Expert systems do what they imply; they attempt to mimic experts. Expert systems are decision making software that can make decisions similar to an expert in a field. The expert in the field transfers their expertise to the computer so that it can make specialized and informed decisions. This especially works when the problems are specific or in a specific area.
For the transfer to be successful, four activities must occur:
-acquisition
-representation
-inferencing
-transfer
Expert systems have increased quality, increased output and productivity, reliability, decreased decision making time, and decreased downtime. These are just a few of the benefits that a company can have from expert systems.
Below is the website of a company that is making headway in the expert system field. It is their website and it outlines the benefits of you or your company. One of the benefits is that it helps streamline businesses and create better communication with customers. This could be very beneficial to a buisness and help them to better achieve their goals.
http://www.expertsystem.net/
After navigating the website, I would highly recommend this product because of the ease of use and the added benefits to a company.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Decision Making Process
Effective decision making is vital to the success of an organization. The proper execution of the decision making process can make the difference between a good company and an excellent company. There are three phases that the decision maker must go through; intelligence, design, and choice.
Intelligence occurs when a problem is identified and classified. The search and scanning of procedures also occurs, as well as data collection. This stage is essentially examination of the problem and the options.
The design phase occurs when the criteria is set for the choice, you search for alternatives, and you predict and measure outcomes.
The choice phase consists of a solution. Sensitivity analysis is performed and the selection of the best alternatives is made. The plan for implementation is then made.
The process can be a success or failure, depending on the criteria and the desired outcome of the decision.
Decision making is important for businesses and people. Individuals and businesses make decisions every day although this process isn't always as in depth. This process is important especially for businesses when they have a decision that has a great deal of time or capital involved.
Below is an article on decision making. The article shows the importance for fundamental and sound decision making.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Putnam-revamps-stock-funds-business/story.aspx?guid=%7B5F26C079-B0A1-4D33-9DDF-A142362064A5%7D
Intelligence occurs when a problem is identified and classified. The search and scanning of procedures also occurs, as well as data collection. This stage is essentially examination of the problem and the options.
The design phase occurs when the criteria is set for the choice, you search for alternatives, and you predict and measure outcomes.
The choice phase consists of a solution. Sensitivity analysis is performed and the selection of the best alternatives is made. The plan for implementation is then made.
The process can be a success or failure, depending on the criteria and the desired outcome of the decision.
Decision making is important for businesses and people. Individuals and businesses make decisions every day although this process isn't always as in depth. This process is important especially for businesses when they have a decision that has a great deal of time or capital involved.
Below is an article on decision making. The article shows the importance for fundamental and sound decision making.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Putnam-revamps-stock-funds-business/story.aspx?guid=%7B5F26C079-B0A1-4D33-9DDF-A142362064A5%7D
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Roles of People in Knowledge Management
One of the vital elements for successfully managing a knowledge warehouse is having a full-time staff. The staff goes through information, examines, filters, catalogues, and stores knowledge so that it is very accessible and easy to find when people need it. The staff is also beneficial because they can help people search for information or send them exactly where they need to go to get the information they need (i.e. environmental scanning). The staff is also capable of gathering individuals with common knowledge to filter through the information and find out what is important. The main problems that occur with knowledge management happen because of issues with people. It is important that many people are involved so that there are more people to help prevent and catch problems. The most vital people that should be involved in knowledge management are the chief knowledge officer, the CEO, managers of the organization, leaders of the communities of practice, KMS developers, and KMS staff. Each of these members play an important role in knowledge management whether it is development, management, or use. KMS cannot be successful without the effort of all the members.
It is important for cultural receptivity to happen with respect to knowledge management. It is important to make sure that all members of the organization are on-board for the use of knowledge management because it requires a great deal of team work. Most companies have a chief knowledge officer (CKO) that “maximize the firm’s knowledge assets, design, and implement knowledge management strategies.” According to the book, the chief officer must do the following:
· Set strategic priorities for knowledge management
· Establish a knowledge repository of best practices
· Gain a commitment from senior executives to support a learning environment
· Teach information seekers how to ask better and smarter questions
· Establish a process for managing intellectual assets
· Obtain customer satisfaction information in near real time
· Globalize knowledge management
It is important that the CKO make an environment that facilitates knowledge management and sharing. This change should be fully supported by all top managers in the organization. It is also important for the CEO to make knowledge management a priority. Again, it is very important that the whole organization support.
Communities of practice are “groups of people in an organization with a common professional interest.” These communities are vital to the organization that is committed and serious about knowledge management.
It is also important that the organization have a full-time staff to manage the knowledge. Consulting firms can also be hired for this purpose.
It is important for cultural receptivity to happen with respect to knowledge management. It is important to make sure that all members of the organization are on-board for the use of knowledge management because it requires a great deal of team work. Most companies have a chief knowledge officer (CKO) that “maximize the firm’s knowledge assets, design, and implement knowledge management strategies.” According to the book, the chief officer must do the following:
· Set strategic priorities for knowledge management
· Establish a knowledge repository of best practices
· Gain a commitment from senior executives to support a learning environment
· Teach information seekers how to ask better and smarter questions
· Establish a process for managing intellectual assets
· Obtain customer satisfaction information in near real time
· Globalize knowledge management
It is important that the CKO make an environment that facilitates knowledge management and sharing. This change should be fully supported by all top managers in the organization. It is also important for the CEO to make knowledge management a priority. Again, it is very important that the whole organization support.
Communities of practice are “groups of people in an organization with a common professional interest.” These communities are vital to the organization that is committed and serious about knowledge management.
It is also important that the organization have a full-time staff to manage the knowledge. Consulting firms can also be hired for this purpose.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Managerial Issues in Interorganizational and Global Information Systems
1. Facilitating Global Trade – One of the most important issues in facilitating global trade is making sure that language barriers and language translation is effective and efficient. While borders are disappearing, translations are vital to the success of an organization. For example, if the translation on a web page is wrong then consumers are less likely to purchase your products. Global trade has dramatically increased as a result of the internet and trade agreements like NAFTA and the European Union. It is important to know the legal and tax issues of the foreign companies that you do business with. It is also possible that leaders in efficiency can give advice to developing countries.
2. Selecting a System – There are various retailers that sell IOS infrastructure so companies have options and can tailor the options to their needs.
3. Partners’ Collaboration – Collaboration and understanding is key for an IOS because there are at least two organization involved. If your partners do not cooperate, then it is likely that your processes will fail. As a company, it is important to persuade your partners that the relationship is beneficial for both parties.
4. New Infrastructure – New infrastructures for companies can be very expensive and hard to make work for many companies, especially if they are small. It is difficult to gauge whether to wait and see how the new infrastructures do in the market or whether to follow your bigger competitors. This is an issue that should be carefully and strategically reviewed by management.
5. Globalization – The issue of going global can be solved based on the IT systems that would be necessary for a company to have in order to be successful. It may be expensive and require a great deal of work so a company should look at all of the possible problems and alternatives before making the decision to go global. Potential problems include language barriers, currency differences, tax and legal requirements, and cultural differences.
6. Using exchanges, hubs, and other services – The Internet is a good way to facilitate exchanges. A third party is a very good option for many companies. Doing that can save a great deal of money but there is the potential loss of control.
7. Partner and Supplier Relationship Management – One of the most common ways to do business today is through partnerships. With the trend in outsourcing becoming even more popular, this results in more partners for companies. It is common even with companies such as Microsoft.
2. Selecting a System – There are various retailers that sell IOS infrastructure so companies have options and can tailor the options to their needs.
3. Partners’ Collaboration – Collaboration and understanding is key for an IOS because there are at least two organization involved. If your partners do not cooperate, then it is likely that your processes will fail. As a company, it is important to persuade your partners that the relationship is beneficial for both parties.
4. New Infrastructure – New infrastructures for companies can be very expensive and hard to make work for many companies, especially if they are small. It is difficult to gauge whether to wait and see how the new infrastructures do in the market or whether to follow your bigger competitors. This is an issue that should be carefully and strategically reviewed by management.
5. Globalization – The issue of going global can be solved based on the IT systems that would be necessary for a company to have in order to be successful. It may be expensive and require a great deal of work so a company should look at all of the possible problems and alternatives before making the decision to go global. Potential problems include language barriers, currency differences, tax and legal requirements, and cultural differences.
6. Using exchanges, hubs, and other services – The Internet is a good way to facilitate exchanges. A third party is a very good option for many companies. Doing that can save a great deal of money but there is the potential loss of control.
7. Partner and Supplier Relationship Management – One of the most common ways to do business today is through partnerships. With the trend in outsourcing becoming even more popular, this results in more partners for companies. It is common even with companies such as Microsoft.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Product Life Cycle Management
Product life cycle management is a business strategy that enables manufacturers to control and share product-related data as part of product design and development efforts and to support supply chain operations. This is very important for companies in today’s culture. PLM allows companies to centralize their management of all the products’ data.
There are four phases of the product life cycle;
· Conceive
· Design
· Realize
· Service
Each of these phases has different technologies that go along with it and that must be implemented at each stage. Stage one is when a company plans and designs their PLC. Stage two sets in stone what the company wants to do. The company develops and tests the product before releasing it to the market. The third stage occurs when the company manufactures, markets, and sells their product to their consumers. And the final stage occurs when the company maintains the product, does repairs, and the product is eventually phased out.
There are several different companies that offer PLM tools such as IBM, SAP, EDS, Matrix, and PTC. Many of these models allow record keeping, billing, and document tracking. Each company can pick a model that will be the most beneficial for their structure and their needs.
PLM can have a significant impact on several areas of a company. It can benefit cycle timing, design changes, and productivity. It is also a big jump for a company. Integrating different processes within an organization can be time consuming, difficult, and expensive but the benefits outweigh the negatives. The main goal is to move information through an organization as quickly as possible to reduce the time it takes to get a product to the market and to increase profitability.
One of the main problems that many companies are facing is that they are trying to get products to the market too fast and there are many problems that have occurred as a result. Companies are trying to get their products to the market and are not making sure that the second step of their PLM is complete. As a result, this is costing them a great deal of money. An article relating to this is pasted below.
http://www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=17441&SectionID=2
There are four phases of the product life cycle;
· Conceive
· Design
· Realize
· Service
Each of these phases has different technologies that go along with it and that must be implemented at each stage. Stage one is when a company plans and designs their PLC. Stage two sets in stone what the company wants to do. The company develops and tests the product before releasing it to the market. The third stage occurs when the company manufactures, markets, and sells their product to their consumers. And the final stage occurs when the company maintains the product, does repairs, and the product is eventually phased out.
There are several different companies that offer PLM tools such as IBM, SAP, EDS, Matrix, and PTC. Many of these models allow record keeping, billing, and document tracking. Each company can pick a model that will be the most beneficial for their structure and their needs.
PLM can have a significant impact on several areas of a company. It can benefit cycle timing, design changes, and productivity. It is also a big jump for a company. Integrating different processes within an organization can be time consuming, difficult, and expensive but the benefits outweigh the negatives. The main goal is to move information through an organization as quickly as possible to reduce the time it takes to get a product to the market and to increase profitability.
One of the main problems that many companies are facing is that they are trying to get products to the market too fast and there are many problems that have occurred as a result. Companies are trying to get their products to the market and are not making sure that the second step of their PLM is complete. As a result, this is costing them a great deal of money. An article relating to this is pasted below.
http://www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=17441&SectionID=2
Monday, September 29, 2008
Ethical and Legal Issues in E-Business
It is difficult in today’s society to be fully protected when doing business on the web. It is often said that ethical standards are very behind the technology. It is difficult to have standards and laws when the technology is new.
One of the main problems faced on the internet today is privacy. It is important if you are in charge of a company and you sell a product online that you have protection for your customers. If you want to keep your customers and keep them coming back to your site, help keep their information private. The workplace has become a place where privacy has become very lacking. Many employers are monitoring emails sent by their workers and they have programs to track what they do on the web. This is a difficult situation because as long as you get your work done, should it matter? There are some things that are inappropriate for work but as long as surfing the web isn’t done in excess it shouldn’t be a problem. Many employees do like the “big brother” mentality that their employers have taken. This will continue to be a huge problem the more tech-savvy our society becomes.
Web tracking is another ethical issue in e-business. This happens when a company uses log files to track a visitor’s activity on the internet and how they use a site. “Cookies” help track the movement and are identifiable if you revisit a site. Many consumers are now installing programs that help block cookies which give the consumer more privacy. There are programs that remove spyware so that you don’t receive pop-ups and advertisements when you visit a site.
Losing workers to machines has become a problem. Is it ethical to just let these workers go or is there an obligation as an employer to help them be retrained. This is going to become an even bigger issue as the world becomes more dependent on technology. Technology has benefits but it is also important to take care of people.
Intermediation and disintermediation are also two issue that e-business has encountered. Intermediation offers two types of services; matching and providing information and value-added services. Both of these types of services can be partially or fully automated which leads to job loss. Disintermediation occurs when companies matched and provided information and since their service is fully automated, the company can be eliminated. Reintermediation occurs when companies that provide information and value-added service are thriving because there is skill and expertise involved in their work. An example of disintermediation is Black & Decker and Wal Mart. Wal Mart informed B&D that if they began to sell their products online, then they would no longer carry the products in the stores.
The internet is a vulnerable place for crime to happen. It has become easy for scams to happen between two parties because you cannot see/touch what you are buying. This makes it easier for fraud to occur and unfortunately, it is becoming more common. There are several things that buyers and sellers can do to protect themselves from scams. Buyers should make sure they are buying from a reliable site, be wary of offers that are too good to be true, examine return policies, and make sure that you know your rights as a buyer. As a seller, it is important to have protection against buyers who won’t pay or that pay with bad checks. Sellers also have trademark protection and need to make sure that their name and slogans are protected. A controversial issue that some sellers have faced is illegal downloading. Many companies have faced this issue with customers illegally taking their merchandise without paying. This has been a very big problem with the music industry and many companies have begun to take legal action.
I found an interesting article about 10 ways to maintain your privacy at work. Many companies are not only monitoring internet usage but they also have security videos and some are tracking outgoing phone numbers. These are very serious issues and it is important to know the policies of a company before you accept a job. Attached below is the link to this article. Feel free to comment on the subject!
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/careerbytes/CBArticle.aspx?articleID=490&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=44cc0d19efa74764a23d39cbd81b97ee-276027016-RP-4&ns_siteid=ns_us_g_privacy%20at%20work
One of the main problems faced on the internet today is privacy. It is important if you are in charge of a company and you sell a product online that you have protection for your customers. If you want to keep your customers and keep them coming back to your site, help keep their information private. The workplace has become a place where privacy has become very lacking. Many employers are monitoring emails sent by their workers and they have programs to track what they do on the web. This is a difficult situation because as long as you get your work done, should it matter? There are some things that are inappropriate for work but as long as surfing the web isn’t done in excess it shouldn’t be a problem. Many employees do like the “big brother” mentality that their employers have taken. This will continue to be a huge problem the more tech-savvy our society becomes.
Web tracking is another ethical issue in e-business. This happens when a company uses log files to track a visitor’s activity on the internet and how they use a site. “Cookies” help track the movement and are identifiable if you revisit a site. Many consumers are now installing programs that help block cookies which give the consumer more privacy. There are programs that remove spyware so that you don’t receive pop-ups and advertisements when you visit a site.
Losing workers to machines has become a problem. Is it ethical to just let these workers go or is there an obligation as an employer to help them be retrained. This is going to become an even bigger issue as the world becomes more dependent on technology. Technology has benefits but it is also important to take care of people.
Intermediation and disintermediation are also two issue that e-business has encountered. Intermediation offers two types of services; matching and providing information and value-added services. Both of these types of services can be partially or fully automated which leads to job loss. Disintermediation occurs when companies matched and provided information and since their service is fully automated, the company can be eliminated. Reintermediation occurs when companies that provide information and value-added service are thriving because there is skill and expertise involved in their work. An example of disintermediation is Black & Decker and Wal Mart. Wal Mart informed B&D that if they began to sell their products online, then they would no longer carry the products in the stores.
The internet is a vulnerable place for crime to happen. It has become easy for scams to happen between two parties because you cannot see/touch what you are buying. This makes it easier for fraud to occur and unfortunately, it is becoming more common. There are several things that buyers and sellers can do to protect themselves from scams. Buyers should make sure they are buying from a reliable site, be wary of offers that are too good to be true, examine return policies, and make sure that you know your rights as a buyer. As a seller, it is important to have protection against buyers who won’t pay or that pay with bad checks. Sellers also have trademark protection and need to make sure that their name and slogans are protected. A controversial issue that some sellers have faced is illegal downloading. Many companies have faced this issue with customers illegally taking their merchandise without paying. This has been a very big problem with the music industry and many companies have begun to take legal action.
I found an interesting article about 10 ways to maintain your privacy at work. Many companies are not only monitoring internet usage but they also have security videos and some are tracking outgoing phone numbers. These are very serious issues and it is important to know the policies of a company before you accept a job. Attached below is the link to this article. Feel free to comment on the subject!
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/careerbytes/CBArticle.aspx?articleID=490&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=44cc0d19efa74764a23d39cbd81b97ee-276027016-RP-4&ns_siteid=ns_us_g_privacy%20at%20work
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Social Networks & Getting a Job - Is it Fair??
A social network is defined as a place where people create their own space, or homepage on which they write blogs, post pictures, videos, or music, share ideas, and link to other Web locations they find interesting. Blogging has become a popular tool for people to express themselves and put their ideas out there. Most people put a variety of thoughts and feelings such as how they feel about life, their friends, their employers, or pretty much any emotion that they are having. One of the most popular social networks is Facebook. Members put up information such as their school, work, and any personal information that they so choose. It is also possible to share pictures and to write to your friends. This is a great way to stay connected with your friends and family. While these forms of communication are changing how people interact, they are also causing some trouble. Many companies are now looking on your personal networks and using any “wrongs” about you during the screening process.
According to the article Employers Use Social Nets to Weed Out Applicants Gone Wild
by Chris Maxcer on TechNewsWorld.com, “there’s a 20% chance that your next employer is reading, judging, and possibly rejecting your professional persona based on the private one you tout online.” This is very scary thought. It would be difficult for anyone to get a job if any mistake or wild thing you’ve ever done is being observed and scrutinized by someone else. For the most part, how someone is in their private life and someone behaves at work are not related. Most people do not act at work the way they would having a drink with their friends.
The website states the 41 % of potential job candidates have information posted about drinking or drugs and 40 % have provocative or inappropriate photos or information. Those statistics are very high. Having things like this can prevent employers from hiring you. From the employer side, this is an excellent way to weed out and have some differentiation between your potential applicants. Most employers would rather have an employee who is not wild and seems responsible.
This is unfair for on the applicant side though. If you choose to do certain things, legal things, in your personal life and you do not bring that to work, it should not have an effect on your potential as an employee. What a person chooses to do in their personal time is their business as long as it does not interfere with their work life. There have also been many cases where employees from certain companies have had their own personal blogs. They have talked about their work, good and bad, but not mentioned names. Many of them have been fired for the content that is on their blog even if they are not linked back to a particular company. To me, I feel that this is very unfair. If you are online bashing your employer, that is one issue but if the company name is anonymous, it should not matter. Many people are solving this problem themselves by making sure their blogs and profiles are clean and employer friendly. It is also important to make your security settings stronger so that employers are not able to see your information.
Social networks have also been very beneficial for keeping employees in contact with each other. Employers are now using these sites for recruiting and communication with potential employees. This is a quick and efficient way to connect with your potential employees on their level. Even though there are downsides to having social networks, the benefits highly outweigh them. The trend is moving towards having more and more social networks. The way we communicate is only going to further evolve as we become more reliant on technology.
The following link is for the article that I found and it is very helpful. Take a look, it is very interesting. Let me know any thoughts.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/64505.html
According to the article Employers Use Social Nets to Weed Out Applicants Gone Wild
by Chris Maxcer on TechNewsWorld.com, “there’s a 20% chance that your next employer is reading, judging, and possibly rejecting your professional persona based on the private one you tout online.” This is very scary thought. It would be difficult for anyone to get a job if any mistake or wild thing you’ve ever done is being observed and scrutinized by someone else. For the most part, how someone is in their private life and someone behaves at work are not related. Most people do not act at work the way they would having a drink with their friends.
The website states the 41 % of potential job candidates have information posted about drinking or drugs and 40 % have provocative or inappropriate photos or information. Those statistics are very high. Having things like this can prevent employers from hiring you. From the employer side, this is an excellent way to weed out and have some differentiation between your potential applicants. Most employers would rather have an employee who is not wild and seems responsible.
This is unfair for on the applicant side though. If you choose to do certain things, legal things, in your personal life and you do not bring that to work, it should not have an effect on your potential as an employee. What a person chooses to do in their personal time is their business as long as it does not interfere with their work life. There have also been many cases where employees from certain companies have had their own personal blogs. They have talked about their work, good and bad, but not mentioned names. Many of them have been fired for the content that is on their blog even if they are not linked back to a particular company. To me, I feel that this is very unfair. If you are online bashing your employer, that is one issue but if the company name is anonymous, it should not matter. Many people are solving this problem themselves by making sure their blogs and profiles are clean and employer friendly. It is also important to make your security settings stronger so that employers are not able to see your information.
Social networks have also been very beneficial for keeping employees in contact with each other. Employers are now using these sites for recruiting and communication with potential employees. This is a quick and efficient way to connect with your potential employees on their level. Even though there are downsides to having social networks, the benefits highly outweigh them. The trend is moving towards having more and more social networks. The way we communicate is only going to further evolve as we become more reliant on technology.
The following link is for the article that I found and it is very helpful. Take a look, it is very interesting. Let me know any thoughts.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/64505.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
