Management Information Systems

Purpose – This article identifies and describes the most prominent research areas connected with 'Big Data' and proposes a thorough definition of the term.
Design/Methodology/Approach – We have analyzed a conspicuous corpus of industry and academia articles linked with Big Data in order to find commonalities among the topics they treated. We have also compiled a survey of existing definitions with a view of generating a more solid one that encompasses most of the work happening in the field.
Findings – We've found that the main themes of Big Data are: Information, Technology, Methods and Impact. We propose a new definition for the term that reads as follows: " Big Data is the Information asset characterized by such a High Volume, Velocity and Variety to require specific Technology and Analytical Methods for its transformation into Value."
Practical implications – The formal definition we propose can enable a more coherent development of the concept of Big Data, as it solely relies on the essential strands of current state-of-art and is coherent with the most popular definitions currently used.
Originality/value – This is among the first structured attempts of building a convincing definition of Big Data. It also contains an original exploration of the topic in connection with library management.

Bu çalışmanın amacı; lojistik süreçlerde önemli bir yer işgal eden ürün yükleme aşamalarında makine ve işgücü verimliliğini artırmaktır. Bu çalışmada; orantısız yüklerin konteynerlere ve diğer taşıyıcılara yüklenirken zaman parametresi üzerinden hareketle, işçi ve makine kaynakların verimliliği incelenerek ticari araçların ve konteynerlerin karmaşık yük ve yükleme planları içindeki yüklenme hızını ve çalışan verimliliğini artırmaya yönelik analizler yapılmıştır. Karar destek sistemi (KDS) geliştirilerek, literatüre kazandırılmış uygulama sonuçları örnek vaka halinde sunulmuştur. Yazar Taşıt Koltukları A.Ş. firmasında yapılan incelemeler sonucu; yükleme operasyonları esnasında ek işçi istihdam edilerek lojistik operasyonların hızlandırılmaya çalışıldığı fakat bu durumun emek verimliliğini düşürdüğü, orantısız yüklerin tek seferde konteyner ve diğer araçlara yüklenmesinde ciddi zaman kayıplarının yaşandığı, maliyet verimliliğin düştüğü tespit edilmiştir. Yapılan bu çalışma sonucunda; konteynerler ve diğer taşıyıcı araçlara, orantısız paketli ürünlerin optimum sıra ve hacim ile yerleştirilmesi sağlanmıştır. KDS kullanılarak toplam maliyet verimliliğinde % 76,09’luk bir artış elde edilmiştir. İşgücü verimlilik oranında % 25’lik verimlilik artışı sağlanmıştır. Zaman verimlilik oranında ise % 71,84’lük bir artış elde edilmiştir.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a set of technologies, processes and policies enabling multiple stakeholders to collaboratively design, construct and operate a facility.
There are numerous challenges attributed to BIM adoption by industry and academia. These represent a number of knowledge gaps each warranting a focused investigation by domain researchers. This study does not isolate a single gap to address but espouses a holistic view of the knowledge problem at hand. It contributes to the discussion a set of conceptual constructs that clarify the knowledge structures underlying the BIM domain. It also introduces a number of practicable knowledge tools to facilitate BIM learning, assessment and performance improvement.
This study is delivered through complementary papers and appendices to answer two primary research questions. The first explores the knowledge structures underlying the BIM domain whilst the second probes how these knowledge structures can be used to facilitate the measurement and improvement of BIM performance across the construction industry.
To address the first question, the study identifies conceptual clusters underlying the BIM domain, develops descriptive taxonomies of these clusters, exposes some of their conceptual relationships, and then delivers a representative BIM framework. The BIM framework is composed of three-axes which represent the main knowledge structures underlying the BIM domain and support the development of functional conceptual models.
To address the second question, BIM framework structures are extended through additional concepts and tools to facilitate BIM performance assessment and development of individuals, organizations and teams. These additional concepts include competency sets, assessment workflows and measurement tools which can be used to assess and improve the BIM performance of industry stakeholders.
In addressing these research questions, a pragmatic approach to research design based on available literature and applicable theories has been adopted. By combining several research strategies, paradigms and methods, this study (1) generates several new conceptual structures (e.g. frameworks, models and taxonomies) which collectively clarify the knowledge structures underlying the BIM domain; and (2) develops a set of workflows and tools that facilitate BIM assessment, learning and performance improvement.
This study delivers an extendable knowledge structure upon which to build a host of BIM performance improvement initiatives and tools. As a set of complementary papers and appendices, the study presents a rich, unified yet multi-layered environment of conceptual constructs and practicable tools; supported by a common framework, a domain ontology and simplified visual representations. Individually, each paper introduces a new framework part or solidifies a previous one. Collectively, the papers form a cohesive knowledge engine that generates assessment systems, learning modules and performance improvement tools.

Dental schools use a variety of clinic management models with the goals of promoting patient care, student education, and fiscal responsibility. In 2004, the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry transitioned to a more generalist model with these goals in mind. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of this clinic model change relative to the quantity of specific procedures completed by students. The quantity of procedures completed by each student from the classes of 1995 through 2009 were compiled from our electronic clinic management system and analyzed. The post-transition group (2004-09) showed a greater number of completed oral diagnosis and treatment planning and root planing procedures per student compared to the pre-transition group (1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003), but fewer crowns, root canals, operative procedures, and dentures. Because the higher procedure numbers were for low-cost procedures, our transition to a generalist model did not necessarily enhance clinic income but may support student learning and enhanced patient care.

Smartphones, those handheld devices that connect us via telephone and the Internet to virtually everyone and everything in the world, are becoming an integral part of everyday life. While there are significant individual and collective benefits from being more connected, there are also concerns associated with 'always on' work practices. This paper reports on a two-phase case study of smartphone users in a global financial services firm comparing the use of smartphones and their impact on work over time. We found that mobile communication technology practices have evolved within a relatively short (5-year) period of time as users seek to manage connectivity across work and non-work spaces. Disconnecting from work is no longer possible, nor desirable, for many users, who exercise choice (agency), switching between work and nonwork interactions to regulate the connective flow across multiple connective media.

The paper motivates, presents, demonstrates in use, and evaluates a methodology for conducting design science (DS) research in information systems. DS is of importance in a discipline oriented to the creation of successful artifacts. Several IS researchers have pioneered DS research in IS, yet over the last 15 years little DS research has been done within the discipline. The lack of a methodology to serve as a commonly accepted framework for DS research and of a template for its presentation may have contributed to its slow adoption. The design science research methodology (DSRM) presented here incorporates principles, practices, and procedures required to carry out such research and meets three objectives: it is consistent with prior literature, it provides a nominal process model for doing DS research, and it provides a mental model for presenting and evaluating DS research in IS. The DS process includes six steps: problem identification and motivation, definition of the objectives for a solution, design and development, demonstration, evaluation, and communication. We demonstrate and evaluate the methodology by presenting four case studies in terms of the DSRM, including cases that present the design of a database to support health assessment methods, a software reuse measure, an Internet video telephony application, and an IS planning method. The designed methodology effectively satisfies the three objectives and has the potential to help aid the acceptance of DS research in the IS discipline.