So You Want To Go Digital? How To Avoid The Next Legacy Platform Debacle

IT platforms as the foundation of digitized processes and products are vital in a digital economy. However, many companies’ platforms are liabilities, not strategic assets because of their complexity. \ \ Consequently, companies initiate IT complexity reduction programs. But these technology-centric programs at best provide temporary relief. Soon after, companies’ platforms become just as complex as before. \ \ Based on four case studies, we identify three non-technical drivers of platform complexity: (1) Lacking awareness of consequences business decisions have on platform complexity, (2) Lacking motivation to avoid platform complexity, (3) Lacking authority to protect platforms from complexity. We propose measures to address these drivers that can help achieve more sustainable impact on platform complexity: (1) Removing information asymmetries between those creating complexity and those dealing with complexity, (2) Redefining incentives to include long-term effects on platform complexity, (3) Redressing power imbalances between those who create complexity and those who have to manage it

Trend of BS 8900: 2006 Guidance for Managing Sustainable Development Application in Thai Logistics Service Providers

The research aimed to study 1) the opinions of Thai logistics provider towards BS8900:2006 Guidance for Managing Sustainable Development and 2) the trend of Thai logistics providers towards the application of BS8900:2006 Guidance for Managing Sustainable Development. Populations were Freight Forwarding service providers on the list of Thailand’s logistics service providers for freight forwarding service and TIFFA including international logistics company i.e. UPS, DHL, TNT and FedEX. The sample groups were random by multi stage sampling. The size of sample group was 168 persons. The research methods were questionnaires which were analyzed by percentage, Mean, Standard Deviation, and inferential statistics perfuming by Logistic Regression. The research found that 1) the opinions of Thai logistics providers towards BS8900:2006 Guidance for Managing Sustainable Development was strongly agreement 2) The probability of application of BS8900:2006 Guidance for Managing Sustainable Development was increased 2.134 times and the accuracy of forecast was 84.5

Beyond Waste Reduction: Creating Value with Information Systems in Closed-Loop Supply Chains

We study the role of information systems in enabling closed-loop supply chains. Past research in green IS and closed-loop supply chains has shown that it can result in substantial cost savings and waste reduction. We complement this research by showing that the effects are more than that: using information systems can also create business value for a firm in closed-loop supply chains. We make a novel distinction between four types of value: sourcing value, environmental value, customer value and informational value. Particularly the last two types have not been recognized in past research. We then analyze 8 cases (2 for each of the 4 value types) to highlight the role that information systems play in enabling this value creation and find three key results. First, we find that IS is an essential enabler for all four value types. Second, while sourcing value and to some extent environmental value, can be created with IS that are internal to the firm, the novel types of value (customer value and informational value) can only be created with information systems that are extraorganizational, i.e. aimed at customers and supply chain partners. Third, the value created by extraorganizational systems can only be created if the appropriate intraorganizational systems are in place. Overall, our results show that substantial value can be gained from implementing green IS in closed-loop supply chains, but that collaboration between all stakeholders in the supply chain is necessary in order to reap the full value

U.S. Multinational Services Companies: Effects of Foreign Affiliate Activity on U.S. Employment

This working paper examines the effect that U.S. services firms’ establishment abroad has on domestic employment. Whereas many papers have explored the employment effects of foreign direct investment in manufacturing, few have explored the effects of services investment. We find that services multinationals’ activities abroad increase U.S. employment by promoting intrafirm exports from parent firms to their foreign affiliates. These exports support jobs at the parents’ headquarters and throughout their U.S. supply chains. Our findings are principally based on economic research and econometric analysis performed by Commission staff, services trade and investment data published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and employment data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the aggregate, we find that services activities abroad support nearly 700,000 U.S. jobs. Case studies of U.S. multinationals in the banking, computer, logistics, and retail industries provide the global dimensions of U.S. MNC operations and identify domestic employment effects associated with foreign affiliate activity in each industry

Business Value from Closed-loop Supply Chains

This study provides a complete framework to define and classify the value that firms can attain by their closed-loop supply chains (CLSC) and analyzes the role of information systems (IS) in this process. We present a novel typology to identify the four value types a firm can generate in CLSCs, namely sourcing, environmental, customer, and informational value. Particularly the last two types have not been recognized in literature. We adopt a case methodology and analyze 8 cases to illustrate the generation of each value type through CLSCs and highlight the role that IS play in this value generation. We ground our analysis on the integrative model of IT business value in [30] which considers the role of external business partners, which is essential to CLSCs. We find 3 key results: (1) IS is an essential enabler for all value types, (2) while sourcing value and to some extent environmental value, can be created with IS internal to the firm, the novel value types (customer and informational) can only be created with extraorganizational IS, (3) the value created by extraorganizational systems can only be created if the appropriate intraorganizational systems are in place. Our findings show that substantial value can be gained from implementing IS in CLSCs but stakeholder collaboration is necessary to reap the full value. This is an important managerial insight for the firms who still consider CLSC activities as costly and do not notice all the benefits that they can obtain from CLSCs

Class Notes

Brief items about DePaul alumni and the events in their lives

Process optimization with the Six Sigma DMAIC approach using the example Danzas AEI Emirates LLC (Deutsche Post DHL Group)

Projecto / JEL Classification: F23, L22, M14, O22, L24The project takes place within the Ocean Freight Import department at Danzas AEI Emirates LLC - which belongs to the Deutsche Post DHL Group- in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The project handles the process improvement procedure of late invoice issuing within the import department. For this purpose the process improvement approach Six Sigma is used, particularly the DMAIC tool, which stands for define, measure, analyze, improve and control. This tool is embedded in Danzas “First Choice Excellence” concept, and has a team responsible for assisting the department in improving their processes. Furthermore, it is important to take into account the circumstances of the culture environment of the enterprise; Danzas AEI Emirates is a Joint Venture, between a German company Deutsche Post DHL Group and a local company called Al Tayer. It is a legally forced joint venture, and therefore has its influences on process improvement initiatives.O projeto é desenvolvido no departamento de Importação por Fretes Marítimos da Danzas AEI Emirates LLC - que pertence ao Grupo Deutsche Post DHL, no Dubai, Emirados Árabes Unidos. O projeto lida com o processo de melhoria de procedimentos de emissão atrasada de facturas dentro do departamento de importação. Para este efeito foi utilizada a abordagem de melhoria de processos Six Sigma, principalmente a ferramenta DMAMC, que significa definir, medir, analisar, melhorar e controlar. Esta ferramenta faz parte do conceito Danzas "First Choice Excellence", e tem uma equipa responsável por auxiliar o departamento na melhoria dos seus processos. Além disso, é importante ter em conta as circunstâncias do ambiente cultural da empresa; A Danzas AEI Emirates é uma joint venture entre uma empresa alemã Deutsche Post DHL Group e uma empresa local chamada Al Tayer. É uma joint venture obrigatória por lei, e como tal, tem influência sobre as iniciativas de melhoria de processos

Sustainable practices implemented in the supply chain of multinational companies

This master thesis aims to examine the strategies that multinational companies are implementing to become more sustainable in their supply chain, to create more value and be more competitive in the market. Through a qualitative approach, I conducted a comparative case study of three multinational companies that have sustainability as part of their corporate objectives. The findings suggest that even though every multinational company is applying different practices, the main strategy of all is to highly invest in new technologies and innovate their processes to reduce their carbon footprint and switch to a more circular economy. Additionally, companies are also paying attention to the source of their raw materials and how to create final products that can be recycled for future use.Esta tese de mestrado tem como objetivo examinar as estratégias que as empresas multinacionais estão a implementar para se tornarem mais sustentáveis na sua cadeia de suprimentos, para criarem mais valor e serem mais competitivas no mercado. Por meio de uma abordagem qualitativa, realizei um estudo de caso comparativo em três empresas multinacionais que têm a sustentabilidade como parte de seus objetivos corporativos. Os resultados sugerem que, embora cada empresa multinacional esteja a aplicar práticas diferentes, a principal estratégia de todas é investir fortemente em novas tecnologias e inovar os seus processos para reduzir sua pegada de carbono e mudar para uma economia mais circular. Além disso, todas as empresas também estão atentas à origem de suas matérias-primas e a como criar produtos finais que possam ser reciclados para uso futuro

Responding to the Leadership Challenge: Findings of a CEO Survey On Global Corporate Citizenship

The Leadership Challenge is a joint statement of World Economic Forum members that board leaders can refer to in steering their companies' corporate citizenship policies and their relationships with stakeholders. The report profiles practical examples, from an international survey, of different types of leadership addressing corporate citizenship actions