...number of possibilities for today’s businesses, organizations are typically challenged to exploit the latest trends to drive growth and market share. Our study found an important link between effective software development and the ability to successfully capitalize on today’s emerging technologies for competitive advantage. Advances in technology are growing rapidly and organizations are constantly trying to find ways stay ahead in the market and make profits. Organizations are now challenged to either buy off-the-shelf software or build customized software for their company in order to achieve a competitive advantage. Each choice yields its own pros and cons so there is no automatically correct decision. The choice that fits best lies in the goals of the company. In order to decide what is best for your company, the CIO needs to understand what it means to buy and what it means to build. Buying software ensures that the product has been tested and used by others. Therefore, when a problem with the software shows up, there is a high probability that a solution for it has been found by the developers. Building software enables customization, which allows the needs of the company to be met. It is also distinguishes themselves from other companies. If you decide to buy your software, you will benefit by waiting to buy it to ensure you won’t buy a flawed or...
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...POC Planning Document POC GOALS: • To test the Maximo upgrade from the current version of Maximo 4.01 to version 6 ensuring full data integrity and accuracy. • The POC must ensure that the Maximo software is fully operational within the Illovo architecture and environment i.e. the POC must test co-existence with all other Illovo software products and hardware. • The POC must also ensure that all re-worked existing application interfaces are fully operational on the upgraded version. • The following new requirements must be met: - Provision of a scheduling tool and full integration with MS project - Fully operational new interfaces as defined in the Functional Specification • All existing application customisations must be re-applied and must be fully functional • Reports as defined in the functional specification must be fully functional • The POC must also result in a standard migration path being documented to ensure a smooth rollout and implementation process. • To select/Replace the thin client (NCD 200) with new models that meet business requirements (Group replacement) • To select and install hardware for the Maximo Application/Report server (Maximo & Kronos Sites only) • The architecture selected must cater for SA and African Maximo hardware requirements. APPLICATION POC OBJECTIVES • To migrate all current Maximo transactional data from version 4.01 to the new release version...
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...Kindle Fire GROUP 2 By: Ayan Tariq Ashish Rana Claudius Grego Saif Ahmed Table of Contents Models.............................................................................Page No. Executive Summary................................................................................3 Boston Consulting Group; Chapter 2......................................................4 SWOT-Opportunities and Threats; Chapter 2........................................5 SWOT-Strengths and Weaknesses; Chapter 2........................................6 Product-Market Combination; Chapter 2................................................7 Five Stages of Consumer Decision Making; Chapter 4 Evaluation of Alternatives.............................................................8 Five Stages of Consumer Decision Making; Chapter 4 Purchase Choice Decision..........................................................9 Demographics Segmentation; Chapter 6...............................................10 Perceptual Map; Chapter 6....................................................................11 AIDA Model; Chapter 12.......................................................................12 Promotion Strategy/Themes/Appeal; Chapter 12 and 13.........................13 Recommendations.................................................................................14 Appendix A......................................................................................15-17 Appendix B..........
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...products to meet specific customer needs Selling solutions * Are mutually shared answers to recognized customer problems * More encompassing than specific products * Those that provide measuarable results * Those that require greater effort to define and diagnose the customer’s problems Product strategy should be tailored to the customer’s buying needs * Transactional buyers * Standard or generic * Understand their own product needs * Product can be easily substituted * Consultative * Hidden feature * Differentiated choices * Customizable * Strategic alliance * High cost importance * Limited substitutability Explosion of product strategy * Domestic and global markets overflowing * >30,000 consumer products produced each year * good news: buyer have a choice * bad news: more complicated Product configuration * product selection process * often referred to as “product configuration” * product configuration software * develops customized product solutions quickly and accurately * incorporates customer selection criteria * identifies options, pricing, delivery schedules * can integrate with customer relationship management CMR apps Parts to becoming a product expert * Product development and quality improvement processes * Development * Be familiar with product history * Know stages of product testing ...
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...To better understand erp systems and to be able to truly evaluate the most effective systems in the market today, you need to first ask the question, what’s an erp system? enterprise resource planning better known for its shortcut (erp)systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application. The purpose of ERP is to facilitate the flow of information between all business functions inside the boundaries of the organization and manage the connections to outside stakeholders.[1] ERP systems can run on a variety of computer hardware and network configurations, typically employing a database as a repository for information. After extensive uses and application from thousands of corporation and companies both global and local from mid size to large , we were able to assess and evaluate the ten best current erp systems and they are in none specific order : First, Openbravo Open bravo is a web-based, open source ERP business solution for small and medium sized companies. Already in production, Open bravo ERP encompasses a broad range of functionalities such as finance, supply chain, manufacturing & much more. Open bravo ERP has been designed with broad business functionality to help businesses improve overall performance. It is based on a single, integrated database...
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...A Comparison of Inter-Organizational Business Models of Mobile App Stores: There is more than Open vs. Closed Roland M. Müller1, Bjorn Kijl2 and Josef K. J. Martens3 1 Berlin School of Economics and Law, Department of Information Systems, roland.mueller@hwr-berlin.deUniversity of Twente, School of Management and Governance, 2 b.kijl@utwente.nl, 3j.k.j.martens@alumnus.utwente.nl Abstract The purpose of this paper is to analyze the competition among mobile app stores for smart mobile media devices. Therefore, the business models of seven mobile app stores are analyzed with a special focus on Apple and Google. We use e3-value modelling - a formal business modelling technique - for analyzing the critical elements of these mobile ecosystems. The analysis of the app store ecosystems allows a differentiated view on the different strategies of the app store owners. Additionally, we look at the impact of network effects, economies of scale, platform differentiation, quality assurance, and transaction costs on the design of mobile application markets. This theoretical model allows a deeper discussion about the design choices and success factors in the different app store cases. Based on our analysis, we expect that the open versus closed models discussion becomes less relevant - so-called open platforms have closed aspects as well as the other way around - and that competitive differentiation and segmentation strategies will become increasingly critical in order to strengthen the...
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...Benefits of Cloud Computing Customer and Vendor Perspective The need for information is just as strong today, if not stronger, than it was hundreds of years ago. But the ways we access information, and the forms it exists in, are dramatically different. I would like to compare the past two decades‘ changing landscape of digital information to the California Gold Rush of the 1800s. As they did during the Gold Rush, droves of people are jumping on the band wagon with the hope of achieving unprecedented riches and their 15 minutes of fame. Today, they hope to do it by creating content to post on social channels (like YouTube videos, controversial stories, and provocative blogs). The similarities end when we look to the future, however, since the supply of digital content, unlike that of gold, is only going to get bigger in the coming decades. In fact, there‘s no end in sight when we consider that the number of people on the planet today with smart phones is expected to rise dramatically. There is no doubt that technology plays an integral role in the success of almost every business today. Every company is spending money on technology. Of course, every company is different in how they use technology but many companies use the same core programs to run their business, Messaging, Collaboration, Business Applications, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and IT Services There‘s been a thunderstorm of white noise surrounding cloud computing. Vendors, pundits, and analysts took...
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...overhead, cost centres, Cost variance report, WIP. . 1. INTRODUCTION businesses, non-profit organizations and governments now all utilize ERP systems. The use of erp module saves time and money without sacrificing accuracy and control. Product costs are analysed quickly and accurately, which empowers the organization with the ability to perform minute analysis and projections of product cost. Few of the many advantages of product costing are: • • • • • Streamlined integration Enhanced data accuracy Powerful cost analysis Automated cost calculation Extensive instant reports Businesses all around the world are increasing their reliance on ERP programs as a cost efficient alternative to their current manual procedures or their piecemeal software applications. [1] ERP (enterprise resource planning)...
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...INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT) PROCUREMENT MANUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS SECTION 2 PREPARING FOR ICT PROCUREMENT PLANNING How do we prepare for ICT Procurement? Looking at Total Cost Ownership What is the value of Hiring ICT Procurement Consultant? What are the classifications of ICT Procurement? Drafting the Technical Specifications, Scope of Work and Terms of Reference Drafting Service Level Requirements Reference to Benchmarks Use of Brand Names in ICT Procurement “Green” Considerations in Making Technical Specifications PREPARING THE BIDDING DOCUMENTS What are Bidding Documents? Who shall participate in the preparation of the Bidding Documents? BAC for ICT Projects What various types and sizes of contracts may be provided in the Bidding Documents How should Pre-Procurement Conference be conducted? Conducting Proof-of-Concept SECTION 3 INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PROCEDURAL STEPS FOR ICT PROCUREMENT Competitive Bidding ICTO-DOST Standards Development SECTION 4 GUIDELINES ON CONTRACT IMPLEMENTATION FOR ICT PROCUREMENT OF GOODS Dispute Resolution ANNEX A: Definition of Terms ANNEX B: Process Flow for Goods and Infrastructure ANNEX C1: Process Flow Quality Based Evaluation ANNEX C2: Process Flow Quality Cost Based Evaluation ANNEX D: Sample Technical Specification Checklist ANNEX E: Sample Bid Evaluation Template 1 2 3 3 4 4 5 7 10 11 11 11 13 13 14 14 14 17 17 18 18 18 19 SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION This Manual seeks to...
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...Harvard Business School Rev. March 13, 2000 9-396-154 R.R. Donnelley & Sons: The Digital Division "My biggest worry," said Barbara (Barb) Schetter, vice president and general manager of R. R. Donnelley's Digital Division, "is that we don't become an orphan. We could build up the division and even meet our revenue numbers, yet still not be embraced by the rest of the organization." Indeed, by early June 1995, many group and division managers at the $4.9 billion printing giant had yet to sign on to the strategic potential of digital technology or accept the Digital Division as the most appropriate locale for the business. Some still saw digital printing as a technology in search of a market. Others had indicated that if they did decide to embrace digital printing, they might do so on their own. These concerns were very much on the minds of Schetter and Mary Lee Schneider, the division's director of marketing, as they sat down for a meeting on June 7, 1995. In two weeks Schneider was scheduled to make a presentation to one of Donnelley's business groups, Book Publishing Services, which was deciding whether to move into digital technology on its own or to bring its digital work to the division. Schetter and Schneider were hoping to craft a plan that would convince the Books Group to come to them. But they were still struggling to find convincing arguments and the right set of incentives. Company and Industry Background R. R. Donnelley & Sons was founded in 1864. By 1995...
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...Cheaper…Faster…Better Edward Roske eroske@interrel.com BLOG: LookSmarter.blogspot.com WEBSITE: www.interrel.com TWITTER: ERoske Thinking Outside the Cube: NonFinancial Applications of Oracle Essbase Edward Roske eroske@interrel.com BLOG: LookSmarter.blogspot.com WEBSITE: www.interrel.com TWITTER: ERoske About interRel Reigning Oracle Titan Award winner – EPM & BI Solution of the year 2008 Oracle EPM Excellence Award 2009 Oracle EPM/BI Innovation Award One of the fastest growing companies in the world (Inc. Magazine, ‟08 & ‟09 & „10) Two Hyperion Oracle ACE Directors and one Oracle Ace Founding Hyperion Platinum Partner; now Oracle Platinum Partner Focused exclusively on Oracle Hyperion EPM software Consulting Training Infrastructure and Installation Support Software sales 4 7 Hyperion Books Available: Essbase (7): Complete Guide Essbase System 9: Complete Guide Essbase System 9: End User Guide Smart View 11: End User Guide Essbase 11: Admin Guide Planning: End Users Guide Planning: Administrators To order, check out www.LuLu.com •5 •Copy right © 2007, Hy perion. All rights reserv ed. Select interRel Customers 6 Abstract DRM, FDM (or is it FDQM), ODI, ERPI, EPMA…thanks, Oracle, for all of these tools but which tool should I use for my EPM system? Do I need all of them? Do I need any of them? In this webcast, we‟ll break down the acronyms and explain each one of these tools step by step. We‟ll evaluate...
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...returned to the company as an input document. Machine readable format. Improves accuracy by eliminating the potential for input errors when entering data. Paper based, sent from organization to customer, same doc is returned by customer to organization. * General ledger * General journal * Special journals * Subsidiary ledgers Legacy systems * Existing system, often based on old technology. Advantages are that legacy systems: * Customized to specific needs. * Support unique business processes not inherent in generic accounting software. * Contain invaluable historical data that may be difficult to integrate into a new system. * Well supported and understood by existing personnel. * Disadvantages are that legacy systems: * Costly to maintain. * Often lack adequate supporting documentation. * Hardware needed to maintain may become obsolete. * Not usually based on user-friendly interfaces. * Tends to use software written in older computer languages. * Often difficult to modify to make user friendly. * Difficult to integrate when companies merge. * * * Decision whether to replace or update legacy systems. * Screen scrapers - Screen scraping is the process of collecting screen display data from one application and translating it...
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...ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING Introduction: Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a company-wide computer software system used to manage and coordinate all the resources, information, and functions of a business from shared data stores. An ERP system has a service-oriented architecture with modular hardware and software units or "services" that communicate on a local area network. The modular design allows a business to add or reconfigure modules (perhaps from different vendors) while preserving data integrity in one shared database that may be centralized or distributed what does this software do? Take the activities of a typical company or 'Enterprise', its purpose can be loosely described as 'to manufacture or procure products for sale'. These products may be tangible or intangible, but basically the company must 'Plan' and 'Control' the use of its entire resource base to meet these objectives. That is what 'E.R.P. software' does, it helps the managers and staff of an enterprise to manage its resources to manufacture/procure the products it sells within one software package. The single software package 'integrates' its elements or modules into one seamless package to control the enterprise activities. The most common activities being Purchasing, Manufacturing, Sales and Accounting. ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING ERP AND CYCLICAL STRUCTURE Origin of the term: MRP vs. ERP — Manufacturing management systems have evolved in stages over the past 30 years from a simple...
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...Harvard Business School 9-899-062 Rev. December 7, 1998 Walnut Venture Associates (A): RBS Group Investment Memorandum Ralph Wagner pulled his file on the RBS Group, a young company that developed and sold accounting software specifically targeted to software companies. Wagner was a private investor—an “angel”—and a member of an informal group of other investors known as Walnut Venture Associates. (See Exhibit 1 for background information on Walnut) RBS was seeking to raise $2 million in equity capital to fund its growth. Wagner had agreed to take the lead role in evaluating RBS as an investment opportunity for Walnut. While Wagner would spearhead the process, each individual would make his own decision about whether to invest in the company. It was December 26, 1997 and Bob O’Connor, RBS’s founder and CEO, had presented to the Walnut group one week ago. The group had been impressed with O’Connor, with RBS’s business focus, and with the fact that the company had a product, sales and even earnings. Based on this positive first impression, the group had decided to take the next step and begin a more in-depth investigation of the company and its prospects. Half a dozen or so “Walnuters” had indicated an interest in possibly investing, and it was up to Wagner to come up with a due diligence agenda for these individuals. He pulled out RBS’s plan (See Exhibit 2) and began to sort through the issues the group should investigate during this phase, as well as an...
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...Harvard Business School 9-899-062 Rev. December 7, 1998 Walnut Venture Associates (A): RBS Group Investment Memorandum Ralph Wagner pulled his file on the RBS Group, a young company that developed and sold accounting software specifically targeted to software companies. Wagner was a private investor—an “angel”—and a member of an informal group of other investors known as Walnut Venture Associates. (See Exhibit 1 for background information on Walnut) RBS was seeking to raise $2 million in equity capital to fund its growth. Wagner had agreed to take the lead role in evaluating RBS as an investment opportunity for Walnut. While Wagner would spearhead the process, each individual would make his own decision about whether to invest in the company. It was December 26, 1997 and Bob O’Connor, RBS’s founder and CEO, had presented to the Walnut group one week ago. The group had been impressed with O’Connor, with RBS’s business focus, and with the fact that the company had a product, sales and even earnings. Based on this positive first impression, the group had decided to take the next step and begin a more in-depth investigation of the company and its prospects. Half a dozen or so “Walnuters” had indicated an interest in possibly investing, and it was up to Wagner to come up with a due diligence agenda for these individuals. He pulled out RBS’s plan (See Exhibit 2) and began to sort through the issues the group should investigate during this phase, as well as an agenda for the meeting...
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