Integrated Information Management Research Articles

Viernes Negro

The objective of the case discussed here is to present the complex situation that arises at a large raw material manufacturing company in the construction industry when its integrated information management system collapses; a situation commonly known as “a system crash”. These kinds of system failures constrain logistical activities related to the distribution center that is responsible for shipping orders on a national level on the sales closing date at the end of a given month. This hampers the order invoicing process and, therefore, gives rise to non-compliance with order deliveries, customer dissatisfaction, potential loss of orders, and non-compliance with the company's sales goals, thus affecting the profitability.

Research on Ontology-Based Task Modeling in Manufacturing Grid

Manufacturing grid (MG) is the application of grid technology in networked manufacturing. Ontology has been considered as an important theoretical basis in many areas such as information integration, semantic web and knowledge management. The descriptions on manufacturing tasks are usually vague, incomplete and inconsistent in industry. MG task model and its semantic description method are the foundation and guarantee of quality of service (QoS) in MG. The MG task model is presented. The combination of ontology with MG study, in terms of analyzing basic classes in MG, and basic ontology classes, requirement model of service capacity of MG task are proposed. According to the description model of service capacity, the semantic description method for MG tasks is put forward.

Mining Geospatial Knowledge on the Social Web

Up-to-date geospatial information can help crisis management community to coordinate its response. In addition to data that is created and curated by experts, there is an abundance of user-generated, user-curated data on Social Web sites such as Flickr, Twitter, and Google Earth. User-generated data and metadata can be used to harvest knowledge, including geospatial knowledge that will help solve real-world problems including information discovery, geospatial information integration and data management. This paper proposes a method for acquiring geospatial knowledge in the form of places and relations between them from the user-generated data and metadata on the Social Web. The key to acquiring geospatial knowledge from social metadata is the ability to accurately represent places. The authors describe a simple, efficient algorithm for finding a non-convex boundary of a region from a sample of points from that region. Used within a procedure that learns part-of relations between places from real-world data extracted from the social photo-sharing site Flickr, the proposed algorithm leads to more precise relations than the earlier method and helps uncover knowledge not contained in expert-curated geospatial knowledge bases.

Global Supply-Chain Strategy And Global Competitiveness

The purpose of this study is to provide an analysis of global supply chain in a broader context that encompasses not only the producing company, but suppliers and customers.The theme of this study is to identify global sourcing and selling options, to enhance customer service and value added, to optimize inventory performance, to reduce total delivered costs and lead times, to achieve lower break-even costs, and to improve operational flexibility, customization and partner relations. In this context, an integrated management information system will be viewed as the key instrument that captures all relevant data and makes it available to the appropriate decision-maker and that provides an optimizer and decision-support function supporting various phases of the decision-making process, requiring the identification of cost cutting and value adding strategies. The properly integrated management information systems will help companies to gain the critical global competitive edge to survive in today's markets. We suggest various strategies in sourcing, manufacturing/operation, and marketing that can provide a competitive global supply chain strategy for a firm to increase value. We provide case studies where these strategies have been successful as well as case studies where they have failed.

Characterization of lead in US workplaces using data from OSHA's integrated management information system

Lead hazards continue to be encountered in the workplace. OSHA's Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) is the largest available database containing sampling results in US workplaces. Personal airborne lead sampling results in IMIS were extracted for years 1979-2008. Descriptive analyses, geographical mapping, and regression modeling of results were performed. Seventy-nine percent of lead samples were in the manufacturing sector. Lead sample results were highest in the construction sector (median = 0.03 mg/m(3) ). NORA sector, year, OSHA region, number of employees at the worksite, federal/state OSHA plan, unionization, advance notification, and presence of an employee representative were statistically associated with having a lead sample result exceed the PEL. Lead concentrations within construction have been higher than any other industry. Lead hazards have been most prevalent in the north and northeastern US. IMIS data can be useful as a surveillance tool and for targeting prevention efforts toward hazardous industries.

A service-oriented integrated information framework for RFID/WSN-based intelligent construction supply chain management

As buildings are now taller, larger, and more complex, it has become increasingly more difficult to secure stockyards for materials and to resolve the surrounding traffic problems, creating an increased need for Just-In-Time (JIT) delivery. To support JIT delivery, it is necessary to build a framework that can facilitate the collection and share of information on construction components and material flow throughout the whole supply chain process. Many researchers have suggested that radio frequency identification (RFID) and wireless sensor network technologies could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of JIT management. In addition, service-oriented architecture (SOA), the services of which enable the interfacing of a heterogeneous system environment of parties involved in the supply chain management process, is suggested in the manufacturing industry as one of the solutions for effective collection and sharing of information in supply chain management. However, the construction industry has limits in applying the framework suggested in the manufacturing industry since the supply chain process in the construction industry is extremely dynamic due to frequent changes in the design and plans of construction projects. Therefore, the objective of this research is to develop a seamlessly integrated information management framework that can provide logistics information to project stakeholders for their decision making. The pilot test of the framework developed in this research showed that it can improve time efficiency by about 32% compared to the traditional supply chain management. The result of this research is expected to be utilized effectively as a basic framework to manage information in RFID/WSN based construction supply chain management (CSCM) environments.

Light-Weight Ethernet 기반 MiTS 서비스 모듈 개발

In these days, data processing rate is increasing on shipboard. To solve the problems on the rate, Ethernet based IEC 61162-4 series standard established for integrated information management. But the standard is difficult to implement, so it is changed into Light-weight Ethernet standard. In this paper, we analyze the existing standard and compare it with Light-weight Ethernet standard. As a result, we draw its service requirements. Also we propose the services, and design and implement the service modules.

Digital Factory Wizard: an integrated system for concurrent digital engineering in product lifecycle management

Product lifecycle management (PLM) systems provide a useful function with regard to creating and managing product data. But, because current PLM systems are based on individual functions and because of distributed information management, it takes a lot of time and effort to collect data as well as analyse engineering planning data. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve an integrated engineering environment and share information across departments or enterprises in the environment of current PLM systems. Moreover, current PLM systems have concentrated on design and engineering, i.e. design production and the management of design data. Manufacturing engineering, such as layout design, is not a focal point in current PLM systems. Hence, to achieve an integrated and concurrent engineering environment, the authors propose a new concept, the digital factory wizard (DFW), in a PLM environment. The DFW provides interoperability across heterogeneous systems and integrated information management as well as facilitates information utilisation based on the concept proposed in this research. The DFW is composed of four modules: integrated standard schema (ISS), PLM Integrator, layout builder (LB) and simulation builder (SB). The ISS defines a common data type and structure for supporting interoperability. For supporting automatic information exchange through the ISS, the PLM integrator has been developed. The third module is LB. It helps to generate a factory layout using managed information in PLM systems. Finally, the function of SB is the automatic generation of a simulation model. The final part of the article suggests implementations and presents a case study to show that the implementation of an effective, reliable and interoperable engineering environment is possible, and can be performed in a concurrent and integrated manner.

Enterprise Mashup Systems as Platform for Situational Applications

Currently, several Enterprise 2.0 platforms are beginning to emerge. This paper introduces Enterprise Mashup technology as a means to improve IT alignment of individual work processes and changing business needs. Enterprise Mashups enable users to create customized applications to easily find and transform business information and functionalities, as well as collaboratively share pre-built Mashup applications. Therefore, the concept of Enterprise Mashups integrates Web 2.0 technologies and principles with well-established paradigms such as Enterprise Information Integration, Business Intelligence, and Business Process Management. Involved organizational key drivers, technical challenges and inhibitors are discussed to assess the potential business value and explain the emerging expansion of Mashup platforms in companies.

Biana: a software framework for compiling biological interactions and analyzing networks

BackgroundThe analysis and usage of biological data is hindered by the spread of information across multiple repositories and the difficulties posed by different nomenclature systems and storage formats. In particular, there is an important need for data unification in the study and use of protein-protein interactions. Without good integration strategies, it is difficult to analyze the whole set of available data and its properties.ResultsWe introduce BIANA (Biologic Interactions and Network Analysis), a tool for biological information integration and network management. BIANA is a Python framework designed to achieve two major goals: i) the integration of multiple sources of biological information, including biological entities and their relationships, and ii) the management of biological information as a network where entities are nodes and relationships are edges. Moreover, BIANA uses properties of proteins and genes to infer latent biomolecular relationships by transferring edges to entities sharing similar properties. BIANA is also provided as a plugin for Cytoscape, which allows users to visualize and interactively manage the data. A web interface to BIANA providing basic functionalities is also available. The software can be downloaded under GNU GPL license from http://sbi.imim.es/web/BIANA.php.ConclusionsBIANA's approach to data unification solves many of the nomenclature issues common to systems dealing with biological data. BIANA can easily be extended to handle new specific data repositories and new specific data types. The unification protocol allows BIANA to be a flexible tool suitable for different user requirements: non-expert users can use a suggested unification protocol while expert users can define their own specific unification rules.

Gerenciamento da cadeia de suprimentos e integração de informação estratégica em uma indústria de embalagens plásticas no Brasil

Este artigo metodológico e aplicado objetiva apresentar o processo de definição, implantação e consolidação de um sistema de gestão integrada de informações em uma grande empresa do ramo de embalagens plásticas, sob a ótica do SCM (Supply Chain Management), Gerenciamento da Cadeia de Materiais. O processo é dividido em três etapas: (1) mapeamento e análise de informações num ambiente corporativo; (2) organização, definição das políticas de controle e suporte à tomada de decisão; (3) apuração dos resultados e retroalimentação do sistema. O trabalho foi desenvolvido entre Jun/2006 e Jun/2007 e, embora tenha um ponto de vista focado nas atribuições da Gerência de Suprimentos, tem dimensão estratégica seja pela definição de um sistema de controle ou pelos próprios resultados, proporcionando à empresa analisada sair de situação difícil em direção à consolidação de um ciclo virtuoso.

Integrated Care Needs Integrated Information Management and Technology

Integrated care entails that professionals from different organizations have to work together in a team-oriented way to provide high-quality care for a patient. This requires that healthcare professionals share information about--and with--patients at appropriate points in the care or treatment process. The necessary infrastructural arrangements--such as shared patient records, regional collaboration and a clear, transparent incentive structure--must be in place. It is increasingly hard to imagine integrative initiatives without a strong information management and technology component. However, information is a necessary condition but not sufficient to achieve integrated care; organizational change is the more critical component.

Tractable query answering and rewriting under description logic constraints

Answering queries over an incomplete database w.r.t. a set of constraints is an important computational task with applications in fields as diverse as information integration and metadata management in the semantic Web. Description Logics (DLs) are constraint languages that have been extensively studied with the goal of providing useful modeling constructs while keeping the query answering problem decidable. For many DLs, query answering under constraints can be solved via query rewriting: given a conjunctive query Q and a set of DL constraints T , the query Q can be transformed into a datalog query Q T that takes into account the semantic consequences of T ; then, to obtain answers to Q w.r.t. T and some (arbitrary) database instance A , one can simply evaluate Q T over A using existing (deductive) database technology, without taking T into account. In this paper, we present a novel query rewriting algorithm that handles constraints modeled in the DL ELHIO ¬ and use it to show that answering conjunctive queries in this setting is PTime-complete w.r.t. data complexity. Our algorithm deals with various description logics of the EL and DL-Lite families and is worst-case optimal w.r.t. data complexity for all of them.

건설자재 통합정보 관리를 위한 시스템 모델 구현

건설자재 통합정보 관리를 위한 시스템 모델 구현

Developments in Earth Observation data reception, dissemination and archival at National Remote Sensing Agency

With the rapid advancement in remote sensing technology and corresponding applications, the Earth Observation Ground Segment has undergone a significant change at NRSA. From dedicated data acquisition and processing systems, we have realized multi-mission data acquisition quick look and browse systems and also multi-mission integrated information management systems. Front end of data reception station has been upgraded to handle wider bandwidth and data rates up to 320 Mbps for near future missions such as the Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT). Antenna, feed, down converters and RF chain have been upgraded. To cater to multi-mission scenario mission independent, fully configurable demodulator/bit synchs have been deployed. For handling data acquisition in multi-satellite scenario where in data from 5 to 6 remote sensing satellites are to be received almost simultaneously, automation of operations has been incorporated towards station configuration to avoid manual errors. From media-based data handling, there has been a shift towards net centric data handling among the various work centers such as user order processing, data processing systems, special processing systems, data quality evaluation, and product quality control work centers. The turn around time for dissemination of user desired data products has been improved from two weeks to one day. Presently a state of the art integrated environment has been envisaged which will bring down the turn around time for the supply of data products significantly. Automation has been incorporated at both data acquisition and data processing to improve the product throughput. Presently NRSA is catering to a demand of about 30,000 data products per annum and in the next two years it is aimed to reach a level of 50,000 products per annum by realizing the integrated multi-mission ground system for earth observation (IMGEOS). This will significantly modify the entire data production and dissemination chain so that data can be made available to user within 1 h from data acquisition at Shadnagar in some cases. Some of these novel developments planned in the near future will be discussed in this paper.

Potential MIS contribution to institutional strengthening at the Open University of Sri Lanka

The OUSL partially computerised its student records more than a decade ago, with the creation of a simple transaction processing system to hold details of students' course choices, marks and grades. However, this system was never transformed into a management information system, its reporting capability remaining limited to simple student lists of one sort or another, and its data coverage remaining exclusively focused on student data. Neither was the database ever extended to include demographic student information which would be useful, for example, in analyses of programme take-up for forecasting and planning purposes. Staff participation in the 3-year DfID/OUSL Distance Education Project highlighted database inadequacies in terms of its potential as an information resource for educational research. But the inadequacies have affected all staff in the university, most of whom continue to function in increasingly difficult circumstances in this paper-based environment. In order to help address the problem the DfID agreed to fund the design and development of an integrated management information system for the university. The principal purpose of this paper is to identify some of the benefits that can be expected from use of the management information system for university management and administration, teaching, learning and assessment, and educational research. doi: 10.4038/ouslj.v2i0.362 OUSL Journal (1999) Vol.2, (pp.26-43)

Labelling comprehension and performance evaluation of a new blood glucose monitoring system with integrated information management

Labelling comprehension and performance evaluation of a new blood glucose monitoring system with integrated information management

Information management and service integration at German universities

Purpose – Customers do not like to deal with maintenance problems and responsibilities for academic support facilities. They prefer service portfolios that integrate services for an easy and comfortable use. This paper aims to describe the organisational changes needed in the computer centres and libraries of German universities.Design/methodology/approach – The article describes how several German universities are setting up an integrated information management system to improve cooperation between institutions that provide academic support in the areas of information, communication and media services.Findings – The largely traditional support structures of German universities are in transition. The problems and challenges posed by information management and service integration, which Anglo‐American universities introduced during the mid‐1980s, are now a key issue at German universities and are being tackled with ever‐greater energy.Originality/value – This article gives an overview of the current state ...

Management of information in development projects – a proposed integrated model

The first section of the article focuses on the need for development in Africa and the specific challenges of development operations. It describes the need for a holistic and integrated information management model as part of the project management body of knowledge aimed at managing the information flow between communities and development project teams. It is argued that information, and access to information, is crucial in development projects and can therefore be seen as a critical success factor in any development project. In the second section of the article, the three information areas of the holistic and integrated information management model are described. In the section thereafter we suggest roles and actions for information managers to facilitate information processes integral to the model. These processes seek to create a developing information community that aligns itself with the development project, and supports and sustains it.

Performance Evaluation of Construction Enterprise Resource Planning Systems

To successfully evaluate investments related to integrated information management in the construction industry, causal loop diagramming was used to depict the qualitative system dynamics model for the study of the dynamics of construction enterprise resource planning systems (C-ERP). With the aid of system dynamics principles, together with literature review and two case studies, the major variables that influence the successful evaluation of C-ERP in the construction industry were evaluated. The major variables identified were validated with data from a survey. The validation procedure quantified associations between variables and perceived benefits from C-ERP stakeholders of construction-related firms. The model described in this paper aims at providing a holistic understanding of the C-ERP dynamics in construction. With this model, researchers and industry practitioners can develop an insight into C-ERP investments in practice.