Governance in the Cloud: Role of Certification for SME Trust and Adoption

Growth of cloud computing as a concept continues to pose challenges on how to deliver agile, yet secure, IT services to enterprises. While the hype surrounding cloud computing may have peaked, the concept of “cloudwashing” (adding the term “cloud” to an existing service for marketing reasons) continues to cause confusion and inflated expectations with enterprise buyers. This fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) just slows down the growth of a potentially larger market. This is especially true for small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) who turn to IT providers to handle the underlying systems for their businesses. To assist cloud service buyers, a recent communication from the European Commission advocated voluntary certification for cloud service providers. This has sparked a debate as to the relevance and authority of certification bodies in verifying the ability and capability of cloud service providers (CSP). In this research in progress paper, we present the current status of our research on examining what role third party certifiers can play in adoption of cloud by SMEs, with a case study of one certifier in Europe already involved in market adoption to test our framework

Using Electronic Invoicing to Manage Cash Forecasting and Working Capital in the Financial Supply Chain

Electronic Invoice Presentment and Payment (EIPP) can assist corporate treasurers in cash management and can be integrated with e-marketplaces and other B2B financial settlement activities. Its interactive approach to dispute resolution and robust payment options are critical if corporate financiers are to secure the advantages of B2B marketplaces and straight through processing (STP). Cash management providers used to offer corporates and banks different cash management products and services, but the launch of the Euro and increasing competition have seen these solutions converge. More sophisticated corporate treasurers are currently using state-of-the-art financial tools for cash management, and EIPP can assist these corporates in a similar manner to banks. This research builds on previous literature on EIPP and banking, and examines what drives EIPP adoption for financial treasurers in cash forecasting and cash-to-collections process and their use of EIPP techniques. Survey results from industry are discussed

Possible Disintermediation: What Role for Banks in Electronic Invoicing (EIPP)?

“Driven by a desire to get paid more quickly, companies are moving more of their invoices and payment to the internet. Businesses care more about faster cash flow than they do about cutting costs. ” (GartnerGroup, 2001). Electronic Invoice Presentment and Payment (EIPP) is targeted to the needs of corporates and can be integrated with e-marketplaces and B2B financial settlement for bank-neutral global payment services. Its interactive approach to dispute resolution and robust payment options are critical if corporates are to secure the advantages of B2B marketplaces and straight through processing (STP). This research examines the possible role for banks in EIPP, and what might drive bank EIPP adoption. Case studies are examined from industry. 1

Centralization issues in IT governance: The role and responsibilities of the IT Control Officer from a European perspective

The need for transparency in IT governance, due to several factors such as cost and regulatory pressure, has led to organisations putting into place an IT Control Officer to oversee and audit IT activities. This paper examines the initial results of a European CIO-level survey designed to increase the understanding regarding the possible roles of the IT Control Officer and the authority given to that person. This research confirms the intuitive idea that increasing the role of the IT Control Officer also improves IT control. The increasing role in this sense is a more centralised and more senior position with additional responsibilities and administrative controls. This research also examines a perspective on the various intermediate possibilities of decentralised and less senior scenarios

An Empirical Exploration of Multi-Attribute Bidding: Redefining Intermediary Roles in Electronic Markets

The vast majority of electronic markets have been based purely on a single variable (price) as the factor that determines ‘the winner’. Multi-attribute auctions are likely to be more appropriate for procurement scenarios where factors other than price need to be considered in determining the outcome. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of empirical research on multi-attribute electronic auctions. In particular, there is little empirical evidence of how multi-attribute auctions fit with our theoretical conceptualisation of electronic markets. This paper uses the market design aspects of multi-attribute auctions to explore a multivariable electronic auction, using frameworks from electronic market process design and systematic sourcing. Evidence from the case study illustrates that multi-variable electronic auctions can be used to procure a wider range of operating and manufacturing input that has been considered possible with traditional, price only, auctions. The findings reveal how the use of an electronic auction intermediary creates a middle ground of interaction between spot and systematic sourcing, by automating for the buyer certain general parameters and trade context processes

Twenty-First-Century Smart Facilities Management: Ambient Networking in Intelligent Office Buildings

status: publishe

What is the Role of Third Party Logistics (3PL) Partners in an Omni-Channel Strategy?

The logistical infrastructure of the supply chains of online and offline sales channels of suppliers have been historically often completely separate. In the growing mobile commerce market, customers interact with suppliers using multiple touch points in one overall stream of information and goods which is considered an omni-channel. For larger suppliers, this can be an intricate chain of either their own resources or global partners. For many smaller suppliers, this is a chain of third parties adding value to the core competency of the supplier. The selection of a logistics partner for a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) is a substantial investment in both infrastructure and a trusted relationship. But do SME suppliers know what they are looking for in an omni-channel strategy, and why? This article examines what characteristics an SME looks for in a 3PL partner in an omni-channel strategy, and discusses how an omni-channel strategy can be developed for these players.status: publishe

ENCOURAGING USER PARTICIPATION IN BLENDED LEARNING: COURSE REORIENTATION

Blended learning, structured as a combination of traditional course instruction and additional supporting multimedia course content, can be used in higher education for a variety of reasons. In the case study that we examine, the introduction of blended learning was initiated three years ago with the purpose of creating more resources for coach-student interaction for a heterogeneous graduate student group. However, course results from this academic year have shown a disengagement of the users from the course materials and a reduced number of students submitting the final work for the course. In this research-in-progress, we are exploring why the students have stopped engaging with the course materials at midterm and will try to address how the course could be reoriented to better meet its objectives.no issnstatus: publishe

Patterns of Trust: Role of Certification for SME Cloud Adoption

Growth of cloud computing as a concept continues to pose challenges on how to deliver agile, yet secure, IT services to enterprises. While the hype surrounding cloud computing may have peaked, the concept of “cloudwashing” (adding the term “cloud” to an existing service for marketing reasons) continues to cause con-fusion and inflated expectations with enterprise buyers. This fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) just slows down the growth of a potentially larger market. This is especially true for small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) who turn to IT providers to handle the underlying systems for their businesses. To assist cloud service buyers, a recent communication from the European Commission advocated voluntary certification for cloud service providers. This has sparked a debate as to the relevance and authority of certification bodies in verifying the ability and capability of cloud service providers (CSP). In this research we are developing an exploratory model looking at signaling quality, the independence of certifying authorities, and impact of regulatory backing for trust of certification bodies, based on existing academic literature on standards adoption and trust. We are examining what role third party certifiers can play in adoption of cloud by SMEs, exploring the roles of certifiers in Europe already involved in market adoption to test our framework, together with four established cases of service providers seeking certification.status: accepte