A Framework for the use of Business Activity Monitoring in Process Improvement

Process performance improvement initiatives can be significantly enhanced in terms of performance measurement and diagnosis by real-time performance, quality and traceability information. Currently available Business Intelligence (BI) and Business Process Management (BPM) systems struggle to provide sufficiently lightweight or flexible solutions for the needs of process improvement projects. In addition, current process modelling languages such as XPDL and BPEL provide little or no support for the inclusion of detailed process performance metrics. This paper describes a generic framework using event-based process modelling to support the definition and inclusion of performance metrics and targets within process models, and the calculation of process performance metrics at user-defined intervals. The iWise implementation of this framework is an XML and Web services-based infrastructure that uses this event-based model for enhancing process visibility using real-time process metrics. Users can adjust alert thresholds on key process metrics in real-time. iWise also evaluates events for outlier or out-of-bounds events as they are processed. It uses an integrated rules engine, leveraging semantic technologies to write rules which are tested as process-related events occur in real-time.

Supporting Companies Management and Improving their Productivity through Mining Customers Transactions

Selling products or services online plays an important role in the success of businesses that have a physical presence, like a retail business. For many businesses, a retail website is an effective line of communication between the businesses and their customers. Even if the business does not present all of its products and services in the website, the website may be just what the customer needs to see to choose it over a competitor. Therefore, it is important to have a successful website to serve as a sales and marketing tool to participate in meeting the core requirements of the business. Clustering and classification are two important data mining techniques that are widely used to assign customers to different categories. Those categories are used to analyze customer behavior and interestingness. In this chapter, we use clustering and classification to support web designers to have better designed retail websites. This is done during the design phase by improving the structure of the website depending on the extracted patterns in a way that makes it easy for the website’s navigator to find his target products in an efficient time, give him the opportunity to have a look at some products that may be of interest for him, and encourage him to buy more from the available products which will consequently increase the business‘s overall profit. This approach will open the eyes of business leaders to adapt new efficient technological tool that when invested in their organizations will improve the strategic goals and meet their basic requirements to be successful, productive, and competitive. The experimental work shows very promising results that can positively change the traditional techniques of the process of designing retail websites.

ICT Adoption in SME in an Arab GCC Country Oman

It has been widely recognized that Small and Medium size Enterprises(SMEs) not only play an important role in the economy of a country, but are crucial to the country’s economic stability. This article reviews UN and World Economic Forum ICT indicators for assessing the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC). Also, it presents the results of an exploratory study carried out to learn about the adoption of ICT in SMEs in Oman. The study investigates infrastructure, software used, driver for ICT investment, perceptions about business benefits of ICT and outsourcing trends of SMEs. The study provides an insight on the barriers for the adoption of ICT. Data on these aspects of ICT was collected from 51 SMEs through a survey questionnaire. The results of the study show that only a small number of SMEs in Oman are aware of the benefits of ICT adoption. The main driving forces for ICT investment are to provide better and faster customer service and to stay ahead of the competition. A majority of surveyed SMEs have reported a positive performance and other benefits by utilizing ICT in their businesses. A number of SMEs outsource most of their ICT activities. Lack of internal capabilities, high cost of ICT and lack of information about suitable ICT solutions and implementation were some of the major barriers in adopting ICT. These findings are consistent with other studies. There is a need for more focus and concerted efforts on increasing awareness among SMEs on the benefits of ICT adoption. The results of the study recognize the need for more training facilities in ICT for SMEs, measures to provide ICT products and services at an affordable cost, availability of free professional advice and/or consulting services at reasonable cost to SMEs. Our findings can help policy makers focusing on ICT adoption by SMEs. Also, the findings of this research will provide a foundation for future research and will help policy makers in understanding the current state of affairs of the usage and impact of ICT on SMEs in Oman and other GCC countries.

Making Decisions in IS/IT Outsourcing

Making decisions in an IS/IT outsourcing project is complex and the outcome is unpredictable. Prior research on IS/IT outsourcing decisions simply assumed the decision-making process is rational, comprehensive and independent that is not descriptively accurate, and thus, cannot be prescriptively useful in such a complex environment. In order to gain a deeper understanding of decision-making in IS/IT outsourcing processes, this chapter creates an outsourcing decision framework, derived from a dynamic perspective, to illustrate the decision-making process and how the decisions impact outsourcing results. An in-depth case study methodology is used to interpret an e-strategy transformation outsourced project. The analysis indicates interwoven decisions, knowledge as power, decision-makers’ cognition, and ideologies should be the focus of future studies on IS/IT outsourcing.

Guidelines for Managing B2B Standards Implementation

This chapter presents a model of a Business-to-Business implementation that is developed based upon a literature review and an empirical study. The model is also accompanied by a set of implementation guidelines derived from the study. These results may guide organizations that plan to standardize B2B processes. They may also help organization improve the efficiency of their performance as well as guide future researchers towards new possibilities.

COTS Software Procurement Methodology

Two of the most important COTS software acquisition processes are the COTS software solution evaluation and selection process and the COTS software solution contract management process. This chapter presents a new methodology to deal with these two phases in detail. The evaluation and selection part consists of 12 steps divided over four phases. The contract management part consists of nine steps divided over four phases. The authors explain each of the two parts of the methodology by describing each of the 21 steps. This research presents a solution to the difficult problems facing the vendors, users, and experts involved in COTS software evaluation, selection, and acquisition and guides them systematically to make the best educated decision. To the authors’ knowledge, this work presents the first integrated solution to the software evaluation, selection, and acquisition processes of COTS software. The research is based on real experience obtained from the analysis of three case studies of major COTS software acquisition projects in Bahrain. This chapter is a step forward in the continuous research of COTS software acquisition and procurement processes.

Strategic Framework for Developing a Process Model for Maximising the Potential of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology Integration in Hospitals

Radio Frequency Identification is a radical technology that is being experimented in hospitals commonly for tracking high value equipment, in order to maximize the efficiency of processes. RFID deployment and integration is mostly vendor and business driven, and hence its potential is not maximized. In this chapter, we propose a strategic framework to develop a process model, that will assist in maximizing the potential of RFID in hospitals.

Sources of Legitimacy for the M-Government Initiatives in Turkey

Emerging markets have recently been experiencing a dramatic increased in the number of mobile phone per capita. M-government has, hence, been heralded as an opportunity to leap-frog the technology cycle and provide cheaper and more inclusive and services to all. This chapter explores, within an emerging market context, the legitimacy and resistance facing civil servants’ at the engagement stage with m-government activities and the direct implication for resource management. Thirty in depth interview, in Turkey, are drawn-upon with key ICT civil servant in local organizations. The findings show that three types of resources are perceived as central namely: (i) diffusion of information management, (ii) operating system resource management and (iii) human resource management. The main evidence suggests that legitimacy for each resource management, at local level, is an ongoing struggle where all groups deploy multiples forms of resistance. Overall, greater attention in the resource management strategy for m-government application needs to be devoted to enablers such as civil servants rather than the final consumers or citizens.

Knowledge for Managing Information Systems Security

Knowledge is one of the critical factors that organizations need to consider when managing the security of resource management systems or information systems in general. This is because knowledge is not only the subject but also a tool of IS security management. On the one hand, IS security is about the security of knowledge (including data and information). On the other hand, IS security management is a knowledge-intensive activity that depends heavily on IS professionals’ expertise and skills and end user awareness. Given the important role of knowledge, this chapter aims to review current security research by applying knowledge management concepts and frameworks as a tool and lens. Based on the systemic review, this chapter identifies gaps in the current information systems security literature and provides some guidelines for future research and security practices.