The primary objective of the research is to develop a methodology for monitoring and measuring IT risks, strictly focusing on internal controls. The research delivers a methodology whereby an organization can measure its system of internal controls, providing assurance that the risks are at an acceptable level. To achieve the primary objective a number of secondary objectives were addressed: What are the drivers forcing organizations to better corporate governance in managing risk? What is IT risk management, specifically focusing on operational risk. What is internal control and specifically focusing on COSO’s internal control process. Investigation of measurement methods, such as, Balance Scorecards, Critical Success Factors, Maturity Models, Key Performance Indicators and Key Goal Indicators. Investigation of various frameworks such as CobiT, COSO and ISO 17799, ITIL and BS 7799 as to how they manage IT risk relating to internal control.

No description available.

Enterprise content management (ECM) is an emerging research area that is beginning to find attention in academia. While the private sector has a growing industry and community for ECM, academia is starting to address this with direct links to the better-established areas of information systems and enterprise resource planning systems. ECM has been viewed as a higher-level concept of methods and strategies pertaining to content management in the context of the enterprise. Like many other organizational wide systems, ECM systems are complex, difficult to implement and risk failing to meet expected success measures. Definitions for what exactly constitutes an ECM system are still evolving. The major issues with ECM systems are that they are increasingly being implemented by organizations in an attempt to address the unmanageable amount of unstructured content over its lifecycle, compliance pressures, collaboration needs, content integrity and continuity, and controlling costs. However, the implementation problems are many and diverse, such as determining content and business processes to be included, determining technologies to fit the organizational needs, how to integrate with existing systems, and managing organizational culture and change for acceptance. There is currently little academic research in the area of ECM, and research determining the key factors that contribute to successful implementations of these systems is absent. This research addressed the existing gap in ECM research and investigated the key success factors for the implementations of ECM systems with the objectives of identifying a set of success factors. Guided by research in related areas and through developing a theoretical framework and the resulting research model, the study used a qualitative case study method to identify ECM implementation factors and their relationship to organizational culture and people, business processes, technology and organizational content. The results of this research were twofold, first by contributing needed research in the ECM area and second to aid organizations in the implementation of ECM systems by identifying key factors.

Characteristics such as speed of reaction, order accuracy, operational flexibility and sustained quality have become fundamental in successful business today. The success of aligning a supply chain to attain these characteristics depends largely on the use of efficient communication and information technology. Communication between supply chain members requires that relevant information is transferred from its point of inception to the next point(s) of use. The transfer of information entails an efficient flow of information between systems, between systems and humans and between humans, which is directly associated with the effective interoperability between the various entities handling the relevant information. Accordingly, the realisation of interoperability will mean a faster information flow and, thus, an effective decision-making process. This research, therefore, will propose indicators and metrics for the assessment of the information flow efficiency of a business and, in particular, of a supply chain, examine the existing techniques of information flow measurement, and identify inherent weaknesses. New information flow efficiency metrics are developed and categorised into different indicators, which are based on the quality of the information as it is applied in finance, information technology and the principles of business performance measurements. This research will illustrate that these quality characteristics drive an effective and efficient information flow which, in turn, enables them to be used both as indicators and as associated metrics of information flow efficiency. Explorative analysis and statistical cluster analysis identified the most important indicators and associated metrics based on the results of a survey instrument designed specifically for this purpose. Scales were developed to facilitate the numeric assessment of the metrics and indicators. In order to prove the ability of the new indicators and associated metrics to differentiate between different levels of information flow efficiency, the new metrics were applied in sample organisations and the responses evaluated. This research lays an important foundation in terms of the ability to assess information flow efficiency which is, in turn, necessary in order to gain a better understanding of the performance of supply chains in a time where real-time information flow and electronic integration are becoming strategic business success factors. / Business Management / D. Com. (Business Management)

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: At the beginning of 1999, DaimlcrChrysler SA prepated itself for becoming part of the family ofintcmational plants within DaimlerChrysler AG. To do this, DaimlcrChryslcr SA had to produce vehicles for the international markets and not just for the local markets. This meant that they were required to change many processes and systems. Many processes were aligned with processes used within DaimlerCbrysler AG, while certain standatd systems like PLUS. which is the shop floor control system, were implemented. A brand new SAP system was also implemented. During the implementation of these processes and systems, a documentation methodology was developed to ensure that the processes and systems implemented in South Africa, could be reused elsewhere in the world. At the same time, a project implementation methodology was also developed to ensure that this project and futw:c projects w· document processes and systems in this manner, while ensuring strict quality control. This study looked at the above methodologies developed at DaimlerChrysler SA with the aim of knowledge reuse and the subsequent reduction of cost and project implementation time. It was found that the process modelling methodology used at DaimlerChrysler SA was comprehensive. Compared to other process modelling methodologies available in the literature, the methodology used by Daimlc.tChrysler SA covered most aspects i.e. detailed organisation structures (e.g. line and staff relationships) and informacion structures (e.g. data file structures). Within the DaimlcrChryslcr documentation methodology a strong emphasis is placed on maintaining the link between the process and system documentation. This link is important during the system development cycle, as well as for the pmpose of reuse of software. International plants wanting to use the process and system documentation from DaimlerChrysler SA as a basis for their implementations could easily follow the documentation. The documentation flows from a high level process and system concept, to detail process descriptions, to system specification docwnents, and t \stly program names and customizing settings required for the use of the system functionality. It was found that the project implementation methodology used at DalmletChrysler SA was following conventional project management guidelines, whist ensuring the maintenance of process and system docwnentation as required by the reuse approach. DaimletChrysler's reuse approach of process and system knowledge is built on the foundation of using innovation teams in local organizations together with a team coordinating centralised rollout. The approach also focuscd on the development of certain modular components that can be 100% rcused. It was found that interfaces between the DaimletChrysler core systems were ideally suited for this modular approach. The International Production Template approach led to significant cost savings. So fat, each implementation showed an improvement in total project implementation cost and time compated to the previous implementation. Each implementation was also used as an opportunity to further itnprove the template by adding functionality and widening the scope. This study showed conclusive evidence that system and process knowledge can effectively be reused, resulting in significant cost and time savings. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Aan die begin van 1999, het DaimlerChrysler SA homself gereed gemaak om deel te vorm van die familie van intemasionale aanlegte binne DaimlerChrysler AG. Om dit te vermag moes DaimlerChrysler SA voertuie vir die intemasionale markte produseer:, en nie net vir die plaaslike markte soos in die verlede nie. Hiervoor moes hulle menige prosesse en stelsels verander. Verskeie prosesse is in Iyn gebring met prosesse soos gebruik binne DaimlerChrysler AG, tenvyl sommige standaard stelsels soos PLUS, wat 'n produksie beheer stelsel is, geimplementeer is. 'n Splintemuwe SAP stelsel is ook geimplementeer. Gedurende die implementering van hierdie prosesse en stelsels, is 'n dokumentasie metodiek ontwikkel om te verseker dat prosesse en stelsels wat in Suid Afrika geimplementeer word, in ander wereld dele hergebruik kan word. Terselfdertyd is 'n projek implementerings metodiek ontwikkel om te verseker dat bogenoemde en toekomstige projekte, prosesse en stelsels op hierdie wyse sal dokumenteer terwyl streng kwaliteitsbeheer toegepas word. Hierdie studie het gefokus op bogenoemde metodieke soos deur DaimlerChrysler SA ontwikkel, met die doel om kennis en kundigheid te hergebruik, en sodoende koste en tyd te bespaar. Die studie het bevind dat die proses modellering metodiek soos deur DaimlerChrysler SA gebruik, omvattend was. Vergelykende met ander proses modellering metodieke soos in die Iiteratuur gevind, dek die metodiek soos deur DaimlerChrysler SA gebruik die meeste aspekte o.a. die fynste besonderhede van organisatoriese strukture en inligting strukture (data). Die DaimlerCbryslcr dokumentasie metodiek fokus sterk daarop om 'n verbintenis te bewerkstellig tussen proses en stelsel dokumentasie. Hierdie verbintenis is belangrik tydens die stelsel se onwikkelings kringloop, asook vir die doel van die hergebruik van die sagteware. Sodoende kan internasionale aanlegte wat die proses en stelsel dokumentasie wil gebruik as basis vir hul implementasies, maklik die vloei volg. Die dokumentasie vloei vanaf 'n hoë vlak proses en stelsel konsep na gedetailleerde proses beskrywings na stelsel spesifikasie dokumente en laastens rekenaar program name en konfigurasie verstellings wat benodig word vir die beoogde stelsel funksionaliteit. Daar is gevind dat die projek implementerings metodiek soos deur DaimlcrChrysler SA toegepas konvensionele projek bestuur beginsels volg, terwyl die metodiek verseker dat die proses en stelsel dokumentasie soos vereis deur die hergebruik benadering, op datum gehou word. DaimlerChrysler se benadering van die hergebruik van prosesse en stelsels is gegrond op die die gebruik van innovasie spanne in plaaslike organisasies, saam met 'n span wat die uitrol daarvan koordineer vanuit 'n sentrale oogpunt. Die benadering fokus ook op die ontwikkeling van sekere modulere komponente wat 100% hergebruik kan word. Daar is gevind dat die koppelvlakke tussen die leidende DaimlerChrysler stelsels uiters geskik is vir hierdie modulere benadering. Die Intemasionale Produksie Patroon as benadering het tot aansienlike koste besparings gelei. Tot op datum het elke implemenrasie 'n besparing getoon ten opsigte van die totale projek implementeringskoste in vergelyking met die vorige projek. Elke implementering is ook gcbruik as 'n geleentheid om die patroon verder te verbeter deur addisioncle funksionaliteit by te voeg en die omvang te vergroot. Hierdie studie het onweerlegbare bewyse gelewer dat stelsel en proses kennis op 'n effektiewe wyse hergebruik kan word, en wat sodoende kan lei tot beduidende koste en tyd besparings.

Thesis (MMil (Computer Information Systems))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Since the 1940s, the evaluation of information systems has been the topic of many authors’ research. When taking into account the amount of resources invested in an organisation’s information systems, especially in the present fiscal conditions, then the evaluation of an information system’s success is imperative. Traditionally, monetarybased evaluation measures were used to evaluate the success of an information system, however, these types of measures were found to be inadequate in their attempt to measure the complexity of information systems successfully. Surrogate measures, such as the user’s satisfaction with the information system, were developed to replace monetary-based evaluation measures. These forms of measures are often perceptual by nature and usually encompass the different stakeholders involved in the information system.

Thesis (PhD (Industrial Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The crucial role of innovation in creating sustainable competitive advantage is widely recognised in industry today. Likewise, the importance of having the required information accessible to the right employees at the right time is well-appreciated. More specifically, the dependency of effective, efficient innovation processes on the availability of information has been pointed out in literature. A great challenge is countering the effects of the information overload phenomenon in organisations in order for employees to find the information appropriate to their needs without having to wade through excessively large quantities of information to do so. The initial stages of the innovation process, which are characterised by free association, semi-formal activities, conceptualisation, and experimentation, have already been identified as a key focus area for improving the effectiveness of the entire innovation process. The dependency on information during these early stages of the innovation process is especially high. Any organisation requires a strategy for innovation, a number of well-defined, implemented processes and measures to be able to innovate in an effective and efficient manner and to drive its innovation endeavours. In addition, the organisation requires certain enablers to support its innovation efforts which include certain core competencies, technologies and knowledge. Most importantly for this research, enablers are required to more effectively manage and utilise innovation-related information. Information residing inside and outside the boundaries of the organisation is required to feed the innovation process. The specific sources of such information are numerous. Such information may further be structured or unstructured in nature. However, an ever-increasing ratio of available innovation-related information is of the unstructured type. Examples include the textual content of reports, books, e-mail messages and web pages. This research explores the innovation landscape and typical sources of innovation-related information. In addition, it explores the landscape of text analytical approaches and techniques in search of ways to more effectively and efficiently deal with unstructured, textual information. A framework that can be used to provide a unified, dynamic view of an organisation‟s innovation-related information, both structured and unstructured, is presented. Once implemented, this framework will constitute an innovation-focused knowledge base that will organise and make accessible such innovation-related information to the stakeholders of the innovation process. Two novel, complementary text analytical techniques, Latent Dirichlet Allocation and the Concept-Topic Model, were identified for application with the framework. The potential value of these techniques as part of the information systems that would embody the framework is illustrated. The resulting knowledge base would cause a quantum leap in the accessibility of information and may significantly improve the way innovation is done and managed in the target organisation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die belangrikheid van innovasie vir die daarstel van „n volhoubare mededingende voordeel word tans wyd erken in baie sektore van die bedryf. Ook die belangrikheid van die toeganklikmaking van relevante inligting aan werknemers op die geskikte tyd, word vandag terdeë besef. Die afhanklikheid van effektiewe, doeltreffende innovasieprosesse op die beskikbaarheid van inligting word deurlopend beklemtoon in die navorsingsliteratuur. „n Groot uitdaging tans is om die oorsake en impak van die inligtingsoorvloedverskynsel in ondernemings te bestry ten einde werknemers in staat te stel om inligting te vind wat voldoen aan hul behoeftes sonder om in die proses deur oormatige groot hoeveelhede inligting te sif. Die aanvanklike stappe van die innovasieproses, gekenmerk deur vrye assosiasie, semi-formele aktiwiteite, konseptualisering en eksperimentasie, is reeds geïdentifiseer as sleutelareas vir die verbetering van die effektiwiteit van die innovasieproses in sy geheel. Die afhanklikheid van hierdie deel van die innovasieproses op inligting is besonder hoog. Om op „n doeltreffende en optimale wyse te innoveer, benodig elke onderneming „n strategie vir innovasie sowel as „n aantal goed gedefinieerde, ontplooide prosesse en metingskriteria om die innovasieaktiwiteite van die onderneming te dryf. Bykomend benodig ondernemings sekere innovasie-ondersteuningsmeganismes wat bepaalde sleutelaanlegde, -tegnologiëe en kennis insluit. Kern tot hierdie navorsing, benodig organisasies ook ondersteuningsmeganismes om hul in staat te stel om meer doeltreffend innovasie-verwante inligting te bestuur en te gebruik. Inligting, gehuisves beide binne en buite die grense van die onderneming, word benodig om die innovasieproses te voer. Die bronne van sulke inligting is veeltallig en hierdie inligting mag gestruktureerd of ongestruktureerd van aard wees. „n Toenemende persentasie van innovasieverwante inligting is egter van die ongestruktureerde tipe, byvoorbeeld die inligting vervat in die tekstuele inhoud van verslae, boeke, e-posboodskappe en webbladsye. In hierdie navorsing word die innovasielandskap asook tipiese bronne van innovasie-verwante inligting verken. Verder word die landskap van teksanalitiese benaderings en -tegnieke ondersoek ten einde maniere te vind om meer doeltreffend en optimaal met ongestruktureerde, tekstuele inligting om te gaan. „n Raamwerk wat aangewend kan word om „n verenigde, dinamiese voorstelling van „n onderneming se innovasieverwante inligting, beide gestruktureerd en ongestruktureerd, te skep word voorgestel. Na afloop van implementasie sal hierdie raamwerk die innovasieverwante inligting van die onderneming organiseer en meer toeganklik maak vir die deelnemers van die innovasieproses. Daar word verslag gelewer oor die aanwending van twee nuwerwetse, komplementêre teksanalitiese tegnieke tot aanvulling van die raamwerk. Voorts word die potensiele waarde van hierdie tegnieke as deel van die inligtingstelsels wat die raamwerk realiseer, verder uitgewys en geillustreer.

Resumo: No âmbito da gestão de recursos informacionais os modelos e métodos de organização e recuperação de informações sempre estiveram condicionados às tecnologias utilizadas, de modo que com desenvolvimento e intensificação da utilização das tecnologias digitais uma nova gama de possibilidades vem sendo incorporada aos processos de produção, armazenamento, representação e recuperação de informações, atingindo um estágio em que os modelos clássicos de organização e recuperação de informações precisam ser (re)pensados sob diferentes perspectivas, pois os mesmos não parecem ser capazes de solucionar os problemas identificados no ambiente Web, evidenciando a necessidade de desenvolvimento de novas tecnologias que permitam otimizar a recuperação de informações em ambientes digitais. Nesse sentido, os estudos relacionados ao projeto Web Semântica vêm destacando-se como uma nova perspectiva no desenvolvimento de tecnologias que possibilitem um aumento na qualidade e relevância das informações recuperadas, a partir do desenvolvimento de instrumentos que permitam descrever formalmente, em um formato que possa ser processado por máquinas, os aspectos semânticos inerentes aos recursos informacionais, contribuindo para a identificação e contextualização das informações disponíveis no ambiente Web. Deste modo, a proposição deste trabalho é a realização de um estudo teórico e metodológico de caráter interdisciplinar acerca do projeto Web Semântica, buscando favorecer a "desmistificação" dos conceitos e tecnologias subjacentes e avaliar em que medida a área de Ciência da Informação pode contribuir para sua concretização, ressaltando os possíveis reflexos destas novas abordagens tecnológicas em seu corpus teórico. Assim, apresenta-se um levantamento bibliográfico acerca do desenvolvimento da Internet... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In the scope of the information resource management, the models and methods of organization and retrieval of information were always conditioned to the used technologies, so that with the development and intensification of digital technology uses, a new scale of possibilities has been incorporated to the production process, storage, representation and retrieval of information, reaching a stage where the classic models of organization and retrieval of information need to be (re)thought under different perspectives, because they don’t seem to be able to solve the problems identified in the Web environment, becoming evident the need of development of new technologies that allow to optimize the retrieval of information in digital environment. In this way, the studies related to the Semantic Web project have been detaching as a new perspective in the development of technologies that enable an increase in the quality and relevance of the recovered information through the development of instruments that allow describing them formally, in a format that can be processed by machines. The semantic aspects that are inherent to the information resources contribute to the identification and contextualization of the available information in the Web environment. In this way, the proposition of this research is the accomplishment of a theoretical and methodological study of interdisciplinary characteristic about the Semantic Web project, aiming to identify its theoretical basis, favoring the demystification of the concepts and subjacent technologies, and evaluating in what stage the Information Science area can contribute to its concretization, becoming evident the possible reflexes of these new technological approaches in its theoretical corpus. So a bibliographic review about the development of the Internet and the main concepts and technologies inherent to the Web Semantic... (Complete abstract, click electronic address below) / Orientador: Silvana Aparecida Borsetti Gregório Vidotti / Coorientador: Mariângela Spotti Lopes Fujita / Banca: Marcos Luiz Mucheroni / Banca: Plácida Leopoldina Ventura Amorim da Costa Santos / Mestre

Experiences of the TUT LIS in offering support to e-learning. / Though relatively new to the family of universities and in particular, universities of technology, Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Library and Information Services (LIS) is one of the fortunate South African higher education libraries which have a dedicated and fully-fledged IT and Systems Section. Further, TUT LIS has a Section referred to as Electronic Resource Centres which is commonly known as ERCs. The Section includes Internet Centres, popularly known as ICentres. Each of TUT’s nine learning site libraries has an ERC. Four of the learning sites have I-Centres, some in student residences. Many of the libraries have a training room attached to the ERC. Those which do not have a training facility schedule training at certain times and only thereafter avail the ERC for other use. Many of the academic departments have computer laboratories for use by their students. These are not related to ERCs or I-Centres. The LIS works in cooperation with the Directorate of Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) and Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Services to support the teaching departments and students’ learning endeavours. The LIS is involved in a project to increase the University’s success and throughput rates. Other partners in this project are from HEDS (Higher Education Development and Support) Directorate comprising: Curriculum Development, Teaching and Learning with Technology, Cooperative Education and Student Development and Support. The aim of this paper is to share experiences of the TUT LIS in offering support to e-learning. The newly formed LIS embraced the model of the ERC/I-Centre as a one-stop facility that one of the merger partners, Pretoria Technikon, had established. The other partner, Technikon Northern Gauteng had partially developed an ERC to “extend access to the book/journal in electronic format”.

This study was designed to identify correlates of success in Supported Employment(SE) programs for persons with psychiatric disabilities. Indiana policy-makers are seriously considering a managed care, or "capitated," system of payment to make SE provider programs more efficient economically. However, many agencies are concerned about providing services to more severely impaired individuals because of the potentially higher costs of serving these individuals. Two studies are included in this project. The goals of the first study were to identify SE consumer (clinical) characteristics that predict (1) successful outcomes, defined as whether the consumer achieves gainful work, and (2) program costs, defined as the amounts of SE service hours utilized by consumers who obtain work. In two large samples of SE consumers with serious mental illness, no clinical characteristics (e.g., diagnosis, rated functioning, hospitalization history) were associated with vocational outcome or service costs. The goal of the second study was to describe the types and amounts of services utilized by SE consumers who obtain work. Specific service categories associated with obtaining work were travel, training, and advocacy that was unrelated to the consumer's job. The implications of these findings are discussed in the framework of the debate over clinical versus empirical prediction. The need for a theoretical model of SE services that allows the use of predictive clinical and consumer driven services is also discussed. / Department of Journalism