TY - CHAP A1 - Bock, Sebastian A1 - Weiß, Martin Georg T1 - Non-Convergence and Limit Cycles in the Adam Optimizer T2 - Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks, 2019, Munich, Germany, September 17-19 N2 - One of the most popular training algorithms for deep neural networks is the Adaptive Moment Estimation (Adam) introduced by Kingma and Ba. Despite its success in many applications there is no satisfactory convergence analysis: only local convergence can be shown for batch mode under some restrictions on the hyperparameters, counterexamples exist for incremental mode. Recent results show that for simple quadratic objective functions limit cycles of period 2 exist in batch mode, but only for atypical hyperparameters, and only for the algorithm without bias correction. We extend the convergence analysis to all choices of the hyperparameters for quadratic functions. This finally answers the question of convergence for Adam in batch mode to the negative. We analyze the stability of these limit cycles and relate our analysis to other results where approximate convergence was shown, but under the additional assumption of bounded gradients which does not apply to quadratic functions. The investigation heavily relies on the use of computer algebra due to the complexity of the equations. KW - Adam optimizer KW - Convergence KW - Computer algebra KW - Dynamical system KW - Limit cycle KW - Neuronales Netz KW - Maschinelles Lernen KW - Optimierungsalgorithmus KW - Konvergenz 〈Informationstechnik〉 KW - Computeralgebra Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-490 UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30484-3_20 SP - 232 EP - 243 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Strasser, Artur A1 - Westner, Markus T1 - Knowledge Transfer in IS Offshoring BT - Processes, Roles, and Success Factors T2 - Proceedings of the 19th Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS 2015) Singapore, July 5-9 N2 - IS offshoring research regarding knowledge transfer processes, roles involved, as well as influencing factors is characterized by its diverse and heterogeneous nature. Covering the last fifteen years of IS offshoring research, this paper provides a consolidated view of the field of study. It presents a generic knowledge transfer process consisting of four stages and five milestones. These stages are characterized and evaluated according to their relevance for knowledge transfer, the types of knowledge transferred, the main activities and methods for transfer and testing, as well as the goals pursued. Furthermore, we aggregate the diverse literature findings relating to individuals who facilitate knowledge transfer processes into a general role. We label this role “offshore coordinator” and present its core tasks and necessary skills. In addition, we identify and cluster core factors that influence success or failure of knowledge transfer. In summary, our study answers calls to discontinue with empirically derived definitions in favor of theory-based conceptualization of the IS offshoring research field with respect to knowledge transfer processes, roles, and success factors. Future studies can build on these results and examine questions with respect to particular characteristics of knowledge transfer processes and their influencing success and failure factors. KW - Offshoring KW - Knowledge transfer KW - Knowledge management KW - Information systems KW - Betriebliches Informationssystem KW - Offshoring KW - Wissensmanagement Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-835 UR - https://aisel.aisnet.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1046&context=pacis2015 SP - 1 EP - 15 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Bock, Sebastian A1 - Weiß, Martin Georg T1 - A Proof of Local Convergence for the Adam Optimizer T2 - Proceedings of the 2019 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN), 2019, Budapest, Hungary, July 14-19 N2 - Adaptive Moment Estimation (Adam) is a very popular training algorithm for deep neural networks, implemented in many machine learning frameworks. To the best of the authors knowledge no complete convergence analysis exists for Adam. The contribution of this paper is a method for the local convergence analysis in batch mode for a deterministic fixed training set, which gives necessary conditions for the hyperparameters of the Adam algorithm. Due to the local nature of the arguments the objective function can be non-convex but must be at least twice continuously differentiable. KW - Non-convex optimization KW - Adam optimizer KW - Convergence KW - Momentum method KW - Dynamical system KW - Fixed point KW - Neuronales Netz KW - Maschinelles Lernen KW - Optimierungsalgorithmus KW - Konvergenz 〈Informationstechnik〉 Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-501 UR - https://doi.org/10.1109/IJCNN.2019.8852239 VL - 2019 SP - 1 EP - 8 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Könning, Michael A1 - Strahringer, Susanne A1 - Westner, Markus T1 - Unraveling the impact of cultural distance on IT outsourcing success BT - Insights from three major sourcing reconfigurations JF - Journal of Enterprise Information Management N2 - PURPOSE IT outsourcing (ITO) has developed into an established practice for organizations but the interorganizational and oftentimes international collaboration it involves comes at a price: Reports from academia and practice suggest that more than 25% of all ITO projects fail, many because of cultural differences between client and provider organizations. Against this background, this paper analyzes the complex nature of cultural distance and its multi-faceted effect on ITO success. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH This paper builds upon extant literature on culture on the national, organizational and team level, conceptualizes its effect on relationship quality and ITO success, and hypothesizes a model on potential moderators and management techniques to offset culture-induced challenges. It then evaluates and refines the model by means of an interpretive qualitative research design for an in-depth single-case study of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE (P7S1), a leading European media company that reconfigured its IT sourcing model three times in 10 years. FINDINGS The results from interviews with top managers from client and provider organizations represent one of the first integrated views on the critical importance of cultural compatibility on multiple levels, provide manifold examples for its complex effect on ITO success, as well as moderators and potential management techniques to promote ITO success. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS This paper contributes relevant empirical insights to the growing body of literature on culture and its underestimated role in ITO success. It builds on tentative theory that is confirmed and refined. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS The paper helps in substantiating the complex and intangible nature of culture and demonstrates means for its effective management. ORIGINALITY/VALUE The results from interviews with top managers from client and provider organizations represent one of the first integrated views on the critical importance of cultural compatibility on multiple levels, provide manifold examples for its complex effect on ITO success, as well as moderators and potential management techniques to promote ITO success. KW - IT outsourcing KW - Offshoring KW - ITO Success KW - Cultural distance KW - Relationship quality KW - National culture KW - Organizational culture Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-8708 VL - 34 IS - 3 SP - 811 EP - 837 PB - Emerald ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schönberger, Manuel A1 - Scherzinger, Stefanie A1 - Mauerer, Wolfgang T1 - Ready to Leap (by Co-Design)? Join Order Optimisation on Quantum Hardware JF - Proceedings of the ACM on Management of Data, PACMMOD N2 - The prospect of achieving computational speedups by exploiting quantum phenomena makes the use of quantum processing units (QPUs) attractive for many algorithmic database problems. Query optimisation, which concerns problems that typically need to explore large search spaces, seems like an ideal match for the known quantum algorithms. We present the first quantum implementation of join ordering, which is one of the most investigated and fundamental query optimisation problems, based on a reformulation to quadratic binary unconstrained optimisation problems. We empirically characterise our method on two state-of-the-art approaches (gate-based quantum computing and quantum annealing), and identify speed-ups compared to the best know classical join ordering approaches for input sizes that can be processed with current quantum annealers. However, we also confirm that limits of early-stage technology are quickly reached. Current QPUs are classified as noisy, intermediate scale quantum computers (NISQ), and are restricted by a variety of limitations that reduce their capabilities as compared to ideal future quantum computers, which prevents us from scaling up problem dimensions and reaching practical utility. To overcome these challenges, our formulation accounts for specific QPU properties and limitations, and allows us to trade between achievable solution quality and possible problem size. In contrast to all prior work on quantum computing for query optimisation and database-related challenges, we go beyond currently available QPUs, and explicitly target the scalability limitations: Using insights gained from numerical simulations and our experimental analysis, we identify key criteria for co-designing QPUs to improve their usefulness for join ordering, and show how even relatively minor physical architectural improvements can result in substantial enhancements. Finally, we outline a path towards practical utility of custom-designed QPUs. KW - Hardware KW - Quantum cmputation KW - Informations systems KW - Join algorithms Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-56634 N1 - Corresponding author: Manuel Schönberger VL - 1 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 27 PB - ACM CY - New York, NY, ER - TY - INPR A1 - Steffens, Oliver T1 - Leibniz, Llull and the Logic of Truth: Precursors of Artificial Intelligence N2 - Mankind has always been confronted with limited knowledge about Nature and many people devoted their lives and intellects to the very question: How to gain knowledge, confirm ideas and theories, and understand the world we live in? Religion was one fundamental base for explanations and existential questions. Philosophy and Science were the other. Nowadays, science and technology dominate our daily lives, religion and metaphysics have lost their former dominance, while our thoughts and factual knowledge are increasingly governed by the digitised versions of conversation and discussion, filtered and guided by the algorithms of social networks. Today, "artificial intelligence" is a phenomenon in information technology which takes over everyday routines. A new ideal, a new promise, and at the same time used as a stratagem by political and economic systems to guide and manipulate our thinking, values, and behaviour. But nothing is so new that one could not find its precursors in earlier times. Science and mathematics has kindled many brilliant ideas. Can we describe the world by numbers, find truth and explanation in mathematical structures? This essay is devoted to early ideas by the medieval philosopher Ramón Llull, the great rationalist G.W. Leibniz, and early approaches to combinations, number theory. and information processing. Llull's thinking machine and subsequent endeavours to find methods of mechanical reasoning and inference paved the way to modern-day concepts of artificial intelligence. KW - artificial intelligence KW - Leibniz KW - Ramón Llull KW - thinking machine KW - combinatorics KW - number theory KW - Giordano Bruno KW - Turing machine KW - Ars Magna KW - logic Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-58399 CY - Regensburg ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Käss, Sebastian A1 - Strahringer, Susanne A1 - Westner, Markus T1 - Practitioners’ Perceptions on the Adoption of Low Code Development Platforms JF - IEEE Access N2 - Organizations are under increasing pressure to develop applications within budget and time at high quality. Therefore, multiple organizations adopt Low Code Development Platforms (LCDP) to develop applications faster and cheaper compared to traditional application development. However, current research on LCDP adoption lacks empirical grounding as well as a deeper understanding of the importance of adoption drivers and inhibitors. We conducted semi-structured interviews and a Delphi study with seventeen experts to address these gaps. As a result, we identified twelve drivers and nineteen inhibitors for adopting LCDPs. We show that the experts have a consensus on the most and the least important drivers and inhibitors for LCDP adoption. Yet, the ranking of the drivers and inhibitors between the most and least important is highly context dependent. For some drivers and inhibitors, the experts’ ranking is similar to academic literature, whereas, for others, it differs. In conclusion, the study at hand empirically validates drivers and inhibitors for LCDP adoption, adds six new drivers and six new inhibitors to the body of knowledge, and analyses the importance of these factors. KW - Low code KW - Delphi Study KW - Software Development KW - Inhibitor KW - Driver Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-59170 SN - 2169-3536 N1 - Corresponding author: Markus Westner PB - IEEE ER - TY - THES A1 - Großmann, Christoph T1 - Extending SQL for Machine Learning N2 - As machine learning becomes ever more popular, the question of how to enable it on ever more platforms becomes more important. This thesis explores the extension of SQL and extension databases for machine learning. For this purpose, a framework for extending the Exasol database for machine learning is created. This framework uses the existing support for scripting languages and the in-database file system of the Exasol database to integrate existing machine-learning libraries into SQL. Currently, only Scikit-Learn was integrated. The focuses of our framework are simplicity, usability, smooth integration in SQL, and expressive power, while runtime efficiency and speed are only secondary focuses. Further benefits of the framework are reduction of communication overhead, increased data security, simplification of data synchronization, and the usage of core database strengths. Compared to other in-database machine learning approaches, Apache MADlib and Oracle Machine Learning, our framework most likely has inferior speed and efficiency, while having the advantage of using well-integrated and tested libraries. This thesis also provides an overview of related work on extending SQL and databases for machine learning. Furthermore, future directions for our framework are discussed. The created framework is freely available at https://github.com/christoph-grossmann/Exasol_DB_ML_Framework. KW - SQL KW - Machine Learning KW - Database KW - Exasol KW - Maschinelles Lernen KW - SQL KW - Datenbank Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-60595 CY - Regensburg ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Stadler, Timo A1 - Hofmeister, Simon A1 - Dünnweber, Jan T1 - A Method for the Optimized Placement of Bus Stops Based on Voronoi Diagrams T2 - Proceedings of the 55th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS55): January 3-7, 2022, Maui, Hawaii, USA N2 - In this paper a new method for placing bus stops is presented. The method is suitable for permanently installed new bus stops and temporarily chosen collection points for call busses as well. Moreover, our implementation of the Voronoi algorithm chooses new locations for bus stops in such a way that more bus stops are set in densely populated areas and less in less populated areas. To achieve this goal, a corresponding weighting is applied to each possible placement point, based on the number of inhabitants around this point and the points of interest, such as medical centers and department stores around this point. Using the area of Roding, a small town in Bavaria, for a case study, we show that our method is especially suitable for for rural areas, where there are few multi-family houses or apartment blocks and the area is not densely populated. KW - rural mobility KW - transportation KW - voronoi KW - bus stop placement KW - Location Intelligence Research in System Sciences Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-21214 SP - 5686 EP - 5694 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Maier, Robert A1 - Schlattl, Andreas A1 - Guess, Thomas A1 - Mottok, Jürgen T1 - CausalOps - Towards an industrial lifecycle for causal probabilistic graphical models JF - Information and Software Technology N2 - Context: Causal probabilistic graph-based models have gained widespread utility, enabling the modeling of cause-and-effect relationships across diverse domains. With their rising adoption in new areas, such as safety analysis of complex systems, software engineering, and machine learning, the need for an integrated lifecycle framework akin to DevOps and MLOps has emerged. Currently, such a reference for organizations interested in employing causal engineering is missing. This lack of guidance hinders the incorporation and maturation of causal methods in the context of real-life applications. Objective: This work contextualizes causal model usage across different stages and stakeholders and outlines a holistic view of creating and maintaining them within the process landscape of an organization. Method: A novel lifecycle framework for causal model development and application called CausalOps is proposed. By defining key entities, dependencies, and intermediate artifacts generated during causal engineering, a consistent vocabulary and workflow model to guide organizations in adopting causal methods are established. Results: Based on the early adoption of the discussed methodology to a real-life problem within the automotive domain, an experience report underlining the practicability and challenges of the proposed approach is discussed. Conclusion: It is concluded that besides current technical advancements in various aspects of causal engineering, an overarching lifecycle framework that integrates these methods into organizational practices is missing. Although diverse skills from adjacent disciplines are widely available, guidance on how to transfer these assets into causality-driven practices still need to be addressed in the published literature. CausalOps’ aim is to set a baseline for the adoption of causal methods in practical applications within interested organizations and the causality community. KW - Causal engineering KW - Model lifecycle KW - MLOps KW - Causal graphical models Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-73350 SN - 0950-5849 N1 - Corresponding author der OTH Regensburg: Robert Maier PB - Elsevier ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Staufer, Susanne A1 - Hauser, Florian A1 - Ezer, Timur A1 - Grabinger, Lisa A1 - Nadimpalli, Vamsi Krishna A1 - Röhrl, Simon A1 - Bugert, Flemming A1 - Bittner, Dominik A1 - Mottok, Jürgen T1 - EVALUATION OF THE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PYTHIA T2 - EDULEARN Proceedings: 16th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies, Palma, Spain. 1-3 July, 2024 N2 - Learning management systems gain importance due to the Corona pandemic. To personalize such a learning management system, a Moodle adaption named Pythia was created. Pythia is implemented as a Moodle plugin solution. The possibility of generating learning paths with various algorithms and the change of the graphical user interface is significant. Learning paths are generated with two different algorithms. Nestor algorithm generates learning paths with a Bayesian network, while Tyche algorithm uses a Markov model. The graphical user interface is adapted to the generated learning paths where learning element symbols are customized and the individual learning paths are depicted. This paper presents the results of a qualitative survey among German students with the aim of evaluating the first version of the learning management system Pythia. 25 students took the subject “Software Engineering for Safe and Secure Systems” in the winter term of 2023/24. The 68 asked questions focus on usage behavior, graphical user interface, usability, preferences, volume, and quality of learning elements, and learning paths. Our Moodle course for the lecture contains seven sections, each section has minimum one subsection on which the learning path is calculated. Last three sections are designed by presenting minimum one learning element of each learning element category except the collaboration tool. In a previous work, ten learning element categories were designed and evaluated comprising manuscript, brief overview, learning goal, quiz, exercise, summary, three types of additional material, and collaboration tool. The first sections are left as they are initially designed by the lecturer (normal section). The survey considers the difference between normal sections and diverse sections. Furthermore, the generated learning paths are evaluated. 13 students undertook Nestor learning paths, whereas 12 undertook Tyche learning paths. The results suggest that for the majority of students, the learning element symbols are well-chosen. Moreover, all students wish the elements relevant to the exam to be labelled. 23 students are overwhelmed by the number of learning elements in the last sections of the Moodle course. In the future, some suggestions will be implemented such as the labelling of exam relevant learning elements. To overcome the overload of learning elements, a strategy could be developed like hiding learning elements not preferred by the learning path algorithm. KW - Learning management system (LMS) KW - questionnaire (study) KW - learning elements KW - learning paths KW - usability KW - graphical user interface (GUI) KW - Moodle KW - higher education area (HEA) Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-73474 SN - 2340-1117 SP - 9089 EP - 9098 PB - IATED ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Hantsch, Carolin A1 - Westner, Markus T1 - Governance of IT/OT Convergence: A Review of Academic and Practitioner Literature T2 - 16th Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems (MCIS) 2024, Proceedings, October 3rd to 5th, 2024, Porto, Portugal N2 - The convergence, i.e., integration, of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) is a critical aspect of digital transformation in industries, driving efficiency, innovation, and competitive advantage. However, this integration also introduces significant challenges, particularly in governance. This paper presents a comprehensive literature review of IT/OT convergence, focusing on the governance challenges and strategies drawn from both academic and practitioner literature. The findings reveal that effective governance is crucial for successful IT/OT convergence, requiring clear definitions of roles and responsibilities, cross-functional collaboration, and a unified approach to mitigate risks and align organizational goals. Key IT/OT convergence governance strategies include establishing a Center of Excellence, adopting a risk-based approach, and fostering a culture of change. The paper highlights the need for further research to develop comprehensive governance frameworks and empirically examine the impact of governance on IT/OT convergence success. This paper provides valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners navigating the complexities of IT/OT convergence and governance in the era of Industry 4.0. KW - IT/OT Convergence KW - Governance KW - Digital Transformation KW - Industry 4.0 Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-78335 UR - https://aisel.aisnet.org/mcis2024/7/ SN - 978-989-33-6886-2 PB - AIS eLibrary ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Grabinger, Lisa A1 - Mottok, Jürgen T1 - On selecting hypothesis tests for group differences T2 - ICERI2024 Proceedings: 17th Annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, 11th-13th November 2024, Seville, Spain N2 - Deciding on the right method of analyzing empirical research data can be difficult – especially when it comes to choosing specific methods of inferential statistics, where there is often not one right way, but a variety of valid options (e.g., using an ANOVA or its non-parametric alternative for data that is not perfectly normally distributed). Novice researchers not only lack the experience to know when a particular hypothesis test is appropriate, but struggle to find suitable literature to familiarize themselves (i.e., literature that is not too superficial, yet comprehensible). With the present article we provide a remedy following the didactic method of scaffolding: We present a systematization of the most elementary inferential statistical methods, namely hypothesis tests for group differences. We start by explaining basic terms (e.g., independent variable) and then give step-by-step instructions for choosing a proper hypothesis test based on data properties, implementing it from scratch, and reporting or interpreting its results. With these practical cookbook-like guidelines, this article serves as a concise starting point for young researchers entering the field of empirical research, as a valuable resource for their instructors, and as a basis for automating statistical procedures in a software system. KW - empirical research KW - data analysis KW - inferential statistics KW - guidelines Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-78200 SP - 702 EP - 712 PB - IATED ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Späth, Carina A1 - Westner, Markus T1 - Challenges in Agile Transformations: A Comprehensive Review T2 - 16th Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems (MCIS) 2024, Proceedings, October 3rd to 5th, 2024, Porto, Portugal N2 - This paper investigates the challenges organizations face during agile transformations, a critical adaptation in today's fast-paced business environment. Despite the potential benefits, many companies struggle with the implementation of agile methodologies. Through a systematic literature review of recent publications, we identify and categorize 19 challenges into three main areas: people, leadership, and organisation/processes. Our findings highlight that the most significant issues arise within the 'people' category, including plan-driven thinking, lack of knowledge, and inefficient collaboration. Leadership challenges involve insufficient management support and cultural mismatches, while organisation/process-related issues encompass inadequate planning and coordination. By synthesizing these challenges, this study provides a comprehensive overview aimed at helping practitioners anticipate and mitigate potential obstacles, thereby increasing the likelihood of successful agile transformations. These insights extend existing knowledge and emphasize the need for a holistic approach to manage the people, the leadership, and the organisation/process challenges of agile transformation. KW - agile methodologies KW - agile transformation KW - change management KW - organizational challenges Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-78320 UR - https://aisel.aisnet.org/mcis2024/32/ UR - 978-989-33-6886-2 PB - AIS eLibrary ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Westner, Markus A1 - Cuesta Gorostidi, Irene A1 - Gutierrez Rodriguez, Uxue A1 - Oyarbide-Zubillaga, Aitor A1 - Fernández Rodríguez, Isabel T1 - Enhancing work-based learning through the i-wobal project and its digital school of work-based learning (WBL) facilitators T2 - 17th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI2024), Seville, Spain. 11-13 November, 2024 N2 - The i-WOBAL project, supported by Erasmus+, strategically enhances work-based learning (WBL) in higher education and vocational training across Europe, with a particular focus on supporting the professional development of company and academic facilitators of students engaged in WBL environments. This initiative launches the i-WOBAL didactical guide, together with the establishment of the digital school of WBL facilitators, a digital learning space designed to translate the theoretical framework of the guide into practical, actionable strategies for facilitators. The project is the result of the coordinated work of a consortium of 7 higher education and vocational training institutions from 5 different European countries. The digital school of WBL facilitators serves as a training hub where facilitators from both academic institutions and the business sector receive specialised training to effectively guide and support students. The digital school offers a structured curriculum, including modules on relevant soft skills, to ensure that facilitators are well equipped to manage and enhance the WBL experience for students. This paper describes the curriculum and pedagogical approaches of the digital school of WBL facilitators, its role in facilitating the practical application of WBL strategies and the collaboration of the partners to bring in their unique expertise. The collaborative nature of the i-WOBAL project, involving a consortium of European educational and corporate institutions, promotes a shared culture of best practice and continuous innovation in WBL. The potential scalability of this model offers significant implications for future educational policies aimed at standardising and improving the facilitation of WBL across different educational systems and market environments. KW - Work-Based Learning (WBL) KW - Professional Development KW - Educational Innovation KW - Mentorship in Education KW - Digital Training Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-78459 SN - 978-84-09-63010-3 SN - 2340-1095 PB - IATED CY - Sevilla ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Späth, Carina A1 - Westner, Markus T1 - Navigating Agile Transformations BT - Success Factors in German Companies T2 - SaudiCIS 2024 Proceedings:1st Saudi Conference on Information Systems, November 19 to 21, 2024, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia N2 - This study investigates how companies overcome challenges in agile transformations. Through interviews with ten experts from German companies across different industries, we identify key drivers, challenges, and success factors. Our findings reveal inefficiency, mimetic isomorphism, and competitive pressure as primary transformation drivers. We categorize challenges and solutions into people, organizational, and process-related factors, emphasizing the central role of human elements. The study presents 14 key success factors, with management involvement, commitment to agility, and strategic staffing emerging as crucial. These insights provide a framework for understanding and implementing agile transformations, offering guidance for organizations. Our results contribute to both theoretical understanding and practical application of agile methodologies in corporate settings. KW - Agile Transformation KW - Organizational Change KW - Success Factors KW - Change Management KW - Digital Transformation Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-78700 UR - https://aisel.aisnet.org/saudicis2024/46 PB - Association for Information Systems Electronic Library CY - Dhahran ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Westner, Markus A1 - Reicheneder, Matthias A1 - Matschi, Markus T1 - From Captive Centers to Global Integration BT - Organizational Models and Good Practices in Information Technology Nearshoring and Offshoring JF - Information Resources Management Journal N2 - Contemporary developments in virtual work and global talent management are transforming information technology (IT) nearshoring and offshoring practices, yet research on organizational responses remains limited. Through expert interviews with 33 IT executives (76% chief information officers) from Germany's top 500 companies, this article examines organizational models, strategies, and good practices in IT nearshoring and offshoring. It reveals a shift from traditional captive centers toward fully integrated global teams, enabling high-value task delivery and reflecting increased workforce maturity. Companies are expanding their operations driven by talent needs rather than cost savings, with success factors including employee integration and robust on-site management. This study contributes to theory and practice by providing a framework for understanding organizational models in global IT delivery and offering actionable insights for executives, emphasizing workforce integration over geographical separation. KW - Offshoring KW - Informationstechnik KW - Internationale Arbeitsteilung KW - Organisationsstruktur KW - IT-Nearshoring KW - IT-Offshoring KW - Global IT-Teams KW - Organizational Models KW - Distributed Work Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-80406 SN - 1533-7979 N1 - Corresponding author der OTH Regensburg: Markus Westner VL - 38 IS - 1 PB - IGI Global ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Grabinger, Lisa A1 - Hauser, Florian A1 - Mottok, Jürgen T1 - On the perception of graph layouts JF - Journal of Software: Evolution and Process N2 - In the field of software engineering, graph-based models are used for a variety of applications. Usually, the layout of those graphs is determined at the discretion of the user. This article empirically investigates whether different layouts affect the comprehensibility or popularity of a graph and whether one can predict the perception of certain aspects in the graph using basic graphical laws from psychology (i.e., Gestalt principles). Data on three distinct layouts of one causal graph is collected from 29 subjects using eye tracking and a print questionnaire. The evaluation of the collected data suggests that the layout of a graph does matter and that the Gestalt principles are a valuable tool for assessing partial aspects of a layout. KW - causal graphs KW - eye tracking KW - gestalt principles KW - graph layouts KW - modeling languages Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-62973 N1 - Corresponding author: Lisa Grabinger PB - Wiley ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scharf, Anna A1 - Haug, Sonja A1 - Ritthaler, Markus A1 - Raptis, Georgios T1 - Chancen und Herausforderungen der Digitalisierung bei der Rehabilitation – Ergebnisse einer Befragung von Rehabilitationseinrichtungen JF - Die Rehabilitation: Zeitschrift für Praxis und Forschung in der Rehabilitation N2 - Ziel der Studie: Ziel der Studie ist die Messung des Stands der Digitalisierung und die mit einer Anbindung an die Telematikinfrastruktur verbundenen Chancen und Herausforderungen für Rehabilitationseinrichtungen. Methodik: Teilstandardisierte Online-Befragung bei Trägern von Rehabilitationseinrichtungen in Bayern (n=33). Der Fragebogen mit 36 Fragen beinhaltet eine leicht veränderte Skala auf Basis des „Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM)“. Ergebnisse: Der Digitalisierungsgrad wurde in 70 Prozent der Rehabilitationseinrichtungen mit Stufe 0 angegeben (Stufenmodell bis 7). Die Übermittlung patientenbezogener Daten (Eingang und Ausgang) erfolgt häufig analog, wohingegen die Verarbeitung innerhalb der Einrichtung in vielen Fällen bereits überwiegend digital ist. Beim Anschluss an die Telematikinfrastruktur wird hoher Aufwand bei der Installation, aber auch der Schulung des Personals und der Anpassung der Arbeitsorganisation gesehen. Schlussfolgerung: Durch Änderung der gesetzlich-finanziellen Lage in Deutschland eröffnen sich für Rehabilitationseinrichtungen neue Möglichkeiten einer verstärkten Digitalisierung. Hürden hängen mit Anforderungen an IT-Sicherheit, Schulung des Personals und sowie dem ebenfalls geringen Digitalisierungsstand bei Krankenhäusern und Ärzt*innen sowie Patient*innen zusammen, die eine digitale Datenübermittlung erschweren. T2 - Opportunities and Challenges of Digitalization in Rehabilitation: Results of a Survey of Rehabilitation Facilities KW - Patientenbezogene Daten KW - Digitalisierungsgrad KW - Telematikinfrastruktur KW - IT-Management Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-64726 N1 - Corresponding author: Sonja Haug VL - 62 IS - 5 SP - 299 EP - 307 PB - Thieme CY - Stuttgart ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Stadtler, Timo A1 - Nita, Spyro A1 - Dünnweber, Jan T1 - A Parallel Hybrid Genetic Search for the Capacitated VRP with Pickup and Delivery T2 - 34th International Workshop, LCPC 2021, Newark, DE, USA, October 13–14, 2021 N2 - In the realm of parallel computing, optimization plays a pivotal role in achieving efficient and scalable solutions. In this work, we present the parallelization of a hybrid genetic search for solving the Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem with Pickup and Delivery (CVRPPD).It leverages the synergy between genetic algorithms and parallel computing to address the complex optimization problem. This hybrid algorithm combines a customized version of local search with a genetic algorithm to compute an effective solution. Our implementation makes use of the Message Passing Interface (MPI) for data distribution and parallel execution. In addition, we run multi-threaded processes on NVIDIA graphical processors using the CUDA technology, which further increases the computation speed and consequently minimizes the runtime. Parallelization also allows the best-improvement strategy to be used instead of the rst-improvement strategy while maintaining the same runtime. We store the resulting routes in a bus route database which we created as the basis of an extensive library of optimal routes for our specifc use case of optimizing bus routes in a rural area. The experimental results on real road data show that the parallel implementation of the Hybrid Genetic Search (HGS) achieves significant improvements in runtime over the sequential implementation above a certain problem size. We believe that our implementation of the parallel hybrid genetic search method can have a great in influence on optimization strategies in parallel computing and can also be applied to other subproblems of the VRP. KW - parallel computing KW - high-performance KW - route planning Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-69854 UR - https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-oth-regensburg/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/6985/file/duennweber_kentucky_2023.pdf ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Westner, Markus T1 - Low-Code/No-Code: Citizen Developers and the Surprising Future of Business Applications JF - HMD Praxis der Wirtschaftsinformatik Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-74906 SN - 1436-3011 SP - 1067 EP - 1069 PB - Springer Fachmedien CY - Wiesbaden ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Altmann, Matthias A1 - Schlegl, Peter A1 - Volbert, Klaus T1 - A low-power wireless system for energy consumption analysis at mains sockets JF - EURASIP Journal on Embedded Systems N2 - Introduction: Improving energy efficiency and reducing energy wastage is an important topic of our time. But it is quite difficult to figure out how much of our total electricity bill can be mapped to which device or at what time the device used it. We believe energy efficiency of normal households can be improved, if this kind of transparency would be available. In this article, we present a system for energy measurement at mains sockets to gain a transparent view of energy consumption for each device in a household. It consists of several smart energy measuring devices (SEMDs) that use a low-power radio protocol to dynamically build and connect to a radio network to transfer power usage date to a server. At the server, the data is stored and can be accessed via web interface. Results: Our primary goal was to build a back-end system for an energy metering platform with very low energy consumption. This platform can provide data for a variety of services that enables users (the consumers) to understand and improve their energy consumption behavior and increase overall energy efficiency of their households. KW - Low power KW - Smart grid KW - Smart home KW - Smart metering KW - Wireless system Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13639-016-0041-y N1 - Corresponding author: Peter Schlegl IS - 1 PB - Springer Nature ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Sailer, Andreas A1 - Schmidhuber, Stefan A1 - Deubzer, Michael A1 - Mottok, Jürgen T1 - Amalthea – Plattform für kontinuierliche, modellbasierte Entwicklung T2 - Tagungsband, 6th Embedded Software Engineering, Kongress 2013, 2. bis 6. Dezember 2013, Sindelfingen Y1 - 2013 SP - 538 EP - 544 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Strasser, Artur A1 - Westner, Markus A1 - Strahringer, Susanne T1 - Knowledge transfer in IS offshoring BT - A Delphi study of the offshore coordinator role JF - Journal of Systems and Information Technology N2 - Purpose This paper aims to investigate the main tasks, necessary skills, and the implementation of the offshore coordinator’s role to facilitate knowledge transfer in information systems (IS) offshoring. Design/methodology/approach This empirical exploratory study uses the classical Delphi method that includes one qualitative and two quantitative rounds to collect data on IS experts’ perceptions to seek a consensus among them. Findings The participants agreed, with strong consensus, for a set of 16 tasks and 15 skills. The tasks focused primarily on relationship management and facilitating knowledge transfer on different levels. The set of skills consists of approximately 25 per cent “hard” skills, e.g. professional language skills and project management skills, and approximately 75 per cent “soft” skills, e.g. interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to deal with conflict. Two factors mainly influence implementing the offshore coordinator role: project size and the number of projects to be supported simultaneously. Practical implications The findings provide indications of how to define and fulfill this crucial role in practice to facilitate the knowledge transfer process in a positive way. Originality/value Similarities in previous research findings are aggregated to examine the intermediate role in detail from a consolidated perspective. This results in the first comprehensive set of critical tasks and skills assigned to the competency dimensions of the universal competency framework, demonstrating which and how many competency dimensions are critical. KW - Knowledge transfer KW - Delphi KW - IS offshoring KW - Offshoring coordinator KW - universal competency framework KW - Betriebliches Informationssystem KW - Offshoring KW - DV-Koordinator KW - Wissensmanagement Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-294 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/JSIT-01-2018-0008 SN - 1328-7265 VL - 21 IS - 1 SP - 36 EP - 62 ER -