Electronic data interchange: a strategic approach

The potential of EDI is virtually unlimited, but the success of any EDI initiative hinges on its ability to directly support strategies that achieve your institution's business objectives. At its most fundamental level, EDI technology automates current business practices, speeding up the exchange of business information. This application of EDI most often is found in a hospital's material management department. But EDI integrated internally within a hospital and externally with suppliers and vendors has the potential to go beyond simple automation and to transform processes. This is where the full value of EDI can be realized. No matter which level of EDI participation hospital management decides is appropriate to fulfill its business objectives and strategies, EDI will affect the entire institution's exchange of information with its internal and external audiences. The question management must answer is: Will the hospital's EDI strategy be offensive and managed, or defensive and reactive? Today's environment leaves no room for a "no-strategy" EDI option. The options are either to proactively shape EDI, or reactively play catch-up. EDI can work for you. Adequately developing an EDI game plan in support of your business objectives and calling on your suppliers and other trading partners to work with you will ensure EDI is an asset to your facility.     

Cognitive style related to the design process

This paper describes the development of a new version of Witkin's Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) and two further tests of a similar type using words and letters. The new form of the Group Embedded Figures Test Consists of a number of original two dimensional figures (complex and simple). Variations of the basic two dimensional figures were obtained by establishing a geometrical progression (from following a set of simple rules) to produce increasing degrees of complexity of the complex figures. This in turn generated more simple figures within them which were used in the test items.By using words and lettersas a means of generating embedded complex/simple shapes, not only are very different types of (overall) shape possible, but also the notion of field dependence/independence can (possibly) be applied to non-spatial (in the usual sense) modes of operating within the curriculum, i.e. the humanities as opposed to design and technology subject areas.