Journal Article

Supply Chain Information Alignment in the Consumer Goods and Retail Industry: Global Standards and Best Practices pp134-149

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The Global Commerce Initiative (GCI) established the Global Upstream Supply Initiative (GUSI) in order to provide a standard framework for consumer goods manufacturers and their suppliers of ingredients, raw materials and packaging to better integrate across a number of supply chain processes. Without Internal Data Alignment, for example, Global Data Synchronization (GDS) will definitely not improve business performance and will, in fact, magnify the negative impact of poor quality data. What’s more, collaborative initiatives such as those included in Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) and Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR) will not be economically deployable on a wide scale without the consistently accurate and available information that will result from an Internal Data Alignment program. GDS is based on a global network of data pools, or electronic catalogues, which are all inter‑operable and compliant with the same business requirements and standards. Interoperability means that a manufacturer can publish a product and partner data on one single Data Pool without having to worry about the fact that customers may select different Data Pools to access the data. Integrated Suppliers is a concept for improving the part of supply chain between manufacturers and the tiers of suppliers of ingredients, raw materials and packaging. By sharing information both parties are able to exercise judgment on costs, quantities and timing of deliveries and productions in order to stream line the production flow and to move to a collaborative relationship. GUSI underlined the long term policy on the use of Standards as a key success factor to achieve upstream e‑supply integration. Before exchanging information, partners must agree on product identification. This is a part of the data alignment step defined by GUSI. The UIM (Upstream Integration Model) offers common business processes and data interchanges to support interoperability between manufacturers and suppliers.

Keywords: Global Standards, Information Alignment, Consumer Goods, GLN, Global Location Numbering, GTIN, Global Trade Items Numbering, GDS, Global Data Synchronization, Integrated Suppliers, UIM, Upstream Integration Model, GUSI, Global Upstream Supply Initiative

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Journal Article

Assessing Information Management Competencies in Organisations pp179-192

Andy Bytheway

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The history of the management of information systems includes many ideas that were intended to simplify the complexities of the management task, but there is still a great deal of wasted investment that produces no significant benefits. Much of the thinking has been rational and structured, but it can be argued that structured thinking will not solve the problems presented by the ever‑increasing scope and depth of information systems, the need for improved responsiveness and agility, and the need to deal with a range of requirements that are sometimes behavioural and sometimes legislative. Three of the more frequently cited frameworks for information management (Zachman, Henderson & Venkatraman, Ward), are briefly reviewed and found to have common characteristics. They are combined into a new, simple arrangement of the central (and critically important) ideas. This new framework has been used as the basis of a survey instrument that is introduced and explained; it works at two levels ‑ the "micro" and "macro" levels. It assesses perceptions of organisational capability to manage information well, as seen by respondents who are normally employees working in different roles with varying responsibilities. The survey instrument comes with an analysis and reporting package that is found to be suitable for the needs of busy managers, and the way in which micro and macro data is presently analysed and presented is demonstrated using data from a reference dataset, a CIO workshop, an investigation within a real estate agency and a large financial services organisation. The contribution of this work to the research programme from which it emanated is summarised and future directions briefly explained.

Keywords: information management, perceptions, IS/IT strategy, alignment, assessment

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Journal Article

Alignment in Enterprise Architecture: A Comparative Analysis of Four Architectural Approaches pp88-101

Thanos Magoulas, Aida Hadzic, Ted Saarikko, Kalevi Pessi

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As modern organizations struggle with the complexity and dynamicity of their business environments, they increasingly turn to Enterprise Architecture as a means to organize their capabilities. However, adopting Enterprise Architecture is hardly a straightforward matter as the practical guidance available is plagued by disparity in nomenclature as well as content. The purpose of this paper is to take a first step in remedying the dearth of rational appraisal of approaches to Enterprise Architecture by closer examining a handful of guides and frameworks. Our ultimate aim in this paper is to provide knowledge about the various dimensions of enterprise architectures that demand alignment between its constitutionals parts. Therefore the efforts of our study were focused on elucidating the following issue: How are the various forms and aspects of architectural alignment treated by the investigated approaches to Enterprise Architecture? Due to the lack of commonalities between the assorted approaches, an independent metric is required. We therefore utilize the concept of alignment and analyze how the various forms and aspects of architectural alignment are treated by formalized approaches to Enterprise Architecture. This methodology was applied to the Zachman Framework, The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF), the Extended Enterprise Architecture Framework (E2AF) and the Generalised Enterprise Reference Architecture and Methodology (GERAM). Our investigation clearly demonstrates that: 1) Approaches to Enterprise Architecture provide guidance for structural and functional alignment, but not for infological or socio‑cultural alignment. 2) The area of contextual alignment is described in a simplistic manner. 3) None of the investigated approaches discuss the mutual interdependence that exists between the various forms of alignment. Our work serves to further the understanding of multi‑dimensionality of Enterprise Architecture in general and architectural alignment in particular.

Keywords: enterprise architecture, architectural alignment, Zachman framework, TOGAF, GERAM, E2AF

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Journal Article

Exploring the Alignment of Organisational Goals with KM: Cases in Four Irish Software SMEs pp26-37

Ciara Heavin, Frederic Adam

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Abstract: In the anticipation of the knowledge economy and the organisational pursuit of knowing what we know modern organisations have endeavoured to achieve varying levels of KM. It has typically been larger organisations that have possessed the econ omies of scale i.e. the financial resources to pursue this strategy, where they perceive they will lose their market share if they do not follow the trend. Smaller organisations have not had the same luxury. Ironically however, it is smaller organisations that have successfully managed knowledge for centuries. However there remains an absence of empirical evidence that highlights how SMEs operationalise their approach to KM, particularly in the high‑technology sectors. In view of the current financial ins tability, never has it been more important to focus on the knowledge capabilities of software SMEs where managing organisational knowledge is essential to the continued success of an SME. Pursuing a qualitative analysis approach using multiple case studie s in four Irish software SMEs, this study identifies sources of knowledge and occurrences of knowledge activities (KAs) as a means of understanding the firms approach to knowledge management (KM) and how this may be closely aligned to the organisatio ns greater strategic objectives thus providing them with greater flexibility to deal with environmental uncertainty. At the level of the cases, it was evident that software SMEs leverage KAs to serve their knowledge transfer needs. Unexpectedly, the find ings from this study indicate that these software SMEs were not good at knowledge creation activity. This may be attributed to the nature of the SME where a small number of key players i.e. founder/manager/head of development assumed responsibility for th is type of activity. Fundamentally, these software SMEs choose to leverage knowledge and KAs in order to serve the greater needs of the firm such as the need to develop a new software product, improve their customer relationships or ensure their position as an important cog in a larger organisation.

Keywords: Keywords: knowledge, knowledge management, KM, small and medium sized enterprises, SMEs, knowledge activity, KA, software, alignment and KM capabilities

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Journal Article

The overlapping nature of Business Analysis and Business Architecture: what we need to know pp169-179

Tiko Iyamu, Monica Nehemia-Maletzky, Irja Shaanika

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Abstract: The concepts of business architecture and business analysis have many things in common. The commonalities bring beneficiary synergy to the organisations that employ both concepts. However, they also impose challenges, such as how they align, integrate or complement each other within an organisation. Also, some of the challenges lead to confusion, disorientation and defragmentation of processes and activities in many organisations where both concepts are employed in parallel. The challenges get even worse as they increasingly continue to impact structures in some organisations, which happen through allocation of roles and responsibilities between business analysis and business architecture units. Thus, the parallelism of both concepts raises fundamental question ‑ whether the business analysis and business architecture are roles or titles. This confusion manifests itself into power struggle and selective accountability of practical unconsciousness, as actors exert their mandates and authority within an organisation. These challenges and confusion happens at different levels, and does affect the organisation’s performances. This article examines, discusses and highlights the distinction between the business analysis and business architecture, from the perspective of the computing environment. The article reveals differentiation, functionalism and serviceability as some of the critical factors, which influence the challenges and confusion that are posed by the concepts’ parallelism. Also examined are the implications of parallelism, which both concepts bring into an organisational environment. The findings from the study are intended to reduce negative impacts that the confusion and challenges do unconsciously and in practice have on processes and activities in organisations that employs both concepts in parallel.

Keywords: Keywords: business analysis, business architecture, parallelism, alignment, roles, responsibilities and organisational structure

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Journal Issue

Volume 14 Issue 1, ECIME 2010 Special Issue / Jan 2011 pp1‑166

Editor: Miguel de Castro Neto

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Editorial

Dr Miguel de Castro Neto is presently Associate Dean at the Instituto Superior de Estatística e Gestão de Informação of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ISEGI‑UNL), where he is Invited Assistant Professor. He is editor of the Journal of Information Technology in Agriculture (JITAg), member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Online Information Review journal, and Scientific Advisor of the Revista Brasileira de Agroinformática. Miguel de Castro Neto holds a PhD in Agronomic Engineering (Universidade Técnica de Lisboa) in the field of Internet‑based agricultural information systems, a Masters degree in Agricultural Economics (Universidade de Évora), a Masters degree extension in Statistics and Information Management (Universidade Nova de Lisboa) and a degree in Agricultural Engineering (Universidade de Évora).His research interests include Business Intelligence, Knowledge management and Social Computing.

Editorial

This special edition of the EJISE includes thirteen selected papers presented at the 4th European Conference on Information Management and Evaluation ‑ ECIME 2010 which were considered the most important contributions to the advances in the information systems evaluation field of study.

The conference was held at Instituto Superior de Estatística e Gestão from the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ISEGI‑UNL), Lisbon, Portugal, and the broad topics proposed to be addressed by ECIME 2010 included: evaluation topics; management topics; e‑Government topics; new technologies, innovation and infrastructures; development topics; ethics and philosophy topics; and general topics.

These topics where covered by the presentation in the conference of 47 Papers, 4 PhD Research Papers, and 4 Work in Progress with participants coming from 25 different countries splitted in the following streams: Managing Information; Evaluation of Records and Documents; Business Intelligence; ICT issues as they specifically affect SMEs; Logistics, Supply Chain and Process Improvement; Performance assessment and measurement; Web Tools; Health Information Systems; Evaluation Issues; Health Information Systems Issues; Quality and Service Level; and IS professionals.

The 13 ECIME 2010 selected papers for publishing in this EJISE special issue cover a very wide range of interesting and up to date research areas giving us important insights and new perspectives in future developments in the field and I hope it can became an important contribution to the dynamics in the information systems evaluation research area.

Keywords: action research, adopter categories, adoption, adoption determinants, alliances, architectural principles, BAN, business architecture, business value, CDSS, COBIT, community, computing, consumer goods, decision-making, diffusion of innovations (DOI) theory, digital divide, disadvantaged networks, early warning scorecard, eCommerce, enterprise architecture, evidence-based protocols, factors, GDS (Global Data Synchronization), geobrowser, georeference, GIS (Geographical Information System), GLN (Global Location Numbering), global standards, GoogleEarth, GTIN (Global Trade Items Numbering), GUSI (Global Upstream Supply Initiative), health informatics and body area networks, health information management, hospital information systems, information alignment, information management, information quality, information quality, information systems, information systems architecture, information technology, institutional theory, integrated suppliers, interorganizational systems (IOSs), interpretiv

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Journal Issue

Volume 15 Issue 1, ECIME 2011 / Jan 2012 pp1‑148

Editor: Walter Castelnovo, Elena Ferrari

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Editorial

The papers in this issue of EJISE have been selected from those presented at the 5th European Conference on Information Management and Evaluation (ECIME 2011) at the Dipartimento di Informatica e Comunicazione, Università dell'Insubria, Como, Italy on 8‑9 September 2011.

The issue has been guest edited bythe Conference Chair, Professor Walter Castelnovo, and the Programme Chair, Professor Elena Ferrari, both from University of Insubria, Como, Italy.

walter_castelnovo elena_ferrari

Keywords: crime analysis, GIS, geostatistics, intelligence-led policing, predictive dissemination, data mining, boundary spanning, IS outsourcing, relationships management, accountability, enterprise records management, organizational memory, records auditing, knowledge economy, measuring effectiveness, performance indicator, assess of knowledge, enterprise information systems, enterprise recourse planning systems, customer relations management systems, supply chain management systems, community informatics, requirements engineering, microenterprise, technology adoption, indigenous business, socio-technical system, SMEs, IT/IS, lemon market theory, ISV, ambient assisted living, field trials, ageing technology users, enterprise architecture, architectural alignment, Zachman framework, TOGAF, GERAM, E2AF, payments, framework, mobile, value, data governance, data management, data quality, framework, business model, business case, strategy, operations, management, implementation

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Journal Issue

Volume 19 Issue 3 / Dec 2016 pp135‑212

Editor: Shaun Pather

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Editorial

Professor Shaun Pather, based in the Faculty of Informatics & Design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa, has spent more than 20 years teaching and researching in the field of ICT management.

His research has focused on the evaluation of Information Systems (IS) effectiveness, particularly within e‑Commerce, e‑Government and other web enabled contexts. He has developed models for evaluating e‑Commerce success, and also has an interest in the application of e‑Service Quality evaluation. Shaun has also extended his interest in IS evaluation into practical community engagement and Information Society issues, centered around societal upliftment facilitated by ICT’s. He has published in peer reviewed journals and has presented papers at several conferences. He has led several research projects with university and government partners in both the private and public sector. Professor Pather is also a Fulbright Scholar (University of Washington, 2009‑2010).

Keywords: Multi-channel, Electronic banking, Internet banking, Mobile banking, Technology Adoption, Grounded Theory, Design science, Design science research, evaluation, empirical validation, secondary analysis, primary data, business analysis, business architecture, parallelism, alignment, roles, responsibilities and organisational structure, Software Switching, Switching costs, Utilitarian Value, Hedonic Value, e-government, on-line tax filing, acceptance factors, personal innovativeness, computer self-efficacy, online trust, system quality, information system

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