http://www.sajim.co.za/editorial.main.9nr2.asp?print=1


 
  Editorial Vol.9(2) June 2007 

It is not often that a journal receives a manuscript for an article that attempt to establish the 
very basics of a not so new area of investigation, namely business intelligence or BI. 
Disguised under multiple 'names' this topic (can we refer to it as a discipline yet?) is of the 
utmost importance to the world of business, that is the enterprise in particular as well as to 
the academic or research environment. But despite its relatively long history, BI is still trying 
to find a footing in these two worlds – that is, according to author V.H. Pirttimäki who wrote 
the first article Conceptual analysis of business intelligence in this issue. Primarily a 
theoretical study, the author holds the view that although there are numerous descriptions in 
the literature that tries to describe BI, there is no precise or universally shared conception of 
what BI is. The author therefore aims to provide an analysis of BI definitions and the related 
intelligence concepts, what the content of each key concept is and how intelligence concepts 
relate to each other. Another contribution of the article is to increase the academic 
understanding and status of the 'young field of research on intelligence activities'. 

Still on a theoretical note, J.C. Mostert and M.M.M. Snyman's Knowledge management 
framework for the development of an effective knowledge management strategy proposes a 
knowledge management framework that can provide a clear and unambiguous knowledge 
base, which in turn can serve as a platform for the development of an effective knowledge 
management strategy. The authors argue that knowledge in itself will not ensure the success 
of an enterprise. They also make it clear that the principles presented in a framework have to 
be applied by a specific enterprise in order to develop a complete knowledge management 
strategy. The effectiveness of such a strategy will be directly related to the quality of the 
framework. However, this means that, only after a strategy has been developed in accordance 
with the principles and guidelines of the framework, can the effectiveness of the framework 
be evaluated. 

Those employed in the ICT industries should take note of the content of the two other 
articles. Information management: the adoption of order processing for B2B e-commerce by 
F.W. Voges and S.C. Warden, investigates the management of information flow in the order 
processing activities of small enterprises, better know by their acronym SMMEs. (By the 
way, those readers interested in research methodology should read this article, for it is a good 
example of research utilizing case study research.) In this article, the authors argue that the 
management of information flow in this area is not always fully understood by SMMEs. 
Furthermore, an inefficient supply chain is often the result of the lack of timely and 
accessible inter-company information and data exchange. Small suppliers often simply 
cannot afford the technology infrastructure and resources available for proper integration 
with supply chains. This research investigated suppliers and fast moving consumer goods 
(FMCG) retailers adopting B2B e-commerce by means of case study research using evidence 
obtained from nine SMME suppliers located in the Western Cape, South Africa. The article 
culminated in a set of guidelines for small suppliers when adopting B2B e-commerce for 
order processing. 

The last and also industry specific contribution is from P.L. Wessels and L.P. Steenkamp (An 
assessment of current practices in creating and using passwords as a control mechanism for 
information access). Their departure point is (quoting Kaye 1995:5) that good information 
improves decision making, enhances efficiency and provides a competitive edge to the 
organization that knows more than its opposition. Then follows their premise: 'This 
information should be protected from unauthorised access to ensure that the organization 



retains its competitive edge'. And more specific: passwords are part of tightening security for 
allowing end-users access to systems, applications, data files, network servers or personal 
(such as electronic banking) information. The authors discuss the issues involved in selecting 
and using passwords and consequently assess the current practices employed by end-users in 
creating and storing passwords to gain access to sensitive information. The results of this 
survey refer inter alia to the fact that information managers cannot rely only on users to 
employ proper password control in order to protect sensitive information. 

Pieter van Brakel 
Scientific Editor  

Disclaimer 

Articles published in SAJIM are the opinions of the authors and do not 
necessarily reflect the opinion of the Editor, Board, Publisher, Webmaster 
or the Rand Afrikaans University. The user hereby waives any claim 
he/she/they may have or acquire against the publisher, its suppliers, 
licensees and sub licensees and indemnifies all said persons from any 
claims, lawsuits, proceedings, costs, special, incidental, consequential or 
indirect damages, including damages for loss of profits, loss of business or 
downtime arising out of or relating to the user's use of the Website. 

 

ISSN 1560-683X

Published by InterWord Communications for Department of Information and Knowledge Management, 
University of Johannesburg