Quality measures for ETL processes: from goals to implementation

Extraction transformation loading (ETL) processes play an increasingly important role for the support of modern business operations. These business processes are centred around artifacts with high variability and diverse lifecycles, which correspond to key business entities. The apparent complexity of these activities has been examined through the prism of business process management, mainly focusing on functional requirements and performance optimization. However, the quality dimension has not yet been thoroughly investigated, and there is a need for a more human-centric approach to bring them closer to business-users requirements. In this paper, we take a first step towards this direction by defining a sound model for ETL process quality characteristics and quantitative measures for each characteristic, based on existing literature. Our model shows dependencies among quality characteristics and can provide the basis for subsequent analysis using goal modeling techniques. We showcase the use of goal modeling for ETL process design through a use case, where we employ the use of a goal model that includes quantitative components (i.e., indicators) for evaluation and analysis of alternative design decisions.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

An Analysis of Information Asset Valuation (IAV) Quantification Methodology for Application with Cyber Information Mission Impact Assessment (CIMIA)

The purpose of this research is to develop a standardized Information Asset Valuation (IAV) methodology. The IAV methodology proposes that accurate valuation for an Information Asset (InfoA) is the convergence of information tangible, intangible, and flow attributes to form a functional entity that enhances mission capability. The IAV model attempts to quantify an InfoA to a single value through the summation of weighted criteria. Standardizing the InfoA value criteria will enable decision makers to comparatively analyze dissimilar InfoAs across the tactical, operational, and strategic domains. This research develops the IAV methodology through a review of existing military and non-military valuation methodologies. IAV provides the Air Force (AF) and Department of Defense (DoD) with a standardized methodology that may be utilized enterprise wide when conducting risk and damage assessment and risk management. The IAV methodology is one of the key functions necessary for the Cyber Incident Mission Impact Assessment (CIMIA) program to operationalize a scalable, semi-automated Decision Support System (DSS) tool. The CIMIA DSS intends to provide decision makers with near real-time cyber awareness prior to, during, and post cyber incident situations through documentation of relationships, interdependencies, and criticalities among information assets, the communications infrastructure, and the operations mission impact

A QFD framework for quality, innovation and high-tech product development dynamics

The customer mostly chooses a product on the base of its quality, which therefore arises as the main cause of its commercial success. In a nearly axiomatic drawing, it follows that the effect of innovation is the improvement of quality, which itself becomes the aim of innovation. Even though the previous statement relates quality and innovation, it still does not explain their dynamics. To stress them, the ‘quality' concept must be analyzed in more detail. In fact, in addition to the ‘perceived quality', the quality ensured through `design, manufacturing and marketing' combined domains should be dealt with. This paper enhances this issue taking advantage of principles and models made available by control theory schemes coupled with quality function development (QFD) and best practice software modeling based on unified modeling language (UML

Information Technology Project Prioritization

This thesis provides a contemporary review of several topics related to information technology project prioritization, which will help managers create their own custom methodology. Traditional prioritization tools such as weighted average scoring models are used for simultaneous comparison of a number of proposed projects on multiple dimensions, to facilitate alignment with organization goals. These methods are used for the analysis of information related to the weight preferences over criteria used. If used correctly with this procedure, it is possible to bring forward an authentic figure of merit, which is used as the projects strategic potential. This allows the projects to be ranked and the highest-ranking projects to be considered for selection. Visual tools can then be used for selection of optimum project portfolio. The literature dedicates less time on tools beyond the selection of projects. This study aims to bridge this gap by proposing a final phase of project prioritization as Project Portfolio Management

The Feasibility Study in Information Systems: an Analysis of Criteria and Contents

The feasibility study has been prescribed and described as an important step in information system development. Yet there has been little research on issues pertaining to its con-tents and criteria. This paper addresses these issues and reports research from a quasi-experimental investigation using actual system development projects. The empirical results show that the two most important factors in a feasibility study are: convincing the users that the system they get will actually meet their functional requirements, and also that the system will work effectively within the organizational environment. A surprising result was the low importance attached by respondents to meeting the needs of the clerical personnel providing inputs to and handling the outputs from the system. Also. economic factors, which have been the focus of attention for many researchers. were ranked in the middle of all factors considered

How to assess stakeholders' influence in project management? A proposal based on the Analytic Network Process

[EN] In this paper we present a methodology to measure stakeholders' influences within a project from the point of view of the Project Manager. It is a novel proposal for the definition of "influence" among stakeholders based on a multiperspective approach. The concept of influence is broken down into criteria, evaluating different aspects that together define an index which measures the influence of each stakeholder with respect to the rest of the project team. This index is calculated with the Analytic Network Process. The methodology has been applied to a maintenance project for the Spanish National Railway Infrastructure company. Results show that the most influential stakeholders are the Contractor and the Signaling systems provider accounting for 40% of the total influence. These results have helped the Project Manager to be aware of the two most influential stakeholders and set the guidelines for the stakeholder management in the future.Aragonés-Beltrán, P.; García-Melón, M.; Montesinos-Valera, J. (2017). How to assess stakeholders' influence in project management? A proposal based on the Analytic Network Process. International Journal of Project Management. 35(3):451-462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2017.01.001S45146235

Cyber physical systems implementation for asset management improvement: A framework for the transition

Libro en Open AccessThe transformation of the industry due to recent technologies introduction is an evolving process whose engines are competitiveness and sustainability, understood in its broadest sense (environmental, economic and social). This process is facing, due to the current state of scientific and technological development, a new challenge yet even more important: the transition from discrete technological solutions that respond to isolated problems, to a global conception where the assets, plant, processes and engineering systems are conceived, designed and operated as an integrated complex unit. This vision is evolving besides a set of concepts that are, in some way, to guide this development: Smart Factories, Cyber-Physical Systems, Factory of the Future or Industry 4.0, are examples. The full integration of the operation and maintenance (O&M) processes in the production systems is a key topic within this new paradigm. Not only that, this evolution necessarily results in the emergence of new processes and needs of O&M, i.e. also, the O&M will undergo a profound transformation. The transition from actual isolated production assets to such Industry 4.0 with CPS is far from easy. This document presents a proposal to develop such transition adapting one iteration of the Model of Maintenance Management (MMM) integrated into ISO 55000 to the complexity of incorporating “System of Systems” CPSs maintenance. It involves several stages: identification, prioritization, risk management, planning, scheduling, execution, control, and improvement supported by system engineering techniques and agile/concurrent project managemen

Disruption Response Support For Inland Waterway Transportation

Motivated by the critical role of the inland waterways in the United States\u27 transportation system, this dissertation research focuses on pre- and post- disruption response support when the inland waterway navigation system is disrupted by a natural or manmade event. Following a comprehensive literature review, four research contributions are achieved. The first research contribution formulates and solves a cargo prioritization and terminal allocation problem (CPTAP) that minimizes total value loss of the disrupted barge cargoes on the inland waterway transportation system. It is tailored for maritime transportation stakeholders whose disaster response plans seek to mitigate negative economic and societal impacts. A genetic algorithm (GA)-based heuristic is developed and tested to solve realistically-sized instances of CPTAP. The second research contribution develops and examines a tabu search (TS) heuristic as an improved solution approach to CPTAP. Different from GA\u27s population search approach, the TS heuristic uses the local search to find improved solutions to CPTAP in less computation time. The third research contribution assesses cargo value decreasing rates (CVDRs) through a Value-focused Thinking based methodology. The CVDR is a vital parameter to the general cargo prioritization modeling as well as specifically for the CPTAP model for inland waterways developed here. The fourth research contribution develops a multi-attribute decision model based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process that integrates tangible and intangible factors in prioritizing cargo after an inland waterway disruption. This contribution allows for consideration of subjective, qualitative attributes in addition to the pure quantitative CPTAP approach explored in the first two research contributions