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Supposing you had a crystal ball for smart business decisions

By | June 17, 2009, 8:08 AM PDT

No matter how much I’d like to argue otherwise, some decisions just can’t be made from the gut.

That’s why smart managers will be happy to hear that ILOG, a subsidiary of IBM, is coming out with the next generation of software applications that are intended to help managers make informed decisions about virtually every aspect of their business, including those that involve their supply chains.

So, as an example, the software could be used to set up an application to flag when a loan is a bad idea or when a loyal customer should be granted extra award points. ILOG, which is 12 years old, has 3,000 customers including Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Bank of the West, and NBC.

Here’s a summary of the new applications:

  • IBM WebSphere ILOG JRules 7.0, which is an update of the main business rules management system specifically for Java integration
  • IBM WebSphere ILOG Rules for .Net 7.0, which obviously is centered on the Microsoft .Net framework
  • IBM ILOG LogicNet Plus XE 7.0, which is a design and planning application that you can use to measure the carbon footprint of your supply chain including production, transportation, warehousing and other costs. So, for example, you could set rules to limit the amount of carbon emissions your company will tolerate. This module also includes support for calculating the tax implications of different decisions
  • IBM ILOG Plant PowerOps 3.2, for production planning and scheduling. Benefits of the update include specific features to help reduce inventory and changeover costs.

All of the new ILOG products are supposed to be available in the second quarter of 2009.

Derek Nelson, product manager for ILOG, declined to provide any pricing information for the software, saying only that the majority of ILOG’s customers are larger enterprises. Some consulting services, to set rules, may also be required to help your teams set up rules that are useful for the needs of your unique company.

You could think of enterprise applications like ILOG and even the software I wrote about yesterday from PlanetMetrics as the next wave of practical business intelligence, enabling you to dig into relevant data points that let your teams move almost as quickly as if they were going with their gut.

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Heather Clancy

About Heather Clancy

Heather Clancy is a contributing editor for SmartPlanet.

Heather Clancy

Heather Clancy

Contributing Editor

Heather Clancy has written for United Press International, ZDNet, Entrepreneur, Fortune Small Business, the International Herald Tribune and the New York Times. She holds a degree from McGill University. She is based in New Jersey.

Follow her on Twitter.

Heather Clancy

Heather Clancy

I am fascinated about how businesses of all sizes can transform their operations through technology -- not just to make themselves more efficient, but to rise above their competitors. That's the theme for my two ZDNet blogs, Small Business Matters and Next-Gen Partner. For SmartPlanet, I'm focused on profiling inspirational and controversial business leaders who have great leadership lessons to share. I also write regularly and passionately about corporate social responsibility and sustainability issues for GreenBiz.com.

Occasionally, I will pop up at an industry conference in some sort of speaking capacity. In cases where an engagement involves a sponsor that may be covered in this blog, that fact will be disclosed in coverage as appropriate.

My corporate writing work usually consists of crafting research white papers about some aspect of technology or moderating Webcasts. In the event that my commentary (in written, audio or video form) mentions a company for which I have provided consulting advice, I will disclose that fact. However, there is no connection between these projects and topics that I cover in my blogs.

She writes for SmartPlanet and is not an employee of CBS.

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We have been living in Montana for the past 5 years and I am not supri sexy shop to find it #3 on the "worst" list. Considering a sexshop move to Idaho to escapthe high cost of living a low income in MT. There may not be a sales tax here but they get you if you own property!

Where does Idaho rank? We have been living in Montana for the past 5 years and I am not supri sexy shop to find it #3 on the "worst" list. Considering a sexshopmove to Idaho to escapthe high cost of living a low income in MT. There may not be a sales tax here but they get you if you own property!
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21st Jul 2011
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