ERP plans and decision-support benefits

Management and implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have tended to concentrate on their transactional and record-keeping aspects, rather than on their decision-support capabilities. This paper explores connections between ERP systems and decision support based on the perceptions of 53 ERP system adopters. It offers new insights into the important objectives that are (and should be) considered in ERP plans, including decision-support objectives. It provides insights into the decision-support benefits of ERP systems. The study also examines relationships between the importance of various objectives in ERP planning and the subsequent realization of decision-support benefits from an ERP system.     

Forecast of trademark applications in Switzerland

Trademark offices which run according to principles of new management have an inherent need for dependable forecasting data in planning capacity and service levels. We wanted to find out whether there are factors which positively or negatively influence customers to register trademarks in Switzerland. Lacking literature on the idiosyncrasies of trademark filing behavior, we developed our own forecasting model adapted from those in other fields. It included timelines for trademark applications and corresponding classes over a 9-year period (1992–2001) and internal events which might possibly influence filing.The forecast is based on state space models with and without explanatory variables. We used a standard model with trend, season and random components, then added variables for external interventions and finally, added a model for regressors. The result was a statistical model which produced reliable forecasting over an 18-month period. It compares well to four other forecasting methods. Reliability was improved slightly by adding economic variables such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average, SPI, SMI and the Swiss Consumer Index.     

Geometric algorithms for computing cutter engagement functions in 2.5D milling operations

Cutter engagement is a measure that describes what portion of the cutter is involved in machining at a given instant of time. During profile milling of complex geometries, cutter engagement varies significantly along the cutter path. Cutter engagement information helps in determining the efficiency of the cutter path and also helps in improving it by adjusting the feed rate. This paper describes geometric algorithms for computing piece-wise continuous closed-form cutter engagement functions for 2.5D milling operations. The results produced by our algorithm are compared with the results obtained by discrete simulations of the cutting process and appear to match very well.     

Public participation in a spatial decision support system for public housing

This paper reports the development of a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) that is currently in the early stages of implementation and testing. The project is a joint undertaking between the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the NSW Department of Housing (DoH). It features a robust, non-proprietary data structure incorporating 3D spatial models, use of VRML/X3D for graphics modelling and incorporating XML based data and customised tools to support effective web-based user interaction. Although the broader project aims to develop an SDSS that supports all aspects of the management of public housing for a governmental authority, this paper focuses specifically on a module to support public participation through the capture of community feedback and other input. The paper begins with an outline of the immediate context of this work, both in terms of the local community being used as the test bed for this implementation as well as comparing this work to similar undertakings in other places. It goes on to describe the unique approach taken in this project toward the structuring of the geo-spatial data that lies at the heart of the system and the tools developed to support user interaction and community participation. The paper concludes with a discussion of on-going issues encountered during the development and implementation of this system, and proposals for future developments. This paper is an extension of the work presented at the 24th Urban Data Management Symposium, in Chioggia, October 2004.     

Valuation of harmonic injection costs

Proper valuation of harmonic injections and distortion is critical if an efficient solution is to be provided for any harmonic problem, which may exist. Indeed without proper tools to value harmonic distortion, it is not possible to quantify the extent of any problem. This paper demonstrates that is possible to develop marginal prices for harmonic injections, which will accurately reflect the value of the injections to the rest of the network. Given an allocation of harmonic pollution rights these prices act to coordinate each member of the network to act in a globally optimal manner.     

A specification pattern for use cases

In this paper, general formats and guidelines are proposed, in an attempt to ameliorate the impact of frequently observed difficulties during the specification of use cases generated using “natural language” for the documentation of system functionality. The various writing styles derived from the multiple grammatical alternatives found in the Spanish language and the terminological diversity that characterises this language tend to reduce the clarity of text in a use-case specification. Thus, the purpose of its use in the different stages of development in a software system or component is seriously affected. However, even if this study has been made specifically for the Spanish language, it could be easily generalised to any language whose sentences are of the form subject/predicate. In order to control these problems, the use of a specification pattern supported by a series of guidelines on style and terminology is proposed for drafting use cases. Additionally, various degrees of refinement are suggested to guide specifiers towards obtaining a use case written according to this pattern.     

The role of communication values in swift starting action teams: IT insights from flight crew experience

We define a new subset of action teams termed swift starting action teams. These high technology groups of professional, well trained strangers perform from the moment they start working and face high stakes from the beginning. For these teams, we present evidence that the expression of communication values precedes effective task communication and team performance. IT professionals increasingly team with other professionals in high technology environments, such as swift starting action teams. Communication and communication values are important to the success of action team interactions common to IT professionals, such as requirements analysis, knowledge discovery interviews, and end user service engagements.