Smart Enough Systems

"This is the first book, that I have read, that brings together the technologies and techniques needed to make systems smart enough for a modern business.

James and Neil have provided a concise and accessible book that both business and technical managers can use to make their business processes smarter. "Smart (Enough) Systems" is very well organized and thorough, covering all the technologies and techniques needed for decision automation.

It shows how to use proven technology to make business processes smarter. It clearly makes the case that organizations need to optimize their operational decisions. It is a must have reference for process professionals throughout your organization."

Jim Sinur Chief Strategy Officer, Global 360, Inc.

"A thorough examination of the business value and technologies enabling decision management, positioned as the next major wave of business process automation. The book is filled with examples that should help the reader learn from the experiences of other organizations in deploying decision management technologies. Traditional business intelligence addresses the delivery of information, but not the selection of the optimal decision in the face of uncertainty. Taylor and Raden provide a comprehensive survey of the business and technology dimensions of establishing a policy hub for decisions across the enterprise."

Henry Morris, Group VP/GM for Integration, Development, and Application Strategies, IDC

"Enterprise Decision Management (EDM) is a key facet of high-value operational business intelligence. James Taylor and Neil Raden do an excellent job explaining EDM and helping the readers work those concepts and technologies into future BI development to the benefit of their organizations."

Alan Simon, author of 27 books including Data Warehousing for Dummies and Business Intelligence For Dummies

"James Taylor and Neil Raden have produced a substantive work that explores what will soon be recognized as the next arena for competitive advantage in our fast-paced global economy. Their central thesis is that organizations must treat decisions as an enterprise asset and take action to increase their "decision yield". The combined effect of improving the hundreds of routine operating decisions that an organization makes day in and day out is analogous to the effect of compound interest where the value of an initial amount of capital begins to increase exponentially over time.

Companies presently focus their attention and energy on the big strategic decisions and overlook the enormous opportunities to be found in consistently improving the accuracy and responsiveness of the many seemingly routine decisions they make. The book is organized into chapters that introduce the core concepts and then explore these concepts in greater and greater detail. The authors present their case in a scholarly and articulate manner."

Michael Hugos, Principal, Center for Systems Innovation, author of Building the Real-Time Enterprise: An Executive Briefing