Deployment Of Information Technology Research Articles

Use Of Information Technology, Accounting Information Systems, Internal Control on The Quality of Financial Reporting Village-Owned Enterprises Ogan Ilir

This study aims to evaluate how information technology deployment affects financial reporting quality. 2) Find out how accounting information systems impact financial report standards. 3) Evaluate how internal control affects the dependability and correctness of financial accounts. 4) Analyze the impact of internal control, accounting information systems, and information technology on the reliability and accuracy of financial reports. A quantitative research methodology is used in this investigation. The population under investigation consists of all Village-Owned Enterprises in Ogan Ilir Regency, totaling 227 Village-Owned Enterprises. Purposive sampling, based on predetermined criteria, is the method used for sampling in this study. The requirements encompass Village-Owned Enterprises that now employ information technology, apply accounting information systems, and implement internal control. These standards are used to obtain 92 samples that meet the requirements. This study uses the Eviews 12 software for data analysis. The use of information technology positively and significantly impacts the quality of financial reporting. Accounting information systems positively and significantly impact financial reporting quality. Both independent factors and the internal control variable have a considerable and favorable impact on the quality of financial reporting.

Eliminating Non-Value-Added Activities and Optimizing Manufacturing Processes Using Process Mining: A Stock of Challenges for Family SMEs

Family small and medium enterprises (FSMEs) differ from non-family SMEs regarding leadership type, human resource management practices, innovation orientation, change management, information and communication technology deployment, process maturity, and resource availability. These differences present challenges when leading any change. Process mining (PM) tools can optimize process value and eliminate non-added-value activities in FSMEs based on “Event Logs”. The present study investigates how a PM project is implemented in an FSME operating in the agri-food sector, focusing on challenges faced in every project phase to extract the most appropriate process that eliminates all sources of waste and bottleneck cases. Drawing upon the L*Lifecycle methodology combined with quality and lean management tools such as the fishbone diagram, Pareto diagram, and overall equipment efficiency (OEE), this study applied a PM project to a manufacturing process for an FSME operating in the agri-food sector. To achieve theoretical production capacity (TPC) and customer satisfaction, the method was analyzed and optimized using Disco and ProM toolkits. The results analysis using Disco and ProM toolkits gave clues about the organizational and technical causes behind the manufacturing process’s inefficiency. First, OEE showed that the studied FSME is struggling with equipment availability. Then, the implementation of the L*Lifecycle methodology allowed for the identification of five critical causes. An action plan to eliminate causes was proposed to the FSME managers.

Mapping the imaginary of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in education: the case of Botswana

ABSTRACT This article investigates policy-as-discourse and policy-as-technology with specific focus on how the deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education is positioned as a redemptive force in the case of Botswana. Therborn's theory of inequalities was adopted to catalogue ways in which supranational organisations and the national government of Botswana consider the potential of ICT and/ICT in education to address (in)equalities in Botswana. A deductive Directed Qualitative Content Analysis (DQICA) was adopted focusing on how the national government and supranational organisations view and present ICT in education in Botswana with regards to being an equaliser. The analysis of the evidence points to ICT in education being seen and operationalised to ameliorate existing inequalities in education and broader society, without, necessarily, questioning broader socioeconomic structural arrangements and factors sustaining inequalities.

Evaluation of Barriers to Deployment of Information and Communication Technologies to Sustain Information and Communication Flow in Floods

A sustainable information and communication flow (ICF) supports lifelines in floods, especially transport systems. A detailed insight into barriers regarding effective ICF through the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the lifecycle of floods was given for evolved and evolving economies, i.e., York and Head-Marala, with sample sizes of 240 and 300 experts, respectively. All experts responded on an ethically approved questionnaire with further information notes that were used whilst discoursing the factors. ICTs were segregated into two groups, ranging from simple to advanced technologies. KMO and Bartlett’s tests confirmed high sampling adequacy with values ranging from 0.679 to 0.823 (≥0.5) with p-values ≤ 0.05. An amended version of Q-Methodology was used to identify nine factors in total. Each factor with an Eigenvalue ≥1 was retained, and all factors were highly reliable with values between 0.89 and 0.96. Factors were explained through communalities, factor loadings, pattern and structure matrices, and notes from experts. Results showed that under-evolved economies have limited technological resources and under-developed flood coping plans compared to evolved economies. Also, the unacknowledged possibility was uncovered that ICF can certainly be sustained if all possibly available ICTs are engaged through a thorough deployment plan of action. Authorities needed to make ICT engagement plans simple and efficient through effective coordination among different institutions. Though authorities were trained and equipped with modern tools, equipment, and technologies, dense and dependent populations overwhelmed the rescue capabilities. Other than VMS, social media pages, and radio, other ICTs were not tried and tested in floods for the exchange of transport–flood ICF. These findings are useful for stakeholders from all communities, transport planning institutions, and flood managers who are not fully benefiting from the extended use of ICTs to manage travel activities in floods.

Utilization of time-driven activity-based costing and process simulation in cost management of organization

The deployment of information and communication technologies in organizations is on the rise. Many organizations consider the application of technologies to be a crucial key to improve their processes. However, traditional costing systems are not suitable for cost estimation of business processes due to the use of volume-based cost drivers, which are often not adequate for the structure of today’s organizations. In this research, we present an overview of how the TDABC (time-driven activity-based costing) model can be combined with process mining and business process simulation for cost estimation of such processes. The objective of this paper is to use the cost dimension as a major attribute for the potential implementation of robotic process automation (RPA) in companies. However, information and communication technologies could be considered in general. We demonstrate our approach in a case study that takes advantage of a real-life event log containing transactional data representing the loan application process in an insurance company. The event log is analyzed and processed using process mining techniques. Based on the preprocessing, a simulation model representing the original loan application process is designed. The designed simulation model is then used for simulation of partial and full implementation of RPA through separate scenarios. Then, we add the cost dimension to the simulation by enriching the event log with cost data based on a formalized cost model. We show that even though partial implementation of RPA might not deliver significant increase in efficiency in the process, it might still represent significant cost savings.

Understanding the Landscape of Cyberbiosecurity for Integrative Educational Programming

Highlights Alignment of terminology and community building are crucial in cyberbiosecurity. Agriculture and life sciences in a digital age present unconventional challenges. Data and digital literacy are baseline skills for integrative cyberbiosecurity education programming. Cyberbiosecurity education framework offers a foundation for intentional, integrative programming efforts. Abstract. As an emerging and interdisciplinary field at the nexus of digital technologies and agriculture and life sciences (ALS), the integration of cyberbiosecurity education for professional training and skills development remains challenging. Educational practices and related workforce development efforts associated with cyberbiosecurity may be best generalized as pseudo-shadow education, occurring outside standardized practice and lacking known ‘best practice’ to mimic. The current state of cyberbiosecurity education reflects a lack of sequenced and developed knowledge, values, judgments, and ways of thinking, which serve as windows into the underlying cultures of a disciplinary field. Coupled with this gap, the continuous deployment and convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) within ALS creates new vulnerabilities that are unfamiliar to the workforce. These vulnerabilities expose critical ALS infrastructures to cyber-attacks and terrorism and hold significant consequences for the bioeconomy. Securing the bioeconomy and preventing negative multiplier effects in other related sectors depend on adequate cyberbiosecurity education programming and workforce development. This exploratory report of current realities and future prospects provides insights into integrative cyberbiosecurity education programming for workforce development. The study explicates underlying concerns to be addressed in developing integrative cyberbiosecurity education for professionals in agriculture and life sciences and suggests an expandable framework to facilitate workforce development programming. Concerns to address regarding the creation of educational programming in cyberbiosecurity include alignment in definition, cross-boundary community building, the peculiar dynamics of the cyberbiosecurity threat landscape, and baseline requirements for cyberbiosecurity education and practice. Keywords: Agriculture and life sciences, Bioeconomy, Cyberbiosecurity, Education and workforce development, Threat landscape.

ISIS’s digital Jihad Preparation

The advent of the digital revolution has introduced several means for the collection, spread, and dissemination of information within the realm of communication, thus transcending geographical and time constraints. The swift digitization and transformation of contemporary societies have created an unusual security landscape, exerting its influence across every facet of human, societal, economic, and political life. Technology stands as a pivotal variable in the dynamic evolution of terrorism. Cyberspace has emerged as a fertile domain for the amplification and continuation of terrorist activities, representing a profound “transformation” at the operational level over recent decades. Terrorists have adeptly seized upon the potential of cyberspace, strategically imitating successful tactics employed by like-minded, assimilating lessons from past mistakes, and adapting to exigencies of both the present and future. The extensive deployment of information communication and technologies (ICTs) has substantially facilitated terrorists’ activities in a multitude of ways. This includes cost reduction, the generation of operational efficiencies, broader access to novel target demographics, the provision of anonymity, heightened security measures, the dissolution of organizational barriers, and the amplification of the scope and reach of their actions. The full spectrum of cyber activities conducted by terrorists can be comprehensively encapsulated within a model titled the “Digital Jihad”. This paper intends to apply this model in the context of examining the activities and strategies of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Optimal defense resource allocation against cyber-attacks in distributed generation systems

The deployment of advanced information and communication technologies necessitates considering new security threats, such as distributed denial of service attacks and malware, which can fault power generators and feeders and exacerbate power outages in distributed generation systems (DGS). Existing cyber-security studies fail to validate the attacker–defender game model between operators and hackers or provide a DGS model that accounts for realistic characteristics and operations. Furthermore, current game models may be infeasible for large-scale systems and are not robust against uncertainties owing to the use of metaheuristic algorithms. To overcome these gaps, this study quantified the result of a game using the contest success function and estimated the parameters of this function based on real-world evidence: the dataset of cyber crime incidents from Advisen, US. The DGS management was optimized using the power flow model considering the scenario-based uncertainty stemming from cyber-attacks. A three-stage attack+defend–defend–attack framework is proposed to optimize attack–defense resource allocation using the cooperative game and [Formula: see text]-subgradient method. The results for IEEE 4, 13, 34, 123 and 342 test node feeders show that the proposed framework is applicable to large-scale systems and robust to various types of cyber-attacks. The proposed model and algorithms further enhance the DGS performance under uncertainties by protecting the entire grid or only critical nodes according to the defenders’ objectives.

Information and Communication Technology deployment and agricultural value chain nexus in Nigeria

This study examined the point of the agricultural value chain where the deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is significant. The study used the data sourced from wave 4 (2018/2019) of the Living Standards Measurement Study – Integrated Survey on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) and applied the Multinomial Logit (MNL) regression. The result showed that ICT deployment is significant for all actors along the agricultural value chain. However, though significant for all actors on the value chain, the estimated coefficients slightly differ. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is helpful for all the actors along the chain from the estimated coefficients but higher at the farmgate collectors. This can be based on the rationale that, unlike other actors in the chain, the farmgate collectors interact directly or more with the farmers, making ICT more crucial for them than other actors in the chain. The study concludes that ICT can provide farmers and value chain actors with information about the market, among others, new production skills and processes that will help them upgrade, leading to entry into higher-value markets.

Cashless Policy and Patronage in Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Katsina-Nigeria

Existing empirical literature on cashless banking is one that is quite scanty in the developing countries including Nigeria. Reviews of empirical studies on cashless policy indicate that a lot of prior studies focused on the adoption, prospects and benefits and challenges of cashless policy. This study on the other hand is aimed at investigating the effect of cashless policy on patronage using responses obtained from 410 customers of Stanbic IBTC Plc branch domiciled at Katsina town-Nigeria. To achieve the stated objective, authors used descriptive statistics and multiple regression techniques. The major findings reveal that ATM transaction has significant negative effect on patronage; POS transaction has no significant effect on patronage; web transaction has positive and significant effect on patronage and mobile banking has negative but significant effect on patronage in Stanbic IBTC bank Plc, Katsina. Authors conclude that if deposit money banks in Nigeria can make cashless policy channels well functional and secured, it will enhance and improved bank patronage. It is recommended by the authors that the management of Stanbic IBTC Plc, Katsina needs to ensure that the ATMs are functional 24/7, and loaded with mints to attract patronage. Author also recommends that DMBs should deploy information technology (IT) solutions that will make transactions on POS and other cashless channels more safe and secured. It is also recommended that banks especially Stanbic IBTC Plc should provide incentive for using internet banking platform for transactions; and should deploy mobile banking solution that is all phone enabled.

Technologies applied to information control in organizations: A review

In the contemporary global market, organizations face intense competition requiring the deployment of information technology (IT) for effective decision-making and to maintain market presence. This review article emphasizes the crucial role of information technologies in organizational decision-making processes. It outlines the evolution of data management tools, especially in the context of dynamic and contingent data management, and explores the adoption and implementation of technologies for information control within organizations. By analyzing various methodologies and results from existing research, the article illustrates the increasing reliance on IT to enhance organizational processes, decision-making, and overall competitiveness. Furthermore, it delves into the systematic review approach to understand the significance and application of information management technologies in organizational contexts, offering insights for entrepreneurs and academics. The review concludes with the assertion that proper information management through technology is vital for organizations to remain competitive in the ever-changing market landscape.

On the Road to Digital Transformation: A Literature Review of IT Program Management

Program management continues to gain traction as an approach to managing the development and implementation of advanced information technology (IT). The guidance and structure provided by program principles and processes enhance an organization’s ability to achieve the benefits of a large-scale IT deployment. However, realizing the benefits of contemporary IT to support organizational strategy is proving problematic. In this study, we conduct a conceptual and critical review of the IT program management literature to determine the current research in achieving success and develop frameworks that encourage coordinated studies to address further benefits from IT programs with differing strategic purposes.

Research on the efficiency of machine learning in signal point monitoring

Abstract. Railway signalling automation devices have been around for quite some time. Many systems in operation are considered obsolete. At the same time, modernization does not cover the whole Russian railway system. The deployment of monitoring systems since the beginning of the 2000s made the maintenance of bulky signalling systems more comfortable, reduced the time of fault detection. The second decade of the 21-st century saw a widespread deployment of information technologies in various spheres of life, including industry, yet at a slower pace, especially in railway transportation. One of the innovations was the emergence of the artificial intelligence, which enabled more progressive maintenance of devices through prediction of pre-failure states. The latter allows notification of technical personnel by an intelligent system that processes significant parameters of the observed facility or process, thereby replacing manual monitoring that requires time and professional experience.Aim. To suggest the use of artificial intelligence-based methods in railway signalling devices based on the existing technical diagnostics and monitoring systems. Methods. Python-based unsupervised machine learning methods are used to create, process and visualise data.Results. The AI models showed a reaction to anomalous changes in the temporal characteristics of code generators.Conclusion. An AI-enabled program can serve as the core for processing data related to the monitoring of railway signalling devices and requires careful research in predicting their known failures at the signal point.

The Directive of Work-From-Home in Wake of COVID-19 Pandemic and the Adoption of E-Learning by LIS Professionals

The adoption of work- from- home system in wake of COVID-19 Pandemic was a strategy to curb the spread of the deadly disease. It became a new normal that was feasible with deployment of Information and Communication Technology state-of-the-art infrastructure to administrative function. Therefore, this study investigated the Directive of Work-From-Home in the wake of COVID-19 Pandemic and the adoption of E-Learning by LIS Professionals in Selected Academic Libraries in Lagos State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study, questionnaire was the research instrument. Random sampling techniques was used to select seventy two (72) librarians and library officers from six institutions of higher learning in Lagos State. The response rate were: 14 (19.4%) from Yaba College of Technology, 10 (13.9%) from Lagos State Polytechnic, 14 (19.5%) from Lagos State University, 8 (11.1%) from Celeb University, 19 (26.4) from University of Lagos while 7 (9.7%) from Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education. The study found out that LIS Professionals in institutions of higher learning in Lagos State possessed low Computer Skills. Though E-Learning was highly accepted by LIS Professionals in Lagos State as a measure for Work-from-Home in the wake of COVID-19 Pandemic. Although, majority of the academic library(s) and LIS professionals were disconnected from their users during the pandemic. The study also found that the reasons why majority of LIS professionals in Lagos State are inactive about eLearning is as a result of lack of funds. It was recommended that the school proprietors and library professionals must begin to think differently about eLearning and funds should be made available and manage equitably toward the adoption of eLearning resources, digitalization of physical resources, database and internet subscriptions and maintenances among others.

Predictive Maintenance in Healthcare System: A Survey

Medical devices are a vital component of healthcare systems, the advantages they may give continue to grow as they are crucial for the safe and effective prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of illnesses and diseases. Therefore, it is critical to maintain them in good operating order to ensure optimum availability, minimal failures, and guarantee patients’ and users’ safety. The stages involved in medical devices regulation and management are complex, but they are necessary to ensure their quality, safety, and compatibility with the settings in which they are used. Medical equipment complexity has increased due to technological advancement and the traditional maintenance strategies do not meet the needs of today’s healthcare organizations. Therefore, integrating information technology, social networking technologies, digitization and management of medical devices, and the use of big data technologies and Machine Learning (ML) techniques has the potential to significantly improve healthcare services. Integrating autonomous and intelligent systems where data and sophisticated data analytics may be employed led to enhanced equipment data collecting via the deployment of information and communication technologies, notably intelligent devices. With this advancement came an increase in Predictive Maintenance (PdM) solutions. PdM has become a commonly used approach, described as a set of procedures used to evaluate the condition of equipment and predict future failures. These estimations are then utilized to schedule maintenance activities through smart scheduling of maintenance procedures, which aids in preventing or at least minimizing the impacts of unanticipated failures. The purpose of this article is to present a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) exploring and reviewing prior research on the subject of PdM and the developments of this method, particularly in the medical field. In addition to supporting new research projects in the PdM sector, this paper offers a good foundation for understanding PdM approaches, their key findings, problems, and potential. This review focuses on two scientific databases from which a substantial number of articles dedicated solely to PdM in the medical field have been retrieved for analysis. Our research led us to conclude that, despite the many potential benefits of predictive maintenance in the medical field, the concept is still being under-exploited and faces many obstacles.

Proposed algorithm for smart grid DDoS detection based on deep learning

The Smart Grid’s objective is to increase the electric grid’s dependability, security, and efficiency through extensive digital information and control technology deployment. As a result, it is necessary to apply real-time analysis and state estimation-based techniques to ensure efficient controls are implemented correctly. These systems are vulnerable to cyber-attacks, posing significant risks to the Smart Grid’s overall availability due to their reliance on communication technology. Therefore, effective intrusion detection algorithms are required to mitigate such attacks. In dealing with these uncertainties, we propose a hybrid deep learning algorithm that focuses on Distributed Denial of Service attacks on the communication infrastructure of the Smart Grid. The proposed algorithm is hybridized by the Convolutional Neural Network and the Gated Recurrent Unit algorithms. Simulations are done using a benchmark cyber security dataset of the Canadian Institute of Cybersecurity Intrusion Detection System. According to the simulation results, the proposed algorithm outperforms the current intrusion detection algorithms, with an overall accuracy rate of 99.7%.

Between Surveillance and Freedom: Techno-Politics in South Korea during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The South Korean response to the COVID-19 pandemic was mainly characterized—whether positively or negatively—as the efficient implementation of surveillance supported by the extensive deployment of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Yet, the fact that the South Korean management of the pandemic was also maintained by citizens' voluntary participation in stringent quarantine policies has received little critical attention. Through the lens of techno-politics, this essay examines the distinctive interplay of digital monitoring systems and civic engagement in South Korea during the pandemic, with particular reference to data surveillance, horizontal collectivism, and a networked multitude. In capturing the essential features of South Korean pandemic politics as reflecting key components of techno-populism, this essay draws out some social theoretical implications of reconsidering the increasingly close relationship between technology and democracy in the pandemic period.

Enhanced Modbus/TCP Security Protocol: Authentication and Authorization Functions Supported.

The Zero Trust concept is being adopted in information technology (IT) deployments, while human users remain to be the main risk for operational technology (OT) deployments. This article proposes to enhance the new Modbus/TCP Security protocol with authentication and authorization functions that guarantee security against intentional unauthorized access. It aims to comply with the principle of never trusting the person who is accessing the network before carrying out a security check. Two functions are tested and used in order to build an access control method that is based on a username and a password for human users with knowledge of industrial automation control systems (IACS), using simple means, low motivation, and few resources. A man-in-the-middle (MITM) component was added in order to intermediate the client and the server communication and to validate these functions. The proposed scenario was implemented using the Node-RED programming platform. The tests implementing the functions and the access control method through the Node-RED software have proven their potential and their applicability.

Are ERDFs Devoted to Boosting ICTs in SMEs Inefficient? A Three-Stage SBM Approach

We assessed the implementation of operational programs (OPs) aimed at boosting the deployment of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We performed a three-stage slack-based measure (SBM) data envelopment analysis (DEA) model combined with the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA), which considered data and contextual factors reported from the European Union (EU) to appraise 51 OPs from 16 countries. Overall, we discovered that by eliminating the contextual factors, almost 27% of the OPs (14) attained efficient procedural results. The OP “Multi-regional Spain—ERDF” is widely perceived as a benchmark, irrespective of its contextual factors, remaining robustly efficient for data perturbations ranging from 5% to 10%. The “Number of Operations Supported” is the indicator that requires attention, both with or without the removal of contextual factors. Our findings suggest that more developed regions, with a greater proportion of ICT professionals, are associated with a poor utilization and allocation of ERDF funds to promote ICT adoption in SMEs. This could be attributed to an inability of SMEs to handle the complex bureaucratic processes of submitting and executing European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) initiatives. Consequently, it is vital to provide additional assistance that streamlines the management formalities and satisfies the needs of SMEs.

Analytical approach for adequacy assessment of cyber–physical multi-microgrid distribution systems with distributed generation

In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the deployment of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in power systems. ICTs impart a cyber-physical nature to power systems, and though they improve the power system performance in various respects, they themselves are prone to random failures. With even more extensive penetration of ICTs expected to strongly characterise the future power systems, it is imperative to systematically study the impact of failures in cyber-physical power systems on the adequacy of power systems. With this as backdrop, the paper presents a novel analytical approach to study the impact of failure of various control layers and the cyber links between them on the adequacy of multi-microgrid distribution systems consisting of distributed generation resources such as wind and solar units. The main adequacy index of interest is Expected Energy Not Served, based on which the interruption costs can be computed. A case study is presented where the developed methodology is applied to a multi-microgrid distribution system where four different operation modes are realisable—normal, joint, islanding, and shutdown modes. The results are validated against those of a recently developed Monte Carlo simulation approach.