Exploring the foundations and modern applications of operational and business support systems in retail and manufacturing

This introductory chapter presents an overview of the Foundations and Applications of Operational and Business Support Systems in Retail and Manufacturing. Operational and Business Support Systems, complimentary to Informatics Applications, play a strategic role in the success of Retail and Manufacturing companies. While specialized Retailers and Manufacturers are using increasingly different Development Platforms and Technological Solutions, design processes are converging and share a common – and ever growing – body of knowledge. Operational and Business Support Systems deal mainly with the processing of huge volumes of business data and correspondingly to the optimization of Operational and Business Decision Processes. This optimization is essential for Big Data Analytics, Business Intelligence and Meta-business Models. Business Models define how companies derive their Revenues and Profit. Meta-business Models define how companies derive their Revenues and Profit collaborating with other companies, Suppliers and Clients. Meta-business Models concern Supply Chain or Ecosystem Partnerships and use ICT Systems to support their operational collaboration. The optimization addresses also the meta-processes oriented to the definition of the Business Models and Meta-business Models and concern different decision areas, different levels of complexity and different time horizons.