A management strategy for information processing

This is the second of three articles on Management Strategy for Information Processing by this author. This paper discusses the methodology known as Business Systems Planning for assessing future computer systems requirements.     

A management strategy for information processing. 1—The Segas case

This is the first of three articles by the same author on Management Strategy for Information Processing. This article presents the Segas Case History and shows how if has tackled the implementation of Information Technology over the past 7 years. The second paper will discuss the methodology known as Business Systems Planning for assessing future computer requirements, and the third paper will examine the need for managements to have access to computing facilities.     

Strategic planning for telecommunications—a systems approach

This paper outlines the practical application of a systems approach to designing and implementing the Strategic Planning Process in a mid-sized, capital/technology intensive Canadian telecommunications company. The basic General Systems concepts used are briefly mentioned, the design of the Organization Structure and the Information Structure for the Strategic Planning Process are reviewed, the Operational Dynamics of the Strategic Planning Process outlined, outputs and application case described and conclusions reached.     

Focusing innovative effort through a convergent dialogue

This is the first of three articles on Planning for Technological Innovation by Peter Ward (the second and third articles will be published in future issues of the Journal). Appropriate innovation, in products, processes and management, is a means by which industry adapts to a changing environment. Adaptive or dynamic planning at the corporate level serves to foster and direct the necessary effort, as does organic planning in a wider context. The methods described are based on practical experience in industry and consulting work.     

Long range planning in Bell Canada

The objectives and activities of Bell Canada's Business Planning group are outlined. The Business Planning process of obtaining inputs, organizing the data base, and creating outputs is elaborated. Inputs are derived from original research efforts such as trend extrapolation, Delphi research and survey research. Selected results from Business Planning studies are illustrated. Inputs obtained through secondary research activities are also outlined. The creation of a key-word-indexed on-line information retrieval system to organize the data base is described. The underlying group philosophy of developing outputs that support and/or stimulate the executive decision making process is stressed in the development of Business Planning Outputs.     

Review and preview of productivity research and applications

During the last two decades, productivity research and applications have not been given adequate importance when trying to attain excellence in the management of manufacturing enterprises. Recent developments in managerial philosophies Total Quality Management and Business Process Re-engineering , manufacturing technologies Flexible Manufacturing Systems, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, etc. and Information Technology innovations have made the traditional productivity improvement techniques obsolete. This article presents a review consisting of analyses of literature on productivity and a survey of manufacturing enterprises. A five-step preview strategy on productivity is enumerated which provides a meaningful direction towards future productivity research and application. The article is concluded by briefly describing the current research that is being carried out based on the preview strategy evolved.     

Integration Between Business Planning and Information Systems Planning: Validating a Stage Hypothesis

This paper proposes and empirically validates a stages of growth model for the evolution of Information Systems Planning (ISP). A questionnaire survey of senior IS executives is used to gather information pertaining to the stages of growth model, which includes measurement of the nature and level of integration between business planning (BP) and ISP. The del test is used to validate empirically benchmark variables for each stage of BP-ISP integration. The results support the stages of growth model of BP-ISP integration and the benchmark variables are generally found to be successful in predicting the stage of integration.     

Corporate Planning and Control in German industry

This article records some important results of an extensive empirical investigation in GFR. In so doing the structure and the stage of development of Corporate Planning and Control Systems in 355 industrial companies were analyzed—in addition other systems were investigated. Within the context of the planning and Control Systems, the multi-echelon organization of the system, the time scale and the differentiation of the plans as regards content, co-ordinated planning between various management levels (multi-echelon co-ordination) as well as the harmonization, adaptation and formalization of the plans and the planning, were investigated. Furthermore the content of the planning— for example, objectives, programmes, resources, and budgets—, the various sectional plans of the company, the organizational units, information as well as the interrelationship between the different management levels as regards information and the instruments for planning and control, were surveyed. In relation to the other systems, the organization, information, and management development systems as well as the general management system were analyzed.Within the context of the empirical investigation the structure and developmental stage of Planning and Control Systems in 355 industrial companies in the GFR were analyzed. As the basis for the empirical study a technological concept for Planning and Control Systems was worked out, which is based on a comprehensive planning and control theory.     

基于商业生态系统的企业战略新模型研究

在以产业融合和网络经济为特征的商业生态系统环境中,传统战略管理模式的实践导向削足适履。聚焦"商业生态系统",剖析价值属性和联结属性,解构出价值依附型、价值共享型、价值平衡型、价值独享型和价值回报型战略模式。重构了战略模型,拓宽了新商业环境中战略管理视野。以信息技术商业生态系统上市公司为例,基于斯坦普尔量表验证该理论框架,并针对价值战略模型进行举证。     

Decision support systems: The reality that seems hard to accept?

The authors have identified 350 articles written and published on Decision Support Systems (DSS) since 1970. 77.3% of those articles were published between January 1980 and November 1983. Many critics see this sudden surge in the DSS literature as no more than a fad and the term itself as no more than a label. This paper examines the reasons behind the emergence of DSS in the light of this sudden surge in the DSS literature and seeks to determine whether DSSs are unique or merely a repackaging of Management Science/Operational Research and Management Information systems.     

Models of Management System Standards: A Review of the Integration Issues

The subject of Integrated Management Systems in terms of quality, environmental and occupational health and safety management has become of increasing interest to researchers and business alike during the last 3 years or so. This paper focuses on a review of the various models of integration found in the academic literature and also those advocated by the standards bodies, such as the British Standards Institution and the International Organization for Standardization. A number of writers advocate alignment of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 and present models to facilitate this; however, integration into a single standard is, in general, not favoured. Various models have been developed to overcome these difficulties, but the authors believe that none is completely satisfactory. It is considered that a model of integration based on the EFQM Model for Business Excellence will allow the limitation of the standards to be overcome and the total systems approach to integration to be facilitated.     

转型中的电信企业商业模式重构探索——以湖北电信商业模式再造实践为例

向综合信息服务提供商转型已成为全球电信业的共识.商业模式再造作为企业战略转型的核心,是电信企业能否成功转型的关键.本文在分析电信企业商业模式的关键因素基础上,创新性地构建了电信企业商业模式的模型,并以湖北电信商业模式再造实践为例,对转型中的电信企业商业模式进行了分类评价,对商业模式关键因素的影响权重进行了实证分析,并以号码百事通业务新的商业模式应用进行了印证,取得了较好的实效.     

Distributed manufacturing support systems: the integration of distributed group support systems with manufacturing support systems

Current Manufacturing Support Systems (MSS), such as Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAM) Systems, Computer-aided Design (CAD) Systems, Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) Systems, Material Resource Planning (MRP) Systems, and Manufacturing Accounting Control (MAC) Systems, are mostly independent systems that are operated in limited decision spaces, provide mainly formal and quantitative information, and thus pursue a goal of local optimization. To assist modern manufacturing in meeting the needs for integration, communication, collaboration, and decision making, we introduce the concept of integrating MSS with Distributed Group Support System (DGSS) into a Distributed Manufacturing Support System (DMSS). A rigorous system design approach is taken to model the manufacturing information requirements from a global perspective and pattern decision making processes within the structural (organizational design) and infrastructural (information system design) elements of manufacturing. The result is a conceptual DMSS design that provides an intelligent interface, accommodates incremental manufacturing integration, offers controllable message exchange facilities, and allows configurable communication networks.     

Does IO Economics Really Make the Case for Investments in IT: A Rejoinder

The preceding critique [1] of the paper “The Information Problems in Organizations: A Research Model for the Value of Information and Information Systems” [3], reaches general conclusions with respect to the original paper and the applicability of economics to MIS research. These conclusions are based on arguments developed at a different level of analysis than that used in the original paper, and without considering the goals and intent of the original paper. The differences between the critique and the original paper are highlighted.     

Policy planning and central-local relations

This paper is based on research carried out at the Institute of Local Government Studies at the University of Birmingham. Policy Planning Systems are ways of dealing with the division of functions between central and local government and they provide a structure for the flow of information by means of specified procedures and processes. As this tends to create an increased flow of work, this area of planning is threatened by central and local government cut-backs in expenditures and manpower, and may well only survive by a positive demostration of its usefulness.     

How will technology impact your business?

Over 1980–1982 the Business Environment Study Group of the Strategic Planning Society considered how new and emerging technology is likely to impact on business. This included a consideration of the mechanisms by which technology is taken up by business and the ramifications of the technological impacts in the coming decades.This material formed a Study Group publication [R. H. G. Whaley, New Technology Impacts on Business, Proceedings of the Business Environment Study Group, Society for Strategic and Long Range Planning (1983)]. During 1986 the Study Group revised and added to the material as part of the exercise of merging its previous publications into one document— the technology section of which is the subject of this paper.The Study Group does not carry out research, but conducts a networking process where corporate planning and allied opinion on aspects of the business environment are distilled. This enables planners to confirm aspects of their work with others, and for newcomers to pick up the concepts. After discussion a surprising degree of consensus is generally obtained.The Study was carried out by considering the types of technology impacts on business, technology and people's values, innovation, emerging technologies, and the ramifications of technology impacts in the coming decades in different business areas.     

State-of-the-Art Developments in Expert Systems and Strategic Marketing Planning

This paper describes a case history of the development of an Expert System in Strategic Marketing Planning codenamed EXMAR. It traces the evolution of the system from the formation of the DTI club two years ago to the launch of the prototype model. The paper outlines the technical and domain–specific obstacles encountered en route and how these were overcome. A number of conclusions are drawn from the project. The principal one is that there is a bright future for expert systems in the field of strategic management. Professor Malcolm McDonald is the principal expert to the club. Hugh Wilson is a senior consultant with Artificial Intelligence Ltd. He was also the knowledge engineer and the project manager. For readers who would like a simple explanation of Expert Systems, please refer to Professor McDonald's paper ‘Marketing Planning and Expert Systems: an Epistemology of Practice’, Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 7, 7/8, 1989.     

The strategic planning matrix—a quantitative approach

This article introduces a new strategy formulation analytical tool called the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM). QSPM represents an objective approach for evaluating and choosing among alternative strategies in both small and large organizations. Several practical applications of QSPM are provided. The positive features and practical limitations of QSPM are described. A number of useful tips for effective strategy formulation are presented.     

A multi-criteria approach for managing inter-enterprise collaborative relationships

Collaboration amongst enterprises is a common strategy used to increase competitiveness. Thus, enterprises that are collaborating need to define and use performance measurement/management frameworks composed of performance elements (objectives, performance indicators, etc.) that facilitate the management of their activity, as well as monitor their strategy and processes. There are many factors, e.g. trust, interoperability of Information Systems, etc. that need to be managed properly in order to support collaborative success. However, such factors and performance are not usually managed together. Furthermore, these factors and performance elements are interrelated but these influences are commonly overlooked. This paper aims to present an approach based on the Analytic Network Process (ANP) to manage collaborative relationships under an integrated approach by considering not only the inter-enterprise performance elements, but also the factors that influence collaboration. The approach is then applied to a collaborative enterprise network belonging to the renewable energy sector. With this innovative approach, enterprises will obtain significant information for the decision-making process, regarding which are the factors and performance elements that have the greatest impact on their competitiveness, and therefore should be prioritized.