production promise to improve travel safety, efficiency, and comfort, they represent a new frontier in ground transportation. This handbook is intended to address a growing information gap between the advanced and diverse status of automotive technologies such as ATIS devices, and the availability of human factors design criteria that can be used during the system design process. Specifically, while ATIS and Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO) systems offer great potential benefits, their effectiveness depends on driver acceptance of the new technology, the ability of the systems to integrate the information with other driving tasks, and the extent to which the systems conform to driver physical and cognitive limitations and capabilities. The handbook summarizes human engineering data, guidelines, and principles for use by creative designers, engineers and human factors practitioners during the ATIS design process. These summaries take the form of design guidelines for 75 distinct ATIS design parameters. These design guidelines are intended to: (1) be concise, (2) be unambiguous, (3) be traceable to specific references, where applicable, and (4) highlight implications for driver performance, where appropriate.

A multi-agent system for enterprise integration

Abstract: The production management system used by most manufacturers today is comprised of disconnected planning and execution processes, and lacks the support for interoperability for enterprise wide integration. This situation often prevents the manufacturer from fully exploring market opportunities in a timely fashion. To address this problem, we propose an agent-based framework for intelligent enterprise integration. A set of agents with specialized expertise can be quickly assembled to help with the gathering of relevant information and knowledge, to cooperate with each other and with other management systems and human managers and analysts to arrive at timely decisions in dealing with various enterprise scenarios. The proposed multi-agent system, including its theoretical foundation, architecture, and implementation are presented. The work of this system is demonstrated through an integration scenario involving real management software systems.

Systems integration and architecting: An overview of principles, practices, and perspectives

Abstract: Systems Integration is an activity omnipresent in almost all of systems engineering and management. Often the term lacks precise definition and is used in different ways and for different purposes in the engineering of systems. This paper presents an overview of systems integration at all levels of system engineering and management. The goal of the paper is to present the various views of systems integration including lifecycle, architecture, process, interface, and enterprise, as well as product integration involving software and hardware. We examine systems engineering process, including several process models in an attempt to reveal the activities associated with integration during the engineering of systems. We review the characteristics of interfaces between systems of systems and users that generally give rise to many systems integration concerns. Without very careful effort at developing an appropriate architecture for a system, there will be little hope of integration. We discuss the role of systems management and knowledge integration in architecting for systems integration. Also presented are several contemporary perspectives on system architectures and their role in the engineering and integration of systems. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Syst Eng 1: 176–227, 1998

Status of the United States Air Force's More Electric Aircraft initiative

Abstract: Since the early 1990's, the USAF has been successfully pursuing advancement in aircraft electrical power system technologies as a means of collectively establishing the capability to reduce dramatically or eliminate centralized hydraulics aboard aircraft and replace them with electrical power as the motive force for all aircraft functions. This overall approach (called the More Electric Aircraft, MEA) has been analytically determined to provide dramatic improvements in reliability, maintainability, supportability and operations/support cost as well as enhancements in aircraft weight, volume, and battle-damage reconfigurability. A time- and technology availability-phased research and development program has been structured to demonstrate the required electrical component and subsystems performance to allow equivalent or improved aircraft performance over the use of hydraulic power. This paper provides: (1) a brief historical treatment of technology milestones achieved which enabled the MEA approach; (2) a status of USAF and DoD research and development programs in electrical power generation, distribution, energy storage, systems integration and flight testing; (3) a description of some of the USAF's planned demonstration activities in aircraft electrical power subsystems; and (4) the dual use nature of many of these technologies enabling a variety of electric and hybrid electrically-propelled military weapon systems and commercial vehicles.

Dynamic-agents for dynamic service provisioning

Abstract: We claim that a dynamic-agent infrastructure can provide a shift from static distributed computing to dynamic distributed computing, and we have developed such an infrastructure to realize such a shift. We shall show its impact on software engineering through a comparison with other distributed object-oriented systems such as CORBA and DCOM, and demonstrate its value in highly dynamic system integration and service provisioning. The infrastructure is Java-based, light-weight, and extensible. It differs from other agent platforms and client/server infrastructures in its support of dynamic behavior modification of agents. A dynamic-agent is not designed to have a fixed set of predefined functions but instead, to carry application-specific actions, which can be loaded and modified on theory. This allows a dynamic-agent to adjust its capability for accommodating environment and requirement changes, and play different roles across multiple applications. The above features are supported by the light-weight, built-in management facilities of dynamic-agents, which can be commonly used by the "carried" application programs to communicate, manage resources and modify their problem solving capabilities. Therefore, the proposed infrastructure allows application-specific multi-agent systems to be developed easily on top of it, provides "nuts and bolts" for run-time system integration, and supports dynamic service construction, modification and movement. A prototype has been developed at HP Labs and made available to several external research groups.

Process Specification Language: An Analysis of Existing Representations

Abstract: The goal of the NIST Process Specification Language (PSL) project is to investigate and arrive at a neutral, unifying representation of process information to enable sharing of process data among manufacturing engineering and business applications. This paper focuses on the second phase of the project, the analysis of existing process representations to determine how well existing process representation methodologies support the requirements for specifying processes found in Phase One. This analysis will provide an objective basis from which to develop a comprehensive language and will promote the leveraging of existing work. Process Specification Language: An Analysis of Existing Representations

Multi-Sensor Data Fusion in Defence and Aerospace

Abstract: The UK OST Technology Foresight for defence and aerospace identified multi-sensor data fusion as a future critical enabling technology for the UK, requiring a coordinated research agenda. This review paper provides an overview of past research and applications of data fusion. The process of data fusion and sensor integration is formally introduced together with a variety of implementation architectures, that recognise data fusion as a critical element in overall systems integration. The various benefits and attributes of data fusion are discussed together with a brief review of potentially fruitful areas of future research.

Acoustic positioning systems. New concepts-the future

Abstract: A clear definition of the applications and accuracies required to navigate AUV will have to be completed prior to defining future developments within acoustic positioning systems. This paper discusses these applications and then estimates the positioning accuracy and market size for these operations. Beyond these estimates a discussion of system development trends including inverted long baseline, inverted ultrashort baseline and system integration is detailed. Several incremental development trends are also outlined. This paper concludes that some basic research and significant system development is still required to provide the "ultimate" AUV acoustic positioning system.

System integration: the views and activities of certification bodies

Abstract: The paper reports the views and activities of a sample of system certification bodies with respect to the integration of quality management, environmental management, and occupational health and safety management systems. It is pointed out that such bodies have not been active in the promotion of integration but there are indications that they are now starting to show an interest. However, their activities, at the moment, are mainly limited to the promotion of integration by the identified linkages between ISO 9001/2, ISO 14001 and BS 8800.

Vehicular applications of smart material systems

Abstract: The results of an initial investigation in the use of smart material system for automobiles are presented. For this work, a smart material system is defined as a network of embedded electromechanical devices that are able to sense and affect their environment and autonomously adapt to changes in operating conditions. The development of smart material system for production vehicles has the potential for compact, lightweight subsystems that reduce vehicle weight and improve vehicle performance. This paper presents an overview of current technology and how it contrasts with the development of highly integrated smart material systems. Automotive design requirements are examined to highlight practical constraints associated with integrating smart material technology into automobiles. Representative examples of a embedded sensor-actuator system for camless engines and a smart automotive seat are presented to illustrate the design concepts.

Enterprise integration: Issues and methods

Abstract: The necessity of maintaining lean operations and becoming an 'agile enterprise', in which the speed and flexibility at which a company functions matches that of its technology, is widely accepted. Information technology is providing the means for companies to integrate better their internal and external activities. This level of integration is achieved through 'enterprisewide systems' that reflect the current operations and processes of the business and allow decision-makers to digest information more rapidly and accurately, and with more flexibility. The objective of this paper is to review some of the current literature concerning enterprise integration and to identify and discuss the main issues that need to be considered before attempting to establish enterprise-wide integration.

Legacy object modeling speeds software integration

Abstract: handed down from a previous generation of developers, often with a long history of adaptation to the enterprise. In many cases the large, critical production systems referred to as ‘legacy’ are well-planned, well-managed, growing systems. In other cases, the ‘legacy’ now exists in an almost exclusively physical form (that is, a large corpus of program code and application data) frequently with inadequate or absent user and technical documentation. In the worst case, only run-time components may remain after the loss of source code. In addition, as organizations mature, diminishing numbers of technical personnel with direct knowledge of the application’s internals remain on staff. Organizations have responded to the rapid rate of technological advances in desktop computing and graphical user interfaces by adding services using newer technologies while retaining legacy applicaMany organizations rely on legacy applications hosted on mainframe computer

An integration test-bed system for supply chain management

Abstract: The paper proposes an integration test bed system for supply chain management, which forms the foundation for the construction of a valued manufacturing chain. The core system of the test bed is a hierarchical simulation system to support production management in supply chain. The test bed possesses sub components linked with the simulation system. These are: 1) an enterprise integration model which represents business and information process in supply chain, 2) the communication data interface between the simulation and the supplier's companies, 3) the decision support system based on statistical methods. The paper describes the details of the system architecture and system configuration. After the detailed description, the authors discuss simulation integration methodologies through an application example.

Man-portable networked sensor system

Abstract: The Man-Portable Networked Sensor System (MPNSS), with its baseline sensor suite of a pan/tilt unit with video and FLIR cameras and laser rangefinder, functions in a distributed network of remote sensing packages and control stations designed to provide a rapidly deployable, extended-range surveillance capability for a wide variety of security operations and other tactical missions. While first developed as a man-portable prototype, these sensor packages can also be deployed on UGVs and UAVs, and a copy of this package been demonstrated flying on the Sikorsky Cypher VTOL UAV in counterdrug and MOUNT scenarios. The system makes maximum use of COTS components for sensing, processing, and communications, and of both established and emerging standard communications networking protocols and system integration techniques. This paper will discuss the technical issues involved in: (1) system integration using COTS components and emerging bus standards, (2) flexible networking for a scalable system, and (3) the human interface designed to maximize information presentation to the warfighter in battle situations.

An MIS course integrating information technology and organizational issues

Abstract: Integrating technologies and applications to provide better access to, and sharing of, corporate data and to coordinate enterprise-wide tasks and processes is a critical means to adding business value through information technology. Consequently, potential employers seek information systems professionals whose skills focus on the integration of information technologies, information resources, and business strategy. However, these companies also perceive that universities are not providing graduates the necessary integration skills.This paper describes a course, Business Systems Integration, that addresses the gap between the information systems integration skills that employers desire and those that universities teach. The course approaches information systems integration from three perspectives: 1) integrating information technologies, 2) integrating the content of the MIS curriculum, and 3) integrating organizations via cross-functional business processes. Attaining a practical level of knowledge about systems integration requires a sufficiently complex, real-world environment; thus the course relies on an extensive organizational simulation as the primary pedagogical method. That simulation is described in this paper.

Mechatronics in engineering design and product development

Abstract: System technology: sensors and actuators in mechatronics microsensors and microactuators microcomputer technology intelligent controllers communication systems. Design approaches: conceptual design computer-aided design of automotive control systems using MATLAB, Simulink and Stateflow rapid protoyping of mechanical and electronic subsystems of mechatronic products. Design-related issues: system integration optimality of system performance system software. Application-related issues: mechatronic system applications an operator's model for control and optimization of mechatronic processes ethics in product design.

Data Warehousing: Bringing it All Together

Abstract: Many best-of-breed products are required for a data warehouse, including data warehouse generation tools, data management tools, and data access tools. These components must be made to work together, greatly increasing the complexity and cost of building a data warehouse (and making the project a significant systems integration challenge).

Building reliable interoperable distributed objects with the maestro tools

Abstract: This work presents the Maestro Tools for development of reliable interoperable object-oriented distributed applications. We discuss the three fundamental parts of Maestro--the object group tools, the client/object interoperability tools, and the group protocols which implement state machine replication of distributed objects--with a special focus on practical usability and system integration issues.

A Web-Based Monitoring System for Multidisciplinary Design Projects

Abstract: In today''s competitive environment, both industry and government agencies are under pressure to reduce the time and cost of multidisciplinary design projects. New tools have been introduced to assist in this process by facilitating the integration of and communication among diverse disciplinary codes. One such tool, a framework for multidisciplinary computational environments, is defined as a hardware and software architecture that enables integration, execution, and communication among diverse disciplinary processes. An examination of current frameworks reveals weaknesses in various areas, such as sequencing, displaying, monitoring, and controlling the design process. The objective of this research is to explore how Web technology, integrated with an existing framework, can improve these areas of weakness. This paper describes a Web-based system that optimizes and controls the execution sequence of design processes; and monitors the project status and results. The three-stage evolution of the system with increasingly complex problems demonstrates the feasibility of this approach.

Benchmarking Tape System Performance

Abstract: In spite of the rapid decrease in magnetic disk prices, tertiary storage (i.e., removable media in a robotic storage library) is becoming increasingly popular. The fact that so much data can be stored encourages applications that use ever more massive data sets. Application drivers include multimedia databases, data warehouses, scientific databases, dataintensive scientific research, and digital libraries and archives. The research community, has responded with investigations into systems integration, performance modeling, and performance optimization. Tertiary storage systems present special challenges because of their unusual performance characteristics. Access latencies can range into minutes even on unloaded systems, but transfer rates can be very high. Tertiary storage is implemented with a wide array of technologies, each with its own performance quirks. However, little detailed performance information about tertiary storage devices has been published. As a result, mass storage system (MSS) implementers must rely on vendor-reported numbers or their own tests to select appropriate tertiary storage devices. Additionally, MSS designers must have detailed knowledge of the performance characteristics of their devices to optimally place files on media and perform other optimizations. In this paper we present detailed measurements of several tape drives and describe the tests used to gather this data. The tape drives we measured include the DLT 4000, Ampex 310, IBM 3590, 4mm DAT, and the Sony DTF drive. This mixture of equipment includes high and low performance drives, serpentine and helical scan drives, and cartridge and cassette tapes. This data is suitable for system performance modeling or system performance optimization studies. By measuring and modeling a variety of devices in a single study, we are able to characterize a wide range of tertiary storage devices. In addition, we hope that our simple benchmarks will become more widely used to gauge tape performance and identify potential performance bottlenecks. This paper appeared in the 6th Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies, held jointly with the 15th IEEE Mass Storage Systems Symposium, College Park, MD, March 1998 Johnson & Miller Benchmarking Tape System Performance