bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IT Applications for Medical Services in Japan
Authors: Yamamoto Susumu
Published: May 2010

The Information Technology (IT) application for medical services has developed in line with two major national level factors. One was the “E-Japan Project” which was proposed and implemented to revitalise the Japanese economy by introducing IT to a wide range of industries and sectors of the society and by promoting establishment of so-called IT infrastructure. The other was serious concern over the fast rising healthcare expenses in the country in the face of the coming aging society. First, the major efforts were, therefore, made for productivity improvement and const reduction in the health insurance bill claiming procedure and other related fields. These initiatives were followed by construction of medical information sharing and processing system first, and then developed further for regional collaborations among medical institutions. Other examples of the IT applications in the medical services can be found telemedicine to cope with the serious shortage of medical doctors.
Supervised and Unsupervised Information Granulation
Authors: Bargiela Andrzej , Pedrycz Witold
Published: May 2010

In this study, we are concerned with information granulation realized both in supervised and unsupervised mode. Our focus is on the exploitation of the technology of hyperboxes and fuzzy sets as a fundamental conceptual vehicle of information granulation. In case of supervised learning (classification), each class is described by one or more fuzzy hyperboxes defined by their corresponding minimumand maximum vertices and the corresponding hyperbox membership function. Two types of hyperboxes are formed, namely inclusion hyperboxes that contain input patterns belonging to the same class, and exclusion hyperboxes that contain patterns belonging to two or more classes, thus representing contentious areas of the pattern space. With these two types of hyperboxes each class fuzzy set is represented as a union of inclusion hyperboxes of the same class minus a union of exclusion hyperboxes. The subtraction of sets provides for efficient representation of complex topologies of pattern classes without resorting to a large number of small hyperboxes to describe each class. The proposed fuzzy hyperbox classification is compared to the original Min-Max Neural Network and the General Fuzzy Min-Max Neural Network and the origins of the improved performance of the proposed classification are identified. When it comes to the unsupervised mode of learning, we revisit a well-known method of Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) by incorporating Tchebyschev distance using which we naturally form hyperbox-like prototypes. The design of hyperbox information granules is presented and the constructs formed in this manner are evaluated with respect to their abilities to capture the structure of data.
Granular Computing Based Data Mining in the Views of Rough Set and Fuzzy Set
Authors: Wang Guoyin , Hu Jun , Zhang Qinghua , Liu Xianquan , Zhou Jiaqing
Published: May 2010

Granular computing (GrC) is a label of theories, methodologies, techniques, and tools that make use of granules in the process of problem solving. The philosophy of granular computing has appeared in many fields, and it is likely playing a more and more important role in data mining. Rough set theory and fuzzy set theory, as two very important paradigms of granular computing, are often used to process vague information in data mining. In this chapter, based on the opinion of data is also a format for knowledge representation, a new understanding for data mining, domain-oriented data-driven data mining (3DM), is introduced at first. Its key idea is that data mining is a process of knowledge transformation. Then, the relationship of 3DM and GrC, especially from the view of rough set and fuzzy set, is discussed. Finally, some examples are used to illustrate how to solve real problems in data mining using granular computing. Combining rough set theory and fuzzy set theory, a flexible way for processing incomplete information systems is introduced firstly. Then, the uncertainty measure of covering based rough set is studied by converting a covering into a partition using an equivalence domain relation. Thirdly, a high efficient attribute reduction algorithm is developed by translating set operation of granules into logical operation of bit strings with bitmap technology. Finally, two rule generation algorithms are introduced, and experiment results show that the rule sets generated by these two algorithms are simpler than other similar algorithms.
Rough Entropy Clustering Algorithm in Image Segmentation
Authors: Malyszko Dariusz , Stepaniuk Jaroslaw
Published: May 2010

Clustering understood as a data grouping technique represents fundamental procedures in image processing. The present chapter’s concerns are combining the concept of rough sets and entropy measures in the area of image segmentation. In this context, comprehensive investigations into rough set entropy based clustering image segmentation techniques have been performed. Segmentation presents low-level image transformation routines concerned with image partitioning into distinct disjoint and homogenous regions. In the area of segmentation routines, threshold based algorithms and clustering algorithms most often are applied in practical solutions when there is a pressing need for simplicity and robustness. Rough entropy threshold based segmentation algorithms simultaneously combine optimal threshold determination with rough region approximations and region entropy measures. In the present chapter, new algorithmic schemes RECA in the area of rough entropy based partitioning routines have been proposed. Rough entropy clustering incorporates the notion of rough entropy into clustering models, taking advantage of dealing with some degree of uncertainty in analyzed data. RECA algorithmic schemes performed usually equally robust compared to standard k-means algorithms. At the same time, in many runs they yielded slightly better performances making possible future implementation in clustering applications.
Assessing Electronic Government Readiness in Egypt
Authors: Azab Nahed Amin
Published: May 2010

Electronic Government (e-Government) has rapidly become a political imperative at local, national and international level. The drive to implement e-government has become of critical importance globally. The e-government revolution offers the potential to reshape the public sector and remake the relationship between citizens and government. Several developing nations, including Egypt, having witnessed the benefits realized by e-Government in developed countries, took e-Government initiatives and achieved different success rates. It is frequently claimed that proving an effective e-government assessment framework is a necessary condition for advancing e-Government. The objective of this chapter is to present a framework that assesses e-Government readiness (EGR) in Egypt, focusing on electronic administration (e-Administration) within a public organization through obtaining its employees’ feedback. The suggested framework investigates the internal factors affecting e-Government readiness which are: strategy, processes, people, and technology. The chapter applies this framework on 2 public organizations in Egypt to test it and to set a comparison between both organizations in terms of the internal factors effect on e-Government readiness.
Business Models for Development
Authors: Qureshi Sajda , Keen Peter , Kamal Mehruz
Published: May 2010

Organizations are increasingly inter-connected as they source talent, goods and services from other organizations located in disparate parts of the world and enable social and economic development to take place. They seek new ways of creating value for themselves, customers and partners, increasingly operating outside and across traditional industry boundaries and definitions. These innovations have lead to a focus on business models as a fundamental statement of direction and identity as they enable development to take place. This chapter considers the fundamental tenets of the business model concept and ways in which value can be created for development efforts. The contribution of this chapter is the application of Global Capability Sourcing Model to enable businesses to compete globally. This chapter concludes with insights into the sustainability of business models for development.
Financial Aspects of National ICT Strategies
Authors: Kirlidog Melih
Published: May 2010

All developing and industrialized countries strive to get benefits of information society and to this end almost all of them have developed strategies for effective utilization and development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). These strategies usually require substantial funds from domestic and international sources and national strategy documents usually pronounce the possible sources of these funds. This chapter analyzes the types of these sources for several countries.
An Integrated Framework for Fuzzy Classification and Analysis of Gene Expression Data
Authors: Khabbaz Mohammad , Kianmehr Keivan , Alshalalfa Mohammad , Alhajj Reda
Published: May 2010

This chapter takes advantage of using fuzzy classifier rules to capture the correlations between genes. The main motivation to conduct this study is that a fuzzy classifier rule is essentially an “if-then” rule that contains linguistic terms to represent the feature values. This representation of a rule that demonstrates the correlations among the genes is very simple to understand and interpret for domain experts. In this proposed gene selection procedure, instead of measuring the effectiveness of every single gene for building the classifier model, the authors incorporate the impotence of a gene correlation with other existing genes in the process of gene selection. That is, a gene is rejected if it is not in a significant correlation with other genes in the dataset. Furthermore, in order to improve the reliability of this approach, the process is repeated several times in these experiments, and the genes reported as the result are the genes selected in most experiments. This chapter reports test results on ?ve datasets and analyzes the achieved results from biological perspective.
PAKDD-2007
Authors: Van de Merckt Thierry , Chevalier Jean-François
Published: May 2010

This chapter presents VADIS Consulting’s solution for the cross-selling problem of the PAKDD_2007 competition. For this competition, the authors have used their in-house developed tool RANK, which automates a lot of important tasks that must be done to provide a good solution for predictive modelling projects. It was for them a way of benchmarking their 3 years of investment effort against other tools and techniques. RANK encodes some important steps of the CRISP-DM methodology: Data Quality Audit, Data Transformation, Modelling, and Evaluation. The authors have used RANK as they would do in a normal project, however with much less access to the business information, and hence the task was quite elementary: they have audited the data quality and found some problems that were further corrected, they have then let RANK build a model by applying its standard recoding, and then applied automatic statistical evaluation for variable selection and pruning. The result was not extremely good in terms of prediction, but the model was extremely stable, which is what the authors were looking for.
Selecting Salient Features and Samples Simultaneously to Enhance Cross-Selling Model Performance
Authors: Qiu Dehong , Wang Ye , Zhang Qifeng
Published: May 2010

The task of the 2007 PAKDD competition was to help a finance company to build a cross-selling model to score the propensity of a credit card customer to take up a home loan. The present work tries to increase the prediction accuracy and enhance the model comprehensibility through efficiently selecting features and samples simultaneously. A new framework that coordinates feature selection and sample selection together is built. The criteria of optimal feature selection and the method of sample selection are designed. Experiments show that the new algorithm not only raises the value of the area under ROC curves, but also reveals more valuable business insights.
A Perspective on the Credibility Engineering of Web Applications
Authors: Kamthan Pankaj
Published: May 2010

The social aspects pertaining to a service provided by an organization are at least as significant as the technical aspects. The issue of credibility is a growing concern for the consumers of (persuasive) Web Applications in a variety of domains. Therefore, understanding the notion of credibility and addressing it systematically is crucial for an organization’s reputation. In this chapter, based on a given taxonomy of credibility, an approach to address one class of credibility, namely the Active Credibility, of Web Applications is considered. To that regard, a viewpoint-oriented framework for the active credibility engineering of Web Applications is proposed, and the managerial, societal, and technical viewpoints of it are analyzed in some detail. A few directions for extending the framework are outlined.
Techniques for the Generation of 3D Finite Element Meshes of Human Organs
Authors: LOBOS C. , PAYAN Y. , HITSCHFELD N.
Published: May 2010

The Finite Element Method (FEM) is probably the most used technique to model the mechanic properties of a body. The method needs a subdivision of the body (or domain) to be simulated in simpler geometrical structures. This subdivision is known as a mesh. This chapter gives a short introduction to the FEM, then continues with the most important aspects to consider for choosing a mesh like, element type, quality and node density. Finally this chapter reviews several meshing techniques currently used in the medical-field simulations. The techniques are classified and compared.
The Use of Three-Dimensional Reconstructions in the Diagnosis of Impacted Teeth
Authors: Bornstein M. M. , Pazera P. , Katsaros C.
Published: May 2010

Numerous efforts have been made towards three-dimensional (3D) radiographic imaging in all fields of dentistry, ranging from oral surgery to orthodontics. Although computerized tomography (CT) has been available for quite some time now, its use in dentistry has always been limited because of cost, access, and dose considerations. In orthodontics, diagnosis and treatment planning has been based traditionally on 2D imaging, mainly cephalometric and panoramic radiographs. The introduction of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) represented a true revolution in dento-maxillofacial radiology, and a shift from 2D to 3D data acquisition, image reconstruction, and visualization. Therefore, CBCT has now been introduced in different areas of orthodontic diagnostic procedures and treatment planning: Evaluation of cleft palate patients, airway and soft tissue analysis, temporomandibular joint morphology assessment, diagnosis of bony asymmetry, localization of impacted teeth and detection of resorption of adjacent teeth. This book chapter gives an overview of the current literature regarding the present use of CBCT in the localization of impacted teeth for orthodontic purposes. The potential, advantages and disadvantages in the diagnosis of impacted teeth will be discussed, also using case examples from the clinical practice.
Introduction
Authors: Córdoba José-Rodrigo , Ochoa-Arias Alejandro
Published: May 2010

This chapter gives an overview of the phenomenon of e-government within the context of the information society. The importance of values, critical thinking and boundaries is raised for the study of this phenomenon. The chapter offers a critical appreciation of the dominant discourse of e-government to open up new possibilities for enquiry, intervention and citizenship.
A Holistic Approach to E-Government
Authors: Espinosa Angela , Al-Maimani Ahmed S.
Published: May 2010

This chapter presents an example of ongoing action research, which uses systemic approaches to diagnose and design a Knowledge Management strategy for the Public Sector in Oman. Based on previous research concerning contributions of holistic approaches to e-government, it describes a framework for supporting an e-government program, based on generic systemic and cybernetic principles. The primary value of this chapter lies in its account of the ongoing experimentation with innovative holistic approaches to e-government. The results contribute to the practice of e-government by supporting more effective and robust e-government programs. The suggested framework also provides a basis for future empirical studies on the relationship between e-government strategies and organisational and Knowledge Management effectiveness.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Government
Authors: Ochoa-Arias Alejandro , Petrizzo Mariángela
Published: May 2010

This chapter re-interprets the development of electronic participation and electronic government in the context of an alternative ideology. Bringing back the critique of previous chapters about government as a technology, the chapter shows how it is possible to generate new and socially oriented spaces for democratic processes in which technologies are tools for transformation. This requires expanding the concept of citizenship, of the state and of society.
Intelligent Control Theory and Technologies
Authors: Zhou Zude , Wang Huaiqing , Lou Ping
Published: May 2010

In the previous chapters, the theoretical and technological foundations of MI have been investigated, they include, knowledge-based system, multi-agent system, data mining and knowledge discovery, computing intelligence, process and system modeling, sensor integration and data fusion, and group technologies. As another very important branch of MI, intelligent control theory and technology will be discussed in this chapter. The chapter should be viewed as a resource for those in the early stages of considering the development and implementation of intelligent controllers for industrial applications. It is impossible to provide the full details of a field as large and diverse as intelligent control in a single chapter. Hence, the focus is placed on the fundamental ideas that have been found most useful in industry.
Intelligent Diagnosis and Maintenance
Authors: Zhou Zude , Wang Huaiqing , Lou Ping
Published: May 2010

Nowadays, intelligent diagnosis for the complex system has been a forefront of issue. The application of the artificial-intelligent technology has made the dream of using men’s knowledge to diagnose the complex system, and improves it up to a new grade. Traditional diagnosis is up to technical engineer experience to estimate equipment’s status, and make a judgment; this way has many limitations and little efficiency, with the increase of complexness of the equipment, there have to get some more effective methods. In 1980s, some experts have researched on the diagnosis system using intelligent technology. With the development of computer and network technology, intelligent technology has better support platform. Experts have researched on different branches of diagnosis technology and used these ideas into diagnosis system (Wu J.P. & Xiao J.G., 1997). As the developing of Internet, all equipments have been cyber and connected to network. More and more system is consists of multiple devices and have the characteristic of the distribution. In this case, remote diagnosis system gets more attentions because of its unmatched benefits. In the remote diagnosis system, the technology of multiple agent or called multi-agent often be used to resolve difficult diagnosis problems. Intelligent diagnosis is the develop trend that could perform intelligent maintenance in a high level of efficiency. Researching on intelligent diagnosis and applying it have significant meaning. Definition and development of diagnosis is introduced in this chapter firstly, which including different branch and fussing with other area. The advantage and shortage of different technology also be introduced. Then the remote diagnosis on network is discussed. The theory and development of Multi-agent based remote diagnosis technology is also presented. The trend and scene is been bring on finally.
Forecast Analysis for Sales in Large-Scale Retail Trade
Authors: Nanni Mirco , Spinsanti Laura
Published: May 2010

In large-scale retail trade, a very significant problem consists in analyzing the response of clients to product promotions. The aim of the project described in this work is the extraction of forecasting models able to estimate the volume of sales involving a product under promotion, together with a prediction of the risk of out of stock events, in which case the sales forecast should be considered potentially underestimated. Our approach consists in developing a multi-class classifier with ordinal classes (lower classes represent smaller numbers of items sold) as opposed to more traditional approaches that translate the problem to a binary-class classification. In order to do that, a proper discretization of sales values is studied, and ad hoc quality measures are provided in order to evaluate the accuracy of forecast models taking into consideration the order of classes. Finally, an overall system for end users is sketched, where the forecasting functionalities are organized in an integrated dashboard.
Data Mining and the Project Management Environment
Authors: Camilleri Emanuel
Published: May 2010

The chapter illustrates how data mining and knowledge management concepts may be applied in a project oriented environment for both the private and public sectors. It identifies the project environment success roadmap that consists of four levels leading to project corporate success. Processes that control the dataflow for generating the projects data warehouse are identified and the projects data warehouse contents are defined. The rest of the chapter shows how data mining may be utilised at each project success level to increase the chances of delivering profitable projects that will have the intended impact on the corporate business strategy. The general conclusion is that there is a need to structure and prioritise information for specific end-user problems and to address a number of organizational issues that may facilitate the application of data mining and knowledge management in a project oriented environment. Finally, the chapter concludes by identifying the issues that need to be addressed by private and public sector organizations so that data mining may be utilised successfully in their decision making process.
US and EU Regulatory Competition and Authentication Standards in Electronic Commerce
Authors: Winn Jane K.
Published: May 2010

This chapter examines the role of law reform in promoting the development of technical standards for the authentication of parties engaged in Internet commerce. Law reforms intended to improve the security of Internet commerce can only succeed if they address business, technical and legal issues simultaneously. The EU has used commercial law reform and formal standard development to coordinate work on authentication standards, while the US has allowed the market to determine what type of authentication technology is appropriate and has left the development of standards to private consortia. While the EU approach may solve collective action problems more effectively, the US approach may discover end user requirements and may allow business judgments about risk to inform the law more effectively. Neither approach has yet resolved the authentication problems facing businesses engaged in online commerce.
Threat Modeling
Authors: Srivastava Nishtha , Gupta Sumeet , Mathur Mayank
Published: May 2010

This research work proposes a threat modeling approach for Web 2.0 applications. The authors’ approach is based on applying informal method of threat modeling for Web 2.0 applications. Traditional enterprises are skeptical in adopting Web 2.0 applications for internal and commercial use in public-facing situations, with customers and partners. One of the prime concerns for this is lack of security over public networks. Threat modeling is a technique for complete analysis and review of security aspects of application. The authors will show why existing threat modeling approaches cannot be applied to Web 2.0 applications, and how their new approach is a simple way of applying threat modeling to Web 2.0 applications.
Making Collaborative Writing Decisions Virtually
Authors: Idoura Alexia P.
Published: May 2010

When it comes to team decision making, people are more likely to carry out decisions they have helped make (Weisbord, 1987). However, some key decision-making differences in roles, processes, and tools between virtual and traditional writing teams exist. This chapter uses the experiences of Symantec in making decisions, such as the decision for purchasing a content management system (CMS), for how people can make decisions in virtual settings. In particular, this chapter examines how virtual writing teams move through the decision-making process: knowing who has authority, deciding how to decide, using the right decision-making model for a particular decision, doing the groundwork, sharing the information, evaluating the information and making the decision, capturing the decision in a place available to all, and following up on decisions and resulting actions. It also provides a list of tools that can help when making decisions virtually. Finally, keeping the audience—readers or product users—in mind throughout the decision-making process can assist with all of these tasks by keeping decision makers focused on those who most benefit or suffer from writing-based decisions.
Using Standards to Promote Collaboration among Writers
Authors: Baril France
Published: May 2010

Unlike mathematicians who have a quasi-universal language for expressing formulas and other mathematical expressions, writers can express ideas in many different ways. Differences in style appear at multiple levels: in the section and chapter organizational patterns, in the syntax, in the complexity of the vocabulary, and in formatting. Consistency is required to produce publications of quality in a collaborative environment; moreover, writers must find efficient ways to collaborate as a team. This chapter explores the methods, advantages, and challenges of developing standards—rules related to content, work processes, and the choice and configuration of tools to support collaborative writing and content reuse in virtual environments.
The Mutual Presence of RP-7 and the Future of Virtual Collaborative Writing
Authors: Overbey David W.
Published: May 2010

This chapter examines virtual collaboration, including the production and use of writing, between doctors at different hospitals mediated by RP-7, a robot that enables a specialist at one hospital to evaluate the vital signs of and provide diagnosis for a patient at another hospital. Analysis of RP-7 is situated in a theoretical deliberation about the shift from print to digital texts and technologies. I argue that a consequence of this shift is the loss of mutual presence—the alignment of materiality, practice, and expertise—in the production and use of texts. This alignment is transparent and intrinsic to print texts but is lost in digital environments precisely because they afford access to texts irrespective of a user’s background, location, or access to and familiarity with other tools, technologies, or workplaces. Study of the writing used and generated during the collaboration between doctors mediated by RP-7 is grounds for the claim that the future of virtual collaborative writing in professional contexts will involve the re-alignment of mutual presence. In other words, the success of digital writing technologies in social practice will depend on the extent to which they bare similarity to, rather than differ from, print texts and technologies. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the value of this research to both academia and industry.
Collaborating Virtually to Develop This Book
Authors: Robidoux Charlotte , Hewett Beth L.
Published: May 2010

The focus of this chapter is to describe how the writers and editors of this book attempted to employ virtual collaborative writing strategies, including those described throughout this text, in the process of developing and writing this book. This discussion reflects on the processes the writers of this book used to write collaboratively in a virtual environment, as well as strategies and tools that facilitated or hindered their efforts. The discussion draws on the six principles underlying virtual collaborative writing to evaluate the experience of using technology to develop content collaboratively. In so doing, the writers present recommendations that workplace teams can use to manage virtual collaborative writing more effectively. This chapter provides practical examples of success and failure that can guide professionals committed to improving virtual collaborative writing in range of workplace environments. These experiences point to lessons for improving overall performance— whether teams are just forming, looking for ways to manage or plan collaborative writing projects, confused about making decisions virtually, or in search of standards and processes that enable virtual collaborative writing.
The Feature Extraction Algorithm for the Production of Emotions in Text-to-Speech (TTS) System for an Indian Regional Language
Authors: Kallimani Jagadish S , Ananthashayana V. K , Goswami Debjani
Published: May 2010

Text-to-speech synthesis is a complex combination of language processing, signal processing and computer science. Ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) is a post-desktop model of human-computer interaction in which information processing has been thoroughly integrated into everyday objects and activities. Speech synthesis is the generation of synthesized speech from text. This chapter deals with the development of a Text to Speech (TTS) Synthesis system for an Indian regional language by considering Bengali as the language. This chapter highlights various methods which may be used for speech synthesis and also it provides an overview on the problems and difficulties in Bengali text to speech conversion. Variations in the prosody (speech parameters – volume, pitch, intonation, amplitude) of the speech yields the emotional aspects (anger, happy, normal), which are applied to our developed TTS system.
Internationalization Strategy in New E-Ventures
Authors: Soto María Gracia García , Cabrera Antonia Mercedes García
Published: May 2010

Recent literature highlights the fact that research in the fields of internationalization and entrepreneurship appears to overlook the internal and external context in which the international strategies are conceived. That oversight occurs even though the international activity of new ventures needs to be understood within the context and requirements of the respective industry. That gap is accentuated when we focus our interest on the electronic business industry since the literature contains no models conceived to explain the advantage and the process of the internationalization of new e-ventures. This work contributes to filling that gap by answering two basic questions: (1) what is it about e-ventures that allows them to compete globally? and (2) what is it about e-ventures that makes it a specific mix of strategy shaping processes necessary to formulate a born global strategy?
The Role of Creativity (And Creative Behaviour) In Identifying Entrepreneurs
Authors: Richards Debbie , Busch Peter , Bilgin Ayse
Published: May 2010

As the importance of creativity and in turn innovation for individuals, organizations, nations and the global community as a whole becomes recognized, so too does the value of identifying those individuals with the potential to become entrepreneurs. The nature of creative knowledge is such that it draws typically upon both codified and tacit forms of knowledge, to which end an instrument is presented based on workplace scenarios combined with a number of psychometric tests. With opportunities for innovation afforded by the internet, the identification and development of a new breed of individuals known as e-entrepreneurs seems particularly worthwhile. Thus in this study we have focused on scenarios within the field of information and communication technology. Results indicate innovators may present multiple personality styles which offer strengths to entrepreneurial activities. Finally through identification of creative personnel our approach offers a way for organizations to cultivate promising entrepreneurs.
Enterprise Resource Planning
Authors: Thomson John Douglas
Published: May 2010

The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) entrepreneurial venture challenge for the innovators was to develop an ERP database using standard generic database software within existing resources and available data at lowest cost in minimum time. The generic ERP database model so developed was completed as a part time task by two innovative entrepreneurs over twelve months for the Australian Department of Defense. They used standard generic database software, existing data, with no additional resources or external consultants. This action research was undertaken on a longitudinal basis by the two entrepreneurs networking closely with the many internal and external stakeholders. The Australian Department of Defense is a complex, high tech Australian Federal Government Department of around 90,000 employees. In 2008-09 the Australian Department of Defense will spend more than $9.6 billion acquiring and sustaining military equipment and services, and will employ over 7,500 people in more than 40 locations around Australia and overseas (Department of Defense, 2009). This comprises the procurement of defense capability products (goods and services) and their support and maintenance from almost every industry sector, on a global basis. Hundreds of small to large enterprises are dependent on the Australian Department of Defense for such orders. The anticipation of the developers of the ERP database was that this entrepreneurial venture could not only help the Australian Department of Defense become an inclusive knowledge based learning society, but subsequently provide an inexpensive database model for other organizations, large or small.
Managing Customer-Centric Information
Authors: Fellenz Martin R. , Brady Mairead
Published: May 2010

Despite a long history of business-orientated information and communication technology (ICT) deployment, contemporary organizations continue to struggle with customer-centric implementation of new technologies that are profitable and contribute to sustainable service business success. This chapter reviews the difficulties inherent in using ICTs to manage customer-related information, and identifies the particular challenges for customer-centric deployment of ICTs. It provides a model of different levels of customer centric information use in organizations which helps understand how companies can become more customer centric in their information use. It reviews implications for future research in this emerging area and concludes that the challenges of ICT deployment and use must be addressed with an uncompromising focus on customer value as the central principle of both ICT design and deployment, and of information management in service organizations.
Computational Intelligence for Information Technology Project Management
Authors: Hammell Robert J. , Hoksbergen Julie , Wood James , Christensen Mark
Published: May 2010

With the growing complexity of information technology (IT) projects, the management of these projects is proving to be a daunting task. The magnitude of this problem is underscored by the assertion that approximately 70% of IT projects fail to meet their objectives (Lewis, 2007). Computational intelligence (CI) is an area of research focused on developing intelligent systems to help with complex problems. Specifically, CI seeks to integrate techniques and methodologies to assist in problem domains in which information, data and perhaps even the problem itself are vague, approximate, and uncertain. It would seem that research aimed at leveraging the power of CI against IT project management problems is critical if IT project success rates are to be improved. This work examines the core CI technologies – fuzzy logic, neural networks, and genetic algorithms – and looks at current and potential future applications of these techniques to assist IT project managers.
Managing Risk in Virtual Enterprise Networks
Authors: Dani Samir
Published: May 2010

A virtual enterprise is a temporary relationship of participating members, which is formed for a specific objective or project and dissolved once the objective or project is fulfilled. The temporary nature of the relationship and the informal structure of the network can be the source of various challenges and risks. This chapter reviews the literature and investigates the risks associated with Virtual Enterprise Networks. It also argues that innovation is very important for managing/ mitigating risks and supports this argument by proposing a framework which defines a risk mitigation process under the perspective of supply chain innovation. This chapter also discusses ways to innovate within the virtual enterprise network and facilitating newfound innovation. The chapter ends with a brief discussion of future research areas and items of conclusion.
A Theoretical Framework for a Simulation-Based Analysis of Supply Chain Risk Management
Authors: Klimov Ruslan , Merkuryev Yuri , Tolujew Juri
Published: May 2010

Supply chain management under uncertainty and risk has become the target of extensive research. A review of the corresponding literature indicates mainly theoretical approaches, which attempt to provide solutions to certain problems. In this chapter, a theoretical framework of supply chain risks analysis is proposed. Within this framework, studied risks are determined by possible disruptions that affect supply chain ability to function normally. Thus, supply chain performance parameters are taken as a basis for a risk measurement system. Correspondingly, supply chain reliability parameters and performance fluctuations are studied in order to manage risks. A possible implementation of the proposed framework is discussed through the presentation of a simulation example. Still, the evaluation of the proposed framework’s practical application remains an item of the future research agenda. The ultimate objective of the research presented in this chapter is the elaboration of a software solution for supply chain modelling and risk evaluation.
Risk Assessment in Virtual Enterprise Networks
Authors: Panayiotou Nikolaos A. , Oikonomitsios Stylianos , Athanasiadou Christina , Gayialis Sotiris P.
Published: May 2010

In today’s business environment, supply chains involve a number of autonomous organizations. Agility, effectiveness and efficiency of these supply chains can be achieved by forming virtual enterprise networks. The nature of supply chain processes with inter-organizational activities, involving different enterprises in a virtual enterprise network, increases the need for control in a well-designed and structured manner. Internal Audit activities and controls can help virtual organizations to improve and operate in a more efficient manner. This chapter proposes a methodological approach for the design of the Internal Audit function for risk assessment and control identification of inter-organizational supply chain processes, using business process modelling techniques and an internal audit–oriented enterprise modelling tool. A case study in the auditing of the supply chain processes in a virtual enterprise network demonstrates the application of the suggested methodology and tool.
The Evolution of ICT Institutions in Thailand and Malaysia
Authors: Maynard Nicholas
Published: May 2010

A country’s national technology strategies can be an important contributor to economic development through its support of technology adoption and by advancing the national technology capacity. The development of a domestic information and communications technology (ICT) sector within a developing country requires the creation of specialized institutions that carefully coordinate their initiatives with the private sector. This case study research of Thai and Malaysian science and technology (S&T) institutions shows that this institutional and policy reform process is directly influenced by regional activities, as countries seek to match their regional peers for technology development. This effort to support ICT utilization requires governments to rapidly alter their policy goals and initiatives in response to shifts in technologies, global market demand, international investment, and local workforce capabilities.
A Case on University and Community Collaboration
Authors: Becker S. Ann , Keimer Robert , Muth Tim
Published: May 2010

Small businesses are viewed as the backbone of America and integral in the recovery of any economic downturn. Creative approaches to university and community collaboration are being explored to achieve high rates of success in launching, sustaining, and growing small businesses. One such approach, the Entrepreneurial Training Services (ETS) program, is being studied by Sci-Tech University as a means of technology innovation and regional economic development. The ETS Program has several unique features including: the entrenchment of a large number of adults in the program, an intensive training approach that is implemented in a short time frame, personalized mentoring offered to each entrepreneur in the program, and the leveraging of resources with a large, diverse group of community partners. The case profiles the region using Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis, identifies an ETS framework on which the program is based and explains the process of implementation. The case concludes with challenges facing the university and local community in offering the ETS Program to a large and diverse group of entrepreneurs. It also summarizes benefits and successes from initial implementation efforts.
Paradigms, Science, and Technology
Authors: Boutellier Roman , Heinzen Mareike , Raus Marta
Published: May 2010

This chapter explores the concept of paradigms, science, and technology in the context of information technology (IT). Therefore, the linear model of Francis Bacon and Thomas Kuhn’s notion of scientific paradigms are reviewed. This review reveals that the linear model has to be advanced, and supports the adoption of Kuhnian ideas from science to technology. As IT paradigms transform business processes, a five-level concept is introduced for deriving managerial implications and guidelines. Within the case of e-customs, a European-funded project tries to ease border security and control by adopting a common standardized e-customs solution across the public sector in Europe. The rise of the IT paradigm within customs and its effect on business operations will be explained. This chapter contributes to the research in diffusion and adoption of innovation using science progress and the interplay of science and technology as dominant concepts.
The Macroeconomic Impacts of E-Business on the Economy
Authors: Heil Daniel , Prieger James E.
Published: May 2010

The growing use of information and communications technology (ICT) by business—e-business— has a profound impact on the economy. E-business lowers costs and increases the choices available to consumers and firms. These microeconomic changes work their way through the economy and ultimately influence macroeconomic conditions. Overall, e-business benefits the economy in many ways. Nevertheless, not all the effects of e-business on macroeconomic conditions are positive, and some aspects of e-commerce may limit the effectiveness of monetary policy. E-business changes the macroeconomy in several beneficial ways. Some gains are static in nature, arising from the more efficient use of existing resources. For example, increases in productivity increase a nation’s GDP. In addition, by lowering search and transaction costs, e-business unleashes deflationary pressures (Willis, 2004). Other gains are dynamic, altering the path national growth takes. By lowering the cost of transferring and employing knowledge, ICT enables greater R&D and innovation, which is crucial to long-run economic growth.
E-Business Adoption and its Impact on Performance
Authors: Al-Somali Sabah Abdullah , Clegg Ben , Gholami Roya
Published: May 2010

Organizations today face intense competitive and economic pressures leading to large scale transformation of existing business operations and transactions. In addition, organizations have adopted automated business processes to deal with partners and customers. E-business diffusion is a multi-phase process, moving from initiation through to routinisation and an insight into the adoption processes helps organizations to adopt e-business more effectively. It is imperative that organizations effectively manage the e-business environment, and all associated changes to accommodate the changing relationships with customers and business partners and more importantly, to improve performance. This chapter discusses the process of e-business implementation, usage and diffusion (routinisation stage) on business performance.
Lifelong Learning in the Knowledge Economy
Authors: Vicente Maria Rosalia , Lopez Ana Jesus
Published: May 2010

In a global knowledge-based economy, the performance of business organizations depends on ensuring that all categories of employees possess current and up-to-date knowledge and skills. Therefore, businesses must analyze their training needs in greater depth and update workers’ skills much more rapidly than in the past, while attempting to reduce training costs to remain competitive in this changing environment (Roy & Raymond, 2008). This requires organizations to educate and train anyone, anytime, and from anywhere with the lowest possible costs (Ong et al., 2004). Thus, many enterprises have turned to e-Learning as a best practice to provide adequate training to their employees. The aim of this paper is to examine e-learning adoption among a sample of European firms (an area for which empirical evidence is quite scarce), and investigate the factors driving its introduction.
Electronic Funds Transfer Systems and the Landscapes of Global Finance
Authors: Warf Barney
Published: May 2010

Electronic funds transfer systems (EFTS) are the primary means by which capital moves through the world economy, including real time gross settlement systems for handling international payments as well as foreign exchange transactions. This paper starts by noting how the world of the Bretton-Woods system differed from the hypermobile, digitized world that followed. Next, it summarizes some major public and private EFTS networks and the repercussions for capital markets, stock exchanges, and foreign exchange markets. Third it summarizes how EFTS challenge national monetary controls and the implications. Finally, it points to the centrality of EFTS in the emergence and growth of offshore banking centers.
Identifying the Factors that Lead to a Successful Intermediary in Electronic Commerce
Authors: Jackson Margaret , Shelly Marita
Published: May 2010

The Internet has changed the way we interact with others in both our business and personal spheres. Electronic commerce has developed beyond buying and selling of goods electronically. It is now leading to new online intermediaries such as aggregators of information, peer-to-peer and social networking sites which allow sharing between individuals without the need for commercial service providers, and new on-line payment mechanisms such as BPAY in Australia, which provide additional services to those from existing credit providers. Using a case study approach, this chapter explores the factors that have led to the success of financial intermediaries and in particular, BPAY Ltd.