A Systemic Exploration of the Risk Factors in Zimbabwean Information Technology Projects

This paper explores the risk factors threatening Zimbabwean Information Technology (IT) projects and build a systemic model demonstrating how the identified risk factors are interconnected. Drawn on systemic thinking, a soft systems approach called Interactive Management (IM) was adopted to identify the risk factors. The Interactive Management session involved the relevant stakeholders to interactively produce the systemic model through four major phases: idea generation, idea clarification, idea structuring, and interpretation of the structured ideas. The output of the Interactive Management process is a digraph showing the causal relationships between the identified risks. Six risk drivers were identified through the Interactive Management process: limited computer literacy, poor communication, lack of executive support, complexity of design, bureaucracy, and employee turnover. The constructed model demonstrates how the identified risk factors are interconnected. It also shows that non-linear relationships exist between risk factors. The output from this exploration has the potential to be used as a starting point to mitigate the risks impacting on Zimbabwean IT projects. Different from the output of frequently used approaches, the risk drivers identified in the systemic model inform decision makers to exploit the effective strategies in preventing other risks from materializing.

     

Interactive Management: An Emancipatory Methodology

An erosion of the power of people and their communities to control any more than a fragment of their future continues. Educational and governmental policy decisions are, for the most part, mandated from above and/or outside the community. This paper introduces a model which reflects Freire's humanizing pedagogy. This method is a vehicle, an avenue of empowerment for people and their communities to control their own destiny and the future of their community. The model is Interactive Management (IM) and its derivative, The CogniScope System. IM is a specialized system of management using collaborative teamwork to define and resolve highly complex issues. The process includes the integration of the diversity of perceptions of the participants with regard to the given ssues, builds consensus and joint ownership of the process and/or product, and creates a collaborative action plan to accomplish the participants' goals. The principal intangible outcome of the process, however, is the reflective participation, which leads to action, and the learning that occurs among the community of stakeholders present. The process of Interactive Management (IM), enhanced through the use of the CogniScope System, is described and examples of its application by First Nation peoples are shared.     

分布式虚拟现实仿真环境中的数据过滤技术研究

减少网络通讯负载一直是分布式交互仿真环境致力解决的问题。本文针对分布式虚拟现实仿真环境ＤＶＳＥ２０００遇到的拔号网络通讯瓶颈问题,讨论了基于数据转发器的实体状态数据包压缩技术及静态实体数据包传送技术。另外本文还基于大规模分布交互仿真环境介绍了兴趣管理技术,并提出了多阈值ＤＲ技术的思想。多阈值ＤＲ技术为解决大规模分布交互仿真环境的通讯负载提供了新思路。     

树计划技术──工作分解结构进度计划模拟分析与优化

综合工作分解结构(WBS)概念、项目管理网络计划技术(CPM/PERT)、MonteCarlo模拟方法、直接搜索算法和计算机技术等, 本文创建一种新的项目管理技术─-项目管理树计划技术, 研讨活动树模型、时间参数算法、模拟寻优、项目进度计划优选等有关概念和方法。     

A Comparison of Interactive Planning and Soft Systems Methodology: Enhancing the Complementarist Position

Flood and Jackson (1991) explain the diversity of systems-based methods with a pluralistic System of Systems Methodologies by categorizing the various methods according to the problem context for which they are deemed to be best suited. The two methods classified as most appropriate for complex-pluralistic problems, Ackoff's Interactive Planning and Checkland's Soft System Methodology, are compared according to their underlying theory, problem-solving techniques, and outcomes. Despite their shared focus on the same problem context, the two methods are derived from different ontological assumptions which yield different techniques and outcomes. An argument is presented for conducting additional comparisons of methods that address the same problem context.     

“EII META-MODEL” ON INTEGRATION FRAMEWORK FOR VIABLE ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS——CITY PLANNING METAPHOR BASED ON STRUCTURAL SIMILARITY

Enterprise systems must have the structure to adapt the change of business environment. Whenrebuilding enterprise system to meet the extended operational boundaries, the concept of IT cityplanning is applicable and effective. The aim of this paper is to describe the architectural approachfrom the integrated information infrastructure (In3) standpoint and to propose for applying the "CityPlanning" concept for rebuilding "inter-application spaghetti" enterprise systems. This is mainlybecause the portion of infrastructure has increased with the change of information systems fromcentralized systems to distributed and open systems. As enterprise systems have involvedheterogeneity or architectural black box in them, it may be required the integration framework(meta-architecture) as a discipline based on heterogeneity that can provide comprehensive view of theenterprise systems. This paper proposes "EII Meta-model" as the integration framework that canoptimize the overall enterprise systems from the IT city pl     

分布式交互仿真应用系统输入输出模型的研究与实现

由于分布式交互仿真中输入输出设备的多样性与复杂性，给软件的设计与开发带来诸多困难。在研究分析已有原语系统的基础上，通过定义逻辑设备坐标系及其中的归一化函数强化了设备无关性，提出了一个分布式交互仿真应用系统输入输出层次模型，并基于COM技术对该模型进行了具体实现。应用效果表明，该模型体现了设备无关的要求，并具备良好的可扩展性，能满足具体的分布式交互仿真应用系统的要求。     

攻防对抗DIS系统中CGF的构造与建模

ＤＩＳ作为一项现代仿真技术,在多兵种、多种武器平台的联合作战仿真与训练演习方面有着极其重要的作用,而ＣＧＦ是构造ＤＩＳ系统的关键技术之一。本文首先分析了构造ＣＧＦ系统的意义及特点,然后介绍攻防对抗ＤＩＳ系统中的ＣＧＦ组成结构。最后叙述了ＣＧＦ系统中重点对象的雷达、导弹及智能数字飞机的建模方法及特点,并给出了仿真结论。     

Applying Interactive Planning at DuPont: The Case of Transforming a Safety,Health, and Environmental Function to Deliver Business Value

Organizational transformation is a dynamic process that astounds those who attempt to create better work environments. Corporations often use transformations to downsize and/or outsource functions. Although the Safety, Health, and Environmental (SHE) function has experienced little change in the past 25 years, pressure is increasing to reduce costs and deliver business value. Often, cost reduction means downsizing and memory loss. Delivering business value means moving the SHE function into the business, with modest attention given to integrating the work. Four major findings resulted in the transformation of a SHE function in DuPont using Interactive Planning: (1) SHE professionals transformed from independent to interdependent knowledge workers, (2) SHE performance improved by almost 50%, (3) enabling factors were participation and personal commitment and disabling factors were organizational turbulence and lack of recognition, and (4) organizational learning flourished among SHE professionals and tacit SHE knowledge became explicit on the factory floor.     

An Interactive Approach to Classification

Classification, entangled with obscurity and complexity, is not a task performed with ease. The obscurity in differentiating empirical taxonomy from conceptual typology plus the complexity of people’s perceptions as well as the difficulty in developing a versatile approach—all impinge on the path towards settling a classification structure grounded in consensus. This paper reviews the conventional approach and the prevailing approach to dealing with classification, scrutinizes the fundamental structures of classification and puts forward Interactive Management as a mechanism for unfolding the hierarchical structure of classification through a participatory and disciplined way. A case study—relating to structuring the value model of precision grinding machines in a multicriteria decision making context—demonstrates the manifold structures in classification, and demonstrates the establishment of consensus on classification structure from different participants’ perceptions, rather than a single designer’s preference.     

开放系统之间语义的传送:实例研究

开放系统互连(OSI)的主要目标是实现驻留在不同系统中的应用之间的互通与互操作。这要求在这些系统之间正确地传送应用语义。本文以文卷传送为实例,阐述了OSI为实现语义传送而提出的概念、工具与标准,探讨了这个在OSI中较为难以理解的领域。     

A Systemic Inquiry into the AIDS Epidemic in the Western Cape of South Africa through Interactive Management

South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS. Approximately 6.2 million South Africans are living with HIV/AIDS. The AIDS epidemic has impacted on its economy and plagued its vibrancy. The government of South Africa has invested significant resources to fight AIDS. However, the number of AIDS-related deaths in South Africa is the second highest in the world. Different from the common approaches used to study the AIDS problem, this paper demonstrates how Interactive Management (IM), a methodology echoing systemic thinking, can be employed to identify the drivers leading to the AIDS epidemic in the Western Cape of South Africa. The preliminary exploration is not aimed at discovering a theory, but enhancing learning and consensus among stakeholders. Through a full-day IM session, the study identified two major drivers leading to the AIDS epidemic: poverty and lack of knowledge of HIV/AIDS. The identified drivers can serve as a starting point to revisit the current governmental strategies in fighting AIDS.     

解决冲突的图形模型在谈判支持系统中的应用

首先介绍冲突图形模型的基本原理,在此基础上对这种模型进行改进并探讨用于谈判支持系统的可行性.     

STUDIES ON HORIZONTAL COMPETITION AMONG HOMOGENOUS RETAILERS THROUGH AGENT-BASED SIMULATION

1. Introduction A supply chain is a network composed osuppliers, manufacturers, retailers, etc., whichcooperate to offer a kind of goods or servicesThese supply chain members cooperate andcompete with each other to maximize theiown profits. For example,…     

A situation calculus based approach to dynamic management of e-business services

In the era of e-businesses, the traditional business services are greatly challenged by the ever-increasing demands from customers with various backgrounds and personalities. Large numbers of new e-businesses are driven by the needs of customers. The existing dynamics inherent in the customer needs require the corresponding dynamic management of services. Attempting to respond to customers in a rapid and intelligent way, this paper proposes a situation calculus based approach for dynamically managing e-Business services in the ubiquitous environment. By employing the formalism of the situation calculus to enable intelligence and automation, the approach can implement. the functions of service automatic composition and model verification. These functions will improve the degree of customer-orientation and enable fast responsiveness in the emerging e-service systems.     

Resilience 2.0: Computer-aided Disaster Management

Many factors (larger population, more dependency on technology, more human-caused interference in the natural systems and equilibria, climate changes,?) contribute to the seemingly growing number and severity of disasters. Additional exaggeration is generated by public media. As a consequence Disaster Prevention and Disaster Management must be given increased attention. The ultimate goal of Disaster Management is resilience of the affected system and thus the adequate and acceptable survival of the affected population.We discuss system behavior in the case of an assault or disturbance: from being fragile (loss of their functionality due to the assault) to being resilient (having the capacity... of bouncing back to dynamic stability after a disturbance), or even antifragile (being able to "learn" so as to improve disaster resilience).Resilience 2.0 identifies a new paradigm: modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are employed as a basis for enabling and improving resilience of a system. ICT provide the basis for sufficient preparation before an assault, for quick recognition of, and for effective, efficient reactions to disasters. Only the coordinated intra- and interphase deployment of ICT promises sufficient success and can bring resilience to currently as yet fragile systems. We discuss stressors (time and performance pressure, physical and psychological stress on personnel) and problems due to damaged ICT-platforms and communication infrastructure. The basic message is that computer-aided Disaster Management is able to offers a new level of reactivity: Resilience 2.0.     

待料型生产计划与调度优化模型

提出待料型生产系统的概念．并建立待料型生产计划与调度优化的三个层次的教学模型；综合计划模型、生产调度模型和工艺优化模型。为具有待料现象的企业提供优化生产组织的一般分析方法和建模思路,以增进此类企业的经济效益。     

适用于大规模分布式交互仿真的应用层组播研究

组播技术具有良好的伸缩性和高效的数据传输效率,是大规模分布式交互仿真应用中理想的通信机制。早期的组播技术研究侧重于从IP层提供组播通信支持,但IP组播的实施涉及到网络基础设施的调整,且大规模应用还受到一些技术因素的阻碍。应用层组播(ALM)将组成员组织成覆盖网络为数据传输提供服务,组播功能完全由终端系统在应用层实现,从而易于大规模部署和实现。本文介绍了应用层组播模型的机理和构造协议,分析了大规模DIS系统中通信需求的特点,探讨在大规模DIS中实施应用层组播的一些相关问题。     

大规模系统中冲突的协商解

本文分析了由多个子系统构成的大系统中的决策问题, 研究了各子系统之间目标出现冲突时的解及调解方法。文章采用文献[6]中的多人多目标冲突模型来描述大系统中的冲突决策问题, 提出了大系统中冲突的协商解的概念, 并研究了其协商解的求取方法。     

Optimally Connected Hybrid Complex Networks with Windmill Graphs Backbone

The significance of the existing analysis methods in complex networks and easy access to the ever-increasing volume of information present the emergence of proposing new methods in various fields based on complex system ideas. However, these systems are usually faced with various random failures and intelligent attacks. Due to the nature of the components' behaviors, the occurrence of the failures and faults in their operations and the alteration of their topologies are the most important problems. Since the complex systems are usually used as the infrastructures of other networks, their robustness against failures and the adoption of suitable precautions are necessary. Moreover, the smallworld effect in most complex systems is one of the crucial structural features. The authors found that the relation between these two is not well-known and may even be in conflict in some networks. The main goal in this paper is to achieve an optimal topology by utilizing a robustness-oriented multiobjective trade-off optimization model(edge rewiring) to establish a peaceful relationship between the two requirements. By offering a proposed rewiring method with the small-world effect, which is called core-periphery Windmill property, the authors demonstrated that the generated networks are able to exhibit appropriate robustness even during intelligent attacks. The results obtained in terms of Windmill graphs are presented very good approximations to demonstrate the small-world effect. These graphs are used as the initial core in the construction of the optimized networks' topologies.