Mining Transaction Data for Process Instance Monitoring in Legacy Systems

End-to-End business processes in organizations are implemented across multiple applications, legacy systems, ERP systemsand products. In such scenarios where applications are developed over a period of time and with varying technologies,monitoring end-to-end business processes is a challenge. Typical methods for providing process monitoring capabilities areintrusive methods like changing code and introducing probes; or introducing new software tools like EAI and BAM. Wepropose a non-intrusive process instance monitoring (PIM) method that uses the persistent data generated by the businesstransactions to monitor the process instances in Legacy Information Systems. We propose a slightly unconventional datamining method where the transaction data is parsed from the application data stores, loaded into custom schema and thenassociated to the process flow for monitoring the state of individual process instances. The approach further provides foralerting when business events like an SLA violation occur

How to Think About Resilient Infrastructure Systems

abstract: Resilience is emerging as the preferred way to improve the protection of infrastructure systems beyond established risk management practices. Massive damages experienced during tragedies like Hurricane Katrina showed that risk analysis is incapable to prevent unforeseen infrastructure failures and shifted expert focus towards resilience to absorb and recover from adverse events. Recent, exponential growth in research is now producing consensus on how to think about infrastructure resilience centered on definitions and models from influential organizations like the US National Academy of Sciences. Despite widespread efforts, massive infrastructure failures in 2017 demonstrate that resilience is still not working, raising the question: Are the ways people think about resilience producing resilient infrastructure systems? This dissertation argues that established thinking harbors misconceptions about infrastructure systems that diminish attempts to improve their resilience. Widespread efforts based on the current canon focus on improving data analytics, establishing resilience goals, reducing failure probabilities, and measuring cascading losses. Unfortunately, none of these pursuits change the resilience of an infrastructure system, because none of them result in knowledge about how data is used, goals are set, or failures occur. Through the examination of each misconception, this dissertation results in practical, new approaches for infrastructure systems to respond to unforeseen failures via sensing, adapting, and anticipating processes. Specifically, infrastructure resilience is improved by sensing when data analytics include the modeler-in-the-loop, adapting to stress contexts by switching between multiple resilience strategies, and anticipating crisis coordination activities prior to experiencing a failure. Overall, results demonstrate that current resilience thinking needs to change because it does not differentiate resilience from risk. The majority of research thinks resilience is a property that a system has, like a noun, when resilience is really an action a system does, like a verb. Treating resilience as a noun only strengthens commitment to risk-based practices that do not protect infrastructure from unknown events. Instead, switching to thinking about resilience as a verb overcomes prevalent misconceptions about data, goals, systems, and failures, and may bring a necessary, radical change to the way infrastructure is protected in the future.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering 201

From Real-Time BI to the Real-Time Enterprise: Organizational Enablers of Latency Reduction

Real-time business intelligence (BI) plays an important role in enabling the “real-time enterprise,” and as such has received a lot of attention in the practitioner literature in recent years. However, academic research on real-time BI and its role in improving overall organizational agility is scarce today. Most research on the real-time phenomenon has focused on technological, as opposed to organizational, issues. Using practitioner models of information value as a starting point, we draw from theories on individual and organizational decision making to create a model of the components of latency that impact an organization’s ability to both sense and respond to business events in real time. Failure to take all the antecedents of these latency components into account when implementing a real-time BI system can have serious consequences on a firm’s ability to optimize benefits from conversion to real-time BI systems. We close with suggestions for future IS research on this important emerging topic

Unexpected Events in Nigerian Construction Projects: A Case of Four Construction Companies

In Nigeria, 50% to 70% of construction projects are delayed due to unexpected events that are linked to lapses in performance, near misses, and surprises. While researchers have theorized on the impact of mindfulness and information systems management (ISM) on unexpected events, information is lacking on how project teams can combine ISM and mindfulness in response to unexpected events in construction projects. The purpose of this case study was to examine how project teams can combine mindfulness with ISM in response to unexpected events during the execution phase of Nigerian construction projects. The framework of High Reliability Theory revealed that unexpected events could be minimized by mindfulness defined by 5 cognitive processes: preoccupation with failure, reluctance to simplify, sensitivity to operations, commitment to resilience, and deference to expertise. In-depth semi-structured interviews elicited the views of 24 project experts on team behaviors, tactics, and processes for combining mindfulness with ISM. Data analysis was conducted by open coding to identify and reduce data into themes, and axial coding was used to identify and isolate categories. Findings were that project teams could combine mindfulness with ISM in response to unexpected events by integrating effective risk, team, and communication management with appropriate training and technology infrastructure. If policymakers, project clients, and practitioners adopt practices suggested in this study, the implications for social change are that project management practices, organizational learning, and the performance of construction projects may improve, construction wastes may be reduced, and taxpayers may derive optimum benefits from public funds committed to construction projects

Foresight-Informed Agile For Resilient Product Strategy

Agile is today’s dominant operational framework in software product development due to its effectiveness at helping teams overcome dynamic and uncertain conditions. As external uncertainties increase, some organizations are also adopting Agile as a strategic approach. However, we hypothesize that while Agile contributes to adaptability, it is insufficient for an organization to be resilient against major disruptions. This research project studies the relationship between Agile software development and the strategic resilience of small-to-medium-sized organizations in Ontario, Canada. Using a mix of surveys and interviews with product leaders, we found that many teams’ strategic capability to be resilient is limited due to Agile’s narrow attention and short-term focus, encouraging teams to be reactive rather than proactive. We designed the Resilient Product Strategy Toolkit, which integrates proven Strategic Foresight practices with existing Agile and product management processes to help teams broaden their attention and increase their capability to manage uncertainty. This research design contributes to the plausibility of combining Agile and Strategic Foresight as an ambidextrous approach to enhance an organization’s strategic resilience

Using Technology in Mobile Equipment Maintenance at Teck Coal to Create a Competitive Advantage

Teck Resources Limited’s coal division, Teck Coal, is the second largest global producer of metallurgical coking coal, which is a fundamental requirement in the production of steel. One of the largest operating costs for Teck Coal is associated to mobile equipment maintenance. The experience of the author in three of the six Teck Coal maintenance departments is used in demonstrating why a shift to a more proactive maintenance paradigm is necessary to be competitive. This paper focuses on the opportunity to improve the organization’s ability to effectively identify its equipment health conditions in a timely manner. This can be successfully accomplished through the implementation of new technology to monitor, analyse and trend equipment conditions. The results would include the identification and correction of equipment problems in advance of failures, which will ultimately reduce the maintenance workload. This paper will also demonstrate why minimizing work is vital to the organization due to the scarcity of tradespeople and imminent retirements, and how technology in the form of expert systems must be leveraged to provide knowledge for the less experienced tradespeople remaining in the organization. The ability to exploit technology to allow Teck Coal to work smarter with fewer tradespeople will be a strategic advantage and will provide operational benefits. Essential to the success of the maintenance paradigm shift, is an effective change management process that engages the employees and ensures the change is sustainable. The process for ensuring the success of the changes proposed is also presented in the pape

A survey on competitive intelligence practices for strategic decisions

Doutoramento em GestãoThis thesis aims to measure the frequency use of competitive intelligence as a support tool to the strategic decision-making in Portuguese organizations. Likewise, the thesis aims to measure the satisfaction level of the decision-maker when making decisions based on competitive intelligence. Based on an extensive literature review, some hypotheses appear to support a survey addressing competitive intelligence issues. Considering a convenient sample, the conclusions drawn about the use and satisfaction level based on competitive intelligence are as expected, as what lies beneath strategic decisions is also answered.Esta tese tem o objectivo de medir a frequência do uso de competitive intelligence como ferramenta de suporte à tomada de decisão estratégica nas empresas Portuguesas. De igual modo, tem o objectivo de medir o grau de satisfação dos decisores quando tomam decisões baseadas em competitive intelligence. Com base numa extensa revisão de literatura, surgem algumas hipóteses que suportam um inquérito sobre competitive intelligence. Considerando uma amostra de conveniência, as conclusões tiradas são as esperadas, e obtém-se a resposta para o que está por detrás da decisão estratégica.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The role of entrepreneurial orientation and dynamic capabilities in firm performance

Many firms experience abrupt or continuous changes in their business environment.Searching for opportunities to renew its operations can be critical to a firm’s successful performance in such circumstances. The constructs of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and dynamic capabilities (DC) have separately received substantial attention in scholarly work on opportunities and firm performance. There is a lack of research, however, on both EO and DC as a part of a framework that includes circumstances, actions and consequences, and how the two constructs possibly relate to one another. The dissertation addresses these gaps by examining the role of entrepreneurial orientation and dynamic capabilities in firm performance. It especially seeks answers to what different ways exist for a renewal of a firm to improve its performance, what alternative roles EO and DC may have in firm performance and what empirical support these roles receive. The study applies two theoreticallenses: evolutionary and resource-based views of the firm. It adopts from the evolutionary view the concept of search routine and from the resource-based view the valuable, rare, inimitable and nonsubstitutable (VRIN)-qualities of resources. A cross-sectional survey was utilized as a data collection method in the empirical analysis. The data comprised 495 firms from the food industry, media sector and marine cluster in Finland. The structural equation modeling method was applied for the data analysis. The existing research on opportunities can be categorized into four search types: optimizing, positioning, disruption and accumulation. Each search type involves specific internal and external conditions, actions and consequences and fit between these elements. The study highlights the importance of firmcontrolled resources in successful firm performance. A firm arguably needs to possess either VRIN search resources or VRIN ordinary resources or both to possibly improve its performance. The study contributes to strengthening the theory base for entrepreneurial orientation and dynamic capabilities. It adds to the scholarly research by suggesting that EO and DC are closely related constructs that can be defined to be related to any of the four search types. Depending on how the property type of the construct is defined, EO and DC describe actions of search; alternatively, EO represents search preferences and DC represents search abilities. If actions and resources are considered to be intertwined, EO and DC form together a firm’s search routine, which can have a positive association with firm performance. The study takes the stance that there need not be a single, once-for-all definition for either EO or DC but this requires that a researcher be explicit about the selected conceptualization and its theoretical underpinnings, and then operationalize it accordingly.Monet yritykset kokevat äkillisiä tai jatkuvia muutoksia toimintaympäristössään. Uudistumismahdollisuuksien etsiminen voi olla kriittistä yrityksen menestymiselle tällaisissa olosuhteissa. Yrittäjämäisen orientaation ja dynaamisten kyvykkyyksien merkitystä yritysten suorituksessa on tutkittu erikseen jo pitkään. Tutkimuksissa ei ole kuitenkaan kiinnitetty riittävästi huomiota yrittäjämäiseen orientaatioon ja dynaamisiin kyvykkyyksiin osana liiketoiminnan uudistamisen olosuhteiden, toimien ja seurauksien kokonaisuutta. Yrittäjämäisen orientaation ja dynaamisten kyvykkyyksien mahdollisesta yhteydestä toisiinsa ei ole myöskään kattavaa tutkimustietoa. Tämä väitöskirja käsittelee näitä puutteita tarkastelemalla yrittäjämäisen orientaation ja dynaamisten kyvykkyyksien roolia yrityksen suorituksessa. Erityisesti etsitään vastauksia siihen, millä tavoin yritykset voivat uudistaa toimintaansa parantaakseen suoritustaan, minkälaisia vaihtoehtoisia tehtäviä yrittäjämäisellä orientaatiolla ja dynaamisilla kyvykkyyksillä voi olla tässä ja millaista empiiristä tukea eri vaihtoehdot saavat. Tämä tutkimus hyödyntää evolutionaarista ja resurssiperustaista lähestymistapaa. Evolutionaarisesta näkökulmasta omaksutaan erityisesti etsintärutiinin käsite ja resurssiperustaisesta ajattelusta resurssien arvoa, harvinaisuutta, vaikeaa imitoitavuutta ja vaikeaa korvattavuutta kuvaavat niin kutsutut VRIN-ominaisuudet (valuable, rare, inimitable, nonsubstitutable). Tutkimuksessa käytettiin kyselyyn perustuvaa poikkileikkausaineistoa, joka koostui yhteensä 495 yrityksestä elintarvike- ja mediasektoreilta sekä meriteollisuudesta Suomesta. Aineisto analysoitiin rakenneyhtälömallinnuksella. Uudistumista käsittelevästä kirjallisuudesta erottuu neljä tapaa etsiä uusia mahdollisuuksia: optimointi, asemointi, murros ja kumuloituminen. Jokaiseen etsintätapaan liittyy erityisiä sisäisiä ja ulkoisia olosuhteita, toimintoja ja seurauksia sekä niiden välisiä yhteyksiä. Tämä tutkimus korostaa yrityksen resurssien merkitystä menestymisessä. Yritys tarvitsee niin kutsuttuja VRINominaisuuksia sisältäviä etsintä- tai operatiivisia resursseja tai molempia parantaakseen mahdollisesti suoritustaan. Tutkimus vahvistaa yrittäjämäisen orientaation ja dynaamisten kyvykkyyksien teoriaperustaa. Yrittäjämäinen orientaatio ja dynaamiset kyvykkyydet ovat läheisesti toisiinsa liittyviä käsitteitä, jotka voivat määrittelystä riippuen liittyä mihin tahansa neljästä etsintätyypistä. Ne voivat kuvata uusien mahdollisuuksien etsimisen toimia, tai vaihtoehtoisesti yrittäjämäinen orientaatio tarkoittaa etsinnän preferenssejä ja dynaamiset kyvykkyydet etsinnän taitoja. Jos toimien ja resurssien ajatellaan olevan toisiinsa kietoutuneita, yrittäjämäinen orientaatio ja dynaamiset kyvykkyydet muodostavat yhdessä uusien mahdollisuuksien etsintärutiinin, jolla voi olla positiivinen yhteys yrityksen suoritukseen. Yrittäjämäiselle orientaatiolle tai dynaamisille kyvykkyyksille ei tarvita yhtä, yleistä määritelmää, kunhan tutkija tunnistaa eri määritelmien taustalla olevat teoreettiset olettamukset ja kykenee valitsemaan niistä kuhunkin tutkimustilanteeseen sopivan