Abstract: Business intelligence (BI) efforts can only result in a truly intelligent, agile business if they are driven by business goals—comprehensively deployed and adopted; and managed in ways that produce meaningful, measurable and credible results. Discover five BI trends to watch out for in 2010, and learn how to develop an approach to BI that’s effective, and tailored to your organization’s unique needs and goals.

Abstract: As more business processes exist in an electronic universe, the need to manage the IT services that enable these processes increases. Business service management does this and achieves the IT alignment with the business necessary to ensure service improvement activities are prioritized with business objectives. Business service management applies the adage that if you improve IT, you improve the business. This paper presents an overview of business service management concepts and describes how Proxima Centauri provides a solution for this. It also describes how Six Sigma can be used as an underlying quality improvement process to eliminate the associated costs of poor quality.

Abstract: Enterprises of all sizes today face common problems dealing with handling increasing business complexity while reducing costs. The solution continues to be the automation of business processes. SAP is an established leader in addressing the needs of large enterprises. Building on that performance and identified best practices, SAP built and launched SAP Business One. SAP Business One was designed to offer small and medium businesses the same business streamlining and efficiencies at a scale and scope appropriate to their needs. IDC recently interviewed a number of companies that have successfully deployed SAP Business One. The purpose of our interviews was to determine what impact the software had on their productivity and cost reduction.

Abstract: A growing measure of business performance is financial performance management. Leveraging business intelligence (BI) to map business performance goals requires integrating and consolidating information. Systems Union is embarking on a strategy to triumph in this market.

Abstract: Virtualization is changing the way system hardware is used, and the way desktop environments are delivered and how users interact with applications. Virtualization can improve system use and reduce downtime—but there are significant inhibitors to a successful virtualization deployment. Find out why common virtual machine (VM) software is not enough to meet your business goals, and how a VMware solution can help you.

Abstract: Aspen Technology recently announced its e-commerce initiative, Aspen e-Business, which is the first in a planned series of business-to-business e-commerce applications. As part of the initiative, AspenTech will partner with business-to-business application vendor Extricity Software, Inc. to deliver e-commerce solutions. Though Aspen lags behind other enterprise application software vendors in e-commerce offerings, recent business restructuring efforts and its hold on the process manufacturing segment may lead to success.

Abstract: Every company needs a clear set of goals and objectives to achieve maximum benefits from its business intelligence (BI) and planning projects. But a company must do more than state its goals to achieve its BI and planning objectives. It needs a working framework that provides a blueprint for success. Learn how a software solution can provide essential BI and planning functions while setting the stage for future growth.

Abstract: Business intelligence (BI) is often an area of friction between information technology (IT) (who provide information) and the business users (who need it to do their jobs). By allowing you to connect goals, metrics, and people across the enterprise, an enterprise BI standard helps organizations manage and optimize information flows like other business processes, leading to improved alignment and transparency.

Abstract: Written for the IT outsourcing community, this document describes an approach for measuring the business value of IT in order to focus service provision activities on areas that are of priority to the client. It introduces a quality improvement process that can decrease the cost of service provisioning without impairing service quality. The intended audience includes those responsible for designing a solution, managers of an existing service, and people bidding for new business looking to differentiate their services. By measuring and reporting on the business value of an IT service, outsourcers' clients see the contribution being made to the success of their clients' business ventures. As a result, the outsourcers' relationships will transition from supplier to partner, they become better placed to exploit new business opportunities, and save money by focusing efforts on areas that are important to their clients.

Abstract: In the present context of business, it is becoming essential for the business world to provide electronic commerce in addition to their good old business model. An electronic commerce application adds lot of value to business models and helps overall growth in the different areas of business, business management, tracking, and customer support. Customers find it’s much easier to access the products and services of a corporation through an e-commerce application and corporations find it easier to reach their customers.

Abstract: For over a decade, organizations have struggled with a gap between IT and business due to shifts in perceptions of what business intelligence (BI) should be. Often, skilled IT workers get stuck in low-level reporting roles, while business workers can’t access and analyze information fast enough to make strategic decisions. This discussion with an industry technologist offers some ideas for bridging the IT/business gap.

Abstract: Sales and operations planning (S&OP) was identified as companies’ number two area of focus, in a survey of 805 companies for Aberdeen’s Supply Chain Executive’s Strategic Agenda study. Further research on the supply chain identifies how the S&OP process is helping corporate executives accomplish their overall business strategies. Find out what the four broad strategies are, and how best-in-class companies are using them.

Abstract: Nowadays, it’s easy to spend nearly as much time trying to make the pieces of your supply chain work together as you actually spend working. Managing disparate systems and solving communication issues create challenges that keep your business-to-business (B2B) solutions from working in sync. Find out how integrating the technology, business processes, and communication of your entire business community can help.

Abstract: Typical explanations given for increased spending in business intelligence include, meeting government regulations, managing information overload, tracking corporate goals, and improving competitive response. However, a deeper drive for BI stems from the need to quantify the intangibles that underlie the market value of a business.

Abstract: IT departments rarely know as much about a business as the business people themselves. But business users still depend on IT to deliver answers related to the information that they receive. Learn how business intelligence (BI) 2.0—also known as collaborative BI—is helping business users create and modify their own reports, share and enrich information, and provide feedback to each other and to information producers.

Abstract: Executives and management consultants agree that effective business process management involves placing the day-to-day decisions into the hands of business operations managers. By applying operational business intelligence (BI)—which assembles data from the business as it happens, reports on it, and analyzes it—companies gain the necessary information and tools needed to make decisions and improve business performance.

Abstract: Midsize companies may move so fast that they jeopardize the creation of reliable business performance metrics. Without a trusted set of business information and sound analytic processes, a midsize company cannot make informed business decisions, or take the actions required for successful business outcomes. Learn how your midsize company can overcome the four inhibitors to reliable business intelligence (BI).

Abstract: Business changes constantly in small ways and large. It is rare to find an application product that can change once it is implemented. This gap is a reality leading to dissatisfaction and the application being a drag on the business. This gap, the lack of the ability to change, costs the business dearly. Software needs to be the agent of change, not the enemy of change.