Long and short-term effects of customisation on the service operations strategy.

This study has a twofold objectivc. First, we attempt to promote an understanding of the relationship between the design of Service Operations Strategics and their implementation, as they are driven by the customisation efforts. Seeond, we study the extent to which such service orientation may have two different forms, depending upon whether a company focuses on services that may have long-term or short-term effects on the customer nature. Consequently, a company aiming at raising its quality levels, and therefore its performance, should design and implement its Service Operations Strategy, mirroring the scrvicc oricntation of the firm. We suggest four dimensions (Time, Space, Scale and Scope), which contribute towards explaining the two mentioned approaches. This may address the process of implementation of the Serviee Operations Strategy.service operations; operations strategy; new service development process; marketing / operations interface; service-positioning matrix; customisation; service quality;

IT integration, operations flexibility and performance: an empirical study

Purpose: This study examines the relationship between IT implementation and performance with manufacturing flexibility based on a sample drawn from a set of manufacturing firms. Design/methodology/approach: The relationships were analyzed using structural equations modelling (SEM) using EQS 6.2 software. Previously, an explanatory factor analysis confirmed one-dimensionality of the scales, Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to evaluate its internal consistency and a confirmatory factor analysis was run to observe scales’ validity. Findings: This research proves a significant positive and direct effect of IT implementation on operations performance with 4 out of 6 flexibility dimensions (Machine, Labour, Material handling and Volume). Mix and Routing flexibility dimensions show no significant impact on firm performance. Research limitations/implications: It is necessary to be cautious when generalizing this findings these findings, as service firms were not part of the sample even when statistical results prove robustness suggesting that the findings are quite reliable. Some flexibility dimensions show no significant impact in performance (Routing and Mix flexibility). This is consistent with the fact that these flexibility dimensions act as variability absorbers within the manufacturing process. Future research lines: Future studies can focus on determining further internal and environmental factors that affect operations flexibility according to specific sector characteristics. Originality/value: This research proves a significant positive and direct effect of IT implementation on operations performance. Results show not only the links between IT implementation and operations performance, but also the magnitude of every impact. The model considers IT integration as the degree of alignment that existing technology resources in a firm have with the business strategy, in terms of importance and support for this strategyPeer Reviewe

Plataformas de dispositivos móviles y servitización: Hacia un modelo integrador

El proceso de servitización unido al desarrollo vertiginoso de las nuevas plataformas de dispositivos móviles está constantemente evolucionando hacia el diseño y desarrollo de productos/servicios que responden prácticamente de manera instantánea a las nuevas necesidades y deseos de los clientes. No obstante, tal proceso ha venido unido en el ámbito de los dispositivos móviles al desarrollo de aplicaciones específicas tanto para plataformas abiertas como cerradas. Sin embargo, la evolución tecnológica permite en la actualidad ofrecer servicios de carácter más amplio a través de las denominadas ROMs en plataformas abiertas. Este trabajo analiza los avances y las perspectivas futuras relativas a la estrategia de servitización así como su evolución, tendencias y vinculación de la misma con el desarrollo de plataformas como vía directa de comunicación y colaboración entre la empresa y el cliente

Servitization and value creation: deploying to mobile device platforms

Servitization is still currently under analysis by the literature regarding the incorporation of services in manufacturing companies in order to create value. Although traditionally companies offered services related to its products, especially guarantees and maintenance, new trends associated to the servitization process has provided these services to a much greater significance as generating added value for the customer

Long and short-term effects of customisation on the service operations strategy

This study has a twofold objectivc. First, we attempt to promote an understanding of the relationship between the design of Service Operations Strategics and their implementation, as they are driven by the customisation efforts. Seeond, we study the extent to which such service orientation may have two different forms, depending upon whether a company focuses on services that may have long-term or short-term effects on the customer nature. Consequently, a company aiming at raising its quality levels, and therefore its performance, should design and implement its Service Operations Strategy, mirroring the scrvicc oricntation of the firm. We suggest four dimensions (Time, Space, Scale and Scope), which contribute towards explaining the two mentioned approaches. This may address the process of implementation of the Serviee Operations Strategy.This research was funded by the CICYT projects DGICYT PB94-0372, DGES PB970089, and SEC2001-1578-C02-0I. \Ve are also gratef111 for support provided by the Faculty of Business of the Arizona State University during Spring 1997, Univcrsidad Complutense de Madrid during the period 1997-1999 and the Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard University (1999)

An essay on the dimension and components of customisation in service operations management

There is a scarcity of guidelines that trigger the adoption of Customisation, a concept frequently brought up in Service-related Operations management. This paper suggests a comprehensive framework of the Customisation process and its implications for Service Operations Management. We identify the two most outstanding approaches of Customisation, based upon the concepts of Customers'needings and Wishes. Main differences between them and their respective effects on the design of the Service Operations Strategy are discussed. Second, we identify the four dimensions (Time, Space, Volume and Variety) which explain the two mentioned approaches and that may address the process of implementation of the Operations Strategy

Introducing a novel multi-objective optimization model for volunteer assignment in the post-disaster phase: Combining fuzzy inference systems with NSGA-II and NRGA

Each year, disasters (natural or man-made) cause a lot of damage and take many people’s lives. In this situation, many volunteers come to help. While the proper management of volunteers is very effective in controlling the crisis, the lack of proper management of volunteers can create another crisis. Therefore, we introduce a model to deal with the volunteer assignment problem by considering two qualitative objective functions: The first one is minimizing the mean importance of Emergency Department (ED) centers’ unmet needs by volunteers, and the second one is minimizing the mean degree of unsatisfied preferences of selected volunteers. To evaluate the introduced qualitative indexes, two Fuzzy Inference Systems (FISs) are used to encapsulate decision makers’ knowledge as well as the human reasoning process. FISs are embedded in two evolutionary algorithms for solving the proposed model: Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) and Non-Dominated Ranked Genetic Algorithm (NRGA). Also, 30 small-size problems, as well as 30 large-size problems, are randomly generated and solved by both metaheuristic algorithms. Using the obtained data, the performance of NSGA-II and NRGA is measured and compared based on four criteria: CPU Time, Number of Non-dominated Solutions (NNS), Mean Ideal Distance (MID), and Spacing Metric (SM). Statistical tests show that both algorithms have the same performance in small-size problems. However, in large-size problems, NSGA-II is faster, and NRGA produces more optimal solutions. The proposed model is flexible enough to adapt to different scenarios just by updating linguistic rules in FISs. Also, since employed algorithms produce a set of optimal solutions, decision-makers can easily choose the most appropriate solution among the Pareto front based on the circumstancesH2020-EU.1.3. – EXCELLEN

El papel de los recursos intangibles bajo la lógica dominante de la gestión de servicios

Las investigaciones recogidas en este número especial pueden contribuir al desarrollo de las empresas y de las economías en que operan, proporcionando una mayor comprensión del desafío que supone la servitización y el importante papel de los recursos intangibles en la gestión de este proceso. Los trabajos coinciden en señalar la necesidad de continuar las investigaciones acerca de este proceso, pormenorizando en aspectos relacionados con la aparición de nuevos modelos de negocio relacionados con la servitización y los mayores niveles de rendimiento obtenidos con la correcta gestión de intangibles. En la medida en que el proceso de servitización está afectando a la mayoría de países industrializados, y ante la constatación de la obtención de ventajas competitivas a partir de la gestión de servicios, creemos que este fenómeno de la servitización constituirá un área de gran interés académico para investigaciones futurasPeer Reviewe

A critical review on Blockchain assessment initiatives: a technology evolution viewpoint

Blockchain is considered as a major emerging technology that is having an everincreasing spread both in industrial and academic contexts. As the usage of blockchain keeps increasing, a fourth generation of blockchain platforms is being proposed. Thus, applications of blockchain have evolved towards wider scopes than cryptocurrency and asset management. In this context, it is important for practitioners to have deep understanding of various blockchain assessment initiatives. Therefore, this work discusses blockchain assessment initiatives from a technology evolution viewpoint. Furthermore, a mapping was conducted to identify factors that impact blockchain initiatives, synthesize available evidence, and identify gaps between relevant approaches available in the literature. As a result, nine selected works were analyzed based on applicability, research approach, assessment process, blockchain adoption process, and blockchain waves. The findings can help practitioners to understand the main assessment factors that undermine blockchain implementations.publishedVersio

Organizational learning and performance: Relationship between the dynamic and the operational capabilities of the firm

This paper analyzes the relationship between organizational learning mechanisms, normally regarded as dynamic capabilities, and the operational flexibility of the firm, considered as an operational capability, within the context of the measurement of firm performance. Organizational learning is a dynamic process which enables the firm to adapt to changing environments, so making it easier for it to change established behaviour patterns and routines. This dynamic capability is therefore directly related to organizational routines and the operational processes that underlie these routines, and the objective of this study is to analyze this relationship and its effect on firm performance. To this end, we carried out an empirical study to test the relationships proposed in our model. Our most important findings were firstly that there is a link between the dynamic and the operational capabilities of the firm, and secondly that the development of dynamic capabilities will result in improved firm performance