Over recent years, business
enterprises relying on accurate and consistent data to make informed decisions
have been gravitating towards integration technologies. The subject of
Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) and Extraction, Transformation &
Loading (ETL) lately seems to pop up in most Enterprise Information Management
conversations.
From an architectural perspective,
both techniques share a striking similarity. However, they essentially serve
different purposes when it comes to information management. We’ve decided to do
a little bit of research and establish the differences between the two
integration technologies.
Enterprise
Application Integration
Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) is an integration framework that consists of technologies and services, allowing for seamless coordination of vital systems, processes, as well as databases across an enterprise.
Simply put, this integration
technique simplifies and automates your business processes to a whole new level
without necessarily having to make major changes to your existing data
structures or applications.
With EAI, your business can
integrate essential systems like supply chain management, customer relationship
management, business intelligence, enterprise resource planning, and payroll.
Well, the linking of these apps can be done at the back end via APIs or the
front end GUI.
The systems in question might use
different databases, computer languages, exist on different operating systems
or older systems that might not be supported by the vendor anymore.
The objective of EAI is to develop a
single, unified view of enterprise data and information, as well as ensure the
information is correctly stored, transmitted, and reflected. It enables
existing applications to communicate and share data in real-time.
Extraction,
Transformation & Loading
The general purpose of an ETL system
is to extract data out of one or more source databases and then transfer it to
a target destination system for better user decision making. Data in the target
system is usually presented differently from the sources.
The extracted data goes through the
transformation phase, which involves checking for data integrity and converting
the data into a proper storage format or structure. It is then moved into other
systems for analysis or querying function.
With data loading, it typically
involves writing data into the target database destination like data warehouse
and operational data store.
ETL can integrate data from multiple
systems. The systems we’re talking about in this case are often hosted on
separate computer hardware or supported by different vendors.
Differences between
ETL and EAI
EAI System
Retrieves small amounts of data in
one operation and is characterized by a high number of transactions
EAI system is utilized for process
optimization and workflow
The system does not require user
involvement after it’s implemented
Ensures a bi-directional data flow
between the source and target applications
Ideal for real-time business data
needs
Limited data validation
Integrating operations is pull, push,
and event-driven.
ETL System
It is a one-way process of creating
a historical record from homogeneous or heterogeneous sources
Mainly designed to process large
batches of data from source systems
Requires extensive user involvement
Meta-data driven complex
transformations
Integrating operation is a pull,
query-driven
Supports proper profiling and data
cleaning
Limited messaging capabilities
Both integration technologies are an
essential part of EIM, as they provide strong capabilities for business
intelligence initiatives and reporting. They can be used differently and
sometimes in mutual consolidation.
Personas and roles are
user modeling approaches that are applied in the early stages of system
development or redesign. They drive the design decision and allows programmers
and designers to place everyday user needs at the forefront of their system
development journey in a user-centered design approach.
Personas and user roles
help improve the quality of user experience when working with products that
require a significant amount of user interaction. But there is a distinct
difference between technology personas vs. roles. What then exactly is a
persona? What are user roles in system development? And, how does persona
differ from user roles?
Let’s see how these two
distinct, yet often confused, user models fit in a holistic user-centered
design process and how you can leverage them to identify valuable product
features.
Technology Personas
Vs. Roles – The Most Relevant Way to Describe Users
In software development,
a user role describes the relationship between a user type and a software tool.
It is generally the user’s responsibility when using a system or the specific
behavior of a user who is participating in a business process. Think of roles
as the umbrella, homogeneous constructs of the users of a particular system.
For instance, in an accounting system, you can have roles such as accountant,
cashier, and so forth.
However, by merely using
roles, system developers, designers, and testers do not have sufficient
information to conclusively make critical UX decisions that would make the
software more user-centric, and more appealing to its target users.
This lack of
understanding of the user community has led to the need for teams to move
beyond role-based requirements and focus more on subsets of the system users.
User roles can be refined further by creating “user stand-ins,” known as
personas. By using personas, developers and designers can move closer to the
needs and preferences of the user in a more profound manner than they would by
merely relying on user roles.
In product development,
user personas are an archetype of a fictitious user that represents a specific
group of your typical everyday users. First introduced by Alan Cooper, personas
help the development team to clearly understand the context in which the ideal
customer interacts with a software/system and helps guide the design decision
process.
Ideally, personas
provide team members with a name, a face, and a description for each user role.
By using personas, you’re typically personalizing the user roles, and by so
doing, you end up creating a lasting impression on the entire team. Through
personas, team members can ask questions about the users.
The Benefits of
Persona Development
Persona development has
several benefits, including:
They help team members
have a consistent understanding of the user group.
They provide
stakeholders with an opportunity to discuss the critical features of a system
redesign.
Personas help designers
to develop user-centric products that have functions and features that the
market already demands.
A persona helps to
create more empathy and a better understanding of the person that will be using
the end product. This way, the developers can design the product with the
actual user needs in mind.
Personas can help
predict the needs, behaviors, and possible reactions of the users to the
product.
What Makes Up a
Well-Defined Persona?
Once you’ve identified
user roles that are relevant to your product, you’ll need to create personas
for each. A well-defined persona should ideally take into consideration the
needs, goals, and observed behaviors of your target audience. This will
influence the features and design elements you choose for your system.
The user persona should
encompass all the critical details about your ideal user and should be
presented in a memorable way that everyone in the team can identify with and
understand. It should contain four critical pieces of information.
1. The header
The header aid in
improving memorability and creating a connection between the design team and
the user. The header should include:
A fictional name
An image, avatar or a
stock photo
A vivid
description/quote that best describes the persona as it relates to the product.
2. Demographic
Profile
Unlike the name and
image, which might be fictitious, the demographic profile includes factual
details about the ideal user. The demographic profile includes:
Personal background:
Age, gender, education, ethnicity, persona group, and family status
Professional background:
Occupation, work experience, and income level.
User environment. It
represents the social, physical, and technological context of the user. It
answers questions like: What devices do the user have? Do they interact with
other people? How do they spend their time?
Psychographics:
Attitudes, motivations, interests, and user pain points.
3. End Goal(s)
End goals help answer
the questions: What problems or needs will the product solution to the user?
What are the motivating factors that inspire the user’s actions?
4. Scenario
This is a narrative that
describes how the ideal user would interact with your product in real-life to
achieve their end goals. It should explain the when, the where, and the how.
Conclusion
For a truly successful
user-centered design approach, system development teams should use personas to
provide simple descriptions of key user roles. While a distinct difference
exists in technology personas vs. roles, design teams should use the two
user-centered design tools throughout the project to decide and evaluate the
functionality of their end product. This way, they can deliver a useful and
usable solution to their target market.
The 360-degree view of
the consumer is a well-explored concept, but it is not adequate in the digital
age. Every firm, whether it is Google or Amazon, is deploying tools to
understand customers in a bid to serve them better. A 360-degree view demanded
that a company consults its internal data to segment customers and create
marketing strategies. It has become imperative for companies to look outside
their channels, to platforms like social media and reviews to gain insight into
the motivations of their customers. The 720-degree view of the customer is
further discussed below.
What is the
720-degree view of the customer?
A 720-degree view of the customer refers to a three-dimensional understanding of customers, based on deep analytics. It includes information on every customer’s level of influence, buying behavior, needs, and patterns. A 720-degree view will enable retailers to offer relevant products and experiences and to predict future behavior. If done right, this concept should assist retailers leverage on emerging technologies, mobile commerce, social media, cloud-based services, and analytics to sustain lifelong customer relationships
What Does a
720-Degree View of the Customer Entail?
Every business desires to cut costs, gain an edge over its competitors, and grow its customer base. So how exactly will a 720-degree view of the customer help a firm advance its cause?
Social Media
Social media channels help retailers interact
more effectively and deeply with their customers. It offers reliable insights
into what customers would appreciate in products, services, and marketing
campaigns. Retailers can not only evaluate feedback, but they can also deliver
real-time customer service. A business that integrates its services with social
media will be able to assess customer behavior through tools like dislikes and
likes. Some platforms also enable customers to buy products directly.
Customer Analytics
Customer analytics will construct more detailed customer profiles by
integrating different data sources like demographics, transactional data, and
location. When this internal data is added to information from external
channels like social media, the result is a comprehensive view of the customer’s
needs and wants. A firm will subsequently implement more-informed decisions on
inventory, supply chain management, pricing, marketing, customer segmentation,
and marketing. Analytics further come in handy when monitoring transactions,
personalized services, waiting times, website performance.
Mobile Commerce
The modern customer demands convenience and
device compatibility. Mobile commerce also accounts for a significant amount of
retail sales, and retailers can explore multi-channel shopping experiences. By
leveraging a 720-degree view of every customer, firms can provide consumers
with the personalized experiences and flexibility they want. Marketing
campaigns will also be very targeted as they will be based on the transactional
behaviors of customers. Mobile commerce can take the form of mobile
applications for secure payment systems, targeted messaging, and push
notifications to inform consumers of special offers. The goal should be to
provide differentiated shopper analytics.
Cloud
Cloud-based solutions provide real-time data across multiple channels, which illustrates an enhanced of customer. Real-time analytics influence decision-making in retail and they also harmonize the physical and retail digital environments. The management will be empowered to detect sales trends as transactions take place.
The Importance of
the 720-Degree Customer View
Traditional marketers were all about marketing
to groups of similar individuals, which is often termed as segmentation. This technique
is, however, giving way to the more effective concept of personalized
marketing. Marketing is currently channeled through a host of platforms,
including social media, affiliate marketing, pay-per-click, and mobile. The
modern marketer has to integrate the information from all these sources and
match them to a real name and address. Companies can no longer depend on a
fragmented view of the customer, as there has to be an emphasis on
personalization. A 720-degree customer view can offer benefits like:
Customer
Acquisition
Firms can improve customer acquisition by
depending on the segment differences revealed from a new database of customer
intelligence. Consumer analytics will expose any opportunities to be taken
advantage of while external data sources will reveal competitor tactics. There
are always segment opportunities in any market, which are best revealed by
real-time consumer data.
Cutting Costs
Marketers who rely on enhanced digital data can
contribute to cost management in a firm. It takes less investment to serve
loyal and satisfied consumers because a firm is directing addressing their
needs. Technology can be used to set customized pricing goals and to segment
customers effectively.
New Products and
Pricing
Real-time data, in addition to third-party information, have a crucial impact on pricing. Only firms with a robust and relevant competitor and customer analytics and data can take advantage of this importance. Marketers with a 720-degree view of the consumer across many channels will be able to utilize opportunities for new products and personalized pricing to support business growth
Advance Customer
Engagement
The first 360 degrees include an enterprise-wide
and timely view of all consumer interactions with the firm. The other 360
degrees consists of the customer’s relevant online interactions, which
supplements the internal data a company holds. The modern customer is making
their buying decisions online, and it is where purchasing decisions are
influenced. Can you predict a surge in demand before your competitors? A
720-degree view will help you anticipate trends while monitoring the current
ones.
720-degree Customer
View and Big Data
Firms are always trying to make decision-making as accurate as possible, and this is being made more accessible by Big Data and analytics. To deliver customer-centric experiences, businesses require a 720-degree view of every customer collected with the help of in-depth analysis.
Big Data analytical capabilities enable monitoring
of after-sales service-associated processes and the effective management of
technology for customer satisfaction. A firm invested in being in front of the
curve should maintain relevant databases of external and internal data with
global smart meters. Designing specific products to various segments is made
easier with the use of Big Data analytics. The analytics will also improve
asset utilization and fault prediction. Big Data helps a company maintain a
clearly-defined roadmap for growth
Conclusion
It is the dream of every enterprise to tap into
customer behavior and create a rich profile for each customer. The importance
of personalized customer experiences cannot be understated in the digital era.
The objective remains to develop products that can be advertised and delivered
to customers who want them, via their preferred platforms, and at a lower
cost.
The private cloud concept is running the cloud software architecture and, possibly specialized hardware, within a companies’ own facilities and support by the customer’s own employees, rather than having it hosted from a data center operated by commercial providers like Amazon, IBM Microsoft, or Oracle.
A companies’
private (internal) cloud may be a one or more of these patterns and may be part
of a larger hybrid-cloud strategy.
Home-Grown, where the company has built its own software and or hardware could infrastructure where the private could is managed entirely by the companies’ resources.
Commercial-Off-The-Self (COTS), where the cloud software and or hardware is purchased from a commercial vendor and install in the companies promises where is it is primarily managed by the companies’ resources with licensed technical support from the vendor.
Appliance-Centric, where vendor specialty hardware and software are pre-assembled and pre-optimized, usually on proprietary databases to support a specific cloud strategic.
Hybrid-Cloud, which may use some or all of the about approaches and have added components such as:
Virtualization software to integrate, private-cloud, public-cloud, and non-cloud information resources into a central delivery architecture.
Public/Private cloud where proprietary and customer sensitive information is kept on promise and less sensitive information is housed in one or more public clouds. The Public/Private hybrid-cloud strategy can also be provision temporary short duration increases in computational resources or where application and information development occur in the private cloud and migrated to a public cloud for productionalization.
In the modern technological era, there are a variety of cloud patterns, but this explanation highlights the major aspects of the private cloud concept which should clarify and assist in strategizing for your enterprise cloud.
Cloud computing is a service driven model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on demand network access to a shared pool computing resources that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal administrative effort or service provider interaction.
A public cloud strategy refers to a situation where you utilize cloud resources on a shared platform. Examples of shared or public cloud solutions include Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and Google cloud. There are several benefits associated with cloud solutions. On the other hand, a private cloud strategy refers to a situation where you can decide to have an infrastructure which is dedicated to serving your business. It is sometimes referred to as homegrown where you employ experts to run the services so that your business can access different features. There are several advantages of using a public cloud over private cloud which you should know before you make an informed decision on the right platform to invest. Some of the benefits of the public cloud strategy include the following:
Availability and scale of Expertise
If you compare the public cloud and the private cloud services, the public cloud
allows you to access more experts. Remember the companies which offer the cloud services have enough employees who are ready to help several clients. In most cases, the other clients whom the service providers serve will not experience problems at the same time. It implies that human resource will be directed toward solving your urgent issue. You can as well scale up or down at any given time as the need arises which is unlike a case of private cloud solutions where you will have to invest in infrastructure each time you will like to upgrade.
Downgrading on a private cloud system can expose you to lose because you will leave some resources underutilized.
The volume of Technical Resources to apply
You access more technical resources in a public cloud platform. Remember the companies which offer the public cloud solutions are fully equipped with highly experienced experts. They also have the necessary tools and resources which
they can apply to assure you the best technical solutions each time you need them. It is unlike a private arrangement where you will have to incur more costs if the technical challenges will need advanced tools and highly qualified experts.
Price point
The price of a private cloud is high when compared to a public arrangement. If you are looking for ways you can save money, then the best way to go about it is to involve a public cloud solution. In the shared platform, you will only pay for
what you need. If you do not need a lot of resources at a given time, you can downgrade the services and enjoy fair prices. Services such as AWS offer great cost containment across the time which makes it easy to access the services at fair prices. For any business to grow, it should invest in the right package which brings the return on investment. The services offered by the public cloud systems allow businesses to save and grow. You should as well take into consideration other factors such as ecosystems for cloud relationships before you make an informed decision. There are some business models which prefer private cloud solutions while others can work well under public cloud-based solutions.
Cloud computing enables convenient, ubiquitous, measures, and on-demand access to a shared pool of scalable and configurable resources, such as servers, applications, databases, networks, and other services. Also, these resources can be provisioned and released rapidly with minimum interaction and management from the provider.
The rapidly expanding technology is rife with obscure acronyms, with major ones being SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS. These acronyms distinguish the three major cloud computing models discussed in this article. Notably, cloud computing virtually meets any imaginable IT needs in diverse ways. In effect, the cloud computing models are necessary to show the role that a cloud service provides and how the function is accomplished. The three main cloud computing paradigms can be demonstrated on the diagram shown below.
The three major cloud computing models
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
In infrastructure as a service model, the cloud provider offers a service that allows users to process, store, share, and user other fundamental computing resources to run their software, which can include operating systems and applications. In this case, a consumer has minimum control over the underlying cloud infrastructure, but has significant control over operating systems, deployed applications, storage, and some networking components, such as the host firewalls.
Based on its description, IaaS can be regarded as the lowest-level cloud service paradigm, and possibly the most crucial one. With this paradigm, a cloud vendor provides pre-configured computing resources to consumers via a virtual interface. From the definition, IaaS pertains underlying cloud infrastructure but does not include applications or an operating system. Implementation of the applications, operating system, and some network components, such as the host firewalls is left up to the end user. In other words, the role of the cloud provider is to enable access to the computing infrastructure necessary to drive and support their operating systems and application solutions.
In some cases, the IaaS model can provide extra storage for data backups, network bandwidth, or it can provide access to enhanced performance computing which was traditionally available using supercomputers. IaaS services are typically provided to users through an API or a dashboard.
Features of IaaS
Users transfer the cost of purchasing IT infrastructure to a cloud provider
Infrastructure offered to a consumer can be increased or reduced depending on business storage and processing needs
The consumer will be saved from challenges and costs of maintaining hardware
High availability of data is in the cloud
Administrative tasks are virtualized
IaaS is highly flexible compared to other models
Highly scalable and available
Permits consumers to focus on their core business and transfer critical IT roles to a cloud provider
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
IaaS Use Cases
A series of use cases can explore the above benefits and features afforded by IaaS. For instance, an organization that lacks the capital to own and manage their data centers can purchase an IaaS offering to achieve fast and affordable IT infrastructure for their business. Also, the IaaS can be expanded or terminated based on the consumer needs. Another set of companies that can deploy IaaS include traditional organizations seeking large computing power with low expenditure to run their workloads. IaaS model is also a good option for rapidly growing enterprises that avoid committing to specific hardware or software since their business needs are likely to evolve.
Popular IaaS Services
Major IT companies are offering popular IaaS services that are powering a significant portion of the Internet even without users realizing it.
Amazon EC2: Offers scalable and highly available computing capacity in the cloud. Allows users to develop and deploy applications rapidly without upfront investment in hardware
IBM’s SoftLayer: Cloud computing services offering a series of capabilities, such as computing, networking, security, storage, and so on, to enable faster and reliable application development. The solution features bare-metal, hypervisors, operating systems, database systems, and virtual servers for software developers.
NaviSite: offers application services, hosting, and managed cloud services for IT infrastructure
ComputeNext: the solution empowers internal business groups and development teams with DevOps productivity from a single API.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Platform as a service model involves the provision of capabilities that allow users to create their applications using programming languages, tools, services, and libraries owned and distributed by a cloud provider. In this case, the consumer has minimum control over the underlying cloud computing resources such as servers, storage, and operating system. However, the user has significant control over the applications developed and deployed on the PaaS service.
In PaaS, cloud computing is used to provide a platform for consumers to deploy while developing, initializing, implementing, and managing their application. This offering includes a base operating system and a suite of development tools and solutions. PaaS effectively eliminates the needs for consumers to purchase, implement and maintain the computing resources traditionally needed to build useful applications. Some people use the term ‘middleware’ to refer to PaaS model since the offering comfortably sits between SaaS and IaaS.
Features of PaaS
PaaS service offers a platform for development, tasking, and hosting tools for consumer applications
PaaS is highly scalable and available
Offer cost effective and simple way to develop and deploy applications
Users can focus on developing quality applications without worrying about the underlying IT infrastructure
Business policy automation
Many users can access a single development service or tool
Offers database and web services integration
Consumers have access to powerful and reliable server software, storage capabilities, operating systems, and information and application backup
Allows remote teams to collaborate, which improves employee productivity
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
PaaS Use Cases
Software development companies and other enterprises that want to implement agile development methods can explore PaaS capabilities in their business models. Many PaaS services can be used in application development. PaaS development tools and services are always updated and made available via the Internet to offer a simple way for businesses to develop, test, and prototype their software solutions. Since developers’ productivity is enhanced by allowing remote workers to collaborate, PaaS consumers can rapidly release applications and get feedback for improvement. PaaS has led to the emergence of the API economy in application development.
Popular PaaS Offerings
There exist major PaaS services that are helping organizations to streamline application development. PaaS offering is delivered over the Internet and allows developers to focus more on creating quality and highly functional application while not worrying about the operating system, storage, and other infrastructure.
Google’s App Engine: the solution allows developers to build scalable mobile and web backends in any language in the cloud. Users can bring their own language runtimes, third-party libraries, and frameworks
IBM BlueMix: this PaaS solution from IBM allows developers to avoid vendor lock-in and leverage the flexible and open cloud environment using diverse IBM tools, open technologies, and third-party libraries and frameworks.
Heroku: the solution provides companies with a platform where they can build, deliver, manage, and scale their applications while abstracting and bypassing computing infrastructure hassles
Apache Stratos: this PaaS offering offers enterprise-ready quality service, security, governance, and performance that allows development, modification, deployment, and distribution of applications.
Red Hat’s OpenShift: a container application platform that offers operations and development-centric tools for rapid application development, easy deployment, scalability, and long-term maintenance of applications
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Software as a service model involves the capabilities provided to users by using a cloud vendor’s application hosted and running on a cloud infrastructure. Such applications are conveniently accessible from different platforms and devices through a web browser, a thin client interface, or a program interface. In this model, the end user has minimum control of the underlying cloud-based computing resources, such as servers, operating system, or the application capabilities
SaaS can be described as software licensing and delivery paradigm that features a complete and functional software solutions provided to users on a metered and subscription basis. Since users access the application via browsers or thin client and program interfaces, SaaS makes the host operating system insignificant in the operation of the product. As mentioned, the service is metered. In this case, SaaS customers are billed based on their consumption, while others pay a flat monthly fee.
Features of SaaS
SaaS providers offer applications via subscription structure
User transfer the need to develop, install, manage, or upgrade applications to SaaS vendors
Applications and data is securely stored in the cloud
SaaS is easily managed from a central location
Remote serves are deployed to host the application
Users can access SaaS offering from any location with Internet access
On-premise hardware failure does not interfere with an application or cause data loss
Users can reduce or increase use of cloud-based resources depending on their processing and storage needs
Applications offered via SaaS model are accessible from any location and almost all Internet-enabled devices
Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS Use Cases
SaaS use case is a typical use case for many companies seeking to benefit from quality application usage without the need to develop, maintain and upgrade the required components. Companies can acquire SaaS solutions for ERP, mail, office applications, collaboration tool, among others. SaaS is also crucial for small companies and startups that wish to launch e-commerce service rapidly but lack the time and resource to develop and maintain the software or buy servers for hosting the platform. SaaS is also used by companies with short-term projects that require collaboration from different members located remotely.
Popular SaaS Services
SaaS offerings are more widespread as compared to IaaS and PaaS. In fact, a majority of consumers use SaaS services without realizing it.
Office365: the cloud-based solution provides productivity software for subscribed consumers. Allows users to access Microsoft Office tools on various platforms, such as Android, MacOS, and Windows, etc.
Box: the SaaS offers secure file storage, sharing, and collaboration from any location and platform
Dropbox: modern application designed for collaboration and for creating, storing, and accessing files, docs, and folders.
Salesforce: the SaaS is among the leading customer relationship management platform that offers a series of capabilities for sales, marketing, service, and more.
Today, cloud computing models have revolutionized the way businesses deploy and manage computing resources and infrastructure. With the advent and evolution of the three major cloud computing models, that it IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, consumers will find a suitable cloud offering that satisfies virtually all IT needs. These models’ capabilities coupled with competition from popular cloud computing service providers will continue availing IT solutions for consumers demanding for availability, enhanced performance, quality services, better coverage, and secure applications.
Consumers should review their business needs and do a cost-benefit analysis to approve the best model for their business. Also, consumers should conduct thorough workload assessment while migrating to a cloud service.
Machine learning is Artificial Intelligence (AI) which enables a system to learn from data rather than through explicit programming. Machine learning uses algorithms that iteratively learn from data to improve, describe data, and predict outcomes. As the algorithms ingest training data to produce a more precise machine learning model. Once trained, the machine learning model, when provided data will generate predictions based on the data that taught the model. Machine learning is a crucial ingredient for creating modern analytics models.
Source Control is an Information technology environment management system for storing, tracking and managing changes to software. This is commonly done through a process of creating branches (copies for safely creating new features) off of the stable master version of the software, then merging stable feature branches back into the master version. This is also known as version control or revision control.
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Java рrоgrаmmеrѕ use соdе ѕniрреtѕ аѕ an informative mean tо ѕuрроrt the рrосеѕѕ оf еnсоding. Normally, a ѕniрреt shows an еntirе functional unit corresponding tо code a ѕmаll рrоgrаm, оr a ѕinglе funсtiоn, a сlаѕѕ, a template or a bunch of related funсtiоnѕ.
Prоgrаmmеrѕ use ѕniрреt codes with thе ѕаmе purposes аѕ аn аррliсаtiоn. Fоr еxаmрlе, they uѕе it as a way to ѕhоw the соdе as a proven ѕоlutiоn to a givеn рrоblеm. Thеу mау аlѕо use this tо illuѕtrаtе рrоgrаmming “triсkѕ” of nоn-triviаl imрlеmеntаtiоn to highlight thе ресuliаritiеѕ of a givеn соmрilеr. Sоmе реорlе uѕе thiѕ as an еxаmрlе оf соdе portability оr еvеn tо uѕе thеm tо lower the Jаvа programming timе. Organic аnd thеmаtiс collections of ѕniрреt соdеѕ inсludе thе digital соllесtiоn оf tiрѕ аnd triсkѕ аnd асt аѕ a ѕоurсе fоr lеаrning and rеfining рrоgrаmming.
Thе snippet iѕ ѕhоrt аnd fulfillѕ thе раrtiсulаr tаѕk well, it dоеѕ nоt nееd any еxtrа соdе beyond ѕtаndаrd library and ѕуѕtеm dереndеnt code. Thе ѕniрреt iѕn’t the complete рrоgrаm – аnd for thаt you will ѕubmit thе соdе in the ѕоurсе code rероѕitоrу that iѕ thе bеѕt place to handle the lаrgеr рrоgrаmѕ. Ideally, thе ѕniрреt must be thе ѕесtiоn of соdе, whiсh уоu mау ѕniр оut оf the lаrgеr рrоgrаm аnd very еаѕilу reuse in оthеr рrоgrаm. In order, to mаkе ѕniрреtѕ ѕimрlе tо use, it is good to еnсарѕulаtе in thе funсtiоn, сlаѕѕ аnd роtеntiаllу, аѕ thе framework tо ѕtаrt thе new рrоgrаm.
For a рrоgrаmmеr, having gооd code ѕniрреtѕ iѕ vеrу imроrtаnt. Mаnу people uѕе different wау tо kеер thеir code with them. Thеrе iѕ a lоt of оnlinе ѕоlutiоn аlѕо for thоѕе likе аgаinѕt. Hаving gооd соdе in hаnd is vеrу imроrtаnt tо dеlivеr best in class рrоduсt. Sniрреtѕ should bе аlwауѕ mоdulаr and роrtаblе. Sо that iѕ should bе plugged intо уоur соdе easily. Many реорlе uѕе github giѕt to keep thеir snippets. Rubу рrоgrаmmеrѕ uѕе mоdulеѕ to сrеаtе соdе ѕniрреtѕ.
Concerning databases, the acronym ACID means: Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability.
Why is ACID important?
Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability (ACID) are import to database, because ACID is a set of properties that guarantee that database transactions are processed reliably.
Where is the ACID Concept described?
Originally described by Theo Haerder and Andreas Reuter, 1983, in ‘Principles of Transaction-Oriented Database Recovery’, the ACID concept has been codified in ISO/IEC 10026-1:1992, Section 4
What is Atomicity?
Atomicity ensures that only two possible results from transactions, which are changing multiple data sets:
either the entire transaction completes successfully and is committed as a work unit
or, if part of the transaction fails, all transaction data can be rolled back to databases previously unchanged dataset
What is Consistency?
To provide consistency a transaction either creates a new valid data state or, if any failure occurs, returns all data to its state, which existed before the transaction started. Also, if a transaction is successful, then all changes to the system will have been properly completed, the data saved, and the system is in a valid state.
What is Isolation?
Isolation keeps each transaction’s view of database consistent while that transaction is running, regardless of any changes that are performed by other transactions. Thus, allowing each transaction to operate, as if it were the only transaction.
What is Durability?
Durability ensures that the database will keep track of pending changes in such a way that the state of the database is not affected, if a transaction processing is interrupted. When restarted, databases must return to a consistent state providing all previously saved/committed transaction data
TCL (Transaction Control Language) statements are used to manage the changes made by DML statements. It allows statements to be grouped together into logical transactions. The main TCL commands are:
Process Asset Library (PAL) is a centralized repository, within an organization, which contains essential artifacts that document processes or are process assets (e.g. configuration Items and designs) used by an organization, project, team, and/or work group. The assets may, also, be leveraged to achieve process improvement, which is the intent of lessons learned document, for example.
What is in the Process Asset Library (PAL)?
Process Asset Library (PAL), usually, houses of the following types of artifacts:
Organizational policies
Process descriptions
Procedures
Development plans
Acquisition plans
Quality assurance plans
Training materials
Process aids (e.g. templates, checklists, job aides and forms)
Lessons learned reports
Related References
CMMI Institute
What Is Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)?
An ERP is business software application or series of applications, which facilitate the daily operations of business. An ERP an be commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) applications (which may or may not be customized) or custom built (home grown) by the business and/or assemblages of different vendor applications and/or models. ERP applications dules from a variety of vendors.
Common ERP Major Functions
ERP application software typically support these major business operations:
Financials Management system (FMS)
FMS supports accounting, consolidation, planning, and procurement.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
CRM facilitates customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle, with the goal of improving business relationships with customers, assisting in customer retention and sales growth.
ELM is the integrated application which increases workforce knowledge, and skills, and competencies to achieve critical organizational objectives.
Asset Management (AM)
AM support activities for deploying, operating, maintaining, upgrading, and disposing of assets cost-effectively.
Supply Chain management (SCM)
SCM is the oversight of materials, information, and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer.
Total quality management (TQM) requires permanent changes throughout an organization. Unlike a project-based approach to managing quality, TQM takes an enterprise-wide approach and requires changes to be made to every aspect of the business. This method is a proven success and is a viable option for many companies. Read on to learn more about TQM and how it can benefit your business. We’ll cover why TQM is so beneficial.
The basic idea of TQM is to focus on the customer experience. The process is defined by the steps necessary to achieve success. The overall goal is to make sure every step of the process is repeatable and consistent. All team members are involved, so it is not a one-dimensional approach. Communication is essential to TQM success, as this ensures that everyone is working towards the same goal. And while it may sound like a lot, it doesn’t work the way you think it will.
In TQM, the organization must apply the principles of systems thinking, recognizing that change is necessary. It must have a firm grasp of customer needs, have defined processes, and a clear plan of improvement. It must be prepared to make the changes necessary to achieve success. While TQM is not for everyone, it’s a good choice for a variety of reasons. It will make a company more profitable and will improve its bottom line.
TQM emphasizes strategic decisions and systematic approaches to improving the company. Continuous improvement is better than a big project if it involves addressing root causes. It takes a long-term approach to improve core processes and customer satisfaction. And if you don’t have the budget to implement a large-scale change, TQM may be the right fit for your business. So what are the benefits of TQM?
TQM is a system of continuous improvement that emphasizes the customer’s experience and wants. It focuses on the customer’s satisfaction, and it emphasizes the employee’s ability to take ownership over their work. TQM involves every member of the organization, not just one department. If you’re not sure what TQM is, consider some of the common definitions below: What is TQM? and what does it mean?
TQM focuses on the people and processes in an organization. It aims to create a culture that values evidence-based decision-making. The TQM system can also help organizations improve their customer relationships and reduce the risk of errors. For these reasons, TQM can improve business performance and boost employee engagement. Its main advantages are efficiency and effectiveness, and it will help your business succeed in the long run.
The fundamental differences between TQM and other management strategies are often the details. It is best to use the TQM system in conjunction with the existing structure of your company. In addition to implementing the strategy, you should be aware of its benefits and drawbacks. You should have a culture of continuous improvement and not make a big project. It is best to keep in mind that the principles of TQM are applicable to all types of businesses.
TQM is a system-oriented approach to management. The processes in an organization are modeled as a series of steps, or processes. A well-defined process is one that makes it possible to see and measure the value of everything. If a process isn’t working, TQM might be the answer. TQM is the best way to make your business succeed. You’ll get better results and achieve your objectives by implementing the TQM model.
TQM is a comprehensive management system that focuses on creating and implementing processes. The goal of TQM is to identify and measure the key characteristics of your product or process and use this information to optimize the process. This method is the basis for TQM and it should be implemented in every organization. The key to TQM success is to continually improve the quality of your products and services. Efforts should be in harmony with each other and your customers.
The TQM approach emphasizes the importance of identifying and eliminating unnecessary steps. The TQM approach involves employees in the development of products and services, and it promotes collaboration among all employees. The approach encourages the use of data and creates a more collaborative environment. This way, your employees are more likely to be involved and motivated, and your customers will be happier. This is a key component of the TQM process.
CRM (customer relationship management) is a type of ERP application, which are used to facilitate sales, marketing, and business development interactions throughout the customer life cycle.
What does a CRM Application do?
A CRM application capabilities, broadly, encompass:
Marketing Integration
Lead management, email marketing, and campaign management
Sales Force Automation
Contact management, pipeline analysis, sales forecasting, and more
Customer Service & Support
Ticketing, knowledge management systems, self-service, and live chat
Field Service Management
Scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more
Call Center Automation
Call routing, monitoring, CTI, and IVR
Help Desk Automation
Ticketing, IT asset management, self-service and more
Channel Management
Contact and lead management, partner relationship management, and market development funds management
Business analytics integration
Analytics application and Business intelligence and reporting integration, which may include internal reporting capabilities.
Here are a few references for IBM Db2 on Cloud, IBM Db2 Warehouse, IBM Db2 Warehouse on Cloud (Previously IBM dashDB), and IBM Integrated Analytics System – Useful links, which hopefully will be helpful.
Table Of Useful IBM Db2 on Cloud, IBM Db2 Warehouse, IBM Db2 Warehouse on Cloud (Previously IBM dashDB), and IBM Integrated Analytics System links
DDL (Data Definition Language), are the statements used to manage tables, schemas, domains, indexes, views, and privileges. The the major actions performed by DDL commands are: create, alter, drop, grant, and revoke.
A Logical Data Warehouse (LDW) is data management architecture for analytics, which combines the strengths of traditional repository warehouses with alternative data management and access strategies.
Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a type of incremental software development methodology, which emphasizes rapid prototyping and iterative delivery, rather than planning. In RAD model the components or major functions are developed in parallel as if they were small relatively independent projects, until integration.
RAD projects are iterative and incremental
RAD projects follow the SDLC iterative and incremental model:
During which more than one iteration of the software development cycle may be in progress at the same time
In RAD model the functional application modules are developed in parallel, as prototypes, and are integrated to complete the product for faster product delivery.
RAD teams are small and comprised of developers, domain experts, customer representatives and other information technology resources working progressively on their component and/or prototype.
A peer review is an examination of a Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) work product by team members, other than the work Product’s author, to identify defects, omissions, and compliance to standards. This process provides an opportunity for quality assurance, knowledge sharing, and product improvement early during the SDLC life cycle.
What, exactly, the definition of a baseline it depends on your role and perspective on the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) process. The baseline concept plays in many aspects of SDLC execution, including project management, configuration management, and others. Additionally, the baseline concept and practice is applicable to all the SLDC methodologies, including, but not limited to the Agile Model, Waterfall Model, Iterative Model, Spiral Model, and V-Model.
Baseline Definition
A baseline is a reference point in the software development life cycle marked by the completion and formal approval of a set of predefined work products for phase completion. The objective of a baseline is to reduce a project’s vulnerability to uncontrolled change and to provide a point in time set of artifacts for references and recovery, if necessary. Baselining an artifact (requirements specification matrix, design, code, data model, etc.) move it into formal change control (usually, in one or more repository tools) at milestone achievement points in the development life cycle. Baselines are also used to identify the essential software, hardware, and configuration assembly components that make up a specific release of a system.
A principle in philosophy, mathematics, and science that assumptions introduced to explain something must not be multiplied beyond necessity, and, therefore, that the simplest of several hypotheses is, usually, is the best explanation of the facts.
There are two essential elements to Occam’s razor, from the Latin:
The Principle of Plurality – Plurality should not be used as a fact or put forward as a basis of the argument, without the necessity
The Principle of Parsimony – It is pointless to do with more, what can be done with less
Basically, BYOD (bring your own device) is an information technology trend toward employee-owned devices within a business, in which consumer software and hardware are being integrated into the enterprise workplace.
Benefits of BYOD
The benefits of BYOD depend upon the point of view, here is a quick list
Supports integrated remote work and remote workforce augmentation with requiring the acquisition of hardware and software
The reduced software learning curve for employees
Increased availability of workforce and access to the network.