Improved EMD Using doubly-iterative sifting and high order spline interpolation

Empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is a signal analysis method which has received much attention lately due to its application in a number of fields. The main disadvantage of EMD is that it lacks a theoretical analysis and, therefore, our understanding of EMD comes from an intuitive and experimental validation of the method. Recent research on EMD revealed improved criteria for the interpolation points selection. More specifically, it was shown that the performance of EMD can be significantly enhanced if, as interpolation points, instead of the signal extrema, the extrema of the subsignal having the higher instantaneous frequency are used. Even if the extrema of the subsignal with the higher instantaneous frequency are not known in advance, this new interpolation points criterion can be effectively exploited in doubly-iterative sifting schemes leading to improved decomposition performance. In this paper, the possibilities and limitations of the developments above are explored and the new methods are compared with the conventional EMD

The innovative capacity of voluntary organisations and the provision of public services: A longitudinal approach

The prior history of voluntary and community organisations (VCOs) as pioneers of public services during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century has lead to reification of the innovativeness of these organisations. Is this reification justified – are VCOs inherently innovative, or is innovation contingent on other factors? This paper reports on a longitudinal study of this capacity conducted over 1994 – 2006. This study finds that the innovative capacity of VCOs is in fact not an inherent capacity but rather is contingent upon the public policy framework that privileges innovation above other activity of VCOs. The implications of this for theory, policy and practice are considered

Re-shaping the Professional Engineer

The transition from traditional manufacturing, technology, or product-focused industries to customer-focused service industries has not been, nor is, easy, and a key factor in its successful achievement is a new kind of professional engineer, writes Dr Stephen McLaughli

Understanding Your Service Management Capability

A significant aspect of any organization’s IT operation is the delivery of its portfolio of services. There are very effective frameworks, such as ITIL, to help organizations understand what service management processes need to be put in place. However, having service management processes in place is not necessarily the same as having a Service Management Capability (SMC). As organizations are impacted more and more by the increasingly dynamic nature of the marketplace, it is becoming imperative that they better understand how their infrastructure and resources are aligned to operate in a dynamic, changing environment. The ISO/IEC 20000 standard helps organizations assess whether they have the correct processes embedded. By linking the ISO/IEC 20000 standard to IT-CMF, organizations can now – via IVI’s Service Management Capability Assessment – assess their maturity against each of the key processes across the ISO/IEC 20000 standard. If the organization feels it needs to improve its capability, the assessment will identify the key influencing IT-CMF capabilities. Through such an assessment and the overall IT-CMF, organizations can now assess the maturity of their service management capability as defined by the ISO/IEC 20000 standard

Using IT-CMF to build Competitive Advantage

Developing a competitive advantage, for any organization, is a key business imperative. Without some form of competitive advantage it is very difficult to compete within today’s highly dynamic market place. In order to develop competitive advantages organizations must focus on identifying and building their core capabilities. As technology’s influence is now pervasive throughout every aspect of organizational life organizations must consider the role their IT based capabilities play in shaping their competitive capabilities as a whole. This briefing will look at the importance of identifying and managing IT capabilities, and how the IT-CMF can help achieve this

Using IT-CMF to build Competitive Advantage

Developing a competitive advantage, for any organization, is a key business imperative. Without some form of competitive advantage it is very difficult to compete within today’s highly dynamic market place. In order to develop competitive advantages organizations must focus on identifying and building their core capabilities. As technology’s influence is now pervasive throughout every aspect of organizational life organizations must consider the role their IT based capabilities play in shaping their competitive capabilities as a whole. This briefing will look at the importance of identifying and managing IT capabilities, and how the IT-CMF can help achieve this

Positioning the IT-CMF: A Capability versus Process Perspective

There is a vast array of IT performance-improving frameworks on the market. So why choose the ITCMF? Well, the first thing to realise is that the IT-CMF is not a replacement for existing frameworks. All good practitioners will tell you, it’s about selecting the right framework for the job. In order to understand the IT-CMF's position in the framework landscape, and its real value to the CIO, we must first explore the different roles capability-centric and process-centric frameworks have in terms of supporting organizational performance

Using the IT-CMF as an Enabler for Transformational Change

Change is the order of the day. Organizations, as they focus on survival, realize that the ability to sense and respond to changes in the competitive marketplace is a strategic imperative. The nature and scope of these changes can be difficult to predict, but one thing is assured; to successfully respond to competitive forces organizations continually have to challenge and modify their existing practices, processes, and cultural norms. This white paper examines how managing the impact and disruptive nature of transformational change should be considered across the entire organization, and how engaging with the IT-CMF can help bring an objective view and clarity to defining what needs to be done. Whilst the IT-CMF does not replace the need for an organization-wide understanding of the nature of change, the framework will complement the implementation of change by providing a clear and objective view of what needs to be achieved, and how to achieve it, thereby enabling successful implementation