We overspend on data center storage . yet, we fall short of business requirements. It's not about the technologies. It's about the proper application of technologies to deliver storage services efficiently and affordably. It's about meeting business requirements dependent on data center storage. Spend less, deliver more. Data Center Storage: Cost-Effective Strategies, Implementation, and Management provides an industry insider's insight on how to properly scope, plan, evaluate, and implement storage technologies to maximize performance, capacity, reliability, and power savings. It provides business and use-case focused coverage of storage technology, including storage area networks (SAN), capacity-optimized drives, and solid-state drives. It offers key insights on financially responsible spending for data center storage. Delivered in accessible language, the book starts with a discussion of the business merits of replacing direct attached, compartmentalized storage with consolidated SAN-attached storage. The author advises on the use of service level applications (SLAs) as a tool to drive business unit collaboration with IT and prioritize those actions that impact productivity and profit from those that are less critical. This business guide to applied technologies disassembles big problems into digestible segments to help you understand, quantify, and fix any problems that arise as you work towards meeting your growing storage needs. The book builds on the consolidation and SLA driven approach to take advantage of the compelling benefits and potential savings of managed hosting and cloud storage.

Knowledge Mining Using Intelligent Agents explores the concept of knowledge discovery processes and enhances decision-making capability through the use of intelligent agents like ants, termites and honey bees. In order to provide readers with an integrated set of concepts and techniques for understanding knowledge discovery and its practical utility, this book blends two distinct disciplines - data mining and knowledge discovery process, and intelligent agents-based computing (swarm intelligence and computational intelligence). For the more advanced reader, researchers, and decision/policy-makers are given an insight into emerging technologies and their possible hybridization, which can be used for activities like dredging, capturing, distributions and the utilization of knowledge in their domain of interest (i.e. business, policy-making, etc.).By studying the behavior of swarm intelligence, this book aims to integrate the computational intelligence paradigm and intelligent distributed agents architecture to optimize various engineering problems and efficiently represent knowledge from the large gamut of data.

Drawing on empirical case-study research carried out in the Bangalore software industry, this book explores the role of network relationships in the internationalization of small knowledge-intensive firms. Using a conceptual framework, it looks at a range of key themes. These include: networks knowledge technology. Highlighting the propensity of small knowledge-intensive firms to develop and leverage network relationships and thereby, the resourcefulness with which entrepreneurial firms can (and do) internationalize, this book is essential reading for academics and students with an interest in the intersection between international business and entrepreneurship.

The new NHS is a very different organisation to the one set up 60 years ago. Two decades of reforms have introduced a market element, unprecedented transparency, patient choice, new incentives, devolved accountabilities and a host of new regulatory bodies. All these changes have made governance a crucial and contested issue in health care.

Governing the New NHS makes sense of the new systems and will enable anyone interested in healthcare governance to navigate their way confidently through the maze. It describes, assesses and critiques the new governance arrangements. It examines how they are working in practice and how practitioners are responding. The book:

• explains current governance arrangements and explores related issues and tensions
• discusses the roles and interrelationships of boards and effective board practice
• offers a range of practical tools and frameworks.

Each chapter is supplemented with expert witness statement written by leading practitioners in the health system. This practical book will be invaluable to all those interested in health governance, policy and management - whether academic, student or practitioner.

A valuable tool for establishing and maintaining system reliability, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) has proven to be very effective in reducing unscheduled downtime for companies around the world. So much so that OEE is quickly becoming a requirement for improving quality and substantiating capacity in leading organizations, as well as a required area of study for the ISO/TS 16949.

Breaking down the methodology from a historical perspective, The OEE Primer Understanding Overall Equipment Effectiveness, Reliability, and Maintainability explores the overall effectiveness of machines and unveils novel methods that focus on design improvement including hazard analysis, rate of change of failure (ROCOF) analysis, failure rate finite element analysis (FEA), and theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ). It covers loss of effectiveness, new machinery, electrical maintenance issues, Weibull distribution, measurement techniques, and mechanical and electrical reliability. The book also:

• Discusses Reliability and Maintainability (R&M), not as tools to be used in specific tasks, rather as a discipline
• Covers the application of OEE as an overall improvement tool
• Assesses existing and new equipment from classical, reliability, and maintainability perspectives
• Includes a bonus CD with more than 100 pages of appendices and additional resources featuring statistical tables, outlines, case studies, guidelines, and standards

Introducing the classical approach to improvement, this book provides an understanding of exactly what OEE is and how it can be best applied to address capacity issues. Highlighting mechanical and electrical opportunities throughout, the text includes many tables, forms, and examples that clearly illustrate and enhance the material presented.

It has been observed that the studies of quality are pursued in various disciplines like economics, quality management, and marketing science, and are seen isolated. The treatments imparted to these studies are also different and has the backdrop of discipline in which the work has been pursued. The nature of isolation is equally seen when quality uncertainty and perceived quality were pursued separately without showing any inkling that these can be complimentary. Economist and Nobel Laureate, Akerlof (1970), wrote a seminal piece "The market for lemons: quality uncertainty and market mechanism," where he described quality uncertainty due to information asymmetry. It refers to the fact that a party in a transaction may have more information than the other. This is information asymmetry. If the seller has more information than the buyer about the product quality, he/she may sell it, as if it is a high-quality product. In reality, it could be a low-quality product. The buyer does not have the information regarding the quality of the offered product. The market condition that led to this transaction is quality uncertainty due to information asymmetry.

Processes of globalization, economic restructuring and urban redevelopment have placed events at the centre of strategies for change in cities. Events offer the potential to achieve economic, social, cultural and environmental outcomes within broader urban development strategies. This volume: analyzes the process of cultural event development, management and marketing and links these processes to their wider cultural, social and economic context provides a unique blend of practical and academic analysis, with a selection of major events and festivals in cities where 'eventfulness' has been an important element of development strategy examines the reasons why different stakeholders should collaborate, as well as the reasons why cities succeed or fail to develop events and become eventful. Eventful Cities evaluates theoretical perspectives and links theory and practice through case studies of cities and events across the world. Critical success factors are identified which can help to guide cities and regions to develop event strategies. This book is essential reading for any undergraduate or graduate student and all practitioners and policy-makers involved in event management, cultural management, arts administration, urban studies, cultural studies and tourism.

The field of knowledge for development now occupies a top position on the agenda of all Asian governments as well as large development organizations. This book reflects this mega-trend of development towards KBEs (Knowledge Based Economies). For this 2nd edition all chapters have been thoroughly edited and data, tables and graphs have been updated to reflect the latest available statistics. Trends have been re-evaluated and adjusted to reflect recent developments in the fast-moving scene of knowledge governance and knowledge management.

In today's networked and interconnected world, improving communication, collaboration and knowledge sharing between people and organization is very important. Collaboration is more than just being connected through the Internet and various forms of social networks. Collaboration through information and communication technologies requires us to "prepare the mind" for partnerships. Many of the traditional business models, organizational structures, and educational systems are not yet ready for the new forms of collaboration that go beyond organizational boundaries. Concepts like "open innovation", "value networks", and "wisdom of crowds" are some of the ideas that influence our thinking on collaboration and information sharing. This book contains some of the best and most up-to-date work by researchers and practitioners in the field of knowledge management. It provides an insight into knowledge management practices and their applications to a wide range of complex issues. The peer-reviewed papers included in this volume are selected from the prestigious 2009 International Conference on Knowledge management held in Hong Kong. The book is a good reference source for information and knowledge professionals and can be read by both graduate and undergraduate students.

Over the past ten years, the corporate governance environment in East Asia has undergone a significant transformation. The Asian Financial crisis, together with Japan's long economic malaise, undermined confidence in the corporate structures, governance practices, and regulatory oversight of firms in the region. Since that time, each of the countries in the region has been a hotbed of legislative, judicial, and market activity in the realm of corporate governance. This book takes stock of the most important recent corporate governance changes in the region and the challenges still to be overcome. The contributors pursue this objective, not by describing laundry lists of legal reforms and problems, but by focused in-depth legal analysis on specific issues facing the separate systems in the wake of - sometimes in spite of - the voluminous reforms and market changes of the past decade. Written by the leading corporate law scholars and policy advisors in East Asia and some of the most renowned scholars of comparative corporate governance in the United States, the papers are methodologically united in their careful attention to the impact, and limitations, of legal reforms on corporate governance in East Asia today.

From two pioneers in business analytics, an update of the classic book on how analytics and business intelligence are transforming competition and how leading organizations build and compete on an analytical capability.The first book to describe how analytics are changing the business landscape, updated with new information on predictive analytics, AI, and automation.Describes the specific attributes of firms that are analytical competitors and how they use business intelligence and analytics to make better decisions, execute more effectively, and optimize businesses processes.Lays out a five-stage model for becoming an analytical competitor and developing analytical capabilities.Show how companies are applying analytics across the enterprise: from finance and HR, to R&D and manufacturing.Shows how analytics transform relationships between customers and suppliers.Presents the key steps and capabilities for becoming an analytical competitor.Audience:Managers in all functional areas in organizations of all kinds (not strictly IT).Senior leaders who want to build an analytic capability in their organization and drive an enterprise-wide approach to analytics.Consultants.Vendors of analytical solutions and services.

This book explores the rationalities and functions of securities markets and takeover activities. Focusing on the Chinese experience of utilizing the securities market as an effective mechanism of corporate control, this volume analyses the future development of China's financial market in the era of economic globalization. Providing an overview of the historical development of the securities market and a literature review of the economic functions of stock markets, Securities Markets and Corporate Governance also examines the legal regimes governing securities markets and takeovers in some leading corporate economies including the US, Germany, Japan and the UK. This volume then focuses on the Chinese experience, proposing a model which balances internal corporate governance and external market control for China.

Information and its management is central to modern society. Organizations ? private and public, national and international ? have recognized that information is a key resource and that its management is critical for success.

Existing books on information management focus on the abilities of computers to process data, the development of information systems, and the management of IT resources. They often start with the computer as a key issue. Although Information Management acknowledges the importance of computers and data communication, it starts from a deeper understanding of the concepts of information and knowledge, and on the basis of this understanding, derives methods to use computers effectively. This textbook provides graduates of any discipline with an understanding of the theory and practice that underpins information management, and introduces students to the concepts and applications of information management techniques in a variety of organizational contexts.

In giving students strong philosophical foundations, Fons Wijnhoven's book will prove to be an excellent primer in information management.

If you had to evacuate from your building right now and were told you couldn't get back in for two weeks, would you know what to do to ensure your business continues to operate? Would your staff? Would every person who works for your organization?

Increasing threats to business operations, both natural and man-made, mean a disaster could occur at any time. It is essential that corporations and institutions develop plans to ensure the preservation of business operations and the technology that supports them should risks become reality.

Building an Enterprise-Wide Business Continuity Program goes beyond theory to provide planners with actual tools needed to build a continuity program in any enterprise. Drawing on over two decades of experience creating continuity plans and exercising them in real recoveries, including 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, Master Business Continuity Planner, Kelley Okolita, provides guidance on each step of the process. She details how to validate the plan and supplies time-tested tips for keeping the plan action-ready over the course of time.

Disasters can happen anywhere, anytime, and for any number of reasons. However, by proactively planning for such events, smart leaders can prepare their organizations to minimize tragic consequences and readily restore order with confidence in the face of such adversity.

Close collaboration across agencies and international borders is mandatory for public health officials. A powerful tool for sharing knowledge, knowledge management (KM) can help public health professionals quickly collaborate and disseminate knowledge for solving public health issues worldwide. The latest initiatives for reforming healthcare have put the spotlight on the need for maximizing resources. In addition to providing a platform for sharing knowledge, KM can help healthcare professionals do more with less. One tool, two problems solved. Yet the sharing of knowledge and KM continues to be a major challenge in the public health field.

Knowledge Management in Public Health provides a general introduction to KM and social networking in the public health arena. The book begins with coverage of basic principles, components, and methodologies as well as trends and key issues in public health. It includes ten case studies illustrating applications of KM and social networking in public health. The chapters are written by leading individuals from organizations involved in applying KM in public health worldwide. The editors and chapter authors explore the many elements of KM, delineating how and why to start such an initiative. They provide specific examples of the development and value-added benefits of KM in a variety of public health environments.

Tough or quick decision making has always benefitted enormously from knowledge based on the maximum amount of pertinent information available at the time this has not changed. What is new in the present public health environment is the need to do this more often, with fewer personnel available, and increased expectations relative to the services expected by the public. Better use of information under a KM system is well suited to serve that purpose. This book explores the many ways to use KM to anticipate potential health issues and quickly resolve key incidents when they occur.

Unlike the competition, which can be much more theory-heavy texts, this book focuses on how strategy works in everyday practice, which is becoming the core focus of Strategic Management courses globally; New edition has been fully updated throughout, including new case studies from emerging markets and pedagogy such as practice boxes and reflective questions to aid student comprehension of the theory; Online resources include chapter-by-chapter PowerPoint slides and a test bank of questions.

Quality care of patients requires evaluating large amounts of data at the right time and place and in the correct context. With the advent of electronic health records, data warehouses now provide information at the point of care and facilitate a continuous learning environment in which lessons learned can provide updates to clinical, administrative, and financial processes. Given the advancement of the information tools and techniques of today's knowledge economy, utilizing these resources are imperative for effective healthcare. Thus, the principles of Knowledge Management (KM) are now essential for quality healthcare management.

The Healthcare Knowledge Management Primer explores and explains essential KM principles in healthcare settings in an introductory and easy to understand fashion. This concise book is ideal for both students and professionals who need to learn more about key aspects of the KM field as it pertains to effecting superior healthcare delivery. It provides readers with an understanding of approaches to KM by examining the purpose and nature of its key components and demystifies the KM field by explaining in an accessible manner the key concepts of KM tools, strategies and techniques, and their benefits to contemporary healthcare organizations.

Quality care of patients requires evaluating large amounts of data at the right time and place and in the correct context. With the advent of electronic health records, data warehouses now provide information at the point of care and facilitate a continuous learning environment in which lessons learned can provide updates to clinical, administrative, and financial processes. Given the advancement of the information tools and techniques of today s knowledge economy, utilizing these resources are imperative for effective healthcare. Thus, the principles of Knowledge Management (KM) are now essential for quality healthcare management.

The Healthcare Knowledge Management Primer explores and explains essential KM principles in healthcare settings in an introductory and easy to understand fashion. This concise book is ideal for both students and professionals who need to learn more about key aspects of the KM field as it pertains to effecting superior healthcare delivery. It provides readers with an understanding of approaches to KM by examining the purpose and nature of its key components and demystifies the KM field by explaining in an accessible manner the key concepts of KM tools, strategies and techniques, and their benefits to contemporary healthcare organizations.

This book provides readers an in-depth understanding of the inner mechanisms and principles of the global supply chain. Authored by the Head of Supply Chain and Transport Industries at the World Economic Forum, it draws on a wealth of operational and managerial expertise in the global supply chain industry that drive the world's economies. The book analyzes the importance and impact of globally networked sourcing, production and distribution, and presents detailed information on the opportunities, limitations and challenges of linear value and supply chain systems. Building on a series of recent industry cases and with a focus on the latest developments in actual business processes and models, it reveals how the transformation toward circular supply chains and regenerative resource management forms the basis for success and sustainability in business. "The book brings together technical, social, political, and geographical trends, suggesting how supply chain management can lead the quest for many of the world's most pressing challenges." Yossi Sheffi, Professor of Engineering, MIT, Head, MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics "This book provides an essential roadmap, guiding the reader easily through complex developments and concepts." John Manners-Bell, CEO Transport Intelligence and Honorary Visiting Professor, Guildhall Business School, London "With strategic foresight, Lehmacher develops a vision of a circular economy within which consumer, manufacturer and logistics companies assume collective responsibility for sustainable value creation." Alfred Talke, Group Managing Director ALFRED TALKE Logistic Services "Those who are active in logistics and supply chain management, in practice or academia, will discover a fresh view on the whole field of activity beyond the day-to-day-business." Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Wimmer, Chairman of the Executive Board, BVL International

The discipline of Knowledge Management (KM) is rapidly becoming established as an essential course or module in both information systems and management programs around the world. Many KM texts pitch theoretical issues at too technical or high a level, or presenting a only a theoretical prescriptive treatment of knowledge or KM modeling problems. The Knowledge Management Primer provides students with an essential understanding of KM approaches by examining the purpose and nature of its key components. The book demystifies the KM field by explaining in a precise, accessible manner the key concepts of KM tools, strategies, and techniques, and their benefits to contemporary organizations. Readers will find this book filled with approaches to managing and developing KM that are underpinned by theory and research, are integrative in nature, and address softer approaches in manifesting and recognizing knowledge.

The key to a successful MDM initiative isn't technology or methods, it's people: the stakeholders in the organization and their complex ownership of the data that the initiative will affect.
Master Data Management equips you with a deeply practical, business-focused way of thinking about MDM-an understanding that will greatly enhance your ability to communicate with stakeholders and win their support. Moreover, it will help you deserve their support: you'll master all the details involved in planning and executing an MDM project that leads to measurable improvements in business productivity and effectiveness.
* Presents a comprehensive roadmap that you can adapt to any MDM project.
* Emphasizes the critical goal of maintaining and improving data quality.
* Provides guidelines for determining which data to "master."
* Examines special issues relating to master data metadata.
* Considers a range of MDM architectural styles.
* Covers the synchronization of master data across the application infrastructure.

In the 1990s, Japanese companies experienced a deflationary recession called the "lost ten years". To survive the recession, they looked for solutions in the kaikaku (innovative reforms) of business management, organizations and technology, whilst struggling to regain their global competitiveness. Successful companies all had one thing in common - they applied a new project management paradigm which this book refers to as Kaikaku Project Management (KPM).This book provides a comprehensive look at the features of KPM, including its emphasis on creativity and teamwork, its broader "open value system" as opposed to a "closed technical system", its close links with corporate strategy and human resource development, and the support infrastructure needed for advancing KPM. Chapters cover both the theory and practice of KPM, citing cases of information and communications technology (ICT) and pharmaceutical companies, among others. KPM holds special relevance today as global competition is increasingly reducing the lifecycle of organizations. Managers will find in KPM not only a way to survive the shake-up, but also a framework of value creation for the next generation.

A thought-provoking and invaluable book for anyone who cares about risk communication and management in the 21st century Anna Jung, Director General, European Food Information Council Professor Ragnar L fstedt has once again produced a most interesting book on risk management and trust, well-based on theory and built on empirical findings Mikael Karlsson, President, Swedish Society for Nature Conservation Highlights the difficult balancing task facing risk regulators. Regulatory inaction against real risks can undermine public trust. However, exaggerated responses to risks can also jeopardize regulators credibility. The diverse international case studies developed by Ragnar L fstedt provide guidance for how regulators can navigate these and other frequently competing concerns W. Kip Viscusi, Cogan Professor of Law and Economics, Harvard University, USA In democracies, government policies cannot succeed without public acceptance. Yet complex risk management requires technical expertise. How to reconcile these competing needs? Ragnar L fstedt provocatively challenges recent research claiming that risk managers must engender public trust via deliberative dialogue. He uses four cases studies to argue that the reasons for distrust vary and demand different responses; that in some cases trust can flow from technical competence without public deliberation; and that in others public deliberation can actually aggravate distrust. Trust me: L fstedt s book will add spice to the debate over risk, experts, the public and trust Jonathan B. Wiener, Perkins Professor of Law and Environmental Policy, Duke University, USA We live in post-trust societies, in which public confidence in governments and corporations over health, food and environmental risk is eroding rapidly. Good risk communication can help companies, governments and institutions minimize disputes, resolve issues and anticipate problems. Without such communication, the best policies can become derailed and trust can be lost. Most policy-makers still use outdated methods to communicate policies and achieve their objectives - methods developed before public trust in industry and government was affected by health scares such as BSE, genetically modified organisms and dioxins in Belgian chicken. This book provides effective methods for managing and communicating risk effectively in contemporary societies.

In a business world of uncertain budgets, relentless technology changes, scarce management talent, and intense production demands, theory is good, but practice sells. The Effective CIO: How to Achieve Outstanding Success through Strategic Alignment, Financial Management, and IT Governance is all about practice, successfully delivering the nuts-and-bolts for effective governance execution. It helps to dissolve the negative image many CIOs have as remote, purely rational decision machines, while demonstrating how to improve quality and throughput in your business.

This authoritative text includes governance checklists, sample IT controls, merger and acquisition recommendations, and a detailed framework for IT policies. Authored by two highly regarded IT management experts, the book provides not only a survey of existing strategies, but also includes detailed problem-solving ideas, such as how to structure optimal IT and telecom contracts with suppliers, the implications of SOP-98, and accounting for software costs.

The book seamlessly brings together two perspectives - that of a working CIO who must cope with day-to-day pressures for results, and that of an IT audit consultant with a special focus on governance and internal control. Unlike many other CIO-related books that merely discuss strategies, The Effective CIO includes easy-to-follow guidelines and governance principles that can be implemented immediately.

* Thoroughly explains generic knowledge management frameworks and their application and relevance to planned events and event tourism * International case studies contributed by practitioners and other experts in the field at the end of chapters used to illustrate methods and applications. * Online lecturer resources to accompany in the form of teaching ppt slides, end of chapter multiple choice questions and sample questions. Provides an in-depth understanding of the challenging nature of events, where knowledge needs to be created and shared quickly and efficiently (pre- and during the event), as well as stored effectively post-event before the event organising team disperses. Generic Knowledge Management frameworks and models are introduced, applied and adapted to fit this challenging environment in order for event organisers to avoid 'reinventing the wheel' each year. Knowledge Management in Event Organisations is the first book to: * Encourage the adoption of standard knowledge management frameworks and methods in the field of event management; * Provide concepts and frameworks that can be adapted to a range of different events and different stakeholders; * Introduce the reader to alternative approaches to knowledge management, such as communities-of-practice, power/knowledge and Appreciative Sharing of Knowledge; * Recommend best practices for event organisers to develop a collaborative 'knowledge culture' through, e.g. trust and mutual understanding, and hence develop professionalisation of the field; * Develop a better understanding of how effective Knowledge Management can provide a competitive advantage for event organisations through, e.g. Efficiency, Innovation and Organisational Learning. Part of the Event Management Theory and Methods Series. This series examines the extent to which mainstream theory is being employed to develop event-specific theory, and to influence the very core practices of event management and event tourism. They introduce the theory, show how it is being used in the events sector through a literature review, incorporate examples and case studies written by researchers and/or practitioners, and contain methods that can be used effectively in the real world. With online resource material, this mix-and-match collection is ideal for lecturers who need theoretical foundations and case studies for their classes, by students in need of reference works, by professionals wanting increased understanding alongside practical methods, and by agencies or associations that want their members and stakeholders to have access to a library of valuable resources. Series editor: Donald Getz PhD., Professor Emeritus, University of Calgary, Canada.