Supporting Global Automotive Product Development Projects through the Integration of Systems Engineering Knowledge

Global automotive companies are vast extended enterprises of geographically dispersed teams that collaborate on the concurrent development of new technologies and multiple vehicle programs. Consequently, it is challenging to effectively capture all new knowledge generated during continuous innovation. Furthermore, current knowledge management tools fail to adequately organise vital new explicit knowledge captured during vehicle development programs and then make it widely accessible for future re-use throughout the product lifecycle. This paper reports the findings of an investigation exploring the current knowledge management practices in a large-scale multinational automotive company, and proposes an integrated framework to address the industrial challenges

Developing Collaborative XML Editing Systems

In many areas the eXtensible Mark-up Language (XML) is becoming the standard exchange and data format. More and more applications not only support XML as an exchange format but also use it as their data model or default file format for graphic, text and database (such as spreadsheet) applications. Computer Supported Cooperative Work is an interdisciplinary field of research dealing with group work, cooperation and their supporting information and communication technologies. One part of it is Real-Time Collaborative Editing, which investigates the design of systems which allow several persons to work simultaneously in real-time on the same document, without the risk of inconsistencies. Existing collaborative editing research applications specialize in one or at best, only a small number of document types; for example graphic, text or spreadsheet documents. This research investigates the development of a software framework which allows collaborative editing of any XML document type in real-time. This presents a more versatile solution to the problems of real-time collaborative editing. This research contributes a new software framework model which will assist software engineers in the development of new collaborative XML editing applications. The devised framework is flexible in the sense that it is easily adaptable to different workflow requirements covering concurrency control, awareness mechanisms and optional locking of document parts. Additionally this thesis contributes a new framework integration strategy that enables enhancements of existing single-user editing applications with real-time collaborative editing features without changing their source code

Teenustele orienteeritud ja tõendite-teadlik mobiilne pilvearvutus

Arvutiteaduses on kaks kõige suuremat jõudu: mobiili- ja pilvearvutus. Kui pilvetehnoloogia pakub kasutajale keerukate ülesannete lahendamiseks salvestus- ning arvutusplatvormi, siis nutitelefon võimaldab lihtsamate ülesannete lahendamist mistahes asukohas ja mistahes ajal. Täpsemalt on mobiilseadmetel võimalik pilve võimalusi ära kasutades energiat säästa ning jagu saada kasvavast jõudluse ja ruumi vajadusest. Sellest tulenevalt on käesoleva töö peamiseks küsimuseks kuidas tuua pilveinfrastruktuur mobiilikasutajale lähemale? Antud töös uurisime kuidas mobiiltelefoni pilveteenust saab mobiilirakendustesse integreerida. Saime teada, et töö delegeerimine pilve eeldab mitmete pilve aspektide kaalumist ja integreerimist, nagu näiteks ressursimahukas töötlemine, asünkroonne suhtlus kliendiga, programmaatiline ressursside varustamine (Web APIs) ja pilvedevaheline kommunikatsioon. Nende puuduste ületamiseks lõime Mobiilse pilve vahevara Mobile Cloud Middleware (Mobile Cloud Middleware - MCM) raamistiku, mis kasutab deklaratiivset teenuste komponeerimist, et delegeerida töid mobiililt mitmetele pilvedele kasutades minimaalset andmeedastust. Teisest küljest on näidatud, et koodi teisaldamine on peamisi strateegiaid seadme energiatarbimise vähendamiseks ning jõudluse suurendamiseks. Sellegipoolest on koodi teisaldamisel miinuseid, mis takistavad selle laialdast kasutuselevõttu. Selles töös uurime lisaks, mis takistab koodi mahalaadimise kasutuselevõttu ja pakume lahendusena välja raamistiku EMCO, mis kogub seadmetelt infot koodi jooksutamise kohta erinevates kontekstides. Neid andmeid analüüsides teeb EMCO kindlaks, mis on sobivad tingimused koodi maha laadimiseks. Võrreldes kogutud andmeid, suudab EMCO järeldada, millal tuleks mahalaadimine teostada. EMCO modelleerib kogutud andmeid jaotuse määra järgi lokaalsete- ning pilvejuhtude korral. Neid jaotusi võrreldes tuletab EMCO täpsed atribuudid, mille korral mobiilirakendus peaks koodi maha laadima. Võrreldes EMCO-t teiste nüüdisaegsete mahalaadimisraamistikega, tõuseb EMCO efektiivsuse poolest esile. Lõpuks uurisime kuidas arvutuste maha laadimist ära kasutada, et täiustada kasutaja kogemust pideval mobiilirakenduse kasutamisel. Meie peamiseks motivatsiooniks, et sellist adaptiivset tööde täitmise kiirendamist pakkuda, on tagada kasutuskvaliteet (QoE), mis muutub vastavalt kasutajale, aidates seeläbi suurendada mobiilirakenduse eluiga.Mobile and cloud computing are two of the biggest forces in computer science. While the cloud provides to the user the ubiquitous computational and storage platform to process any complex tasks, the smartphone grants to the user the mobility features to process simple tasks, anytime and anywhere. Smartphones, driven by their need for processing power, storage space and energy saving are looking towards remote cloud infrastructure in order to solve these problems. As a result, the main research question of this work is how to bring the cloud infrastructure closer to the mobile user? In this thesis, we investigated how mobile cloud services can be integrated within the mobile apps. We found out that outsourcing a task to cloud requires to integrate and consider multiple aspects of the clouds, such as resource-intensive processing, asynchronous communication with the client, programmatically provisioning of resources (Web APIs) and cloud intercommunication. Hence, we proposed a Mobile Cloud Middleware (MCM) framework that uses declarative service composition to outsource tasks from the mobile to multiple clouds with minimal data transfer. On the other hand, it has been demonstrated that computational offloading is a key strategy to extend the battery life of the device and improves the performance of the mobile apps. We also investigated the issues that prevent the adoption of computational offloading, and proposed a framework, namely Evidence-aware Mobile Computational Offloading (EMCO), which uses a community of devices to capture all the possible context of code execution as evidence. By analyzing the evidence, EMCO aims to determine the suitable conditions to offload. EMCO models the evidence in terms of distributions rates for both local and remote cases. By comparing those distributions, EMCO infers the right properties to offload. EMCO shows to be more effective in comparison with other computational offloading frameworks explored in the state of the art. Finally, we investigated how computational offloading can be utilized to enhance the perception that the user has towards an app. Our main motivation behind accelerating the perception at multiple response time levels is to provide adaptive quality-of-experience (QoE), which can be used as mean of engagement strategy that increases the lifetime of a mobile app

A conceptual model for proactive detection of potential fraud enterprise systems: exploiting SAP audit trails to detect asset misappropriation

Fraud costs the Australian economy approximately $3 billion annually, and its frequency and financial impact continues to grow. Many organisations are poorly prepared to prevent and detect fraud. Fraud prevention is not perfect therefore fraud detection is crucial. Fraud detection strategies are intended to quickly and efficiently identify frauds that circumvent preventative measures so that an organisation can take appropriate corrective action. Enhancing the ability of organisations to detect potential fraud may have a positive impact on the economy. An effective model that facilitates proactive detection of potential fraud may potentially save costs and reduce the propensity of future fraud by early detection of suspicious user activities. Enterprise systems generate millions of transactions annually. While most of these are legal and routine transactions, a small number may be fraudulent. The enormous number of transactions makes it difficult to find these few instances among legitimate transactions. Without the availability of proactive fraud detection tools, investigating suspicious activities becomes overwhelming. This study explores and develops innovative methods for proactive detection of potential fraud in enterprise systems. The intention is to build a model for detection of potential fraud based on analysis of patterns or signatures building on theories and concepts of continuous fraud detection. This objective is addressed by answering the main question; can a generalised model for proactive detection of potential fraud in enterprise systems be developed? The study proposes a methodology for proactive detection of potential fraud that exploits audit trails in enterprise systems. The concept of proactive detection of otential fraud is demonstrated by developing a prototype. The prototype is a near real-time web based application that uses SAS for its analytics processes. The aim of the prototype is to confirm the feasibility of implementing proactive detection of potential fraud in practice. Verification of the prototype is achieved by performing a series of tests involving simulated activity, followed by a full scale case study with a large international manufacturing company. Validation is achieved by obtaining independent reviews from the case study senior staff, auditing practitioners and a panel of experts. Timing experiments confirm that the prototype is able to handle real data volumes from a real organisation without difficulty thereby providing evidence in support of enhancement of auditor productivity. This study makes a number of contributions to both the literature and auditing practice

Understanding the adaptive capacity of Australian small-to-medium enterprises to climate change and variability

Abstract Small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) comprise 96 per cent of all private businesses in Australia. The SME sector is the economy’s largest employer and the largest contributor to GDP. Moreover, SMEs play a significant role within socio-economic systems: they provide employment, goods and services and tax revenue for communities. Climate change may result in adverse business outcomes including business interruptions, increased investment and insurance costs, and declines in financial indicators such as measures of value, return and growth. After natural disasters, SMEs face greater short-term losses than larger enterprises, and may have lower adaptive capacity for various reasons. This study examines the underlying factors and processes shaping adaptive capacity of Australian SMEs’ to climate change and associated sea level rise. Specifically, the research asks the following questions: 1) How have SMEs considered and integrated adaptation into business planning? 2) What are the key underlying processes that constrain and influence the adaptive capacities of SMEs? and 3) What types of support are required to promote SME business continuity under a changing climate? The study adopts theories from Political Ecology and draws on literature on vulnerability and hazards to understand the processes that mediate the adaptive capacity of SMEs. The empirical research involved an online survey targeting SMEs, attending business engagement events hosted by chambers of commerce, 30 semi-structured interviews with secondary stakeholders, five case studies involving SMEs and secondary stakeholders, and finally a stakeholder workshop which brought together participants from both groups. The central conclusion of this study is that underlying contextual processes are critical to enhancing the adaptive capacity of SMEs. These processes include: the social relationships between SMEs and support organisations; the relationships within support organisations themselves; the agency of SMEs to direct resources toward building resilience into business continuity; SMEs’ perceptions of climate risks; and power struggles between support organisations. Unfavourable combinations of these processes have the potential to limit the adaptive choices that SMEs can adopt in order to overcome climate change and other related stresses on business continuity. These processes generate vulnerability and often occur at scales external to the SMEs;including relationships between different tiers of government as well as between various support organisations working with SMEs. These contextual processes have been largely overlooked in formal programmes that aim to build business resilience. The programmes have tended to be reactive and have tended to focus on business recovery during and after disasters rather than on altering the vulnerability context of SMEs through anticipatory prevention and preparedness or adaptation planning. This study suggests that the success of efforts to build the adaptive capacity of SMEs to future climate and related stresses will depend on how they address these underlying processes to facilitate the ability of SMEs to exercise their agency in pursuing adaptive choices that they value

An Autonomic Cross-Platform Operating Environment for On-Demand Internet Computing

The Internet has evolved into a global and ubiquitous communication medium interconnecting powerful application servers, diverse desktop computers and mobile notebooks. Along with recent developments in computer technology, such as the convergence of computing and communication devices, the way how people use computers and the Internet has changed people´s working habits and has led to new application scenarios. On the one hand, pervasive computing, ubiquitous computing and nomadic computing become more and more important since different computing devices like PDAs and notebooks may be used concurrently and alternately, e.g. while the user is on the move. On the other hand, the ubiquitous availability and pervasive interconnection of computing systems have fostered various trends towards the dynamic utilization and spontaneous collaboration of available remote computing resources, which are addressed by approaches like utility computing, grid computing, cloud computing and public computing. From a general point of view, the common objective of this development is the use of Internet applications on demand, i.e. applications that are not installed in advance by a platform administrator but are dynamically deployed and run as they are requested by the application user. The heterogeneous and unmanaged nature of the Internet represents a major challenge for the on demand use of custom Internet applications across heterogeneous hardware platforms, operating systems and network environments. Promising remedies are autonomic computing systems that are supposed to maintain themselves without particular user or application intervention. In this thesis, an Autonomic Cross-Platform Operating Environment (ACOE) is presented that supports On Demand Internet Computing (ODIC), such as dynamic application composition and ad hoc execution migration. The approach is based on an integration middleware called crossware that does not replace existing middleware but operates as a self-managing mediator between diverse application requirements and heterogeneous platform configurations. A Java implementation of the Crossware Development Kit (XDK) is presented, followed by the description of the On Demand Internet Computing System (ODIX). The feasibility of the approach is shown by the implementation of an Internet Application Workbench, an Internet Application Factory and an Internet Peer Federation. They illustrate the use of ODIX to support local, remote and distributed ODIC, respectively. Finally, the suitability of the approach is discussed with respect to the support of ODIC

Digitalization and Its Impact on Commercial Aviation

The purpose of this thesis was to study the concept of digitalization and to examine its impact on the commercial aviation industry. Digitalization and the numerous developments deriving from it constitutes a comprehensive framework that is consequential for any industry, and especially for the commercial aviation industry. This particular relevance arises primarily from the rapidly evolving nature of the industry, and furthermore components such as the cost structure, security and competition intensity play an important part. Digitalization has historically been defined in multiple dissimilar ways due to its constantly developing nature. The definition used in this thesis will combine the proliferation of mobile devices and internet-based technologies with other significant innovations such as Big Data, Automation and 3D-printing. This definition will not stand alone, but instead it will be combined to fit the context of the commercial aviation industry. The findings indicate that investing in significant digital technologies commercial airlines can potentially increase their customer satisfaction as well as their operational efficiency considerably. The specific digital trends contributing to the customer satisfaction are the internet and the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data and Blockchain, whereas Augmented Reality (AR), Automation and 3D-printing affect the operational flight performance. The successful adaptation of these technologies can potentially lead to improvements in the overall efficiency-, cost-, flexibility- and security related performance of the airline. However, prior to focusing on the individual trends, it is vital to acknowledge the current capabilities of the firm. Furthermore, the company needs to develop a solid digital strategy and implement that strategy successfully. An ad hoc set of mind is advisable in addition to an approach that promotes trial and failure

Library purchasing consortia in the UK: activity, benefits and good practice.

Following a brief introduction in Section 1, Section 2 sets out the operational context of library purchasing consortia. A range of key factors have shaped recent developments in the four LIS sectors under consideration (FE, HE, health and public libraries); some have exerted a common influence over all (e.g. information technology, European Commission purchasing directives, new central government, decline in bookfunds); some are sector-specific (e.g. purchasing arrangements, regional administrative frameworks, collaborative partnerships). The structure and markets of the book and periodical publishing industry in the UK are reviewed, with attention paid to historical as well as more recent practice that has had an impact on library supply. Although each component of the LIS purchasing consortia jigsaw displays individual characteristics that have evolved as a response to its own environment, the thread that links them together is constant change. Section 3 presents the results of a survey of identified library purchasing consortia in the four library sectors. It treats common themes of relevance to all consortia arising from information gathered by seminar input, questionnaire and interview. These include models of consortium operation, membership and governance, ‘typical’ composition of consortia in each sector, and links to analogous practice in other library sectors. Common features of the tendering and contract management process are elicited and attention paid to any contribution of procurement professionals. Finally, levels of consortium expenditure and cost savings are estimated from the published statistical record, which readily demonstrate in financial terms the efficiency of the consortial purchase model for all types of library in the United Kingdom. Section 4 presents the results of a survey of suppliers to libraries in the United Kingdom of books and periodicals, the two sectors most commonly represented in current contracts of library purchasing consortia. It sets out in some detail the operating context governing the highly segmented activities of library booksellers, as well as that pertaining to periodicals suppliers (also known as subscription agents). Detailed responses to questions on the effects of library purchasing consortia on suppliers of both materials have been gathered by questionnaire survey and selected follow-up interviews. Results are presented and analysed according to supply sector with attention given to the tendering process, current contracts under way, cross-sectoral clientele, and advantages and inhibitors of consortia supply. Further responses are reported on issues of how consortia have affected suppliers’ volume of trade, operating margins and market stability as perceived in their own business, the library supply sector and the publishing industry. Finally, overall conclusions are drawn and projections made as to future implications for both types of library suppliers. Section 5 synthesises findings, details enabling and inhibiting factors for consortia formation and models of best practice amongst consortia. The scope for cross-sectoral collaboration is discussed and found to be limited at present. Pointers are given for future activity

Factors shaping the evolution of electronic documentation systems

The main goal is to prepare the space station technical and managerial structure for likely changes in the creation, capture, transfer, and utilization of knowledge. By anticipating advances, the design of Space Station Project (SSP) information systems can be tailored to facilitate a progression of increasingly sophisticated strategies as the space station evolves. Future generations of advanced information systems will use increases in power to deliver environmentally meaningful, contextually targeted, interconnected data (knowledge). The concept of a Knowledge Base Management System is emerging when the problem is focused on how information systems can perform such a conversion of raw data. Such a system would include traditional management functions for large space databases. Added artificial intelligence features might encompass co-existing knowledge representation schemes; effective control structures for deductive, plausible, and inductive reasoning; means for knowledge acquisition, refinement, and validation; explanation facilities; and dynamic human intervention. The major areas covered include: alternative knowledge representation approaches; advanced user interface capabilities; computer-supported cooperative work; the evolution of information system hardware; standardization, compatibility, and connectivity; and organizational impacts of information intensive environments

Proceedings of the 2004 ONR Decision-Support Workshop Series: Interoperability

In August of 1998 the Collaborative Agent Design Research Center (CADRC) of the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), approached Dr. Phillip Abraham of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) with the proposal for an annual workshop focusing on emerging concepts in decision-support systems for military applications. The proposal was considered timely by the ONR Logistics Program Office for at least two reasons. First, rapid advances in information systems technology over the past decade had produced distributed collaborative computer-assistance capabilities with profound potential for providing meaningful support to military decision makers. Indeed, some systems based on these new capabilities such as the Integrated Marine Multi-Agent Command and Control System (IMMACCS) and the Integrated Computerized Deployment System (ICODES) had already reached the field-testing and final product stages, respectively. Second, over the past two decades the US Navy and Marine Corps had been increasingly challenged by missions demanding the rapid deployment of forces into hostile or devastate dterritories with minimum or non-existent indigenous support capabilities. Under these conditions Marine Corps forces had to rely mostly, if not entirely, on sea-based support and sustainment operations. Particularly today, operational strategies such as Operational Maneuver From The Sea (OMFTS) and Sea To Objective Maneuver (STOM) are very much in need of intelligent, near real-time and adaptive decision-support tools to assist military commanders and their staff under conditions of rapid change and overwhelming data loads. In the light of these developments the Logistics Program Office of ONR considered it timely to provide an annual forum for the interchange of ideas, needs and concepts that would address the decision-support requirements and opportunities in combined Navy and Marine Corps sea-based warfare and humanitarian relief operations. The first ONR Workshop was held April 20-22, 1999 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in San Luis Obispo, California. It focused on advances in technology with particular emphasis on an emerging family of powerful computer-based tools, and concluded that the most able members of this family of tools appear to be computer-based agents that are capable of communicating within a virtual environment of the real world. From 2001 onward the venue of the Workshop moved from the West Coast to Washington, and in 2003 the sponsorship was taken over by ONR’s Littoral Combat/Power Projection (FNC) Program Office (Program Manager: Mr. Barry Blumenthal). Themes and keynote speakers of past Workshops have included: 1999: ‘Collaborative Decision Making Tools’ Vadm Jerry Tuttle (USN Ret.); LtGen Paul Van Riper (USMC Ret.);Radm Leland Kollmorgen (USN Ret.); and, Dr. Gary Klein (KleinAssociates) 2000: ‘The Human-Computer Partnership in Decision-Support’ Dr. Ronald DeMarco (Associate Technical Director, ONR); Radm CharlesMunns; Col Robert Schmidle; and, Col Ray Cole (USMC Ret.) 2001: ‘Continuing the Revolution in Military Affairs’ Mr. Andrew Marshall (Director, Office of Net Assessment, OSD); and,Radm Jay M. Cohen (Chief of Naval Research, ONR) 2002: ‘Transformation ... ’ Vadm Jerry Tuttle (USN Ret.); and, Steve Cooper (CIO, Office ofHomeland Security) 2003: ‘Developing the New Infostructure’ Richard P. Lee (Assistant Deputy Under Secretary, OSD); and, MichaelO’Neil (Boeing) 2004: ‘Interoperability’ MajGen Bradley M. Lott (USMC), Deputy Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command; Donald Diggs, Director, C2 Policy, OASD (NII