Book 2.0 is the second collection of public methodology white papers from the ISA-95/MESA Best Practices Working Group. The methodology white papers focus on applying the ISA-95 standards to accelerate the adoption of Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) systems and the Manufacturing 2.0 Architecture (Mfg 2.0) approach.

This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license. This volume presents several case studies highlighting the latest findings in Industry 4.0 projects utilizing S-BPM features. Their potential is explored in detail, while the limits of engineering a company from a communication-centred perspective are also discussed. After a general introduction and an overview of the book in chapter 1, chapter 2 starts by condensing the industrial challenges driven by the German “Industry 4.0” trend to form a concrete vision for future production industries. Subsequently, chapter 3 introduces the basic concepts of S-BPM and its capabilities, in particular for supporting the restructuring of processes. The next three chapters then present various case studies, e.g. at an SME offering the production of atypical, unique and special purpose machinery, equipment and technologically complex units particularly useful in the automotive and electronic industries; and at a further SME producing highly-customized floor cleaning machines. Rounding out the coverage, the last two chapters summarize the achievements and lessons learned with regard to the road ahead. Overall, the book provides a realistic portrait of the status quo based on current findings, and outlines the future activities to be pursued in order to establish stakeholder-centred digital production systems. As such, developers, educators, and practitioners will find both the conceptual background and results from the field reflecting the state-of-the-art in vertical and horizontal process integration.

This book examines the managerial dimensions of business intelligence (BI) systems. It develops a set of guidelines for value creation by implementing business intelligence systems and technologies. In particular the book looks at BI as a process – driven by a mix of human and technological capabilities – to serve complex information needs in building insights and providing aid in decision making. After an introduction to the key concepts of BI and neighboring areas of information processing, the book looks at the complexity and multidimensionality of BI. It tackles both data integration and information integration issues. Bodies of knowledge and other widely accepted collections of experience are presented and turned into lessons learned. Following a straightforward introduction to the processes and technologies of BI the book embarks on BI maturity and agility, the components, drivers and inhibitors of BI culture and soft BI factors like attention, sense and trust. Eventually the book attempts to provide a holistic view on business intelligence, possible structures and tradeoffs and embarks to provide an outlook on possible developments in BI and analytics.

Argues that modern Middle Eastern terrorism stems from aborted efforts by Western intelligence agencies to co-opt political Islam as an opposing force against other global ideologies deemed more politically dangerous at the time.

This fictional work tells the story of a unique and lasting bond that develops between three individuals from very different backgrounds, whose worlds collide in Manchester, England in the late 1980's. Although set mainly in Manchester, London and Nassau, Bahamas, pivotal parts of the story are set in Los Angeles, California and New York City. Stephen Taylor is a young West Indian man who tries to loosen the shackles of a small town upbringing when he moves to England to attend university. He is troubled by the guilt that stems from his inability to accept his homosexuality and does everything in his power to hide from himself. Despite developing a powerful bond with Suresh Patel, a young, gay British man of Indian extraction and Tanya Collings, a troubled Canadian young woman, Stephen eventually returns to The Bahamas, where old demons resurface to haunt him. His path to self-discovery is fraught with challenges, which include a nervous collapse, a loveless marriage and the rejection of the man he truly loves. Ultimately, however, he finds redemption - and himself. Tanya Collings is a young Canadian woman who has endured unfathomable physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her parents. She meets Stephen and Suresh soon after escaping to England and develops a special bond with them that ultimately helps her to heal her damaged life. Although she generally distrusts all men, with the exception of her friends Stephen and Suresh, she eventually meets Michael Rouse, a young Englishman with whom she falls in love and finally marries. Suresh Patel is a brash (often coarse), self-assured British man of Indian parentage who is aware of his homosexuality from an early age, and accepts it completely. He moves to Manchester, after being rejected by his family and suffering a succession of tragedies. Suresh is the glue that holds the story together, providing a source of strength for Tanya and Stephen despite the challenges that he himself faces. Ultimately, the story is one of hope, of how the power of love helps three very damaged people heal their lives - and those of the friends who come to mean more than family. It is a story that transcends the boundaries of race, colour, class and sexual preference and will likely appeal to men and women everywhere who have had to grapple with issues of incest, sexual and physical abuse, bisexuality, homosexuality, violence and AIDS. In the author's view, the story is particularly pertinent to the current international debate on issues surrounding gay relationships. In the United States, the catalyst for the current discussion has been the subject of marriage between same-sex partners; but at its foundation, the matter is far more complex than that. Cultural and religious taboos, intolerance and ignorance are all a part of the current global pre-occupation with gay, bisexual and trans-gendered persons and these are all subjects that are explored and debated in When Worlds Collide.

The Digital Twin book is about harnessing the power of technology, business practices, and the digital infrastructure to make revolutionary improvements for the benefit of society. Ninety experts from around the world contributed to summarize four decades of digital advances and successes, and to define the Digital Twin’s potential for the decades ahead. The book describes how Digital Twins will play a key role in specific applications and across important sectors of the global economy, making it a must-read for executives, policymakers, technical leaders, researchers, and students alike. The book consists of thirty-eight chapters that cover Digital Twin concepts, supporting technologies, practices, and specific implementation strategies for various production and service sectors. Digital Twins are about creating faster, less expensive, and error-free manufacturing, products, processes, and services. This includes engineering of systems for energy, communications, construction, transportation, and food processing. It also covers solutions for making human existence better and more enjoyable through the life sciences, smart cities, and artistic creations. The Digital Twin’s functionality addresses the entire lifecycle of products and services. Importantly, the book describes the journey required for businesses and public organizations to embrace Digital Twins as part of their tool kit. The Digital Twin is the ideal starting point for teaching and research in all application domains.

Commercial game companies operate in an extremely competitive environment, creating products on the bleeding edge of technology. Companies survive by evolving streamlined processes that allow them to efficiently develop these complex products and to deliver them to market quickly. What happens when the culture and business practices of the commercial game world collide with highly regulated procedures of the government, especially those of the military? The result is a challenging but not impossible landscape that both sides must traverse to find common ground. These two seemingly similar communities of interest (DoD M & S and Commercial Gaming, (MS & G)) have evolved differently due to the customers' needs and the market dynamics that surround them, resulting in philosophical and operational differences that must be understood for the communities to work effectively together. This document attempts to provide a basic understanding of the history, technology, product development processes, and business practices of the game industry and DoD/M & S. Furthermore, it lays out those areas of conflict and fusion while proposing some concepts and recommendations to help these two groups build sustainable, successful working relationships in the pursuit of serious games.