Supplier development and buyer-supplier relationship strategies-a literature review

Academic and corporate interest in supplier development and buyer-supplier relationship has increased substantially in recent years. This paper provides a framework for analyzing the current understanding of supplier development strategies, its impact on performance, and buyer-supplier relationship approaches. There is an increased need for buyers and suppliers to strategically collaborate to build a stronger and long-term relationship. The goal is to get extended understanding in buyer-supplier relationship and supplier development strategies. Supplier development is a process of understanding including four steps 1) supplier assessment, 2) competitive pressure, 3) supplier incentives, and 4) direct involvement. Future research can be more empirical focused including multiple case study in global environment to validate the supplier development strategy approaches and help the organization to develop their supplier’s strategies. The presented literature review offers supplier development strategies for empirical case studies and a systematic way to build buyer-supplier relationships to improve the performance.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

A customer's possibilities to increase the performance of a service provider by adding value and deepening the partnership in facility management service

Reliable and good suppliers are an important competitive advantage for a customer and that is why the development of suppliers, improvement of performance and enhancement of customership are also in the interest of the customer. The purpose of this study is to clarify a customer’s possibilities to increase the performance of a service provider and to develop the service process in FM services and thus help to improve partnership development. This research is a qualitative research. The research complements the existing generic model of supplier development towards partnership development by customer and clarifies the special features that facility management services bring to this model. The data has been gathered from interviews of customers and service providers in the facility management service sector. The result is a model of customers’ possibilities to develop the performance of service providers from the viewpoint of value addition and relationship development and in that way ensure added value to the customer and the development of a long-term relationship. The results can be beneficial to customers when they develop the cooperation between the customer and the service provider toward being more strategic and more partnership focused.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Customer Integration into Service Innovations by Developing Information Integration between Parties and Increasing Customer Opportunity to Influence FM Services

Customer integration into the service innovation process is essential when creating successful services that add value to the customer. In addition, common development and the integration of different resources has become the dominant view in service development research. This study focuses on that phenomenon in the facilities management (FM) service sector by investigating customer integration into service innovation from the viewpoint of information flow development and increasing customers’ opportunities to have an influence.To meet the objective of this dissertation, the following research questions were formulated:- How can service innovations be classified and what are the prerequisites for service innovations in FM services?- What are the necessary elements of information flow development between customer and service provider in FM services in order to create service innovations and increase the performance of services?- What opportunities does the customer have to influence the development of FM services and partnership in order to improve the performance of services?The empirical research focuses on Finland’s FM service sector and was carried out in 2009 and 2010. A total of 23 interviews were performed with service providers and customers, and 23 individual service providers and built environment services professionals participated in the three workshops that were organised.The main value that this research brings to FM research and its professionals is the new paradigm of common development and the three frameworks of service innovation development: the requirements for service innovation based on business levels, elements of information integration in FM services, and a framework for developing the customer’s opportunities to have an influence.This study presents two critical factors for the development of the whole FM field: there is a lack of common development, and the information is managed poorly. Service development is mostly undertaken by service providers without the existence of open innovation. Currently there is a focus on making the service process efficient instead of developing new and attractive services. Poor information management prevents the development of a virtual environment. Making information integration possible through the development of common data for real estate information systems can facilitate a new actor’s entry into the market, increase competition, and speed up the development of the whole field.Asiakkaan integroiminen palveluinnovaatioiden kehittämiseen on tärkeää menestyneitä ja asiakkaalle arvo tuottavia palveluita kehitettäessä. Yhteinen kehittäminen ja eri resurssien yhdistäminen palveluiden kehittämiseksi on noussut oleelliseksi teemaksi viime vuosien palvelututkimuksissa. Tämä tutkimus keskittyy palveluiden kehittämiseen toimitilajohtamispalveluissa tutkimalla asiakkaan integroitumista palveluinnovaatioihin tiedonkulun parantamisen ja asiakkaan vaikutusmahdollisuuksien lisäämisen näkökulmista. Aihetta tutkitaan tarkastelemalla palveluntuottajan ja asiakkaan välistä suhdetta.Seuraavat kolme tutkimuskysymystä ohjaavat tätä tutkimusta:- Kuinka palveluinnovaatioita voidaan luokitella ja mitkä ovat edellytykset palveluinnovaatioiden syntymiselle toimitilajohtamispalveluissa?- Mitkä ovat asiakkaan ja palveluntuottajan välisen tiedonkulun kehittämiseen liittyvät elementit palveluinnovaatioiden mahdollistamiseksi ja suorituskyvyn parantamiseksi toimitilajohtamispalveluissa?- Mitkä ovat asiakkaan vaikutusmahdollisuudet palveluiden ja asiakassuhteen kehittämiseen palveluiden suorituskykyä parantamalla toimitilajohtamispalveluissa?Aineisto tutkimukseen kerättiin Suomen toimitilajohtamispalvelumarkkinoilta vuosina 2009 ja 2010. Aineisto koostui yhteensä 23 sekä asiakkaille että palveluntuottajille tehdyistä haastatteluista ja kolmesta työpajasta, joihin osallistui yhteensä 23 palveluntuottajaa ja rakennetun ympäristön palveluiden ammattilaista.Tätä tutkimus täydentää aikaisempia toimitilajohtamispalveluihin liittyviä tutkimuksia ottamalla yhteisen kehittämisen paradigman osaksi kehittämistä ja luo kolme mallia palveluinnovaatioiden kehittämiseksi: edellytykset palveluinnovaatioille liiketoimintatasoihin jaoteltuina, informaation integraation elementit toimitilajohtamispalveluissa ja malli asiakkaan vaikutusmahdollisuuksista palveluiden kehittämiseen.Tämä tutkimus osoittaa kaksi kriittistä tekijää liittyen koko toimitilajohtamispalveluiden kehittämiseen: yhteinen kehittäminen on vähäistä ja tieto on johdettu huonosti.Palveluntuottaja kehittää usein palveluita ilman yhteistyötä eri toimijoiden kanssa ja siksi kehitys keskittyykin palveluprosessien tehostamiseen uusien ja kiinnostavien palvelukonseptien kehittämisen sijaan. Huono tiedonjohtaminen taas on esteenä koko virtuaalisen ympäristön kehittämiselle. Informaation integraation mahdollistaminen toimitilajohtamispalveluissa avaisi uusien toimijoiden tuloa markkinoille, lisäisi kilpailua ja nopeuttaisi koko alan kehittymistä

KIDUTUKSEN KIELLON OIKEUDELLINEN MÄÄRITELMÄ : Tarkastelussa kidutuksen kiellon noudattaminen ja valvonta

Länsimaisen yhteiskuntajärjestyksen perustana pidetään oikeusvaltiota. Oikeusvaltion ydintehtävänä on niin ihmisarvon kunnioitus kuin perus- ja ihmisoikeuksien takaaminen. Kuitenkin erilaiset kriisit, joista etenkin terrorismin vastainen sota synnyttävät jatkuvaa keskustelua kansainvälisestä oikeudesta ja ihmis-oikeuksien asemasta suhteessa kansalliseen turvallisuuteen. Valtiot joutuvatkin koko ajan tasapainoilemaan yksilöiden ihmisoikeuksien kunnioittamisen sekä kansal-lisen turvallisuuden välillä. Demokraattista yhteiskuntaa kohtaavat häiriöt nostavat painetta rajoittaa mahdollisesti yksilön oikeuksia. Tärkeä huomio on, etteivät yksilön oikeudet ja vapaudet voi rajoittaa kansallisen turvallisuuden vaateita kaikissa tilanteissa. Kansakunnan tason turvallisuus ei saa unohtua, vaan sen täytyy olla ehdottomasti ykkösasia. Vaikka kidutus on kaikkialla ehdottomasti kielletty, ongelmana on, että kiellosta huolimatta kidutusta esiintyy edelleen monissa maissa. Tässä tutkimuksessa lähtökohtanani on kertoa, miten kidutuksen kielto määritellään laissa. Tutkimukseni metodi on oikeusdogmaattinen. Pyrkimyksenäni on tarkentaa miten eri oikeusnormit ja tuomioistuinten ratkaisut määrittelevät kidutuksen kiellon. Lisäksi tarkastelen, kuinka kidutuksen kieltoa noudatetaan ja valvotaan käytännössä niin kansainvälisesti kuin kotimaisessa oikeus-asteessa. Valtion turvallisuuden ja yksilön ihmisoikeuksien välisissä ristiriitatilanteissa kuten terrorismia torjutta-essa on usein pyritty ratkaisemaan kyseenalaistamalla palautuskiellon ehdottomuus. Lisääntynyt terroris-min uhka on johtanut tilanteeseen, jossa valtioiden turvapaikkahakemusten tutkimiseen tarvittavat resurs-sit venytetään samaan aikaan, kun niillä on lisääntynyt kannustin turvapaikkahakemusten tutkimiseen hylätä ne. Tämä luo jännityksen maahanmuuton valvonnan ja ihmisoikeuksien suojaamisen välillä. Ongelmana voidaan mielestäni nähdä se vaikeus, että vaikka valtiot ovat ihmisoikeussopimuksiin liitty-essään sitoutuneet kunnioittamaan palauttamiskeltoja, ei määrittelystä ole olemassa edelleenkään yksimie-lisyyttä. Eli vaikka teoriassa palautuskieltojen sanotaan olevan ehdottomia, niin käytännön todellisuus voi olla tämän suhteen kuitenkin suhteellista

Polygenic Score for Physical Activity Is Associated with Multiple Common Diseases

Introduction Genetic pleiotropy, in which the same genes affect two or more traits, may partially explain the frequently observed associations between high physical activity (PA) and later reduced morbidity or mortality. This study investigated associations between PA polygenic risk scores (PRS) and cardiometabolic diseases among the Finnish population. Methods PRS for device-measured overall PA were adapted to a FinnGen study cohort of 218,792 individuals with genomewide genotyping and extensive digital longitudinal health register data. Associations between PA PRS and body mass index, diseases, and mortality were analyzed with linear and logistic regression models. Results A high PA PRS predicted a lower body mass index (beta = -0.025 kg center dot m(-2) per one SD change in PA PRS, SE = 0.013, P = 1.87 x 10(-80)). The PA PRS also predicted a lower risk for diseases that typically develop later in life or not at all among highly active individuals. A lower disease risk was systematically observed for cardiovascular diseases (odds ratio [OR] per 1 SD change in PA PRS = 0.95, P = 9.5 x 10(-19)) and, for example, hypertension [OR = 0.93, P = 2.7 x 10(-44)), type 2 diabetes (OR = 0.91, P = 4.1 x 10(-42)), and coronary heart disease (OR = 0.95, P = 1.2 x 10(-9)). Participants with high PA PRS had also lower mortality risk (OR = 0.97, P = 0.0003). Conclusions Genetically less active persons are at a higher risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases, which may partly explain the previously observed associations between low PA and higher disease and mortality risk. The same inherited physical fitness and metabolism-related mechanisms may be associated both with PA levels and with cardiometabolic disease risk.Peer reviewe

The role of adolescent lifestyle habits in biological aging : A prospective twin study

Background: Adolescence is a stage of fast growth and development. Exposures during puberty can have long -term effects on health in later life. This study aims to investigate the role of adolescent lifestyle in biological aging. Methods: The study participants originated from the longitudinal FinnTwin12 study (n = 5114). Adolescent lifestyle-related factors, including body mass index (BMI), leisure -time physical activity, smoking, and alcohol use, were based on self-reports and measured at ages 12, 14, and 17 years. For a subsample, blood -based DNA methylation (DNAm) was used to assess biological aging with six epigenetic aging measures in young adulthood (21-25 years, n = 824). A latent class analysis was conducted to identify patterns of lifestyle behaviors in adolescence, and differences between the subgroups in later biological aging were studied. Genetic and environmental influences on biological aging shared with lifestyle behavior patterns were estimated using quantitative genetic modeling. Results: We identified five subgroups of participants with different adolescent lifestyle behavior patterns. When DNAm GrimAge, DunedinPoAm, and DunedinPACE estimators were used, the class with the unhealthiest lifestyle and the class of participants with high BMI were biologically older than the classes with healthier lifestyle habits. The differences in lifestyle-related factors were maintained into young adulthood. Most of the variation in biological aging shared with adolescent lifestyle was explained by common genetic factors. Conclusions: These findings suggest that an unhealthy lifestyle during pubertal years is associated with accelerated biological aging in young adulthood. Genetic pleiotropy may largely explain the observed associations.Peer reviewe

Maintenance of high quality of life as an indicator of resilience during COVID-19 social distancing among community-dwelling older adults in Finland

Purpose Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced possibilities for activities of choice potentially threatening quality of life (QoL). We defined QoL resilience as maintaining high quality of life and studied whether walking speed, absence of loneliness, living arrangement, and stress-coping ability predict QoL resilience among older people. Methods Community-dwelling 75-, 80-, and 85-year-old persons (n = 685) were interviewed and examined in 2017-2018 and were followed up during COVID-19 social distancing in 2020. We assessed QoL using the OPQOL-brief scale and set a cut-off for 'constant high' based on staying in the highest baseline quartile over the follow-up and categorized all others as having 'low/moderate'. Perceived restrictiveness of the social distancing recommendations was examined with one item and was categorized as 'yes' or 'no' restrictiveness. Results Better stress-coping ability (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.14-1.28) and not being lonely (OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.48-4.63) increased the odds for constant high QoL from before to amid social distancing, and the odds did not differ according to the perceived restrictiveness of the social distancing recommendations. Higher walking speed predicted constant high QoL only among those perceiving restrictiveness (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.07-1.27). Living arrangement did not predict constant high QoL. Conclusion During social distancing, psychosocial resources helped to maintain good QoL regardless how restrictive the social distancing recommendations were perceived to be. Better physical capacity was important for constant high QoL only among those perceiving restrictiveness presumably because it enabled replacing blocked activities with open outdoor physical activities.Peer reviewe

The Association Between Epigenetic Clocks and Physical Functioning in Older Women: A 3-Year Follow-up

Epigenetic clocks are composite markers developed to predict chronological age or mortality risk from DNA methylation (DNAm) data. The present study investigated the associations between 4 epigenetic clocks (Horvath’s and Hannum’s DNAmAge and DNAm GrimAge and PhenoAge) and physical functioning during a 3-year follow-up.We studied 63- to 76-year-old women (N = 413) from the Finnish Twin Study on Aging. DNAm was measured from blood samples at baseline. Age acceleration (AgeAccel), that is, discrepancy between chronological age and DNAm age, was determined as residuals from linear model. Physical functioning was assessed under standardized laboratory conditions at baseline and at follow-up. A cross-sectional analysis was performed with path models, and a longitudinal analysis was conducted with repeated measures linear models. A nonrandom missing data analysis was performed.In comparison to the other clocks, GrimAgeAccel was more strongly associated with physical functioning. At baseline, GrimAgeAccel was associated with lower performance in the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and the 6-minute walk test. At follow-up, significant associations were observed between GrimAgeAccel and lowered performance in the TUG, 6-minute and 10-m walk tests, and knee extension and ankle plantar flexion strength tests.The DNAm GrimAge, a novel estimate of biological aging, associated with decline in physical functioning over the 3-year follow-up in older women. However, associations between chronological age and physical function phenotypes followed similar pattern. Current epigenetic clocks do not provide strong benefits in predicting the decline of physical functioning at least during a rather short follow-up period and restricted age range.Peer reviewe

Do Epigenetic Clocks Provide Explanations for Sex Differences in Life Span? A Cross-Sectional Twin Study

The sex gap in life expectancy has been narrowing in Finland over the past 4–5 decades; however, on average, women still live longer than men. Epigenetic clocks are markers for biological aging which predict life span. In this study, we examined the mediating role of lifestyle factors on the association between sex and biological aging in younger and older adults.Our sample consists of younger and older twins (21‒42 years, n = 1 477; 50‒76 years, n = 763) including 151 complete younger opposite-sex twin pairs (21‒30 years). Blood-based DNA methylation was used to compute epigenetic age acceleration by 4 epigenetic clocks as a measure of biological aging. Path modeling was used to study whether the association between sex and biological aging is mediated through lifestyle-related factors, that is, education, body mass index, smoking, alcohol use, and physical activity.In comparison to women, men were biologically older and, in general, they had unhealthier life habits. The effect of sex on biological aging was partly mediated by body mass index and, in older twins, by smoking. Sex was directly associated with biological aging and the association was stronger in older twins.Previously reported sex differences in life span are also evident in biological aging. Declining smoking prevalence among men is a plausible explanation for the narrowing of the difference in life expectancy between the sexes. Data generated by the epigenetic clocks may help in estimating the effects of lifestyle and environmental factors on aging and in predicting aging in future generations.Peer reviewe