Contributions to the selection and implementation of standard software for CRM and electronic invoicing

[no abstract

Proceedings der 11. Internationalen Tagung Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI2013) - Band 1

The two volumes represent the proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik WI2013 (Business Information Systems). They include 118 papers from ten research tracks, a general track and the Student Consortium. The selection of all submissions was subject to a double blind procedure with three reviews for each paper and an overall acceptance rate of 25 percent. The WI2013 was organized at the University of Leipzig between February 27th and March 1st, 2013 and followed the main themes Innovation, Integration and Individualization.:Track 1: Individualization and Consumerization Track 2: Integrated Systems in Manufacturing Industries Track 3: Integrated Systems in Service Industries Track 4: Innovations and Business Models Track 5: Information and Knowledge ManagementDie zweibändigen Tagungsbände zur 11. Internationalen Tagung Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI2013) enthalten 118 Forschungsbeiträge aus zehn thematischen Tracks der Wirtschaftsinformatik, einem General Track sowie einem Student Consortium. Die Selektion der Artikel erfolgte nach einem Double-Blind-Verfahren mit jeweils drei Gutachten und führte zu einer Annahmequote von 25%. Die WI2013 hat vom 27.02. - 01.03.2013 unter den Leitthemen Innovation, Integration und Individualisierung an der Universität Leipzig stattgefunden.:Track 1: Individualization and Consumerization Track 2: Integrated Systems in Manufacturing Industries Track 3: Integrated Systems in Service Industries Track 4: Innovations and Business Models Track 5: Information and Knowledge Managemen

Semantic discovery and reuse of business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modelling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. As a statement of research-in-progress this paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial methodological framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework borrows ideas from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse

Digital transformation and business model innovation : a multiple case study of consulting companies from Germany

This dissertation provides a status quo of the digital transformation within the German IT consulting industry in 2022 and examines the influence of digitalization on the business model (BM) development of consultancies. The paper studies the determinants which led consultancies to arrive at their current digitalization level, how their current BMs are characterized as well as how the development process induced by digitalization is composed, and eventually which success factors need to be fulfilled to overcome potential future growth barriers. In the literature review, definitions of the concept of BM and the innovation on BMs are discussed. Based on those insights, the characteristics of BMs in the consulting industry are identified and a deepened understanding of the phenomenon on digitalization is created. Grounded on the theoretical insights, a multiple case study spanning four different IT consulting firms is performed which investigates the business model developments of those consultancies by conducting two semi-structured interviews with related consultants per case complemented with secondary data generating data triangulation. The dissertation identifies changing requirements of stakeholders and in particular clients as the most relevant determinants for business model innovation. The findings of the thesis stress the importance of an outbalanced focus on the people business and the technological aspects of IT consulting. As most critical success factors a change affine mindset and company culture have been identified which embraces that mindset and consequently enables an organizational structure to execute the willingness for change.Esta dissertação fornece um status da transformação digital na indústria alemã de consultoria informática em 2022 e examina a influência da digitalização no desenvolvimento do modelo de negócio (BM) das consultorias. O artigo estuda os determinantes que levaram as consultorias a chegar ao seu atual nível de digitalização, como são caracterizados os seus atuais BMs, como é composto o processo de desenvolvimento induzido pela digitalização, e eventualmente os fatores de sucesso que precisam de ser cumpridos para superar potenciais barreiras de crescimento futuro. Na revisão da literatura, são discutidas definições do conceito de BM e inovação em BMs. Com base nestes conhecimentos, são identificadas as características de BMs na indústria de consultoria ed é criada uma compreensão profunda do fenómeno da digitalização. Com base nos conhecimentos teóricos, é realizado um estudo de caso múltiplo abrangendo quatro empresas de consultoria de IT diferentes que investiga os desenvolvimentos do BM dessas consultorias, conduzindo duas entrevistas semiestruturadas com consultores relacionados por caso, complementadas com dados secundários geradores de triangulação de dados. A dissertação identifica os requisitos em mudança das partes interessadas e, em particular, dos clientes como os determinantes mais relevantes para inovação do modelo de negócio. As conclusões da tese sublinham a importância de um enfoque desequilibrado no negócio das pessoas e nos aspetos tecnológicos da consultoria em IT. Como fatores de sucesso mais críticos, foi identificada uma mudança de mentalidade e cultura empresarial que abraça essa mentalidade e, consequentemente, permite uma estrutura organizacional para executar a vontade de mudança

Measuring the Firm Competitiveness by the Capacity of Operational Flexibility Using Industry 4.0

openL'integrazione delle tecnologie dell'Industria 4.0 nei moderni processi produttivi ha innescato una profonda trasformazione nelle pratiche industriali globali. Questa tesi si concentra su queste trasformazioni nell'illustre panorama tedesco, pioniere nell'innovazione manifatturiera e nell'adozione di Industria 4.0. La tesi esplora il modo in cui la gestione dei dati e la personalizzazione influiscono sulla competitività dell'impresa grazie alla flessibilità operativa che comportano. L'obiettivo fondamentale di questa ricerca è duplice: esplorare l'importanza delle capacità di gestione dei dati nella produzione intelligente e il loro legame con le strategie di personalizzazione e la flessibilità operativa, e mostrare la loro influenza combinata sulla competitività delle aziende manifatturiere tedesche. Analizzando il ruolo della gestione strategica dei dati insieme a un'efficace personalizzazione, questo studio cerca di scoprire i meccanismi che alimentano una migliore competitività nel paradigma dell'industria 4.0. Con la rivoluzione dello stile manifatturiero dalla produzione di massa a quella personalizzata, la determinazione delle richieste e delle preferenze dei clienti è diventata progressivamente importante per i produttori. Verrà discusso l'effetto delle prestazioni della rete di dati di produzione per la personalizzazione di massa e le strategie di adattamento per diventare più flessibili e competitivi.The integration of Industry 4.0 technologies into modern manufacturing processes has ignited a profound transformation in global industrial practices. This thesis focuses on these transformations in Germany's distinguished landscape—an eminent pioneer in manufacturing innovation and Industry 4.0 adoption. It explores how data management and customization affect firm competitiveness by operational flexibility they bring with. The fundamental objective of this research is twofold: to explore the significance of data management capabilities in smart manufacturing and its link to customization strategies and operational flexibility, and to show their combined influence on firm competitiveness among German manufacturing firms. By dissecting the role of strategic data management in tandem with effective customization, this study endeavors to uncover the mechanisms that fuel improved competitiveness in the industry 4.0 paradigm. With the revolution in manufacturing style from mass to customized production, determining customer demands and preferences have grown gradually significant for the manufacturers. The effect of manufacturing data network performance for mass customization and adaptive strategies to become more flexible and competitive will be discussed

Cost Risk Management for a Small to Medium-sized Enterprise in the Cladding Industry

To research the management of risk and cost in the cladding industry, this work has evaluated current practice and deficiencies, concentrating on the lack of integration or standardisation resulting in inaccurate cost estimates, unacceptable risks and loss of profit in cladding manufacture. The research presents an approach for integrating process- and technology-orientated improvements into a knowledge-based model to improve a cladding manufacturing SME’s performance. The research also presents a management method for the selection, integration, control and implementation of this approach. Controlling data transfer between systems produces a knowledge-based model, allowing cladding industry designers and estimators to take more accurate decisions, with the objective of reducing risk and improving company profitability. This model, with the addition of external supply chain elements, is a management framework, which can be termed an agile manufacturing system. The development of this framework has raised the following data certainty questions: • What is the measured uncertainty of that data? • How can the industry control and structure high data volumes transferred between systems to produce more accurate cost models? The answers to these questions were found by applying a structured methodology for the selection, integration and control of technology in the cladding industry, but involving the human factor. In this approach, the principle of entropy was adopted to measure data uncertainty. The structured methodology was made possible by a new categorisation into Innovative, Standard and Semi-Standard cladding projects. The research applied this structured methodology, combining qualitative and quantitative methods for validating assumptions, to a cladding industry SME case-study. The case-study investigated the validity of real cost and project data and calculated data uncertainty for specific projects, categorised as described, using a risk factor percentage predicted on entropy principles, based on historical data fed back from the SME’s ERP system. This risk factor approach was similar to that previously used in the insurance and banking industries. The risk percentage formulae used were based on assumptions extracted from qualitative and quantitative methods applied to the SME, its partner companies and industry specialists. Assumptions about the gross margins for UK metal cladding projects formed part of the risk percentage formulae. The results of this case-study found that gross margins varied from 5% in standard projects to 40% in the Innovative projects. An entropy scale was proposed as a basis for comparing risk calculation results, with the highest entropy equalling 100%, signifying the highest risk possible. It was found that risk rises in the case-study were from 23% for Standard to 93% for Innovative projects. This principle of a risk factor percentage was tested in the UK cladding manufacturer SME case-study and its value to the SME was demonstrated.