Business intelligence and public relations : GELSA as a case study for data-driven decision making

La presente investigación explora el concepto de Inteligencia de Negocios en función de las Relaciones Públicas. Esta relación no ha sido estudiada extensivamente desde la disciplina de las Comunicaciones a pesar de su inminente importancia actual. Esta investigación se marca en la necesidad de implementar herramientas y sistemas de datos más actualizados para mejorar procesos comunicativos como lo es el manejo reputacional. El caso de GELSA sirve como muestra de cómo la Inteligencia de Negocios es útil para diferentes procesos organizacionales, y cómo representa una oportunidad frente al manejo reputacional (también la amenaza más grande que enfrenta la empresa). La investigación cuenta con una metodología mixta exploratoria que utiliza entrevistas y encuestas para dar cuenta de los procesos de Inteligencia de Negocios dentro del caso de estudio. En un principio las entrevistas fueron conducidas a los encargados de cuatro áreas (Comunicaciones, Oficina de Inteligencia de Negocios, Operaciones y Servicio al Cliente) que se involucran con uso estratégico de datos y comunicaciones. A partir de ellas se obtuvieron categorías analíticas que se transformaron en variables de análisis; y así se construyeron la encuestas para sus empleados. Los resultados arrojaron que en GELSA existe un sistema de Inteligencia de Negocios funcional, en donde Comunicaciones está incluida. A pesar de ello, Comunicaciones no hace uso estratégico de estos datos (para construir estrategias), sino solamente para construir piezas informativas internas. En relación a lo anterior, los resultados demuestran que hay grandes retos a nivel de transformación digital dentro de GELSA, donde los colaboradores presentan resistencia al cambio frente a la introducción de nuevas herramientas digitales. Aunque Comunicaciones no identifica este malestar dentro de su equipo, esto se da ya que como área no han implementado herramientas sofisticadas para análisis y visualización de datos; es decir, no presentan resistencia ya que no han comenzado a hacer uso estratégico de herramientas de Inteligencia de Negocios.This investigation explores the concept of Business Intelligence and its relation with Public Relations. This relationship has not been extensively studied from the Communications discipline despite its current imminent importance. This research is marked by the need to implement more updated tools and data systems to improve communication processes such as reputation management. The case of GELSA serves as an example of how Business Intelligence is useful for different organizational processes, and how it represents an opportunity for reputational management (also the biggest threat faced by the company). This research has a mixed exploratory methodology that uses interviews and surveys in order to trace the Business Intelligence processes within the case study. Initially, interviews were conducted with the managers of four areas (Communications, Business Intelligence Office, Operations and Customer Service) that are involved with the strategic use of data and communications. From them, analytical categories were obtained, which were transformed into analysis variables; and thus the surveys for their employees were constructed. The results showed that GELSA has a functional Business Intelligence system, in which Communications is included. Despite this, Communications does not make strategic use of this data (to build strategies), but only to build internal informative pieces. In relation to the above, the results show that there are great challenges at the level of digital transformation within GELSA, where employees present resistance to change when faced with the introduction of new digital tools. Although Communications does not identify this discomfort within their team, this is because as an area they have not yet implemented sophisticated tools for data analysis and visualization; that is why they do not present resistance because they have not begun to make strategic use of Business Intelligence tools.Comunicador (a) SocialPregrad

Challenges and solutions for Latin American-trained international medical graduates in psychiatry residency

Objective: Latin American-trained international medical graduates (IMGs) in psychiatry residency face multiple challenges that go beyond their medical training. These challenges call for innovative problem-solving. Although the professional development of IMGs has been discussed in the professional literature, little is written about their experiences. In this report, a group of IMGs reflect on their experiences and describe how they solved challenges. Method: Using cogenerative ethnography, four IMGs trained in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico provided insights on their challenges and solutions while adapting to psychiatric residency training. Individual interviews, focused discussion, and written reports were analyzed using data reduction, data display, and conclusion-drawing techniques. Results: We illustrate the challenges of IMG training in psychiatry using their reflections and stories. We categorize these challenges into three domains: immigration and acculturation, social adjustment, and medical training. Quotes were selected to illustrate IMGs’ challenges and coping strategies. Conclusion: Some of the combined cultural, social, and academic challenges of Latin American-trained IMGs in psychiatry residency are described. Recognizing and planning for the personal challenges of IMGs in psychiatry can enhance the transition into psychiatric training. Ultimately, improvements in IMG training converts into improved healthcare for all patients

Proceso administrativo para el desarrollo organizacional en las empresas comerciales de insumos agrícolas

Numerous companies dedicated to the distribution of agricultural inputs have remained in the market for many years, but after time they have not reached the expected level in their organizational development, due to ignorance of the administrative process, it has caused deficiencies in both administrative and therefore, they have not managed to meet the desired goals, progress and growth in the environment in which they operate. The objective of this article was to determine the administrative process for organizational development in commercial agricultural input companies; For the development of the methodology, the paradigmatic qualitative and quantitative modalities were applied, types of research: bibliographic, field, descriptive and applied, methods: logical historical, analytical, synthetic, descriptive, inductive and deductive, line of research competitiveness, strategic management and operational, Tools: questionnaire of questions and existing technology, the techniques used, interview, surveys and direct observation. The concrete results that were achieved were to have identified the research problem, its cause and effect, in order to propose a possible solution to the existing problem in commercial agricultural input companies.Numerosas empresas dedicadas a la distribución de insumos agrícolas se han mantenido en el mercado por muchos años, pero transcurrido el tiempo no han alcanzado el nivel esperado en su desarrollo organizacional, debido al desconocimiento del proceso administrativo, ha ocasionado deficiencia en el desempeño tanto administrativo como laboral, por tanto, no han logrado cumplir con las metas deseadas, el progreso y crecimiento en el entorno en que se desenvuelven. El objetivo del presente artículo fue determinar el proceso administrativo para el desarrollo organizacional en las empresas comerciales de insumos agrícolas; para el desarrollo de la metodología se aplicaron las modalidades paradigmáticas cualitativa y cuantitativa, tipos de investigación: bibliográfica, de campo, descriptiva y aplicada, métodos: histórico lógico, analítico, sintético, descriptivo, inductivo y deductivo, línea de investigación competitividad, administración estratégica y operativa, Herramientas: cuestionario de preguntas y tecnología existente, las Técnicas empleadas, entrevista, encuestas y la observación directa. Los resultados concretos que se alcanzaron fueron haber identificado el problema de investigación, su causa y efecto, para proponer una posible solución a la problemática existente en las empresas comerciales de insumos agrícolas

Healthcare resource utilization among haemophilia A patients in the United States

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91210/1/j.1365-2516.2011.02677.x.pd

The cost of severe haemophilia in Europe: the CHESS study

Background Severe haemophilia is associated with major psychological and economic burden for patients, caregivers, and the wider health care system. This burden has been quantified and documented for a number of European countries in recent years. However, few studies have taken a standardised methodology across multiple countries simultaneously, and sought to amalgamate all three levels of burden for severe disease. The overall aim of the ‘Cost of Haemophilia in Europe: a Socioeconomic Survey’ (CHESS) study was to capture the annualised economic and psychosocial burden of severe haemophilia in five European countries. A cross-section of haemophilia specialists (surveyed between January and April 2015) provided demographic and clinical information and 12-month ambulatory and secondary care activity for patients via an online survey. In turn, patients provided corresponding direct and indirect non-medical cost information, including work loss and out-of-pocket expenses, as well as information on quality of life and adherence. The direct and indirect costs for the patient sample were calculated and extrapolated to population level. Results Clinical reports for a total of 1,285 patients were received. Five hundred and fifty-two patients (43% of the sample) provided information on indirect costs and health-related quality of life via the PSC. The total annual cost of severe haemophilia across the five countries for 2014 was estimated at EUR 1.4 billion, or just under EUR 200,000 per patient. The highest per-patient costs were in Germany (mean EUR 319,024) and the lowest were in the United Kingdom (mean EUR 129,365), with a study average of EUR 199,541. As expected, consumption of clotting factor replacement therapy represented the vast majority of costs (up to 99%). Indirect costs are driven by patient and caregiver work loss. Conclusions The results of the CHESS study reflect previous research findings suggesting that costs of factor replacement therapy account for the vast majority of the cost burden in severe haemophilia. However, the importance of the indirect impact of haemophilia on the patient and family should not be overlooked. The CHESS study highlights the benefits of observational study methodologies in capturing a ‘snapshot’ of information for patients with rare diseases

VIRTUAL PROTOTYPE SIMULATION CASE STUDY IN MECHATRONIC PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT BASED ON SYSTEMS ENGINEERING APPROACH

Nowadays consumers are demanding products richer in technologies and associated services. That is why the link between disciplines, such as Engineering Design and Mechatronics, gets stronger each day, especially, due to the different functionalities and features that should be integrated in products in a more articulated manner. In order to prepare the future generation of engineers, they should be aware and must know the supporting tools recently available in the market to support and automate these interactions among disciplines. Regular engineering design approaches, start from requirements understanding and end with a physical prototype, passing by conceptual and detailed design. Nevertheless, the product design process should allow engineering students to forecast product behaviour and its validation through simulation in early design phases, before physical prototyping. In some cases, complexity increases as products require the integration of technical systems involving mechanics, electronics and control, among others. Therefore, design concepts cannot be easily tested using a traditional CAD package that needs a physical prototype for validation purposes. This article presents a case study using a Systems Engineering approach in academia (with RFLP Requirements/Functions/Logical/Physical) to develop a virtual prototype of a mechatronic product, its simulation and validation against data obtained from the real product. The RFLP method allows engineers to test designs at early design phases by using virtual prototype and virtual simulation, including behaviour and electronics. Therefore, design concepts can be validated without having the need to build physical prototypes which implies higher costs and manufacturing time. From the academic point of view, students can be aware that their design concepts will work properly in the real world by performing enriched simulation processes

Búsqueda de la relación entre áreas icfes en matemáticas, física, lenguaje y rendimiento en matemáticas i y matemáticas ii a través del análisis de componentes principales

En este artículo se explora la relación existente entre los puntajes del ICFES 1 en matemáticas, física y lenguaje obtenido por un grupo de candidatos a ingresar a los programas de Ingeniería de la Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira,-UTP, con el rendimiento del mismo grupo (ya como estudiantes de la UTP) en los cursos de matemáticas I y II. El estudio fue realizado utilizando la técnica estadística multivariada conocida como “Componentes Principales”. Se tomó información de la base de datos de la Oficina de Registro y Control de la UTP durante el período 2000 – 2003. Para el análisis se utilizó el software estadístico SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences, versión 11.5). Con la técnica utilizada se concluye que el resultado obtenido en las pruebas del ICFES (en matemáticas, física y lenguaje) por el grupo estudiado es independiente del resultado obtenido por el mismo grupo (ya como estudiantes de la UTP) en los cursos de matemáticas I y II. Este resultado sugiere, que los resultados de la pruebas del ICFES, no deberían ser el único referente para ordenar (“rankear”) los candidatos a ingresar a los programas de ingeniería de la UTP