Effective Decision-Making in the Age of Cloud Computing

A library guide to the best resources for the study of cloud computing and science-workplace decision making

Assignment 4: Your Companies and Competitors: Business Intelligence (BI) Activities and Planning

Assignment Summary. In this Assignment, your Virtual-Team will create a list of news articles (from 2008 to present), about your Virtual-Team's four companies. Retrieve articles that you believe are relevant to the Business Intelligence (BI) involved in decision-making within your four companies. Write an Executive Summary describing your choices and post it to your Virtual-Team's Sub-Site in the Cloud Course Portal.

What is a Business Intelligence (BI)? The phrase was first used in a 1958 article by IBM researcher Hans Peter Luhn. He defined BI, "as the ability to comprehend the interrelationships of presented facts in such a way as to guide action towards a desired goal." Today, BI is typically described as, "concepts and methods to improve business decision-making by using fact-based support systems." Forrester Research describes BI as, "a set of methodologies, processes, architectures, and technologies that transform raw data into meaningful and useful information used to enable more effective strategic, tactical, and operational insights and decision-making."

Assignment 4: Research Strategy Tips

Expand BI research to your company's website. In addition to new articles in Business Source Complete (BSC), your Virtual-Team may check for relevant BI information at the websites for the companies chosen by your Virtual-Team.

Make sure search limiters are set: 1) SU SUBJECT TERMS from drop-down menu; 2) TX ALL TEXT from the drop-down menu; and 3) the PUBLICATION DATE limiter.

Search with the correct format of the company name. If your limit to company name search retrieves zero results, you may have used the incorrect name format. Retry the search. Do not use extensions like Inc, Corp, LLC, etc.

Filter results by publication-type. Above the results list, you can narrow your results by publication-type: academic journals; trade publications; magazines, and newspapers. Trade publications and magazines may have the most relevant cloud news.

Assignment 4: Performance Goals

Utilizes database search limiters:	Uses database search limiters: subject terms, all text, and publication date.
Writes an Executive Summary:	Concisely summarizes findings about primary company/competitor BI activities.
Exports relevant results:	Uses output options to post, print, download or export Executive Summaries and articles.

Assignment 4: Instructions

1.	Go to BSC, Advanced Search screen. Connect: NUI - Galway; UMass Amherst; AU - Cairo; Chiao Tung U
2.	Type the phrase Business Intelligence or Strategy in the first search box, then select SU SUBJECT TERMS from the drop-down menu.
3.	In the second search box, type one company name, then select TX ALL TEXT from the drop-down menu.
4.	Locate the PUBLISHED DATE limiter below the search box. Insert the year 2008 in the year box (month not needed).
4.	Identify and categorize articles that discuss or impact a company's public image.
5.	Review results. Retrieve articles that you think exemplify BI activities involved in decision-making.
6.	Repeat these search steps for the 4-companies chosen by your Virtual-Team. Prepare an Executive Summary describing findings for each of your Virtual-Team's 4- companies.
7.	When your Virtual-Team completes the main portion of your Executive Summary, be sure to add a Cultural Addendum to the Executive Summary (100 words in length) explaining how the Assignment 4 Topic might be impacted by cultural norms in their particular Country.
8.	Post your Executive Summary to your Virtual-Team's Sub-Site in the Cloud Course Portal.

BI Words & Phrases

	Application Providers
	Artificial Intelligence
	Computer Memory
	Data Centers
	Data Encryption
	Data Mining
	Data Processing
	Data Warehouses
	Decision Support
	Distributed Networks
	Electronic Publishing
	Enterprise Computing
	HR Management
	Information Management
	Information Sharing
	Information Storage
	Infrastructure
	Integrated Software
	Interclouds
	Internet Providers
	Intranets
	Knowledge Management
	Licensing
	Local Area Networks
	Network Security
	Open Source
	Outsourcing
	Privacy
	Public Clouds
	Search Engines
	Servers
	Shareware
	Software Services
	Supply Chain
	Technology Adoption
	Technology Change
	Technology Planning
	Virtual Networks
	Web Browsers