There is no single approach to modelling and model-based systems development that is best for all possible situations. Therefore, a high-level overview is needed in order to evaluate the options and identify the optimal approach.

This unique textbook/reference introduces and describes in detail the SEQUAL framework for understanding the quality of models and modelling languages, including the numerous specialisations of the generic framework, and the various ways in which this can be used for different applications. Examples are provided from the application of SEQUAL in industrial and governmental settings.

Topics and features: contains case studies, chapter summaries, review questions, problems and exercises throughout the text, in addition to Appendices on terminology and abbreviations; presents a thorough introduction to the most important concepts in conceptual modelling, including the underlying philosophical outlook on the quality of models; describes the basic tasks and model types in information systems development and evolution, and the main methodologies for mixing different phases of information system development; provides an overview of the general mechanisms and perspectives used in conceptual modelling; predicts future trends in technological development, and discusses how the role of modelling can be envisaged in this landscape.

This didactic guide is essential reading for postgraduate students of computer science, software engineering and information systems wishing to learn more about conceptual modelling in their preparation for professional practice. Developers of information systems will also find the book an ideal reference to support their professional activity.

Business modelling is a vast arena of research and practice, which is gaining increasing important in the rapid development of e-commerce, globalization, and in particular, the movement toward global e-business. The ability to utilize advanced computing technology to model, analyse and simulate various aspects of ever-changing businesses has made a significant impact on the way businesses are designed and run these days. With the current global e-business and e-commerce initiatives, it has become important that all businesses carefully validate their business objectives, requirements, and strategies through a careful process of formal business modelling. It is important for effective enterprise decision making to have clear, concise business models that allow the extraction of critical value from business processes and specify the rules to be globally enforced. Particularly in e-business specifications, the need to be unambiguous, accurate, and complete becomes even greater, because there may be no human mediator or agent to rely on in complex or unforeseen situations. Business Modelling: Multidisciplinary Approaches - Economics, Operational, and Information Systems Perspectives, arranged in three parts, brings scholarly perspectives from various disciplines to bear on some of the critical aspects of business modeling. The first part (chapters 1-8) focuses on business modelling fundamentals and starts with a series of economics and operations research perspectives. The second part (chapters 9-19) concentrates on modelling in electronic businesses and focuses on Management Information Systems and Decision Support Systems. The third part (chapters 20-22) centers on multidisciplinary business modelling progress, in particular on the seminal work of Professor Andrew B. Whinston.

This second volume in the series covers such topics as information systems practice and theory, information systems and the accounting/auditing environment, and differing perspectives on information systems research.

For undergraduate courses in management information systems A modern, case study-based exploration of Management Information Systems Information Systems Today: Managing in the Digital World opens each chapter with a case study so you can quickly understand how and why information systems are essential in today's evolving business landscape. The authors selected cases that highlight real-world companies, technologies, and issues that illuminate the chapter topics. Aligning major concepts with the latest trends, the 9th Edition expands its exploration of the ways digital density and the API economy, mobile and cloud computing, social media, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things affect information systems.

This book presents a close look at the main developments in IT, business processes and offshore outsourcing. The authors study these topics in both theory and practice, exploring the rising prominence of outsourcing with a multi-dimensional, contextual perspective.

The idea for this conference came from a meeting of the IFIP (International Federation for Information Processing) Technical Committee for Information Systems (TC8) in Guimares, Portugal in June 2005. Our goal is to build an IFIP forum among the different Information Systems Communities of TC8 dealing with the increasing important area of Enterprise Information Systems. In this particular meeting the committee members intensively discussed the innovative and unique characteristics of Enterprise Information Systems as scientific sub-discipline. Hence, in this meeting it was decided by the TC8 members that the IFIP TC8 First International Conference on Research and Practical Issues of Enterprise Information Systems (CONFENIS 2006) would be held in April 2006 in Vienna, Austria. Dr. Li Xu (USA) and Dr. A Min Tjoa (IFIP TC8) were assigned to propose a concept for this conference in order to establish an IFIP platform for EIS researchers and practitioners in the field to share experience, and discussing opportunities and challenges. We are very pleased therefore to have this conference organised by the help of the Austrian Computer Society (OCG). OCG supports the idea of this conference due to the urgent need of research and dissemination of new techniques in this key area. We received 180 papers from more than 30 countries for CONFENIS and the Program Committee eventually selected xx papers or extended abstracts, making an acceptance rate of xx% of submitted papers. Each paper was thoroughly reviewed by at least two qualified reviewers.

Just like the industrial society of the last century depended on natural resources, today s society depends on information and its exchange.

Semantic Web technologies address the problem of information complexity by providing advanced support for representing and processing distributed information, while peer-to-peer technologies address issues of system complexity by allowing flexible and decentralized information storage and processing. Systems that are based on Semantic Web and peer-to-peer technologies promise to combine the advantages of the two mechanisms. A peer-to-peer style architecture for the Semantic Web will avoid both physical and semantic bottlenecks that limit information and knowledge exchange.

Staab and Stuckenschmidt structured the selected contributions into four parts: Part I, "Data Storage and Access," prepares the semantic foundation, i.e. data modelling and querying in a flexible and yet scalable manner. These foundations allow for dealing with the organization of information at the individual peers. Part II, "Querying the Network," considers the routing of queries, as well as continuous queries and personalized queries under the conditions of the permanently changing topological structure of a peer-to-peer network. Part III, "Semantic Integration," deals with the mapping of heterogeneous data representations. Finally Part IV, "Methodology and Systems," reports experiences from case studies and sample applications.

The overall result is a state-of-the-art description of the potential of Semantic Web and peer-to-peer technologies for information sharing and knowledge management when applied jointly. It serves researchers in academia and industry as an excellent and lasting reference and source of inspiration.

This book contains the papers presented and discussed at the conference that was held in May/June 1997, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, and that was sponsored by Working Group 8.2 of the International Federation for Information Processing. IFIP established 8.2 as a group concerned with the interaction of information systems and the organization. Information Systems and Qualitative Research is essential reading for professionals and students working in information systems in a business environment, such as systems analysts, developers and designers, data administrators, and senior executives in all business areas that use information technology, as well as consultants in the fields of information systems, management, and quality management.

Electronic business today is not only business transactions supported in information and communication technologies; it is a new way of communicating and integrating with customers, suppliers, employees and other stakeholders. In this scenario, electronic business is now part of a wider economic context that is causing radical transformations in business and organizations including the entire value chain from customer service to supply chain management. One of the areas affected is marketing. Given that the new technologies have enabled firms to reach out to global customers and has provided them with the opportunity to customize their strategies and offerings in an unprecedented way, the dynamics of marketing must be surveyed in order to study the impact of new trends like mobile customer relationship management or mass customization on marketing function.

This book provides an overview of the e-Business and Marketing areas by uniting various papers from these fields. "Electronic Business and Marketing" includes theory and practice on electronic business and marketing from an academic and professional viewpoint providing also a forum for the exchange of research ideas and industry practices in these knowledge areas among practitioners, researchers and students.

Data is a must-have for any business looking to thrive. So is having leadership who 'get' data and use it to support their decision-making. But how do you embed the use of data and analytics across your organisation so they truly support every process end-to-end? Becoming data literate in this way is a journey that involves vision, strategy, value creation, culture and data foundations. With an evidence-based framework to guide you, this book lays out a roadmap to ensure you get where you need to go.

Since SAP is emphasizing recent developments in operations management in its SCM initiative, this book describes the methodological background from the viewpoint of a company using SAP systems. It describes order processing both in an intra- and interorganizational perspective, as well as describing future developments and system enhancements.

This book is a result of the Tenth International Conference on Information Systems Development (ISD2001) held at Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom, during September 5-7, 2001. ISD 2001 carries on the fine tradition established by the first Polish-Scandinavian Seminar on Current Trends in Information Systems Development Methodologies, held in Gdansk, Poland in 1988. Through the years, this seminar evolved into an International Conference on Information Systems Development. The Conference gives participants an opportunity to express ideas on the current state of the art in information systems development, and to discuss and exchange views on new methods, tools, applications as well as theory. In all, 55 papers were presented at ISD2001 organised into twelve tracks covering the following themes: Systems Analysis and Development, Modelling, Methodology, Database Systems, Collaborative Systems, Theory, Knowledge Management, Project Management, IS Education, Management issues, E-Commerce. and Technical Issues. We would like to thank all the contributing authors for making this book possible and for their participation in ISD200 1. We are grateful to our panel of paper reviewers for their help and support. We would also like to express our sincere thanks to Ceri Bowyer and Steve Brown for their unfailing support with organising ISD2001.

This book presents a selection of studies that have applied Operational Research methods to improve emergency planning in healthcare, to include both A&E and public health emergencies like epidemic and natural disasters. The studies have delved into qualitative Operational Research like Problem Structuring, Critical Systems Thinking, Soft Systems Methodology, and Qualitative System Dynamics, and also quantitative techniques such as Monte Carlo Simulation, Discrete-event Simulation, and System Dynamics. These techniques have been applied for review and assessment of emergency services, for policy formulation and for facilitating broader public engagement in emergency preparedness and response. Furthermore, this book presents rigorous reviews on the applications of Operational Research in the wider healthcare context. This volume focuses mainly on emergency planning at the strategic level, whereas volume 1 focuses on planning at the operational level. The OR Essentials series presents a unique cross-section of high quality research work fundamental to understanding contemporary issues and research across a range of Operational Research (OR) topics. It brings together some of the best research papers from the highly respected journals of the Operational Research Society, also published by Palgrave Macmillan.

Praise for The Mathematics of Derivatives

"The Mathematics of Derivatives provides a concise pedagogical discussion of both fundamental and very recent developments in mathematical finance, and is particularly well suited for readers with a science or engineering background. It is written from the point of view of a physicist focused on providing an understanding of the methodology and the assumptions behind derivative pricing. Navin has a unique and elegant viewpoint, and will help mathematically sophisticated readers rapidly get up to speed in the latest Wall Street financial innovations."
--David Montano, Managing Director JPMorgan Securities

"A stylish and practical introduction to the key concepts in financial mathematics, this book tackles key fundamentals in the subject in an intuitive and refreshing manner whilst also providing detailed analytical and numerical schema for solving interesting derivatives pricing problems. If Richard Feynman wrote an introduction to financial mathematics, it might look similar. The problem and solution sets are first rate."
--Barry Ryan, Partner Bhramavira Capital Partners, London

"This is a great book for anyone beginning (or contemplating), a career in financial research or analytic programming. Navin dissects a huge, complex topic into a series of discrete, concise, accessible lectures that combine the required mathematical theory with relevant applications to real-world markets. I wish this book was around when I started in finance. It would have saved me a lot of time and aggravation."
--Larry Magargal

Information and Process Integration in Enterprises: Rethinking Documents is a bold attempt to address information and process integration issues as a single body of research and practice. This book has identified the concept of documents as a common thread linking the integration issues. Documents, after all, are representations of information, along with representations of the usage of the information contained therein. Rethinking the role of documents is therefore central to (re)engineering enterprises in the context of information and process integration. The chapters of this book are based on papers presented at the International Working Conference on Information and Process Integration in Enterprises (IPIC '96)', held at MIT on November 14 and 15, 1996. The chapters cover a range of issues: from the future role of documents in enterprise integration, to emerging models of business processes and information use, to practical experiences in implementing new processes and technologies in real work environments. Information and Process Integration in Enterprises: Rethinking Documents is suitable as a secondary text for a graduate level course on information technology.

Information technology continues to revolutionarize the way commercial enterprises, government, and individuals conduct business. Sustained success in value creation in today's networked economies depends in part on how organizations are effective in attracting, developing, and retaining talented IS professionals. The magnitude of the challenges that face organizations in managing IS professionals demand clearer and more cohesive strategies than currently exist. Firms with more effective strategies for managing IS professionals will consistently outperform their peers. Studies have shown that the IS profession is now characterized by staff skill shortages, high turnover rates, job stress, and burnout. Strategies for Managing IS/IT Personnel explores the challenges faced by organizations as they develop strategies for recruiting, training, retraining and retaining IT professional. The book should be valuable to all managers, researchers, teachers and students who want to learn about issues related to the IS professional career and how strategies for recruiting, training, retraining and retaining the "best and the brightest" IT talent can be designed, implemented and monitored.

"Ade McCormack sounds a much-needed clarion call for IT to "grow up" and become a mature business function"
--Nicholas Carr, Author of "Does IT Matter and The Big Switch"

"The wit, imagination and insight that Ade brings to his regular Boardroom Debate column in the Financial Times Digital Business section shine through his new book. Ade looks at where the power, blame, influence and value in IT all sit as business technology matures and the game shifts towards maximising its value."
--Peter Whitehead, "FT Digital Business" editor

"This excellent book is a must read for anyone in business. As in his first book Ade McCormack demystifies IT and makes it clear, relevant and interesting for business."
--Dr Gerard-Lyons, Chief Economist at Standard Chartered

"Ade McCormack hits at the key issues, the Business/IT relationship can no longer be one of master/slave, but must evolve into one of value based partnership for business advantage. An essential read for those organisations who believe there has to be a third way between traditional business and IT approaches."
--Eddie Short, Vice President, Global Lead - Business Information Management, Capgemini, London

Successful IT value realisation is a cloudy subject. This in part contributes to the overall dissatisfaction many organisations have with IT. This book tackles the subject of IT value realisation head on. Most importantly it provides a model to help CIOs and business leaders maximize the return on their IT investment.

This book is based on the author's "IT Value Stack" methodology, which helps business leaders take control of their IT investment. Boardroom-bound CIOs will also find this book of value. As will those that advise on strategic business-IT matters.

The model is corroborated with input from influential people working within the world's most successful end-user, business advisory and technology organisations.

The book covers: The IT Value Stack ModelBusiness-IT strategy entwinementProcess-IT entwinementUser-technologist entwinementTechnology managementIT service managementCirculation managementValue management.Valuable input from influential contributors from the end-user, technology and advisory communities.

In today's world, widespread change in business and technology creates a dynamic and chaotic work environment, pushing intelligent use of information communication technologies (ICTs) to survive.""Information and Communication Technologies Management in Turbulent Business Environments"" informs today's business managers of important ICT strategy in changing business environments, techniques for effective ICT development, and ICT challenges for the future. A cutting-edge research publication for practitioners, researchers, and academicians, this book covers topics such as e-technology, knowledge management, and security and risk management.

Data mining has emerged as one of the most active areas in information and c- munication technologies(ICT). With the boomingof the global economy, and ub- uitouscomputingandnetworkingacrosseverysectorand business, data andits deep analysis becomes a particularly important issue for enhancing the soft power of an organization, its production systems, decision-making and performance. The last ten years have seen ever-increasingapplications of data mining in business, gove- ment, social networks and the like. However, a crucial problem that prevents data mining from playing a strategic decision-support role in ICT is its usually limited decision-support power in the real world. Typical concerns include its actionability, workability, transferability, and the trustworthy, dependable, repeatable, operable and explainable capabilities of data mining algorithms, tools and outputs. This monograph, Domain Driven Data Mining, is motivated by the real-world challenges to and complexities of the current KDD methodologies and techniques, which are critical issues faced by data mining, as well as the ?ndings, thoughts and lessons learned in conducting several large-scale real-world data mining bu- ness applications. The aim and objective of domain driven data mining is to study effective and ef?cient methodologies, techniques, tools, and applications that can discover and deliver actionable knowledge that can be passed on to business people for direct decision-making and action-takin

In his ground-breaking book, Reinventing Communication, Mark Phillips shows how even the most mature organization can fail to deliver successful projects - and worse, how this can lead to an organization's demise. With clear examples, Mark reveals the underlying principles at work and introduces a revolutionary new technique for harnessing the power of communication to ensure long term success. For organizations of all sizes, this book changes the way we think about management and leadership. Mark makes his case by looking at teams and individuals that set out to deliver ambitious achievements in complex and challenging environments. We meet the leadership team that built the F-18 Super Hornet fighter jet, one of the US Navy's most successful programs. We discover the untraditional approach to risk used in building a new terminal at London's Heathrow airport. We draw lessons on corporate survival from the cat and mouse fight against IED's in Afghanistan, and are introduced to a website where online video gamers solved a critical piece of the AIDS puzzle using their gaming prowess. Reinventing Communication is about creating the conditions for performance and attaining long term success. Whether a start-up, a global enterprise or a government agency, this book shows us how to deliver ambitious achievements by getting communication right. It is a book that no manager, leader or innovator should be without.

The book focuses on applications of belief functions to business decisions. Section I introduces the intuitive, conceptual and historical development of belief functions. Three different interpretations (the marginally correct approximation, the qualitative model, and the quantitative model) of belief functions are investigated, and rough set theory and structured query language (SQL) are used to express belief function semantics. Section II presents applications of belief functions in information systems and auditing. Included are discussions on how a belief-function framework provides a more efficient and effective audit methodology and also the appropriateness of belief functions to represent uncertainties in audit evidence. The third section deals with applications of belief functions to mergers and acquisitions; financial analysis of engineering enterprises; forecast demand for mobile satellite services; modeling financial portfolios; and economics.

Addressed to the management of financial institutions and computer and communications technologists, this book aims to prvide information on the four generations of on-line financial networks which have evolved over the past twenty years in Japan.;The background to the book is electronic banking, and the forward- looking financial industries and the benefits they have achieved.;The author has also recently written "Membership Of The Board Of Directors".

"Hands-On Database "uses a scenario-based approach that shows readers how to build a database by providing them with the context of a running case throughout each step of the process.

This book opens the "black box" of software sourcing by explaining how dynamic software alignment is established and how it impacts business performance outcomes. By investigating how software-sourcing modes are related to value generation in the post-implementation phase, it shows researchers and managers the impact logic of on-demand, on-premises, and in-house software on dynamic fit and process-level performance outcomes in a client organization. It describes dynamic IT alignment as the key to success in a fast-moving digital world with software-as-a-service on the rise and highlights the fact that today companies can choose between developing software in-house (make) or sourcing packaged systems in an on-premises (buy) or an on-demand (lease) mode. This book is the first to explicitly compare these sourcing arrangements with each other in terms of alignment and business performance.

Organizations are information intensive systems, operating in dynamic and competitive markets, structured around complex physical and political infrastructures. This book characterises the critical nature of these environments through strategies for business information technology management (BITM).