Data from configuration management tools as sources for software process mining

Process mining has proven to be a valuable approach that provides new and objective insights into processes within organizations. Based on sets of well-structured data, the underlying ‘actual’ processes can be extracted and process models can be constructed automatically, i.e., the process model can be ‘mined’. Successful process mining depends on the availability of well-structured and suitable data. This paper investigates the potential of software configuration management (SCM) and SCM- tools for software process mining. In a validation section, data collected by a SCM tool in practice are used to apply process-mining techniques on a particular software process, i.e., a Change Control Board (CCB) process in a large industrial company. Application of process mining techniques revealed that although people tend to believe that formally specified and well-documented processes are followed, the ‘actual’ process in practice is different. Control-flow discovery revealed that in the CCB process in most of the cases, i.e., 70%, an important CCB task ‘Analysis’ was skipped

Social networks, rice value chain participation and market performance of smallholder farmers in Ghana

This paper examines the impact of rice value chain participation and social networks on smallholder farmers' market performance outcomes (paddy price, quantity of paddy traded, and net returns), using data from a recent survey of 458 smallholder rice farmers in northern Ghana. We employed a treatment effects model to account for potential selection bias associated with observable and unobservable factors. The empirical results reveal that smallholder farmers' participation in a rice value chain is associated with increased paddy price, quantity traded, and net returns. We also find that value chain participation decisions and market performance are positively and significantly influenced by social networks. The empirical results also suggest that sex, farm size, mobile phone ownership, and access to credit significantly increase paddy prices, quantity traded, and net returns of smallholder rice farmers in the value chain

Review of Published Chain Information System Research

This paper provides a review of the literature on chains and networks that examine inter-organisational information systems used to manage chains of organisations. Difficulty was found in finding out how organisations exchanged information to manage relationships with customers and suppliers in chains. Most research publications found were based on case studies and few looked at chains of three or more organisations. Substantial research over a greater time period was found on dyadic buyer-seller inter-organisational relationships (companies and either their customers or suppliers). Conclusions are made about how to describe inter-organisational information systems and suggestions for empirical chain research using comparative pairs for data collection and analysis

Customer knowledge transfer challenges in a co-creation value network:Toward a reference model

In today’s interconnected global marketplace, where customers have become increasingly knowledgeable and empowered, a customer-centric view is becoming a prominent differentiating strategy for firms. Accordingly, firms with the aim of delivering a seamless customer experience strive to offer integrated solutions. This quite often relies on inter-organizational collaboration in the context of a value network In this context, customer-related knowledge is regarded as one of the primary sources in the provisioning process of integrated solutions. This, in turn, implies the importance of effective sharing of customer knowledge among actors of a value network. Customer knowledge transfer is difficult due to some recognizable challenges such as a lack of trust. Because of the added complexity of a value network, achieving a shared understanding among actors about customer knowledge transfer challenges in a value network setting (VN-CKTC) might be more difficult. A systematic and comprehensive overview of the VN-CKTC (in the form of a reference model) might support this by providing additional structure. Although scholars have long studied knowledge transfer challenges within business network settings, they are usually limited in scope and their resulting challenges differ widely. Therefore, they provide insufficient coverage of the possible challenges. A more comprehensive view is thus needed. Our research aims at designing and validating a reference model that provides a systematic and wider spectrum of possible VN-CKTC. To this end, a design science research approach is followed. In the design phase, by conducting a systematic literature review followed by a structured classification, a reference model of VN-CKTC is designed. In the evaluation phase, the validation of this designed artifact is evaluated in a value network setting by conducting multiple case studies. The results of this study give us both theoretically and context-specific descriptions of the significant relevant of these challenges. The proposed reference model provides a rich picture of VN-CKTC. Decision makers of value networks can use this reference model as a means to achieve a shared understanding about customer knowledge transfer challenges and to come to an agreement on these challenges. They can also apply it to be aware of which challenges to focus on, so they are provided with a much stronger basis to make better-informed decisions to address and mitigate these challenges

Impact of buyers support on farmer performance and investments in the Brazilian pork supply chain.

Abstract: This paper analyses how the technical and managerial support of buyers affects the performance and investment capacity of Brazilian pig farmers. The paper also analyses the influence of the farmers? investment capacity on their own performance and how that performance in turn influences the investment requirements demanded by buyers. We developed a structural equation model applied to a sample of 199 farmers including piglet farmers (n=91) and finishers (n=108) working under production contracts. The model includes two constructs that assess performance ? financial performance and production and quality performance. The results show that buyer support positively influences both performance constructs and investment requirements for piglet farmers and finishers. The relationship between buyer support and investment capacity was significant only in the sample of finishers. Farmers? investment capacity positively influences both performance constructs in the sample of piglet farmers. For finishers, investment capacity influences only financial performance. Moreover, only production and quality performance of finishers influences investment requirements. The results provide buyers and farmers with insights for refinements in support policies and management

The joint impact of Supply Chain Integration and Qualilty Management on the performance of Pork processing firms in China

This paper is not yet available electronically. It is widely acknowledged that competition is no longer between individual firms, but between supply chains. A number of studies have indicated that supply chain integration and quality management have become essential to obtain competitive advantage. The present study tests the relationships among supply chain integration, quality management practices and firm performance in 229 Chinese pork slaughterhouses and processors using structural equation modeling. The most important results are that quality management is positively linked with firm performance. As managers put it ¿Quality is the life of the enterprise¿. Pork processing managers that wish to improve their performance are therefore advised to invest in quality management. Equally interesting is the indirect link of supply chain integration through quality management with firm performance. To improve quality of their products and reduce uncertainty in hog supply chains, companies are advised to develop more integrated relationships with their suppliers. However, in contrast to earlier studies, the direct link of supply chain integration and firm performance was not significant. This result may indicate that the Chinese pork processing industry is still in an early stage of SC integration