Marilyn Wells

A multicriteria group decision making procedure for selecting cloud based ERP system providers

This paper formulates the selection of Cloud based enterprise resource planning (ERP) system providers as a multicriteria group decision making problem, and presents a fuzzy multicriteria group decision making procedure for effectively solving the group decision making problem. The subjectiveness and imprecision of the decision making process is dealt effectively with the use of interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. A fuzzy multicriteria group decision making algorithm is developed for generating a closeness coefficient for every Cloud based ERP system provider across all criteria. An example is presented that shows the fuzzy multicriteria group decision making procedure is effective for solving the Cloud based ERP system provider selection problem in real world settings.

Data Security and Privacy on the Cloud: Driving to the Next Era of Technology with Confidence

Cloud services have gained popularity due to the number of advantages they provide to organizations and individuals such as reduced cost, better storage, and improved performance. However, a lot of organizations are still not willing to shift their traditional in-house services to the Cloud due to the various security implications. Many Cloud service users are worried about the security of their data and privacy being violated. There are many reported cases of Cloud service providers illegally collecting personal data of their customers, which has led to service providers being viewed with greater suspicion than before. To overcome this, Cloud service providers must ensure that they inform the users exactly about which data is being used and how it is used.

Self-Service and E-Education: The Relationship to Self-Directed Learning

Self-service via the Internet is becoming a common method of selling goods or services as customers have access to retailers’ websites whenever the “need” takes them. Higher education institutions are increasingly offering e-education which means that traditional teaching methods need modifying. Traditional teaching often consists of presenting and expanding upon material found in a prescribed text and delivering this content in lecture, seminar or workshop mode. Studies have confirmed that students learn more effectively when they can discuss the material with others and treat learning as a collaborative process. This chapter reports a case study, where students were required to decide on their level of involvement, discuss and propose the criteria for assessment evaluation, share ideas, concepts and understanding amongst themselves: in effect, self-directed learning. The learning environment used computer-mediated tools, such as discussion forums and chat rooms, and the case study assesses both the expectations of the teaching staff and the experiences of the students, and relates the outcomes to self-directed learning in a self-service environment.