In the October 2014 issue of HEJ, Keith Hamer, group vice-president, Asset Management & Engineering at Sodexo, and marketing director at Asset Wisdom, Kevin Main, argued that the new ISO 55000 standards present facilities managers with an opportunity to create 'a joined-up, whole lifecycle approach' to managing and delivering value from assets. In this article, Kevin Main and Chris Bradley, who runs various asset management projects, examine the process of creating an asset management system.
Accroître les chances de l’entreprise de développer des stratégies efficaces requiert une approche tout à la fois rigoureuse, orientée vers l’action et à l’aise avec le débat.
profits. Powerful business strategies can counteract those tendencies, but good strategy is difficult to formulate.1 Indeed, the latest McKinsey research (see “The strategic yardstick you can’t afford to ignore,” on mckinsey.com) finds that a very small number of companies create most economic profit.2 The research also shows that a significant number of good companies outperform even in socalled bad industries, where the average economic profit is less than the market average.
Did you ever try getting Businesspeople and IT to agree on the project scope for a new application? Or try getting Marketing and Sales to agree on the target audience? Or try bringing new team members up to speed on the hundreds of tables in your data warehouse - without them dozing off? Whether you are a businessperson or an IT professional, you can be the hero in each of these and hundreds of other scenarios by building a High-Level Data Model. The High-Level Data Model is a simplified view of our complex environment. It can be a powerful communication tool of the key concepts within our application development projects, business intelligence and master data management programs, and all enterprise and industry initiatives. Learn about the High-Level Data Model and master the techniques for building one, including a comprehensive ten-step approach and hands-on exercises to help you practice topics on your own. In this book, we review data modeling basics and explain why the core concepts stored in a high-level data model can have significant business impact on an organization. We explain the technical notation used for a data model and walk through some simple examples of building a high-level data model. We also describe how data models relate to other key initiatives you may have heard of or may be implementing in your organization. This book contains best practices for implementing a high-level data model, along with some easy-to-use templates and guidelines for a step-by-step approach. Each step will be illustrated using many examples based on actual projects we have worked on. One example spans an entire chapter and will allow you to practice building a high-level data model from beginning to end, and then compare your results to ours. Building a high-level data model following the ten step approach you will read about is a great way to ensure you will retain the new skills you learn in this book. As is the case in many disciplines, using the right tool for the right job is critical to the overall success of your high-level data model implementation. To help you in your tool selection process, there are several chapters dedicated to discussing what to look for in a high-level data modeling tool and a framework for choosing a data modeling tool, in general. This book concludes with a real-world case study that shows how an international energy company successfully used a high-level data model to streamline their information management practices and increase communication throughout the organization - between both businesspeople and IT. Data modeling is one of the under-exploited, and potentially very valuable, business capabilities that are often hidden away in an organizations Information Technology department. Data Modeling for the Business highlights both the resulting damage to business value, and the opportunities to make things better. As an easy-to follow and comprehensive guide on the why and how of data modeling, it also reminds us that a successful strategy for exploiting IT depends at least as much on the information as the technology. Chris Potts, Corporate IT Strategist and Author of fruITion: Creating the Ultimate Corporate Strategy for Information Technology The authors of Data Modeling for the Business do a masterful job at simply and clearly describing the art of using data models to communicate with business representatives and meet business needs. The book provides many valuable tools, analogies, and step-by-step methods for effective data modeling and is an important contribution in bridging the much needed connection between data modeling and realizing business requirements. Len Silverston, author of The Data Model Resource Book series
AIMS A 2-year project was carried out to evaluate the use of multi-component, computer-assisted strategies for implementing clinical practice guidelines. This paper describes the implementation of the project and lessons learned. The evaluation and outcomes of implementing clinical practice guidelines to prevent and treat pressure ulcers will be reported in a separate paper. BACKGROUND The prevalence and incidence rates of pressure ulcers, coupled with the cost of treatment, constitute a substantial burden for our health care system. It is estimated that treating a pressure ulcer can increase nursing time up to 50%, and that treatment costs per ulcer can range from US$10,000 to $86,000, with median costs of $27,000. Although evidence-based guidelines for prevention and optimum treatment of pressure ulcers have been developed, there is little empirical evidence about the effectiveness of implementation strategies. METHOD The study was conducted across the continuum of care (primary, secondary and tertiary) in a Canadian urban Health Region involving seven health care organizations (acute, home and extended care). Trained surveyors (Registered Nurses) determined the prevalence and incidence of pressure ulcers among patients in these organizations. The use of a computerized decision-support system assisted staff to select optimal, evidence-based care strategies, record information and analyse individual and aggregate data. RESULTS Evaluation indicated an increase in knowledge relating to pressure ulcer prevention, treatment strategies, resources required, and the role of the interdisciplinary team. Lack of visible senior nurse leadership; time required to acquire computer skills and to implement new guidelines; and difficulties with the computer system were identified as barriers. CONCLUSIONS There is a need for a comprehensive, supported and sustained approach to implementation of evidence-based practice for pressure ulcer prevention and treatment, greater understanding of organization-specific barriers, and mechanisms for addressing the barriers.
Gupta and Fitzpatrick (1971) remark that very little has been published on the correlation of topography and ground magnetic studies, specifically, magnetic‐terrain effects. Plouff (1976) discusses modeling of gravity and magnetic fields using polygonal prisms and the application to magnetic‐terrain anomalies. In both of these articles magnetic‐terrain anomalies from crystalline rocks are discussed. By contrast, this note discusses magnetic‐terrain anomalies identified in a ground magnetic survey within a sedimentary environment, specifically, across alluvial fans.