39,837 research outputs found
Sri Lanka Social Enterprise Needs Assessment and Advisory
Authored in collaboration with Oxfam, this research maps social enterprises within the agriculture sector, identifies the key challenges they face, and makes recommendations for donors and development agencies looking to support the space in Sri Lanka. Findings and recommendations developed based on secondary research and field survey of social enterprises in Sri Lanka
Decision Support Tools for Cloud Migration in the Enterprise
This paper describes two tools that aim to support decision making during the
migration of IT systems to the cloud. The first is a modeling tool that
produces cost estimates of using public IaaS clouds. The tool enables IT
architects to model their applications, data and infrastructure requirements in
addition to their computational resource usage patterns. The tool can be used
to compare the cost of different cloud providers, deployment options and usage
scenarios. The second tool is a spreadsheet that outlines the benefits and
risks of using IaaS clouds from an enterprise perspective; this tool provides a
starting point for risk assessment. Two case studies were used to evaluate the
tools. The tools were useful as they informed decision makers about the costs,
benefits and risks of using the cloud.Comment: To appear in IEEE CLOUD 201
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Knowledge practices in design: The role of visual representations as 'epistemic objects'
We use a detailed study of the knowledge work around visual representations to draw attention to the multidimensional nature of `objects'. Objects are variously described in the literatures as relatively stable or in flux; as abstract or concrete; and as used within or across practices. We clarify these dimensions, drawing on and extending the literature on boundary objects, and connecting it with work on epistemic and technical objects. In particular, we highlight the epistemic role of objects, using our observations of knowledge work on an architectural design project to show how, in this setting, visual representations are characterized by a `lack' or incompleteness that precipitates unfolding. The conceptual design of a building involves a wide range of technical, social and aesthetic forms of knowledge that need to be developed and aligned. We explore how visual representations are used, and how these are meaningful to different stakeholders, eliciting their distinct contributions. As the project evolves and the drawings change, new issues and needs for knowledge work arise. These objects have an `unfolding ontology' and are constantly in flux, rather than fully formed. We discuss the implications for wider understandings of objects in organizations and for how knowledge work is achieved in practice
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