In an increasingly digital economy, mastering the quality of data is an increasingly vital yet still, in most organizations, a considerable task. The necessity of better governance and reinforcement of international rules and regulatory or oversight structures (Sarbanes Oxley, Basel II, Solvency II, IAS-IFRS, etc.) imposes on enterprises the need for greater transparency and better traceability of their data. All the stakeholders in a company have a role to play and great benefit to derive from the overall goals here, but will invariably turn towards their IT department in search of the answers. However, the majority of IT systems that have been developed within businesses are overly complex, badly adapted, and in many cases obsolete; these systems have often become a source of data or process fragility for the business. It is in this context that the management of `reference and master data' or Master Data Management (MDM) and semantic modeling can intervene in order to straighten out the management of data in a forward-looking and sustainable manner. This book shows how company executives and IT managers can take these new challenges, as well as the advantages of using reference and master data management, into account in answering questions such as: Which data governance functions are available? How can IT be better aligned with business regulations? What is the return on investment? How can we assess intangible IT assets and data? What are the principles of semantic modeling? What is the MDM technical architecture? In these ways they will be better able to deliver on their responsibilities to their organizations, and position them for growth and robust data management and integrity in the future.
The performance of an company depends both on its technological expertise and its managerial and organizational effectiveness. Production management is an important part of the process for manufacturing firms. The organization of production relies in general on the implementation of a certain number of basic functions, among which the scheduling function plays an essential role. This title presents recently developed methods for resolving scheduling issues. The basic concepts and the methods of production scheduling are introduced and advanced techniques are discussed, providing readers with a comprehensive and accessible guide to employing this process.
Knowledge Management (KM) encompasses a wide range of tools and methods that are at the heart of the information and communication society and provide solutions that rely as much on organization as on technology. This title brings together contributions from authors from a range of countries who are recognized as leading figures in this field, both in an academic and a practical sense. It describes the strategic aspects of KM and defines the underlying principles in terms of management, life cycle, process, methods and tools involved in this discipline. Several approaches to the running of KM within organizations are then discussed. The influence of KM on the performance of a company is analyzed and guidelines are given on various KM approaches that can be used to achieve specific goals. Finally, several case studies of companies that have put KM at the heart of their organizational strategy are given to demonstrate how this approach has been put into practice. Given the practical approach taken by this book and the considerable advantages that a good handling of KM can bring to an organization, this title will be of great interest to those involved in this field.
Globalization is a leading force for industry worldwide, especially the new technology sector. This presents both problems and opportunities in the emergence of a new type of consumer and the effects of globalization on industry in terms of culture, economics, marketing, and social issues at every scale from local to global. The main aim of the book is to enhance the reader's knowledge - especially from a multidisciplinary perspective rather than from an individual functional perspective - of international consumer behaviour. It also explores the role of globalization in the evolving world of the new technology sector and provides an overview of the development of international consumer behavior from historical, geographical and social perspectives, while focusing on new technology products and services. Professionals, students and researchers working in the fields of new technologies and information and communication technologies (ICT) as well as specialists of marketing and management are the target audience for this book. At the same time, the book will be pitched at a level so as to also appeal to a more general readership interested in globalization.
