Web services

1
Web services I. Business to business
e-business How does it work? II. What
are web services? IIII. Examples of web
services Data mining and
warehousing Online analytical
processing (OLAP) Business
intelligence
2
I. Business-to-business e-business
What is b-to-b ebusiness? The buying and selling
of goods and services between companies
online Facilitating the procurement of goods and
services Includes activities related to the
supply chain Manufacturers, distributors,wholes
alers, dealers, franchisees,
retailers Provision of business infrastructure
Adserver networks, content syndicators, content
delivery, data mining, order fulfillment and
logistics, payment processing
3
I. Business-to-business e-business
B2B e-commerce differs from e-tailing Flexibil
ity in pricing Transactions require
variability in the pricing of products
between purchasers Haggling is rare in the B2C
marketplace Integration of business systems
To realize increased productivity and savings,
businesses integrate their internal systems,
reducing human intervention Pan-Western
E-Business Team. (2005) Business-to-Business
E-Commerce Basics. http//www.e-bc.ca/media/
ebizguides/b2b_basics.pdf
4
I. Business-to-business e-business
B2B e-commerce take place throughout the
economy Sector Total Ecommerce All
manufacturing 4.2 trillion 996 billion
(23.4) Transportation equipment 663 billion
346 billion (52.2) Beverage and tobacco 111
billion 53 billion (47.2) All service 5.4
trilllion 59 billion (1.15) Travel 28
billion 6 billion (22.2) Online
information 32 billion 4 billion (13.6) US
Census (2004). 2004 E-Commerce multi-sector data
tables. http//www.census.gov/eos/www/papers/2004/
2004finaltables.pdf
5
I. Business-to-business e-business
B2B marketplaces Vertical e-marketplace Spans
vertically across all segments of an industry
Each level can access all other levels,
increasing collaboration Advantages
increases operating efficiency, decreases supply
chain costs, inventories, and cycle times
Buying/selling items in a similar industry is
standardized, reducing need for outsourcing
Oil PennEnergy Equipment exchange
http//www.pennenergy.com/
6
I. Business-to-business e-business
Horizontal e-marketplace Connects buyers and
sellers across many industries Example
maintenance, repair, and operations
materials These are crucial to the daily
operation of all businesses In many
corporations the maintenance department buys
directly on-line Dovebid Industrial auctioneers
http//www.dovebid.com/default.asp?bhcp1
7
I. Business-to-business e-business
B2B supply chain A linked set of resources and
processes that begins with the sourcing of raw
material and ends with the delivery of goods and
services to the final customer Includes
vendors, manufacturing facilities, logistics
providers, internal distribution centers,
distributors, wholesalers and others Push
model suppliers and vendors push products or
services through the supply chain to the end
consumer Costs are accumulated through the chain
and the consumer typically pays
8
I. Business-to-business e-business
B2B changes the supply chain Pull model the
consumer has the most power in the supply chain,
and suppliers must react to their demands The
linear nature of the chain may be broken as
customers circumvent middlemen and resellers
Pressure on resellers to add value to keep
customers Suppliers respond to consumer demand
limiting excessive inventory and storage costs
Shipping logistics are easier to control and
costs are reduced as customers handle
shipping tracking, etc.
9
I. Business-to-business e-business
Types of B2B exchanges Type Pricing Orientation
Examples Many to many Dynamic Neutral
www.altra.com.sg (market) (matching)
Static www.assetsmart.com
(aggregation) Few-to-few Negotiated Neutral
www.ctspace.com (dyadic) Few-to-many
Posted Biased www,granger.com
(monopoly) (supplier) Many-to-few
Static Biased www.covisint.com
(monopsony) (buyer) Palvou and El Sawy (2002).
A classification scheme for B2B exchanges and
implications for interorganizational ecommerce.
p15.
10
Web services I. Business to business
e-business How does it work? II. What
are web services? IIII. Examples of web
services Data mining and
warehousing Online analytical
processing (OLAP) Business
intelligence
11
II. What are web services?
Web services are a new breed of web
application They are self-contained,
self-describing, modular applications that can
be published, located, and used across the
Web Web services perform functions, which can be
anything from simple requests to complicated
business processes... Once a web service is
deployed, other applications (and other web
services) can discover and use the deployed
service Vasudevan, V. (2001). A Web Services
Primer. XML.com. http//webservices.xml.com/pub/a/
ws/2001/04/04/webservices/index.html
12
II. What are web services?
A web service is a set of applications that
standardize communication of of information
across systems, business partners, and
customers They provide a standard means of
interoperating between different software
applications, running on a variety of platforms
and/or frameworks They can then be combined in a
loosely coupled way in order to achieve complex
operations Programs providing simple services
can interact with each other to deliver
sophisticated added-value service W3C. (2004).
Web Services. http//www.w3.org/2002/ws/Activit
y
13
II. What are web services?
Official definition A web service is a software
system designed to support interoperable
machine-to-machine interaction over a
network It has an interface described in a
machine-processable format (specifically
WSDL) Other systems interact with the service in
a manner prescribed by its description using
SOAP messages These are conveyed using HTTP with
XML serialization in conjunction with other
Web-related standards W3C. (2004). Web Services
Architecture. http//www.w3.org/TR/2004/NOTE-ws-ar
ch-20040211/
14
II. What are web services?
Sun Microsystems web services model
java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/WebServic
es/WSPack/webservices_model.gif
15
II. What are web services?
A software system identified by a URI, whose
public interfaces and bindings are defined and
described using XML When properly configured,
web services can be found by other software
systems These systems interact with the service
in a manner prescribed by its definition, using
XML based messages conveyed by net
protocols They are loosely coupled, reusable
software components that semantically encapsulate
discrete functionality They are distributed and
programmatically accessible over standard
Internet protocols
16
II. What are web services?
Enterprise applications that exchange data, share
tasks, and automate processes over the
Internet The logical successor to
EDI Net-native applications that increase
interoperability and lower the costs of software
integration and data-sharing with
partners Based on simple and non-proprietary
standards and designed to allow computer
programs to communicate directly with one
another They exchange data regardless of
location, operating systems, or languages
17
II. What are web services?
Web services use reusable application components
that dynamically interact with each other using
net standard protocols Services
include Formatting messages using XML Invoking
via simple object access protocol (SOAP)
Publishing in Web services description language
(WSDL) Location through universal description
discovery and integration (UDDI) Everett, D.
(2002). Web Services Fulfilling a Spectrum of
Business Intelligence Needs. DM Review


http//www.dmreview.com/master.cfm?NavID55EdID5
242
18
II. What are web services?
One view of web service architectures
eXMLsystems.com. (2003). Microsoft.Net.
http//www.exmlsystems.com/ TechnologyInsight.htm
19
II. What are web services?
Formatting messages using XML It is a
meta-language for creating markup languages
that describe structured data It is a subset
of SGML, and allows generalized markup It is
useful for storing structured and semi-structured
text that will be published in a variety of
media It is extensible, which means that it
describes a way of defining a set of tags and
attributes By itself, XML does not define any
tags This means that you create your own
tags, effectively creating your own markup
language
20
II. What are web services?
Simple object access protocol invoking services
via SOAP It is an XML syntax for exchanging
messages It is both language and platform
independent A SOAP message consists of an
Envelope, an optional Header, and a
mandatory Body Envelope Identifies an XML
document as being a SOAP message and
encapsulates all the other parts of a message
It contains the version information about the
message Identifies the rules used by the
application to serialize data
21
II. What are web services?
This is a graphic version of a SOAP message
www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/jgodel/SOAPNETCOM
IntroductionpartI11162005042800AM/Images/soap1.gif
22
II. What are web services?
SOAP Header optional and used to extend the
message syntax independently from a particular
application Information can be inserted to add
authorization or transaction information Body
carries application-specific contents including
method name and serialized values of the methods
input or output parameters Serializing a web
services message in XML format allows the SOAP
XML to pass through firewalls
23
II. What are web services?
ltSOAPEnvelope xmlnsSOAP'http//schemas.xmlsoa
p.org/soap/envelope/ SOAPencodingStyle'http//s
chemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/'
xmlnsv'http//www.topxml.com/soapworkshop/'gt lt
SOAPHeadergt ltvFrom SOAPmustUnderstand'1'gt
cdix_at_soapworkshop.com lt/vFromgt lt/S
OAPHeadergt ltSOAPBodygt ltvDoCreditCheckgt lt
ssngt123-456-7890lt/ssngt lt/vDoCreditCheckgt lt/SOA
PBodygt lt/SOAPEnvelopegt
TopXML. (2004). SOAP Workshop. http//www.vbxml.co
m/soapworkshop/articles/intro/page2.asp
www.germes-online.com/direct/dbimage/50297131/Sell
_Color_Lined_Soap.jpg
24
II. What are web services?
Publishing services in WSDL An XML-based
language to describe a business services Allows
businesses to access the services
electronically Basis of the Universal
Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI)
initiative Derived from Microsoft's SOAP and
IBM's Network Accessible Service
Specification Language (NASSL) Replaces NASSL
and SOAP as the means of expressing business
services in UDDI registry WebServices.com.
(2004). Web Services Description Language.
http//searchwebservices.techtarget.com/gDefinitio
n/0,294236,sid26_gci521683,00.html
25
II. What are web services?
WSDL provides information about how web services
can be located and operated It contains service
definitions for distributed systems Support the
automatic creation of client-side stubs or
proxies, and the binding to the Web
services It describes interfaces to a web
services implementation How messages should
be formatted Bind the abstract message to a
concrete protocol What the correct address of
the endpoint is It is a "take-it-or-leave-it"
technical contract offered by a web services
provider to web services consumer
26
II. What are web services?
Web services process with WDSL
Requestor person or company looking to run
a web service To run the service, a requestor
locates the WSDL document that
details how to run the services Once the
document is found, it's downloaded It is then
examined, and based on what is found in it, a
SOAP request or requests is sent out to the Web
service provider The service sends the
information requested - in essence the Web
service itself - using the SOAP protocol Gralla.
P. (2002). An inside look at WSDL. The Web
Services Advisor. http//searchwebservices.techtar
get.com/tip/1,289483,sid26_gci811272,00.html
27
II. What are web services?
Typical WSDL elements lttypegt and
ltmessagegt Describes information to be passed in
the web service ltmessagegt element is the web
service itself - the information that is going
to be exchanged or requested ltbindinggt Details
how information will be passed between the
requestor and the web service Includes
information such as the protocol and data format
28
II. What are web services?
Typical elements ltportTypegt Describes a web
service, operations that can be performed, and
messages that are involved Can be compared to a
function library (or a module, or a class) in a
programming language ltservicegt Location of the
web service
29
This is what WSDL looks like
II. What are web services?
lt?xml version"1.0"?gt ltdefinitions
name"StockQuote" targetNamespace"http//example.
com/stockquote.wsdl" xmlnstns"http//e
xample.com/stockquote.wsdl"
xmlnsxsd1"http//example.com/stockquote.xsd"
xmlnssoap"http//schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl
/soap/" xmlns"http//schemas.xmlsoap.or
g/wsdl/"gt lttypesgt ltschema targetNamespace"htt
p//example.com/stockquote.xsd"
xmlns"http//www.w3.org/2000/10/XMLSchema"gt
ltelement name"TradePriceRequest"gt
ltcomplexTypegt ltallgt
ltelement name"tickerSymbol"
type"string"/gt lt/allgt
lt/complexTypegt lt/elementgt
lt/schemagt lt/typesgt ltmessage name"GetLastTradePric
eInput"gt ltpart name"body" element"xsd1Trade
PriceRequest"/gt lt/messagegt
30
II. What are web services?
ltportType name"StockQuotePortType"gt
ltoperation name"GetLastTradePrice"gt
ltinput message"tnsGetLastTradePriceInput"/gt
ltoutput message"tnsGetLastTradePriceOutp
ut"/gt lt/operationgt lt/portTypegt
ltbinding name"StockQuoteSoapBinding"
type"tnsStockQuotePortType"gt
ltsoapbinding style"document" transport"http//s
chemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/http"/gt
ltoperation name"GetLastTradePrice"gt
ltsoapoperation soapAction"http//example.com/Get
LastTradePrice"/gt ltinputgt
ltsoapbody use"literal"/gt
lt/inputgt ltoutputgt
ltsoapbody use"literal"/gt lt/outputgt
lt/operationgt lt/bindinggt ltservice
name"StockQuoteService"gt
ltdocumentationgtMy first servicelt/documentationgt
ltport name"StockQuotePort"
binding"tnsStockQuoteBinding"gt
ltsoapaddress location"http//example.com/stockqu
ote"/gt lt/portgt lt/servicegt lt/definition
sgt
More of the WSDL message
Gralla. P. (2002). An inside look at WSDL. The
Web Services Advisor.
31
II. What are web services?
Universal description discovery and integration
locating services through UDDI An XML-based
registry for businesses to list on the web and
publish information about their web
services Goal to streamline online transactions
and allow companies to find each other and make
their systems interoperable for e-commerce
Used to search for web services Can store
company information, its services, and specific
technical information for binding with a
service UDDI.org
http//www.uddi.org/
www.openves.org/images/uddi.gif
32
II. What are web services?
UDDI has White pages business name, business
type, services used and technologies
supported Green pages details on technologies
supported, documents accepted and transaction
interfaces. Yellow pages business type codes,
geographical areas and technical or
international keywords Allows a service requester
to locate businesses, their web services and the
means through which they do business Providers
can publish their business information, services,
and methods of transacting business
33
II. What are web services?
UDDI repository structure is defined in XML
schemas with four entity types Business entity
information about a company (white
pages) Business services provided by a
business entity with types of services offered
(yellow pages) Binding templates implement
business services and connect to and make use
of them (green pages) Models metadata about
technical specifications for services (green
pages
34
II. What are web services?
The following query returns details on
Microsoft ltfind_business generic"1.0"
xmlns"urnuddi-orgapi"gt
ltnamegtMicrosoftlt/namegt lt/find_businessgt Resul
t detailed listing of ltbusinessInfogt elements
registered for Microsoft ltbusinessList
generic"1.0 operator"Microsoft Corporation"
truncated"false" xmlns"urnuddi-orgapi"gt
ltbusinessInfosgt ltbusinessInfo
businessKey"0076B468-EB27-42E5-AC09-9955CFF462A3"
gt ltnamegtMicrosoft Corporationlt/namegt
ltdescription xmllang"en"gt
Empowering people through great software - any
time, any place and on any
device is Microsoft's vision.
lt/descriptiongt
35
More of the message
II. What are web services?
ltserviceInfo
businessKey"0076B468-EB27-42E5-AC09-9955CFF462A3"

serviceKey"1FFE1F71-2AF3-45FB-B788-09AF7FF151A4"gt
ltnamegtWeb services for smart
searchinglt/namegt lt/serviceInfogt
ltserviceInfo
businessKey"0076B468-EB27-42E5-AC09-9955CFF462A3"
serviceKey"8BF2F51F-8ED4-43FE-
B665-38D8205D1333"gt
ltnamegtElectronic Business Integration
Serviceslt/namegt lt/serviceInfogt
ltserviceInfo
businessKey"0076B468-EB27-42E5-AC09-9955CFF462A3"
serviceKey"A8E4999A-21A3-47FA-
802E-EE50A88B266F"gt
ltnamegtUDDI Web Siteslt/namegt
lt/serviceInfogt
lt/serviceInfosgt lt/businessInfogt
lt/businessInfosgt lt/businessListgt
Vasudevan, V. (2001). A Web Services Primer.
XML.com.
36
II. What are web services?
Where web services fit in a business
infrastructure
Geniant. (2003). Web services.
http//www.geniant.com/img/web-services-XML-diagra
m2.gif
37
II. What are web services?
Typical web services architecture
Gottschalk, K. et al. (2002). Introduction to
Web services architecture. http//www.research.ibm
.com/journal/sj/412/gotts1.gif
38
II. What are web services?
Web services in action
http//www.business2.com/articles/mag/0,1640,38627
3,00.html
39
Web services I. Business to business
e-business How does it work? II. What
are web services? IIII. Examples of web
services Data mining and
warehousing Online analytical
processing (OLAP) Business
intelligence
40
III. Examples of web services
Data mining It is a process of knowledge
discovery in databases It involves the
extraction of interesting information,
patterns, or rules from data in large
databases These data are non-trivial, implicit,
previously unknown and potentially useful It
is a search for valuable information in large
volumes of data It uses statistical techniques
to explore and analyze large quantities of data
in order to discover meaningful patterns and
rules
www.liacs.nl/home/edegraaf/img/datamining.jpg
41
III. Examples of web services
Data mining can be directed Goal to use the
available data to build a model that describes
a variable of interest in relation to the data
set Given what we know about people in
Bloomington, which types of people are likely
to subscribe to DSL? Data mining can also be
undirected There is no variable of
interest Goal to search through the available
data to look for patterns and relationships
What can we learn about IU students who default
on student loans?
42
III. Examples of web services
Data mining and BI It provides an organization
with memory and intelligence Noticing uses
on-line transaction processing systems
(OLTP) Remembering capturing as much of the
transaction process as possible Phone
records, communications, CRM exchanges Learning
the records must be organized into data
warehouses Data mining is used to analyze
these data Intelligence involves patterns,
rules, and predictions
43
III. Examples of web services
Data mining typically involves six activities 1.
Classification examining features of a data
instance and assigning it to a predefined
class Uses a training set to sort unclassified
data into discrete classes Records are updated
by filling in fields with class code Stored
data is used to locate data in predetermined
groups Sorting credit card applicants
according to risk levels
44
III. Examples of web services
2. Estimation sorts continuously valued
outcomes Using new data to predict whether a
given data instance is above or below a
threshold Requires a model to determine the
threshold level Making predictions and
determining churn rates 3. Prediction similar to
estimation but with expectation that there will
be some check in the future Uses a training set
with historical data and a known predictor
variable Predicting the size of a balance
likely to be transferred when a person accepts
a credit card offer
45
III. Examples of web services
4. Affinity grouping or association rules goal
is to explore an available data set to determine
which data instances should be grouped
together This involves discovering relationships
among data Which items should be placed near
each other in a supermarket? What items
do customers buy together 5. Clustering sort
undifferentiated data into like groups This does
not begin with predefined classes What do the
book and music purchases tell us about our
customers?
46
III. Examples of web services
6. Description and visualization developing a
preliminary understanding of the data This is a
first step in developing an explanation What do
we know about people who shop for food
online? Visualization is the graphic
representation of the data Directed data mining
classification, estimation, prediction Undirected
data mining affinity grouping, clustering,
description
47
III. Examples of web services
Classes of data mining activity
Information Discovery, Inc. (2001). A
Characterization of Data Mining Technologies and
Processes.

http//www.datamining.com/dm-tech.htm
48
III. Examples of web services
Transform data into useful information with DM
The virtuous cycle of data mining
Identify problems where DM can provide value
Act on the information
Measure the results to reuse the data
49
III. Exampls of web services
III. Examples of web services
In business applications, data mining does not
seek to replicate previous efforts Goal is to
discover new markets, not saturate old ones In
science, replication of results is more
important Data mining is a creative activity
Many patterns will be found, but the art is in
focusing on the meaningful ones Data mining
results can change over time Models can become
less useful over time as data change and
markets change
50
If a new segmentation improves performance
III. Examples of web services
Add derived variables
If data are not available
If values dont look correct
Create a model set
Identify data requirements
If a new technique improves performance
Choose modeling technique
Obtain data
If improvements, obtain more data
Train model
Validate, explore, clean data
Check model performance
If new derived variable improves performance
Transpose data
If values dont look correct
Building a DM model
Choose best model
51
III. Examples of web services
Data warehousing a central repository for
data derived from different organizational
sources The data store is optimized for decision
support and not for specific operational
functions (reservation processing) A common
format or data model is imposed on
heterogeneous data The data are cleaned and
pre-processed Operational capturing basic
activity (who, what, when, where)
www.asu.edu/spiada/data_admin/pictures/warehouse.j
pg
52
III. Examples of web services
Summary providing an overview of the data by
aggregating individual data points Schema
physical layout of data (tables, fields,
types) Business rules whats been learned from
the data A business rule defines or constrains
an aspect of a business It is intended to
assert business structure or influence the
behavior of the business
53
III. Examples of web services
Metadata logical model and mapping to
sources Used in data acquisition/collection,
data transformation, and data access Acquisition
metadata maps translation of information from
the operational to the analytical
system Transformation metadata includes a
history of data transformations, changes in
names, and other physical characteristics Access
metadata provides navigation and graphical
user interfaces allowing non-technical users to
interact intuitively with the contents of the
warehouse
54
III. Examples of web services
Types of data warehousing Middleware tools a
single interface to a distributed network of
data sources (data stores, departmental data
warehouses) Requires a common protocol
Difficulty is that the nodes on this network tend
to be incompatible and have heterogeneous
data Departmental data warehouses contain data
prepared for and relevant to specific areas and
functionalities Tend to be customized and work
well in specific domains Tend not to work well
with warehouses in other domains
55
III. Examples of web services
Types of data warehousing Interdepartmental
staging areas simplifies access with a single
interface to different data sources Can clean
data but does not maintain a history or well-
developed data model Operational data store
data from related sources Will typically use a
relational database Multitiered data warehouse
uses a normalized relational database with a
consistent data model Focuses on data and how
it is used in the organization Maintains a
history of data transactions
56
III. Examples of web services
Structure of data warehousing Source systems
origin of the data (typically heterogeneous) D
ata transport and cleaning moves data among data
stores Normalizing data for comparative
analysis Central repository main storage
location Metadata describes data
characteristics and location Data marts
specialized access for end users Operational
feedback integrates decision support into
operational systems
57
III. Examples of web services
On-line analytic processing tools (OLAP) Primary
tools for accessing data warehouses For
reporting about the data (not finding patterns in
data) A presentation tool for manual knowledge
discovery OLAP works with data mining but does
not replace it Provides an interactive
connection to data allowing fast analysis of
shared multidimensional information Data are
stored in a cube (a relational database) allowing
multiple access points for querying and
analysis A functional area will have its own
cube (sales cube, marketing cube)
customervalufinder.com/images/olap.gif
58
III. Examples of web services
Dimensionality is the key to OLAP Multidimensiona
lity allows users to analyze data across
multiple axes A 5 dimensional cube includes
time, products, customer, salesperson, and
measures Within each dimension are levels or
hierarchies that organize the dimension
members A time hierarchy might be years,
quarters, and months OLAP allows users the
ability to look at any intersection among the
dimensions
59
What OLAP looks like
III. Examples of web services
Olap Business Solutions. (2002). Why OLAP?

http//www.obs3.com/why_olap.shtml
60
III. Examples of web services
With OLAP, users have direct access to
information Puts information into the hands of
the decision makers Allows users to ask
questions of the database High ROI, relatively
easy to build, a quick development cycle OLAP
has become an analytical standard Lower costs
have increased usage of OLAP products Most RDBMS
systems now include an OLAP tool By 2004 the
market is projected to be at over 5 billion Olap
Business Solutions. (2002). Why OLAP?

http//www.obs3.com/why_olap.shtml
61
III. Examples of web services
Business intelligence technology One of the more
interesting thing about business intelligence
technology is not so much its advanced in the
last 10 years. Rather, its how little that
technology has changed. Kestelyn, J. (2003).
Against the Grain. Intelligent Enterprise. 5(15)
p. 6
62
III. Examples of web services
Trends affecting business intelligence There is
a fundamental shift occurring in the BI
market Gartner calls it corporate performance
management (CPM) IDC and META Group call it
business performance management (BPM) AMR
calls it enterprise commerce management
(ECM) This is a significant change in the
importance organizations place on the use of
BI software to increase corporate profitability
63
III. Examples of web services
BI technology is becoming increasingly
important Achieving multiple goals in
organizations Inventory control Financial
modeling Customer retention Decision
making support Security The important question
is what happens next
64
Business intelligence technology Systems and
trends
III. Examples of web services
BI technology must support several
imperatives Enable decision makers across the
enterprise to act with confidence using current,
valid knowledge Align business and BIT goals to
be able to rapidly exploit new
opportunities Extend the reach of BIT to all
stakeholders to improve their decision making
(partners and customers) Maximize value in the
supply chain by collaborating with partners and
suppliers Develop, formalize, and enforce best
practices that are aligned with business
strategy
65
III. Examples of web services
Trends Congressional attention increases BI
transparency Sarbanes-Oxley Act mandates Boards
of Directors to attend to finance issues It
tightens auditing and increases
accountability Venture capital funding is drying
up National venture capital spending sank to a
four-year low in Q3 2002, (3.9 billion half
the level of Q3 2001) This means that innovation
becomes more difficult Burriesci, J., Kestelyn,
J., and Young, M.M. (2003). The Top 10 Trends For
2003 Latent patterns in the fabric of strategic
IT http//www.intelligententerprise.com/030101/6
02news1.shtml
66
III. Examples of web services
Trends Greater attention to metrics and
methodologies Performance goals will be
monitored and compared against benchmarks and
applied enterprisewide Increasing attention to
collaborative services Providers are working
to add workgroup collaboration functionality
to their product lines Collaborative budgeting
and planning solutions will be standard tools
67
III. Examples of web services
Trends Embedding analytic tools Allowing
different types of analyses in different
locations Ensuring that business rules and
metadata remain consistent across the
enterprise Developing intelligent
infrastructure BIT must be able to adjust
quickly to changing marketing conditions BIT
has become a mainstream application
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III. Examples of web services
Trends More use of web-based reporting and
distribution It extends deeper into the
organizational chart Closing the gap between
operations and decision makers It become more
deeply integrated into DSS Need to understand
best practices to link operations to decision
making Developing interpretive functionalities in
BIT Online application processing (OLAP) tools
can show that sales dropped 10 but cant
explain why (product, personnel,competition?)
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III. Examples of web services
Trends BIT has to overcome adoption challenges
Too many products are shelfware because they
are too difficult to implement and
customize There are cultural obstacles
Decision makers are not part of acquisition
process Other stakeholders are left out of the
process They dont demonstrate a clear advantage
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III. Examples of web services
Trends Legacy systems deliver the same data in
familiar ways They must be able to scale up
Many different people in the organization can
integrate BIT output into their work Analytic
engines that drive BIT have to become more
robust Some companies are porting software to
UNIX (Sagent, Microstrategy)
71
III. Examples of web services
Some are trying server clustering One server
automatically takes over the tasks of another
that has failed Two or more servers (nodes)
work together and appear as a single virtual
server to a network It is important to extend
analytic ability Manipulating records from a
variety of entry points and with a variety of
techniques
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III. Examples of web services
Trends BIT will develop new functionalities
Allowing data to be moved easily across
departments, business functions, and
organizational boundaries Moving beyond linear
projections to allow forecasting Also
providing snapshots of point-in-time data They
will use local data models Will be better able
to work with local data models Current tools
come with vendor-supplied data models, forcing
changes in local data
73
III. Examples of web services
Trends Intelligent agents will change BIT
They will provide single point access to
distributed data They will attempt to learn
and anticipate user needs The agent will
question the user and then predict what the
user wants They can merge different types of
data (numeric and non- numeric) in a single
interaction