Enterprise operation efficiency is seriously constrained by the inability to provide the right information, in the right place, at the right time. In spite of significant advances in technology it is still difficult to access information used or produced by different applications due to the hardware and software incompatibilities of manufacturing and information processing equipment. But it is this information and operational knowledge which makes up most of the business value of the enterprise and which enables it to compete in the marketplace. Therefore, sufficient and timely information access is a prerequisite for its efficient use in the operation of enterprises. It is the aim of the ESPRIT project AMICE to make this knowledge base available enterprise-wide. During several ESPRIT contracts the project has developed and validated CIMOSA: Open System Architecture for CIM. The CIMOSA concepts provide operation structuring based on cooperating processes. Enterprise operations are represented in terms of functionality and dynamic behaviour (control flow). Information needed and produced, as well as resources and organisational aspects relevant in the course of the operation are modelled in the process model. However, the different aspects may be viewed separately for additional structuring and detailing during the enterprise engineering process.

How can the Internet and world wide web improve my long-term competitive advantage? This book helps answer this question by providing a better understanding of the technologies, their potential applications and the ways they can be used to add value for customers, support new strategies, and improve existing operations. It is not just about e-commerce but the broader theme of e-business which affects products, business processes, strategies, and relationships with customers, suppliers, distributors and competitors. To cover future trends, the editors have collected papers from authors operating at the frontiers of the developments so the reader can more appreciate the directions in which these technologies are heading. The resulting 165 essays have been collated into ten sections, which have been grouped in three parts: key issues, applications areas and applications, tools and technologies. A business rarely makes radical changes but is constantly making adjustments to circumstances. Businesses must now adapt to the global implications of the Internet and world wide web. This book hopes to aid awareness of the implications so that the changes are managed wisely.

This encyclopaedia covers An Algorithm for Abductive Inference in Artificial Intelligence to Web Financial Information System Server.

This work is the result of the proceedings of the 10th Annual Conference '94: ESPRIT CIM-Europe. It reports on the results in development and implementation of CIM technologies. The key technologies which are being developed, and the results emerging from the collaborative projects, have contributed to the establishment of an integrative approach to manufacturing problems which embraces engineering, logistics, process automation, business functions, organizational and environmental concerns.

In the latter half of the 20th century, forces have conspired to make the human community, at last, global. The easing of tensions between major nations, the expansion of trade to worldwide markets, widespread travel and cultural exchange, pervasive high-speed communications and automation, the explosion of knowledge, the streamlining of business, and the adoption of flexible methods have changed the face of manufacturing itself, and of research and education in manufacturing. The acceptance of the continuous improvement process as a means for organizations to respond quickly and effectively to swings in the global market has led to the demand for individuals educated in a broad range of cultural, organizational, and technical fields and capable of absorbing and adapting required knowledge and training throughout their careers. No longer will manufacturing research and education focus on an industrial sector or follow a national trend, but rather will aim at enabling international teams of companies to cooperate in rapidly designing, prototyping, and manufacturing products. The successful enterprise of the 21st century will be characterized by an organizational structure that efficiently responds to customer demands and changing global circumstances, a corporate culture that empowers employees at all levels and encourages constant communication among related groups, and a technological infrastructure that fully supports process improvement and integration. In changing itself to keep abreast of the broader transformation in manufacturing, the enterprise must look first at its organization and culture, and thereafter at supporting technologies.

An authoritative source about methods, languages, methodologies and supporting tools for constructing information systems that also provides examples for references models. Its strength is the careful selection of each of the above mentioned components, based on technical merit. The second edition completely revises all articles and features new material on the latest developments in XML & UML. The structure follows the definition of the major components of Enterprise Integration as defined by GERAM (Generalised Enterprise Reference Architecture and Methodology). 1st edition sold about 600 copies since January 2003.

Business Process Management (BPM) has become one of the most widely used approaches for the design of modern organizational and information systems. The conscious treatment of business processes as significant corporate assets has facilitated substantial improvements in organizational performance but is also used to ensure the conformance of corporate activities. This Handbook presents in two volumes the contemporary body of knowledge as articulated by the world's leading BPM thought leaders. This second volume focuses on the managerial and organizational challenges of BPM such as strategic and cultural alignment, governance and the education of BPM stakeholders. As such, this book provides concepts and methodologies for the integration of BPM. Each chapter has been contributed by leading international experts. Selected case studies complement their views and lead to a summary of BPM expertise that is unique in its coverage of the most critical success factors of BPM. The second edition of this handbook has been significantly revised and extended. Each chapter has been updated to reflect the most current developments. This includes in particular new technologies such as in-memory data and process management, social media and networks. A further focus of this revised and extended edition is on the actual deployment of the proposed theoretical concepts. This volume includes a number of entire new chapters from some of the world's leading experts in the domain of BPM.