Prozessharmonisierung in fusionierten Dienstleistungsunternehmen im Zeitalter Industrie 4.0

Ein Großteil der globalen Merger & Acquisitions (M&A) finden im Dienstleistungssektor statt. Der Integrationsprozess ist ausschlaggebend für den Erfolg einer M&A. Allerdings tritt die erhoffte Wertschöpfung bei einem Großteil der fusionierten Unternehmen nicht ein. Gerade im Dienstleistungssektor ist das Know-How der Organisation in den Prozessen gebündelt und bildet dadurch den Unternehmenswert, daher kommt der Prozessharmonisierung (PH) eine essentielle Bedeutung für das Gelingen der Post Merger Integration (PMI) zu. Eine effiziente PH und die Etablierung eines gemeinsamen Managementsystems wird in der PMI erschwert durch die oft angespannte Situation des Change Prozesses. Zeitdruck, kulturelle Unterschiede, Interessenskonflikte sowie weitere Störfaktoren können das Vorhaben beeinträchtigen. Insbesondere die Integrationsansätze Absorption und Symbiose erfordern eine neue vereinheitlichte Unternehmensstruktur und beeinflussen Managementsystem und Prozesslandschaft eines Unternehmens erheblich. Gleichzeitig gewinnt die Digitalisierung zunehmend an Bedeutung, so dass im Rahmen der PH eine Modernisierung hinsichtlich Industrie 4.0 / Qualität 4.0 geprüft werden sollte. Die vorliegende Arbeit fasst 10 Einzelbeiträge zum Themenbereich PH in fusionierten Dienstleistungsunternehmen im Zeitalter Industrie 4.0 zu einer kumulativen Dissertation zusammen, mit dem Ziel eine Methode zur PH in der PMI zu entwickeln. Der Forschungsmethode des Design Science Research folgend bauen die Einzelbeiträge aufeinander auf, beginnend mit einer systematischen Literaturanalyse, gefolgt von einer Anforderungsanalyse unter Nutzung der Mixed-Methods-Forschung und der Entwicklung und Anwendung eines Artefakts. Als Artefakt präsentiert die vorliegende Arbeit eine Methode, bestehend aus dem Vorgehensmodell ProMerge! mit zugehörigem Tool ProMergeTool!, das fusionierte Organisationen bei der PH in der PMI methodisch unterstützt. Die Anwendbarkeit und Praxistauglichkeit der Methode wird in einem realen Anwendungsfall demonstriert.:VORWORT I ABSTRACT II INHALTSVERZEICHNIS III ABBILDUNGSVERZEICHNIS V TABELLENVERZEICHNIS VI ABKÜRZUNGSVERZEICHNIS VII 1 MOTIVATION UND PROBLEMSTELLUNG 1 2 FORSCHUNGSDESIGN 3 2.1 WISSENSCHAFTSTHEORETISCHE POSITIONIERUNG 3 2.2 FORSCHUNGSZIEL 4 2.3 FORSCHUNGSMETHODE 5 3 ANFORDERUNGEN AN DAS ARTEFAKT 7 4 AUFBAU DER DISSERTATION 9 4.1 ÜBERBLICK 9 4.2 ZUSAMMENFASSUNG DER EINZELBEITRÄGE 11 4.2.1 Bedarfe zur Prozessharmonisierung in fusionierten Dienstleistungsunternehmen im Zeitalter Quality 4.0 11 4.2.2 Methodologies for process harmonization in the post merger integration phase - a literature review 12 4.2.3 Prozessharmonisierung in der Post Merger Integration – Qualitätskriterien für den Integrationsprozess 13 4.2.4 Process Harmonization Phase Model in Post Merger Integration 13 4.2.5 Significance of Quality 4.0 in Post Merger Process Harmonization 14 4.2.6 Successful Post Merger Process Harmonization in the Triangle of Methodologies, Capabilities and Acceptance 16 4.2.7 Mixed Methods approach as requirements analysis of a method for process harmonization in Design Science Research 17 4.2.8 Creating a Method for Post-Merger Process Harmonization 18 4.2.9 Evaluating a Method for Process Harmonization 19 4.2.10 Prozessharmonisierung in der Post-Merger-Integration mit ProMerge! und ProMergeTool! - ein Anwendungsbeispiel 20 5 DISKUSSION UND FAZIT 21 5.1 DISKUSSION DER ERGEBNISSE 21 5.1.1 Gestaltung als Artefakt 21 5.1.2 Problemrelevanz 22 5.1.3 Suchprozess zur Gestaltung des Artefakts 22 5.1.4 Design Evaluation 22 5.1.5 Kommunikation der Forschungsergebnisse 23 5.1.6 Rigorosität der Forschung 23 5.1.7 Forschungsbeitrag 24 5.2 WISSENSCHAFTLICHER BEITRAG 24 5.3 PRAKTISCHER BEITRAG 25 REFERENZEN 27 ANHANG 1: FRAGEBOGEN FÜR EXPERTENINTERVIEWS 30 ANHANG 2: FRAGEBOGEN QUANTITATIVE ANALYSE 31 ANHANG 3: PROMERGE! 36 ANHANG 4: PROMERGETOOL! - AUSSCHNITTE 37 6 EINZELBEITRAG 1 40 7 EINZELBEITRAG 2 41 8 EINZELBEITRAG 3 42 9 EINZELBEITRAG 4 43 10 EINZELBEITRAG 5 44 11 EINZELBEITRAG 6 45 12 EINZELBEITRAG 7 46 13 EINZELBEITRAG 8 47 14 EINZELBEITRAG 9 72 15 EINZELBEITRAG 10 9

Analysis and Synthesis of Metadata Goals for Scientific Data

The proliferation of discipline-specific metadata schemes contributes to artificial barriers that can impede interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research. The authors considered this problem by examining the domains, objectives, and architectures of nine metadata schemes used to document scientific data in the physical, life, and social sciences. They used a mixed-methods content analysis and Greenberg’s (2005) metadata objectives, principles, domains, and architectural layout (MODAL) framework, and derived 22 metadata-related goals from textual content describing each metadata scheme. Relationships are identified between the domains (e.g., scientific discipline and type of data) and the categories of scheme objectives. For each strong correlation (\u3e0.6), a Fisher’s exact test for nonparametric data was used to determine significance (p \u3c .05). Significant relationships were found between the domains and objectives of the schemes. Schemes describing observational data are more likely to have “scheme harmonization” (compatibility and interoperability with related schemes) as an objective; schemes with the objective “abstraction” (a conceptual model exists separate from the technical implementation) also have the objective “sufficiency” (the scheme defines a minimal amount of information to meet the needs of the community); and schemes with the objective “data publication” do not have the objective “element refinement.” The analysis indicates that many metadata-driven goals expressed by communities are independent of scientific discipline or the type of data, although they are constrained by historical community practices and workflows as well as the technological environment at the time of scheme creation. The analysis reveals 11 fundamental metadata goals for metadata documenting scientific data in support of sharing research data across disciplines and domains. The authors report these results and highlight the need for more metadata-related research, particularly in the context of recent funding agency policy changes

Gas chromatographic method for the determination of lumefantrine in antimalarial finished pharmaceutical products

A simple method has been developed and validated for quantitative determination of lumefantrine in antimalarial finished pharmaceutical products using gas chromatography coupled to flame ionization detector. Lumefantrine was silylated with N,O–bis(trimethyl-silyl)trifluoro-acetamide at 70°C for 30 minutes, and chromatographic separation was conducted on a fused silica capillary (HP-5, 30 m length × 0.32 mm i.d., 0.25 μm film thickness) column. Evaluation of the method within analytical quality-by-design principles, including a central composite face-centered design for the sample derivatization process and Plackett–Burman robustness verification of the chromatographic conditions, indicated that the method has acceptable specificity toward excipients and degradants, accuracy [mean recovery = 99.5%, relative standard deviation (RSD) = 1.0%], linearity (=0.9986), precision (intraday = 96.1% of the label claim, RSD = 0.9%; interday = 96.3% label claim, RSD = 0.9%), and high sensitivity with detection limits of 0.01 μg/mL. The developed method was successfully applied to analyze the lumefantrine content of marketed fixed-dose combination antimalarial finished pharmaceutical products

Sustainability Assessment Methods for the Gulf Region

This paper describes the development of a sustainability assessment framework designed to be used in the Gulf Region, which is an area which has experienced large scale building development and also a region in which sustainability assessment is not yet widely used. The complexity and time resources needed to apply existing methods act as a deterrent to active use. Three well-known methods available at the time of the study were investigated in some detail. These were: BREEAM Gulf; Green Building Council LEED; and Estidama Pearl. Cross comparisons of the factors involved in each method were carried out on several levels including: theoretical comparison; practical development and usability; compliance with regulations and standards; and ability to achieve synchronization. A considerable degree of compatibility was found to exist between the methods, particularly if focused on key criteria. As a result a new and specific framework was developed which grouped 24 indicators under five principal headings: site/location, biodiversity and accessibility; energy; water; occupant well-being; and resources and wastes. This new framework was then evaluated by testing with practitioners resulting in confirmation of 20 out of the 24 indicators, and identification of suitable benchmarks

Medical Laboratory Managers Success with Preanalytical Errors

Clinicians rely heavily on accurate laboratory results to diagnose and treat their patients. Laboratory errors can occur in any area of total testing phases, but more than half of the errors occur in the preanalytical phase. Framed by the total quality management theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore medical laboratory managers\u27 strategies to reduce preanalytical errors. A purposive sample of 2 organizations with laboratories in southern California participated in semistructured face-to-face interviews. Company A had 2 participants and 3 participants participated in the study from Company B. Each participant had at least 5 years of laboratory experience, with a minimum of 2 years of management experience in preanalytical testing, and had completed one project to minimize laboratory errors. Thematic analysis exposed 5 main themes: quality improvement, recognition, reward, and empowerment, education and training, communication, and patient satisfaction. The participants highlighted the need for organizations to concentrate on quality management to achieve patient satisfaction. To achieve quality services, medical laboratory managers noted the importance of employee engagement, education and training, and communication as successful strategies to mitigate preanalytical errors. The recommendation for action is for laboratory leaders to review and apply effective strategies exposed by the data in this study to reduce preanalytical errors in their medical laboratory. Positive implications of this study include reduction of preanalytical errors, increased operational cost, and improved patient experience

Harmonization Without Consensus: Critical Reflections on Drafting a Substantive Patent Law Treaty

In this Article, we contend that the World Intellectual Property Organization\u27s proposed Substantive Patent Law Treaty (SPLT) is premature. Developing countries are struggling to adjust to the heightened standards of intellectual property protection required by the TRIPS Agreement of 1994. With TRIPS, at least, these countries obtained side payments (in the form of trade concessions) to offset the rising costs of knowledge products. A free-standing instrument, such as the SPLT, would shrink the remaining flexibilities in the TRIPS Agreement with no side payments and no concessions to the catch-up strategies of developing countries at different stages of technological advancement. More controversially, we argue that a deep harmonization would boomerang against even its developed country promoters by creating more problems than it would solve. There is no vision of a properly functioning patent system for the developed world that commands even the appearance of a consensus. The evidence shows, instead, that the worldwide intellectual property system has entered a brave new scientific epoch, in which experts have only tentative, divergent ideas about how best to treat a daunting array of new technologies. The proposals for reconciling the needs of different sectors, such as information technology and biotechnology, pose hard, unresolved issues at a time when the costs of litigation are rising at the expense of profits from innovation. These difficulties are compounded by the tendency of universities to push patenting up stream, generating new rights to core methodologies and research tools. As new approaches to new technologies emerge in different jurisdictions, there is a need to gather empirical evidence to determine which, if any, of these still experimental solutions are preferable over time. Our argument need not foreclose other less intrusive options and measures surveyed in the Article that can reduce the costs of delaying harmonization. However, the international community should not rush to freeze legal obligations regarding the protection of intellectual property. It should wait until economists and policymakers better understand the dynamics of innovation and the role that patent rights play in promoting progress and until there are mechanisms in place to keep international obligations responsive to developments in science, technology, and the organization of the creative community