Enhancing enterprise knowledge processes via cross-media extraction

In large organizations the resources needed to solve challenging problems are typically dispersed over systems within and beyond the organization, and also in different media. However, there is still the need, in knowledge environments, for extraction methods able to combine evidence for a fact from across different media. In many cases the whole is more than the sum of its parts: only when considering the different media simultaneously can enough evidence be obtained to derive facts otherwise inaccessible to the knowledge worker via traditional methods that work on each single medium separately. In this paper, we present a cross-media knowledge extraction framework specifically designed to handle large volumes of documents composed of three types of media text, images and raw data and to exploit the evidence across the media. Our goal is to improve the quality and depth of automatically extracted knowledge.

Knowledge management and enterprise risk management implementation in financial services

This paper starts from the viewpoint that enterprise risk management is a specific application of knowledge in order to control deviations from strategic objectives, shareholders’ values and stakeholders’ relationships. This study is looking for insights into how the application of knowledge management processes can improve the implementation of enterprise risk management. This article presents the preliminary results of a survey on this topic carried out in the financial services sector, extending a previous pilot study that was in retail banking only. Five hypotheses about the relationship of knowledge management variables to the perceived value of ERM implementation were considered. The survey results show that the two people-related variables, perceived quality of communication among groups and perceived quality of knowledge sharing were positively associated with the perceived value of ERM implementation. However, the results did not support a positive association for the three variables more related to technology, namely network capacity for connecting people (which was marginally significant), risk management information system functionality and perceived integration of the information systems. Perceived quality of communication among groups appeared to be clearly the most significant of these five factors in affecting the perceived value of ERM implementation.

Managing enterprises and ERP systems:a contingency model for the enterprization of operations

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems development and emerging practices in the management of enterprises (i.e. parts of companies working with parts of other companies to deliver a complex product and/or service) and identify any apparent correlations. Suitable a priori contingency frameworks are then used and extended to explain apparent correlations. Discussion is given to provide guidance for researchers and practitioners to deliver better strategic, structural and operational competitive advantage through this approach; coined here as the "enterprization of operations". Design/methodology/approach: Theoretical induction uses a new empirical longitudinal case study from Zoomlion (a Chinese manufacturing company) built using an adapted form of template analysis to produce a new contingency framework. Findings: Three main types of enterprises and the three main types of ERP systems are defined and correlations between them are explained. Two relevant a priori frameworks are used to induct a new contingency model to support the enterprization of operations; known as the dynamic enterprise reference grid for ERP (DERG-ERP). Research limitations/implications: The findings are based on one longitudinal case study. Further case studies are currently being conducted in the UK and China. Practical implications: The new contingency model, the DERG-ERP, serves as a guide for ERP vendors, information systems management and operations managers hoping to grow and sustain their competitive advantage with respect to effective enterprise strategy, enterprise structure and ERP systems. Originality/value: This research explains how ERP systems and the effective management of enterprises should develop in order to sustain competitive advantage with respect to enterprise strategy, enterprise structure and ERP systems use. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Managing enterprise resource planning and multi-organisational enterprise governance:a new contingency framework for the enterprisation of operations

This research has been undertaken to determine how successful multi-organisational enterprise strategy is reliant on the correct type of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) information systems being used. However there appears to be a dearth of research as regards strategic alignment between ERP systems development and multi-organisational enterprise governance as guidelines and frameworks to assist practitioners in making decision for multi-organisational collaboration supported by different types of ERP systems are still missing from theoretical and empirical perspectives. This calls for this research which investigates ERP systems development and emerging practices in the management of multi-organisational enterprises (i.e. parts of companies working with parts of other companies to deliver complex product-service systems) and identify how different ERP systems fit into different multi-organisational enterprise structures, in order to achieve sustainable competitive success. An empirical inductive study was conducted using the Grounded Theory-based methodological approach based on successful manufacturing and service companies in the UK and China. This involved an initial pre-study literature review, data collection via 48 semi-structured interviews with 8 companies delivering complex products and services across organisational boundaries whilst adopting ERP systems to support their collaborative business strategies – 4 cases cover printing, semiconductor manufacturing, and parcel distribution industries in the UK and 4 cases cover crane manufacturing, concrete production, and banking industries in China in order to form a set of 29 tentative propositions that have been validated via a questionnaire receiving 116 responses from 16 companies. The research has resulted in the consolidation of the validated propositions into a novel concept referred to as the ‘Dynamic Enterprise Reference Grid for ERP’ (DERG-ERP) which draws from multiple theoretical perspectives. The core of the DERG-ERP concept is a contingency management framework which indicates that different multi-organisational enterprise paradigms and the supporting ERP information systems are not the result of different strategies, but are best considered part of a strategic continuum with the same overall business purpose of multi-organisational cooperation. At different times and circumstances in a partnership lifecycle firms may prefer particular multi-organisational enterprise structures and the use of different types of ERP systems to satisfy business requirements. Thus the DERG-ERP concept helps decision makers in selecting, managing and co-developing the most appropriate multi-organistional enterprise strategy and its corresponding ERP systems by drawing on core competence, expected competitiveness, and information systems strategic capabilities as the main contingency factors. Specifically, this research suggests that traditional ERP(I) systems are associated with Vertically Integrated Enterprise (VIE); whilst ERPIIsystems can be correlated to Extended Enterprise (EE) requirements and ERPIII systems can best support the operations of Virtual Enterprise (VE). The contribution of this thesis is threefold. Firstly, this work contributes to a gap in the extant literature about the best fit between ERP system types and multi-organisational enterprise structure types; and proposes a new contingency framework – the DERG-ERP, which can be used to explain how and why enterprise managers need to change and adapt their ERP information systems in response to changing business and operational requirements. Secondly, with respect to a priori theoretical models, the new DERG-ERP has furthered multi-organisational enterprise management thinking by incorporating information system strategy, rather than purely focusing on strategy, structural, and operational aspects of enterprise design and management. Simultaneously, the DERG-ERP makes theoretical contributions to the current IS Strategy Formulation Model which does not explicitly address multi-organisational enterprise governance. Thirdly, this research clarifies and emphasises the new concept and ideas of future ERP systems (referred to as ERPIII) that are inadequately covered in the extant literature. The novel DERG-ERP concept and its elements have also been applied to 8 empirical cases to serve as a practical guide for ERP vendors, information systems management, and operations managers hoping to grow and sustain their competitive advantage with respect to effective enterprise strategy, enterprise structures, and ERP systems use; referred to in this thesis as the “enterprisation of operations”.

Linking design and manufacturing domains via web-based and enterprise integration technologies

The manufacturing industry faces many challenges such as reducing time-to-market and cutting costs. In order to meet these increasing demands, effective methods are need to support the early product development stages by bridging the gap of communicating early design ideas and the evaluation of manufacturing performance. This paper introduces methods of linking design and manufacturing domains using disparate technologies. The combined technologies include knowledge management supporting for product lifecycle management systems, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, aggregate process planning systems, workflow management and data exchange formats. A case study has been used to demonstrate the use of these technologies, illustrated by adding manufacturing knowledge to generate alternative early process plan which are in turn used by an ERP system to obtain and optimise a rough-cut capacity plan. Copyright © 2010 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Guest editorial:special issue on digitial enterprise technology

Full text This Proceedings volume contains selected papers from the Fourth International CIRP-sponsored, Conference on Digital Enterprise Technology (DET2007), which was held at the University of Bath, UK, 19–21 September 2007. All selected papers have been suitably enhanced for publication in the Journal and have undergone full review. Digital enterprise technology (DET) is ‘the collection of systems and methods for the digital modelling and analysis of the global product development and realization process, in the context of lifecycle management.’ The principal aim of the DET concept is to provide a coherent context for the development and integration of the various digital technologies that underpin modern design and manufacturing. These technologies can be classified according to the following five key areas. 1. Distributed and collaborative design. 2. Process modelling and process planning. 3. Advanced factory design and modelling. 4. Physical-to-digital environment integrators–verification. 5. Enterprise integration technologies. This special issue is representative of the wide breadth of the DET concept including; a comprehensive review of digital engineering, design processes, digital modelling of machine tools, forming, robotics and machining processes, verification and metrology, and dynamic networks. It is particularly pleasing to see the development of metrology as a key aspect of modern manufacturing technology, linking design intent to process capability. The papers published herein will facilitate the exploration of new and evolving research concepts by the international research community and will influence the development of international standards for the application of DET technologies.

A new dynamic framework for managing ERP development and enterprise strategy

The enterprise management (EM) approach provides a holistic view of organizations and their related information systems. In order to align information technology (IT) innovation with global markets and volatile virtualization, traditional firms are seeking to reconstruct their enterprise structures alongside repositioning strategy and establish new information system (IS) architectures to transform from single autonomous entities into more open enterprises supported by new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. This chapter shows how ERP engage-abilities cater to three distinctive EM patterns and resultant strategies. The purpose is to examine the presumptions and importance of combing ERP and inter-firm relations relying on the virtual value chain concept. From a review of the literature on ERP development and enterprise strategy, exploratory inductive research studies in Zoomlion and Lanye have been conducted. In addition, the authors propose a dynamic conceptual framework to demonstrate the adoption and governance of ERP in the three enterprise management forms and points to a new architectural type (ERPIII) for operating in the virtual enterprise paradigm.

A framework for enabling dynamic e-business strategies via new enterprise paradigms and ERP solutions

In the global Internet economy, e-business as a driving force to redefine business models and operational processes is posing new challenges for traditional organizational structures and information system (IS) architectures. These are showing promises of a renewed period of innovative thinking in e-business strategies with new enterprise paradigms and different Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. In this chapter, the authors consider and investigate how dynamic e-business strategies, as the next evolutionary generation of e-business, can be realized through newly diverse enterprise structures supported by ERP, ERPII and so-called "ERPIII" solutions relying on the virtual value chain concept. Exploratory inductive multi-case studies in manufacturing and printing industries have been conducted. Additionally, it proposes a conceptual framework to discuss the adoption and governance of ERP systems within the context of three enterprise forms for enabling dynamic and collaborative e-business strategies, and particularly demonstrate how an enterprise can dynamically migrate from its current position to the patterns it desires to occupy in the future - a migration that must and will include dynamic e-business as a core competency, but that also relies heavily on ERP-based backbone and other robust technological platform and applications.

Meta level component-based framework for distributed computing systems

Adaptability for distributed object-oriented enterprise frameworks in multimedia technology is a critical mission for system evolution. Today, building adaptive services is a complex task due to lack of adequate framework support in the distributed computing systems. In this paper, we propose a Metalevel Component-Based Framework which uses distributed computing design patterns as components to develop an adaptable pattern-oriented framework for distributed computing applications. We describe our approach of combining a meta-architecture with a pattern-oriented framework, resulting in an adaptable framework which provides a mechanism to facilitate system evolution. This approach resolves the problem of dynamic adaptation in the framework, which is encountered in most distributed multimedia applications. The proposed architecture of the pattern-oriented framework has the abilities to dynamically adapt new design patterns to address issues in the domain of distributed computing and they can be woven together to shape the framework in future. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Knowledge management in support of enterprise risk management

Risk management and knowledge management have so far been studied almost independently. The evolution of risk management to the holistic view of Enterprise Risk Management requires the destruction of barriers between organizational silos and the exchange and application of knowledge from different risk management areas. However, knowledge management has received little or no attention in risk management. This paper examines possible relationships between knowledge management constructs related to knowledge sharing, and two risk management concepts: perceived quality of risk control and perceived value of enterprise risk management. From a literature review, relationships with eight knowledge management variables covering people, process and technology aspects were hypothesised. A survey was administered to risk management employees in financial institutions. The results showed that the perceived quality of risk control is significantly associated with four knowledge management variables: perceived quality of risk knowledge sharing, perceived quality of communication among people, web channel functionality, and risk management information system functionality. However, the relationships of the knowledge management variables to the perceived value of enterprise risk management are not significant. We conclude that better knowledge management is associated with better risk control, but that more effort needs to be made to break down organizational silos in order to support true Enterprise Risk Management.

Integrating ERP and enterprise social software

Purpose: This study explores the use of a hybrid ERP system, combining an ERP system with enterprise social software (ESS). The study will provide a critical assessment of the implementation of this process technology. Design/methodology/approach: Multiple case studies of organisations based in China were conducted to understand the use of ERP systems in different contexts. Following an evaluation of the context of each ERP implementation (within-case analysis) the research draws a cross-case conclusion that defines the nature of a hybrid ERP system and then synthesises the propositions related to the benefits and challenges of implementation. Findings We find that a hybrid ERP system is able to support efficiency in business process management and also provide a flexible response to changes in business requirements. It does this by allowing for the continued use of informal processes that cannot be incorporated into the ERP system. Practical implications: This research indicates how ERP systems in conjunction with ESS can provide a flexible response to changing business requirements and increase collaboration within the organisation. Key lessons include the need to perform informal activities under the guidance of managers and provide clear boundaries for the implementation of informal activities. Originality/Value: This study has found that the use of case studies can provide a valuable insight into the use of a hybrid ERP system from the perspective of its use within the organisation as a work system that requires an assessment of the context within which organisational members perform their work

Exploring the enterprise value of wikis through media choice theories

Wikis are quickly emerging as a new corporate medium for communication and collaboration. They allow dispersed groups of collaborators to asynchronously engage in persistent conversations, the result of which is stored on a common server as a single, shared truth. To gauge the enterprise value of wikis, the authors draw on Media Choice Theories (MCTs) as an evaluation framework. MCTs reveal core capabilities of communication media and their fit with the communication task. Based on the evaluation, the authors argue that wikis are equivalent or superior to existing asynchronous communication media in key characteristics. Additionally argued is the notion that wiki technology challenges some of the held beliefs of existing media choice theories, as wikis introduce media characteristics not previously envisioned. The authors thus predict a promising future for wiki use in enterprises.

Enterprise management and ERP development:case study of Zoomlion using dynamic enterprise reference grid

The enterprise management approach provides a holistic view of organizations and their related information systems. In order to cope with the globalization, virtualization, and volatile competitive environment, traditional firms are seeking to reconstruct their organizational structures and establish new IS architectures to transform from single autonomous entities into more open enterprises supported by new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. This paper reports on ERP engage-abilities within three different enterprise management patterns based on the theoretical foundations of the "Dynamic Enterprise Reference Grid". An exploratory inductive study in Zoomlion using the narrative research approach has been conducted. Also, this research delivers a conceptual framework to demonstrate the adoption of ERP in the three enterprise management structures and points to a new architectural type (ERPIII) for operating in the virtual enterprise paradigm. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.