Critical Management Issues for Implementing RFID in Supply Chain Management

The benefits of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in the supply chain are fairly compelling. It has the potential to revolutionise the efficiency, accuracy and security of the supply chain with significant impact on overall profitability. A number of companies are actively involved in testing and adopting this technology. It is estimated that the market for RFID products and services will increase significantly in the next few years. Despite this trend, there are major impediments to RFID adoption in supply chain. While RFID systems have been around for several decades, the technology for supply chain management is still emerging. We describe many of the challenges, setbacks and barriers facing RFID implementations in supply chains, discuss the critical issues for management and offer some suggestions. In the process, we take an in-depth look at cost, technology, standards, privacy and security and business process reengineering related issues surrounding RFID technology in supply chains

Outsourcing information systems: Drawing lessons from a banking case study

Financial and costs benefits are often put forward as the reasons why organisations decide to outsource. Emerging patterns and trends indicate that today’s outsourcing decisions are often motivated by factors other than cost. Thus, the decision-making process is more complex than it may at first appear. This paper presents findings from a case study from an organisation in the UK banking sector that was motivated to outsource aspects of its information technology/information system (IT/IS). The underlying motives and decision-making process that influenced the bank outsource its IT/IS are presented and discussed. Findings from the case study suggest political perspectives, as well as human and organisational issues influenced the bank’s strategic decision-making to outsource certain aspects of its business. An examination of the case study findings suggests that cost alone is not always responsible for decisions to outsource, as it was found the bank’s outsourcing decision was driven by a series of complex, interrelated motives in a bid to reduce the risks and uncertainties of managing its own technology. Considering the complex nature of the outsourcing process a frame of reference that can be used to assist managers with their decision to outsource IT/IS is propagated. The case study is used to present an organisation’s experiences as to how and why it decided to outsource its IS and thus offers a learning opportunity for other organisations facing similar difficulties. In addition, the case study findings highlight the need to focus greater attention on discriminating between the short and long-term consequences of IT/IS decision-makin

Migrating Traditional Web Applications to CMS-based Web Applications

AbstractIn recent years, Content Management Systems (CMS) have proven to be the best platforms for maintaining the large amount of digital content managed by Web applications. Thus, many organizations have experienced the necessity to base its Web applications on these CMS platforms. To do this, they start a migration process which is complex and error prone. To support this process, we propose a method based on the principles of Architecture-Driven Modernization (ADM) which automates the migration of Web applications to CMS-based Web applications. This article focuses on the implementation of two artifacts of this method: 1) the DSL ASTM_PHP, a modeling language for defining a model from PHP code (ASTM_PHP model) and 2) the model-to-model transformation rules which generate automatically a KDM model from a ASTM_PHP model. To show the feasibility of this implementation, we use a case study based on a widget implemented in PHP which lists the online users of a Web application

Security Optimization for Distributed Applications Oriented on Very Large Data Sets

The paper presents the main characteristics of applications which are working with very large data sets and the issues related to security. First section addresses the optimization process and how it is approached when dealing with security. The second section describes the concept of very large datasets management while in the third section the risks related are identified and classified. Finally, a security optimization schema is presented with a cost-efficiency analysis upon its feasibility. Conclusions are drawn and future approaches are identified.Security, Optimization, Very Large Data Sets, Distributed Applications

HR Issues and Challenges in Implementing Business Process Reengineering in Government Organizations in India

Business Process Reengineering (BPR) in an Organization is redesigning of its business processes to radically change the system for service improvement, quality enhancement, cost reduction and cycle time reduction. It is not a onetime exercise, but is a continuous one. The requirement and feasibility of a business process reengineering, at present, exists for two reasons – one, the expectations of the stakeholders are rising day by day and secondly the changing technological environment permits the process improvements due to new inventions. Due to these changes, BPR is increasingly being seen as the answer to the challenges that the organizations, especially in service sector, face in delivering services more effectively and efficiently. A large number of government organizations in India have responded to these calls and have initiated BPR interventions not only to improve internal business operations but also to strengthen accountability in public service sphere. However, despite the best intentions of the organizations to improve their functioning, it is noted that many of these BPR initiatives have failed totally or partially to achieve their objectives. An analysis, at broad level, indicates that most of these BPR initiatives have been perceived as technology initiatives only. The importance of corresponding changes in Human Resource (HR) Management has not been gauged properly and consequently these initiatives have failed to take off. This calls for a need to examine the HR issues related to the BPR with focus on making these initiatives success. This theoretical paper, based only on secondary data source, is an attempt to identify the HR issues related to the implementation of BPR mainly in the service oriented government organizations with an objective to provide an input for effective implementation of various BPR initiatives. Keywords: Business Process Reengineering, Change Management, e-governance, Human Resource, India

Implementing Robotic Process Automation for Internal Process Optimization

Our project worked to improve and automate the internal processes of Heliotec, a Paraguayan solar and renewable energy company, through the implementation of Robotic Process Automation. We designed a customized robot based on IDEF models developed specifically for Heliotec\u27s processes. We then conducted technical, economic, and organizational feasibility analyses, and determined that the project was feasible. Our recommendation was that Heliotec should implement the RPA developed in the project given the determined benefits

Implementing Robotic Process Automation for Internal Process Optimization

Our project worked to improve and automate the internal processes of Heliotec, a Paraguayan solar and renewable energy company, through the implementation of Robotic Process Automation. We designed a customized robot based on IDEF models developed specifically for Heliotec\u27s processes. We then conducted technical, economic, and organizational feasibility analyses, and determined that the project was feasible. Our recommendation was that Heliotec should implement the RPA developed in the project given the determined benefits