Integrated information systems for a contract based company

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Complex Protection System of Metadata-based Distributed Information Systems

A description of architecture and approaches to the implementation of a protection system of metadatabased adaptable information systems is suggested. Various protection means are examined. The system described is a multilevel complex based on a multiagent system combining IDS functional abilities with structure and logics protection means.

Architecture and Implementation of Reporting Means in Adaptive Dynamically Extended Information Systems

This article describes architecture and implementation of subsystem intended for working with queries and reports in adaptive dynamically extended information systems able to dynamically extending. The main features of developed approach are application universality, user orientation and opportunity to integrate with external information systems. Software implementation is based on multilevel metadata approach.

About Methods of Mathematical Modelling in the Development of Information Systems

This article describes the approach, which allows to develop information systems without taking into consideration details of physical storage of the relational model and type database management system. Described in terms of graph model, this approach allows to construct several algorithms, for example, for verification application domain. This theory was introduced into operation testing as a part of CASE-system METAS.

Information Supply of Geo-information Systems for the Forecasting Problem of the Avalanche Danger

This article is dedicated to the vital problem of the creation of GIS-systems for the monitoring, prognostication and control of technogenic natural catastrophes. The decrease of risks, the protection of economic objects, averting the human victims, caused by the dynamism of avalanche centers, depends on the effectiveness of the prognostication procedures of avalanche danger used. In the article the structure of a prognostication subsystem information input is developed and the technology for the complex forecast of avalanche-prone situations is proposed.

Web-Based Information Systems in the Stock Market Financial Information Domain

The information domain is a recognised sphere for the influence, ownership, and control of information and it's specifications, format, exploitation and explanation (Thompson, 1967). The article presents a description of the financial information domain issues related to the organisation and operation of a stock market. We review the strategic, institutional and standards dimensions of the stock market information domain in relation to the current semantic web knowledge and how and whether this could be used in modern web based stock market information systems to provide the quality of information that their stakeholders want. The analysis is based on the FINE model (Blanas, 2003). The analysis leads to a number of research questions for future research.

Access Rights Inheritance in Information Systems Controlled by Metadata

All information systems have to be protected. As the number of information objects and the number of users increase the task of information system’s protection becomes more difficult. One of the most difficult problems is access rights assignment. This paper describes the graph model of access rights inheritance. This model takes into account relations and dependences between different objects and between different users. The model can be implemented in the information systems controlled by the metadata, describing information objects and connections between them, such as the systems based on CASE-technology METAS.

Automated Problem Domain Cognition Process in Information Systems Design

An automated cognitive approach for the design of Information Systems is presented. It is supposed to be used at the very beginning of the design process, between the stages of requirements determination and analysis, including the stage of analysis. In the context of the approach used either UML or ERD notations may be used for model representation. The approach provides the opportunity of using natural language text documents as a source of knowledge for automated problem domain model generation. It also simplifies the process of modelling by assisting the human user during the whole period of working upon the model (using UML or ERD notations).

An Architectural Model of Rights Management Framework for Information Systems

The demands towards the contemporary information systems are constantly increasing. In a dynamic business environment an organization has to be prepared for sudden growth, shrinking or other type of reorganization. Such change would bring the need of adaptation of the information system, servicing the company. The association of access rights to parts of the system with users, groups of users, user roles etc. is of great importance to defining the different activities in the company and the restrictions of the access rights for each employee, according to his status. The mechanisms for access rights management in a system are taken in account during the system design. In most cases they are build in the system. This paper offers an approach in user rights framework development that is applicable in information systems. This work presents a reusable extendable mechanism that can be integrated in information systems.

Integrating Moodle with University Information Systems

Report published in the Proceedings of the National Conference on "Education in the Information Society", Plovdiv, May, 2013

Creating Responsive Information Systems with the Help of SSADM

In this paper, a program for a research is outlined. Firstly, the concept of responsive information systems is defined and then the notion of the capacity planning and software performance engineering is clarified. Secondly, the purpose of the proposed methodology of capacity planning, the interface to information systems analysis and development methodologies (SSADM), the advantage of knowledge-based approach is discussed. The interfaces to CASE tools more precisely to data dictionaries or repositories (IRDS) are examined in the context of a certain systems analysis and design methodology (e.g. SSADM).

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.

Consequences of interorganizational information systems: An empirical investigation of the effects of EDI use on interorganizational relationships in the retail industry

This dissertation examines the consequences of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) use on interorganizational relations (IR) in the retail industry. EDI is a type of interorganizational information system that facilitates the exchange of business documents in structured, machine processable form. The research model links EDI use and three IR dimensions--structural, behavioral, and outcome. Based on relevant literature from organizational theory and marketing channels, fourteen hypotheses were proposed for the relationships among EDI use and the three IR dimensions.^ Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires from key informants in 97 retail companies (19% response rate). The hypotheses were tested using multiple regression analysis. The analysis supports the following hypothesis: (a) EDI use is positively related to information intensity and formalization, (b) formalization is positively related to cooperation, (c) information intensity is positively related to cooperation, (d) conflict is negatively related to performance and satisfaction, (e) cooperation is positively related to performance, and (f) performance is positively related to satisfaction. The results support the general premise of the model that the relationship between EDI use and satisfaction among channel members has to be viewed within an interorganizational context.^ Research on EDI is still in a nascent stage. By identifying and testing relevant interorganizational variables, this study offers insights for practitioners managing boundary-spanning activities in organizations using or planning to use EDI. Further, the thesis provides avenues for future research aimed at understanding the consequences of this interorganizational information technology. ^

Understanding the dynamics of information technology implementation: The case of clinical information systems

The ultimate intent of this dissertation was to broaden and strengthen our understanding of IT implementation by emphasizing research efforts on the dynamic nature of the implementation process. More specifically, efforts were directed toward opening the "black box" and providing the story that explains how and why contextual conditions and implementation tactics interact to produce project outcomes. In pursuit of this objective, the dissertation was aimed at theory building and adopted a case study methodology combining qualitative and quantitative evidence. Precisely, it examined the implementation process, use and consequences of three clinical information systems at Jackson Memorial Hospital, a large tertiary care teaching hospital.^ As a preliminary step toward the development of a more realistic model of system implementation, the study proposes a new set of research propositions reflecting the dynamic nature of the implementation process.^ Findings clearly reveal that successful implementation projects are likely to be those where key actors envision end goals, anticipate challenges ahead, and recognize the presence of and seize opportunities. It was also found that IT implementation is characterized by the systems theory of equifinality, that is, there are likely several equally effective ways to achieve a given end goal. The selection of a particular implementation strategy appears to be a rational process where actions and decisions are largely influenced by the degree to which key actors recognize the mediating role of each tactic and are motivated to action. The nature of the implementation process is also characterized by the concept of "duality of structure," that is, context and actions mutually influence each other. Another key finding suggests that there is no underlying program that regulates the process of change and moves it form one given point toward a subsequent and already prefigured end. For this reason, the implementation process cannot be thought of as a series of activities performed in a sequential manner such as conceived in stage models. Finally, it was found that IT implementation is punctuated by a certain indeterminacy. Results suggest that only when substantial efforts are focused on what to look for and think about, it is less likely that unfavorable and undesirable consequences will occur. ^

Managing conflict in user-oriented development environments: Effects on information systems success

Today, many organizations are turning to new approaches to building and maintaining information systems (I/S) to cope with a highly competitive business environment. Current anecdotal evidence indicates that the approaches being used improve the effectiveness of software development by encouraging active user participation throughout the development process. Unfortunately, very little is known about how the use of such approaches enhances the ability of team members to develop I/S that are responsive to changing business conditions.^ Drawing from predominant theories of organizational conflict, this study develops and tests a model of conflict among members of a development team. The model proposes that development approaches provide the relevant context conditioning the management and resolution of conflict in software development which, in turn, are crucial for the success of the development process.^ Empirical testing of the model was conducted using data collected through a combination of interviews with I/S executives and surveys of team members and business users at nine organizations. Results of path analysis provide support for the model's main prediction that integrative conflict management and distributive conflict management can contribute to I/S success by influencing differently the manifestation and resolution of conflict in software development. Further, analyses of variance indicate that object-oriented development, when compared to rapid and structured development, appears to produce the lowest levels of conflict management, conflict resolution, and I/S success.^ The proposed model and findings suggest academic implications for understanding the effects of different conflict management behaviors on software development outcomes, and practical implications for better managing the software development process, especially in user-oriented development environments. ^