No business can effectively be managed without the proper management and information that reflects and creates the milieu it operates in. Business performance management creates the framework in which a structured approach can be followed in setting the scene for a predictive and controllable environment. Business intelligence creates the information structures; information relationships and a reflection of the value chain of the business. By combining the two methodologies it creates a total business solution that harmonises all aspects of value creation in an objective manner. The aim of this study is to conduct a thorough theoretical study on the relevant aspects involved in business performance management and business intelligence, and to assess the relationship of business performance management and business intelligence within the South African natural resource' mining and manufacturing sector. The various processes of business performance management and business intelligence are discussed in the literature study. During the literature research several approaches to business performance management implementations and the pros and cons of business performance management are discussed. A broad look at business intelligence is done, with key focus on delivering of information. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The desire to obtain value and justify investments from the different Information Systems in place in organizations has been around for a long time. Organizations constantly theorize and implement different approaches that provide some sort of alignment between their different business objectives and Information Systems. Unfortunately, the environments in which these organizations operate are often dynamic, constantly changing with influence from external and internal factors that require continual realignment of the Information Systems with business objectives to provide value. When businesses evolve, leading to changes in business requirements, it is hard to know what direct Information System changes are needed to respond to the new requirements. Similarly, when there are changes in the Information System, it is not often easy to discern which business objectives are directly affected. Whilst the different Enterprise Architecture frameworks available today provide and propose some form of alignment, in their implementation, they do not show links between business objectives and Information Systems, i.e., indicating what Information System is directly responsible for different business objectives thereby allowing for anticipation and support of changes as the business evolves. This thesis utilizes insights from Business Intelligence and uses the User Requirements Notation (URN), which enables modeling of business processes and goals, to provide a framework that exploits links between business objectives and Information Systems. This Business Intelligence - Enabled Adaptive Enterprise Architecture framework allows for anticipating and supporting proactively the adaptation of Enterprise Architecture as and when the business evolves. The thesis also identifies and models levels within the enterprise where responses to change as the business evolves are needed and the ways the changes are presented. The tool-supported framework is evaluated against the different levels and types of changes on a realistic Enterprise Architecture at a Government of Canada department, with encouraging results.

No business can effectively be managed without the proper management and information that reflects and creates the milieu it operates in. Business performance management creates the framework in which a structured approach can be followed in setting the scene for a predictive and controllable environment. Business intelligence creates the information structures; information relationships and a reflection of the value chain of the business. By combining the two methodologies it creates a total business solution that harmonises all aspects of value creation in an objective manner. The aim of this study is to conduct a thorough theoretical study on the relevant aspects involved in business performance management and business intelligence, and to assess the relationship of business performance management and business intelligence within the South African natural resource' mining and manufacturing sector. The various processes of business performance management and business intelligence are discussed in the literature study. During the literature research several approaches to business performance management implementations and the pros and cons of business performance management are discussed. A broad look at business intelligence is done, with key focus on delivering of information. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Unternehmen agieren heute in einer hochdynamischen Umwelt, wodurch die Anforderungen an Business Intelligence-Systeme (BI-Systeme) sich stetig verändern. Durch zügiges Reagieren darauf können sich Unternehmen Wettbewerbsvorteile verschaffen. Die dazu notwendige Wandlungsfähigkeit von BI-Systemen setzt voraus, dass bereits die BI-Architektur auf Flexibilität ausgelegt ist. Die Anwendung des Paradigmas der modellgetriebenen Softwareentwicklung auf die Domäne des Data Warehouse Engineerings (DWE) kommt diesem Bedarf nach. Zudem muss neben der Agilität von BI-Systemen auch der Faktor der Korrektheitsprüfung nach vorgenommenen Änderungen betrachtet werden. Es soll untersucht werden, inwieweit sich die im modellgetriebenen DWE anfallenden Metadaten zur Unterstützung und Automatisierung von Softwaretests zur Korrektheitsprüfung nutzen lassen. Die so erzielte Verringerung des Überprüfungsaufwandes führt zu einer verbesserten Wandlungsfähigkeit von BI-Architekturen und kommt somit dem Bedarf von effizienten agilen BI-Lösungen nach.

Univ., Diss.--Hamburg, 2007.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universiẗat, Würzburg, 2003.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / On title page: Master of Philosophy (Information and Knowledge Management). Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Most large contemporary mines already have considerable amounts of data, much of which goes largely unused. The key challenge in big data is increasing data utilization. Much of the data in the mine (not plant) come from a variety of systems, each with different databases and reporting environments. Standard technology deployments create a "silo-ification" of data leading to poor system usage. Through modern server monitoring, data utilization can quantifiably be measured. A host of other quantifiable, often automated approaches, to measuring data use and value can also be incorporated as a means of monitoring value generation. A data valuation tool is presented to measure the data assets at an operation. The Data Value Index (DVI) quantifies business intelligence best practices and user interaction considering managerial flexibility and data utilization rates. The DVI is built considering many case studies of data warehousing at various mining companies, some of which will be presented.

Thesis (MA (Information Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / Traditional information protection mechanisms are no longer adequately placed to effectively deal with the adversarial threats that have arisen as a result of the rise in importance of knowledge for today’s organisations. Business counterintelligence appears to be a protective entity, which in principle can effectively engage with and mitigate many of these newly manifested threats. Yet, business counterintelligence is also an entity that is accompanied by a great deal of haze and confusion as to its use, implementation and integration within different organisations. This is evident from the literature where there currently exist multiple fragmented definitions of what business counterintelligence is. Organisations may as a result adopt a particular business counterintelligence definition that may not be effective for their context. This can result in the ineffective protection of critical information assets and the misappropriation of organisational resources; something which is not sustainable. This thesis proposes that in order to allay the confusion caused by these differing fragmented definitions, one needs to be able to arrive at a consolidated definition of what constitutes business counterintelligence; this thesis’s primary objective. This has been examined by firstly contextualising business counterintelligence in order to better understand the topic; the information society was used as a backdrop for this purpose. Secondly, an examination of the prevailing views of business counterintelligence and its role within organisations is offered in order to build clarity. Thirdly, a consolidated definition of business counterintelligence is proposed and its implications for different organisations examined. Finally, the implications of this consolidated definition for the sustainability of business counterintelligence are discussed and conclusions based on the evidence presented within the thesis drawn. Based on the arguments presented, this thesis postulates that a consolidated definition of business counterintelligence is more effective and is thus more sustainable.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In our contemporary globalized world, Eritrean enterprises are challenged with high competition from within and from foreign counterparts. Consequently, only those companies that predict the future and take proactive decisions can win the game. However, none of these organizations have applied formal competitive intelligence practice in a proactive, disciplined, and systematic fashion to defend against threats as well as to exploit opportunities, though informally they do engage in the practice. Some of these informal competitive intelligence practicing companies are relatively 'good performers' and others are 'poor performers'. The level of this competitive intelligence performance is believed to be influenced by organizational culture. This implies that employees who are encouraged and trained to have shared values, beliefs, norms and practices are in a better position to share information and interact with each other with open minds. Here, the free flow of information is the basic ingredient that helps to produce effective competitive intelligence. In an attempt to explore if a statistically significant relationship exists between organizational culture and competitive intelligence performance, a literature study was first carried out to learn from other scholars' work. The literature review was then followed by an empirical study. This empirical part of the study attempted to investigate if Eritrean manufacturers and traders perform informal competitive intelligence practice as well as if there is a positive relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Data was collected through a questionnaire from top level managers. Of the 39 questionnaires distributed, 23 organizations properly completed the questionnaire. Statistical analysis was then computed using the SPSS package to determine the correlations. The relationship between organizational culture and competitive intelligence was determined in two ways: first, it was correlated in terms of the six selected organizational culture dimensions (employee involvement, human resources, organizational focus, communication flow, reward, and trust) and competitive intelligence; and second, in terms of scores of each firm's organizational culture and competitive intelligence. Moreover, the level of the score determined whether these companies performed well or not. In both cases a positive relationship was found between organizational culture and competitive intelligence performance. These results supported the hypothesis that organizational culture does contribute to improved competitive intelligence practice. Furthermore, the finding suggests that Eritrean firms are doing moderately good in their informal competitive intelligence. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In ons huidige globaliseerde wêreld kry Eritrea se ondernemings te doen met sterk kompetisie van binne en van buite die land. Dus floreer net daardie ondermemings wat die toekoms kan voorspel en pro-aktiewe besluite kan neem. Dit is egter waar dat nie een van hierdie organisasies formele, kompeterende intelligensiepraktyke op 'n pro-aktiewe, gedisiplineerde en sistematiese wyse toegepas het om hulself teen dreigemente te beskerm en om geleenthede uit te buit nie; informeel het hulle wel. Sommige van hierdie maatskappye wat informeel kompeterende intelligensie toepas, is betreklike 'goeie presteerders' en ander is 'swak presteerders'. Daar word geglo dat die prestasievlak van hierdie kompeterende intelligensie beïnvloed word deur organisatoriese kultuur. Die implikasie is dat werknemers wat aangemoedig en opgelei is om aan dieselfde dinge te glo en wat dieselfde waardes, norme en praktyke deel, in 'n beter posisie is om inligting te deel en met 'n ope gemoed met mekaar om te gaan. Die vrye vloei van inligting is die basiese bestanddeel wat help om doeltreffende kompeterende intelligensie te produseer. Met die doel om na te vors of daar 'n statisties sinvolle verhouding bestaan tussen organisatoriese kultuur en kompeterende intelligensie, is daar eers 'n literatuurstudie gedoen om uit ander se werk te leer. Na die literatuuroorsig is daar 'n empiriese studie gedoen. Die empiriese deel van die studie poog om na te vors of die vervaardigers en handelaars informele kompeterende intelligensie toepas en ook of daar 'n positiewe verhouding bestaan tussen die onafhanklike en afhanklike veranderlikes. Data is versamel deur middel van 'n vraelys aan hoëvlak bestuurders. Nege-en-dertig vraelyste is uitgestuur waarvan 23 volledig deur die organisasies ingevul is. Statistiese ontleding is toe gedoen om deur middel van die statistiese pakket SPSS die korrelasies te bepaal. Die verhouding tussen organisatoriese kultuur en kompeterende intelligensie is op twee maniere bepaal: dit is eers gekorreleer in terme van die ses geselekteerde organisatoriese kultuurdimensies (werknemer betrokkenheid, menslike hulpbronne, organisatoriese fokus, kommunikasievloei., beloning en vertroue) en kompeterende intelligensie; en tweedens in terme van tellings van elke maatskappy se organisatoriese kultuur en kompeterende intelligensie. Die vlak van die telling het bepaal of die maatskappy goed presteer het of nie. In albei gevalle is daar gevind dat daar 'n positiewe verhouding bestaan tussen organisatoriese kultuur en prestasie in kompeterende intelligensie. Hierdie bevindinge ondersteun die hipotese dat organisatoriese kultuur wel bydra tot verbeterde intelligensiepraktyke. Verder bewys dit dat ondernemings in Eritrea redelik goed vaar in informele kompeterende intelligensie.