Recent environmental catastrophes such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill by BP in the Gulf of Mexico and the rising acid mine water in Johannesburg, South Africa, have demonstrated the far reaching environmental, social and financial consequences of unsustainable environmental management practices. Mining is an activity that significantly contributes to South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product but has the potential to significantly impact the environment and a diverse set of stakeholders. As a result, it is imperative that mining activities are undertaken in a sustainable manner. This research studied the mining sector’s response to environmental sustainability on a company level. The study entailed the use of a mixed methods approach within a strategic framework to enable the researcher to confirm the maturity level of current practices and simultaneously explore the extent to which companies are preparing for the future. The key research findings suggest that South African mining companies have current practices that are relatively developed, with insufficient focus on innovation to meet the future sustainability challenge. Key recommendations to meet the sustainability challenge include industry collaboration, a change in paradigm by companies, integration of suppliers into product stewardship practices and adequately managing the tension between the local empowerment and environmental agenda. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Industry 4.0 is the trend towards automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies and processes, which include cyber-physical systems (CPS), the Internet of Things (IoT), the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT), cloud computing, cognitive computing, and artificial intelligence.  Industry 4.0 maturity is assessed by evaluating the degree of implementation of each transformation capability and, consequently, in each dimension. Maturity models are used as instruments to recognize and measure the maturity level of a company in a certain domain or a process related to a future goal. The content of each dimension can be derived from qualitative research methods, including bibliographic reviews, case studies analysis, focal groups, and other methodologies of idea generation and decision-making.  This project aims to perform an implementation status and maturity level assessment of Industry 4.0 in European Industries. The project covers an assessment of the level of readiness to accomplish the Industry 4.0 standards and requirements.

Assessments are fundamental to the process improvement program of any organization in the software industry. Assessments provide a view of the state, capability, and maturity of processes in an organization relative to a reference model. Formal assessments are the most recognized, and are comprehensive in nature. Although the depth of their evaluation often results in significant process improvement opportunities, formal assessments are too costly for frequent use by many organizations. The interim between assessments typically leaves these organizations without the currency of process state information necessary to effectively drive continuous process improvement. Mini-assessments have emerged as a solution. This paper presents a mini-assessment approach that offers a substantial cost reduction compared to formal assessments and satisfies the process state currency requirement. A specification of the approach is given, followed by discussions on the process improvement possible with its use, comparisons to other assessment methods, and an example implementation.

With the opportunities to expand from a local to a global market, organizations need to change with the development of information systems and communication technologies. The electronically transforming organizations&#039 / success depends not only to hardware/software usage but also transformation in the well-defined business processes. Successful transformation from &quot / organization&quot / to &quot / e-organization&quot / by innovative processes requires strategic and cultural changes as a result of changes in the leadership. In this thesis, a maturity model for the organizations to achieve to paperless office level will be constructed. Meanwhile, factors which are essential to reach that level are to be identified.

The problem for this study is to determine the appropriateness of presenting the concepts contained in the "Objectives of Christian Teaching and Training" to children ages six through twelve. The appropriateness of presenting these concepts will be based upon a comparison of research figures with the "Objectives of Christian Teaching and Training."

I nuläget utförs acceptanstester på Trafikverket utan att veta testprocessens styrkor och svagheter. Denna fallstudie tar genom Test Maturity Model (TMM) fram en mognadsgrad för testprocessen inom acceptanstester. Mognadsgraden visar hur processen ligger till i nuläget och visar testprocessens svagheter och styrkor. Den mognadsgrad som påträffades vid en utvärdering av acceptanstester inom ProjectWise var mognadsgrad tre. Förbättringsförslagen som presenterades var att utföra kontinuerliga workshops i utbildningssyfte så att inte kunskaperna inom testområdet stagnerar och att kvantifiera kvalitetsfaktorer för mätning av tester. Dock är ingen modell fullkomlig. Genom metodanalysen MA/SIMM (Metod Analys och SIMM står för Samverkan & Situationsanpassning, Ifrågasättande & Idéutveckling, Meningsskapande & Målstyrning och Metodisk & Metod) så visar vi modellens styrkor och svagheter. Några svagheter i TMM modellen är att det inte krävs en erfaren utvärderare av kriterierna. Kriterierna besvaras med frågor och enkäter som kan misstolkas. Svaren i frågeformulären är fördefinierade vilket kan begränsa respondenten, eller göra den osäker på vilket alternativ som passar bäst. Dessa svagheter kan i slutändan påverka mognadsgraden. Några fördelar är att det finns väl dokumenterade riktlinjer när utvärderingen pågår, så att det går att komma in som student och ändå kunna utöva denna modell godtyckligt. Den största styrkan är att TMM baseras på en vetenskaplig grund. Den har även baserats på 40 år av erfarenhet av test i från verksamheten, vilket gör den till en välgrundad modell som kan ge väl motiverade förbättringsförslag. / Currently at Trafikverket acceptance testing is done without knowing the test process strengths and weaknesses. This case-study uses Test Maturity Model (TMM) to identify a maturity level for the test process in acceptance testing. The maturity level show how the current process operate and present the test process current weaknesses and strengths. Acceptance testing within ProjectWise reached a maturity level of three. The improvement proposals were to perform continuous workshops for education purposes, so the knowledge within the testing area does not stagnate, and to quantify quality factors for measurement of test. Though no model is perfect this study will attempt to do a method analysis based on MA/SIMM, to show the strengths and weaknesses. Some of the weaknesses are the lack of experience within the use of the criterias of the TMM model. The criterias are fulfilled by interviews and questionnaires and can be misinterpreted. The answers in the questionnaires are predefined and may confuse the respondent. These weaknesses may eventually cause the wrong maturity level being set. There are well documented guidelines when the TMM process has begun so even a inexperienced student may perform a TMM evaluation. The greatest strength in TMM is that it has a scientific background, combined with 40 years of experience within the testing industry, makes it a well-founded model with trustworthy improvement proposals.

This work presents a proposition to an improvement process model implementation in Southern Regional Space Research Center, into Information Tecnology area, applying the recommendations of Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and pursuing to reach the level 2 of maturity of this model in time of 24 months. / Este trabalho apresenta uma proposta para implementação de um modelo de melhoria de processos no Centro Regional Sul de Pesquisas Espaciais, na área de Tecnologia de Informação, aplicando as recomendações do Modelo de Maturidade na Capacidade (CMM, do inglês, Capability Maturity Model) e buscando atingir o nível 2 de maturidade deste modelo no prazo de 24 meses.

This work presents an overview of preliminary stages taken towards proper establishment ofan Information Security Management System (ISMS) for Sri Lankan Higher EducationInstitutes (HEIs) based on ISO/IEC 27001:2013 standard. This study consists with a gapanalysis conducted on selected HEIs within Sri Lanka to evaluate their compliance withISO/IEC 27001:2013 standards. This analysis aimed at identifying gaps in existing informationsecurity practices and assess associated risks to Sri Lankan HEIs. To provide a more tailoredapproach, Management, Technical, and Operational (MTO) model was introduced, aligningwith institute’s structure and responsibilities. This research also emphasizes on criticality ofprotecting information assets and the need for comprehensive controls to ensureconfidentiality, integrity, and availability. Additionally, the study investigates the level ofinformation security compliance with ISO/IEC 27001:2013 among the selected HEIs. Theresults reveal a maturity level of 2, indicating numerous control weaknesses and highlightingthe need for developing security policies, procedures, and implementing a securitymanagement system and security culture. The research concludes with detailed benchmarkingresults, maturity level measurements for each security control domain, and recommendationsfor improvement.

In today's rapidly evolving digital age, the relationship between citizens and government entities has undergone a transformative shift, primarily facilitated by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Transformational Government (T-Gov) is considered a technological innovation and a shift to a new entrepreneurial culture from inefficient, unaccountable bureaucracy generally observed within public organizations. T-Gov involves e-government, business process reengineering, and business scope revaluation with the ambition to be more citizen-centric. This thesis presents in an aggregated fashion ICT tools and technologies that ameliorate interaction between citizens and public organizations by providing solutions to frequent issues that citizens raise as part of transformational government. When presenting those ICT tools, it is essential to depict how ICT tools and technologies are transforming public values and how assessing the maturity level of the tools for a more comprehensive retrospect of how digital tools have metamorphosed citizens, public organizations, and public officials' interactions. Here then comes the research problem as there is a lack of systematic review on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) tools support to address citizens' issues as part of government transformation and a scarcity of systematic examination of the overall maturity landscape. Hence, research questions have been formulated: What ICT tools and technologies are available to address frequent issues citizens raise to public organizations to improve public services? What is the maturity level of those ICT tools and technologies? Which were answered by conducting a survey through a systematic literature review strategy. The data collection included identifying articles and systematically selecting relevant ones through screening criteria and then extracting data from those articles. The data analysis method was done through a thematic approach to extract public values embedded in those ICT tools and assess their maturity level. Supportive tools like Atlas.ti and concept matrix-assisted in extracting emerging themes from those ICT tools. These emerging themes are public values offered by those ICT tools and technologies. The maturity level assessment of each ICT tool and technology grouped into ICT solutions was based on the general availability of the solution in the market. However, the Technology Readiness Level method (TRL) evaluated each ICT tool and technology contextually. The results were an exhaustive list of ICT Solutions, each being a set of ICT tools, mapped to the public values they deliver and Citizens' frequent issues they address. The result incorporated the maturity level of each ICT tool and the ICT Solution. The maturity from the market level was also included. The discussion explained in detail how ICT tools and technologies have transformed each public value delivered by public organizations. In conclusion, grounded on the results, this thesis has brought to light at an in-depth level how matured ICT tools and technologies have substantially transformed public values by analyzing profoundly the state of each public value offered before and after the deployment of each ICT solution within public organizations, laying a pace to a strategic adoption of these solutions, thus contributing to more efficient, citizen-centric public services, which implies addressing citizens issues.

Recent economical crises, constant development of new technologies and faster globalisation cause different changes in all organisations all over the world. One of these changes are also different considerations about suistainable development and the impact different companies have. Those organisations are getting more and more involved into this topic and become more competitive within quickly developing global economics. They look for the ways how to contribute to suistainable development. One of the ways is also suistainable IT in a company focused on Green ICT. The aim of this thesis is to describe Green ICT, how it matches with suistainable development and what are the areas it covers. Firstly, the thesis contains an explanation of what Green ICT is. Secondly it focuses on the approach to this issue in different companies of different sizes in different industries. To achieve this aim, there are used different surveys from worldwide known companies. In the next part this thesis deals with two most important global IT companies, that significantly influence supply of ERP systems to the Czech market. This part specifies the areas covered by above mentioned companies and their main achievements. The main goal of this thesis is to analyze current state of Green ICT within local market. To achieve this goal, there was taken a survey focusing on Green ICT perception at ERP suppliers on the Czech market. Data from this survey were then analysed and evaluated. This thesis also provides a measuring scale for evaluation of Green ICT level. To demonstrate this, there were two global companies evaluated compared to three local companies evaluation.