Designing the customer journey in a service delivery network: evidence from cancer patient treatments

Customer experiences - not in the least for customers with chronic diseases - depend on a series of exchanges over a considerable amount of time with a variety of service providers and thus a service delivery network (SDN). The impact of SDNs on the customer experience, however, is unclear. This research provides insight into (1) the service delivery system characteristics in SDNs, and (2) their impact on the relationship between customer journey duration and value for time as an important customer experience indicator. The service delivery system characteristics were explored by process travel sheets of patients undergoing cancer treatment in a hospital (n=412). These data were linked to time measurement data (n=262) and survey data (n=312) to explain customer journey duration and value for time, thereby showing the importance of the number of service events and the type of service providers. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed

How & why governance dynamics emerge in inter-organizational networks : a meta-ethnographic analysis

Over the past few decades, governance was a pervasive theme in discussions of strategy and management in the context of inter-organizational networks. To date, network researchers call for a dynamic theory of governance in inter-organizational networks to deal with increased uncertainty in the network environment and unpredictable network changes. In response to this call, the present research aims to generate a better understanding of how and why governance mechanisms in inter-organizational networks change over time and the implications of such governance evolutions for the network actors. Based upon a meta-ethnographic analysis of 19 longitudinal case studies, a multitude of governance mechanisms ranging from relational to formal governance are identified at the single dyad, multiple dyad and network level. These governance mechanisms constitute five network governance dynamics over time: purely relational, relational-formal, combinations of relational and formal, formal-relational, and purely formal governance patterns. These governance dynamics empirically demonstrate that governance in inter-organizational networks is always possible in other, although not infinite, ways. By detailing the conditions under which path dependencies occur, the present research advances the literature on network governance

Elements for a methodology to interpret hydrochemichal data

The EWFD(European Water Framework Directive) mandates reaching a good status for water bodies. So, monitoring of our water sources in order to administer, protect and plan water use in associated areas is mandatory. In order to accomplish the EWFD objectives the Ag`encia Catalana de l’Aigua has a large ground water quality network monitoring points all over the territory. This network consists of a series of wells that measures a large number of parameters which lead to a huge amount of data to be interpreted. The size of the database poses a tremendous challenge for interpreting, and thus, there is a need to explore the possibility of improving data representation and initial data analysis. The aim of this thesis is to identify a series of techniques, tools or methods to ease a systematic interpretation of generic groundwater chemical data sets, assuming that the user might not be an expert in managing such kind of data. So, the following tasks have been performed: target area definition and study; techniques and tools decision; data acquisition, conversion and filtering and, finally, technique application. As a result of these process, an appropriate data format has shown to be be mandatory in order to correctly export the data set to the needed codes. When applied, the most easily understood techniques have usually been graphic methods. In some cases their interpretability has been conditioned by data quality or code lacks so both fields are intended to be improved in future work lines. These includes taking advantage of Aquachem’s modelling techniques and ArcGIS plotting advantages. On the other hand, the most interesting multivariate technique has been factor analysis, which has no unique interpretations and might have to be more studied in. So, on the whole, to validate the conclusions of this work it might be interesting to apply this same methodology on different data sets

Implications of customer participation in outsourcing noncore services to third parties

Purpose Focal service providers increasingly involve customers in the decision-making about outsourcing parts of the service delivery process to third parties. The present study investigates how customers' outsourcing decisions affect the formation of the waiting experience with the focal service provider, by which the objective waiting time, environmental quality and interactional quality act as focal drivers. Design/methodology/approach To test our hypotheses in the context of cancer care, we gathered process data and experience data by means of a patient observation template (n = 640) and a patient survey (n = 487). The combined data (n = 377) were analyzed using Bayesian models. Findings This study shows that opting for a service triad (i.e. outsourcing non-core services to a third party) deduces customers' attention away from the objective waiting time with the focal service provider but not from the environmental and interactional quality offered by the focal service provider. When the type of service triad coordination is considered, we observe similar effects for a focal service provider-coordinated service triad while in a customer-coordinated service triad the interactional quality is the sole experience driver of waiting experiences that remains significant. Originality/value By investigating the implications of customer participation in the decision-making about outsourcing parts of the service delivery process to third parties, this research contributes to the service design, service triad and service operations literature. Specifically, this study shows that customer outsourcing decisions impact waiting experience formation with the focal service provider.Purpose Focal service providers increasingly involve customers in the decision-making about outsourcing parts of the service delivery process to third parties. The present study investigates how customers' outsourcing decisions affect the formation of the waiting experience with the focal service provider, by which the objective waiting time, environmental quality and interactional quality act as focal drivers. Design/methodology/approach To test our hypotheses in the context of cancer care, we gathered process data and experience data by means of a patient observation template (n = 640) and a patient survey (n = 487). The combined data (n = 377) were analyzed using Bayesian models. Findings This study shows that opting for a service triad (i.e. outsourcing non-core services to a third party) deduces customers' attention away from the objective waiting time with the focal service provider but not from the environmental and interactional quality offered by the focal service provider. When the type of service triad coordination is considered, we observe similar effects for a focal service provider-coordinated service triad while in a customer-coordinated service triad the interactional quality is the sole experience driver of waiting experiences that remains significant. Originality/value By investigating the implications of customer participation in the decision-making about outsourcing parts of the service delivery process to third parties, this research contributes to the service design, service triad and service operations literature. Specifically, this study shows that customer outsourcing decisions impact waiting experience formation with the focal service provider.A

Tracer test modeling for characterizing heterogeneity and local-scale residence time distribution in an artificial recharge site

Artificial recharge of aquifers is a technique for improving water quality and increasing groundwater resources. Understanding the fate of a potential contaminant requires knowledge of the residence time distribution (RTD) of the recharged water in the aquifer beneath. A simple way to obtain the RTDs is to perform a tracer test. We performed a pulse injection tracer test in an artificial recharge system through an infiltration basin to obtain the breakthrough curves, which directly yield the RTDs. The RTDs turned out to be very broad and we used a numerical model to interpret them, to characterize heterogeneity, and to extend the model to other flow conditions. The model comprised nine layers at the site scaled to emulate the layering of aquifer deposits. Two types of hypotheses were considered: homogeneous (all flow and transport parameters identical for every layer) and heterogeneous (diverse parameters for each layer). The parameters were calibrated against the head and concentration data in both model types, which were validated quite satisfactorily against 1,1,2-Trichloroethane and electrical conductivity data collected over a long period of time with highly varying flow conditions. We found that the broad RTDs can be attributed to the complex flow structure generated under the basin due to three-dimensionality and time fluctuations (the homogeneous model produced broad RTDs) and the heterogeneity of the media (the heterogeneous model yielded much better fits). We conclude that heterogeneity must be acknowledged to properly assess mixing and broad RTDs, which are required to explain the water quality improvement of artificial recharge basins.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Tracer test modeling for characterizing heterogeneity and local-sacle residence time distribution in an artificial recharge site.

Artificial recharge of aquifers is a technique for improving water quality and increasing groundwater resources. Understanding the fate of a potential contaminant requires knowledge of the residence time distribution (RTD) of the recharged water in the aquifer beneath. A simple way to obtain the RTDs is to perform a tracer test. We performed a pulse injection tracer test in an artificial recharge system through an infiltration basin to obtain the breakthrough curves, which directly yield the RTDs. The RTDs turned out to be very broad and we used a numerical model to interpret them, to characterize heterogeneity, and to extend the model to other flow conditions. The model comprised nine layers at the site scaled to emulate the layering of aquifer deposits. Two types of hypotheses were considered: homogeneous (all flow and transport parameters identical for every layer) and heterogeneous (diverse parameters for each layer). The parameters were calibrated against the head and concentration data in both model types, which were validated quite satisfactorily against 1,1,2-Trichloroethane and electrical conductivity data collected over a long period of time with highly varying flow conditions. We found that the broad RTDs can be attributed to the complex flow structure generated under the basin due to three-dimensionality and time fluctuations (the homogeneous model produced broad RTDs) and the heterogeneity of the media (the heterogeneous model yielded much better fits).We conclude that heterogeneity must be acknowledged to properly assess mixing and broad RTDs, which are required to explain the water quality improvement of artificial recharge basins

Elements for a methodology to interpret hydrochemichal data

The EWFD(European Water Framework Directive) mandates reaching a good status for water bodies. So, monitoring of our water sources in order to administer, protect and plan water use in associated areas is mandatory. In order to accomplish the EWFD objectives the Ag`encia Catalana de l’Aigua has a large ground water quality network monitoring points all over the territory. This network consists of a series of wells that measures a large number of parameters which lead to a huge amount of data to be interpreted. The size of the database poses a tremendous challenge for interpreting, and thus, there is a need to explore the possibility of improving data representation and initial data analysis. The aim of this thesis is to identify a series of techniques, tools or methods to ease a systematic interpretation of generic groundwater chemical data sets, assuming that the user might not be an expert in managing such kind of data. So, the following tasks have been performed: target area definition and study; techniques and tools decision; data acquisition, conversion and filtering and, finally, technique application. As a result of these process, an appropriate data format has shown to be be mandatory in order to correctly export the data set to the needed codes. When applied, the most easily understood techniques have usually been graphic methods. In some cases their interpretability has been conditioned by data quality or code lacks so both fields are intended to be improved in future work lines. These includes taking advantage of Aquachem’s modelling techniques and ArcGIS plotting advantages. On the other hand, the most interesting multivariate technique has been factor analysis, which has no unique interpretations and might have to be more studied in. So, on the whole, to validate the conclusions of this work it might be interesting to apply this same methodology on different data sets

Elements for a methodology to interpret hydrochemichal data

The EWFD(European Water Framework Directive) mandates reaching a good status for water bodies. So, monitoring of our water sources in order to administer, protect and plan water use in associated areas is mandatory. In order to accomplish the EWFD objectives the Ag`encia Catalana de l’Aigua has a large ground water quality network monitoring points all over the territory. This network consists of a series of wells that measures a large number of parameters which lead to a huge amount of data to be interpreted. The size of the database poses a tremendous challenge for interpreting, and thus, there is a need to explore the possibility of improving data representation and initial data analysis. The aim of this thesis is to identify a series of techniques, tools or methods to ease a systematic interpretation of generic groundwater chemical data sets, assuming that the user might not be an expert in managing such kind of data. So, the following tasks have been performed: target area definition and study; techniques and tools decision; data acquisition, conversion and filtering and, finally, technique application. As a result of these process, an appropriate data format has shown to be be mandatory in order to correctly export the data set to the needed codes. When applied, the most easily understood techniques have usually been graphic methods. In some cases their interpretability has been conditioned by data quality or code lacks so both fields are intended to be improved in future work lines. These includes taking advantage of Aquachem’s modelling techniques and ArcGIS plotting advantages. On the other hand, the most interesting multivariate technique has been factor analysis, which has no unique interpretations and might have to be more studied in. So, on the whole, to validate the conclusions of this work it might be interesting to apply this same methodology on different data sets