A Modified Crank-Nicolson Method

In order to obtain a numerical solution to the heat equation using finite differences, either implicit or explicit equations are used to formulate a solution. The advantage in an explicit formulation is its simplicity and minimal computer storage requirements while its disadvantage is its instability. The opposite is true for an implicit formulation such as the Crank-Nicolson method; although it is stable it is more difficult to implement and requires a much larger memory capacity. In this paper we examine the accuracy and stability of a hybrid approach, a modified Crank-Nicolson formulation, that combines the advantageous features of both the implicit and explicit formulations. This hybrid approach results in a 20% reduction in the amount of work required compared to the standard Crank-Nicolson solution if both methods use a special tridiagonal system solver. If Gaussian elimination is used, the modified Crank-Nicolson approach reduces the amount of work by 87%. Regardless of the linear system solver used, the modified Crank-Nicolson approach reduces by 50% the memory requirement of the standard Crank-Nicolson method

V-Mail Written by Ernest L. Jordan to the Bryant College Service Club Dated June 23, 1943

[Transcription begins] T/S Ernest L. Jordan 141st ARMD SIG CO APO 251 c/o POSTMASTER, N. Y. June 23, 1943 BRYANT COLLEGE SERVICE CLUB BRYANT COLLEGE PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND North Africa Dear Sirs: I just received your letter and the November issue of “On the Campus.” I will admit it arrived a little late but I assure you it was much appreciated. No matter how old the news, any news about my old College Pals is certainly welcome. I had the pleasure of meeting Ensign John J. Mc Cuchen a while ago and we talked about “the goode ole Bryant days” and we both agree that the Bryant Service Club is really doing a wonderful piece of work and the people responsible for its operation deserve a lot of credit for helping to raise the morale of the Alumni in the Armed Forces both overseas and at home. I am certainly looking forward to the day when I come return to Bryant and thank all of you personally. Sincerely Ernest L. Jordan [Transcription ends

Passion & IT Governance

15 page(s

IMPACTS OF ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING IMPLEMENTATION ON DECISION MAKING PROCESSES IN AUSTRALIAN ORGANISATIONS

This paper reports on findings from the first phase of research investigating Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and its impact on decision making process in Australian organisations. The focus of the study is to reveal if and how the vast amount of data which is generated by ERP systems could improve decision making process on strategic and tactical levels. The findings are based on data consists of information collected by fifteen semi-structured interviews and observation in fifteen medium-size organisations in different industries operating in Australia who have been using ERP systems for at least five years. Findings: Managers and stakeholders perceive substantial level of importance and potentials for utilising ERP system and data in order to improve decision making process on strategic and tactical levels. However operational issues such as integration, upgrade spiral and decoupled implementations prevent these benefits to be materialised in Australian organisations. These factors and their impacts on utilising ERP towards more strategic benefits are discussed and analysed in this paper. Practical implications: The resultant learning issues in conjunction with the conclusion of the study may help ERP customers in identifying the potential enhancements to utilise customers’ investment on ERP towards more strategic objectives such as supporting decision making process. It also may help ERP vendors to identify key areas in ERP systems which require improvement to support decision making process

Understanding the continued usage of business e-learning courses in HK corporations

Other research has investigated different aspects of e-learning, e.g. comparing the effectiveness of e-learning with traditional classroom training and on the success of IT or computer skills training. This study focused on how to ensure that individuals continue their usage of business and management e-learning courses for self-development in Hong Kong Corporations. A theoretical framework was developed based on Venkatesh’s model of System Usage, Bhattacherjee’s Expectation-Confirmation Model and Seddon’s re-specification of DeLone and McLean’s Information System Success Model. The proposed model was calibrated with 212 valid samples from five corporations in Hong Kong and was validated with 15 questionnaires from a small e-commerce company of 50 staff at a different time. The data supported the model and the model had a moderate explanatory power (R2=37%) for continued usage. The structural model was not affected by different collection periods (first collection batch vs last collection batch), sample (calibration vs validation), gender (male vs female), position (manager vs non-manager), and computer usage experience (10 years or more vs less than 10 years). However, the model was different for groups of different ages (age 36 and above vs below 36) and educational levels (university graduates vs non-university graduates). Further research and the business implications for improving the continued usage of business e-learning courses are discussed.Education for the 21 st century - impact of ICT and Digital Resources ConferenceRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

The Information Systems (IS) Role of Accountants: A Case Study of an On-line Analytical Processing (OLAP) Implementation

Today\u27s organisations place heavy reliance on computerised information systems (CIS) for the provision of timely and quality information to management. The quality of an accounting information system (AIS) is critical to the success of a firm. Executives now require real-time information with multidimensional views to manage firms operating in a dynamic and competitive environment. The use of OLAP technology in financial reporting will greatly improve the flexibility of information available from various databases. This study reports a case of implementing an OLAP tool to build complex financial reports for the use of senior management. The case illustrates the importance of the IS role of accountants with the emergence of the systems accounting role and the benefits of OLAP to accountants

Top Management Support: Mantra or Necessity?

This research provides evidence that top management support is the most important critical success factor for project success and is not simply one of many factors. The finding is justified in the context of the project management literature and the IS factor research on project success. There are implications for practice because it appears that the conventional technical and project management advice has less impact on project success than previously thought. Boards and top managers may have to personally accept that they have more influence on whether a project succeeds or fails.13 page(s

Corporate Governance and IT Governance: exploring the board\u27s perspective

Information technology (IT) exceeds half the capital spending of large organisations (US Commerce 2003) and should thus be a major concern of boards. How corporate governance extends into the domain of IT, becoming IT governance, is not widely researched. Concerns of board members on IT features little in the literature and board members’ views are rarely obtained by academic researchers, partly due to the difficulty of obtaining access. We aim here to add to that literature. We describe an Australian study that explores IT governance issues from the board’s perspective, a grounded theory approach, and examine some propositions drawn from the literature that does exist. The study used the topical issue of the risks of electronic commerce to stimulate the respondents. A questionnaire instrument was then developed and piloted. Methodological challenges are then discussed

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GOVERNANCE (ITG) PRACTICES AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) PROJECTS – A CASE STUDY IN A MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT-LINKED COMPANY (GLC)

This paper analyses and presents a case study on ITG practices in a Government-linked company (GLC) by looking at the ITG process, accountability and the desirable behaviours of IT at the project level of the organization. The study reveals a number of important findings in the context of ITG implementation at the project level. As far as ITG documentation is concerned, there are numerous standards currently available of which many are continuously undergoing further development by IT professionals. Nonetheless, there is still no one correct way of governing IT in an organization, more specifically, in IT project management. In addition, there is not much known concerning the ITG outcome of ITG practices in Malaysian organizations. Thus, this paper shares the level of readiness and awareness of ITG practices, for this particular case, when it comes to implementing IT projects