Managing an Enterprise Managing an Enterprise Resource Planning Resource Planning -- ERP
What is ERP?What is ERP?
nn At its simplest level, ERP is a set of best practices for At its simplest level, ERP is a set of best practices for
performing the various duties in the departments of your performing the various duties in the departments of your
company, including in finance, planning, manufacturing, company, including in finance, planning, manufacturing,
warehouse, sales, and marketing.warehouse, sales, and marketing.
Short for Short for eenterprise nterprise rresource esource pplanning,lanning,a business a business
management system that integrates all facets of the management system that integrates all facets of the
business. business.
nn Software solution that addresses the enterprise needs Software solution that addresses the enterprise needs
taking the process view of an organization to meet the taking the process view of an organization to meet the
organizational goals.organizational goals.
nn MultiMulti--module application software that helps organization module application software that helps organization
manage its core business. ERPs are crossmanage its core business. ERPs are cross--functional and functional and
enterprise wide. All functional departments that are enterprise wide. All functional departments that are
involved in operations or production are integrated in one involved in operations or production are integrated in one
system.system.
Semantic Business Process Management: A Lifecycle Based Requirements Analysis
Semantic Business Process Management: A Lifecycle Based Requirements Analysis
Despite of increasing software support for Business Process
Management (BPM), currently there is still a low degree of automation in the
BPM lifecycle, especially when it comes to bridge between the business and IT
view on business processes. The goal of Semantic Business Process
Management is to achieve more automation in BPM by using semantic
technologies. In this paper, we describe on a conceptual level how ontologies
and semantic web service technologies can be used throughout the BPM
lifecycle, consisting of process modeling, implementation, execution, and
analysis phases. The use of semantics in BPM results in new functionality a
Semantic Business Process Management System (SBPMS) has to implement.
For each phase of the BPM lifecycle, we identify the new functional
requirements for a SBPMS, and explain the benefits of adopting semantic
technologies in SBPM.
Despite of increasing software support for Business Process
Management (BPM), currently there is still a low degree of automation in the
BPM lifecycle, especially when it comes to bridge between the business and IT
view on business processes. The goal of Semantic Business Process
Management is to achieve more automation in BPM by using semantic
technologies. In this paper, we describe on a conceptual level how ontologies
and semantic web service technologies can be used throughout the BPM
lifecycle, consisting of process modeling, implementation, execution, and
analysis phases. The use of semantics in BPM results in new functionality a
Semantic Business Process Management System (SBPMS) has to implement.
For each phase of the BPM lifecycle, we identify the new functional
requirements for a SBPMS, and explain the benefits of adopting semantic
technologies in SBPM.
SERVICE ORIENTED ARCHITECTURES FOR BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
SERVICE ORIENTED ARCHITECTURES FOR BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
The integration of research in the area of Service Oriented Architectures (SOA) with current methodologies and tools of
Business Processes Management Systems (BPMS) will bring significant contributions to the objectives of dynamic
process management in modern enterprises. However, at the current state of development of both BPMS and SOA, this
dynamism is limited by numerous factors. This article aims to provide a brief survey of on-going research in the
application of Service Oriented Architectures in Business Process Management, examining its usage, its relation with
other technologies and related open issues. In particular we take a specific view of the problem, namely that of the
software engineer that is asked to design, develop and implement service architectures under current business process
management systems. We proceed presenting a simple case study that captures some of the proposed methodologies and
tools and we use such case study to highlight a number of problems related to the implementation of such architectures in
real world situations.
KEYWORDS
Service Oriented Architectures, Business Processes Management Systems, Web Services, e-Commerce
1. INTRODUCTION
Change is the only constant in today’s business. Enterprises do not make contracts/agreements for long-
term periods. On the contrary alliances are made for short-period strategies that can last some days and even
less. In this dynamical environment, enterprises cannot survive without well-organized and adaptive business
processes. To face the challenge, current business processes, consisting of numerous habits, practices,
disjoint data models, application logic, workflows and many other point solutions repeated a hundred times
in a hundred places, need to be rationalized. What is sought out by corporate enterprises is not a new "silver
bullet" system to replace existing "legacy" systems, nor a new "business process layer" in an already complex
IT stack. Rather, companies need the capability to recast all business processes into a standard form that is
open to manipulation by the familiar tools and skills already in place.
To achieve such fundamental shift from process reengineering to dynamic process management,
companies are in the process of investigating and experimenting new systems such as Business Process
Management System (BPMS) (see, for example http://www.bpmg.org/) as well as emerging standardized
architectures like Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA), a new methodology for building distributed
applications where elementary business processes, exposed as services, can be published, discovered and
bound together to create more complex valued-added business processes [Papazoglou and Dubrey, 2004].
This article aims at providing a brief survey of on-going research in the application of Service Oriented
Architectures in business process management, examining its usage, its relation with other technologies and
related open issues. In particular we take a specific view of the problem, namely a developer point of view on
service architectures under current business process management systems. We proceed presenting a simple
case study that captures some of the proposed methodologies, tools and we use such case study to highlight a
number of problems related to the implementation of such architectures in real world situations.
The integration of research in the area of Service Oriented Architectures (SOA) with current methodologies and tools of
Business Processes Management Systems (BPMS) will bring significant contributions to the objectives of dynamic
process management in modern enterprises. However, at the current state of development of both BPMS and SOA, this
dynamism is limited by numerous factors. This article aims to provide a brief survey of on-going research in the
application of Service Oriented Architectures in Business Process Management, examining its usage, its relation with
other technologies and related open issues. In particular we take a specific view of the problem, namely that of the
software engineer that is asked to design, develop and implement service architectures under current business process
management systems. We proceed presenting a simple case study that captures some of the proposed methodologies and
tools and we use such case study to highlight a number of problems related to the implementation of such architectures in
real world situations.
KEYWORDS
Service Oriented Architectures, Business Processes Management Systems, Web Services, e-Commerce
1. INTRODUCTION
Change is the only constant in today’s business. Enterprises do not make contracts/agreements for long-
term periods. On the contrary alliances are made for short-period strategies that can last some days and even
less. In this dynamical environment, enterprises cannot survive without well-organized and adaptive business
processes. To face the challenge, current business processes, consisting of numerous habits, practices,
disjoint data models, application logic, workflows and many other point solutions repeated a hundred times
in a hundred places, need to be rationalized. What is sought out by corporate enterprises is not a new "silver
bullet" system to replace existing "legacy" systems, nor a new "business process layer" in an already complex
IT stack. Rather, companies need the capability to recast all business processes into a standard form that is
open to manipulation by the familiar tools and skills already in place.
To achieve such fundamental shift from process reengineering to dynamic process management,
companies are in the process of investigating and experimenting new systems such as Business Process
Management System (BPMS) (see, for example http://www.bpmg.org/) as well as emerging standardized
architectures like Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA), a new methodology for building distributed
applications where elementary business processes, exposed as services, can be published, discovered and
bound together to create more complex valued-added business processes [Papazoglou and Dubrey, 2004].
This article aims at providing a brief survey of on-going research in the application of Service Oriented
Architectures in business process management, examining its usage, its relation with other technologies and
related open issues. In particular we take a specific view of the problem, namely a developer point of view on
service architectures under current business process management systems. We proceed presenting a simple
case study that captures some of the proposed methodologies, tools and we use such case study to highlight a
number of problems related to the implementation of such architectures in real world situations.
SOA-BASED APPROACH TO THE ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING IMPLEMENTATION IN SMALL ENTERPRISES
SOA-BASED APPROACH TO THE ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING IMPLEMENTATION IN SMALL ENTERPRISES
Abstract. The sector of small enterprises is characterized by a specific approach to the
planning activities, determined by the circumstances of low margin and risk-driven
business. The primary focus of small enterprise are income generators, rather than
cost reduction activities. This reflects at ineffective and inefficient usage of diverse ICT
technologies, implemented in a non-systematic manner. The objective of this paper is to
present principles and guidelines for the customized approach to the implementation of
the integrated enterprise information system, by using the step-wise implementation of
the service-oriented architecture (SOA), managed and operated with a minimized
threat to the business continuity.
Key words: Enterprise Resource Planning, ERP, Small & Medium Enterprises,
Service-Oriented Architecture, SOA, Web Services
1. INTRODUCTION
The environment of small enterprises can be described from the aspect of ICT
investment, level of business organization and scope of strategic planning. These features
are extremely important for setting the background basis for strategy, methods and tools
for implementation of the enterprise information system. With regard to this, some im-
portant findings [1] are described below:
• Start-up investment is used for financing basic activities for market development and
short-term business continuity management with the lowest margin possible. Plan-
ning horizon is low because of a small-scale startup investment and applied produc-
tion strategy. Business is done on the basis of short-termed forecasts;
• Integrated enterprise information system is not implemented – a non-homogenous
environment of different business applications, supporting individual business seg-
ments might cause data redundancy and threaten its integrity. Both could induce a
risk of wrong or late information, needed for decision making;
Low margin strategy determines the way of doing daily business. Top priority is to re-
move short-term risks – all resources are involved in fulfillment of sales objectives,
rather than cost reduction, which is the primary goal of business IT applications;
• Less but more flexible workforce is capable of quickly adapting to business process
re-engineering deliverables;
• Web-based marketing and e-commerce practices are often applied, because they are
less demanding regarding investments and workforce, unlike in the conventional
marketing and sales activities. This approach enables the company to adapt quickly
to web-based business process management, and particularly, B2B activities;
• Lack of strategic risk management approach, caused by focused identification and
resolution of short-term risks lowers the level of coordination towards fulfillment of
business plan objectives;
General objective of research, presented in this paper, is to identify the technology
stack, followed by relevant guidelines and methods, for ICT support in business manage-
ment of small manufacturing enterprises. Specific objective is to define the technical
framework for transition from dispersed legacy ICT environment to effective and efficient
enabler for on-time delivery of accurate information in decision-making business activi-
ties. Focal point of the presented framework is maturation of business functions towards
concept of business services [2] and their orchestration into processes, executed and man-
aged on top of gradually integrated ICT environment.
Abstract. The sector of small enterprises is characterized by a specific approach to the
planning activities, determined by the circumstances of low margin and risk-driven
business. The primary focus of small enterprise are income generators, rather than
cost reduction activities. This reflects at ineffective and inefficient usage of diverse ICT
technologies, implemented in a non-systematic manner. The objective of this paper is to
present principles and guidelines for the customized approach to the implementation of
the integrated enterprise information system, by using the step-wise implementation of
the service-oriented architecture (SOA), managed and operated with a minimized
threat to the business continuity.
Key words: Enterprise Resource Planning, ERP, Small & Medium Enterprises,
Service-Oriented Architecture, SOA, Web Services
1. INTRODUCTION
The environment of small enterprises can be described from the aspect of ICT
investment, level of business organization and scope of strategic planning. These features
are extremely important for setting the background basis for strategy, methods and tools
for implementation of the enterprise information system. With regard to this, some im-
portant findings [1] are described below:
• Start-up investment is used for financing basic activities for market development and
short-term business continuity management with the lowest margin possible. Plan-
ning horizon is low because of a small-scale startup investment and applied produc-
tion strategy. Business is done on the basis of short-termed forecasts;
• Integrated enterprise information system is not implemented – a non-homogenous
environment of different business applications, supporting individual business seg-
ments might cause data redundancy and threaten its integrity. Both could induce a
risk of wrong or late information, needed for decision making;
Low margin strategy determines the way of doing daily business. Top priority is to re-
move short-term risks – all resources are involved in fulfillment of sales objectives,
rather than cost reduction, which is the primary goal of business IT applications;
• Less but more flexible workforce is capable of quickly adapting to business process
re-engineering deliverables;
• Web-based marketing and e-commerce practices are often applied, because they are
less demanding regarding investments and workforce, unlike in the conventional
marketing and sales activities. This approach enables the company to adapt quickly
to web-based business process management, and particularly, B2B activities;
• Lack of strategic risk management approach, caused by focused identification and
resolution of short-term risks lowers the level of coordination towards fulfillment of
business plan objectives;
General objective of research, presented in this paper, is to identify the technology
stack, followed by relevant guidelines and methods, for ICT support in business manage-
ment of small manufacturing enterprises. Specific objective is to define the technical
framework for transition from dispersed legacy ICT environment to effective and efficient
enabler for on-time delivery of accurate information in decision-making business activi-
ties. Focal point of the presented framework is maturation of business functions towards
concept of business services [2] and their orchestration into processes, executed and man-
aged on top of gradually integrated ICT environment.
E-GOVERNMENT vs. E-GOVERNANCE
E-GOVERNMENT vs. E-GOVERNANCE:
EXAMINING THE DIFFERENCES IN A CHANGING PUBLIC SECTOR CLIMATE
This is the fourth in a series of five reports assessing international developments in the
policies and public administration issues now driving e-government and e-governance.
As e-government principles and practices have been applied in the past few years it has
been clear that fundamental governance issues determine the workability of the
application of e-services delivery and e-programs. This report addresses the differences
between e-government and e-governance in our growing global information society. The
terms e-government and e-governance are often used interchangeably in discussions and
analyses of how governments are approaching their relationship with the citizenry
through the applications of information and communication technologies to fulfill their
duties as governing bodies and to better serve the public.
Thus, the fourth report in this series distinguishes between the two terms. Overall, the
paper assesses the role of government and separates out how governance is distinguished
from government. We conclude in this paper that government and governance are both
about getting the consent and cooperation of the governed. But whereas government is
the formal apparatus for this objective, governance is the outcome as experienced by
those on the receiving end. E-government can be a more productive version of
government in general, if it is well implemented and managed. E-governance can evolve
into participatory governance if it is well supported with the appropriate principles,
objectives, programs and architectures.
These reports to date represent guidelines for policy implementations for e-government
that can be used by governments, whether they are developed or developing countries.
Report number five, which is to follow will be an analysis and assessment of the e-
democracy and e-participation movement and how government is responding to this new
trend. Networked communities are quickly evolving through the Internet and,
increasingly, citizens are using the new technologies to organize themselves so their
voices can be heard and also to develop tools to attempt to influence government policy
and programs at the political and public administration level.
The current report was prepared under the auspices of the Commonwealth Secretariat,
London, UK and the Telecommunications and Informatics Services of Public Works and
Government services Canada. William Sheridan, policy analyst, Informetrica Inc,
Ottawa and Research Fellow for CCEG, and Cathia Gilbert, of CCEG, are thanked for
their contributions to the preparation and writing of this report.
EXAMINING THE DIFFERENCES IN A CHANGING PUBLIC SECTOR CLIMATE
This is the fourth in a series of five reports assessing international developments in the
policies and public administration issues now driving e-government and e-governance.
As e-government principles and practices have been applied in the past few years it has
been clear that fundamental governance issues determine the workability of the
application of e-services delivery and e-programs. This report addresses the differences
between e-government and e-governance in our growing global information society. The
terms e-government and e-governance are often used interchangeably in discussions and
analyses of how governments are approaching their relationship with the citizenry
through the applications of information and communication technologies to fulfill their
duties as governing bodies and to better serve the public.
Thus, the fourth report in this series distinguishes between the two terms. Overall, the
paper assesses the role of government and separates out how governance is distinguished
from government. We conclude in this paper that government and governance are both
about getting the consent and cooperation of the governed. But whereas government is
the formal apparatus for this objective, governance is the outcome as experienced by
those on the receiving end. E-government can be a more productive version of
government in general, if it is well implemented and managed. E-governance can evolve
into participatory governance if it is well supported with the appropriate principles,
objectives, programs and architectures.
These reports to date represent guidelines for policy implementations for e-government
that can be used by governments, whether they are developed or developing countries.
Report number five, which is to follow will be an analysis and assessment of the e-
democracy and e-participation movement and how government is responding to this new
trend. Networked communities are quickly evolving through the Internet and,
increasingly, citizens are using the new technologies to organize themselves so their
voices can be heard and also to develop tools to attempt to influence government policy
and programs at the political and public administration level.
The current report was prepared under the auspices of the Commonwealth Secretariat,
London, UK and the Telecommunications and Informatics Services of Public Works and
Government services Canada. William Sheridan, policy analyst, Informetrica Inc,
Ottawa and Research Fellow for CCEG, and Cathia Gilbert, of CCEG, are thanked for
their contributions to the preparation and writing of this report.
Analysis and Design Techniques for Service-Oriented Development and Integration
Analysis and Design Techniques for Service-Oriented Development and Integration
Service-Oriented Architectures (SOAs) have been established as an IT
strategy to support the on demand goal of business agility. Web services standards
and their implementations are key enablement technologies for SOA which are
maturing rapidly. There is a growing body of successful implementations of these
technologies. However, experience of solving the wider business and architectural
issues involved in designing a high-quality SOA for a particular enterprise still
stands at an early stage. In this paper, we motivate the need for service modeling
methodologies as means of tackling the external design of a business-focused
SOA, identify some of the available candidate assets, and discuss how existing
artefacts such as UML analysis diagrams can be leveraged for service modeling.
Service-Oriented Architectures (SOAs) have been established as an IT
strategy to support the on demand goal of business agility. Web services standards
and their implementations are key enablement technologies for SOA which are
maturing rapidly. There is a growing body of successful implementations of these
technologies. However, experience of solving the wider business and architectural
issues involved in designing a high-quality SOA for a particular enterprise still
stands at an early stage. In this paper, we motivate the need for service modeling
methodologies as means of tackling the external design of a business-focused
SOA, identify some of the available candidate assets, and discuss how existing
artefacts such as UML analysis diagrams can be leveraged for service modeling.
A Case-Study-Based Discussion of Business Process Analysis and Modeling for Re-Engineering Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
A Case-Study-Based Discussion of Business Process Analysis and Modeling for Re-Engineering Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Abstract: This paper discusses various technical problems of business process analysis and
modeling in order to make clear the themes of future study. We are now in the age of an
economic revolution which has brought about by the information technologies and post-
mass production systems. However, the profits of several existing small and medium-sized
enterprises have decreased because they have not kept up with the revolution. Therefore,
we take one of them as an example and discusses the results of an analysis of the business
process of the enterprise.
Key Words: business process modeling, business process analysis, business process re-
engineering, small and medium-sized enterprise
1 Introduction
We are now in the age of an economic revolution called the information technology
revolution. This revolution has been brought about by information technologies such as low-
priced personal computers and the world wide Internet, and by post-mass production systems
such as diversified and small-scale production systems.
However, several enterprises have not kept up with the revolution. In particular, several
small and medium-sized enterprises, although they want to, cannot keep up with the
revolution because of their own limitations.
Therefore, we studied the technology of business process analysis and modeling for re-
engineering small and medium-sized enterprises. As the first step of the study, we took one
enterprise as an example. Then, we analyzed it for a few months. After discussing the results
of the analysis, we made an interim report for further analysis.
In this paper, section 2 outlines the background of the discussion. Section 3 describes the
interim results of the analysis. Section 4 discusses the results.
Abstract: This paper discusses various technical problems of business process analysis and
modeling in order to make clear the themes of future study. We are now in the age of an
economic revolution which has brought about by the information technologies and post-
mass production systems. However, the profits of several existing small and medium-sized
enterprises have decreased because they have not kept up with the revolution. Therefore,
we take one of them as an example and discusses the results of an analysis of the business
process of the enterprise.
Key Words: business process modeling, business process analysis, business process re-
engineering, small and medium-sized enterprise
1 Introduction
We are now in the age of an economic revolution called the information technology
revolution. This revolution has been brought about by information technologies such as low-
priced personal computers and the world wide Internet, and by post-mass production systems
such as diversified and small-scale production systems.
However, several enterprises have not kept up with the revolution. In particular, several
small and medium-sized enterprises, although they want to, cannot keep up with the
revolution because of their own limitations.
Therefore, we studied the technology of business process analysis and modeling for re-
engineering small and medium-sized enterprises. As the first step of the study, we took one
enterprise as an example. Then, we analyzed it for a few months. After discussing the results
of the analysis, we made an interim report for further analysis.
In this paper, section 2 outlines the background of the discussion. Section 3 describes the
interim results of the analysis. Section 4 discusses the results.
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