How the Data Provided by IIoT Are Utilized in Enterprise Resource Planning: A Multiple-Case Study of Three Change Projects

An extreme increase in data production has taken place over the past few decades with a large number of sensor and smart devices acquired from distributed data sources. Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) enables seamless processing of information by integrating physical and digital world devices that can be used ubiquitously. This multiple-case study analyzes how the data generated by the IIoT benefit enterprise resource planning. In the analyzed cases, IIoT has been produced using and integrating various digital services and software in the enterprise. Data produced by IIoT might be raw data or pre-analyzed by the IIoT service provider according to the enterprise’s needs. Services based on IIoT solutions ensure competitiveness within the enterprise since IIoT is flexible and easy to apply on future demands. IIoT generates increased amount of data and enterprises can utilize it to provide significant benefits to their operations. The cross-case conclusions emphasize that improving operational processes with data does not provide maximal benefit to the enterprise. Data-driven procedure and the entire change project (digital transformation) together with new procedures will provide most benefits to the enterprise

Philosophical foundations of the Death and Anti-Death discussion

Perhaps there has been no greater opportunity than in this “VOLUME FIFTEEN of our Death And Anti-Death set of anthologies” to write about how might think about life and how to avoid death. There are two reasons to discuss “life”, the first being enhancing our understanding of who we are and why we may be here in the Universe. The second is more practical: how humans meet the physical challenges brought about by the way they have interacted with their environment. Many persons discussing “life” beg the question about what “life” is. Surely, when one discusses how to overcome its opposite, death, they are not referring to another “living” thing such as a plant. There seems to be a commonality, though, and it is this commonality is one needing elaboration. It ostensibly seems to be the boundary condition separating what is completely passive (inert) from what attempts to maintain its integrity, as well as fulfilling other conditions we think “life” has. In our present discussion, there will be a reminder that it by no means has been unequivocally established what life really is by placing quotes around the word, namely, “life”. Consider it a tag representing a bundle of philosophical ideas that will be unpacked in this paper

Information management in Reverse logistics

This paper presents an overview of challenges related to information management in reverse logistics and an overview of selected disruptive technologies (Internet of Things, Blockchain, Cloud computing and Artificial intelligence) that improve information management and information flow in the reverse logistics chain. The theoretical background of reverse logistics and selected disruptive technologies is provided. The goal of this paper is to research how information management in reverse logistics can be improved through the use of disruptive technologies. The research problem results from increased costs and insufficient prediction accuracy in the reverse logistics chain