Market-Driven Management, Competitive Customer Value and Global Network

Market-Driven Management is a corporate strategy that presupposes direct, continuous benchmarking with competitors, in a context of customer value management. Market-driven management therefore favours an 'outside-in' vision, based on: the identification of products with a higher value than that of the competition to provoke the intersection with demand ('Before and Better than Competitors'). In global over-supplied markets, a firm's success is conditioned rather by the intensity of the presence and by the level of sophistication of intangible corporate asset; in other words, the peculiar managerial capabilities that regard brand equity, information system and corporate culture.Market-Driven Management; Global Competition; Global Managerial Economics; Brand Equity; Information System; Corporate Culture

Top Management Control Functions for Information Systems in Small and Medium Enterprises

This paper analyzes the Top Management Control functions for Information Systems (IS) in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). SMEs extensively rely on information technology resources to enhance their competence in today’s global economy. They should have adequate top management control mechanisms in place for their efficient functioning. Top Management Controls determine how effectively the senior management manages the IS functions in a SME. The major tasks at this level consist of Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling functions. A brief introduction to SMEs is given at the beginning followed by the different categories of Top Management Controls. The final section highlights on some good practices to be followed by Top Management to realize the vision for the IS project in SMEs.Charge-Out, Information Systems, IS Plan, Small and Medium Enterprise, Top Management Controls, Zero Based Budgeting

Corporate social responsibility and global standardization: sustainable environmental management in the chemical industry

Corporate social responsibility and sustainable development are issues that been in the forefront of corporate strategy for several decades. The increase in the power of environmental groups, the ease of cross border information flow, and the rising concern of the public with regards to global impact of environmental issues are motivating factors resulting in the establishment of environmental management systems. Many multinational chemical companies, threatened with the possibility of the establishment of new, stricter, environmental laws, are actively working to demonstrate their corporate social responsibility while operating in a global market with regards to developing and implementing voluntary programs to handle the increasingly important issues surrounding environmental responsibility and global sustainability. The integration of the environmental management system into the corporate vision, mission and strategic plan is demonstrated with the ultimate goal of changing corporate culture in the companies which have the power to affect international environmental policies.chemical industry, corporate social responsibility, environmental management system, global sustainability.

Socio-Economic Mechanisms to Coordinate the Internet of Services: The Simulation Environment SimIS

Visions of 21st century information systems show highly specialized digital services and resources, which interact continuously and with a global reach. Especially with the emergence of technologies, such as the semantic web or software agents, intelligent services within these settings can be implemented, automatically communicating and negotiating over the Internet about digital resources without human intervention. Such environments will eventually realize the vision of an open and global Internet of Services (IoS). In this paper we present an agent-based simulation model and toolkit for the IoS: 'SimIS - Simulating an Internet of Services'. Employing SimIS, distributed management mechanisms and protocols can be investigated in a simulated IoS environment before their actual deployment.Multi-Agent Simulation, Internet, Simulation Tools

Towards a new vision of Information System Engineering.

Information Technologies bear the potential of new uses. These uses provoke a new organization which induces a new vision of software engineering. Under the influence of globalization, and the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) that modify radically our relationship with space and time, the hierarchical company locked up on its local borders becomes an Extended Company, without borders, opened and adaptable. In this context, this paper proposes a shift in the way the design of information systems is viewed, so that the digital information system and potential user are in harmony right from the design stage of the system. The goal is to help to design systems that are useful. It will therefore be a matter of distributed intelligence of the situation in terms of interactions and cooperative partners rather than in terms of a more passive user. This means putting at the disposal of the user, seen as a "partner", a system that will help him or her think more efficiently about a situation. The approach adopted is a global philosophy based on business process management within the framework of all the methodological principles. The research described here is therefore a contribution to the software engineering.User; Software Engineering; Information System; Business Process Management; Extended Company; Digital Information System;

La sociedad de la información : cuestión de suma actualidad

The evolution of information society all over the years and different countries, Spain included, is studied. This topic is considered as well from different points of view, among which social and economic aspects are included. General aspects of globalisation, its repercussions in socioeducational new paradigms, its importance in technological evolution, its interrelations both at national and international level are also included. The information society is studied as it is necessary to consider its relation with the knowledge and cybernetic society, where virtual information systems are included. The information architecture, its management, organisation, and dissemination of knowledge created as a consequence of the influence of information, is also mentioned. Finally, it is intended to give a complete vision, a compendium, where the last conlcusion is inquiring or should be Global Knowledge Society or Global Society of Knowledge

Policy Making for Global Transportation Planning using the Delphi-Scenario Writing with a New Concept of 'Future Vision'

The personal trip survey plays a vital role in global, multi-modal transportation planning. The four-step method for estimating travel demand based on data from the personal trip survey has been systematized during the course of long-term studies and practical applications. This method therefore has been widely used in various aspects of transportation planning. However, it is usually concerned with travel demand and very useful in periods of economic expansion. Now that emphasis is being placed on quality because the economy has taken a downturn, the conventional method should be reconsidered in terms of a qualitative, political approach. The present study deals with a new methodology for establishing a qualitative, long-term view of regional requirements. In other words, the purpose of this study is to create a socio-economic vision of the future for proper transportation planning for a target region. This study calls it 'future vision', which consists of several future images when considering the changing characteristics of the region and relationship with surrounding areas. These future images can cover all transportation-related topics, from global problems to local issues. Each future image is composed of scenarios that reflect the future direction and role of transportation planning, which fully describes infrastructures as well as management. Transportation planning experts employed brainstorming to create an initial version of the future vision. The brainstorming brought many important keywords related to the future images. The planners assembled keywords and added sentences to set up scenarios. This version was revised by using the Delphi questionnaire method in order to eliminate obvious errors and improper perspectives, while incorporating missing information. The Delphi method was conducted on researchers, engineers, planners, and administrators that are well versed in transportation planning. A procedure was also developed to update almost automatically according to the results of the questionnaire. The revised version of the future vision was again checked and revised similarly by the Delphi method and the updating procedure. Actually, the future vision was refined twice, which led to the final version of the future vision having a high degree of accuracy and feasibility. The future vision is qualitative and policy-oriented, while the conventional four-step method is quantitative and demand-oriented. Two different approaches should work together for the comprehensive transportation planning. This study finally introduced a hybrid method between the two approaches by discussing a way of linking the future vision with the conventional personal trip survey system. The proposed linkage produced (1) hearing recommendations of various people in many positions, (2) enhancement of the transportation planning by sharing and solving anticipated problems, and (3) incorporation of more policy-oriented planning elements.

Managing Marketing Teams

With the emergence of global information and technology, firms have reformulated marketing and technological teaming in a concert effort to accommodate transnational marketing relationships that enable firms to compete in a global business society.  Given the competitiveness of organizational distinction and implication, firms have proactively created an internal synergy that enable marketing teams to better excel in an environment of obscurity and uncertainly.  Marketing management has evolved into phenomena that require constant reassessment of vision, mission, and strategy in an unrelenting effort to maintain organizational survival and competitiveness in a global recessive business economy.  Information technology has greatly inspired this renewed sense of competition; moreover, organizations that embrace the challenge of integrating technology within marketing teams will only become the change agents the business world community will aspire to duplicate for great strategic advantage

An Analysis of Historical Transformation of an IT Giant Based on Sound Strategic Vision

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a dominant player in the growing information technology industry. IBM went through a rough patch in the initial part of the ‘90s when sales were declining. In a span of two year, IBM lost a staggering $16 billion. This case investigates the problems that IBM was facing during the time, and the strategic decisions it took to help it transform this position. Through the change of leadership, IBM started giving importance to customer-relationship management to better cater to the need of its clients. It also realized the need to have a strategic vision and reorganized as “One IBM”. Reengineering Global Functions and Processes across different departments improved IBM’s cost structures. The management unified strategic vision served as a platform to reignite growth and industry leadership. The case details this transformation and concludes with lessons learnt that would benefit companies in a similar dilemma in today\u27s competitive IT market

Peran Supply Chain Management dalam Peningkatan Customer Value

Supply Chain Management (SCM) concept is an innovation of scientific development process. It comes to light because of drastic changes that occur in global industrial environment, such as more fierce competition, more demanding consumers and stockholders, shorter product life cycle and also information technology which grows very fast. In applying this concept, many requirements are needed, such as vision and support from top management, government's support and the capability of adopting the technology. Although this concept is not easy to perform, it is beneficial for the company as it can help a company achieve its customer value. Moreover, a company which applies this concept can reduce costs and give a quick response to the customer. Finally, the company that is successful in achieving customer value will be able to survive in the global market for it will create customer loyalty