A multiple objective integer programming approach for planning franchise expansion

The number and configuration of franchise outlets in a market defines the distribution strategy of a franchise company. The introduction of new franchise outlets contributes to conflict between the franchisee and franchisor over the degree of market penetration. The selection of sites for new franchises is an important factor in the long-term profitability of many types of franchises. This selection process requires consideration of objectives of the franchisee and franchisor which are often conflicting in nature. This paper deals with the problem of locating new franchises in an existing franchise network using multiple objective integer programming models and methods.     

以加盟商的视角谈品牌服装的商品组合

以品牌为主导的国内服装产业,目前正在以品牌特许经营的方式,在中国服装市场上到处建设销售网络。同时,作为拥有一定知名度和市场占有率的品牌服装,订货也由最初的代理制转变为买断制,这就给加盟商带来了一定程度的压力和风险,因此作为加盟商如何组织自己的商品组合就变得十分重要,本文将站在加盟商的角度,对商品组合的构成进行详细的分析,以希望能在提升品牌形象的基础上实现利益的最大化。     

An Integrated Model for Introducing Intranets

An intranet as a new decision-making tool has gained much popularity in recent years. the design and implementation of this powerful decision-making tool is a multifaceted and complex process. This article presents an integrated model for a successful introduction of an intranet into an organization.     

The use of domination and legitimation in information systems implementation

In this paper, we present the results of a longitudinal case study on information systems (IS) implementation conducted in a community healthcare organization. Using structuration theory as a sensitizing framework, we highlight how the information technology (IT) Management improved their influence through gaining legitimation from other organizational stakeholders, and how the nature of this evolved over time. Our results highlight how an appropriate, sophisticated use of what Giddens refers to as the duality of structure contributed to the consolidation of the IT Manager's credibility and authority. We also report on how the IT Management had most of their actions legitimated as an integral element of their actions. The results also highlight the distributed nature of power, such that even those at the lower end of organizational hierarchy were able to influence the success or failure of IS implementation.     

The BT intranet: information by design

British Telecom's intranet hosts an array of information products that are an integral part of the way its employees do business. The article presents a glimpse of how BT uses concepts like media engineering to develop usable and maintainable information products-information by design. The BT intranet supports several information products that are now an everyday part of business within BT: the desktop directory not only supplies contact information, but also shows where people fit into the organization; a validated software site contains packages that have been tested and approved for use within the company; administrative services, such as expense claims, can be filled out and validated automatically as they flow through the organization, removing much of the manual work; internal news and guidance documents are posted on the intranet; and proposals for research and development projects, including their subsequent approval and delivery record, are recorded and tracked by an online system. Other documents provide details of the company's systems architecture, training programs, internal job vacancies, standards activities, and business strategy. We describe two applications of particular interest-a company-sponsored degree program and an engineering project data exchange site     

A cloud‐based responsive replenishment system in a franchise business model using a fuzzy logic approach

In today's volatile markets, increasingly unpredictable customer demand is exerting great challenges to responsive replenishment. The complexity of responsive replenishment is higher when the business is global in which demand in both domestic and overseas markets has to be catered for. The emergence of cloud computing has eased the difficulties as it allows nearly real‐time access to a universal platform for information sharing between franchisors and franchisees, creating huge opportunities for understanding global market needs for responsive replenishment. Considering the existence of uncertainties due to the fluctuating demands, fuzzy logic is useful in providing decision support for replenishment in uncertain environments. This paper presents a cloud‐based responsive replenishment system to manage operation data of a franchise business using cloud computing, and for analysis using fuzzy logic in order to provide franchisors with the required inventory levels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that applies cloud computing and artificial intelligence techniques in franchising. A pilot run of the system is conducted in an education company, which is considered to be a good representation of an industry operating with a franchise model. The results show that the system allows franchisors to formulate effective responsive replenishment strategies.     

Managing empowerment and control in an intranet environment

Abstract. An intranet increases in sophistication and complexity as it evolves. This evolution leads to an increasing need for control over the intranet. However, this is a contentious issue, as an intranet is deemed to be an empowering technology. Consequently, intranet control systems must balance empowerment and control so as not to negate each other. This paper investigates intranet control activities and their effect on users' perceptions of empowerment throughout the evolution of an intranet in Hewlett Packard (Ireland). The growth of the intranet is charted as a six-stage model that illustrates an evolution of purpose, control and empowerment. The control strategies for managing the intranet implemented at each stage are investigated, and their resultant effects on empowerment are evaluated. The study reveals the importance of balancing control strategies with empowerment initiatives in managing intranet environments. Based on the evidence available, the study recommends the implementation of specific controls at particular stages in the evolution of an intranet in order to achieve control systems that balance empowerment and control.     

Digital toolbox [intranets]

The author relates his experiences in hiring an additional Webmaster for his organization. The company Web-based content and server systems had become tool large and complex for the existing staff to handle. He considers the elements of successful intranet implementation which are similar to those required for Internet-based Web services     

Implementing enterprise resource planning systems: organizational performance and the duration of the implementation

This paper examines the impact of the duration of ERP implementation on firm performance both during and after implementation. Organizations choose either an accelerated implementation approach or a traditional (longer) implementation approach. The former approach gives the organization the advantage of speed, but the disadvantage of fitting its processes to that of a packaged (thus, undifferentiated from competitors) ERP. The latter approach allows the organization to redesign strategy and processes, and thus, search for ways to be unique from its competition. The study uses a regression model to capture the changes in various performance measures during and after implementation between firms that implemented the ERP, using the performance measure of a matched group of firms that did not implement an ERP as a benchmark/control sample, on the basis of the duration of the implementation. Financial data from Compustat, and data on start date and end date of ERP implementation between 1990 and 2005 for firms in the Oil and Gas industry was collected from an ERP vendor. Results show that measures such as return on sales improved after implementation. However, measures such as inventory turnover, which reflect operational benefits, improve during implementation. We find that accelerated implementation confers both operational and strategic benefits. This study highlights the strategic consequences of the different choices of implementation.     

Swords and plowshares: Information technology for collaborative advantage

Competitors who view information technology exclusively as a strategic weapon for competitive advantage risk missing a valuable opportunity: the use of information technology in conjunction with competitors for collaborative advantage. Collaborative advantage is defined as the benefit gained by a group of participants as the result of their cooperation rather than their competition. The development of a community health information network by seven competing hospitals in Dayton, Ohio illustrates how information technology can provide such an advantage. It also provides lessons for information systems and other managers who might consider such a use of information technology for their organization. Finally, it suggests further research on the subject.     

基于代理的信息安全网络隔离装置的研究与实现

介绍一种在电力系统信息内外网之间的基于代理的信息安全网络隔离装置的实现方案.该方案采用专用软硬件技术实现了在安全网络隔离情况下的信息安全交换,同时内嵌的SQL安全引擎可以有效地保证传输信息的安全.针对电力信息内外网的业务需求,结合电力系统网络和系统特征,给出了一个既能保证各网络之间系统的安全隔离交换,又能保证内部信息网络不受来自外界黑客攻击的隔离解决方案.     

Positive and negative aspects of online community cultivation: Implications for online stores’ relationship management

We investigated how online community building might affect the development of relationships with customers of online stores. Adopting social identification and relationship marketing perspectives, we examined the positive and negative aspects of online community cultivation and tested the meditating mechanisms involved in member participation processes. A survey-based study, conducted with 913 online consumers, revealed that community interaction can lead to consumer power through community identification and relationship investments. Furthermore, we found that perceived e-tailer support negatively affected the relationship between identification and consumer power. We concluded with a discussion of the key managerial and research implications of our findings.     

Communities of practice in a large distributed agile software development organization – Case Ericsson

ContextCommunities of practice—groups of experts who share a common interest or topic and collectively want to deepen their knowledge—can be an important part of a successful lean and agile adoption in particular in large organizations.ObjectiveIn this paper, we present a study on how a large organization within Ericsson with 400 persons in 40 Scrum teams at three sites adopted the use of Communities of Practice (CoP) as part of their transformation from a traditional plan-driven organization to lean and agile.MethodsWe collected data by 52 semi-structured interviews on two sites, and longitudinal non-participant observation of the transformation during over 20 site visits over a period of two years.ResultsThe organization had over 20 CoPs, gathering weekly, bi-weekly or on a need basis. CoPs had several purposes including knowledge sharing and learning, coordination, technical work, and organizational development. Examples of CoPs include Feature Coordination CoPs to coordinate between teams working on the same feature, a Coaching CoP to discuss agile implementation challenges and successes and to help lead the organizational continuous improvement, an end-to-end CoP to remove bottlenecks from the flow, and Developers CoPs to share good development practices. Success factors of well-functioning CoPs include having a good topic, passionate leader, proper agenda, decision making authority, open community, supporting tools, suitable rhythm, and cross-site participation when needed. Organizational support include creating a supportive atmosphere and providing a suitable infrastructure for CoPs.ConclusionsIn the case organization, CoPs were initially used to support the agile transformation, and as part of the distributed Scrum implementation. As the transformation progressed, the CoPs also took on the role of supporting continuous organizational improvements. CoPs became a central mechanism behind the success of the large-scale agile implementation in the case organization that helped mitigate some of the most pressing problems of the agile transformation.     

Networking embedded agents

Most of us will soon be managing an intranet in our homes, though we might not realize it. We might also be surprised at the devices that will be networked together. Just about every electrical device now contains one or more microprocessors. Designers typically find this a cost-effective way to provide device functionality, even when much of a processor's power is unnecessary or unused. For example, my coffee maker contains a processor, even though the appliance needn't be very smart and wastes most of its CPU cycles. Nevertheless, it is cheaper to include a general-purpose microprocessor than to incorporate custom logic devices. My kitchen, in fact, has at least six processors, in such appliances as the microwave, the dishwasher, and the toaster. These household devices are diverse and use their processors in quite different ways, but in the future they will share one important characteristic: Each will contain an agent. The agent will provide an intelligent interface to the device and, most importantly, will communicate with other devices in my home. At present, my devices are not very agent-like, and it is not useful to think, “My toaster knows when the toast is done” or “My coffee pot knows when the coffee is ready.” However, once the devices are interconnected so that they can communicate, they can arrange to have my coffee and toast ready at approximately the same time. Then I may think of them in anthropomorphic terms. For example, when I shut off my alarm clock, I can imagine it telling my kitchen devices to prepare my breakfast. When devices talk to each other, they begin to seem more like agents. At: this point my house becomes more than just a collection of processors-it becomes a multiagent system communicating over an intranet     

Supporting community-based learning: case study of a geographical community organization designing its website

Community computing supports human - computer interaction among neighbours in geographical or place-based community organizations. Using a case study of such an organization, we investigate the process of designing their website. Our long-term participatory design approach, integrating developmental informal learning, allowed us to understand how this community organization adopts, evaluates, and sustains website technology. Based on our case study analysis, we present three design heuristics for developing community-based technology: align and afford new possibilities for participation, dynamically manage organizational knowledge and learning, and enhance social capital within community organizations and with the broader community.     

基于分布式架构的内网监控系统的应用与研究

随着网络应用的发展,越来越多的数据信息在组织内部传递与共享。如何阻止这些重要的数据信息从组织内部非法地扩散出去,成为信息安全研究领域的热点问题之一。本文提出了一种基于分布式架构的内网监控系统,它可以根据组织设定的信息安全管理规则,监控重要数据在组织内部的扩散行为,控制非法扩散行为的产生,从而达到保护数据安全的目的。     

Management of emerging technologies: Experiences and lessons learned at US West

Successful management of emerging technologies is critical to the survival of business organizations today. However, given the risky and often unproven nature of these technologies, considerable confusion exists on how to manage their implementation. This paper recounts the experiences of US West Communications with their intranet project, and uses it to understand problems faced in implementing emerging technologies and ways of overcoming such problems. By providing a longitudinal view of the company's intranet experience over a period of 3 years, it identifies key organizational factors that facilitated or impeded acceptance of this emerging technology. Lessons learned at US West are used to recommend guidelines that can help practitioners implement emerging technologies in their organizations more effectively.     

内联网数据仓库技术及应用

本文讨论了内联网数据仓库技术的需求和实现,提出了由操作数据层、数据提取层、数据仓库层、分析处理层和用户层构成的五层结构的企业内联网数据仓库系统,并详细探 讨了建立实用内联网数据仓库系统的关键技术