Category Archives: Projects

News, Projects

CC CDQ publishes the “Data Excellence Framework”

In a joint effort, comprising more than 15 European companies as well as researchers from three European universities, the Competence Center Corporate Data Quality (CC CDQ) has developed a reference model for data management in the digital economy: the Data Excellence Model. It offers support and guidance for practitioners in the implementation of data management by defining major design areas, while at the same time supporting the transformation into a digital and data-driven company.

Given the understanding of data as a strategic resource for the digital economy, the reference model specifies design areas of data management in three categories: goals, enablers, and results, which are interlinked in a continuous improvement cycle.

Basically,

  • goals break down the overall aim and purpose of data management by outlining necessary business capabilities and data management capabilities and explicating them in the form of a data strategy;
  • enablers help to achieve the goals specified with regard to six design areas: people, roles and responsibilities; performance management; processes and methods; data architecture; data lifecycle; and data applications;
  • results indicate to what extent the goals are achieved in terms of two quanti-fiable aspects: data excellence and business value; and
  • continuous improvement allows adjustment of goals and enablers, ensuring the dynamic nature of the model.

More information can be found on the CC CDQ website.

News, Projects, Publication, Publications

When Sales Meet Process Mining – Presentation at the International Conference on Information Systems

Gaël Bernard presented results of the CTI-funded research project “Real-Time Sales Planning and Performance Management (SPPM)” at the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) in Dublin.

G. Bernard, T. Boillat, C. Legner, P. Andritsos:
When Sales Meet Process Mining: A Scientific Approach to Sales Process and Performance Management
Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS), Dublin, 2016
Abstract:

Selling has long been considered as an ” art ” driven by personal intuition and native sales talent. However, significant changes have occurred over the past 30 years, as a result of technological advances and changing customer expectations. As one answer to these changes, practitioners and scholars have promoted the idea of ” sales as a science ” , relying on documented, repeatable ways of selling that reflect scientific methods. We argue that process mining is a relevant candidate for empowering ” sales as a science ” via its capacity to analyze, discover, and enhance end-to-end processes. Through a design science approach, we propose a framework for applying process mining to sales, comprising a refined notation and seven process mining analysis scenarios. Our study represents a first step towards gaining a better understanding of real-world sales processes based on digital traces from operational systems e.g., customer relationship management (CRM) systems, or emerging technologies e.g., smart watches.

Further information: Article (AIS library, ResearchGate), poster

News, Projects

Start of SNF-funded research project on user preferences for cloud services

November 1, 2015 was the official starting date of the SNF-funded research project “Don’t Guess, Simulate! Understanding User Preferences for Cloud Services”.

The SNF project builds on findings from Andrea Giessmann’s dissertation and aims at improving our understanding of user preferences for cloud services in order to support their user-oriented design. More precisely, we aim to develop and validate a systematic approach for eliciting and analysing customer preferences for cloud services and simulating market reaction to variations in cloud service design. Our approach builds on adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis, which is a marketing research technique to analyze multi-dimensional user preferences. In the context of cloud services, it allows to measure the trade-offs between the functional and non-functional properties as well as economic and vendor-related aspects. The results of our research will comprise (1) a method component supporting requirements engineering for cloud services; and (2) two empirical studies of consumer preferences for two distinct types of cloud services.

If you are interested in knowing more about the project, please contact Dana Naous (dana.naous@unil.ch) or Prof. Christine Legner (christine.legner@unil.ch).

 

Collaborators, News, Projects

Dana Naous joins the BISA team as doctoral researcher

On November 1, Dana Naous joined the BISA team as doctoral researcher. She completed a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Communication in the American University of Beirut (Lebanon) and a Master of Science in Management of Technology and Entrepreneurship in EPFL. She also worked at Philip Morris International for her Master thesis on “developing strategies towards a digital workplace”.

She currently works on the SNF-funded research project “Don’t Guess, Simulate”. The goal is to study user preferences for cloud services, in order to support their user-oriented design, using marketing research techniques.

Projects

Real-Time Sales Planning and Performance Management (SPPM)

Title: Real-Time Sales Planning and Performance Management (SPPM) – A Collaborative Cloud Solution for Multi-Level Distribution Channels

Motivation: With increasing globalization, manufacturers rely on distribution channels – comprising national sales organizations, independent distributors and retailers – to sell their products on local markets. However, the costs of these distribution channels are high, and sales activities are often not systematically managed and coordinated. The current way of working can be substantially improved through increasing transparency and measurability in the sales process.

Project Objectives: This project conceptualizes an innovative real-time sales planning and performance management approach for multi-level distribution channels (business innovation), which is implemented as a collaborative cloud solution and takes advantage of in-memory and mobile technologies (technology innovation).

Business innovation: As a proactive approach, SPPM relies on process-oriented KPI to assess sales performance, instead of result or revenue-oriented KPIs. It aligns top-down and bottom-up performance management, thereby coordinating key sales activities and targets of the different stakeholders at retail, wholesale and manufacturer level. SPPM covers the complete performance management cycle:

  • Plan (and set targets)
  • Act (and measure)
  • Monitor (and visualize)
  • Review (and correct)

 

Technology innovation: In this project, we are looking into cloud and mobile technologies, as well as in-memory computing in order to provide an easy-to-use tool for real-time sales planning and performance management to sales employees and managers. As a collaborative cloud solution, SPPM supports the different levels and roles in the sales channels with role-specific mobile or Web frontends to plan and manage their sales performance in real-time.

Project approach: The first year focusses on the automotive industry, whereas we will extend the concept to other industries.

Funding: The Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI)
Duration: 24 months (April 2014 – March 2016)
Team: Christine Legner, Thomas Boillat, Andrea Giessmann
Partner: proaxia consulting group, CMT

Projects

Strategic Enterprise Architecture Management

Strategic Enterprise Architecture Management by Frederik Ahlemann (EBS Business School), Eric Stettiner and Marcus Messerschmidt (both PwC), and Christine Legner (University of Lausanne)

The discipline of Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) deals with the alignment of business and information systems architectures. While EAM has long been regarded as a discipline for IT managers this book takes a different stance: It explains how top executives can use EAM for leveraging their strategic planning and controlling processes and how EAM can contribute to sustainable competitive advantage. Based on the analysis of best practices from eight leading European companies from various industries the book presents crucial elements of successful EAM. It outlines what executives need to do in terms of governance, processes, methodologies and culture in order to bring their management to the next level. Beyond this, the book points how EAM might develop in the next decade allowing today’s managers to prepare for the future of architecture management.

Projects

Service Cloud

Motivation: Cloud computing represents a paradigm shift in IT, since it allows users to conveniently access computing resources as pay per use services. The number of cloud offerings, ranging from data storage and processing (e.g. Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud), to office and collaboration tools (e.g. Google Apps), to business software (e.g. Salesforce.com, Netsuite), is steadily growing. At the same time, cloud computing is converging with two other IT innovations, social media and mobile technologies, to transform user behavior while creating new collaboration platforms and business opportunities.

Project Objectives: Our research investigates cloud computing from a business perspective, with a focus on customer service. We consider customer service as particularly suited for cloud computing, since it is inherently distributed, relies on high-quality information and requires efficient interactions between customers, service providers and product manufacturers.

In our vision, the “Service Cloud” leverages cloud computing to support global service business in serving their customers throughout the entire life-cycle.
Our research project focuses on three main questions related to the “Service Cloud”:

  1. Technology scouting: Which innovative cloud solutions are emerging for the service business? How can they be classified?
  2. Cloud services and architecture: How can companies leverage cloud services for improving business processes and information flows internally and externally with customers / partners? What are the implications on business and IS architecture?
  3. Business scenarios and benefits: What are business scenarios and related benefits for using the “Service Cloud”?


Project information
Duration: 12 months (June 2012 – June 2013)
Team: Christine Legner, Thomas Boillat
Partner: proaxia consulting group