"Weblog technology is an alternative medium to deliver the case-based method of learning business concepts. The social nature of this technology can potentially promote active learning and enhance analytical ability of students."
- Excert from International Journal on E-Learning by Dr. Charlie Chen
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
IT Security
The following is a comprehensive guide to potential threats of IT Security as well as ways from protecting from these threats. This guide was obtained from ITSecuirty.com.
The Threats
Wireless-network security isn't a single issue. Businesses need to recognize that they are fighting attacks on several fronts. Many wireless-network threats are unique to the technology, including:
- Roaming Attackers: Attackers don't have to be physically located on a business's premises in order to access data on its wireless network. Criminals use network scanners, such as NetStumbler, with a laptop or other portable device to sniff out wireless networks from a moving vehicle — an activity called "wardriving." Performing the same task while walking down a street or through a business site is called "warwalking."
- Rogue Access Points: A rouge access point is one that exists without the permission or knowledge of the wireless network's owner. Employees often install rogue access points to create hidden wireless networks that circumvent the installed security measures. Such stealth networks, while fundamentally innocuous, can create an unprotected gateway that serves as an open door to intruders.
- The Evil Twin: Sometimes referred to as WiPhishing, an evil twin is a rogue access point that hides under a nearby network's name. The Evil Twin waits for an unsuspecting user to sign into the wrong access point and then steals the individual's network data or attacks the computer.
- Network Resource Theft: Cheapskates like to get free Internet access from nearby wireless networks. Even if these individuals intend no direct harm, they still hijack network bandwidth to surf the Web and perform other online activities, draining network performance. More nefarious freeloaders will exploit the connection to send email from a company's domain or to download pirated content — exposing the host business to legal action.
Protection Methods
With wireless providing so many opportunities for attackers to enter and harm networks and business systems, it's no surprise that a wide array of security tools and techniques have arrived to help businesses secure their networks. Here are the top protection methods:
- Firewalls: A strong network firewall can effectively block intruders trying to enter a business's network via a wireless device.
- Security Standards: The first wireless-network security standard — WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) — was highly insecure and easily compromised. Newer specifications, such as WPA (Wifi Protected Access), WPA2 and IEEE 802.11i are much stronger security tools. Businesses with wireless networks should take full advantage of a least one of these technologies.
- Encryption and Authentication: WPA, WPA2 and IEEE 802.11i supply built-in advanced encryption and authentication technologies. WPA2 and 802.11i both support AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), the specification used by many U.S. government agencies.
- Vulnerability Scanning: Many attackers use network scanners that actively send messages to probe nearby access points for information, such as SSID (service set identifier) and MAC (machine access code) names and numbers. Businesses can use this same approach to uncover attacker-exploitable weaknesses in their wireless network, such as unsecured access points.
- Lower the Power: Some wireless routers and access points allow users to lower the transmitter's power, reducing the device's coverage range. This is a useful way of limiting access to on-site users. Careful antenna positioning and placement can also help keep signals from "bleeding" into off-site locations.
- Education: All employees should be trained in the proper use of wireless devices and instructed to report any unusual or suspicious activities they detect.
The Threats
Wireless-network security isn't a single issue. Businesses need to recognize that they are fighting attacks on several fronts. Many wireless-network threats are unique to the technology, including:
- Roaming Attackers: Attackers don't have to be physically located on a business's premises in order to access data on its wireless network. Criminals use network scanners, such as NetStumbler, with a laptop or other portable device to sniff out wireless networks from a moving vehicle — an activity called "wardriving." Performing the same task while walking down a street or through a business site is called "warwalking."
- Rogue Access Points: A rouge access point is one that exists without the permission or knowledge of the wireless network's owner. Employees often install rogue access points to create hidden wireless networks that circumvent the installed security measures. Such stealth networks, while fundamentally innocuous, can create an unprotected gateway that serves as an open door to intruders.
- The Evil Twin: Sometimes referred to as WiPhishing, an evil twin is a rogue access point that hides under a nearby network's name. The Evil Twin waits for an unsuspecting user to sign into the wrong access point and then steals the individual's network data or attacks the computer.
- Network Resource Theft: Cheapskates like to get free Internet access from nearby wireless networks. Even if these individuals intend no direct harm, they still hijack network bandwidth to surf the Web and perform other online activities, draining network performance. More nefarious freeloaders will exploit the connection to send email from a company's domain or to download pirated content — exposing the host business to legal action.
Protection Methods
With wireless providing so many opportunities for attackers to enter and harm networks and business systems, it's no surprise that a wide array of security tools and techniques have arrived to help businesses secure their networks. Here are the top protection methods:
- Firewalls: A strong network firewall can effectively block intruders trying to enter a business's network via a wireless device.
- Security Standards: The first wireless-network security standard — WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) — was highly insecure and easily compromised. Newer specifications, such as WPA (Wifi Protected Access), WPA2 and IEEE 802.11i are much stronger security tools. Businesses with wireless networks should take full advantage of a least one of these technologies.
- Encryption and Authentication: WPA, WPA2 and IEEE 802.11i supply built-in advanced encryption and authentication technologies. WPA2 and 802.11i both support AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), the specification used by many U.S. government agencies.
- Vulnerability Scanning: Many attackers use network scanners that actively send messages to probe nearby access points for information, such as SSID (service set identifier) and MAC (machine access code) names and numbers. Businesses can use this same approach to uncover attacker-exploitable weaknesses in their wireless network, such as unsecured access points.
- Lower the Power: Some wireless routers and access points allow users to lower the transmitter's power, reducing the device's coverage range. This is a useful way of limiting access to on-site users. Careful antenna positioning and placement can also help keep signals from "bleeding" into off-site locations.
- Education: All employees should be trained in the proper use of wireless devices and instructed to report any unusual or suspicious activities they detect.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Overview of Chapter 11 Section 1
This sections discusses the concepts, benefits, and framework of Business Intelligence (BI).
Business Intelligence - is an umbrella term that combines architectures, tools, databases, applications, and methodologies.
- Major objective is to enable interactive acess to data, enable manipulation of these data, and
to provide business managers and anlaysts the ability to conduct appropriate analysis.
Major Components of Business Intelligence:
- Data Warehousing - Special database, or repository of data, that has been prepared to support decision-making applications, ranging from simple reporting and querying to complex optimization.
- Business Analytics - Software tools for users to create on-demand reports and queries and anlayze data
- Variety of of BI's Tools and Techniques:
- Reporting and Queries
- Advanced Analytics
- Data, Text, and Web Mining
- Business Performance Management -based on the balanced scorecard methodology, which is a framework for defining, implementing, and managing and enterprise's business startegy by linking objectives with factual measures.
- User Interface: Dashboards and Other Information Broadcasting Tools - organize and present information in a way that is easy to read. They present sorporate performance measures, trends, and expectations.
- Visualization Tools - Many visualization tools ranging from multidimensional cube
presentations to virtual reality are integral parts of BI systems.
- Figure 11.1
Montra for modern approaches to business intelligence "Managers need the right information at the right time and in the right place to work smart."
Teradata Advanced Analytics Methodology - BI applications are supported by advanced analytics techniques and tools. The methodology is a cycical process that circles the entreprise data warehousing. Figure 11.2
Business Intelligence - is an umbrella term that combines architectures, tools, databases, applications, and methodologies.
- Major objective is to enable interactive acess to data, enable manipulation of these data, and
to provide business managers and anlaysts the ability to conduct appropriate analysis.
Major Components of Business Intelligence:
- Data Warehousing - Special database, or repository of data, that has been prepared to support decision-making applications, ranging from simple reporting and querying to complex optimization.
- Business Analytics - Software tools for users to create on-demand reports and queries and anlayze data
- Variety of of BI's Tools and Techniques:
- Reporting and Queries
- Advanced Analytics
- Data, Text, and Web Mining
- Business Performance Management -based on the balanced scorecard methodology, which is a framework for defining, implementing, and managing and enterprise's business startegy by linking objectives with factual measures.
- User Interface: Dashboards and Other Information Broadcasting Tools - organize and present information in a way that is easy to read. They present sorporate performance measures, trends, and expectations.
- Visualization Tools - Many visualization tools ranging from multidimensional cube
presentations to virtual reality are integral parts of BI systems.
- Figure 11.1
Montra for modern approaches to business intelligence "Managers need the right information at the right time and in the right place to work smart."
Teradata Advanced Analytics Methodology - BI applications are supported by advanced analytics techniques and tools. The methodology is a cycical process that circles the entreprise data warehousing. Figure 11.2
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Overview of Chapter 10 Section 2
This sections concentrates on Organizational Learning and Memory.
- When members of an organization collaborate and communicate ideas, teach and learn,
knowledge is transformed and transferred from individual to individual
The Learning Organization - refers to an organizations capability of learning from its past experience.
- To build a learning organization, three critical issues mist be tackled:
- Meaning - determining a vision of what the learning organization is to be
- Management - determining how the firm is to work
- Measurement - assessing the rate and level of learning
A learning organization is one that performs five main activities well: systematic problem solving, creative experimentation, learning from past experience, learning from the best practices of others, and transferring knowledge quickly and efficiently throughout the organization.
Organizational Memory - a means to save, represent, and share its knowledge.
- Generally believed that 10 to 20 percent of business data is actually used
Organizational Learning - is the development of new knowledge and insights that have the potential to influence an organization's behavior. Its occurs when associations, cognitive systems, and memories are shared by members of an organization.
- Learning skills include: Openness to new perspectives, Awareness of personal biases,
Exposure to unfilitered data, and a send of humility
Organizational Culture is the pattern of shared basic assumptions of the organization.
Pg. 396 Chart of Reasons why people do not like to share information.
- When members of an organization collaborate and communicate ideas, teach and learn,
knowledge is transformed and transferred from individual to individual
The Learning Organization - refers to an organizations capability of learning from its past experience.
- To build a learning organization, three critical issues mist be tackled:
- Meaning - determining a vision of what the learning organization is to be
- Management - determining how the firm is to work
- Measurement - assessing the rate and level of learning
A learning organization is one that performs five main activities well: systematic problem solving, creative experimentation, learning from past experience, learning from the best practices of others, and transferring knowledge quickly and efficiently throughout the organization.
Organizational Memory - a means to save, represent, and share its knowledge.
- Generally believed that 10 to 20 percent of business data is actually used
Organizational Learning - is the development of new knowledge and insights that have the potential to influence an organization's behavior. Its occurs when associations, cognitive systems, and memories are shared by members of an organization.
- Learning skills include: Openness to new perspectives, Awareness of personal biases,
Exposure to unfilitered data, and a send of humility
Organizational Culture is the pattern of shared basic assumptions of the organization.
Pg. 396 Chart of Reasons why people do not like to share information.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Overview of Chapter 9 Section 2
This section highlights Interorganizational Information Systems and Virtual Corporations.
Intergorganizational Information systems (IOS) – involves information flow among two or more organizations. Its Major objectives are efficient processing of transactions, such as transmitting orders, bills, and payments, and to support collaboration and communication.
- Can be Local or Global
- Can be Dedicated to only one activity or intended to support several activities
- Interorganizational systems have developed in direct response to two business pressures:
- the desire to reduce costs
- and the need to improve the effectiveness and timeliness of business partners.
- When IOS’s use telecommunications companies for communication, they may employ Value Added Networks (VANs)
- Value-Added Networks – are private, third-party networks that can be tailored to specific business needs.
Virtual Corporation (VC) – is an organization composed of two or more business partners, in different locations, sharing costs and resources for the purpose of producing a product or service.
- Can be temporary, with one time purpose, or permanent
- The modern VC can be viewed as a network of creative people, resources, and ideas connected via online services and/or the Internet.
Types of Interorganizational Information Systems:
- B2B Trading Systems – These systems are designed to facilitate trading between business partners. The partners can be in the same or different countries.
- B2B Support Systems – These are nontrading systems such as hubs, directories, and other services.
- Global Systems – Global information systems connect two or more companies in two or more countries. The airline reservations system SABRE is an example of a huge global system.
- Electronic funds transfer (EFT) – Telecommunications networks transfer money among financial institutions.
- Groupware – Groupware technologies facilitate communication and collaboration between and among organizations. These include transmission system that can be used to deliver electronic mail and fax documents between organizations.
- Shared databases – Trading partners sometimes share databases and other information in order to reduce time in communicating information between parties and to arrange cooperative activities.
Four Major IOS Infrastructure Technologies:
- Electronic data Interchange (EDI) – The electronic movement of business documents between business partners. EDI runs on VANs, but can be Internet-based, in which case it is known as EDI/Internet.
- Extranets – Extended intranets that link business partners.
- XML – An emerging B2B standard, promoted as a companion or even a replacement for EDI systems
- Web Services – The emerging technology for integrating B2B and intrabusiness applications.
Intergorganizational Information systems (IOS) – involves information flow among two or more organizations. Its Major objectives are efficient processing of transactions, such as transmitting orders, bills, and payments, and to support collaboration and communication.
- Can be Local or Global
- Can be Dedicated to only one activity or intended to support several activities
- Interorganizational systems have developed in direct response to two business pressures:
- the desire to reduce costs
- and the need to improve the effectiveness and timeliness of business partners.
- When IOS’s use telecommunications companies for communication, they may employ Value Added Networks (VANs)
- Value-Added Networks – are private, third-party networks that can be tailored to specific business needs.
Virtual Corporation (VC) – is an organization composed of two or more business partners, in different locations, sharing costs and resources for the purpose of producing a product or service.
- Can be temporary, with one time purpose, or permanent
- The modern VC can be viewed as a network of creative people, resources, and ideas connected via online services and/or the Internet.
Types of Interorganizational Information Systems:
- B2B Trading Systems – These systems are designed to facilitate trading between business partners. The partners can be in the same or different countries.
- B2B Support Systems – These are nontrading systems such as hubs, directories, and other services.
- Global Systems – Global information systems connect two or more companies in two or more countries. The airline reservations system SABRE is an example of a huge global system.
- Electronic funds transfer (EFT) – Telecommunications networks transfer money among financial institutions.
- Groupware – Groupware technologies facilitate communication and collaboration between and among organizations. These include transmission system that can be used to deliver electronic mail and fax documents between organizations.
- Shared databases – Trading partners sometimes share databases and other information in order to reduce time in communicating information between parties and to arrange cooperative activities.
Four Major IOS Infrastructure Technologies:
- Electronic data Interchange (EDI) – The electronic movement of business documents between business partners. EDI runs on VANs, but can be Internet-based, in which case it is known as EDI/Internet.
- Extranets – Extended intranets that link business partners.
- XML – An emerging B2B standard, promoted as a companion or even a replacement for EDI systems
- Web Services – The emerging technology for integrating B2B and intrabusiness applications.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Overview of Chapter 8 Section 2
This section details the challenges that can exist within supply chains.
Major symptoms of ineffective supply chains:
- Poor Customer Service
- High Inventory Cost
- Loss of Revenues
- Extra cost of Expediting Shipments
The problems along the supply chain stem mainly from two sources: (1) from uncertainties and (2) from the need to coordinate several activities, internal units, and business partners.
- External, Uncontrollable factors that influence Actual Demand: Competition, Prices, Weather Conditions, Technological Developments, and Customers General Confidence.
- Other Supply Chain Uncertainties: Delivery Times & Quality Problems
- Bullwhip Effect – the erratic changes in orders (along the) supply chain.
Trust is a vitally important in a collaboration relationship between suppliers and buyers in the supply chain. Trust involves a calculated process wherein an organization estimates the costs and/or the rewards of another party cheating or staying in the relationship.
- Factors leading to a trusting behavior in supplier-buyer relationship: Information sharing, Prediction process, Perception of mutually sharing both the risks and the benefits of collaboration, Parties ability to meet obligations.
- Trust, Risk Perception, and Relationship commitment ultimately affect whether an organization continues in a cooperative electronic relationship.
The development of an international supply chain strategy must include political concerns, currency risk, governmental concerns, production quality, and infrastructure issues.
Outsourcing – the transfer of some of the organizations internal processes and resources to outside vendors, outsourcing decisions involve complex legal contracts, payment schedules, and service-level agreements.
- Activities that are outsourced are usually not part of the core competencies of an organizations
Having many suppliers usually decreases risks and increases cost
Vendor Selection Process
- Stage 1 – Vendor Evaluation
- Stage 2 – Vendor Development
- Stage 3 – Vendor Negotiation
Reverse Logistics – is the process of continuously taking back products and/or packaging materials to avoid waste.
Major symptoms of ineffective supply chains:
- Poor Customer Service
- High Inventory Cost
- Loss of Revenues
- Extra cost of Expediting Shipments
The problems along the supply chain stem mainly from two sources: (1) from uncertainties and (2) from the need to coordinate several activities, internal units, and business partners.
- External, Uncontrollable factors that influence Actual Demand: Competition, Prices, Weather Conditions, Technological Developments, and Customers General Confidence.
- Other Supply Chain Uncertainties: Delivery Times & Quality Problems
- Bullwhip Effect – the erratic changes in orders (along the) supply chain.
Trust is a vitally important in a collaboration relationship between suppliers and buyers in the supply chain. Trust involves a calculated process wherein an organization estimates the costs and/or the rewards of another party cheating or staying in the relationship.
- Factors leading to a trusting behavior in supplier-buyer relationship: Information sharing, Prediction process, Perception of mutually sharing both the risks and the benefits of collaboration, Parties ability to meet obligations.
- Trust, Risk Perception, and Relationship commitment ultimately affect whether an organization continues in a cooperative electronic relationship.
The development of an international supply chain strategy must include political concerns, currency risk, governmental concerns, production quality, and infrastructure issues.
Outsourcing – the transfer of some of the organizations internal processes and resources to outside vendors, outsourcing decisions involve complex legal contracts, payment schedules, and service-level agreements.
- Activities that are outsourced are usually not part of the core competencies of an organizations
Having many suppliers usually decreases risks and increases cost
Vendor Selection Process
- Stage 1 – Vendor Evaluation
- Stage 2 – Vendor Development
- Stage 3 – Vendor Negotiation
Reverse Logistics – is the process of continuously taking back products and/or packaging materials to avoid waste.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Overview of Chapter 6 Section 4
This section looks at how mobile devices and technologies can be used within, outside, and between organizations.
Wireless Applications fall into the following categories:
-Supporting Salespeople while they are visiting customers
-Supporting field employees doing repairs or maintenance on corporate premises or for clients
-Supporting traveling executives, managers, or other employees
-Supporting employees while they do work inside the enterprise, but where there is no access to desktop computers
-Employees driving trucks, while they are on the road
The basic objective is to provide employees with communication and collaboration tools, and access to data, information, and people inside the organization.
Mobile Enterprise Applications:
-Retailing
-Sales Force Automation (SFA) - Sales representatives need to check inventory availability, special pricing, order status, and so on, during their visits with customers. -Hospitals -In Operations
-Tracking Employees
-Wearable Devices - Screen, Camera, Touch-panel display, Keyboard, Speech Translator, Watch-like device
-Job Dispatch - A dispatch application for wireless devices allows improved response with reduced resources, real-time tracking of work orders, increased dispatcher efficiency, and a reduction in administration work.
Mobile access extends the reach of CRM-both inside and outside the company-to both employees and business partners on a 24/7 basis, to any place where recipients are located.
Mobile computing solutions are also being applied to B2B and supply chain relationships. Such solutions enable organizations to respond faster to supply chain disruptions by proactively adjusting plans or shifting resources related to critical supply chain events as they occur.
The Future of Mobile Enterprise Applications
The following link is to an article called “RIM VP on Mobile Enterprise Apps: Today and Tomorrow” written by: Al Sacco for CIO.com.
http://www.cio.com/article/357078/RIM_VP_on_Mobile_Enterprise_Apps_Today_and_Tomorrow
In an economy where it is estimated that nearly 95% of organizations are utilizing mobile applications, the future of this technology is extremely important. The future of mobile enterprise and Interbusiness applications is exactly what this article discusses. In the article, Research in Motion’s (RIM) Vice President of global alliances, Jeff Mcdowell, offers three predictions for the future of mobile enterprise applications. First, with the addition to media players to smart phones, there will be an explosion of multimedia applications. Mcdowell references the company Chalk. Chalk is a company that produces short training videos, or "push-casts," optimized for BlackBerry’s. One video that the company created lasted a minute-long and told how to operate the new photocopiers at a customer's office, and it was pushed to the handhelds of every user who needed instructions, saving time and money on in-person or individual sessions. Next, mobile applications will have deep integration with other systems. Your mobile device will be able to have integration with corporate systems and cites the SAP CRM for BlackBerry as a prime example. Lastly, he expects to see the appearance of social networking on mobile enterprise devices. This is a topic that I have already blogged about and Mcdowell feels that businesses are seeing the value of social networking and thinks that it effectively allows employees to share information.
http://www.cio.com/article/357078/RIM_VP_on_Mobile_Enterprise_Apps_Today_and_Tomorrow
In an economy where it is estimated that nearly 95% of organizations are utilizing mobile applications, the future of this technology is extremely important. The future of mobile enterprise and Interbusiness applications is exactly what this article discusses. In the article, Research in Motion’s (RIM) Vice President of global alliances, Jeff Mcdowell, offers three predictions for the future of mobile enterprise applications. First, with the addition to media players to smart phones, there will be an explosion of multimedia applications. Mcdowell references the company Chalk. Chalk is a company that produces short training videos, or "push-casts," optimized for BlackBerry’s. One video that the company created lasted a minute-long and told how to operate the new photocopiers at a customer's office, and it was pushed to the handhelds of every user who needed instructions, saving time and money on in-person or individual sessions. Next, mobile applications will have deep integration with other systems. Your mobile device will be able to have integration with corporate systems and cites the SAP CRM for BlackBerry as a prime example. Lastly, he expects to see the appearance of social networking on mobile enterprise devices. This is a topic that I have already blogged about and Mcdowell feels that businesses are seeing the value of social networking and thinks that it effectively allows employees to share information.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Social Networking Goes Professional
Listed below is a link to an article called “Social Networking Goes Professional“ written by: Jessica E. Vascellaro for the Wall Street Journal.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118825239984310205.html
This is a particularly interesting article that focuses on social networking and the advantages that it can provide to professionals in the business world. Although social networking has been slow to take off in the business setting, some of the advantages of utilizing this technology are tremendous. One example that they provide in the article is the social networking site “Sermo.com.” Sermo.com is a social-networking site for licensed physicians where they can go to consult with colleagues specializing in areas from dermatology to psychiatry. This ability for physicians to effectively communicate with other physicians will result in tremendous benefits for society. This ability to effectively consult through a social networking website will result in more correct diagnoses by physicians and more breakthroughs in regards to illnesses. As is the case in the article, Michael Tomblyn a radiation oncologist recently saw a 21-year-old patient whose eye was protruding from its socket. Unable to diagnosis the condition, Tomblyn turned to Sermo.com for help. There he was able to enlist the help of other physicians for help and through this he was about to make the correct diagnosis of a condition called rhabdomyosarcoma, a fast-growing cancer most often observed in young children. The use of internet networks for discovery, communication and collaboration of information can prove to be successful for many different companies across different industries. These decision/publishing portals, such as Sermo.com, should continue to be developed and strive for acquiring as many users as possible. All industries can find a way to improve from utilizing networks which provide an efficient and bountiful source of information.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118825239984310205.html
This is a particularly interesting article that focuses on social networking and the advantages that it can provide to professionals in the business world. Although social networking has been slow to take off in the business setting, some of the advantages of utilizing this technology are tremendous. One example that they provide in the article is the social networking site “Sermo.com.” Sermo.com is a social-networking site for licensed physicians where they can go to consult with colleagues specializing in areas from dermatology to psychiatry. This ability for physicians to effectively communicate with other physicians will result in tremendous benefits for society. This ability to effectively consult through a social networking website will result in more correct diagnoses by physicians and more breakthroughs in regards to illnesses. As is the case in the article, Michael Tomblyn a radiation oncologist recently saw a 21-year-old patient whose eye was protruding from its socket. Unable to diagnosis the condition, Tomblyn turned to Sermo.com for help. There he was able to enlist the help of other physicians for help and through this he was about to make the correct diagnosis of a condition called rhabdomyosarcoma, a fast-growing cancer most often observed in young children. The use of internet networks for discovery, communication and collaboration of information can prove to be successful for many different companies across different industries. These decision/publishing portals, such as Sermo.com, should continue to be developed and strive for acquiring as many users as possible. All industries can find a way to improve from utilizing networks which provide an efficient and bountiful source of information.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The Data Mining "Smart Car"
Listed below is a link to an article I found from Geo: International Magazine.
http://www.geoconnexion.com/geo_news_article/The-Data-Mining-Car-of-the-Future/3577
The article introduces the development of a data mining "smart car" whose purpose is to monitor drivers' emotions, parking, and driving habits. The research team behind this program is both Volkswagen and Stanford University at the new Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab (VAIL) on Stanfords' campus. The range of the new smart cars capabilities will range from reporting bad driving habits to insurance companies, calming frustrated drivers down, to reccomending a good restaurant. It will be interesting to see how such interesting ideas and technologies will develop into the automobiles of the future.
http://www.geoconnexion.com/geo_news_article/The-Data-Mining-Car-of-the-Future/3577
The article introduces the development of a data mining "smart car" whose purpose is to monitor drivers' emotions, parking, and driving habits. The research team behind this program is both Volkswagen and Stanford University at the new Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab (VAIL) on Stanfords' campus. The range of the new smart cars capabilities will range from reporting bad driving habits to insurance companies, calming frustrated drivers down, to reccomending a good restaurant. It will be interesting to see how such interesting ideas and technologies will develop into the automobiles of the future.
Monday, September 8, 2008
A2-2 TrueCredit Minicase
1. What were the major reasons the company had to use Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)?
The major reason that TrueCredit had to utilize SOA was to retain its competitive advantage. TrueCredit attempts to maintain competitive advantage over the credit industry by creating applications that will support over 50,000 simultaneous users, reduce response time to less than a second, and reduced the application development period from 180 days to 90 days. TrueCredit were early adaptors of SOA and as a result retained competitive advantage over the rest of the industry.
2. In what ways did they gain competitive advantage by using SOA?
TrueCredit gained competitive advantage by being the pioneer of SOA technology in the industry. While simultaneously restructuring IT infrastructure, business practices, and software development methods TrueCredit has become the superior service provider in the industry.
3. What specific “services” can you identify in a business like this?
The services that are provided by related companies in the credit industry, as well as those provided by TrueCredit include: the ability to reveal a customer credit score, credit reporting, a medium in which to reach credit card companies, and the accumulation of data from customers for credit agencies.
4. Why is it so important to serve 50,000 simultaneous users?
A companies ability to support the amount of demand for a service is very important. Also, if a company fails to be able to adequately provide proficient support, then customers of the business become frustrated. After prolonged or even initial frustration a customer will switch companies to one that will satisfy their need.
5. Classify this application using the material in Section 2.2?
True Credit’s application of SOA can be classified under two levels of information systems. First, the SOA system can be classified as a Transaction Processing System (TPS) because of the monitoring, collecting, storage, processing and dissemination of basic business transactions. Next, the SOA system can be classified as an Interorganizational system because it connects two organizations, TrueCredit and credit card companies.
The major reason that TrueCredit had to utilize SOA was to retain its competitive advantage. TrueCredit attempts to maintain competitive advantage over the credit industry by creating applications that will support over 50,000 simultaneous users, reduce response time to less than a second, and reduced the application development period from 180 days to 90 days. TrueCredit were early adaptors of SOA and as a result retained competitive advantage over the rest of the industry.
2. In what ways did they gain competitive advantage by using SOA?
TrueCredit gained competitive advantage by being the pioneer of SOA technology in the industry. While simultaneously restructuring IT infrastructure, business practices, and software development methods TrueCredit has become the superior service provider in the industry.
3. What specific “services” can you identify in a business like this?
The services that are provided by related companies in the credit industry, as well as those provided by TrueCredit include: the ability to reveal a customer credit score, credit reporting, a medium in which to reach credit card companies, and the accumulation of data from customers for credit agencies.
4. Why is it so important to serve 50,000 simultaneous users?
A companies ability to support the amount of demand for a service is very important. Also, if a company fails to be able to adequately provide proficient support, then customers of the business become frustrated. After prolonged or even initial frustration a customer will switch companies to one that will satisfy their need.
5. Classify this application using the material in Section 2.2?
True Credit’s application of SOA can be classified under two levels of information systems. First, the SOA system can be classified as a Transaction Processing System (TPS) because of the monitoring, collecting, storage, processing and dissemination of basic business transactions. Next, the SOA system can be classified as an Interorganizational system because it connects two organizations, TrueCredit and credit card companies.
A2-1 - Mission Statements Relationship to Information Support Systems
A companies’ mission statement is a brief statement of the companies’ objectives, values, and/or principles, which is designed to guide the company. A successful company should tie its mission statement in with its strategic, managerial, and operational activities in order to help ensure preservation of the organizations’ principles. The following are the mission statements that are used by Caterpillar and Kroger, two highly successful Fortune 500 companies:
Caterpillar: Value & Mission Statement
Vision: Be the global leader in customer value.
Mission: Caterpillar will be the leader in providing the best value in machines, engines and support services for customers dedicated to building the world's infrastructure and developing and transporting its resources. We provide the best value to customers.
Caterpillar people will increase shareholder value by aggressively pursuing growth and profit opportunities that leverage our engineering, manufacturing, distribution, information management and financial services expertise. We grow profitably.
Caterpillar will provide its worldwide workforce with an environment that stimulates diversity, innovation, teamwork, continuous learning and improvement and rewards individual performance. We develop and reward people.
Caterpillar is dedicated to improving the quality of life while sustaining the quality of our earth. We encourage social responsibility.
Kroger: Mission Statement
OUR MISSION is to be a leader in the distribution and merchandising of food, health, personal care, and related consumable products and services. By achieving this objective, we will satisfy our responsibilities to shareowners, associates, customers, suppliers, and the communities we serve.
We will conduct our business to produce financial returns that reward investment by shareowners and allow the Company to grow. Investments in retailing, distribution and food processing will be continually evaluated for their contribution to our corporate return objectives.
We will constantly strive to satisfy the needs of customers as well as, or better than, the best of our competitors. Operating procedures will increasingly reflect our belief that the organization levels closest to the customer are best positioned to serve changing consumer needs.
We will provide all associates and customers with a safe, friendly work and shopping environment and will treat each of them with respect, openness, honesty and fairness. We will solicit and respond to the ideas of our associates and reward their meaningful contributions to our success.
We value America’s diversity and will strive to reflect that diversity in our work force, the companies with which we do business, and the customers we serve. As a Company, we will convey respect and dignity to all individuals.
We will encourage our associates to be active and responsible citizens and will allocate resources for activities that enhance the quality of life for our customers, our associates and the communities we serve.
Mission Statements' Relation to Organizational Activities
The connection between the mission statement and the operational activities of the organization is the short-term day-to-day processes of the organization should emulate the companies’ values and goals illustrated in the mission statement. On the basic level of the business operation, structure and the implementation of values are integral for a company to achieve its desired stature. In Caterpillars mission statement, the company proposes that it wishes to create a “worldwide workforce with an environment that stimulates diversity, innovation, teamwork, continuous learning and improvement and rewards individual performance.” Caterpillar directly identifies the work environment that they wish to create including the way they are going to structure the organization and acquire the desired work ethic of employees. The implementation of the mission statement should create a standard of business practice within the organization for all employees to follow.
The mission statement should also directly correlate with the managerial activities of the business, or the middle-management tactical activities. As the activities that help determine the short-term future of the business, strict adherence to company values is very important. In Caterpillars’ mission statement, the direction of middle-management decisions are exclusively identified: “Caterpillar people will increase shareholder value by aggressively pursuing growth and profit opportunities that leverage our engineering, manufacturing, distribution, information management and financial services expertise.”
Most importantly, the mission statement should directly align with the strategic activities of the organization. The strategic activities of the organization are those that significantly change the manner in which business is done. These activities include the long-range planning of the business and can include such things as opening a new product line, investment in technologies, or the decision to expand globally. These activities should work to accomplish the future goals of the company. These future goals could include such things as maximizing customer value in an industry or providing the best customer service over competing firms. If future goals are not explicitly defined in the mission statement then strategic activities of the business should mimic established principles of the company. An example of the mission statement directed towards strategic activities comes from Kroger’s’ mission statement and is as follows: “OUR MISSION is to be a leader in the distribution and merchandising of food, health, personal care, and related consumable products and services. By achieving this objective, we will satisfy our responsibilities to shareowners, associates, customers, suppliers, and the communities we serve .We will conduct our business to produce financial returns that reward investment by shareowners and allow the Company to grow. Investments in retailing, distribution and food processing will be continually evaluated for their contribution to our corporate return objectives”
How can these activities be supported by specific Information Systems?
Many different types of information support systems are used to enhance organizational activities. An example of a specific information system tool that is used to help run operational activities of the organization is an Office Automation System (OAS). Office Automation Systems are designed to increase the productivity of all employees, especially office workers, by automating tasks. They include such applications as word processing which provides employees effective ways to accomplishing day-to-day operations of the organization. Another example of an information system that is used to enhance organization activities is the use of Communication and Collaboration Systems. Communication and Collaboration Systems essentially influence all levels of organizational activities. Through the use of email, voice mail, and instant messenger programs employees, partners, or management of an organization can more effectively communicate in matters regarding any activity level. The last example of an information system influencing organizational activities is Decision Support Systems (DSS). This information system affects decisions within managerial and strategic activities. This system utilizes the use of models and the input of information as well as extensive user involvement to solve decisions. An example would be the analyzation of a “make-or-buy decision” and the manipulation of variables within a model to determine the "make-or-buy" decision.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Does IT Matter?
Information technology can make many business functions more manageable, efficient, and effective, however, the IT function within a business is not absolutely necessary. But when asking whether or not IT matters, from the business perspective, the answer depends upon two things; first, on how heavily you already depend or utilize information technology, and second, the scope of your businesses' objectives.
Those familiar with information technology are quite aware of the extreme advantages that it can bring to a business. Information technology can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of almost all functions within the business. Such business functions as order processing, shipping, and inventory maintenance can practically become fully automated. The use of IT through software can also drastically reduce the amount of time that it takes for employees to accomplish certain organizational tasks. Negatives that accompany the use of IT start at the high costs to develop, implement, and maintain an effective IT system. Another cost that is associated with the use of IT is the opportunity cost of the forgone money that could have been spent on other important organizational functions. Lastly, the dependence of your business operation upon an IT system makes your business reliant upon technology and placing it at a very high risk in case of technological failure.
If your business is already currently reliant and operating utilizing information technology then the answer to the question: Does IT matter? Is yes. With so much already invested in IT and the structure of your business already built around the use of IT, it would be impossible to operate without it. Once executed within a business the business adapts to the advantages that IT provides and as a result some tasks that would necessary without the implementation of IT become irrelevant. However, some businesses operate without the use of IT and are just fine. An example of businesses that operate without the use of IT are some restaurants, individual contractors, beauty salons, and dry cleaners. Another factor that determines whether or not IT matters is the size of your businesses operation. Those businesses that compete in a global environment must undoubtedly answer the question: Does IT Matter? With a yes. When the scale of operations is that large it would be impossible for a business to effectively compete with other businesses that would utilize the use of IT. Conversely, if the scale of operations is much smaller and for example the business is a small town mechanic then there is almost no need for the use of IT. In conclusion, there is no clear answer to the question: Does IT Matter? Instead the answer is dependent upon the aspirations and organization of the business.
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