ERP systems implementation in complex organizations

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems implementation is a great organizational change, which many times does not reach the desired results. This paper proposes to help understand this implementation, considering that the knowledge of change and evolution processes in organizations may lead to other aspects to be considered, assisting in the identification of the most appropriate actions, restrictions and items that may help sustain the change. It proposes a complex organizational reference model to contribute understanding of the implementation process. Research results show that the concepts proposed in this model - subsystems, emergence, behavior attractors and complexity limits - apply to organizations and contribute to the understanding of the changes triggered by an ERP system implementation. Among other contributions, this work shows the importance of potential generation for change, the relationship among the behavior attractor and competitive advantages gained, and organizational systems maturity considerations

The Archaeology of Canadian Potteries: An Evaluation of Production Technology

Archaeological investigations of Canadian potteries have been initiated at no fewer than twenty sites. From these investigations a body of historical and technical knowledge has been developed for specific potteries and regions. One objective of this research has been the documentation of production techniques. At present, knowledge of techniques derived from archaeological research is unstructured, resulting in the identification of isolated production steps, rather than the inference of relatively complete production sequences. U sing a generalized account of a typical nineteenth-century Ontario procurement and manufacturing sequence for the production of common wares, prepared by David Newlands, a hypothetical ceramic production structure has been developed. On this heuristic model are based generalizations for an entire in-dustry, and future research should attempt to refine the basic model as well as postulate characteristic structures for individual potteries and other regions. Examinations of research conducted at ceramic kiln sites in England and the United States suggest various methods and problem orientations which could be adapted for such investigations of Canadian sites: 1) Geographic and temporal studies to address regional technology and adaptive change. 2) Material studies into kiln construction. 3) Chemical and physical studies of fabrics, glazes, decorations, and wares to deduce manufacturing techniques. 4) Material studies on manufacturing errors, accidents, and repairs. 5) Historical and material studies into tool and machinery usage. 6) Replicative experimentation to evaluate previous manufacturing inferences of pottery manufacturing. Résumé Des recherches archéologiques sur la poterie canadienne ont été entreprises sur au moins vingt sites. Ces fouilles ont permis d'accumuler des connaissances d'ordre historique et technique sur des poteries et sur des régions particulières. L'un des objectifs de ces recherches était de se renseigner sur les techniques de production de la céramique. A l'heure actuelle, les connaissances acquises par les recherches archéologiques au sujet des anciennes techniques ne sont toujours pas structurées; c'est pourquoi nous n'avons pu établir que des étapes de production isolées, insuffisantes pour permettre de reconstituer le véritable processus de fabrication. Un système hypothétique de production a pu être élaboré à l'aide d'une description générale, faite par David Newlands, d'une chaîne de fabrication typique du XIXe siècle en Ontario. Pour l'instant, ce modèle heuristique est appliqué à l'ensemble de l'industrie de la céramique. Les chercheurs auraient maintenant avantage à préciser le modèle de base et à émettre des hypothèses sur les modes d'organisation caractéristiques à chaque poterie et aux autres régions. L'examen des recherches menées sur les fours à céramique en Angleterre et aux Etats-Unis suggère diverses méthodes et orientations qui pourraient être adaptées en vue d'études analogues sur les sites canadiens: 1) Etudes géographiques et temporelles pour analyser les techniques régionales et les changements de fabrication. 2) Etudes des artefacts afin d'examiner la construction des fours. 3) Études chimiques et physiques des matériaux, des vernis, décors et articles afin de déterminer les techniques de fabrication. 4) Études des vices de fabrication, des accidents et des réparations à l'aide des artefacts. 5) Recherches historiques et recherches sur les artefacts afin de connaître les machines et les instruments utilisés. 6) Fabrication de répliques selon les techniques présumées de l'époque afin de corroborer les hypothèses

Research on key techniques of flexible workflow based approach to supporting dynamic engineering design process

Error on title page - correct year of award is 2015 not 2013.Engineering design process (EDP) is a highly dynamic and creative process, and the capability in managing an EDP is considered as a major differentiating factor between competing enterprises. The most important prerequisite to establish an engineering design process excellence is a proper management of all the design process activities and the associated information. The most important impact in recent years on the EDP and on the activities of designers has come from computer-based data processing. Workflow, the automation of a business processes in whole or part, is a useful tool for modelling and managing a business process which can be reprensented by a workflow model (computerized process definition). By considering the dynamic characteristics of EDP, an EDP management system must be flexible enough to support the creative and dynamic EDP. After the introduction of engineering design process and its new trend, as well as flexible workflow technology, reviews of both engineering design process and its supporting flexible workflow technology shows that there is a need for a holistic framework to automate and coordinate design activities in the creative and dynamic EDP, and the flexible workflow technology should also be improved comprehensively in flexibility and intelligence in order to support better engineering design management. By introducing the relations between the EDP and flexible workflow, a virtual workflow and an autonomic flexible workflow built upon autonomic computing is investigated, and an innovative engineering design process management framework based on multi-autonomic objects flexible workflow is proposed. For the flexible workflow modelling in the framework, a dynamic instance-based flexible workflow modelling method is proposed for multi-autonomic objects flexible workflow. In order to improve the intelligence of flexible workflow, after examining the principle of flexible workflow intelligence in flexible workflow, a new flexible workflow autonomic object intelligence algorithm based on both extended Mamdani fuzzy reasoning and neural network is proposed, weighted fuzzy reasoning algorithm, as well as precise and fuzzy hybrid knowledge reasoning algorithm is designed; a bionic flexible workflow adaptation algorithm is proposed to improve the intelligence of autonomic object flexible workflow further. According to the characteristic of EDP, such as cross-enterprises and geographical distribution, and in order to realize the flexible execution of distributed flexible workflow engine, a distributed flexible workflow engine architecture based on web service is proposed and a flexible workflow model description method based on extended WSDL (Web Service Description Language) and BPEL4WS (Business Process Execution Language for Web Services) is proposed. A flexible workflow prototype system supporting engineering design process is implemented according to the proposed EDP management framework in Microsoft VS.Net 2005 environment. The framework is demonstrated by the application in an EDP of a MTO company, and it shows that the proposed framework can support the creative and dynamic process in an efficient way. Finally, the strengths and weakness of the framework as well as the prototype system is discussed based on the results of the evaluation, and the proposed areas of future work are given.Engineering design process (EDP) is a highly dynamic and creative process, and the capability in managing an EDP is considered as a major differentiating factor between competing enterprises. The most important prerequisite to establish an engineering design process excellence is a proper management of all the design process activities and the associated information. The most important impact in recent years on the EDP and on the activities of designers has come from computer-based data processing. Workflow, the automation of a business processes in whole or part, is a useful tool for modelling and managing a business process which can be reprensented by a workflow model (computerized process definition). By considering the dynamic characteristics of EDP, an EDP management system must be flexible enough to support the creative and dynamic EDP. After the introduction of engineering design process and its new trend, as well as flexible workflow technology, reviews of both engineering design process and its supporting flexible workflow technology shows that there is a need for a holistic framework to automate and coordinate design activities in the creative and dynamic EDP, and the flexible workflow technology should also be improved comprehensively in flexibility and intelligence in order to support better engineering design management. By introducing the relations between the EDP and flexible workflow, a virtual workflow and an autonomic flexible workflow built upon autonomic computing is investigated, and an innovative engineering design process management framework based on multi-autonomic objects flexible workflow is proposed. For the flexible workflow modelling in the framework, a dynamic instance-based flexible workflow modelling method is proposed for multi-autonomic objects flexible workflow. In order to improve the intelligence of flexible workflow, after examining the principle of flexible workflow intelligence in flexible workflow, a new flexible workflow autonomic object intelligence algorithm based on both extended Mamdani fuzzy reasoning and neural network is proposed, weighted fuzzy reasoning algorithm, as well as precise and fuzzy hybrid knowledge reasoning algorithm is designed; a bionic flexible workflow adaptation algorithm is proposed to improve the intelligence of autonomic object flexible workflow further. According to the characteristic of EDP, such as cross-enterprises and geographical distribution, and in order to realize the flexible execution of distributed flexible workflow engine, a distributed flexible workflow engine architecture based on web service is proposed and a flexible workflow model description method based on extended WSDL (Web Service Description Language) and BPEL4WS (Business Process Execution Language for Web Services) is proposed. A flexible workflow prototype system supporting engineering design process is implemented according to the proposed EDP management framework in Microsoft VS.Net 2005 environment. The framework is demonstrated by the application in an EDP of a MTO company, and it shows that the proposed framework can support the creative and dynamic process in an efficient way. Finally, the strengths and weakness of the framework as well as the prototype system is discussed based on the results of the evaluation, and the proposed areas of future work are given

STABLE ADAPTIVE STRATEGY of HOMO SAPIENS and EVOLUTIONARY RISK of HIGH TECH. Transdisciplinary essay

The co-evolutionary concept of Three-modal stable evolutionary strategy of Homo sapiens is developed. The concept based on the principle of evolutionary complementarity of anthropogenesis: value of evolutionary risk and evolutionary path of human evolution are defined by descriptive (evolutionary efficiency) and creative-teleological (evolutionary correctly) parameters simultaneously, that cannot be instrumental reduced to others ones. Resulting volume of both parameters define the trends of biological, social, cultural and techno-rationalistic human evolution by two gear mechanism ˗ gene-cultural co-evolution and techno- humanitarian balance. The resultant each of them can estimated by the ratio of socio-psychological predispositions of humanization/dehumanization in mentality. Explanatory model and methodology of evaluation of creatively teleological evolutionary risk component of NBIC technological complex is proposed. Integral part of the model is evolutionary semantics (time-varying semantic code, the compliance of the biological, socio-cultural and techno-rationalist adaptive modules of human stable evolutionary strategy)

Enabling Transformative Research: Lessons from the Eastern and Southern Africa Partnership Programme (1999-2015)

oai:ojs.www.librelloph.com:article/267World leaders at the 2015 United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in New York have re- confirmed the relevance of sustainability as the guiding paradigm in countering the development and climate crisis of the Anthropocene. Recent decades however, have been characterized by confusion, contestations, and arbitrariness in defining the nature and pathways of sustainable development. Humanity must urgently find ways to unlock the potential of the sustainability paradigm and organize a sustainability transforma- tion. An emerging sustainability science community has already established considerable consensus on essential features of transformative science and research. Sustainability scholars are providing growing evidence that an emancipatory and democratic construction of sustainable development and more equitable, deliberative, and democratized knowledge generation are pivotal in tackling sustainability challenges. These findings are further underpinned by experiences gained in the Eastern and Southern Africa Partnership Programme (1999–2015)—a rare case of a long-term, transnational, and transdisciplinary research en- deavour already completed. The programme fulfilled the dual role which is compulsory in transformative research: It generated contextualized knowledge and innovation at the science–society interface while simultaneously securing meaningful participation and Southern agency in a co-evolutionary process. This paper offers insight into the programme’s adaptive structure and implementation processes, which fostered deliberation, capacity development, and joint programme navigation benchmarked against local needs and broader sustainability demands. The ESAPP experience confirms that, if taken as the overarching frame of reference for all actors involved, the sustainability paradigm unfolds its integrative and transformative power. It enables sustainability-oriented actors from all scientific and practical fields to seek consilience between differing development and innovation paradigms and synchronize their development agendas and research frameworks on behalf of societal co-production of knowledge and innovation. Accordingly, the sustainability paradigm has the power to guide development and innovation policy, and practice out of the current confusion and ineffectiveness

Developing Islamic Economics as a Body of Knowledge: Issues and Challenges

. Developing Islamic Economics as a Body of Knowledge: Issues and Challenges. Islamic economics is challenged whether it can be called a discipline in the sense of having a clear subject-matter, well-organized body of knowledge, methodology to appraise theories and systematic accumulation of knowledge. Islamic economics is still in the formative stage to be a discipline. Systematization of its body of knowledge is still in the progress. Many fundamental issues need to be seriously addressed by the scientific community for Islamic economics to be a legitimate discipline. This paper attempts to identify several challenges to be answered by Islamic economics scientific community in their effoert to develop a solid body of knowledge of Islamic economics. Embarking from the Islamic worldview that gives foundations in our understanding of economic phenomena, efforts are to be put to develop the conceptual scheme, methodology to appraise and evaluate theory and Islamic ethics framework. The answer to those challenges will determine the scientific direction of Islamic economics, ensurea sustainable growth of knowledge and expedite the speed of the evolutional process of Islamic economics towards becoming a distinct discipline

Dynamic state reconciliation and model-based fault detection for chemical processes

In this paper, we present a method for the fault detection based on the residual generation. The main idea is to reconstruct the outputs of the system from the measurements using the extended Kalman filter. The estimations are compared to the values of the reference model and so, deviations are interpreted as possible faults. The reference model is simulated by the dynamic hybrid simulator, PrODHyS. The use of this method is illustrated through an application in the field of chemical processe

Improvement of existing coal fired thermal power plants performance by control systems modifications

This paper presents possibilities of implementation of advanced combustion control concepts in selected Western Balkan thermal power plant, and particularly those based on artificial intelligence as part of primary measures for nitrogen oxide reduction in order to optimise combustion and to increase plant efficiency. Both considered goals comply with environmental quality standards prescribed in large combustion plant directive. Due to specific characterisation of Western Balkan power sector these goals should be reached by low cost and easily implementable solution. Advanced self-learning controller has been developed and the effects of advanced control concept on combustion process have been analysed using artificial neural-network based parameter prediction model. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

G. H. Mead's original role-concept and its later distortions

In the social psychology of the ‘60s the notion of role probably enjoyed the greatest popularity besides that of attitude. Although this popularity has markedly decreased by the ‘90s, role theories still have a substantial influence on the thinking of social science. When pondering the viability of the scientific notion, one does well to recount the history of how it was spread and transferred with special regard to the original role concept of G. H. Mead, the father of symbolic interactionism. As the author’s historical and theoretical analysis reveals, just in the period when the popularity of the role concept was at its peak, the context in which role phenomena were examined, were significantly more superficial than Mead’s original attempts at its interpretation. This enabled deepening of the relation between role and action. Neglecting this has meant that social psychology and sociology have practically severed themselves from the one possibility of better understanding of changes of roles and the emergence of new roles