Structured data stores have been the dominating technologies for the past few decades. Although dominating, structured data stores lack the functionality to handle the ‘Big Data’ phenomenon. A new technology has recently emerged which stores unstructured data and can handle the ‘Big Data’ phenomenon. This study describes the development of an artefact to aid in the analysis of NoSQL document data stores in terms of relational database model constructs. Design science research (DSR) is the methodology implemented in the study and it is used to assist in the understanding, design and development of the problem, artefact and solution. This study explores the existing literature on DSR, in addition to structured and unstructured data stores. The literature review formulates the descriptive and prescriptive knowledge used in the development of the artefact. The artefact is developed using a series of six activities derived from two DSR approaches. The problem domain is derived from the existing literature and a real application environment (RAE). The reviewed literature provided a general problem statement. A representative from NFM (the RAE) is interviewed for a situation analysis providing a specific problem statement. An objective is formulated for the development of the artefact and suggestions are made to address the problem domain, assisting the artefact’s objective. The artefact is designed and developed using the descriptive knowledge of structured and unstructured data stores, combined with prescriptive knowledge of algorithms, pseudo code, continuous design and object-oriented design. The artefact evolves through multiple design cycles into a final product that analyses document data stores in terms of relational database model constructs. The artefact is evaluated for acceptability and utility. This provides credibility and rigour to the research in the DSR paradigm. Acceptability is demonstrated through simulation and the utility is evaluated using a real application environment (RAE). A representative from NFM is interviewed for the evaluation of the artefact. Finally, the study is communicated by describing its findings, summarising the artefact and looking into future possibilities for research and application. / MSc (Computer Science), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

The rapid expansion of cloud technology provides enormous capacity, which allows for the collection, dissemination and re-identification of personal information. It is the cloud’s resource capabilities such as these that fuel the concern for privacy. The impetus of these concerns are not too far removed from those expressed by Mason in 1986, when he identified privacy as one of the biggest ethical issues facing the information age. There seems to be continuous ebb and flow relationship with respect to privacy concerns and the development of new information communication technologies such as cloud computing. Privacy issues are a concern to all types of stakeholders in the cloud. Individuals using the cloud are exposed to privacy threats when they are persuaded to provide personal information unwantedly. An Organization using a cloud service is at risk of non-compliance to internal privacy policies or legislative privacy regulations. The cloud service provider has a privacy risk of legal liability and credibility concerns if sensitive information is exposed. The data subject is at risk of having personal information exposed. In essence everyone who is involved in cloud computing has some level of privacy risk that needs to be evaluated before, during and after they or an organization they interact with adopts a cloud technology solution. This resonates a need for organizations to develop privacy practices that are socially responsible towards the protection of their stakeholders’ information privacy. This research is about understanding the relationship between individual values and their privacy objectives. There is a lack of clarity in organizations as to what individuals consider privacy to be. Therefore, it is essential to understand an individual’s privacy values. Individuals seem to have divergent perspectives on the nature and scope of how their personal information is to be kept private in different modes of technologies. This study is concerned with identifying individual privacy objectives for cloud computing. We argue that privacy is an elusive concept due to the evolving relationship between technology and privacy. Understanding and identifying individuals’ privacy objectives are an influential step in the process of protecting the privacy in cloud computing environments. The aim of this study is to identify individual privacy values and develop cloud privacy objectives, which can be used to design a privacy audit for cloud computing environments. We used Keeney’s (1992) value focused thinking approach to identify individual privacy values with respect to emerging cloud technologies, and to develop an understanding of how cloud privacy objectives are shaped by the individual’s privacy values. We discuss each objective and how they relate to privacy concerns in cloud computing. We also use the cloud privacy objectives in a design science study to design a cloud privacy audit framework. We then discuss the how this research helps privacy managers develop a cloud privacy strategy, evaluate cloud privacy practices and develop a cloud privacy audit to ensure privacy. Lastly, future research directions are proposed.

Sensemaking is often associated with processing large or complex amount of data obtained from diverse and distributed sources. Sensemaking enables leaders to have a better grasp of what the data represents and what insights they can get from it. Thus, sensemaking is considered extremely important in mature markets where the competition is fierce. To-date, the research base on sensemaking has not moved far from the conceptual realm, however. In response, this research provides a conceptual framework that explains the core processes of sensemaking - noticing, interpretation and action - and examines how emerging technologies such as Social Network Analysis (SNA) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques help to enhance the human sensemaking process in generating valuable insights during data analysis. Design Science Research (DSR) is adopted as a research methodology in the context of financial transactional data analysis, aiming to make sense of the data while exploring conceptions of customer value for a mainstream commercial bank alongside the perceived need for banking products. Three analytical models are introduced, examining Connected Customer Lifetime Value (CCLV), Network Relationship Equity (NRE) and product purchasing frequency based on customer 'personas'. The former models employ SNA techniques in providing novelty, the latter combines the outcomes of SNA with ML clustering algorithms to provide a base on which product holdings and purchase frequency analysis are overlaid - providing a novel form of recommendation. Ongoing evaluation of the developed models is used to explore the nuances of the sensemaking process and the ability of such models to support that process (in the given domain).

Submitted by Joana Azevedo (joanad@id.uff.br) on 2017-08-21T13:33:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERT PAULO Roberto de S Junior.pdf: 6776571 bytes, checksum: 59ae47d1b85cd55e32642458e1e3c9de (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Biblioteca da Escola de Engenharia (bee@ndc.uff.br) on 2017-08-24T13:30:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERT PAULO Roberto de S Junior.pdf: 6776571 bytes, checksum: 59ae47d1b85cd55e32642458e1e3c9de (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-24T13:30:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERT PAULO Roberto de S Junior.pdf: 6776571 bytes, checksum: 59ae47d1b85cd55e32642458e1e3c9de (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-10-21 / Um dos desafios importantes nas organizações de engenharia é lidar com o crescente nível de complexidade dos seus projetos, aliado à imersão da indústria da construção em um fraco cenário econômico e comercial nos últimos anos. A situação obriga as empresas a reverem a organização dos seus macroprocessos, simplificando-os a partir de uma melhor distribuição de tarefas, reduzindo custos e, adaptando, consequentemente, seus padrões de construtibilidade à nova realidade. Na mesma linha de tempo surge o segundo cenário, advindo da inserção da gestão do conhecimento na ISO 9001:2015. Além de estimular a participação dos empregados, mobilizando-os na construção de soluções práticas, a gestão do conhecimento busca o desenvolvimento de processos mais equilibrados, que proporcionem uma construção eficiente e de baixo custo, ao mesmo tempo em que são fomentadas e sistematizadas as atividades de criação, armazenagem, transferência e reuso de conhecimento. Em função disso o objetivo central da pesquisa está pautado na concepção de artefatos que priorizem a produção e incorporação de conhecimento local, levando-se em consideração as particularidades do cliente, os riscos, disponibilidade de recursos, região e cultura de mão de obra, e minimize o problema permitindo uma articulação mais fluida e dinâmica entre pessoas, processos e sistemas. Considerando que se trata de uma pesquisa de engenharia, procurou-se utilizar de um método investigativo que se aproximasse da realidade das empresas de construção e montagem, optando assim pela Design Science Research. A metodologia sustentou o estudo de caso em uma empresa de grande porte que lidera o segmento no Brasil. Pelo método foram gerados quatro artefatos, avaliados e validados quanto ao rigor e aplicação. A pesquisa se beneficiou da convergência oportuna entre a metodologia, o contexto de uma empresa de engenharia, em um quadro de mudança regulatória da norma ISO 9001:2015. Encontrar e explorar essa convergência em benefício da empresa, mas com perspectivas de generalização dos seus resultados foi a contribuição mais relevante que o presente trabalho realizou. / One of the most important challenges in engineering organizations is to deal with the growing level of complexity of their projects, combined with the immersion of the construction industry in a weak economic and commercial scene in recent years. The situation forces companies to review their macro processes’ organization, simplifying them onwards to a better distribution of tasks, reducing costs and consequently adapting its constructability standards to the new reality. In the same timeline emerges a second scenario, resulting from integration of knowledge management in the ISO 9001: 2015. Besides encouraging the participation of employees, mobilizing them to build practical solutions, the knowledge management also seeks to develop more balanced processes that provide an efficient and low-cost construction, at the same time that creation activities, storage, transfer and reuse of knowledge are encouraged and systematized. Based on this, the central objective of the research is lined on the design of artifacts that prioritize the production and incorporation of local knowledge, taking into account customer particularities, risks, availability of resources, region and labor culture, and minimize the problem allowing a more fluid articulation and dynamics between people, processes and systems. Whereas it is an engineering research, it was aimed to use an investigative method to approach the reality of construction and assembly companies, thus opting for Design Science Research. The methodology supported the case study in a large company that leads the industry in Brazil. By the method were generated four artifacts, assessed and validated as to the accuracy and application. The research has benefited from timely convergence of the methodology, the context of an engineering company in a regulatory change ISO 9001: 2015 context. The most important contribution this work accomplished was to find and exploit this convergence for the benefit of the company, but with generalization prospects of its results.

Submitted by PPG Administra??o e Neg?cios (ppgad@pucrs.br) on 2018-10-31T17:37:27Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MARINA_GASPARETO_DIS.pdf: 6807658 bytes, checksum: f2ed1bd8eb279dae731daaa37e79c5d9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Sheila Dias (sheila.dias@pucrs.br) on 2018-11-01T14:39:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 MARINA_GASPARETO_DIS.pdf: 6807658 bytes, checksum: f2ed1bd8eb279dae731daaa37e79c5d9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-01T14:47:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MARINA_GASPARETO_DIS.pdf: 6807658 bytes, checksum: f2ed1bd8eb279dae731daaa37e79c5d9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-08-31 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES / Companies need to review their Business Models (BM) over time to remain competitive. Technological changes and outsourcing have made the market even more dynamic, requiring organizations to reinvent themselves and innovate. Business Model analysis allows companies to reflect about their current configurations, compare it with those adopted by competitors, innovate and instantiate future BMs. The Activity System (AS) perspective is an inter-relational array of activities that together build a Value Proposition. The literature review shows the absence of a systemic method for BM analysis. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide a method for BM analysis in AS perspective. Design Science Research was used to propose the method through the analysis of four companies, from two different sectors, with different configurations. The proposed method has three pillars: Dimension Analysis, Business Model Representation and Competitiveness Analysis. The main contribution of this research adds to the field of Business Models, through a prescriptive method for analysis using the perspective of the Activity System, relying on empirical research. Furthermore, executives of organizations and consultants can use this method as a pragmatic instrument to deepen their understanding of Business Models, instantiate future models or reinvent them. Moreover, this analysis process has a formative value to organizational strategists, since the strategic review in BM develops its capability of systemic and reflective vision. / As organiza??es precisam revisar seus Modelos de Neg?cio (MN) ao longo do tempo para manter-se competitivas. As mudan?as tecnol?gicas e o processo de terceiriza??o tornaram o mercado competitivo mais din?mico, exigindo que as organiza??es se reinventem e inovem. As an?lises em Modelos de Neg?cio possibilitam refletir sobre a configura??o atual, comparar com aquelas adotadas pela concorr?ncia, instanciar MN futuros e, ainda, inovar. A perspectiva de Sistema de Atividades compreende pelo arranjo de atividades que em conjunto constroem a Proposta de Valor da organiza??o. A revis?o de literatura evidencia a aus?ncia de um m?todo sist?mico para an?lise de MN. Portanto, o objetivo desse trabalho ? propor um m?todo para analisar Modelos de Neg?cio a partir da Perspectiva de Sistema de Atividade. O m?todo Design Science Research foi aplicado para propor o artefato, que contou com a an?lise de quatro empresas, duas duplas de setores distintos, com configura??es diferentes. O m?todo proposto conta com tr?s pilares: o primeiro se refere a An?lise das Dimens?es, o segundo a Representa??o do Modelo de Neg?cios; e o terceiro a An?lise de Competitividade. A principal contribui??o dessa pesquisa ao campo de MN, refere-se ao m?todo prescritivo proposto para an?lise de Modelo de Neg?cio na perspectiva de Sistema de Atividade, com embasamento em pesquisas emp?ricas. Al?m disso, executivos das organiza??es e consultores poder?o utilizar esse m?todo como instrumento para compreender os Modelos de Neg?cio atuais, instanciar modelos futuros ou reinvent?-los. Al?m disso, essa an?lise possui car?ter formativo aos estrategistas, pois a revis?o estrat?gica em Modelo desenvolve sua capacidade de vis?o sist?mica e reflexiva.

This conceptual paper outlines the descriptive theoretical foundations or kernel theories for designing an information and communication technology (ICT) tool to assess professional competences in the Austrian trade and craft sector. Upon completion, the ICT-tool serves as a boundary object in which applicants and assessors can interact. While this paper consists of a literature review and conceptual discussion, the overall project is methodologically placed within a multidisciplinary design-science paradigm. Design science scaffolds and structures the development of a theoretical model, the generation of assessment-items and the ICT-tool itself. This paper discusses the necessary descriptive knowledge or kernel theories on which the design of the ICT-tool rests. First, we describe the validation of prior learning - a process advocated by the European Union to make professional competences visible. Second, we describe the process how professional competences come about: through formal, non-formal and informal learning. Subsequently, we outline a knowledge-driven discourse on professional competences and discuss how different definitions of professional competence afford different approaches for its assessment. By presenting a use-case, we outline how the ICT-tool may guide applicants and assessors through this process.

Many countries (especially developing countries) are plagued with critical healthcare issues such as chronic, infectious and pandemic diseases, a lack of basic healthcare programmes and facilities and a shortage of skilled healthcare workers. E-Health (healthcare based on the Internet technologies) promises to overcome some problems related to the reach of healthcare in remote communities. Electronic Health Record (EHR) (consisting of all diagnostic information related to a patient) forms the core of any E-Health system. Hence the success of an E-Health system is very much dependent on the success of the EHR systems. Although interest in automating the health record is generally high, the literature informs us that they do not always succeed in terms of adoption rate and/or acceptance, even in developed countries. The success of the adoption tends to be low for resource constrained (e.g. insufficient E-Health infrastructure) developing countries. As part of the effort to enhance EHR acceptance, readiness assessment for the innovation becomes an essential requirement for the successful implementation and use of EHR (and hence E-Health). Based on a thorough literature review, several research gaps have been identified. In order to address these gaps, this thesis (based on design science research methodology) presents E-Health Readiness Assessment Methodology (EHRAM). It involves a new E-Health Readiness Assessment Framework (EHRAF), an assessment process and several techniques for analysing the assessment data to arrive at a readiness score. The EHRAF (Model) integrates the components from healthcare providers?? and organisational perspectives of existing E-Health readiness evaluation frameworks. The process of EHRAM (Method) starts with the development of a set of hierarchical evaluation criteria based on EHRAF. This leads to the questionnaire development for data collection. The data is analysed in EHRAM using a number of statistical and data mining techniques. The instantiation part of the design science research involves an automated tool for the implementation of EHRAM and its application through a case study in a developing country.

Every day large volumes of data are collected in the form of time series. Time series are collections of events or observations, predominantly numeric in nature, sequentially recorded on a regular or irregular time basis. Time series are becoming increasingly important in nearly every organisation and industry, including banking, finance, telecommunication, and transportation. Banking institutions, for instance, rely on the analysis of time series for forecasting economic indices, elaborating financial market models, and registering international trade operations. More and more time series are being used in this type of investigation and becoming a valuable resource in today�s organisations. This thesis investigates and proposes solutions to some current and important issues in time series data management (TSDM), using Design Science Research Methodology. The thesis presents new models for mapping time series data to relational databases which optimise the use of disk space, can handle different time granularities, status attributes, and facilitate time series data manipulation in a commercial Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). These new models provide a good solution for current time series database applications with RDBMS and are tested with a case study and prototype with financial time series information. Also included is a temporal data model for illustrating time series data lifetime behaviour based on a new set of time dimensions (confidentiality, definitiveness, validity, and maturity times) specially targeted to manage time series data which are introduced to correctly represent the different status of time series data in a timeline. The proposed temporal data model gives a clear and accurate picture of the time series data lifecycle. Formal definitions of these time series dimensions are also presented. In addition, a time series grouping mechanism in an extensible commercial relational database system is defined, illustrated, and justified. The extension consists of a new data type and its corresponding rich set of routines that support modelling and operating time series information within a higher level of abstraction. It extends the capability of the database server to organise and manipulate time series into groups. Thus, this thesis presents a new data type that is referred to as GroupTimeSeries, and its corresponding architecture and support functions and operations. Implementation options for the GroupTimeSeries data type in relational based technologies are also presented. Finally, a framework for TSDM with enough expressiveness of the main requirements of time series application and the management of that data is defined. The framework aims at providing initial domain know-how and requirements of time series data management, avoiding the impracticability of designing a TSDM system on paper from scratch. Many aspects of time series applications including the way time series data are organised at the conceptual level are addressed. The central abstraction for the proposed domain specific framework is the notions of business sections, group of time series, and time series itself. The framework integrates comprehensive specification regarding structural and functional aspects for time series data management. A formal framework specification using conceptual graphs is also explored.

The aim of the thesis is twofold. First, a need is exposed for adopting a situated design perspective in designing computer-based tools that support knowledge work. Second, an examination is made of what this perspective may reveal concerning the nature of processes and relations within the design situation. This is done to understand better what it means for users and developers, as well as other stakeholders, to approach and capture the tacit knowing within the work context. The argument for adopting a situated design perspective is based on experience drawn from development projects, as well as literature reviews. In these projects, the design situations encountered are best characterized as explorative and iteratively interpreted. Here, approaching and understanding the work context, together with the users, has at best been a pursuit of the vision of the future system guided by local circumstances, and where the users had difficulties in expressing and understanding what it is they want and how they want it. This implies that formal engineering methods, where the development work is reduced to an engineering endeavor based on a rationalistic perspective, are not sufficient. The situated design perspective is presented in this thesis as a conceptual model of the design practice, highlighting its constituent worlds, processes, and relations. The model depicts designing as an explorative and sense-making process, navigating between what is wanted or envisioned and what may be negotiated and discovered. It emphasizes the importance of the artifact being designed as a means to capture, communicate, and discover what is possible in the work context. The model makes clear that the design process is highly situated, and that it cannot take place outside the work context because of interdependent relationships. It is designing within the living work context, not design for an objectified one. Thus, it cannot be planned as a pure engineering endeavor, but needs to be viewed as a situated practice.

Despite the perceived importance of IT, a majority of IT projects fail to deliver what was actually ordered (!). One main reason for failure is IT project management’s inability to adapt and react to a dynamic and changing project environment, instead, projects are run as if it is possible to predict all project variables before project start. In reality, IT project workers live in a dynamic, political and commercial environment where it is difficult to predict and control the future. IT projects needs to be continually aligned with their environment to stay relevant and deliver utility. Through a design science and action research approach, a model supporting IT project managers with IT project alignment is created and tested. The model is called DELTA and is designed to be easy to understand and use for IT project managers; it builds on a simplification of commonly available approaches in order to facilitate communication the different domains of expertise in IT projects. DELTA builds on four main constituents: Enterprise images, Stakeholders, Goals and Project. Guidelines for using the model is also presented. Experiences from using the model indicates that the model is perceived as a useful complement to regular project management methods, specifically by merging different conceptual perceptions into a common view. Furthermore, results highlight the conflict between IT project alignment and the traditional project model. Finally, the results show the difference between IT project issues and underlying causes for these issues.