Inform your own analyses by seeing how one of the best data analysts in the world approaches analytics problems Analytics Stories: How to Make Good Things Happen is a thoughtful, incisive, and entertaining exploration of the application of analytics to real-world problems and situations. Covering fields as diverse as sports, finance, politics, healthcare, and business, Analytics Stories bridges the gap between the oft inscrutable world of data analytics and the concrete problems it solves. Distinguished professor and author Wayne L. Winston answers questions like: Was Liverpool over Barcelona the greatest upset in sports history? Was Derek Jeter a great infielder What's wrong with the NFL QB rating? How did Madoff keep his fund going? Does a mutual fund's past performance predict future performance? What caused the Crash of 2008? Can we predict where crimes are likely to occur? Is the lot of the American worker improving? How can analytics save the US Republic? The birth of evidence-based medicine: How did James Lind know citrus fruits cured scurvy? How can I objectively compare hospitals? How can we predict heart attacks in real time? How does a retail store know if you're pregnant? How can I use A/B testing to improve sales from my website? How can analytics help me write a hit song? Perfect for anyone with the word "analyst" in their job title, Analytics Stories illuminates the process of applying analytic principles to practical problems and highlights the potential pitfalls that await careless analysts.

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.

After the introduction of Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) and Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) applications to many business organizations, the functional issues such as technical problems, security threats, persistent end-user resistance, and the excessive hidden costs of these systems began coming to light. Cases on Enterprise Information Systems and Implementation Stages: Learning from the Gulf Region focuses on the Gulf region and its lead on the enterprise systems adoption which has exceeded those in many developed countries. This reference book highlights experiences implementing EIS, delivering a comprehensive multi-perspective account of EIS issues, and explores the concerns, risks, and critical success factors of EIS for a variety of organizations. It aims to be beneficial for both practitioners and academics alike.

Python Programming and Numerical Methods: A Guide for Engineers and Scientists introduces programming tools and numerical methods to engineering and science students, with the goal of helping the students to develop good computational problem-solving techniques through the use of numerical methods and the Python programming language. Part One introduces fundamental programming concepts, using simple examples to put new concepts quickly into practice. Part Two covers the fundamentals of algorithms and numerical analysis at a level that allows students to quickly apply results in practical settings.

Enterprise Information Systems Design, Implementation and Management: Organizational Applications investigates the creation and implementation of enterprise information systems. Covering a wide array of topics such as flow-shop scheduling, information systems outsourcing, ERP systems utilization, Dietz transaction methodology, and advanced planning systems, it is an essential reference source for researchers and professionals alike.

Electronic mail and message handling is a rapidly expanding field which incorporates both telecommunications and computer technologies. It combines the old technologies of telex, telegram, and analog facsimile with the new systems of Teletex, digital facsimile, and computer-based messaging. This book answers the questions What is electronic mail? and Why is it important? The major systems, services, technology, and standardization issues are comprehensively surveyed.

Nature-Inspired Computing Paradigms in Systems: Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, Safety and Cost (RAMS+C) and Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) covers several areas that include bioinspired techniques and optimization approaches for system dependability. The book addresses the issue of integration and interaction of the bioinspired techniques in system dependability computing so that intelligent decisions, design, and architectures can be supported. It brings together these emerging areas under the umbrella of bio- and nature-inspired computational intelligence. The primary audience of this book includes experts and developers who want to deepen their understanding of bioinspired computing in basic theory, algorithms, and applications. The book is also intended to be used as a textbook for masters and doctoral students who want to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the role of bioinspired techniques in system dependability.

Semantics in Business Systems begins with a description of what semantics are and how they affect business systems. It examines four main aspects of the application of semantics to systems, specifically: How do we infer meaning from unstructured information, how do application systems make meaning as they operate, how do practitioners uncover meaning in business settings, and how do we understand and communicate what we have deduced? This book illustrates how this applies to the future of application system development, especially how it informs and affects Web services and business rule- based approaches, and how semantics will play out with XML and the semantic Web. The book also contains a quick reference guide to related terms and technologies. It is part of Morgan Kaufmann's series of Savvy Manager's Guides.
* Presents an easy and enjoyable introduction to semantics in the context of business IT systems.
* Articulates the business value of semantics, while providing relevant introductory technical background.
* Describes the semantic underpinnings of data modeling, business rules, enterprise integration, and Web services.
* Contains a handy quick-reference guide to technologies and terminology.
* For more information, links, and discussions, go to www.savvymanagers.com.

Living with Robots: Emerging Issues on the Psychological and Social Implications of Robotics focuses on the issues that come to bear when humans interact and collaborate with robots. The book dives deeply into critical factors that impact how individuals interact with robots at home, work and play. It includes topics ranging from robot anthropomorphic design, degree of autonomy, trust, individual differences and machine learning. While other books focus on engineering capabilities or the highly conceptual, philosophical issues of human-robot interaction, this resource tackles the human elements at play in these interactions, which are essential if humans and robots are to coexist and collaborate effectively. Authored by key psychology robotics researchers, the book limits its focus to specifically those robots who are intended to interact with people, including technology such as drones, self-driving cars, and humanoid robots. Forward-looking, the book examines robots not as the novelty they used to be, but rather the practical idea of robots participating in our everyday lives.

Managing data continues to grow as a necessity for modern organizations. There are seemingly infinite opportunities for organic growth, reduction of costs, and creation of new products and services. It has become apparent that none of these opportunities can happen smoothly without data governance. The cost of exponential data growth and privacy / security concerns are becoming burdensome. Organizations will encounter unexpected consequences in new sources of risk. The solution to these challenges is also data governance; ensuring balance between risk and opportunity. Data Governance, Second Edition, is for any executive, manager or data professional who needs to understand or implement a data governance program. It is required to ensure consistent, accurate and reliable data across their organization. This book offers an overview of why data governance is needed, how to design, initiate, and execute a program and how to keep the program sustainable. This valuable resource provides comprehensive guidance to beginning professionals, managers or analysts looking to improve their processes, and advanced students in Data Management and related courses. With the provided framework and case studies all professionals in the data governance field will gain key insights into launching successful and money-saving data governance program.

ITIL(R) 4 High-velocity ITIf you've achieved your ITIL(R) 4 Foundation certificate, you're probably planning the next stage in your ITIL journey and which qualification to work towards. ITIL 4 High-velocity IT (HVIT) provides essential knowledge and capabilities for service management professionals, supporting those involved in the delivery of digital products and services and anyone working on digital transformation programs. High-velocity IT is one of the ITIL 4 advanced level modules that leads to the MP (Managing Professional) certification. The module is aimed at professionals who are working in fast-paced environments, including adapting service management to work with Lean, Agile and DevOps. The majority of this book is based on the official AXELOS ITIL(R) 4: High-velocity IT publication and the associated High-velocity IT Managing Professional syllabus. It provides students with the information they need to pass the High-velocity IT exam, and help them become a successful practitioner. Suitable for existing ITIL v3 experts, ITIL 4 MP students, ITSM (IT service management) practitioners who are adopting ITIL 4, approved training organisations, IT service managers, IT managers and those in IT support roles. The guide focuses on: Digital product lifecycle and the ITIL operating model; High-velocity key behaviours; Principles, models and concepts; Ensuring: valuable investments, fast development, resilient operations and assured conformance; and Exam preparation. A useful tool throughout your careerIn addition to being an essential study aid, the author - a seasoned ITSM professional - also provides additional guidance throughout the book which you can lean on once your training and exam are over. The book includes her own practical experience from which she gives advice and points to think about along the way so that you can refer back to this book for years to come - long after you've passed your exam. The essential link between your ITIL qualification and the real world - buy this book today!

ITIL(R) 4 Create, Deliver and SupportIf you've achieved your ITIL(R) 4 Foundation certificate, you're probably planning the next stage in your ITIL journey and which qualification to work towards. ITIL 4 Create, Deliver and Support (CDS) provides essential knowledge and capabilities for service management professionals, focusing on a value stream based approach to IT-enabled products and services - a must-have skillset practitioners should seek beyond Foundation level. The majority of this book is based on the official AXELOS ITIL(R) 4: Create, Deliver and Support publication and the associated Create, Deliver and Support Managing Professional syllabus. It provides students with the information they need to pass the Create, Deliver and Support exam, and help them become a successful practitioner. Suitable for existing ITIL v3 experts, ITIL 4 Managing Professional (MP) students, ITSM (IT service management) practitioners who are adopting ITIL 4, approved training organisations, IT service managers, IT managers and those in IT support roles. The guide focuses on: Service value system key concepts and challenges; Using a shift-left approach; Planning and managing resources in the service value system; The use and value of technology across the service value system; ITIL practices and value streams for new services and user support; How to create, deliver and support services; and Exam preparation. A useful tool throughout your careerIn addition to being an essential study aid, the author - a seasoned ITSM professional - also provides additional guidance throughout the book which you can lean on once your training and exam are over. The book includes her own practical experience from which she gives advice and points to think about along the way so that you can refer back to this book for years to come - long after you've passed your exam. The essential link between your ITIL qualification and the real world - buy this book today!

Service-oriented computing has recently gained extensive momentum in both industry and academia, and major software vendors hook on to the service paradigm and tailor their software systems towards services in order to accommodate ever-changing process and product requirements in today s dynamic market environments. While dynamic binding of services at runtime was identified as a core functionality of service-based environments as far back as 2000, its industrial-strength implementation has yet to be achieved. The main reason for this is the lack of rich service specifications, concepts, and tools to process them.

This book introduces advanced concepts in service provisioning and service engineering, including semantic concepts, dynamic discovery and composition, and illustrates them in a concrete business use case scenario. To prove the validity of the concepts and technologies, a semantic service provisioning reference architecture framework as well as a prototypical implementation of its subsystems and a prototypical realization of a proper business scenario are presented. Thus the book goes way beyond current service-based software technologies by providing a coherent and consistent set of technologies and systems functionality that realizes advanced concepts in service provisioning.

Both the use case scenario and the provisioning platform have already been substantiated and implemented by the EU-funded Adaptive Services Grid project. The book therefore presents state-of-the-art research results that have already passed a real industrial implementation evaluation which is based on the work of over 20 European partners cooperating in the field of semantic service provisioning."

Health Information Exchange: Navigating and Managing a Network of Health Information Systems, Second Edition, now fully updated, is a practical guide on how to understand, manage and make use of a health information exchange infrastructure, which moves patient-centered information within the health care system. The book informs and guides the development of new infrastructures as well as the management of existing and expanding infrastructures across the globe. Sections explore the reasons for the health information exchange (HIE) infrastructures, how to manage them, examines the key drivers of HIE, and barriers to their widespread use. In addition, the book explains the underlying technologies and methods for conducting HIE across communities as well as nations. Finally, the book explains the principles of governing an organization that chiefly moves protected health information around. The text unravels the complexities of HIE and provides guidance for those who need to access HIE data and support operations.

Water Resource Modeling and Computational Technologies, Seventh Edition provides the reader with a comprehensive overview of the applications that computational techniques have in various sectors of water resource engineering. The book explores applications of recent modeling and computational techniques in various sectors of water resource engineering, including hydroinformatics, irrigation engineering, climate change, hydrologic forecasting, floods, droughts, image processing, GIS, water quality, aquifer mapping, basin scale modeling, computational fluid dynamics, numerical modeling of surges and groundwater flow, river engineering, optimal reservoir operation, multipurpose projects, and water resource management. As such, this is a must read for hydrologists, civil engineers and water resource managers.

Encyclopedia of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology: ABC of Bioinformatics, Three Volume Set combines elements of computer science, information technology, mathematics, statistics and biotechnology, providing the methodology and in silico solutions to mine biological data and processes. The book covers Theory, Topics and Applications, with a special focus on Integrative -omics and Systems Biology. The theoretical, methodological underpinnings of BCB, including phylogeny are covered, as are more current areas of focus, such as translational bioinformatics, cheminformatics, and environmental informatics. Finally, Applications provide guidance for commonly asked questions. This major reference work spans basic and cutting-edge methodologies authored by leaders in the field, providing an invaluable resource for students, scientists, professionals in research institutes, and a broad swath of researchers in biotechnology and the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries.