Operational implications of manufacturing outsourcing for subcontractor plants: An empirical investigation

Purpose – The objectives of this paper are: to identify the key defining elements of a subcontractor plant from an operations management perspective and examine whether there are differences between the operational contexts of such plants and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) plants; and to examine whether these differences should translate into different operational practices, addressing the specific case of process quality management practices. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a multiple case study involving five plants in the electronics industry representative of the OEM and different subcontractor contexts. Findings – Results suggest that the operational contexts of subcontractor and OEM plants are different and that, as a result, these types of plants should emphasize different sets of process quality management practices. Research limitations/implications – Results are considered to be generalizable to most discrete goods industries. However, future research should ascertain whether these results replicate in industries other than electronics. Practical implications – OEMs, who have a critical role in disseminating best practice within the supply chain, must recognize the differences between OEM and subcontractor environments and avoid pushing one-size-fits-all best practice programs along the chain. Originality/value – Research in outsourcing to date has focused on the outsourcing decision per se and has mainly taken the perspective of the outsourcer firm. This study contributes to a better understanding of the operational implications of outsourcing decisions for subcontractor plants. It also responds to calls for more research linking quality management and supply chain management

Simultaneous Measurement of Middle-Ear Input Impedance and Forward/Reverse Transmission in Cat

Reported here is a technique for measuring forward and reverse middle-ear transmission that exploits distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) to drive the middle ear in reverse without opening the inner ear. The technique allows measurement of DPOAEs, middle-ear input impedance, and forward and reverse middle-ear transfer functions in the same animal. Intermodulation distortion in the cochlea generates a DPOAE at frequency 2f1-f 2 measurable in both ear-canal pressure and the velocity of the stapes. The forward transfer function is computed from stapes velocities and corresponding ear-canal pressures measured at the two primary frequencies; the reverse transfer function is computed from velocity and pressure measurements at the DPOAE frequency. Middle-ear input impedance is computed from ear-canal pressure measurements and the measured Thévenin equivalent of the sound-delivery system. The technique was applied to measure middle-ear characteristics in anesthetized cats with widely opened middle-ear cavities (0.2-10 kHz). Stapes velocity was measured at the incudo-stapedial joint. Results on five animals are reported and compared with a published middle-ear model. The measured forward transfer functions and input impedances generally agree with previous measurements, and all measurements agree qualitatively with model predictions. The reverse transfer function is shown to depend on the acoustic load in the ear canal, and the measurements are used to compute the round-trip middle-ear gain and delay. Finally, the measurements are used to estimate the parameters of a two-port transfer-matrix description of the cat middle ear

The Effects of Service Failure and Service Recovery on Customer Loyalty in E-Services: An Empirical Investigation

Although there has been a lot of research examining the effect of service failures and recovery on customer loyalty in traditional (bricks-and-mortar) services, there is still little rigorous empirical research examining this in e-service settings. The objective of this study is to empirically examine the impact of service failures and service recovery on customer loyalty in e-services. The study is based on data from an online questionnaire of customers of an e-banking service. The results validated the relationships generally found in traditional services: i) service failures result in decreased customer loyalty intentions; ii) effective recovery from failures increases customer loyalty intentions; and iii) unless recovery efforts elicit very high levels of satisfaction from customers, they can, at best, restore loyalty to the levels existing prior to the failures. The implications for the management of e-services are discussed

Acoustic Mechanisms that Determine the Ear-Canal Sound Pressures Generated by Earphones

In clinical measurements of hearing sensitivity, a given earphone is assumed to produce essentially the same sound-pressure level in all ears. However, recent measurements [Voss et al., Ear and Hearing (in press)] show that with some middle-ear pathologies, ear-canal sound pressures can deviate by as much as 35 dB from the normal-ear value; the deviations depend on the earphone, the middle-ear pathology, and frequency. These pressure variations cause errors in the results of hearing tests. Models developed here identify acoustic mechanisms that cause pressure variations in certain pathological conditions. The models combine measurement-based Thevenin equivalents for insert and supra-aural earphones with lumped-element models for both the normal ear and ears with pathologies that alter the ear\u27s impedance (mastoid bowl, tympanostomy tube, tympanic-membrane perforation, and a \u27high- impedance\u27 ear). Comparison of the earphones\u27 Thevenin impedances to the ear\u27s input impedance with these middle-ear conditions shows that neither class of earphone acts as an ideal pressure source; with some middle-ear pathologies, the ear\u27s input impedance deviates substantially from normal and thereby causes abnormal ear-canal pressure levels. In general, for the three conditions that make the ear\u27s impedance magnitude lower than normal, the model predicts a reduced ear-canal pressure (as much as 35 dB), with a greater pressure reduction with an insert earphone than with a supra-aural earphone. In contrast, the model predicts that ear-canal pressure levels increase only a few dB when the ear has an increased impedance magnitude; the compliance of the air-space between the tympanic membrane and the earphone determines an upper limit on the effect of the middle-ear\u27s impedance increase. Acoustic leaks at the earphone-to-ear connection can also cause uncontrolled pressure variations during hearing tests. From measurements at the supra-aural earphone-to-ear connection, we conclude that it is unusual for the connection between the earphone cushion and the pinna to seal effectively for frequencies below 250 Hz. The models developed here explain the measured pressure variations with several pathologic ears. Understanding these mechanisms should inform the design of more accurate audiometric systems which might include a microphone that monitors the ear-canal pressure and corrects deviations from normal

“Futurizing” smart service : implications for service researchers and managers

Purpose: – The purpose of this paper is to craft a future research agenda to advance smart service research and practice. Smart services are delivered to or via intelligent objects that feature awareness and connectivity. For service researchers and managers, one of the most fascinating aspects of smart service provision is that the connected object is able to sense its own condition and its surroundings and thus allows for real-time data collection, continuous communication and interactive feedback. Design/methodology/approach: – This article is based on discussions in the workshop on “Fresh perspectives on technology in service” at the International Network of Service Researchers on September 26, 2014 at CTF, Karlstad, Sweden. The paper summarizes the discussion on smart services, adds an extensive literature review, provides examples from business practice and develops a structured approach to new research avenues. Findings: – We propose that smart services vary on their individual level of autonomous decision-making, visibility and embeddedness in objects and customer lives. Based on a discussion of these characteristics, we identify research avenues regarding the perception and nature of smart services, the adoption of smart services, the innovation through smart services as well as regarding the development of new business models. Originality/value: – Smart services is a new emerging topic in service marketing research, their implications on organizations, customers and the service landscape have not been fully explored. We provide a fresh perspective on service research by characterizing relevant aspects of smart service that will stimulate fruitful future research and advance the understanding and practice of smart services

Analyzing a fleet solution using scenarios

Transportation is one of the most important logistics activities, accounting for a significant part of the logistics costs and with high level of impact in terms of the service level provided to the customer. To counteract the upward trend in costs, it is fundamental to identify a transport strategy that can reduce costs and, at the same time, does not adversely affect the service levels agreed with customers. The main objective of this research is to propose a methodology for companies to identify, from a set of scenarios proposed and through a comparative analysis of scenarios, a new fleet solution, allowing the Company under study to reduce its transport costs without harming the current service level agreements with its customers. This research is grounded on a case study methodology. The case study used is of a small Portuguese company that produces, imports and distributes a wide range of products. The distribution is conducted based on both its own fleet and subcontracted transportation. The comparative analysis of scenarios allowed identifying the current transportation solution as the most advantageous one for the company. A roadmap to address fleet solution is provided.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Diagnostic criteria for cancer cachexia: Reduced food intake and inflammation predict weight loss and survival in an international, multi-cohort analysis

Abstract Background Cancer‐associated weight loss (WL) associates with increased mortality. International consensus suggests that WL is driven by a variable combination of reduced food intake and/or altered metabolism, the latter often represented by the inflammatory biomarker C‐reactive protein (CRP). We aggregated data from Canadian and European research studies to evaluate the associations of reduced food intake and CRP with cancer‐associated WL (primary endpoint) and overall survival (OS, secondary endpoint). Methods The data set included a total of 12,253 patients at risk for cancer‐associated WL. Patient‐reported WL history (% in 6 months) and food intake (normal, moderately, or severely reduced) were measured in all patients; CRP (mg/L) and OS were measured in N = 4960 and N = 9952 patients, respectively. All measures were from a baseline assessment. Clinical variables potentially associated with WL and overall survival (OS) including age, sex, cancer diagnosis, disease stage, and performance status were evaluated using multinomial logistic regression MLR and Cox proportional hazards models, respectively. Results Patients had a mean weight change of −7.3% (±7.1), which was categorized as: ±2.4% (stable weight; 30.4%), 2.5–5.9% (19.7%), 6.0–10.0% (23.2%), 11.0–14.9% (12.0%), ≥15.0% (14.6%). Normal food intake, moderately, and severely reduced food intake occurred in 37.9%, 42.8%, and 19.4%, respectively. In MLR, severe WL (≥15%) (vs. stable weight) was more likely (P  100 mg/L: OR 2.30 (95% CI 1.62–3.26)]. Diagnosis, stage, and performance status, but not age or sex, were significantly associated with WL. Median OS was 9.9 months (95% CI 9.5–10.3), with median follow‐up of 39.7 months (95% CI 38.8–40.6). Moderately and severely reduced food intake and CRP independently predicted OS (P < 0.0001). Conclusions Modelling WL as the dependent variable is an approach that can help to identify clinical features and biomarkers associated with WL. Here, we identify criterion values for food intake impairment and CRP that may improve the diagnosis and classification of cancer‐associated cachexia

Speed breeding for multiple quantitative traits in durum wheat

Plant breeding requires numerous generations to be cycled and evaluated before an improved cultivar is released. This lengthy process is required to introduce and test multiple traits of interest. However, a technology for rapid generation advance named 'speed breeding' was successfully deployed in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to achieve six generations per year while imposing phenotypic selection for foliar disease resistance and grain dormancy. Here, for the first time the deployment of this methodology is presented in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) by integrating selection for key traits, including above and below ground traits on the same set of plants. This involved phenotyping for seminal root angle (RA), seminal root number (RN), tolerance to crown rot (CR), resistance to leaf rust (LR) and plant height (PH). In durum wheat, these traits are desirable in environments where yield is limited by in-season rainfall with the occurrence of CR and epidemics of LR. To evaluate this multi-trait screening approach, we applied selection to a large segregating F2 population (n = 1000) derived from a bi-parental cross (Outrob4/Caparoi). A weighted selection index (SI) was developed and applied. The gain for each trait was determined by evaluating F3 progeny derived from 100 'selected' and 100 'unselected' F2 individuals.Transgressive segregation was observed for all assayed traits in the Outrob4/Caparoi F2 population. Application of the SI successfully shifted the population mean for four traits, as determined by a significant mean difference between 'selected' and 'unselected' F3 families for CR tolerance, LR resistance, RA and RN. No significant shift for PH was observed.The novel multi-trait phenotyping method presents a useful tool for rapid selection of early filial generations or for the characterization of fixed lines out-of-season. Further, it offers efficient use of resources by assaying multiple traits on the same set of plants. Results suggest that when performed in parallel with speed breeding in early generations, selection will enrich recombinant inbred lines with desirable alleles and will reduce the length and number of years required to combine these traits in elite breeding populations and therefore cultivars.Samir Alahmad, Eric Dinglasan, Kung Ming Leung, Adnan Riaz, Nora Derbal, Kai P. Voss-Fels, Jason A. Able, Filippo M. Bassi, Jack Christopher and Lee T. Hicke