Building Reference Architectures for the Industrial IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) comprises many emerging technologies that enable wireless interconnections among “things” (usually objects such as personal devices, appliances, cars, or industrial equipment, but also living things such as animals and people) equipped with data-gathering sensors. Early predictions indicate that the number of IoT devices could reach 26 billion worldwide by 2020 (Lee and Lee, 2015), but this estimate is likely to increase as more companies are jumping on the IoT bandwagon. One of the greatest predicted impacts of IoT is in industrial settings – where it will help transform entire industries by creating new opportunities for companies to manage their internal processes and interact with customers (Iansiti and Lakhani, 2014). These industrial IoT technologies and applications are denoted by the term Industry 4.0. Accenture predicts that collecting data from sensors placed on products, equipment, and even users, and using this data to improve processes inside and outside organizations “can add trillions of dollars to the global economy by 2030.” (Purdy and Davarzan, 2015). As IoT technologies proliferate, it will become increasingly important for companies to understand the existing opportunities for Industry 4.0 and effectively adopt and deploy the technologies both internally and in inter-organizational relationships. Architectures are models that can help guide companies in their Industrial IoT journey. For example, understanding the layered architecture of digital technologies can help companies innovate by developing appropriate digital product platforms (Yoo et al., 2010). Companies can use architectural frameworks to make sense of strategic recommendations emerging from current research studies – such as the need to build adequate operational and digital services infrastructures to support a company’s digital strategy (Ross et al., 2016). Architectures can be built at the company level, such as in the case of enterprise architectures (EA) that describe a company’s “business and operating model, organizational structure, business processes, data, applications and technology” (Ahlemann et al., 2012), or at the industry level, such as in the case of reference architectures (RA) that present a high-level, organizing view for an industry, including its processes, stakeholders, organizational, informational and technology structure (Czarnecki and Dietze, 2017). EAs and especially RAs are essential for developing interconnected business platforms that enable companies and their customers, vendors and business partners to orchestrate the delivery of internal and external services in effective and efficient ways (Stettiner and Fienhold, 2012). At present, the work on Industrial IoT architectures is just starting, and few models exist. In this paper, we report on our experience working with academic and industry partners to select architectural frameworks and build reference architectures for several industries. We also discuss the challenges for the adoption and use of Industrial IoT reference architectures

Real World Awareness (RWA) Systems: A Pharmaceutical Industry Application

In this paper, we describe the evaluation of a real-world awareness (RWA) prototype designed to help managers perform environmental scanning in the pharmaceutical industry. RWA in the pharmaceutical industry consists of not only the tracking and tracing of drugs but also of pattern recognition for relevant events – both internal and external to the company - which can affect a company’s drug research and development plans, marketing effectiveness, and ultimately its profitability. Based on interview insights from a German pharmaceutical company, we identify several objects of perception relevant to real-time identification and advanced anticipation of events. Our study provides a first glimpse into the potential of RWA for companies in the pharmaceutical industry, and generates insights for design of future RWA systems

Teaching Business Process Management with Simulation in Graduate Business Programs: An Integrative Approach

This paper describes the development and evaluation of a graduate level Business Process Management (BPM) course with process modeling and simulation as its integral component, being offered at an accredited business university in the Northeastern U.S. Our approach is similar to that found in other Information Systems (IS) education papers, and can best be described as Design Science Research applied to pedagogical innovation. We use a survey of 95 graduate business students, classified as Information Technology (IT)-oriented and Business (non-IT)-oriented, to evaluate how the proposed artifact – the BPM course and its modeling and simulation components – supports student learning. The survey explores process analysis, course design, and process integration issues. Statistically significant differences between the two student groups on the value of modeling and simulation are found on five out of 15 survey items: analyzing process performance, creating process models, mapping process structure, understanding process concepts, and implementing process controls. The paper discusses implications of these differences for designing and delivering graduate BPM courses in colleges of business administration

Trust, Expertise, and E-Commerce Intermediary Adoption

This research investigates how the amount of trust a consumer has in an electronic commerce intermediary and the amount of expertise that consumer needs to acquire in order to be able to use the intermediary affect the intention to adopt the electronic commerce intermediary. The paper analyzes both the direct effects of trust and expertise on adoption intention, as well as the indirect effects through two mediating variables widely used in adoption studies, usefulness and ease of use. These effects are hypothesized to be further moderated by the level of transaction complexity. The results partially support both the direct effects model and the indirect effects model, pointing out that trust and expertise are, as hypothesized by academicians and practitioners alike, important in encouraging adoption of electronic commerce technologies. In addition, the results show that trust and expertise become more important in determining the adoption intention as transaction complexity increases

Business Process Management Education in Academia: Status, Challenges, and Recommendations

In response to the growing proliferation of Business Process Management (BPM) in industry and the demand this creates for BPM expertise, universities across the globe are at various stages of incorporating knowledge and skills in their teaching offerings. However, there are still only a handful of institutions that offer specialized education in BPM in a systematic and in-depth manner. This article is based on a global educators’ panel discussion held at the 2009 European Conference on Information Systems in Verona, Italy. The article presents the BPM programs of five universities from Australia, Europe, Africa, and North America, describing the BPM content covered, program and course structures, and challenges and lessons learned. The article also provides a comparative content analysis of BPM education programs illustrating a heterogeneous view of BPM. The examples presented demonstrate how different courses and programs can be developed to meet the educational goals of a university department, program, or school. This article contributes insights on how best to continuously sustain and reshape BPM education to ensure it remains dynamic, responsive, and sustainable in light of the evolving and ever-changing marketplace demands for BPM expertise