<p>Information technology (IT) is becoming the primary factordetermining the survival of most organizations. The differenttypes of systems and the wide range of objectives suggest thatdiverse evaluation methods are needed. There is a critical needfor a new approach to managing IT investments, and solving theinformation paradox should be a business imperative for allmanagers today.</p><p>Evaluating IT investments introduces different types ofproblems that investment in traditional assets does notconsider. The focal point shifts from measuring hard andquantifiable benefits that appear on a firm’s incomestatement to measuring soft, diffuse, and qualitativeimpact.</p><p>The decision to acquire new information technology poses anumber of serious evaluation problems for managers because theavailable methods for IT investment evaluation are mostlystatic and they do not consider dynamism in decision-makingprocesses.</p><p>Common problems with the methods for evaluating ITinvestments are related to their inability to take account ofthe full range of potential benefits. There is a gap betweentheory and practice in relation to the use of any method formaking decisions and for continuous evaluation of ITinvestments.</p><p>This thesis presents a new approach to evaluating benefitsof IT investments in a dynamic way, an approach consisting of acombination of dynamic information workflow models and businessprocess simulation techniques. The proposed approach givesmanagers and organizations the possibility of implementingother models for measuring different metrics and aspects of ITinvestments.</p><p>A dynamic information workflow model of an electric utilityandsimulation essays are presented in order to show how theproposed approach is applied. The performance measure selectedfor running experiments was efficiency, which was characterizedby the following selected performance indicators: cycle time,resource utilization, and activity costs. Empirical data wascollected from case studies of different utilities in CentralAmerican countries.</p><p><b>Key words:</b>Business Process Modeling and Simulation,Evaluating IT Investments, Dynamic Information Workflow Model,Electric Utilities.</p>

One of IS engineering problems – are analyses and simulation, in order to define users informative needs. Activity knowledge accumulation method and part of the system has been realized grounded on workflow models. System prototype has been created to extend CASE environment activity knowledge basis. The part of the system will be directly used by analysts, who will simulate the activity of computerized organization, trying to collect and analyze users information requirements. This work is a part of the scientific research “IS engineering method grounded on knowledge” carried out in the department of IS. Information systems engineering is started by the analyses of activity area – workflow model sequences of analyzed processes are made. Workflow model sequences transforming method has been created, that checks completeness and sequence of the data collected. Such checked by created methods and located in CASE system knowledge basis activity model will be called activity knowledge structure. In the storage of CASE system professional knowledge in accumulated and collected using modified work sequence models. The completeness of the information collected is checked using professional knowledge and completeness checking algorithms – information shift, data separation elimination of the breakpoints, function structure setting and import. The activity knowledge accumulation has been programmed. Information data accumulation and completeness checking algorithms are realized... [to full text]

Information technology (IT) is becoming the primary factordetermining the survival of most organizations. The differenttypes of systems and the wide range of objectives suggest thatdiverse evaluation methods are needed. There is a critical needfor a new approach to managing IT investments, and solving theinformation paradox should be a business imperative for allmanagers today. Evaluating IT investments introduces different types ofproblems that investment in traditional assets does notconsider. The focal point shifts from measuring hard andquantifiable benefits that appear on a firm’s incomestatement to measuring soft, diffuse, and qualitativeimpact. The decision to acquire new information technology poses anumber of serious evaluation problems for managers because theavailable methods for IT investment evaluation are mostlystatic and they do not consider dynamism in decision-makingprocesses. Common problems with the methods for evaluating ITinvestments are related to their inability to take account ofthe full range of potential benefits. There is a gap betweentheory and practice in relation to the use of any method formaking decisions and for continuous evaluation of ITinvestments. This thesis presents a new approach to evaluating benefitsof IT investments in a dynamic way, an approach consisting of acombination of dynamic information workflow models and businessprocess simulation techniques. The proposed approach givesmanagers and organizations the possibility of implementingother models for measuring different metrics and aspects of ITinvestments. A dynamic information workflow model of an electric utilityandsimulation essays are presented in order to show how theproposed approach is applied. The performance measure selectedfor running experiments was efficiency, which was characterizedby the following selected performance indicators: cycle time,resource utilization, and activity costs. Empirical data wascollected from case studies of different utilities in CentralAmerican countries. <b>Key words:</b>Business Process Modeling and Simulation,Evaluating IT Investments, Dynamic Information Workflow Model,Electric Utilities. / NR 20140805

<p>Objectives: (1) to assess whether computer simulation modeling or process modeling have improved medication management systems, including informing the design of e-prescribing systems for Canada, and (2) to build and validate a workflow diagram of the handwritten medication management process in the community setting for Canada and use it to obtain feedback from stakeholders.</p> <p>Methods: A systematic review was conducted to assess whether the modeling techniques have improved medication management systems. A workflow diagram was developed and used to obtain feedback from stakeholders as to where problems exist in the current paper-based process and where information technology might be of help. Analyses were descriptive and qualitative.</p> <p>Results: The systematic review identified 13,376 citations, 8 of which were included in the full data extraction. The review revealed that simulation models of e-prescribing systems have been developed, but their accuracy and usefulness has not been established. One process model had been used to analyze a Canadian medication management system, but no evidence was found that process models had any positive impact on e-prescribing development in Canada.</p> <p>Fifteen stakeholders, including 5 physicians, 5 pharmacists, and 5 members of the public provided feedback using the workflow diagram. All stakeholders agreed that the diagram was a realistic representation of the actual handwritten medication management process, suggesting face validity. The majority of stakeholders identified the most problematic processes as generating the prescription by the physician (9/15 (60.0%)) and drug checking by the physician (6/15 (40.0%)).</p> <p>Conclusions: There is a lack of published evidence on simulation models and process models, and the studies that exist do not suggest any benefit in informing e-prescribing design. We developed and established face validity for a workflow diagram of the paper-based medication management cascade. Stakeholders believed that generating the prescription and drug checking by the physician could be improved by e-prescribing.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNets), consisting of a lot of Wireless Sensor Nodes (WSNs), play an important role in structural health and machine condition monitoring. But the WSNs provided by the current market cannot meet the diversity of application requirements because they have limited functions, unreliable node performance, high node cost, high system redundancy, and short node lifespan. The aim of the research is to design the architecture of a WSN with low power consumption and node cost, which can be dynamically configured according to application requirements for structural health and machine condition monitoring. This research investigates the improvement of node performance and reliability through the new design methodologies and the extension of node lifespan by interfacing energy harvesters and implementing node power management. The main contributions of the research are presented from the following aspects:1. Model development of node architecture for application diversityThe merits of model include: (1) The proposed node architecture can be dynamically configured in terms of application requirements for reducing system redundancy, power consumption and cost; (2) It supports multichannel signal measurement with the synchronous and asynchronous signal sampling modules and three interface circuits; (3)The model parameters can be calculated; (4) As the model is based on discrete electronic components, it can be implemented by using Components-Off-The-Shelf (COTS).2. A novel pipeline design of the built-in ADC inside a microprocessorThe merit of proposed pipeline solution lies in that the sampling time of the built-in ADCs is reduced to one third of the original value, when the ADC operates in sequence sampling mode based on multichannel signal measurement.3. Self-adjusting measurement of sampled signal amplitude This work provides a novel method to avoid the distortion of sampled signals even though the environmental signal changes randomly and over the sampling range of the node ADC. The proposed method can be implemented with four different solutions.4. Interface design to support energy harvesting The proposed interface will allow to: (1) collect the paroxysmal ambient energy as more as possible; (2) store energy to a distribution super-capacitor array; (3) harvest electrical energy at high voltage using piezoelectric materials without any transformer; (4) support the diversity of energy transducers; and (5) perform with high conversion efficiency.5. A new network task scheduling model for node wireless transceiver The model allows to: (1) calculate node power consumption according to network task scheduling; (2) obtain the optimal policy for scheduling network task.6. A new work-flow model for a WSN The model provides an easy way to (1) calculate node power consumption according to the work flow inside a WSN; (2) take fully advantage of the power modes of node electronic components rather than outside factors; (3) improve effectively node design.

Dagens komplexa vårdmiljö kan förenklas genom att utrusta sjukhusensoperationssalar med en integrerad systemlösning. Syftet är att möjliggöramanövrering av all utrustning från en gemensam enhet, och på så sätt effektiviseraarbetsflödet. Idag saknas data som stödjer påståendet att systemetsförprogrammerade scenarion innebär en förbättring. Det här arbetet går ut på att undersöka den nytta som integrationslösningenmedför i operationssalar. Detta görs genom att undersöka arbetsflödet utifrån treolika styrningsfall (med förprogrammerade scenarion, manuellt via applikationeroch exludering av systemet), samt utifrån tre olika mätparametrar (klick, steg ochtid). Syftet med jämförelsen är att se vilket av dessa fall som är optimalt utifrån ettanvändarperspektiv. Resultatet visar på en tydlig fördel för styrning av systemet med förprogrammeradescenarion utifrån samtliga mätparametrar. De antaganden som har formatundersökningen, samt de kvantitativa begränsningarna i studiens data, tas hänsyntill i analysen. Under analys stärks det framtagna resultatet. I kombination med en fördeladstyrning mellan användarna utgör styrning med förprogrammerade scenarion detbästa alternativet för ett optimerat arbetsflöde. / Healthcare system complexity can be simplified by equipping hospital operatingtheatres with an integrated system solution. The goal is to improve the hospitalworkflow by enabling maneuvering of all the equipment from a common unit.Today there is no data to support the claim that the system offered feature of usingpreset scenes provides any improvements. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the benefits of the integrated operatingsystem. This is done by performing a workflow analysis based on three differentcases (with preset scenes, maneuvered through the applications and without use ofthe integrated system) and three different parameters (clicks, steps, and time). Thepurpose is to clarify the, from a user perspective, most beneficial case. The measured result shows an advantage when using the system with presetscenes. All of the assumptions in the survey, including the limitations ofquantitative data, are considered in the study. The result is validated by the analysis. A combination of the case with preset scenesand a distributed control between the users are therefore the best alternative for anoptimized workflow.

<body>Users require flexibility when interacting with information systems to contend with changing business processes and to support diverse workflow. Model-based user interface design can accommodate flexible business processes by integrating workflow modelling with other modelling approaches. We present a workflow model, the progression model, to help in developing systems that support flexible business processes. <p> The progression model tracks a users interaction with an application as a set of data elements we refer to as a workflow transaction. The steps a user takes to create a workflow transaction and the state of the workflow transaction at each step is made explicit. By making the workflow status and workflow transaction state explicit, the user can change the order of the steps in a process, manage multiple workflow transactions, keep track of data as it is accumulated, and so on. The intent is to provide the user with a mechanism to deal with partial information, interrupted and concurrent workflow transaction entry, and the processing of multiple workflow transactions. <p> This thesis describes the progression model, an XML-compliant notation to specify the progression model, and a prototype system. </body>

<body>Users require flexibility when interacting with information systems to contend with changing business processes and to support diverse workflow. Model-based user interface design can accommodate flexible business processes by integrating workflow modelling with other modelling approaches. We present a workflow model, the progression model, to help in developing systems that support flexible business processes. <p> The progression model tracks a users interaction with an application as a set of data elements we refer to as a workflow transaction. The steps a user takes to create a workflow transaction and the state of the workflow transaction at each step is made explicit. By making the workflow status and workflow transaction state explicit, the user can change the order of the steps in a process, manage multiple workflow transactions, keep track of data as it is accumulated, and so on. The intent is to provide the user with a mechanism to deal with partial information, interrupted and concurrent workflow transaction entry, and the processing of multiple workflow transactions. <p> This thesis describes the progression model, an XML-compliant notation to specify the progression model, and a prototype system. </body>