Relative importance of evaluation criteria for enterprise systems: a conjoint study

Abstract.  While a large body of research exists on the development and implementation of software, organizations are increasingly acquiring enterprise software packages [e.g. enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems] instead of custom developing their own software applications. To be competitive in the marketplace, software package development firms must manage the three-pronged trade-off between cost, quality and functionality. Surprisingly, prior research has made little attempt to investigate the characteristics of packaged software that influence management information system (MIS) managers' likelihood of recommending purchase. As a result, both the criteria by which MIS managers evaluate prospective packaged systems and the attributes that lead to commercially competitive ERP software products are poorly understood. This paper examines this understudied issue through a conjoint study. We focus on ERP systems, which are among the largest and most complex packaged systems that are purchased by organizations. In a conjoint study, 1008 evaluation decisions based on hypothetical ERP software package profiles were completed by managers in 126 organizations. The study represents the first empirical investigation of the relative importance that managers ascribe to various factors that are believed to be important in evaluating packaged software. The results provide important insights for both organizations that acquire such systems and those that develop them. The results show that functionality, reliability, cost, ease of use and ease of customization are judged to be important criteria, while ease of implementation and vendor reputation were not found to be significant. Functionality and reliability were found to be the most heavily weighted factors. We conclude the paper with a detailed discussion of the results and their implications for software acquisition and development practice.     

Analysis and design of Hermite subdivision schemes

Published online: 14 May 2002     

Combined shape and sizing optimization of truss structures

 In this paper, an evolutionary optimization method is presented for weight minimum problem of a 3-dimensional truss structure in terms of nodal coordinates and element cross-sectional areas. The structure is subject to stress, local buckling and displacement constraints. Two types of design variables with different natures are optimized separately: (1) a fully stressed design (FSD) and scaling techniques are applied to sizing variables and (2) the evolutionary node shift method is applied to shape variables. Alternating procedure is utilized to couple the two types of variables and to combine the results. The optimum solution is achieved gradually from the initial configuration design. Two typical truss structures are examined to illustrate the validity of the method. Received: 22 October 2001 / Accepted: 04 June 2002 This research work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under the guarantees no. 10072050 and 10172072, respectively.     

堤身的数据采集及断面设计的几点建议

针对堤防设计的基础资料采集和设计优化，提出了一些合理性建议。     

Influence of load and speed on wear characteristics of grey cast iron in dry sliding — selection for minimum wear

The wear of grey cast iron in dry sliding conditions has been studied with the aims of (1) finding the influence of working conditions on the wear rate, and (2) determining the region of speed and load where low wear is accomplished. Grey cast iron with flake and nodular graphite was submitted to investigation using a pin-on-disc machine. The results indicate that the flake graphite cast iron is more suitable for applications at speeds greater than 4 m s⁻¹ and lower loads, while nodular cast iron has greater wear resistance at lower speeds in the range of loads investigated - from 50 N cm⁻² to 200 N cm⁻²     

活动式水冷撇渣器的设计及应用

活动式水冷撇渣器是根据高炉冷却壁的工作原理设计的。第一台活动式水冷撇渣器于１９９３年２月２７日在安钢４号高炉投入运行，使用寿命长达１７个月零１８天，通铁量达到４０万ｔ。这种活动式水冷撇渣器具有投产少，收益高，维修方便，安全可靠等优点。     

对高炉冷却壁设计参数的探讨

通过炉衬、冷却壁、炉壳等与炉内温度之间的传热计算，对冷却壁的设计参数进行了搪塞分析，并提出了推荐的冷却壁设计参数。     

Planning the GMAW process by constraint propagation

Although the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process is widely used for joining metals, its planning is still a cumbersome task. The planning procedure involves many complex interrelationships among the process variables and depends heavily on empirical knowledge. Therefore, a solution method that allows a convenient way to represent the domain knowledge and evaluate the process variable relationships is needed. Further, the lack of a strong domain theory to quantify these interrelationships is a deficiency in the planning of the GMAW process. This paper presents a solution method that overcomes this deficiency and introduces a convenient knowledge representation scheme. The solution method considers the planning procedure to be a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP). The AC-4 algorithm is used to obtain arc consistency among nodes in the constraint network and the PC-4 algorithm is applied to obtain path consistency in the network. A modified version of the AC-4 algorithm is developed to reduce the search space and correspondingly reduce the computation time. An example is presented to demonstrate the capability of the method and its potential to reduce lead time.     

船艇电站仿真与综合管理系统

论文介绍了船艇电站模拟器的组成和实时仿真功能,着重描述了多层次的图形管理系统及其仿真界面。课题将多媒体课件制作与模拟器有机地结合,涵盖了船舶主要电气设备的控制电路,既利于实践训练又便于原理的讲解,并在实践中取得了良好的效果。