Issues, Trends and Strategies for Computer Systems

Management

UMUC Graduate School of

Management and Technology

Chapter 7. Integration of Information

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Agenda

Integration Issues Potential Solutions

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Tools Data Warehousing/Data Marts Data Mining/OLAP Document Management/Workflow Solutions Workgroup Computing

Caselet: The United States Mint Appendix: Presentations, Midterm Review

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Integration in Business

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Integration in Business

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Human Resources

ProductionMarketing

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Evolution of Business Applications

Core business applications moving toward... Integration between functional modules

Data flow among the business units Common look-and-feel

Client-server and web-based architecture COTS software modules with graphical development tools

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Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Tools

Integrated, multi-module application software that help an organization manage the key parts of its business.

Typically uses or is integrated with a relational database system. International environment

Multiple currencies, Multiple languages Follows local (national) rules, follows consolidation rules Example

U.S. firm with European subsidiaries. Data is entered once European reports are generated for subsidiaries following local

rules Results are converted and consolidated to U.S. firm following

international and U.S. rules

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ERP Applications

Financial Management/Accounting Human Resource Management Procurement/Purchasing Investment Management Logistics and Materials Management Planning and Budgeting Student Administration Supply Chain Management

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ERP Vendors

SAP R/3 PeopleSoft Oracle Applications Baan J.D. Edwards Great Plains (Microsoft)

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ERP Issues

Considerable business process analysis New work procedures Employee retraining Cultural changes Cost

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Data Warehouses/Data MartsData Warehouses/Data Marts

A process (not a product) for properly assembling and managing data from various sources for the purpose of answering business questions and making decisions that were not previously possible. (RCG)

Collection of current and historical subject-oriented data for managerial decisionmaking.

The data is “static” and gathered or extracted from

multiple sources. Periodic updates are required to

keep the warehouse meaningful and dynamic.

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Data Warehouse Architecture

Infomarts

SourceData Metadata

Data Extract/ Transform/Loading (ETL)

Tools ToolsDataStorage

Central Warehouse/Operational Data Storage

Source: Price Waterhouse

Distribution: C/S, Web Analysis: Data Mining, OLAP

Data Marts

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Key Characteristics

Separate from operational systems Accessible for use by business users Integrated Time stamped and associated with specific periods of

time Subject-oriented Quick and user friendly in conducting queries

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Data Marts

Data marts for special purposes, e.g., the needs of a particular department.

Various configurations - subset of enterprise warehouse (dependent data mart) or standalones (independent data marts)

Movement toward data marts accelerated by lower priced software and hardware as well as packaged data mart applications.

Data marts minimize time, cost and risk but integration issues may occur

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Applications Wholesale/Retail

Wal-Mart RetailLink - inventory, buying trends, merchandising decisions Nine West - consolidated management reporting system Hallmark - single information source for product launching

Health care PCS Health Systems - prescription data analysis Owens & Minor - fast accessibility to sales and customer data

Financial systems BankBoston - corporate data dictionary

Marketing Firstar - integrated marketing/planning/sales system

Mass customization Capital One - target key customers

Call records MCI WorldCom - fraudulent phone calls

Government Identification of toxic waste sites

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Data Mining Process of discovering new correlations, patterns,

anomalies and trends by sifting through large amounts of data

Pattern recognition technologies and statistical and mathematical techniques

Bottom-up discovery data analysis, also known as "knowledge discovery”

Applications Credit Scoring Fraud Detection Churn Analysis Marketing Sales

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On-line Analytical Processing (OLAP)

Reporting and analysis using to support business decisionmaking

Separate architecture from traditional on-line transaction processing (OLTP) which was reporting/analysis based on the system maintenance and support function

Applications Spreadsheet Analysis Executive Information Systems Trend Analysis Ad hoc and Periodic Reporting Presentations Policy Analysis

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Document Management

Keeping track of stored documents created via software or scanner

Benefits Centralized control Organization Accessibility Security Variety of storage media Tracking and archiving

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Workflow Methodologies

Manages the work performed by an organization Moving information around the network Tracking the information Providing methods for avoiding congestion Coordinate, control & monitor the sequence of tasks

Workflow Categories Production Processing Enterprise Processing Ad hoc Processing

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Document Management/ Workflow:Performance Benefits for the Enterprise

Minimizes congestion Reduces dependence on paper Less labor intensive Less susceptible to tasks "falling through the cracks" Easier to tracking status Offers a means of measuring process time and cost

statistics

Ultimus Workflow Automation

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Workgroup Computing

Computers are increasingly used to support teamwork and workgroups. Data, comments, and analysis are created and shared through networks of computers.

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Groupware

Basic Groupware - combines a sophisticated messaging system with a database (Lotus Notes/Domino)

Group Decision Support Software (GDSS) - allows meeting participants to interact simulataneously through a computer

Internet Collaboration/Video conferencing

Scheduling software - Microsoft Outlook

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Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS)

Applications Brainstorming Shared access Voting Record of comments Anonymity?

Drawbacks Typing Facilitator Costs

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Internet Collaboration

http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/

VideoParticipants

Sound,Video Document

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Caselet: The United States Mint

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Appendix: Presentations Know your audience

Presentation site Size Lighting Sound Pretest if possible

Time available Atmosphere, style,

expectations Look and feel

Size and resolution Colors Style Animation Sound Speling

Template Consistency Easier to change

Content Organization

Tell them what you are going to say

Say it Tell them what you said

TemplateStyles

slides

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Building Presentations Individual Slides

Content Clarity Consistency Copyrights?

Animations Avoid distractions Allow audience to read ahead and behind Use sparingly to draw attention

Transitions between slides Signal change Should be consistent Set mood and pace (e.g., movies)

Bad animation example Pointless Distracting Hard to read

Dissolve

Wipe right

Zoom in

Split vertical out

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Test Your Presentations

Ask friends and colleagues for feedback on the style

Test the timing Test at actual presentation site if possible Be prepared for last-minute changes Practice with the run-time drawing tools Be adaptable to audience response

Practice changing sound volume Be ready to alter the style and pace Use hidden slides to explore details Practice jumping to specific slides to answer

questions

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Midterm Review

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Backup Slides

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Knowledge Management

“Intelligence put to work” An enterprise consciously and

comprehensively gathers, organizes, shares, and analyzes its knowledge to further its aims.

Spending to reach $3.4 Billion in 2002 (IDC) Consensus is that an enterprise's knowledge

management plan can only be implemented with a meld of different technologies.

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1. Gathering

Search engines OCR and scanning Voice input Intelligent agents

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2. Organizing

Cataloging Indexing Filtering Linking

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3. Refining

Personalization Collaborating Projecting Mining

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4. Disseminating

Workflow Alert Push