From driverless cars to pilotless planes, many functions that have previously required human labor can now be performed using artificial intelligence. For businesses, this use of AI results in reduced labor costs and, even more important, creating a competitive advantage. How does one look at any organization and begin the work of automating it in sensible ways? This book provides the blueprint for automating critical business functions of all kinds. It outlines the skills and technologies that must be brought to bear on replicating human-like thinking and judgment in the form of algorithms. Many believe that algorithm design is the exclusive purview of computer scientists and experienced programmers. This book aims to dispel that notion. An algorithm is merely a set of rules, and anyone with the ability to envision how different components of a business can interact with other components already has the ability to work in algorithms. Though many fear that the use of automation in business means human labor will no longer be needed, the author argues that organizations will re-purpose humans into different roles under the banner of automation, not simply get rid of them. He also identifies parts of business that are best targeted for automation. This book will arm business people with the tools needed to automate companies, making them perform better, move faster, operate cheaper, and provide great lasting value to investors.

THE EXECUTIVE GUIDE TO BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT has been written primarily for business executives, decision makers, informal leaders, and managers to provide a highlevel comprehensive overview of the powerful family of Business Process Management (BPM) methodologies. It is also for people who want to build the wealth of their organizations by applying sound, effective, and sustainable improvement strategies. The book provides a comprehensive, high-level overview of specific strategies to achieve continuous improvement objectives by applying Business Process Management methodologies. The author strongly believes that implementation of Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies based on BPM paradigms significantly transform organizations, and dramatically increase their efficiency, effectiveness, and ability to achieve faster business goals and meet customer expectations. The hope is that this book will not only change the way you think about your organization, how it functions, and how it can excel, but that it will also have a profound impact on your life by making it equally successful. Many of the techniques and tools described here can dramatically improve your professional or even private life.

This book, first published in 1982, explores all major aspects of automated serials control. It examines major working serials control systems in the United States and Canada, describes their operations, and evaluates their successes and shortcomings.

Praise for the The Executive's Guide to Information Technology "This book is important reading. It offers practical, real-world insight and pragmatic no-nonsense approaches for people who have a stake in corporate IT. " --Lynda Applegate, Henry R. Byers Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School "Information systems and processes are very important parts of our due diligence assessment of a company--yet the jargon is often more difficult to understand than many foreign languages. Baschab and Piot effectively translate IT into words and concepts that businesspeople can easily understand and act upon. This book is a helpful reference guide for corporate executives and private equity groups of all types." --Neal Aronson, Managing Partner, Roark Capital Group "Business success increasingly depends on effective use of IT. Effective use of IT depends on the kind of in-depth, practical insight in this book. Baschab and Piot provide a pragmatic approach to information systems investment that should be required reading for senior executives and CIOs alike." --Erik Brynjolfsson, Schussel Professor of Management, Director of the Center for Digital Business, MIT "This book should provide valuable guidance for management and technology consultants. The Executive's Guide to Information Technology provides field-proven insight on all important aspects of IT planning and execution, from governance to applications to operations and infrastructure." --Gary J. Fernandes, former vice chairman, EDS, member of the Board of Directors, Computer Associates "Baschab and Piot do a great job of laying out the fundamental issues and challenges that every IT organization faces. More often than not, the issues are not technical in nature, but are a reflection of how the IT and business teams work together to define, execute, and implement new business tools. The threshold issue is leadership. Often it is difficult for business leaders to feel that they have the skills and perspective to provide that leadership on technical projects. The Executive's Guide to Information Technology provides non-technical business leaders a solid framework for engaging with their IT peers." --Tom Nealon, Chief Information Officer, J.C. Penney

Utilize a set of practical guidelines to help your Agile organization elevate software design quality as an important business driver to achieve customer satisfaction and, ultimately, higher revenue for your company. This is the first book to focus on a holistic quality view—what it is and how it links to overall business enhancements. The real-world examples used in this book allow you to learn and apply similar strategies and guidelines to help create a quality blueprint for your organization. Five pillars of quality are defined that can be used for any industry and, once internalized, can serve as a set of tools to continuously improve and measure the key factors impacting quality. What You’ll Learn Be aware of the key elements in any transformation that involves culture Link quality and business outcomes Understand quality and its holistic definition and why continuous improvement is still a relevant approach in enhancing quality Follow guidelines with specific examples that can be applied to any product release in any type of industry to improve quality and enhance Agile processes Utilize relevant metrics to measure and continuously improve to make incremental positive changes Who This Book Is For Individuals at various levels in organizations—from Agile scrum teams, all the way up to executive leadership

A guide for new executives that explores how to create an overarching, enterprise-wide transformative program. The book provides a best-practice checklist for 8 core areas: Strategy Setting, Technology Alignment, Business Renovation, Project Management, Communications Renewal, Employee Engagement, Staff Transformation, and Organizational Design.