What is the analysis and redesign of workflow within and between enterprises?

Business process reengineering

Business process reengineering (BPR) is the analysis and redesign of workflow within and between enterprises. BPR reached its heyday in the early 1990′s when Michael Hammer and James Champy published their best-selling book, "Reengineering the Corporation." The authors promoted the idea that sometimes radical redesign and reorganization of an enterprise (wiping the slate clean) was necessary to lower costs and increase quality of service and that information technology was the key enabler for that radical change. Hammer and Champy felt that the design of workflow in most large corporations was based on assumptions about technology, people, and organizational goals that were no longer valid. They suggested seven principles of reengineering to streamline the work process and thereby achieve significant levels of improvement in quality, time management, and cost:

1. Organize around outcomes, not tasks.

2. Identify all the processes in an organization and prioritize them in order of redesign urgency.

3. Integrate information processing work into the real work that produces the information.

4. Treat geographically dispersed resources as though they were centralized.

5. Link parallel activities in the workflow instead of just integrating their results.

6. Put the decision point where the work is performed, and build control into the process.

7. Capture information once and at the source.

By the mid-1990′s, BPR gained the reputation of being a nice way of saying "downsizing." According to Hammer, lack of sustained management commitment and leadership,unrealistic scope and expectations, and resistance to change prompted management to abandon the concept of BPR and embrace the next new methodology, enterprise resource planning (ERP).

business service provider

A business service provider (BSP) is a company that rents third-party software application packages to their customers. A BSP is similar to an an application service provider (ASP) in that it provides a cost-effective way to procure applications via networks. A BSP differs from an ASP in that it tailors a software package to its customer’s needs and offers back-office solutions by outsourcing most (if not all) business processes, such as payroll and bookkeeping. Small and mid-sized firms are attracted to BSPs because they have low start-up costs and low monthly fees, whereas ASPs are more capital intensive. Agillon, eAlity, Employease and EConvergent are examples of succesful BSP companies.

bypass

Bypass, in general, means either to go around something by an external route rather than going through it, or the means of accomplishing that feat. In network security, a bypass is a flaw in a security system that allows an attacker to circumvent security mechanisms to get system or network access. The actual point of entry is through a mechanism (either a hardware device or program, even just a piece of code) that enables the user to access the system without going through the security clearance procedures (such as authentication) that were set up by the system administrator. A bypass may be a mechanism put in place by an attacker, a flaw in the design, or an alternate access route left in place by developers. A bypass that is purposefully put in place as a means of access for authorized users is called a back door or a trap door. A crypto bypass is a flaw that allows data to circumvent the encryption process and escape, unencrypted, as plaintext.

byte

In most computer systems, a byte is a unit of data that is eight binary digits long. A byte is the unit most computers use to represent a character such as a letter, number, or typographic symbol (for example, "g", "5", or ”?”). A byte can also hold a string of bits that need to be used in some larger unit for application purposes (for example, the stream of bits that constitute a visual image for a program that displays images or the string of bits that constitutes the machine code of a computer program).

In some computer systems, four bytes constitute a word, a unit that a computer processor can be designed to handle efficiently as it reads and processes each instruction. Some computer processors can handle two-byte or single-byte instructions.

A byte is abbreviated with a "B". (A bit is abbreviated with a small "b".) Computer storage is usually measured in byte multiples. For example, an 820 MB hard drive holds a nominal 820 million bytes—or megabytes—of data. Byte multiples are based on powers of 2 and commonly expressed as a ”rounded off” decimal number. For example, one megabyte (”one million bytes”) is actually 1,048,576 (decimal) bytes. (Confusingly, however, some hard disk manufacturers and dictionary sources state that bytes for computer storage should be calculated as powers of 10 so that a megabyte really would be one million decimal bytes.)

Some language scripts require two bytes to represent a character. These are called double-byte character sets (DBCS).

According to Fred Brooks, an early hardware architect for IBM, project manager for the OS/360 operating system, and author of The Mythical Man-Month, Dr. Werner Buchholz originated the term byte in 1956 when working on IBM’s STRETCH computer.

bytecode

Bytecode is computer object code that is processed by a program, usually referred to as a virtual machine, rather than by the ”real” computer machine, the hardware processor. The virtual machine converts each generalized machine instruction into a specific machine instruction or instructions that this computer’s processor will understand. Bytecode is the result of compiling source code written in a language that supports this approach. Most computer languages, such as C and C++, require a separate compiler for each computer platform—that is, for each computer operating system and the hardware set of instructions that it is built on. Windows and the Intel line of microprocessor architectures are one platform; Apple and the PowerPC processors are another. Using a language that comes with a virtual machine for each platform, your source language statements need to be compiled only once and will then run on any platform.

The best-known language today that uses the bytecode and virtual machine approach is Java. The LISP language, used in artificial intelligence applications, is an earlier language that compiled bytecode. Other languages that use bytecode or a similar approach include Icon and Prolog. Rather than being interpreted one instruction at a time, Java bytecode can be recompiled at each particular system platform by a just-in-time compiler. Usually, this will enable the Java program to run faster. In Java, bytecode is contained in a binary file with a .CLASS suffix.

C

C is a structured, procedural programming language that has been widely used both for operating systems and applications and that has had a wide following in the academic community. Many versions of UNIX-based operating systems are written in C. C has been standardized as part of the Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX). With the increasing popularity of object-oriented programming, C is being rapidly replaced as "the" programming language by C++, a superset of the C language that uses an entirely different set of programming concepts, and by Java, a language similar to but simpler than C++, that was designed for use in distributed networks.

C shell

C shell is the UNIX shell (command execution program, often called a command interpreter) created by Bill Joy at the University of California at Berkeley as an alternative to UNIX’s original shell, the Bourne shell. These two UNIX shells, along with the Korn shell, are the three most commonly used shells. The C shell program name is csh, and the shell prompt (the character displayed to indicate readiness for user input) is the % symbol. The C shell was invented for programmers who prefer a syntax similar to that of the C programming language.

The other popular member of the C shell family is called tcsh (for Tab C shell) and is an extended version of C shell. Some of tcsh’s added features are: enhanced history substitution (which allows you to reuse commands you have already typed), spelling correction, and word completion (which allows you to type the first couple of letters in a word and hit the tab key to have the program complete it).

Once considered "buggy", the C shell has had a number of different versions developed to overcome the flaws in the original program. Most often, only experienced users prefer to use the C shell. C is frequently the default shell at universities and research organizations and is the default on many systems, especially those derived from Berkeley UNIX.

C#

C# (pronounced "C-sharp") is a new object-oriented programming language from Microsoft, which aims to combine the computing power of C++ with the programming ease of Visual Basic. C# is based on C++ and contains features similar to those of Java.

C# is designed to work with Microsoft’s .Net platform. Microsoft’s aim is to facilitate the exchange of information and services over the Web, and to enable developers to build highly portable applications. C# simplifies programming through its use of Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) which allow access to a programming object or method without requiring the programmer to write additional code for each step. Because programmers can build on existing code, rather than repeatedly duplicating it, C# is expected to make it faster and less expensive to get new products and services to market.

Microsoft is collaborating with ECMA, the international standards body, to create a standard for C#. International Standards Organization (ISO) recognition for C# would encourage other companies to develop their own versions of the language. Companies that are already using C# include Apex Software, Bunka Orient, Component Source, devSoft, FarPoint Technologies, LEAD Technologies, ProtoView, and Seagate Software.

C++

C++ is an object-oriented programming (OOP) language that is viewed by many as the best language for creating large-scale applications. C++ is a superset of the C language. A related programming language, Java, is based on C++ but optimized for the distribution of program objects in a network such as the Internet. Java is somewhat simpler and easier to learn than C++ and has characteristics that give it other advantages over C++. However, both languages require a considerable amount of learning time.

C3D

C3D (pronounced SEE-THREE-DEE) is a combined hardware/software process that captures a pair of two-dimensional images, objects, or scenes and automatically reconstructs them into a digital three-dimensional (3-D) model. In turn, this model can be used to create a virtual representation of the image, object, or scene. The C3D process uses a standard PC and camera to produce a realistic photographic model for viewing on a PC at a reconstruction accuracy of 50 microns. C3D can be used with other tools, such as the Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML).

C3D exploits the stereoptic function of the human brain, which is able to combine an image perceived by each eye into a 3-D perception. Capturing images using the C3D process allows the image to be manipulated horizontally,vertically, or spatially (that is, by distance) using one of three modelling representations: a polygon wire frame, shaded, or naturally rendering. Once you create the modeling representation, a photographic rendering from the image pairing is placed on the modelling representation to create the shaped model.

Current C3D application uses include: tire footprints, health care studies, police mugshots, virtual studio applications for TV, microscopic modelling objects, aerial road surveys, and museum artifact archiving.

Cabinet file

In Microsoft program development, a cabinet is a single file created to hold a number of compressed files. A related set of cabinet files can be contained in a folder. During installation of a program, the compressed files in a cabinet are decompressed and copied to an appropriate directory for the user. A cabinet file usually has the file name suffix of ".cab".

Microsoft uses cabinet files in distributing its own products, such as PowerPoint, Microsoft Office for Windows, and Microsoft Money. Cabinet files save space and time during software distribution. They are decompressed during installation. Large files can be compressed and included in more than one cabinet file, each of which logically points to the next file, with all contained in a logical folder.

Development accountability for cabinet files is ensured by providing a signed digital certificate with the cabinet file. One "signature" covers all the files in a cabinet file. Cabinet files are created using Lempel-Ziv compression.

Cable head-end

A cable head-end is the facility at a local cable TV office that originates and communicates cable TV services and cable modem services to subscribers. In distributing cable television services, the head-end includes a satellite dish antenna for receiving incoming programming. This programming is then passed on to the subscriber. (Cable TV companies may also play videotapes and originate live programming.) Normally, all signals are those that are sent downstream to the subscriber, but some are received upstream such as when a customer requests a pay-per-view program.

When a cable company provides Internet access to subscribers, the head-end includes the computer system and databases needed to provide Internet access. The most important component located at the head-end is the cable modem termination system (CMTS), which sends and receives digital cable modem signals on a cable network and is necessary for providing Internet services to cable subscribers.

Cable modem

A cable modem is a device that enables you to hook up your PC to a local cable TV line and receive data at about 1.5 Mbps. This data rate far exceeds that of the prevalent 28.8 and 56 Kbps telephone modems and the up to 128 Kbps of Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and is about the data rate available to subscribers of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) telephone service. A cable modem can be added to or integrated with a set-top box that provides your TV set with channels for Internet access. In most cases, cable modems are furnished as part of the cable access service and are not purchased directly and installed by the subscriber.

A cable modem has two connections: one to the cable wall outlet and the other to a PC or to a set-top box for a TV set. Although a cable modem does modulate between analog and digital signals, it is a much more complex device than a telephone modem. It can be an external device or it can be integrated within a computer or set-top box. Typically, the cable modem attaches to a standard 10BASE-T Ethernet card in the computer.

All of the cable modems attached to a cable TV company coaxial cable line communicate with a cable modem termination system (CMTS) at the local cable TV company office. All cable modems can receive from and send signals only to the CMTS, but not to other cable modems on the line. Some services have the upstream signals returned by telephone rather than cable, in which case the cable modem is known as a telco-return cable modem.

The actual bandwidth for Internet service over a cable TV line is up to 27 Mbps on the download path to the subscriber with about 2.5 Mbps of bandwidth for interactive responses in the other direction. However, since the local provider may not be connected to the Internet on a line faster than a T-carrier system at 1.5 Mpbs, a more likely data rate will be close to 1.5 Mpbs.

Leading companies using cable TV to bring the Internet to homes and businesses are @Home and Time-Warner.

In addition to the faster data rate, an advantage of cable over telephone Internet access is that it is a continuous connection.

Cable modem termination system

A cable modem termination system (CMTS) is a component that exchanges digital signals with cable modems on a cable network. A cable modem termination system is located at the local office of a cable television company. A data service is delivered to a subscriber through channels in a coaxial cable or optical fiber cable to a cable modem installed externally or internally to a subscriber’s computer or television set. One television channel is used for upstream signals from the cable modem to the CMTS, and another channel is used for downstream signals from the CMTS to the cable modem. When a CMTS receives signals from a cable modem, it converts these signals into Internet Protocol (IP) packets, which are then sent to an IP router for transmission across the Internet. When a CMTS sends signals to a cable modem, it modulates the downstream signals for tranmission across the cable to the cable modem. All cable modems can receive from and send signals to the CMTS but not to other cable modems on the line.

cable TV

Cable TV is also known as "CATV" (community antenna television). In addition to bringing television programs to those millions of people throughout the world who are connected to a community antenna, cable TV will likely become a popular way to interact with the World Wide Web and other new forms of multimedia information and entertainment services.

cache

A cache (pronounced CASH) is a place to store something more or less temporarily. Web pages you request are stored in your browser’s cache directory on your hard disk. That way, when you return to a page you’ve recently looked at, the browser can get it from the cache rather than the original server, saving you time and the network the burden of some additional traffic. You can usually vary the size of your cache, depending on your particular browser.

Computers include caches at several levels of operation, including cache memory and a disk cache. Caching can also be implemented for Internet content by distributing it to multiple servers that are periodically refreshed. (The use of the term in this context is closely related to the general concept of a distributed information base.)

Altogether, we are aware of these types of caches:

• International, national, regional, organizational and other "macro" caches to which highly popular information can be distributed and periodically updated and from which most users would obtain information.

• Local server caches (for example, corporate LAN servers or access provider servers that cache frequently accessed files). This is similar to the previous idea, except that the decision of what data to cache may be entirely local.

• Your Web browser’s cache, which contains the most recent Web files that you have downloaded and which is phyically located on your hard disk (and possibly some of the following caches at any moment in time).

• A disk cache (either a reserved area of RAM or a special hard disk cache) where a copy of the most recently accessed data and adjacent (most likely to be accessed) data is stored for fast access.

• RAM itself, which can be viewed as a cache for data that is initially loaded in from the hard disk (or other I/O storage systems).

• L2 cache memory, which is on a separate chip from the microprocessor but faster to access than regular RAM.

• L1 cache memory on the same chip as the microprocessor.

Also see: buffer, which, like a cache, is a temporary place for data, but with the primary purpose of coordinating communication between programs or hardware rather than improving process speed.

Cache coherence

In a shared memory multiprocessor with a separate cache memory for each processor, it is possible to have many copies of any one instruction operand: one copy in the main memory and one in each cache memory. When one copy of an operand is changed, the other copies of the operand must be changed also. Cache coherence is the discipline that ensures that changes in the values of shared operands are propagated throughout the system in a timely fashion.

There are three distinct levels of cache coherence:

1. Every write operation appears to occur instantaneously.

2. All processes see exactly the same sequence of changes of values for each separate operand.

3. Different processes may see an operand assume different sequences of values. (This is considered noncoherent behavior.) In both level 2 behavior and level 3 behavior, a program can observe stale data. Recently, computer designers have come to realize that the programming discipline required to deal with level 2 behavior is sufficient to deal also with level 3 behavior. Therefore, at some point only level 1 and level 3 behavior will be seen in machines.

Is the analysis and redesign of workflows within and between enterprises in order to optimize business processes?

What is the first step of a workflow analysis of an organization?

What is the rethinking and redesign of the business process to achieve dramatic improvement in critical measures of performance?

What makes analytics part of a business process?