The strategy and realization of enterprise integration

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Information Technology.In recent years we have experienced exponential growth in business innovation. emerging technology, and integration complexity. With this unprecedented growth, the priority of enterprise integration has shifted from patching solutions to the governance of agility. Enterprise integration mainly deals with interoperability between virtual and physical worlds, which is thorny by its very nature. In order to cope with rising complexity, interference coherence between business, service. and physical components is crucial. Instead of consolidation from fragmentation, an iteration approach is taken in driving concept and strategy into realization. The empirical statistics indicate that the anatomy of ontological research is essential for producing an overview of interoperability. The author's numerous research projects demonstrate a number of factors critical in generating higher productivity and lower risk. These factors include a higher visibility of atomic elements. a well-specified service, and a precise architectural alignment. By taking these successful factors into realization, this thesis proposes enterprise vertical integration, employing a three-step strategy of componentization, transformation, and virtualization. Componentization derives an ontology of atomic elements for the service-based foundation. In transformation. service components are produced from these raw elements, using a multi-discipline and three-dimensional approach to achieve component synthesis. The final step, virtualization, is the objective of enterprise integration. Virtualization establishes the enterprise skeleton and achieves a common-service mainstream in the industry. Experiential evidence indicates that this higher-level, three-step approach works effectively in minimizing risk and increasing productivity. There is particular benefit for projects of higher complexity and larger scale. Given the incessant business change inherent in our chaotic new age of computing, the three-step approach relies on a new framework to streamline realization and cope with project complexity. A Method, Evaluation, Techniques, and Application (META) framework addresses the interference between virtual and physical layers. In this initial process it develops component validation, analysis processes, and synthesis techniques for service transformation. It then develops service components and common services for service virtualization. This thesis proposes a four-pillared approach to support the META framework. It also proposes sub-area concepts such as "pattern" and "state" to enhance the capability of the framework before moving it into the industry mainstream. This thesis distinguishes itself from existing literature in that very few studies in this field address real enterprise-scale integration. None of the reviewed literature copes with the fundamental work of enterprise issues such as ontological research or high-level strategy as proposed by this thesis

Process-oriented Enterprise Mashups

Mashups, a new Web 2.0 technology provide the ability for easy creation of Web-Based applications by end-users. The uses of the mashups are often consumer related. In this paper we explore how mashups can be used in the enterprise area and hat the criteria for enterprise mashups are. We provide categories for the classification of enterprise mashups, and based upon a motivating example we go further in depth on business process enterprise mashup

HR Shared Services (HRSS): Model and Trends

[Excerpt] The findings of this research project are based on interviews with 44 Human Resources (HR) leaders across 39 national and international companies within 15 industries ranging from manufacturing to consulting services. The interviews ranged from 45 minutes to one hour, and sought to understand models, best practices, and trends. The interview included questions about employee experience, technology, and the integration between HR Shared Services (HRSS) and the overall HR Organization. To provide background information and data, the HR leaders answered a short survey, giving details about the structure of their HRSS, locations, areas of HR that had work performed in the shared services organization, systems, and technology capabilities

Business Models and their Implications for Skills

The dominant political-economic narrative of our time is that, under conditions of global competition with low-wage economies able to undercut even efficient western firms, the only viable and sustainable route to competitiveness is to trade on high value-added goods and services and that these in turn require enhanced skills and knowledge. This kind of analysis finds echo and sustenance in the management literature concerning 'knowledge'. Drawing upon a series of case studies this monograph reveals a more varied and complex pattern of possibilities

The e-revolution and post-compulsory education: using e-business models to deliver quality education

The best practices of e-business are revolutionising not just technology itself but the whole process through which services are provided; and from which important lessons can be learnt by post-compulsory educational institutions. This book aims to move debates about ICT and higher education beyond a simple focus on e-learning by considering the provision of post-compulsory education as a whole. It considers what we mean by e-business, why e-business approaches are relevant to universities and colleges and the key issues this raises for post-secondary education