The goal of this thesis is to improve visualization dashboards in order to help decision making and Business Intelligence (BI) analysis, and make them accessible to a larger user audience. We identify current trends and use practices of visualization dashboards in the BI domain, and following a user-cantered design approach we provide enhancements and solutions. More specifically we address the following challenges: making dashboard construction and use accessible to visualization novices, enhancing dashboards with advanced annotation capabilities to help BI analysts in the analysis process, and add storytelling functionality to dashboards to help the communication between analysts and decision makers. Our user-centered approach consists of gathering user requirements (through background search, in-depth interviews or prototyping sessions with BI experts), iterative prototype development, and evaluation of our prototypes with representative users. First, our work reports gathered insights regarding novice user practices on Exploration Views (EV), a system that allows novice visualization users to easily build and customize BI information dashboards, but also provides functionality needed by experts. We evaluated EV with both expert and novice visualization users, and found differences in how experts and novice users interact with the interface. Based on those observations we provide new guidelines that augment previous work on designing for visualization novices, in the context of interactive visualization systems in the form of dashboards. BI analysts using dashboards (experts or novices) need support in record-keeping of their analysis, their data discoveries and gathered insights. This support is lacking in most dashboard visualization systems. We conducted in-depth interviews with BI experts that led to new annotation needs for multi-chart visualization systems (such as dashboards), on which we based the design of a dashboard prototype that supports data and context aware annotations, shared across visualizations and datasets. We focused particularly on novel annotation aspects, such as multi-target annotations, annotation transparency across charts, and annotations that can be shared among different data-sources and BI applications. We identified and provided solutions to challenges in using context aware annotations, notably issues arising when the annotation's "context" changes (e.g. annotated data are deleted or changed). Our prototype was evaluated with BI experts that were able to easily perform several tasks that they deemed important in their work. To increase the value of an analysis, recorded insights and knowledge need to be organized and communicated to others, and made available for future analysts to learn from. This communication step is very important, as often the analyst of data and the decision maker are two different people. To achieve this we need an easy insight organization and sharing mechanism to facilitate the transfer of knowledge, experiences, and stories, to decision makers and other analysts. We interviewed BI analysis experts and collected new requirements related to BI visual storytelling. Based on these requirements we designed and implemented a storytelling prototype that is integrated in a dashboard analysis tool, and allows easy transition from analysis to story creation and sharing. Our system was identified by experts as having great potential for training other analysts. Moreover, it can help BI analysis authors organize and communicate their findings faster to decision makers, and they can reach a broader audience since the results of a data analysis presented in the storytelling tool can be read with little to no training.

Šis darbas apima vaistinių tinklo klientų duomenų analizės modelio sudarymą ir sukūrimą. Kuriant ir projektuojant duomenų saugyklas, susiduriama su įvairiomis problemomis. Viena didžiausių ir daugiausia laiko užimančių duomenų saugyklų projektavimo ir kūrimo problemų – tai duomenų išgavimas iš esamų sistemų ir jų perkėlimas į analizės sistemas (ETL procesas). Analizuojamoje įmonėje naudojama Oracle duomenų bazė darbiniams duomenims saugoti. Tačiau kuriant duomenų saugyklą, buvo palygintos technologijos ir pačiai saugyklai realizuoti pasirinktos Microsoft SQL Server priemonės. Duomenų saugykla yra skirta vaistinių tinklui, kur be tradicinių pardavimų duomenų, yra ir tik farmacijoje naudojami duomenys (kompensuojamųjų vaistų receptai, draudimo nuolaidos ir pan.). Darbo metu sukurtas OLAP analizės kubas, apimantis vaistinių tinklo pardavimų, nuolaidų kortelių panaudojimo duomenis. Tai leidžia įmonės analitikams efektyviau analizuoti klientų įpročius, paklausiausias prekes ir pasiūlyti klientams tinkamiausius sprendimus, išlaikant esamus klientus ir pritraukiant naujus. Darbo metu realizuotas analizės kubas, nustatyti jo atnaujinimo intervalai, ištestuotas bendras sistemos veikimas. Taip pat nustatytos pagrindinės duomenų saugyklų projektavimo, realizavimo problemos. / This work investigates Pharmacy Data Warehouse model and practice. The development and design of data warehouse is faced with various problems. One of the biggest and most time consuming data warehousing design and development issues - is the data extraction from existing systems, transformations and load (ETL process) to target systems. Analyzed company uses Oracle database as operational data store. Examination of the current situation, the technical base, for the implementation of the data warehouse is selected the Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services tools. Because these tools already exist in the company, thus reducing the overall costs needed. During this work is realized the cube of Pharmacy customers analysis, tested overall system performance, in addition, an example schedules for cube updating are created. This enables the analysts to more effectively analyze customer behavior, sales and offer customers the most appropriate solutions, while retaining existing customers and attracting new ones.

Pirmoje darbo dalyje yra nagrinėjamos organizacijų ekonominės problemos ir ieškoma kaip tos problemos gali būti pašalintos. Išanalizavus kokios gali būti problemos pradėta analizuoti intelektualios verslo sistemos, kaip vienas geriausių sprendimo būdų. Darbe taip pat nagrinėjama intelektualių sistemų apibrėţimas, paaiškinama architektūra ir išskiriama kuo BIS skiriasi nuo kitų informacinių valdymo sistemų. Antroje dalyje yra nagrinėjamos pagrindinės problemos susijusios su intelektualiomis verslo sistemomis ir jų diegimu organizacijose. Analizuojama šiuo metu labiausiai paplitusios technologijos OLAP ir QlikView, kurios naudoja atmintį duomenų krovimui. Analizuojami jų privalumai ir trūkumai taip pat skirtumai. Trečioje dalyje analizuojama intelektualių verslo sistemų projektavimo metodika. Keliami klausimai ką reikia daryti, kad gautume sistemą atitinkančią organizacijos lūkesčius. Analizuojama projektavimo struktūra naudojant UML diagramas, taip pat elementų svarba pačioje sistemoje. Ketvirtoje dalyje yra projektuojami intelektualių verslo sistemų modeliai, kurie yra tik pavyzdiniai, kurie parodo kokie privalumai ir kaip veikia intelektualios verslo sistemos vykdant pirkimo funkcijas panaudojant marketinginius principus. / In the first part of master thesis analyzing the main problems, which are in organization management. The main purpose of this part is to find a solution how can resolve this problems. Business intelligence systems are the best solution. In this part analyzing business intelligence systems definition, architecture and also analyze what is different in business intelligence systems comparing with other informatics management systems. The second part of work analyzes business intelligence problems related with creation, developing and using BIS. Analyze the most popular tools like OALP and QlikView. Compare the OLAP and QlikView. Analyze QlikView like data loading from memory. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of QlikView and OLAP. The third part analyzes designing and planning of business intelligence systems. Analyze what is the main purpose to create good system which will be useful in organizations. In this part also analyze the UML modems for BIS. In the last part is presenting solutions for problems which was analyzed in the second part. The examples are created using UML diagrams.

Customer lead generation is a crucial and challenging task for online real estate service providers. The business model of online real estate service differs from typical B2B or B2C e-commerce because it acts like a broker between the real estate companies and the potential home buyers. Currently, there is no suitable automatic customer lead generation system available for online real estate service providers. This thesis aims at developing a systematic solution framework of automatic customer lead generation for online real estate service providers. This framework includes data modeling, data integration from multiple online web data streams, as well as data mining and system evaluation for lead pattern discovery and lead prediction. Extensive experiments were conducted based on a case study. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach is able to empower online real estate service providers for lead data analysis and automatically generate targeting customer leads.

Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) firms are in need to modify their business models to exploit available opportunities by the increasing role of knowledge management and information technology in the global economy. This thesis will propose business models for AEC firms to sell consulting knowledge on-line. The three proposed business models are: business and management intelligence, design optimization and innovation and; software customization and real time data analytics. The business models are based on selling online consulting knowledge services customized to the customers' business needs through enabling emerging information technologies like cloud computing. The models were developed through benchmarking cases in other industries, previous classifications in the area of business models and, experts insights. The suitability of these models to different clients will be assessed in addition to the most suitable revenue streams. Finally, the validated final business models will be presented in the framework by Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010).

Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) firms are in need to modify their business models to exploit available opportunities by the increasing role of knowledge management and information technology in the global economy. This thesis will propose business models for AEC firms to sell consulting knowledge on-line. The three proposed business models are: business and management intelligence, design optimization and innovation and; software customization and real time data analytics. The business models are based on selling online consulting knowledge services customized to the customers' business needs through enabling emerging information technologies like cloud computing. The models were developed through benchmarking cases in other industries, previous classifications in the area of business models and, experts insights. The suitability of these models to different clients will be assessed in addition to the most suitable revenue streams. Finally, the validated final business models will be presented in the framework by Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010).

Presented at Electronic Resources and Libraries, Austin, Texas, March 1, 2011

Academic libraries are attempting to manage growing collections of diverse electronic resources in a cha-otic environment of evolving standards and systems. The transition from a print-dominated resource en-vironment to an electronic one has complicated the decision-making process. Current discourse primarily focuses on meeting patron needs and has distracted researchers from looking at librarian needs. The au-thors discovered that librarians want a better understanding of the nature, extent, and diversity of elec-tronic resources for decision making, assessment, and accountability. Drawing from the collaborative methods and design philosophies of other disciplines, this paper outlines an approach to leveraging Web 2.0 philosophy and Business Intelligence techniques to address these needs. This approach will serve as a guide for academic librarians to transcend their current practices in order to develop innovative, colla-borative, and holistic approaches to the joint stewardship of library electronic resource collections.

Organizations typically have a reason for deciding to implement a particular business application, for example an Enterprise Resources Planning or a Human Resources management system. The reasons run the entire gamut from wanting to be the first (thus gaining a competitive edge) to playing catch-up (herd mentality perhaps) if everyone is deploying the solution. In between these extremes, there are organizations which take a technology agnostic view and thus set out to garner a good understanding of business challenges, opportunities, threats and risks to mitigate before seeking to deploy a particular solution. The objective of this study was to understand the business drivers and thought processes that the University of KwaZulu-Natal followed in selecting Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 technology. It was also the objective of the study to understand the deployment model chosen as well as understanding the attendant corporate governance put in place as well as the usage patterns once operational. The study followed a qualitative research format primarily using case study as the research design. Qualitative research was chosen because it is amenable to the collection, analysis and interpretation of data that cannot be easily or meaningfully quantified and summarized in the form of numbers. The case study research design was chosen because it allows the researcher to focus on one instance of a ‘thing’ to be investigated which then becomes the subject of an in-depth study using interviews and observation as a primary tool for data generation. A major finding of the study was that the University of KwaZulu-Natal followed an organic bottom-up approach which typically starts by providing collaborative sites and, as users find values in these sites, the implementation grows organically over a period of time. Another major finding was the absence of a formal documented corporate governance model that would include a SharePoint Delivery Plan for the organization. Consequently, of the four colleges within the university, only one college uses SharePoint technology. The adoption rate at the cluster or support services level is also markedly low. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

China is a unique market that differs from the Western market in many ways. Companies are not required to publicize financial reports, and furthermore a heavy focus on business relationship building can make it hard for companies to have high quality streams of data to get insights about their markets. For a consultant company to successfully enter the Chinese market and helping producing and technological global firms improving their insights on the Chinese market, the consultant company needs to understand which the important factors are and how those factors can help in creating value for their potential customers. To help the analyzing and consultant firm called Kairos Future, a qualitative case study was conducted on 16 different global companies with focus on industrial production. The case study was mainly conducted through face to face interviews with decision makers who had a broad understanding of their respective companies. In order to find where value can be created, the study was first used to find out which level of autonomity the China part of the global firm hadand how it affects the value creation linked to Market Intelligence, meaning receiving market data and analyzing it in order to get powerful market insights. The study also focused on the level of dependancy on having a continuous stream of technological information from external sources, how the companies are finding other types of market data and how they are analyzing and getting insights from the data. The final part of the study was to understand the level ofmaturity of the Chinese market linked to Market Intelligence, and what aspects affect the value creation for the customers. The report´s findings show that it is important for a consultant firm to focus on customers with high level of autonomity, or the head quarter in those cases where the level of autonomity is low - this in order to best utilize the consultant firm´s resources.Even though the companies in the study were heavily focused on the technological know-how within their respective markets, this was the one aspect they found the least interest in receiving external help with from a consultat firm. Receiving insights about customers within existing and new market segments was instead valued much higher. To understand the competitors’ movements in the market was also of high interest, because of the difficulty of finding public data within a given market in China. In order to successfully enter the Chinese Market Intelligence market, a consultant firm like Kairos Future needs to choose the specific customer segments where they can contribute the most value though their product and service offering. The goal should be to focus on one segment at a time, getting satisfied customers that help Kairos Future get a good market reputation through the word-of-mouth effect, and thereby making future sales easier. When this is accomplished, the same strategy can be applied to a new customer segment.