The role of IT application orchestration capability in improving agility and performance

This paper investigates how IT application orchestration – a dynamic capability encapsulating a firm’s ability to refresh its application portfolio through a process of building, buying, and retiring IT applications – impacts firm performance. We propose a conceptual model in which the effect of IT application orchestration on firm performance is mediated by process agility. We further propose that a firm’s strategic orientation moderates the effect of IT application orchestration capability on process agility. Analysis of data from an international survey of IT executives supports our proposed hypotheses. This research contributes to the emergent literature on dynamic capabilities by proposing and testing a theory of how IT application orchestration capability affects agility and firm performance.     

IT capability and organizational performance: the roles of business process agility and environmental factors

The business value of information technology (IT) has been one of the top concerns of both practitioners and scholars for decades. Numerous studies have documented the positive effects of IT capability on organizational performance but our knowledge of the processes through which such gains are achieved remains limited due to a lack of focus on the business environment. Such a linkage therefore remains the subject of debate in the information systems literature. In this study, we fill this gap by investigating the mediating role of business process agility and the moderating roles of environmental factors. On the basis of matched survey data obtained from 214 IT and business executives from manufacturing firms in China, our analyses show that even though firm-wide IT capability presents the characteristics of rarity, appropriability, non-reproducibility, and non-substitutability, its impact on organizational performance is fully mediated by business process agility. Our results also show that the impact of the environment is multifaceted and nuanced. In particular, environmental hostility weakens the effect of IT capability on business process agility, while environmental complexity strengthens it. The theoretical and practical implications of this study, and its limitations, are also discussed.     

Realising platform operational agility through information technology–enabled capabilities: A resource‐interdependence perspective

Intensifying competition in recent times requires business‐to‐consumer (B2C) e‐commerce platforms to develop operational agility for competitive advantage. Despite the agreement on an increasing competitive landscape, the process for realising information technology (IT)‐driven operational agility on e‐business platforms has received little scrutiny. Through an investigation of M.com, a leading multisided online retailing platform in China, this study provides a clear thesis of resource interdependencies and IT‐enabled capabilities forged during operational processes to realise operational agility. Our investigation, observations, and reflections from practice substantiate a model of how a platform like M.com cultivates IT‐driven resource‐interdependent competencies and capabilities tantamount to realising operational agility. The model shows how IT enables three capabilities—localised, synergistic, and optimised—which reflect the effective co‐ordination of three resource interdependencies (pooled, sequential, and reciprocal) during M.com's complex operations and processes, and explicates the consequences. For research, we postulate that IT‐enabled operational agility in complex organisational forms, cultivated through the development of resource‐interdependent capabilities to deliver effective sensing and response mechanisms, forms effective strategies for the B2C platform in dynamic marketplace conditions.     

Toward developing agility evaluation of mass customization systems using 2-tuple linguistic computing

Mass customization (MC) relates to the ability to provide individually designed products and services to every customer through high process flexibility and integration. For responding to the mass customization trend it is necessary to develop an agility-based manufacturing system to catch on the traits involved in MC. An MC manufacturing agility evaluation approach based on concepts of TOPSIS is proposed through analyzing the agility of organization management, product design, processing manufacture, partnership formation capability and integration of information system. The 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic computing manner to transform the heterogeneous information assessed by multiple experts into an identical decision domain is inherent in the proposed method. It is expected to aggregate experts’ heterogeneous information, and offer sufficient and conclusive information for evaluating the agile manufacturing alternatives. And then a suitable agile system for implementing MC can be established.     

Understanding employee competence,operational IS alignment,and organizational agility – An ambidexterity perspective

Views on whether business-information systems (IS) alignment enhances or impedes organizational agility vary. The present study addresses this paradox by examining business-IS alignment at the strategy implementation stage, that is, the operational level. We conceptualize operational-level IS alignment (hereafter OISA) as an ambidextrous capability consisting of both structural and social alignments and examine its effect on organizational agility. Furthermore, we study the role of shared competence between business and IS departments in achieving OISA ambidexterity. Survey data of 119 departmental managers empirically support our research model. We summarize the implications and suggestions for future research.     

A Model for the Impact of Cybersecurity Infrastructure on Economic Development in Emerging Economies: Evaluating the Contrasting Cases of India and Pakistan

The possibilities and risks inherent in the dissemination of ICT necessitate implementation of cybersecurity initiatives. Yet, we know very little about the specific relationships between national information infrastructure (NII), cybersecurity capability, and economic development in emerging economies. This paper proposes a model based on national nuclear threat security through which a developing nation could develop an effective cybersecurity infrastructure while simultaneously positively impacting economic development. Our model extends the cybersecurity triad of internal governance, private sector partners and an active cybercitizenry to add a fourth influence – foreign government relations – that significantly impacts socioeconomic development. The model will be elaborated through the lens of two case study nation-states: India and Pakistan.     

Digital technology-enabled dynamic capabilities and their impacts on firm performance: Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic

To understand whether companies can lock in the benefits of digital technology (DT) usage during the COVID-19 pandemic, we draw on a dynamic capability view to examine how digitalization capabilities generate impacts on firm performance. Through the analysis of 165 Chinese manufacturing companies, we find that market capitalizing agility and operational adjustment agility fully mediate the relationship between digitalization capabilities and firm performance. More interestingly, of the effect size of different mediation paths, market capitalizing agility has the strongest effect. We contribute to the existing information systems literature by revealing the possible mediational mechanisms that can solve the digital dilemma.     

A Multi‐Level Model for Organizational Ambidexterity in the Search Phase of the Innovation Process

Innovation is one of the most critical means in supporting and improving the competitive position of the firm, in particular, and a firm's survival and growth depend greatly on its ability to balance the exploitation of existing knowledge with the exploration of new possibilities, by building ambidexterity capability. While different alternatives to realize the simultaneous reconciliation of exploration and exploitation at an operational level have been proposed, how organizations build ambidexterity capability is not fully understood. The aim of this paper is thus to explore how exploration and exploitation balancing can be achieved in practice. We decided to focus on the early phase of the process where firms search for new ideas with which to renew themselves. To this end, we analysed the search phase of a highly innovative technology‐based company by investigating structural design choices combined with the presence of specific roles and searching practices. The results show how the exploration and exploitation balancing act can actually be achieved and maintained through a multi‐level approach that integrates both the operational and the strategic levels. Our findings thus contribute to the organizational ambidexterity literature, by proposing a first interpretative model for dealing with ambidexterity in the search phase of the innovation process.     

Hierarchy aware distributed plan execution monitoring

Collaborative plan execution is becoming increasingly important given its potential for operational agility and cost reduction. In this paper we propose a distributed and hierarchy aware monitoring procedure for operational plan execution taking place in a dynamic environment characterized by unreliable communication and exogenous events. The contribution of this paper consists in employing a hierarchical clustering approach supporting a multi-party and hierarchy aware information sharing mechanism that is resilient to disruptions in the execution environment. The proposed distributed monitoring procedure uses asymmetric clustering to reflect hierarchical relationships along with gossip based communication across the clusters. Of significance is the information sharing mechanism formalization which utilizes a fresh information window in conjunction with communicating Markov Decision Processes. We show the usefulness of assessing shared information awareness via probabilistic model checking for various combinations of clustering topology and disruption conditions. In this context, we assess formal specifications expressed in probabilistic temporal logic and show how the model checking results can be used to derive the best fresh window value to maximize an information awareness utility function. An illustrative case study is also presented.     

A study of IS assets,IS ambidexterity,and IS alignment: the dynamic managerial capability perspective

This study aims to explore how IT-business alignment can be better achieved. Drawing on the dynamic capability view, information systems (IS) alignment and IS ambidexterity are theorized as IT departments’ ordinary capability and dynamic managerial capability, respectively. Four IS assets are identified as antecedents of both IS ambidexterity and IS alignment. A research model with 14 hypotheses is tested with a sample of 162 manufacturing firms. The PLS analysis shows that IS ambidexterity can increase IS alignment in terms of operational support and that the four IS assets can affect IS alignment directly or indirectly. Implications for research and practice are provided.     

Agility through scenario development and continuous implementation: a global aftermarket logistics case

This paper examines a business and IS/IT initiative at Volvo that involves managing the development and implementation of an agile aftermarket supply chain. The case is based on Volvo's global initiative to create a platform, Web services, and a Web portal for selling spare parts over the Internet. Creating and integrating a new platform is difficult, and establishing new relations in global aftermarket logistics is even more challenging. Agility relates to an organisation's ability to sense and respond rapidly to unpredictable events in order to satisfy changing customer demands. Volvo's effort illustrates agility as achieved by working continuously with scenario development and keeping implementation projects to a comprehendible size in order to nurture learning. The effort involved direct actions to manage both the technology and the relations among supply chain actors. As this case shows, continuous implementation projects can deliver innovation in new relations and through new channels – particularly if projects address agility from the start.     

基于EDA算法的改进KPCA的某型测角仪的状态监测与故障预测研究

基于电子系统状态监测为研究背景,传统的Kernel Principal Component Analysis(核主成份分析法,简称KPCA)在状态监测过程中做数据特征降维处理,使得电路状态数据在消除冗余信息的同时,也能在相应的模型算法计算中很大程度的减少计算步骤,但是KPCA法的降维数据处理过程对数据样本贡献率的识别能力有不足之处,虽然达到了降维的目的,但是对特征样本数据的信息保留能力存在不足。本文中采用经验模态分解法(Empirical Mode Decomposition,简称 EMD)对输出信号进行采集处理作为样本数据,设计基于 Fisher准则的状态信息识别能力分析,采用 Estimation of Distribution Algorithms(种群算法,简称 EDA)对KPCA分析法进行改进研究,通过对数据处理,最大限度的保留状态主信息,使得在电路系统状态监测过程中减小实验误差,为后续故障预测打下基础。     

基于多Agent的企业供需网实时决策支持系统

企业供需网业务活动是跨企业并由多个独立的企业实体合作完成的,而每一企业又都占有资源,都具有独立的决策权,这种动态性、分布性特点造成了供需网管理决策的复杂性。应用Agent特性的供需网跨平台的信息系统集成、信息共享在实现系统实时决策,优化协调管理供需网的运作,敏捷适应顾客需求的变化,帮助供需网各企业实体的决策人员做出优化的供需决策起着十分重要的作用。文章提出了一种在Web环境中应用多Agent技术、WWW技术及XML技术的实时决策支持系统体系结构,并通过探讨其多Agent模型、研究分析系统数据交换及供需决策过程,为供需网实现过程优化决策与管理,有效地完成供需网一系列供需任务而提供了一种良好的技术支持。     

Relating agility and electronic integration: The role of knowledge and process coordination mechanisms

Current competitive environments necessitate that firms pursue electronic integration in parallel to agility. However, most research to date has examined integration and agility relatively independently and has overlooked the relationship between them. Using coordination theory, this paper suggests that integration enables the two capabilities of agility (i.e., sensing and responding). Results from a study of 303 business unit operations of manufacturing organizations show that integration within business units and with outside partners is positively associated with process coupling of the value chain, both internally and externally. Further, both types of integration are positively associated with knowledge flow within and outside the business unit. In turn, both lead to higher capability to sense change in the business environment and respond to it with agility. This research helps us understand the integration-agility relation better by investigating the role of the knowledge and process capabilities.     

Service-oriented technology and management: Perspectives on research and practice for the coming decade

Service-oriented technologies and management have gained attention in the past few years, promising a way to create the basis for agility so that companies can deliver new, more flexible business processes that harness the value of the services approach from a customer’s perspective. Service-oriented approaches are used for developing software applications and software-as-a-service that can be sourced as virtual hardware resources, including on-demand and utility computing. The driving forces come from the software engineering community and the e-business community. Service-oriented architecture promotes the loose coupling of software components so that interoperability across programming languages and platforms, and dynamic choreography of business processes can be achieved. Nevertheless, one of today’s most pervasive and perplexing challenges for senior managers deals with how and when to make a commitment to the new practices. The purpose of this article is to shed light on multiple issues associated with service-oriented technologies and management by examining several interrelated questions: why is it appropriate now to study the related business problems from the point of view of services research? What new conceptual frameworks and theoretical perspectives are appropriate for studying service-oriented technologies and management? What value will a service science and business process modeling offer to the firms that adopt them? And, how can these approaches be implemented so as to address the major challenges that organizations face with technology, information and strategy? We contribute new knowledge in this area by tying the economics and information technology strategy perspectives to the semantic and design science perspectives for a broader audience. Usually the more technical perspective is offered on a standalone basis, and confined to the systems space – even when the discussion is about business processes. This article also offers insights on these issues from the multiple perspectives of industry and academic thought leaders.     

Enhancing conflict detecting mechanism for Web Services composition: A business process flow model transformation approach

Businesses today are keenly aware of the competitive role of information technology. However, there is still a need for application systems to be implemented for support of daily business operations. However, these systems may be developed or acquired at different times from different vendors, and thus may be incompatible with each other. Because of this, a number of standards and technologies have been addressed to draw an integral vision in the field of enterprise application integration (EAI).Emerging Web Services has now promised enterprises that they can deploy new digital services faster than ever before by integrating the existing application systems. By integrating in this fashion, operational processes of heterogeneous systems are seamlessly controlled and integrated through a meta-processes. This integration could preserve the autonomy of original systems, as well as enhance the flexibility and agility of the business. The researchers who constructed this study have attempted to explore in detail the design of these meta-processes. Also the researchers have proposed a conflict detecting mechanism (CDM) in order to aid process designers. A prototype with a case study has been developed to evaluate the feasibility of the CDM, and the results show that it is useful in guiding process designers to correct and improve their designed meta-processes.     

一类非线性离散时间动态系统的交替辨识算法及应用

表征产品在工业过程加工的质量、效率、成本、能耗或物耗等的运行指标与过程控制系统的输出密切相关,它们之间的动态模型往往机理不清,具有强非线性,难以用精确数学模型描述,但运行指标的预报对运行操作具有重要意义.本文利用工业过程在工作点附近工作的特点,将过程控制系统的输出与运行指标之间的动态模型描述成线性模型与高阶非线性项即未建模动态组成,对线性模型以及未建模动态提出了一种由改进的投影算法与未建模动态估计算法组成的交替辨识算法.最后,通过数值仿真实验和电熔镁炉的真实数据进行功率预报实验,实验结果表明了所提方法的有效性.     

一个新的信息系统敏捷性度量模型

针对信息系统的敏捷性难以客观量化的问题,基于模糊综合评价法建立了信息系统敏捷性度量模型。此模型面向企业敏捷性,指标的提炼比较深入和全面,具有实用性和可操作性;由于各敏捷性度量指标的边界不清晰,给评分带来一定难度,采用了Vague集评分法,增加了评分的客观性。经实例验证,所建立的模型比较有效。     

3AIG模型:一种新的嵌入目标的企业建模方法

企业建模是一种重要的研究工具,有利于理解业务流程,并做出相应调整,以适应当前激烈的竞争环境。提出了一种新的名为3AIG的企业建模方法,包括五个基本要素:行为体(Actor)、活动(Activity)、实体资源(Asset)、信息(Information)和目标(Goal),其中,目标处于中心地位,并被较好地嵌入到模型中,便于展示行为体如何通过协作活动、处理信息和实体资源,以实现相应的目标,通过3AIG建模,可以较好地分析企业过程,进而做出某些改进来提高运行效率和增加竞争能力。     

虚拟企业下零件工艺信息建模研究

对于异地分布式虚拟企业来说，信息量需求增大，敏捷性增高，从而使得信息的共享和集成是要解决的难题之一。文中在分析虚拟企业以及已有建模技术的基础上，对工艺信息的获取进行了探索性研究，采取从CAD模型的STEP文件中获取和人工补充两种方式相结合来得到完整的信息；采用基于特征的建模技术建立了零件工艺信息概念模型，从而保证了信息一致性、完整性、永久性。