Exploring the global and local networks of national information system integration initiatives : a case study of national cultural collection integration from an actor-network perspective

Australian Museums Online (AMOL) was the earliest attempt to make Australia’s distributed cultural collections accessible from a single online resource. Despite early successes, significant achievements and the considerable value it offered certain groups, the project ran into operational difficulties and was eventually discontinued. By using Actor-Network Theory and analysing the global and local actor-networks, it is revealed that although the project originated from large, state museums, buy-in was restricted to individuals, rather than institutions and the most significant value was for smaller, regional institutions. Furthermore, although the global networks that governed the project could translate their visions through the local production networks, because the network’s underlying weaknesses were never addressed, over time this destablised the global networks. This case study offers advice for projects attempting to consolidate data sources from disparate sources, and highlights the importance of individual actors in championing the project.

Full converter based wind turbine generator system generic modelling: Variations and applicability

Wind energy system integration can lead to adverse effects on modern electric grid so it is imperative toassess their dynamic performance before actual plant startup. Transmission system operators all over theworld stress the need for a proper wind turbine generator model for dynamic performance as well asancillary service assessments. Due to the bulk power system assessment requirements, developmentof suitable generic modeling has gained high priority. Generic modeling of type 4 full converter wind turbinegenerator system for application in frequency ancillary service investigations under varying windspeed and varying reference power has been presented in this study. Prevalent generic model, manufacturerspecific proprietary generic model along with detailed wind turbine model with synchronous generatoris also provided to highlight various modelling framework difference. Descriptions of individualsub models of proposed generic model are presented in detail and performance results are comparedand validated with GE’s proprietary generic model and detailed WTG model by means of simulationsin the MATLAB Power System Block set.

Customer-focused CRM: a marketing challenge for organizations

The article explains that CRM is all about building longterm business relationships with customers. It is best described as the blending of internal business processes: sales, marketing and customer support with technology. Research indicates that poor project planning, weak and
incomplete business cases, cost and complexity of the technology, lack of.technological skills, lack of system integration and lack of senior management involvement in the CRM process are among the many factors that inhibit the successful adoption ofCRM in companies. The article presents a framework for customer centric CRM.

Impact of electronic data interchange in the Australian automotive industry

Information technology continues to play an increasingly significant role in the development of firms competing in the vast array of markets from those classified as global markets, such as the automotive industry, to the smaller nationally-based markets such as retailing. An objective of electronic commerce is to assist organisations to remain competitive and gain entry to markets which were previously unattainable. This study focuses on the organisational impact of one form of electronic commerce (electronic data interchange) on the component sector of the Australian automotive industry and examines the extent to which trading partner relationships have been affected. The research investigates the extent to which the integration of electronic data interchange (EDI) with an organisation’s internal application system may facilitate specific net benefits. The automotive industry became the first Australian industry to cooperatively adopt EDI. Research to date has not adequately examined the organisational impact of the nature and extent of net benefits gained from EDI adoption. To achieve the objective of assessing EDI net benefits, a conceptual model was developed. The model proposed that the level of EDI net benefits expected is influenced by the size of the organisation and the concentration of trade achieved within the industry via intervening links through (a) the level of senior management commitment and (b) the extent of system integration. Nine empirically testable research propositions are derived from the model, each testing the relationship between model constructs. Data was collected from 114 component suppliers to Ford Australia in 1992 and 1994 using a repeated cross-sectional longitudinal design. Structural equation modelling using partial least squares was adopted in the analysis of the data. A pure longitudinal model together with 12 case studies of selected component manufacturers supplemented the research design. The results of the research showed that the proposed conceptual model is a good description of the data. In particular, net benefits obtained from EDI adoption are directly determined by the size of the organisation, and the extent to which firms integrate EDI into their internal application systems. The level of net benefits is only indirectly influenced by the level of senior management commitment to the EDI project through (a) management commitment’s direct effect on integration, and (b) the direct effect the volume of trade a supplier achieves with the automotive industry on senior management commitment and system integration. The major benefits organisations experienced from EDI were enhanced productivity, clerical staff savings, improved data accuracy, enhanced customer service and reduced administration costs. The research showed that few suppliers gained inventory savings from EDI, a frequently claimed benefit from EDI adoption. Evidence of small improvements in product quality emerged from the results. In summary, this research attempts to make two primary contributions to knowledge, first in providing a method by which net benefits from electronic commerce can be measured within an industry adopting electronic trading, and second, by providing organisations with the knowledge of the specific net benefits organisations could expect from EDI adoption, together with the four major factors affecting these benefits. The research concludes with possible directions for future research, in particular an assessment of the impact of incorporating financial EDI into electronic trading.

Constitutionalism and beyond the dispute between the left and right

From the constitutional point of view, all ideology in a pluralistic society structures have their own status and function. The rise of China needs a healthy, diverse and balanced thinking the situation. We need a capacity of macro-narrative and a framework to develop a macro perspective, the various ideologies put this macro, the constitutional system integration. This article is about ideology than an example, the analysis and comparison of three models. The first mode is now at in the formation and development process, and our political system to adapt to the "balanced" mode. The second model is adopted, representing the "left" "right" interest groups to reach beyond the ruling party turns around, balance of interests purpose. The third is in the process of policy formulation and selection of multi-party consultation and inclusive pattern of results of various think tanks.

HealthPathways: creating a pathway for health systems reform

Inefficiencies in the co-ordination and integration of primary and secondary care services in Australia, have led to increases in waiting times, unnecessary presentations to emergency departments and issues around poor discharge of patients. HealthPathways is a program developed in Canterbury, New Zealand, that builds relationships between General Practitioners and Specialists and uses information technology so that efficiency is maximised and the right patient is given the right care at the right time. Healthpathways is being implemented by a number of Medicare Locals across Australia however, little is known about the impact HealthPathways may have in Australia. This article provides a short description of HealthPathways and considers what it may offer in the Australian context and some of the barriers and facilitators to implementation. What is known about the topic? Early evidence on HealthPathways suggests that the program does seem to be strengthening relationships between GPs and secondary care specialists. In New Zealand advances in efficiency and system integration have been noted. However, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of HealthPathways in Australia. What does this paper add? It is one of the first published papers to provide a perspective around HealthPathways and draws existing evidence and research to explore some of the barriers and facilitators to the development and implementation of HealthPathways in Australia. What are the implications for practitioners'? Early evidence suggests HealthPathways could help GPs and other practitioners' in the delivery of health services, it could also help to strengthen practitioner relationships.

System of systems approach to threat detection and integration of heterogeneous independently operable systems

This paper presents a system of systems approach to threat detection through integration of heterogeneous independently operable systems. The approach is presented on a realistic situation where a human-controlled base robot, swarm robot(s), and sensors work together to obtain a decision about a possible threat in the environment. The base robot is remotely operated by a human using a haptic control system. The swarm robot(s) are autonomous and can accept directives from the base robot. Finally, sensors directly communicate with (report to) the base robot. In this scenario, heterogeneous systems and human interact in a system of systems architecture. With the inclusion of human expert and sensor verification of swarm robots, the system can successfully perform the threat detection and reduce the false alarms. Finally, a system of systems simulation framework including a base robot, a swarm robot, and two sensors is presented in addition to an experimental evaluation of the proposed SoS architecture

Integration of resident's energy costs in short stay accommodation billing system

This paper presents an energy management software package and the supporting energy information automation system to enable the short stay accommodation industry to determine actual residents' energy consumption. The proposed energy management system is used to develop a 'novel deal' method in short stay accommodation based on integration of the room level energy costs into the billing system. This system has the potential to increase energy efficiency in the short stay accommodation industry by actively engaging the residents in the energy saving process. The system is economically and environmentally sustainable and can achieve a high level of energy efficiency with low expenses. The proposed model is also effective for carbon mitigation, and offers a value proposition for all the parties in the short stay accommodation industry, including owners and residents. The paper presents a software system to capture room level energy consumption information and to present the detail of consumed energy information in the resident's accommodation bill. The presented information includes energy consumption profile, the greenhouse gas emission profile, and the cost associated to the energy related services.

Performance study of a wind-grid system in a semi- arid region and major integration issues

The phenomenal growth in economy experienced in developed countries throughout the 20th century has largely been driven by the availability of conventional energy sources for electricity generation. However, increased concern about fossil fuels and adverse effect of carbon dioxide emission in to atmosphere changed the conventional power system to a viable one by integrating renewable energy sources into the existing system. Among the Renewable Energy (RE) sources, wind energy is one of the fastest growing technologies in reducing the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions in to the atmosphere due to its continuous availability throughout a period. Hence, this paper discusses the performance of a wind-grid connected system in a semi-arid region by conducting a case study. Wilson promontory, one of the best locations for wind generation in Victoria is considered as a case study. Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable (HOMER) is used as a simulating tool for this analysis. This study also presents the influences of storage system in the proposed Hybrid Power System (HPS) allowing energy to be stored during higher generations or lower load demands. In addition this paper also discusses the major integration issues to facilitate the large scale wind energy into the grid for reliable power generation and distribution.

Toward a comprehensive software based DSM system

Software based Distributed Shared Memory (DSM) systems have been the focus of considerable research effort, primarily in improving performance and consistency protocols. Unfortunately, computer clusters present a number of challenges for any DSM systems that are not solvable through consistency protocols alone. These challenges relate to the ability of DSM systems to adjust to load fluctuations, computers being added/removed from the cluster, to deal with faults, and the ability to use DSM objects larger than the available physical memory. We present here a proposal for the Synergy Distributed Shared Memory System and its integration with the virtual memory, group communication and process migration services of the Genesis Cluster Operating System.

GHIRS: integration of hotel management systems by web services

Nowadays web services technology is widely used to integrate heterogeneous systems and develop new applications. In this paper, an application of integration of hotel management systems by web services technology is presented. The Group Hotel Integration Reservation System (GHIRS) integrates lots of systems of hotel industry such as Front Office system, Property Management system, Enterprise Information System (EIS), Enterprise Information Portal system (EIP), Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) and Supply Chain Management system (SCM) together. This integration solution can add or expand hotel software system in any size of hotel chains environment.

Integrated management system:the experiences of three Australian organisations

Purpose – Management systems and standards have become a key part of the organisation's lifeline and a prerequisite for survival in the twenty-first century. Systems for quality environmental and occupational health and safety (OHS) now form the three main pillars of the organisation, the fourth one being financial accounting. In light of the increasing pressure and demands from different stakeholders, it is becoming necessary for organisations to adopt the different systems/standards. However, to achieve the benefits from the implementation and subsequently maintenance of these systems it is only a practical and logical step that the existing management systems/standards be integrated into a single system.

Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents the experiences of three Australian-based organisations that have successfully undertaken the integration of their management systems/standards. Data for this paper were collected through in-depth interviews conducted with the managers responsible for quality, environment and OHS systems.

Findings – The interviews revealed a number of quantifiable and unquantifiable benefits experienced by the companies from operating one integrated system, such as saving of dollars, better utilisation of resources and improved communication across the organisation, to name a few. However, for the benefits to be realized it is essential that organisations are aware of the challenges and obstacles accompanying integration of systems/standards. If these challenges are not addressed early in the process they can delay the completion of the integration process.

Originality/value – Recommendations for other organisations contemplating integrating their management system include: obtaining commitment from the top management; having adequate resources to integrate the systems; having communication and training across the organisation in aspects of integration; and, last but not the least, having integrated audits. Implementation of these recommendations may vary from one organisation to another; however, it would result in lesser resistance for the organisations following them.

Integration: parents and teachers working together

The successful integration of a child with a disability requires an effective partnership between professionals and parents. This means participation on an equitable basis with decisions regarding the child's educational needs. At this level it is necessary for both parents and professionals to review their active roles, so that collaborative decision making can be reflected in practice. An important component of this current perspective is the concept of the family as part of a socially structured system, where there is a need to recognise both the formal and informal pressure, which act on the family and the child. It is necessary to consider this broader family context in which the child is immersed, so that planning can be family/child orientated rather than just professionally driven. Within this context the unique knowledge and understanding of the student, by parents, is a pivotal part of planning for individual needs. Parents can be active partners in the educational process of program planning, implementation and evaluation.

Synergy : a comprehensive software distributed shared memory system

Considerable research and development has been invested in software Distributed Shared Memory (DSM). The primary focus of this work has traditionally been on high performance and consistency protocols. Unfortunately, clusters present a number of challenges for any DSM systems not solvable through consistency protocols alone. These challenges relate to the ability of DSM systems to adjust to load fluctuations, computers being added/removed from the cluster, to deal with faults, and the ability to use DSM objects larger than the available physical memory. This paper introduces the Synergy DSM System and its integration with the virtual memory, group communication and process migration services of the Genesis Cluster Operating System.

Sustainable knowledge management systems: integration, personalisation and contextualisation

Many knowledge management (KM) systems have proven unsustainable to date, exhibiting low quantities and quality of knowledge, with systems falling into disuse. In this paper, we provide and explore a model for sustainable KM systems, focusing on the advantages to be gained from integrating knowledge work with everyday work practices, and enabling sensemaking through personalisation and contextualisation. We employ a discourse analysis of email as an exemplar of a sustainable KM system, thereby identifying a number of key characteristics for sustainable KM systems. Our model for sustainable KM systems adds to existing KM theory and, more immediately, assists companies by providing an understanding
of the kinds of characteristics likely to make KM systems more effective, and sustainable in the long term.