Enterprise software : analysis of product strategies

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, February 2007.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-68).Since the invention of IBM 360, the first computing system about five decades ago, the processing and software capabilities have grown by leaps and have become major components of businesses. The software applications and capabilities for major business have become necessity rather than a "differentiating" factor to conduct their businesses. This thesis aims to analyze the product strategies in the enterprise software, specifically from the competitive point of view and their position in the market, new technology architectures and core competencies of an organization.by Krishna S. Boppana.S.M

Service Innovation as a Drive for Competitiveness

Diplomová práce představuje paradigmata servisně orientované ekonomiky z hlediska konkurenceschopnosti firmy. Zaměřuje se na konkurenční výhody, kterých lze dosáhnout nebo podporovat rozvojem služeb. Teoretický základ prezentuje specifika a význam sektoru služeb v současných nejvyspělejších ekonomikách. Jmenuje hlavní konkurenční strategie používané v sektoru služeb a srovnává je se zažitými strategiemi známými z produktově orientované ekonomiky. Práce blíže analyzuje metody rozvoje služeb ve společnosti IBM GSDC Brno v oblasti globalních IT služeb. Pojednává o hlavních problémech spojených s jejich inovací a zároveň naznačuje současné a budoucí trendy v oblasti IT služeb. V praktické návrhové části jsou prezentovány nové přístupy k rozvoji služeb, které by mohly podpořit konkurenceschopnost firmy na globálním trhu služeb.The master thesis discusses the service-oriented economy paradigms with the focus on the company’s competitiveness. Specifically it points at the competitive advantages which can be achieved or promoted through service innovation. The theoretical background demostrates the specifics and the importance of services in today`s leading economies. It shows the competitive strategies used in service companies and compares them with the known strategies defined for and used in product-oriented economy. The thesis analyzes more closely the service innovation methods used by the IBM GSDC Brno company in the global IT services area. It indicates and discusses the main problems of service innovation which can hinder the competitive advantage development as well as the current and future trends in the IT services sector. As a result the thesis proposes the improved approaches to service innovation which can lead to better competitiveness on the global service marketplace.

Global investment banking : challenges surrounding the design of information systems for the 21st century

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 1998.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 77).by Oded Weiss.S.M

Client-Focused Management of Expectations for Legal Fees in Large Chapter 11 Cases

Large chapter 11 cases can have fees that run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. That\u27s one of the reasons that, in 2013, the Executive Office of the United States Trustee promulgated additional guidelines that affect legal fees in large chapter 11 cases. Bankruptcy courts have been appointing fee examiners and fee committees in large cases to aid the courts in their duty to ensure that the fees and expenses of estate-paid professionals are reasonable. I\u27ve been one of those people charged with helping bankruptcy courts review fees. As such, I\u27ve seen first-hand what happens when the professionals involved in high-stakes, bet-the-company litigation serve as the actual decisionmakers, rather than involving their clients deeply in their decisions. This article will discuss the dynamics that create a disincentive for most parties to monitor fees in large chapter 11 cases and will then provide suggestions to inside counsel whose organizations find themselves involved in those cases-as the debtor, as a member of the creditors\u27 committee, or as a secured creditor whose collateral is being tapped for the carve-out to pay the professionals\u27 fees

Incentivizing Innovation

This Article advocates for a new approach to incentivizing innovation through the design of ex post tax incentives for research and development (R&D) investment. In contrast to many nations, the United States relies largely on ex ante tax incentives, namely a tax deduction and tax credit for qualified R&D spending. Fundamental design flaws exist with these ex ante incentives; moreover, innovation occurs continuously and yields results at the back end of the innovation cycle. An appropriate framework should take into consideration the key players in the innovation landscape. These players are often treated differently under the tax laws such that incentives for each may be justified. This Article fills a void in the literature, which focuses mostly on ex ante R&D tax incentives, and proposes several new ex post tax incentive options for both corporations and individual inventors. Moreover, this Article redirects the renewed attention focusing on the proper role of government in supporting risky R&D in response to pandemics and the race for future vaccines

A blueprint for successful partnering.

Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2004.Partnerships have evolved during the last decade from being the 'nice to have' to becoming the 'must have' to survive in all industries across the world. There are many different definitions of 'partnerships' and 'alliances' but most researchers, authors and experts in this field agree that at the core of true partnering or alliance agreements lies shared: benefits, risks and approaches. To avoid market share and profitability deterioration, solutions providers must initiate programs to improve their strategic position in a focused set of partner programs. Microsoft Corporation is the worlds leading software company with 96% of all revenue earned being billed through their partners. The company currently faces poor partner satisfaction ratings and has come to the realisation in that they have to a large extent, ignored the needs of their strategic and 'managed' partners. A blueprint for successful partnering is key to any company looking to differentiate itself, create a competitive advantage and become the industry leader in the offering the 'best of breed' partner experience. This is why the identification and implementation of a defined, successful partnering agreement blueprint is required in order to drive the Microsoft business strategy around the 'Partner' experience forward. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the current Microsoft engagement models in driving partner satisfaction in the managed partner space, to determine what the barriers and best practices are, pertaining to successful partnering in the corporate arena and to establish if it is feasible to identify and implement a blueprint that can be used in the corporate arena that promotes successful alliances/partnerships. Recommendations to implement the said blueprint are also be made in order to guide readers through the process

Knowledge sharing in the introduction of a new technology: psychological contracts, subculture interactions and non-codified knowledge in CRM systems

This longitudinal comparative study using a multidisciplinary approach, applies a processual analysis (Pettigrew, 1985; Pettigrew, 1990; Pettigrew, 1997) from a knowledge sharing perspective, to the implementation of what the literature shows to be a relatively under researched area of Customer Relationship Management( CRM) systemsi n contemporary (2001-2004) situations within Birmingham City Council and IBM. A specific focus is given to areas neglected in previous CRM studies - sub-cultures, psychological contracts, how tacit/non-codified knowledge is surfaced and shared, and with what effects on implementation. It investigates how the system stakeholders and the information system (IS) itself evolved through encountering barriers, sharing knowledge, finding new uses and inventing workarounds. A rich picture emerges of how sub-cultural silos of knowledge linked with psychological contracts and power-based relationships influence and inhibit adoption and acceptance of the CRM system. A major contribution of this processual study is to focus on the relatively neglected 'R' in CRM systems implementations. Hitherto, there has been little attempt to analyse the micro elements in the implementation of CRM systems using the lens of a multidisciplinary approach in a longitudinal study. The investigation of knowledge sharing (in particular non-codified knowledge sharing) across the key sub-cultures in the implementation process of CRM systems remains understudied. Scholars such as Lawrence and Lorch (1967), Boland and Tenkasi (1996), Newell et al. (2002) and Iansiti (1993) write of 'knowing of what. others know', 'mutual perspective taking', 'shared mental space' and 'T- shaped skills', as aids to tacit /non-codified knowledge sharing. However, they do not address fully the micro processes that lead to the above. This research aims to fill this knowledge gap, by investigating the micro elements (including in our study the psychological contracts) that lead to 'mutual perspective taking', enabling tacit/noncodified knowledge sharing across the key sub-cultures and their impacts on the adaptation and acceptance of a CRM system. This processual study lays a strong foundation for further research along the route of investigating multiple micro level elements in the process of implementation of a CRM system in order to enhance understanding of such phenomena in a contemporary situation. This qualitative study compares the CRM implementations at IBM. COM and Birmingham City Council. It penetrates the knowledge sharing issues faced by practitioners in a system integration environment. We highlight and discuss the importance of psychological contracts and their interdependencies on sub-cultural interactions and knowledge sharing. We have been able to relate and discuss real life issues in the light of existing academic theories, in order to enhance our understanding of the relatively neglected knowledge sharing phenomena in a CRM environment. The processual analysis framework extensively used and further developed in this research provides keys to its further use in enhancing the richness of future IS implementation studies at a micro level. The research contributes to the study of IS development by providing an integrative approach investigating the existing academic understandings at a micro level in a contemporary situation. A major contribution is also a detailed insight into the process of Boland and Tenkasi's (1996) 'mutual perspective taking' through the investigation of psychological contracts and their interdependencies on sub-cultural interaction and knowledges haring. An interesting finding has been that the distinctive contexts of the two cases have had lesser effects than the distinctive nature of CRM Systems and the implementation processes adopted. The study shows that irrespective of sectoral backgrounds the two organisations studied in this research failed to address adequately a range of common issues related to human behaviour, psychology, organisational characteristics, sub-cultural interactions and knowledge sharing. According to our research findings these factors have greater explanatory power for the results achieved than the distinctive contexts in which the two organisations operated

Global Risk Leadership and Resilience: A US/India Information Technology Start-up Case Study

Globalization can take many forms. In the case of a technology start-up firm operating across cultures, it could be said that its world is fundamentally global. More properly stated, E-commerce Start-up (ECS) operates within a global high-tech network and thus finds itself to be competing within (and outside of) a highly interconnected system of data, commerce, and emerging economies as a service provider to some of the United States’ most recognized brands. This interconnectivity serves as a central fact for the IT firms and its risk management efforts. Beyond the obvious exposure to global risks, how does operating across cultures affect risk management and risk leadership practices within ECS? The evolutionary story of ECS, from launch to acquisition, and the analysis of four scenarios presented in this case provide insights into the challenges facing operating organizations and the risk leadership capabilities needed to recover from internal and external threats

Mirror - Vol. 33, No. 12 - November 29, 2007

The Mirror (sometimes called the Fairfield Mirror) is the official student newspaper of Fairfield University, and is published weekly during the academic year (September - May). It runs from 1977 - the present; current issues are available online.https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/archives-mirror/1726/thumbnail.jp

The Evolution of Smart Buildings: An Industrial Perspective of the Development of Smart Buildings in the 2010s

Over the course of the 2010s, specialist research bodies have failed to provide a holistic view of the changes in the prominent reason (as driven by industry) for creating a smart building. Over the 2010s, research tended to focus on remaining deeply involved in only single issues or value drivers. Through an analysis of the author’s peer reviewed and published works (book chapters, articles, essays and podcasts), supplemented with additional contextual academic literature, a model for how the key drivers for creating a smart building have evolved in industry during the 2010s is presented. The critical research commentary within this thesis, tracks the incremental advances of technology and their application to the built environment via academic movements, industrial shifts, or the author’s personal contributions. This thesis has found that it is demonstrable, through the chronology and publication dates of the included research papers, that as the financial cost and complexity of sensors and cloud computing reduced, smart buildings became increasingly prevalent. Initially, sustainability was the primary focus with the use of HVAC analytics and advanced metering in the early 2010s. The middle of the decade saw an economic transformation of the commercial office sector and the driver for creating a smart building was concerned with delivering flexible yet quantifiably used space. Driven by society’s emphasis on health, wellbeing and productivity, smart buildings pivoted their focus towards the end of the 2010s. Smart building technologies were required to demonstrate the impacts of architecture on the human. This research has evidenced that smart buildings use data to improve performance in sustainability, in space usage or for humancentric outcomes