Decision Technology in Management Track

Track Chair

Agent-based Simulation and System Dynamics

This minitrack is a premier presentation forum for the latest ideas and results in the area of agent-based adaptive simulation and/or SD-based simulation. We seek research papers, case studies and practitioner reports relating to agent-based and/or SD-based simulation methods, environments, and methodologies. Contributions, in which both agent-based and SD modeling techniques are employed, are highly welcome.

Topics: Relevant topics for this minitrack include (but are not limited to):

• Cross-sectional Agent-Based and SD studies
• Business Applications and Case Studies
• Architectures and Environments
• Standards
• Experimental Studies
• Large Scale Simulations
• Web-Based Simulations
• Model Verification, Validation and Calibration
• Solution Comparisons
• Integration With Decision Models
• Constructive and Destructive Agents
• Artificial Organizations, Societies and Economies

Minitrack Chairs

Jan Dickieson Office of Naval Research (Code 342) 800 No. Quincy Street  Arlington, VA 22217-5660 Tel:703 696-9660  Fax:703 696-9777  dickiej@onr.navy.mil

Hans J (Jochen) Scholl Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy  University at Albany / SUNY  Albany, NY 12222  Tel: (518) 442-3937  Fax:(518) 442-3886  jscholl@ctg.albany.edu

Data Mining, Knowledge Discovery, and Information Retrieval

Comprehensibility of data mining techniques, data visualization, task and model interaction, data quality assessment, interpretability, scalability, human factors and modeling, performance measurement and validation, acquisition of qualitative knowledge, feature selection, and the economics of decisions are some of the topics being sought. Examples of applications are point of sale data analysis for customized marketing, credit card as well as mobile telephone transaction data analysis for fraud detection, stock market prediction, book searching in electronic bookstores and auctions, and digital library catalogues among others. Models come from a variety of fields including statistical analysis, neural networks, fuzzy logic, intelligent agents, multidimensional analysis, data visualization, and decision trees, etc. Relevant software and economic issues will also be considered. Also, major data mining research programs from both academic and industry groups are encouraged to submit results that address real world problems.

Topics: Possible Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Measuring Model Performance
• Algorithms and Tools
• Task Characteristics
• Data Quality, Size, and Representation
• Multimedia and Temporal Data
• Qualitative Knowledge
• Knowledge Reuse
• Active Learning
• Human Factors and Environmental Issues
• Mining Methodology Issues
• Scalability and Preprocessing
• Webbased Data Mining
• Internet Interface with Information Retrieval
• Model Interpretation
• Sensitivity and Generalizability
• Economics and Cost of Errors
• Geographic Data
• Data Visualization
• Text Categorization and Summarization
• Cross Language Retrieval
• Speech and Broadcast Retrieval
• Application Case Studies
• Industry Projects

Minitrack Chairs

e-Services: Models and Methods for Design, Implementation and Delivery

The development of e-services share characteristics of both information systems development (ISD) and IT services that combinatorially pose new challenges for effective, customer-centric delivery. Unlike traditional software, e-services are often subscription-based-an area in which research is clearly lacking and has been called for in the June 1998 special issue of Information Systems Research.

e-service development is a knowledge-intensive process wherein the service provider organization creates different, customized versions of the same service for diverse clientele through mixing and matching subsystems and components that might include platforms, software, hardware, telecommunications networks, and their interfaces.

e-services also entail a higher level of risk sharing between the provider and client, unlike conventional information systems where the risk (and sunk cost) is borne primarily by the client. e-services also run a higher risk of turnover and discontinuance behavior because the client organization is not locked into a specific system investment. For a complex set of technological components that must meld to form an e-service platform, we contend that it must be viewed as a complex system and as a line of products. Therefore, it is essential to support its design through intelligent decision support and knowledge management methods, and consider interplaying conceptual, engineering, and managerial issues in order to create effective and efficient platforms for e-service delivery.

The key objective of this minitrack is to invite original work and provide a forum for emerging research exploring various aspects behind the design, delivery, integration, and management of e-services. e-service development, management, delivery, and design is necessarily is cross-functional, multi-disciplinary activity and we contend that researchers in this area stand to gain through a collaborative exchange of multi-disciplinary views. This minitrack intends to provide such a forum.

Topics: To promote diversity in perspectives, we encourage research submissions research along three key dimensions of e-services, especially those focusing on application service providers (ASPs): (1) concepts, models, and design decision support mechanisms for e-services, (2) theory building or framework construction research through empirical, qualitative, or technical "proof of concept" system-design approaches, and (3) innovative applications and case studies highlighting challenges, issues and e-service solutions. Relevant topics for the minitrack include, but are not limited to the following:

1. e-services: Concepts, Modeling, Design, and Evaluation.

• Concepts and methods for designing and delivering e-services
• Theoretical frameworks and practical challenges, and research issues
• Decision support mechanisms, methods, and tools for e-service design
• Decision support for e-service delivery infrastructure design
• Tools and mechanisms for redevelopment cycle time compression
• Scalability, integration, and maintenance considerations mechanisms for e-service design in temporally and spatially distributed virtual teams
• Methods and concepts for one-to-many delivery and mass-customization
• Knowledge management across families of related e-services
• Design and process traceability for rapid design and delivery
• Management of e-services
• Component-based architectures and modularity in e-service design
• Relationships and comparison with information systems development (ISD) paradigms and theories
• Usage and measurement mechanisms for pricing and charging for e-services
• Outsourcing of IS services through the Internet
• Innovation management in the context of e-services
• Integrating enterprise resource planning (ERP) and e-service platforms and tools
• Theory building case studies of ASPs, ISPs, and e-commerce back office services

• Innovative implementations of e-service delivery systems such as ASPs
• Single case studies and multi-case analyses of e-service implementation
• "Proof of concept" intelligent decision support tools for e-service design
• Practioner reports on e-service implementation trials and tribulations

Minitrack Chairs

Intelligent Systems and Soft Computing

Minitrack Chairs

Intelligent Systems in Traffic and Transportation

Since the beginning of the last century an extraordinary development of transport demand is evident. This is a result of industrialization and the supply of new transport modes which at last made substantial changes of economy possible. The growing standard of living changed living and behavior patterns; faster and cheaper transport modes gave the impulse to see other regions, doing business with partners living farther away, who are able to offer goods cheaper than in the own region.

Therefore the increasing labor distribution in economy, the concentration of population in agglomerations with simultaneous migrations from rural regions, the demand for recreation for man being daily stressed in professional life as well as the improvement of rail, car, and air transport supply can be regarded as the principle causes for the enormous increase of demand.

To satisfy the increased demand for movement, to be economical with the use of public resources whilst encouraging economic growth, requires careful attention to monitoring trends and forecasting. Moreover, growth itself carries dangers. The expansion of transport facilities is not cost-free in terms of the environment and social welfare. A balance has therefore to be struck that satisfies a number of possibly conflicting goals. Such a balance requires that there are models forecasting the traffic demand and the changes in modal split and travel behavior.

Intelligent Systems which are designed to solve real world applications in traffic and transportation are built on the basis of an advanced software engineering concept including object-oriented software development and integration with non-standard databases and GIS. On the algorithmic side several so-called Intelligent Techniques coming from the AI, the OR and the CI, such as Tabu Search Metaheuristics, Evolutionary and Genetic Algorithms, Constraint Programming, but also high performance Optimization or Simulation techniques are used.

Topics: We seek research papers, case studies and practitioners reports relating to the design, the implementation and the use of Intelligent Systems built for particular problems in Traffic and Transportation. The papers need not to present fully developed complex systems. Conceptual papers, empirical papers and papers dealing with particular components of such a system, e.g. the Intelligent Techniques, are also welcomed.

Therefore, relevant topics for the minitrack include (but are not limited to)

1. Modeling Intelligent Systems in Traffic and Transportation
   • Models for the estimation of future volume of traffic likely to be affected by planned projects or management policy
   • Models introducing changes in travel behavior
   • Agent-based modeling and simulation of traffic related problems
   • Transportation Network Design Problems including different modes of transportation and hubs
   • Vehicle Routing and Crew Scheduling Problems (e.g. in air transportation)
   • Supply Chain Management and Optimization
2. Intelligent Techniques applied to combinatorial optimization problems in traffic and transportation logistics
   • Tabu Search Metaheuristics
   • Population-based methods (Genetic and Evolutionary Algorithms)
   • Constraint programming
   • Multi-Agent Approaches
3. Conceptual papers on projects and reports on Intelligent Systems in practical use

Minitrack Chairs

Modeling Knowledge-Intensive Processes: Concepts, Methods, and Applications

We encourage submissions on multiple aspects of the problem and seek to promote diversity in perspectives. Accordingly, the scope of the minitrack will encompass research on modeling concepts, methods, and applications. We also welcome submissions that focus on the use and efficacy of process knowledge in the design of products, systems or services.

Topics: Relevant topics for this minitrack include (but are not limited to) the following:

1. Modeling Process Knowledge: Concepts and Methods

• Concepts and methods for the capture and use of process knowledge in complex tasks such as design and delivery of products and services.
• Capturing and retaining "embedded" or tacit knowledge.
• Models and methods for linking process knowledge emerging from a particular design situation with the knowledgebase and memory of the larger organization.
• Factors influencing (impeding and facilitating) comprehensive capture and use of process knowledge.
• Frameworks for the evaluation of methods and tools.
• Tangible and intangible costs and benefits of managing process knowledge.

• Innovative implementations of "proof of concept" systems to support knowledge intensive processes.
• Systems for supporting virtual design teams.
• Case studies or experience reports on the capture and use of process knowledge in organizations.
• Empirical research on the use and efficacy of process knowledge in design and maintenance of products/systems.
• Systems to support rapid and evolutionary development.
• Traceability of process knowledge across system components and phases.
• Intelligent tools for management of process knowledge.
• Systems to support concurrent development.
• Process knowledge in formal software development.

Minitrack Chairs

Unified Modeling Language: A Critical Review and Suggested Future

Critical review of UML is beginning in earnest as industry tries to apply it in practical projects. Assessment of the variety of methods claiming support for the UML notation is urgently needed. Experience reports and suggestions for improvement can provide valuable input into the ongoing revision process under auspices of the OMG.

Topics of interest: To solicit high quality papers and innovative discussions in the areas of:

• Practical experience of UML usage
• Empirical research in the application of UML
• Critical examination of the UML and its associated meta-model
• Use of OCL and its integration with UML and support in tools
• Proposals for extensions of UML
• Critiques of, and proposals for, processes and lifecycles using the UML to express deliverables (e.g. Catalysis, Unified Process)
• Issues in the automation of UML and support in tools
• Metrics for UML models and the application of UML
• Comparison (particularly with respect to efficacy) between UML and competing notations/approaches (e.g., Open, ORM)

Minitrack Chairs

Hannu Kangassalo University of Tampere Kalevantie 4 33014 FINLAND hk@cs.uta.fi

Keng Siau Department of Management University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln NE 68588-0491 Tel: 402-472-3078 Fax: 402-472-5855 ksiau@unl.edu