The Development of an Evaluation Framework for Determining the Productivity and Effectiveness of Internet Room Diagramming Solutions

Internet Room Diagramming Solutions (RDS) has been regarded as not only one of the most innovative Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) marketing media for raising the profiles of hotel and convention centre properties, but also as a practical tool to try out and to communicate planners' ideas on meeting and event designs. However, there is little research specific to RDS in the hospitality management and the event management research fields. In the first phase of this research, a three-round modified Delphi technique was employed with an expert panel to generate, validate and prioritise a comprehensive set of dimensions and criteria for measuring the productivity and effectiveness of a leading RDS in the marketplace, and a hierarchical structure of these dimensions and criteria is presented. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used in the third round to generate relative priorities and to give weightings of these dimensions and criteria. In the phase two of this research, an AHP survey was conducted with the venue operators in the U.S. chain hotel systems for revalidation of the priorities and weightings of the dimensions/criteria which had been previously identified by the Delphi Panel experts. The client base of the leading RDS provider, MeetingMatrix, was used to conduct this survey. Forty-eight effective responses from the survey results have successfully revalidated some of the relative priorities in comparison with the Delphi results. Consistency exists in the priorities of criteria in Impact on Business Partner Relationships, Impact on Customer Satisfaction and Organisational Context. The criteria identified in this research could be adopted in order to conduct further research concerning performance measurements such as the ICT Balanced Scorecard for strategic management. The research methodology and approaches used could also be applied to performance measurements for general innovative ICT applications such as social media.sub_behunpub1809_ethesesunpu

Solving Multi-objective Integer Programs using Convex Preference Cones

Esta encuesta tiene dos objetivos: en primer lugar, identificar a los individuos que fueron víctimas de algún tipo de delito y la manera en que ocurrió el mismo. En segundo lugar, medir la eficacia de las distintas autoridades competentes una vez que los individuos denunciaron el delito que sufrieron. Adicionalmente la ENVEI busca indagar las percepciones que los ciudadanos tienen sobre las instituciones de justicia y el estado de derecho en Méxic

An approach for the development and implementation of systems in complex business contexts through methodology tailoring

Systems utilised in complex business contexts commonly need to be well integrated within the business in which they operate. There is a risk of poor acceptance, adoption, and sustainment in the business if the system does not take into account key business related considerations. Utilising DePuy Orthopaedics resource management business context as a case study, an assessment of potential System Development Methodologies (SDM) that could be utilised in the development of an IT system was carried out. It was established that no single SDM could provide the level of support that was identified as required. Further investigation of system development within complex businesses ascertained that methodology tailoring is an approach utilised to ensure that methodologies incorporate business specific complexities with a subsequent aim to ensure that developed systems are fit for purpose. However, there is little proven procedural guidance that illustrates an approach towards SDM tailoring in the complex business environment of resource management for New Product Development at DePuy. There was, therefore a gap in research and an identified need for an approach that provides the appropriate level of support for SDM tailoring for the development of systems in this complex business context.Utilising the knowledge gathered within DePuy Orthopaedics, as well as from literature in the field, methods for managing business related complexities in system development were established, developed, and formalised into an approach that addressed the tailoring of SDMs. The approach was influenced by the critical evaluation of DePuy's complex business context which aided in the creating and application of the approach.The approach was validated through its application in a business context, where it was used to develop a tailored methodology for use in developing and implementing a resource management IT system at a portfolio level. The validation proved the approach was legitimate and produced a methodology and subsequent system which were readily adopted and accepted by the company. Furthermore, the tailored methodology was evaluated by industrially based engineers with experience of systems development in a complex business context, resource management and systems engineering. From this evaluation, it was established that the tailored methodology was sound and can be said to be valid in the context that it was developed.Systems utilised in complex business contexts commonly need to be well integrated within the business in which they operate. There is a risk of poor acceptance, adoption, and sustainment in the business if the system does not take into account key business related considerations. Utilising DePuy Orthopaedics resource management business context as a case study, an assessment of potential System Development Methodologies (SDM) that could be utilised in the development of an IT system was carried out. It was established that no single SDM could provide the level of support that was identified as required. Further investigation of system development within complex businesses ascertained that methodology tailoring is an approach utilised to ensure that methodologies incorporate business specific complexities with a subsequent aim to ensure that developed systems are fit for purpose. However, there is little proven procedural guidance that illustrates an approach towards SDM tailoring in the complex business environment of resource management for New Product Development at DePuy. There was, therefore a gap in research and an identified need for an approach that provides the appropriate level of support for SDM tailoring for the development of systems in this complex business context.Utilising the knowledge gathered within DePuy Orthopaedics, as well as from literature in the field, methods for managing business related complexities in system development were established, developed, and formalised into an approach that addressed the tailoring of SDMs. The approach was influenced by the critical evaluation of DePuy's complex business context which aided in the creating and application of the approach.The approach was validated through its application in a business context, where it was used to develop a tailored methodology for use in developing and implementing a resource management IT system at a portfolio level. The validation proved the approach was legitimate and produced a methodology and subsequent system which were readily adopted and accepted by the company. Furthermore, the tailored methodology was evaluated by industrially based engineers with experience of systems development in a complex business context, resource management and systems engineering. From this evaluation, it was established that the tailored methodology was sound and can be said to be valid in the context that it was developed

Joint ACCESS: high-speed assault connector (HSAC) for joint expeditionary logistics

Includes suppmentary materialThe current notion of seabasing requires that three Battalion Landing Teams (BLT) of a 2025 Joint Expeditionary Brigade (JEB) need to be able to transit from the Sea Base to the objective within a 10 hour period. Of the three BLTs, two of them must be transported by surface craft a distance of no more than 200nm in sea state 4 or less. The two surface bound BLTs need to be loaded onto the transporting craft and delivered to shore, whether it is a port facility or austere beachhead. There is no current or future system of connectors to meet all the time-distance, sea state, and interface flexibility requirements for this aspect of seabasing. To meet these requirements a High Speed Assault Connector (HSAC) is needed which either augments current or replaces existing connector platforms to deliver and support the required forces ashore. The Joint ACCESS is a HSAC that brings the necessary speed, payload capacity, interface capability, and mission flexibility needed to fill the Sea Base to shore transportation gap. With a maximum speed of 43kts and payload capacity of 800LT, 12 Joint ACCESS trimarans can transit 200nm and fully offload in 7 hours. Its beachable design uses a floating bow ramp to reach out to austere beaches, while its combat system suite provides self defense in addition to robust offensive capabilities.http://web.archive.org/web/20050218202650/http://www.nps.navy.mil/tsse/files/2004.htmApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited