Chinese Restaurant Online System was designed to allow customers to view information about the restaurant over the Web and order some dishes online. It allows employees to login to do their work, depending on their sponsored rights.

This dissertation focuses on the re-use of business process reference models, available in a business process model warehouse, to enable the definition of more comprehensive business requirements. It proposes a business process model warehouse framework to promote the re-use of multiple business process reference models and the flexible visualisation of business process models. The critical success factor for such a framework is that it should contribute to minimise to some extent the causes of inadequate business requirements. The proposed framework is based on an analogy with a data warehouse framework, consisting of the following components: usage of multiple business process reference models as source models, the conceptual design of a process to extract, load and transform multiple business process reference models into a repository, a description of repository functionality for managing enterprise architecture artefacts, and motivation of flexible visualisation of business process models to ensure more comprehensive business requirements. / Computer Science (School of Computing) / M.Sc. (Information Systems)

The main objective of this research was to investigate, analyse and evaluate attitudes towards electronic human resource management (e-HRM) tools within a large South African financial institution. This was done by developing and validating an instrument to determine e-HRM tool usage, e-HRM tool preference as well as attitudes towards e- HRM. Methodology: a total of 104 HR professionals and line managers completed the e-HRM attitudinal questionnaire. The sample demographics were obtained using analysis of the frequencies of respondents in each of the demographic categories as well as within the tool usage section and attitudinal measurement section. To ascertain the internal consistency of the attitudinal component of the e-HRM measurement instrument and the six attitudinal subscales, the Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient was calculated for overall scale and corresponding subscales. Due to the low reliability obtained for three of the subscales, the structure of the e-HRM measurement instrument was assessed using exploratory factor analysis. Differences between groups with regard to preference for tool usage were assessed, using Pearson’s Chi-Square tests for both the occupational and the demographic characteristics of respondents. Finally, to explore whether there were any significant differences for biographical and occupational demographics and attitude on the measurement instruments, an independent samples ttest was conducted and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. The main finding of the study was that users of e-HRM tools had significantly more positive attitudes towards e-HRM tools than non-users. / (M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology))

by Yu Ying Choi Alan Abel. / Bibliography: leaves 72-73 / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1985

Yu Hongbo. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-138). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT IN ENGLISH --- p.i-ii / ABSTRACT IN CHINESE --- p.iii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iv-v / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.vi-viii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.ix / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.x-xi / Chapter CHAPTER I --- INTRODUCTION / Chapter 1.1 --- Problem Statement --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Research Purpose --- p.5 / Chapter 1.3 --- Significance --- p.7 / Chapter 1.4 --- Methodology --- p.8 / Chapter 1.5 --- Outline of the Thesis --- p.9 / Chapter CHAPTER II --- LITERATURE REVIEW / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2 --- Origin of GIS --- p.12 / Chapter 2.3 --- Development of GIS-T --- p.15 / Chapter 2.4 --- Capabilities of GIS-T --- p.18 / Chapter 2.5 --- Structure of a GIS-T --- p.19 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- Data Models for GIS-T --- p.19 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- Relational DBMS and Dueker-Butler's Data Model for Transportation --- p.22 / Chapter 2.5.3 --- Objected-oriented Approach --- p.25 / Chapter 2.6 --- Main Techniques of GIS-T --- p.26 / Chapter 2.6.1 --- Linear Location Reference System --- p.26 / Chapter 2.6.2 --- Dynamic Segmentation --- p.27 / Chapter 2.6.3 --- Planar and Non-planar Networks --- p.28 / Chapter 2.6.4 --- Turn-table --- p.28 / Chapter 2.7 --- Algorithms for Finding Shortest Paths on a Network --- p.29 / Chapter 2.7.1 --- Overview of Routing Algorithms --- p.29 / Chapter 2.7.2 --- Dijkstra's Algorithm --- p.31 / Chapter 2.7.3 --- Routing Models for the Multi-modal Network --- p.32 / Chapter 2.8 --- Recent Researches on GIS Data Models for the Multi-modal Transportation System --- p.33 / Chapter 2.9 --- Main Software Packages for GIS-T --- p.36 / Chapter 2.10 --- Summary --- p.37 / Chapter CHAPTER III --- MODELING THE MULTI-MODAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2 --- Elaborated Stages and Methods for GIS Modeling --- p.40 / Chapter 3.3 --- Application Domain: The Multi-modal Public Transportation System --- p.43 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Definition of a Multi-modal Public Transportation System --- p.43 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Descriptions of the Multi-modal Public transportation System --- p.44 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Objective of the Modeling Work --- p.46 / Chapter 3.4 --- A Layer-cake Based Application Domain Model for the Multi- modal Public Transportation System --- p.46 / Chapter 3.5 --- A Conceptual Model for the Multi-modal Public Transportation System --- p.49 / Chapter 3.6 --- Logical and Physical Implementation of the Data Model for the Multi-modal Public Transportation System --- p.54 / Chapter 3.7 --- Criteria for Routing on the Multi-modal Public Transportation System --- p.57 / Chapter 3.7.1 --- Least-time Routing --- p.58 / Chapter 3.7.2 --- Least-fare Routing --- p.60 / Chapter 3.7.3 --- Least-transfer Routing --- p.60 / Chapter 3.8 --- Summary --- p.61 / Chapter CHAPTER IV --- DATA PREPARATION FOR THE STUDY AREA / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.53 / Chapter 4.2 --- The Study Area: Hong Kong Island --- p.63 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- General Information of the Transportation System on Hong Kong Island --- p.63 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Reasons for Choosing Hong Kong Island as the Study Area --- p.66 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Mass Transit Routes Selected for the Prototype --- p.67 / Chapter 4.3 --- Data Source and Data Collection --- p.67 / Chapter 4.4 --- Geographical Data Preparation --- p.71 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Data Conversion --- p.73 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Geographical Data Input --- p.79 / Chapter 4.5 --- Attribute Data Input --- p.86 / Chapter 4.6 --- Summary --- p.88 / Chapter CHAPTER V --- IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROTOTYPE / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.89 / Chapter 5.2 --- Construction of the Route Service Network --- p.89 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Generation of the Geographical Network --- p.90 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Setting Attribute Data for the Route Service Network --- p.95 / Chapter 5.3 --- A GIS-T Prototype for the Study Area --- p.102 / Chapter 5.4 --- General GIS Functions of the Prototype --- p.104 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Information Retrieve --- p.104 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Display --- p.105 / Chapter 5.4.3 --- Data Query --- p.105 / Chapter 5.5 --- Routing in the Prototype --- p.105 / Chapter 5.5.1 --- Routing Procedure --- p.108 / Chapter 5.5.2 --- Examples and Results --- p.110 / Chapter 5.5.3 --- Comparison and Analysis --- p.113 / Chapter 5.6 --- Summary --- p.118 / Chapter CHAPTER VI --- CONCLUSION / Chapter 6.1 --- Research Findings --- p.123 / Chapter 6.2 --- Research Limitations --- p.126 / Chapter 6.3 --- Direction of Further Studies --- p.128 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.130

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: With the inception of precision farming techniques during the last decade, agricultural efficiency has improved, leading to greater productivity and enhanced economic benefits associated with agriculture. The awareness of health risks associated with food borne diseases has also increased. Systems such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (RACCP) in the USA and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in Europe are trying to ensure that no food showing signs of microbial contamination associated with production techniques are allowed onto the export market. Growers participating in exporting are thus being forced to conform to the requirements set by international customers. The aim of this study was to compile a computerized record keeping system that would aid farmers with the implementation of GAP on farms, by making use of GIS capabilities. A database, consisting of GAP-specific data was developed. ArcView GIS was used to implement the database, while customized analyses procedures through the use of Avenue assisted in GAP-specific farming related decisions. An agricultural area focusing on the export market was needed for this study, and the nut producing Levubu district was identified as ideal. By making use of ArcView GIS, distinct relationships between different data sets were portrayed in tabular, graphical, geographical and report format. GAP requirements state that growers must base decisions on timely, relevant information. With information available in the above-mentioned formats, decisions regarding actions taken can be justified. By analysing the complex interaction between datasets, the influences that agronomical inputs have on production were portrayed, moving beyond the standard requirements of GAP. Agricultural activities produce enormous quantities of data, and GIS proved to be an indispensable tool because of the ability to analyse and manipulate data with a spatial component. The implementation of good agricultural practices lends itself to the use of GIS. With the correct information available at the right time, better decisions can promote optimal croppmg, whilst rmmrrnzmg the negative effects on the consumer and environment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gedurende die afgelope dekade het die gebruik van presisie boerderytegnieke tot verbeterde gewasverbouing gelei, wat verhoogde produktiwiteit en ekonomiese welvarendheid tot gevolg gehad het. 'n Wêreldwye bewustheid ten opsigte van die oordrag van siektekieme geasosieer met varsprodukte het ontstaan. Met die implementering van Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) en Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), poog die VSA en Europa om voedsel wat tekens van besmetting toon van die invoermark te weerhou. Buitelandse produsente en uitvoerders word dus hierdeur gedwing om by internasionale voedselstandaarde aan te pas. Hierdie navorsing het ten doel gehad om 'n gerekenariseerde rekordhouding stelsel daar te stel wat produsente sal bystaan tydens die implementering van GAP, deur gebruik te maak van GIS. 'n Databasis gerig op die implementering van GAP is ontwerp. ArcView GIS is gebruik word om die databasis te implementeer, waarna spesifieke navrae die data ontleed het om sodoende die besluitnemingsproses te vergemaklik. 'n Landbou-area wat aktief in die uitvoermark deelneem was benodig vir dié studie, en die Levubu distrik was ideaal. Verwantskappe tussen datastelle is bepaal en uitgebeeld in tabel-, grafiek- en verslag vorm. Die suksesvolle implementering van GAP vereis dat alle besluite op relevante inligting gebaseer word, en met inligting beskikbaar in die bogenoemde formaat kan alle besluite geregverdig word. Deur die komplekse interaksie tussen insette en produksie te analiseer, was dit moontlik om verwantskappe uit te beeld wat verder strek as wat GAP vereistes stipuleer. Deur die gebruikerskoppelvlak in ArcView te verpersoonlik is die gebruiker nie belaai met onnodige berekeninge nie. Aktiwiteite soos landbou produseer groot datastelle, en die vermoë van GIS om die ruimtelike verwantskappe te analiseer en uit te beeld, het getoon dat GIS 'n instrumentele rol in die besluitnemingsproses speel. Deur middel van beter besluitneming kan optimale gewasverbouing verseker word, terwyl die negatiewe impak op die verbruiker en omgewing tot 'n minimum beperk word.

This dissertation focuses on the re-use of business process reference models, available in a business process model warehouse, to enable the definition of more comprehensive business requirements. It proposes a business process model warehouse framework to promote the re-use of multiple business process reference models and the flexible visualisation of business process models. The critical success factor for such a framework is that it should contribute to minimise to some extent the causes of inadequate business requirements. The proposed framework is based on an analogy with a data warehouse framework, consisting of the following components: usage of multiple business process reference models as source models, the conceptual design of a process to extract, load and transform multiple business process reference models into a repository, a description of repository functionality for managing enterprise architecture artefacts, and motivation of flexible visualisation of business process models to ensure more comprehensive business requirements. / Computer Science (School of Computing) / M.Sc. (Information Systems)

This study explores complexity metrics for business artifact process models described by Case Management Model and Notation (CMMN). Process models are usually described using Business Process Management (BPM), which is a relatively mature discipline with a large number of practitioners. Over the last few decades a new way of describing data intensive business processes has emerged in BPM literature, for which traditional BPM is no longer adequate. This emerging method, used to describe more flexible processes, is called business artifacts with Guard-Stage-Milestone (GSM). The work on GSM influenced CMMN, which was created to fill a market need for more flexible case management processes for knowledge workers. Complexity metrics have been developed for traditional BPM models, such as the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN). However, traditional BPM is not suitable for describing GSM or CMMN process models. Therefore, complexity metrics developed for traditional process models may not be applicable to business artifact process models such as CMMN. This study addresses this gap by exploring complexity metrics for business artifact process models using CMMN. The findings of this study have practical implications for the CMMN standard and for the commercial products implementing CMMN. This research makes the following contributions: • The development of a formal description of CMMN using first-order logic. • An exploration of the relationship between CMMN and GSM and the development of transformation procedures between them. • A comparison between the method complexity of CMMN and other popular process methods, including BPMN, Unified Modeling Language (UML) Activity diagrams, and Event-driven Process Charts (EPC). • The creation of a systematic literature review of complexity metrics for process models, which was conducted in order to inform the creation of CMMN metrics. • The identification of a set of complexity metrics for the CMMN standard, which underwent theoretical and empirical validation. This research advances literature in the areas of method complexity, complexity metrics for process models, declarative processes, and research on CMMN by characterizing CMMN method complexity, identifying complexity metrics for CMMN, and exploring the relationship between CMMN and GSM. / Ph.D. (Computer Science)

The main objective of this research was to investigate, analyse and evaluate attitudes towards electronic human resource management (e-HRM) tools within a large South African financial institution. This was done by developing and validating an instrument to determine e-HRM tool usage, e-HRM tool preference as well as attitudes towards e- HRM. Methodology: a total of 104 HR professionals and line managers completed the e-HRM attitudinal questionnaire. The sample demographics were obtained using analysis of the frequencies of respondents in each of the demographic categories as well as within the tool usage section and attitudinal measurement section. To ascertain the internal consistency of the attitudinal component of the e-HRM measurement instrument and the six attitudinal subscales, the Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient was calculated for overall scale and corresponding subscales. Due to the low reliability obtained for three of the subscales, the structure of the e-HRM measurement instrument was assessed using exploratory factor analysis. Differences between groups with regard to preference for tool usage were assessed, using Pearson’s Chi-Square tests for both the occupational and the demographic characteristics of respondents. Finally, to explore whether there were any significant differences for biographical and occupational demographics and attitude on the measurement instruments, an independent samples ttest was conducted and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. The main finding of the study was that users of e-HRM tools had significantly more positive attitudes towards e-HRM tools than non-users. / (M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology))

Presently, companies live a reality of rapid economic transformations generated by globalization. The growth of the products and services international trade, the constant exchange of information and the cultural interchange challenge administrators to define new paths for their companies. This dynamics and the increasing competitiveness demand new knowledge and abilities from professionals. In this way, new technologies are researched in order to improve operational efficiency. The Brazilian oil industry in particular has invested in applied research, as well as on development and technological qualification to keep its competitiveness in the international market. Many are the problems that must still be studied in this production sector. Among these, and due their importance, the problems of products storage and transference can be pointed out. This work approaches a scheduling problem that involves diesel oil storage and distribution in an oil refinery. The Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) techniques with representation in the discrete and continuous time were used. The models that were developed were solved by the LINGO 8.0 software, using the branch and bound algorithm. However, due to their combinatorial nature, the expended computational time used for thesolution was excessive. Thus, four new methodologies were developed: Hybrid Steady State Genetic Algorithm (HSSGA) and Transgenetic ProtoG Algorithm, both integrated to Linear Programming (LP), for the representation of discrete time; simulation with optimization using the Genetic Algorithm (GA) and simulation with optimization using the Transgenetic ProtoG Algorithm, for the representation of continuous time. The results obtained through several tests with these new methodologies have shown that they can reach good results in an acceptable computational time. The two techniques for the representation of discrete time have shown satisfactory performance in terms of quality of solution and computational time. Among these, the methodology that uses the Transgenetic ProtoG Algorithm showed the best results. Also, the simulator with optimization using GA and the one that used the Transgenetic ProtoG Algorithm for the representation of continuous time were adequate to substitute the resolution through PLIM, because they reach solutions with a reduced computational time when compared with the time used for the solution with branch and bound. / As empresas vivem hoje uma realidade de transformações econômicas advindas da globalização. O crescimento do comércio internacional de produtos e serviços, a troca constante de informações e o intercâmbio cultural vêm desafiando os administradores a definir novos rumos para suas empresas. Esta dinâmica e a crescente competitividade exigem novos conhecimentos e habilidades dos profissionais. Desta forma, buscam-se novas tecnologias para conseguir-se a melhoria da eficiência operacional. Em especial, a indústria petrolífera brasileira tem investido na pesquisa aplicada, desenvolvimento e capacitação tecnológica para manter-se competitiva no mercado internacional. Muitos são os problemas que ainda devem ser estudados neste setor produtivo. Dentre estes, pode-se destacar os problemas de transferência e estocagem de produtos. Este trabalho aborda um problema de programação da produção (scheduling) envolvendo estocagem e distribuição de diesel em uma refinaria de petróleo. Para solucionar este problema foram utilizados a princípio modelos de Programação Linear Inteira Mista (PLIM) com abordagens para a representação no tempo discreto e contínuo. Os modelos desenvolvidos foram resolvidos com o uso do aplicativo computacional LINGO 8.0 através do algoritmo branch and bound. Devido à natureza combinatorial destes, o tempo computacional despendido na resolução mostrou-se excessivo. Desta forma, foram desenvolvidas quatro novas metodologias buscando amenizar este problema: Algoritmo Genético de Estado Estacionário Híbrido (AGEEH) e Algoritmo Transgenético ProtoG integrados à Programação Linear (PL) para a representação de tempo discreto; simulação com otimização através de Algoritmo Genético (AG) e simulação com otimização através de Algoritmo Transgenético ProtoG na representação de tempo contínuo. Os resultados obtidos através de vários testes com as novas metodologias mostraram que estas podem encontrar bons resultados em tempo computacional aceitável. Para a representação de tempo discreto as duas abordagens obtiveram desempenho satisfatório em termos de qualidade de solução e tempo computacional. Dentre estas, a metodologia que utilizou o Algoritmo Transgenético ProtoG apresentou os melhores resultados. Ainda, o simulador com otimização usando AG e o que utilizou Algoritmo Transgenético ProtoG na representação de tempo contínuo mostraram-se adequados para substituir a resolução através de PLIM por encontrar soluções com tempo computacional muito aquém do tempo despendido na resolução com o branch and bound.