Most people intuitively understand complexity, but being able to analyse it scientifically is not a common practice. For business executives, 'complexity' must be one of the most important concepts to understand, as it directly impacts business performance. From a business improvement perspective it is critical to quantify complexity, as engineering optimisation models require some level of clarity and understanding for decision making. Excess complexity prevents a proper understanding of the business system, which makes accurate forecasting impossible, and so increases the risk of failure. This paper uses Shannon's entropy to measure and gain insight into complexity, and shows how it can be used to gain better insight into the performance of a business system -especially when dealing with non-linear relationships between business components. OPSOMMINGAlhoewel die meeste mense kompleksiteit verstaan, is die ontleding daarvan op 'n wetenskaplike manier nie algemene praktyk nie. Vir die uitvoerende direkteure van maatskappye is 'kompleksiteit' een van die belangrikste faktore omrede dit die prestasie van die onderneming direk beïnvloed. Gesien vanuit die perspektief van besigheidsoptimisering, raak dit krities dat kompleksiteit kwantitatief uitgedruk moet word sodat die nodige ingenieursmodelle ingespan kan word vir besluitnemingsdoeleindes. Indien die besigheidstelsel te veel kompleksiteit ervaar, maak dit die verstaan van die stelsel onnodig moeilik, wat op sy beurt weer veroorsaak dat voorspellingsmodelle onbruikbaar raak. Dit verhoog die kans op mislukking van die onderneming. In hierdie artikel word 'Shannon's entropy' gebruik om kompleksiteit te meet om sodoende beter insig in besigheidsprestasie te verkry -veral wanneer daar nie-lineêre verwantskappe bestaan tussen die verskillende komponente. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a # This article is an extended version of a paper presented at the 2011 ISEM conference.

The Open Solution Methodology is a generic problem solving methodology which is used to solve system related problems through the application of problem solving techniques. The focus of the application of this methodology is aimed at modelling organisations, or areas within organisations. The application ofthe Open Solution Methodology provides the benefit of having the ability to comprehend and integrate all aspects of the system, while having a formal and structured approach for problem solving. Together with the reduction in system analysis time, problem solving techniques such as simulation modelling are focused through the Open Solution Methodology models to enhance the quality Ofsolutions. OPSOMMINGDie "Open Solution Methodology" is 'n generiese probleemoplossingsmetodologie wat gebruik word om stelselverwante probleme op te los deur die toepassing van problemoplossingstegnieke. Die fokus van hierdie metodologie toepassing is gernik op die modellering van organisasies, of gedeeltes van organisasies. Die "Open Solution Methodology" toepassing verskaf die voordeel om aile aspekte van die stelsel te verstaan en te integreer, terwyl daarvan 'n formele en gestruktureerde benadering tot probleemoplossing gebruik gemaak word. Tesame met die gepaardgaande verkorting van stelselanalisetyd, word die "Open Solution Methodology" modelle gebruik om die toepassing van probleemoplossingstegnieke te fokus omsodoende kwaliteit van die oplossings te verhoog.http://sajie.journals.ac.za 73

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a new discipline that has emerged from the need to create a holistic view of an enterprise, and thereby to discover business/IT integration and alignment opportunities across enterprise structures. Previous EA value propositions that merely focus on IT cost reductions will no longer convince management to invest in EA. Today, EA should enable business strategy in the organisation to create value. This resides in the ability to do enterprise optimisation through process standardisation and integration. In order to do this, a new approach is required to integrate EA into the strategy planning process of the organisation.This article explores the use of three key artefacts -operating models, core diagrams, and an operating maturity assessment as defined by Ross, Weill & Robertson [1] -as the basis of this new approach. Action research is applied to a research group to obtain qualitative feedback on the practicality of the artefacts. OPSOMMINGOndernemingsargitektuur (OA) is 'n nuwe dissipline wat ontstaan het uit die behoefte om 'n holistiese perspektief van 'n onderneming te skep om sodoende besigheid/IT-integrasie enbelyningsgeleenthede regoor ondernemingstrukture te ontdek. Vorige OA waardeaanbiedings wat hoofsaaklik gefokus het op IT kostebesparings sal bestuur nie meer kan oorreed om in OA te belê nie. Vandag behoort OA bevoegdheid te gee aan ondernemingstrategie om werklik waarde te skep. Hierdie bevoegdheid lê gesetel in ondernemingsoptimering deur middel van prosesstandaardisasie en -integrasie. 'n Nuwe benadering word benodig ten einde OA te integreer met die strategiese beplanningsproses van die organisasie.Hierdie artikel ondersoek die gebruik van drie artefakte -operasionele modelle, kerndiagramme, en operasionele volwassenheidsassessering soos gedefinieer deur Ross, Weill & Robertson [1] -as die basis van hierdie nuwe benadering. Aksienavorsing word toegepas op 'n navorsingsgroep ten einde kwalitatiewe terugvoer te kry oor die praktiese sin van die artefakte.

Technology has brought major challenges as to how organisations view global markets and customers, and how they operate within their industry value chains. The impact of technology has exposed participants in the market to global markets that previously were beyond their reach. This paper discusses the key capabilities required to manage change in an organisation that operates as a collaborative organisation in an ever-changing business environment. These capabilities are identified and presented in the context of understanding how a "successful" organisation operates, and the key factors to consider when change is implemented in an organisation. In conclusion, the key capabilities should be managed through a business engineering framework to ensure optimal benefit for the organisation. OPSOMMINGIn die afgelope paar jaar het tegnologie groot veranderings teweeggebring vir organisasies oor die manier waarop hulle besigheid doen in hul onderskeie waardekettings. Die impak van tegnologie het selfs veroorsaak dat markspelers blootgestel word aan globale markte wat voorheen buite hulle bereik was. Die artikel beskryf 'n aantal sleutelvermoëns waaroor organisasies moet beskik om in hierdie snel-veranderde omgewing te oorleef. Hierdie vermoëns word beskryf binne die konteks van 'n suksesvolle onderneming, asook die faktore wat in aggeneem moet word wanneer verandering in die organisasie bekend gestel word. Ter afsluiting moet hierdie vermoëns bestuur word binne 'n besigheidsingenieurswese-raamwerk om optimale voordeel vir die maatskappy te lewer.

Organisations today are characterised by conglomerate organisation structures that evolve through mergers and acquisitions. Corporate offices need to add superior knowledge and skills to ensure that the collection of diverse businesses is operating as more than independent units. A new management approach is required to create synergies between the diverse businesses, their processes and system landscapes. Enterprise Architecture (EA) creates value on a corporate level by facilitating process/information technology alignment and synergy between different strategic business units (SBUs). Unfortunately many EA implementations seemed to fail owing to a short-term financial focus and measurement.This article explores the possibilities of linking EA to a corporate balanced scorecard (BSC) to demonstrate its long-term financial improvement capabilities in supporting the business strategy. The aim is to use the corporate BSC context to direct EA objectives in creating contextualised value for a specific enterprise. OPSOMMINGOrganisasies word vandag gekenmerk deur konglomeraatorganisasiestrukture wat groei deur middel van die samesmelting en oorname van ander organisasies. Korporaatkantore sal hoër-staande kennis en vaardighede moet toevoeg om te verseker dat die versameling van diverse besighede groter is as wanneer hul onafhanklik van mekaar opereer. 'n Nuwe bestuursbenadering word benodig om sinergieë tussen die diverse besighede, hul prosesse en stelsel-landskappe te skep. Ondernemingsargitektuur (OA) skep waarde op 'n korporatiewe vlak deur die fasilitering van proses/inligtingtegnologiebelyning en sinergie-skepping tussen verskillende strategiese besigheidseenhede. Ongelukkig faal vele OA projekte weens 'n kort-termyn finansiële fokus en prestasie-meting.Hierdie artikel ondersoek die moontlikheid om OA te koppel aan 'n korporatiewe gebalanseerde telkaart (KBT) om sodanig OA se lang-termyn finansiële verbeteringsvermoë ter ondersteuning van besigheidstrategie te demonstreer. Die KBT konteks word dus gebruik om OA doelwitte te rig om gekontekstualiseerde waarde vir 'n spesifieke ondernening te skep.