Business information systems:technology, development and management in the E-business

Information technology is at the centre of today’s business environment. The increasing importance of e-commerce and the integration of information systems in all areas of a business means it is crucial for managers to understand and implement IS (information systems). This major text, now in its second edition, provides the skills and knowledge necessary to choose the right systems, and to develop and manage them effectively. Business Information Systems: Technology, Development and Management assumes no prior knowledge of IS or IT, and emphasises the importance of IS to management decision making. It takes a 3 part structure: Part One covers hardware and software technologies; Part Two looks at information systems analysis and design; and Part Three describes the strategic management of IS. This successful format allows each section to be studied alongside individual modules, and enables students to focus clearly on specific areas and use the book for more than one course. This book is suitable for college students, undergraduate degree and postgraduate students taking courses with modules in the practical IT skills of selection, implementation, management and use of BIS. The practical sections are also of use to managers in industry involved in the development and use of IS.

The evolution of logistics service providers and the role of Internet-based applications in facilitating global operations

The need for global logistics services has increased dramatically and become extremely complex and dynamic as a result of a number of changes in manufacturing and in industrial production. In response, the logistics industry is changing in a variety of ways, including mergers to form integrated transportation service providers, outsourcing and increased use of information technology. The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the evolution and the most important trends in the logistics services provider (LSP) industry. Specific emphasis will be given to the role of Internet-based applications. Within this context, the chapter will also present the role of logistics e-marketplaces. In particular, based on the secondary research of currently existing logistics on-line marketplaces, an analysis and classification of them is provided with the aim of identifying service gaps. The analysis reveals that logistics electronic marketplaces, despite the increased range of services currently offered, still face limitations with reference to integrated customs links or translation services, which both reduce the efficiency of global operations.

A case study analysis on information and communication technology usage in small logistics service companies

The impact of ICT (information and communications technology) on the logistics service industry is reshaping its organisation and structure. Within this process, the nature of changes resulting from ICT dissemination in small 3PLs (third party logistics providers) is still unclear, although a large number of logistics service markets, especially in the EU context, are populated by a high number of small 3PLs. In addition, there is still a gap in the literature where the role of technological capability in small 3PLs is seriously underestimated. This gives rise to the need to develop investigation in this area. The paper presents the preliminary results of a case study analysis on ICT usage in a sample of 7 small Italian 3PLs. The results highlight some of the barriers to effective ICT implementation, as well as some of the critical success factors.

How to Use a Desktop Version of a DBMS for Client-Server Applications

DBMS (Data base management systems) still have a very high price for small and middle enterprises in Bulgaria. Desktop versions are free but they cannot function in multi-user environment. We will try to make an application server which will make a Desktop version of a DBMS open to many users. Thus, this approach will be appropriate for client-server applications. The author of the article gives a concise observation of the problem and a possible way of solution.

Viable Model of the Enterprise – a Cybernetic Approach for Implementing the Information Technologies in Management

The purpose of the current paper is to present the developed methodology of viable model based enterprise management, which is needed for modern enterprises to survive and growth in the information age century. The approach is based on Beer’s viable system model and uses it as a basis of the information technology implementation and development. The enterprise is viewed as a cybernetic system which functioning is controlled from the same rules as for every living system.

Social construction of Geographic Information Systems. (Volumes I and II)

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is an emerging information technology (IT) which promises to have large scale influences in how spatially distributed resources are managed. It has had applications in the management of issues as diverse as recovering from the disaster of Hurricane Andrew to aiding military operations in Desert Storm. Implementation of GIS systems is an important issue because there are high cost and time involvement in setting them up. An important component of the implementation problem is the "meaning" different groups of people who are influencing the implementation give to the technology. The research was based on the theory of (theoretical stance to the problem was based on the) "Social Construction of Knowledge" systems which assumes knowledge systems are subject to sociological analysis both in usage and in content. An interpretive research approach was adopted to inductively derive a model which explains how the "meanings" of a GIS are socially constructed. The research design entailed a comparative case analysis over two county sites which were using the same GIS for a variety of purposes. A total of 75 in-depth interviews were conducted to elicit interpretations of GIS. Results indicate that differences in how geographers and data-processors view the technology lead to different implementation patterns in the two sites.

Development and verification of control and protection strategies in hybrid AC/DC power systems for smart grid applications

Modern power networks incorporate communications and information technology infrastructure into the electrical power system to create a smart grid in terms of control and operation. The smart grid enables real-time communication and control between consumers and utility companies allowing suppliers to optimize energy usage based on price preference and system technical issues. The smart grid design aims to provide overall power system monitoring, create protection and control strategies to maintain system performance, stability and security. This dissertation contributed to the development of a unique and novel smart grid test-bed laboratory with integrated monitoring, protection and control systems. This test-bed was used as a platform to test the smart grid operational ideas developed here. The implementation of this system in the real-time software creates an environment for studying, implementing and verifying novel control and protection schemes developed in this dissertation. Phasor measurement techniques were developed using the available Data Acquisition (DAQ) devices in order to monitor all points in the power system in real time. This provides a practical view of system parameter changes, system abnormal conditions and its stability and security information system. These developments provide valuable measurements for technical power system operators in the energy control centers. Phasor Measurement technology is an excellent solution for improving system planning, operation and energy trading in addition to enabling advanced applications in Wide Area Monitoring, Protection and Control (WAMPAC). Moreover, a virtual protection system was developed and implemented in the smart grid laboratory with integrated functionality for wide area applications. Experiments and procedures were developed in the system in order to detect the system abnormal conditions and apply proper remedies to heal the system. A design for DC microgrid was developed to integrate it to the AC system with appropriate control capability. This system represents realistic hybrid AC/DC microgrids connectivity to the AC side to study the use of such architecture in system operation to help remedy system abnormal conditions. In addition, this dissertation explored the challenges and feasibility of the implementation of real-time system analysis features in order to monitor the system security and stability measures. These indices are measured experimentally during the operation of the developed hybrid AC/DC microgrids. Furthermore, a real-time optimal power flow system was implemented to optimally manage the power sharing between AC generators and DC side resources. A study relating to real-time energy management algorithm in hybrid microgrids was performed to evaluate the effects of using energy storage resources and their use in mitigating heavy load impacts on system stability and operational security.

Assessing an automated, information -sharing technology in the post "9 -11" era: Do local law enforcement officers think it meets their needs?

In the wake of the “9-11” terrorists' attacks, the U.S. Government has turned to information technology (IT) to address a lack of information sharing among law enforcement agencies. This research determined if and how information-sharing technology helps law enforcement by examining the differences in perception of the value of IT between law enforcement officers who have access to automated regional information sharing and those who do not. It also examined the effect of potential intervening variables such as user characteristics, training, and experience, on the officers' evaluation of IT. The sample was limited to 588 officers from two sheriff's offices; one of them (the study group) uses information sharing technology, the other (the comparison group) does not. Triangulated methodologies included surveys, interviews, direct observation, and a review of agency records. Data analysis involved the following statistical methods: descriptive statistics, Chi-Square, factor analysis, principal component analysis, Cronbach's Alpha, Mann-Whitney tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Scheffe' post hoc analysis. ^ Results indicated a significant difference between groups: the study group perceived information sharing technology as being a greater factor in solving crime and in increasing officer productivity. The study group was more satisfied with the data available to it. As to the number of arrests made, information sharing technology did not make a difference. Analysis of the potential intervening variables revealed several remarkable results. The presence of a strong performance management imperative (in the comparison sheriff's office) appeared to be a factor in case clearances and arrests, technology notwithstanding. As to the influence of user characteristics, level of education did not influence a user's satisfaction with technology, but user-satisfaction scores differed significantly among years of experience as a law enforcement officer and the amount of computer training, suggesting a significant but weak relationship. ^ Therefore, this study finds that information sharing technology assists law enforcement officers in doing their jobs. It also suggests that other variables such as computer training, experience, and management climate should be accounted for when assessing the impact of information technology. ^

Better primer design for metagenomics applications by increasing taxonomic distinguishability

Current methods of understanding microbiome composition and structure rely on accurately estimating the number of distinct species and their relative abundance. Most of these methods require an efficient PCR whose forward and reverse primers bind well to the same, large number of identifiable species, and produce amplicons that are unique. It is therefore not surprising that currently used universal primers designed many years ago are not as efficient and fail to bind to recently cataloged species. We propose an automated general method of designing PCR primer pairs that abide by primer design rules and uses current sequence database as input. Since the method is automated, primers can be designed for targeted microbial species or updated as species are added or deleted from the database. In silico experiments and laboratory experiments confirm the efficacy of the newly designed primers for metagenomics applications.

Review of virtual power plant applications for the power system management and V2G market development

Utilization of renewable energy sources and energy storage systems is increasing with fostering new policies on energy industries. However, the increase of distributed generation hinders the reliability of power systems. In order to stabilize them, a virtual power plant emerges as a novel power grid management system. The VPP has a role to make a participation of different distributed energy resources and energy storage systems. This paper defines core technology of the VPP which are demand response and ancillary service concerning about Korea, America and Europe cases. It also suggests application solutions of the VPP to V2G market for restructuring national power industries in Korea.