Abstract: A “balanced scorecard” method is disclosed for determining degrees of impact on business service elements (BSE's) caused by degradations of configuration items (CI's) in an underlying IT system. The formulas are used by an Impact Calculation Engine (ICE) of a Business Services Management (BSM) system. They provide enhanced accuracy by accounting for “service aspects” of alerts (using categories such as performance, availability, security, end user, capacity, and financial) and/or degrees of CI degradation (in some embodiments using OSI Standards). The method eliminates manual assignment of degrees of impact. Preferred embodiments convert alerts to a common alert format, determine a separate degree of impact for each service aspect, and use default formulas when custom formulas are not provided. Some embodiments use a service subscription wizard to at least partly automate the assignment of CI-to-BSE relationships.

Abstract: A cuboid pack for smoking articles is a shell and slide structure. The slide has a lid hinged on one minor side. Upon movement of the slide to an exposed position, hooks on the shell and slide interengage to pull open the lid via a tongue which is formed in part of an outer layer of a double layer side seam of the slide.

Abstract: In a carpet manufacturing method respective webs of material are provided to form an upper and a base layer respectively. The webs are advanced and brought together into superimposed relationship. A hot-melt adhesive is applied between the layers immediately before the webs are brought together. The webs are subsequently pressed together and then cooled to cause them to adhere together.