Advanced services and differentiation advantage: an empirical investigation

Purpose – This study theoretically articulates and empirically validates a model of relationships between market complexity (competition intensity, heterogeneity and technological change), strategic focus on product and service differentiation, ADS offerings and differentiation advantage. Design/methodology/approach – The authors develop and test hypotheses through structural equation modeling based on data from the Sixth International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS-VI), involving 931 manufacturers from 22 countries. Findings – The results indicate that (1) market complexity has a positive impact on strategic focus on product and service differentiation; (2) focus on product and service differentiation, but not market complexity, has a positive impact on the extent to which business units offer ADS to their customers; (3) ADS have a positive impact on service differentiation advantage, but no influence on product differentiation advantage. Practical implications – Managers should incorporate decisions related to ADS provision as part of their manufacturing strategy formulation processes to align markets, strategic focus on product and service differentiation, and ADS provision. ADS seem an appropriate lever for market differentiation, because they appear not only to support service differentiation advantage, but also to be consistent with strategic focus on product differentiation. Originality/value – The study provides novel insights and large-scale empirical evidence on the influence of the market environment on the offering of ADS, as well as on how relationships between the product and service activity in the manufacturing organization may affect differentiation advantage.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

RUNNING “THE BEER DISTRIBUTION GAME” FOR LARGE CLASSES

Permission to use material from Decision Sciences Institute Annual Proceedings Permission is hereby granted for Jaydeep Balakrishnan, Ph.D. to use material from Snider, B., Balakrishnan, J., da Silveira, G. " Lessons Learned from Running “The Beer Distribution Game” for Large Classes", Proceedings of Decision Sciences Institute (DSI) Forty-First Annual Meeting, San Diego CA, November 2010. pp. 3251-3258. Within the University of Calgary Library System (Prism) See attached letter of permission to use materialThe Beer Distribution Game is a supply chain simulation renowned for both its valuable learning experience and its extensive administrative challenges. Although computer based alternatives are easier to administer, they inhibit the optimal learning opportunities provided by the manual game. Lessons learned from years of running the manual game for 400 undergraduate students, which has enabled a significant reduction of both the cost and challenges of administering the game, are described. Five key do‟s and don‟ts are provided in addition to extensive evidence of teaching effectiveness.Ye

ERP implementation at SMEs: analysis of five Canadian cases

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the critical success factors (CSFs) of enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach – Five case studies of Canadian SMEs were conducted. They included interviewing individuals from five roles at each organization and gathering project documents. Following an evaluation of each project's success (within-case analysis), cross-case analysis was conducted to elicit influential and distinctive factors. Findings – Factors were identified that appeared to explain variation between successful and unsuccessful implementations at SMEs, besides factors that appeared to be innovative or counter-intuitive in light of the established literature. Research limitations/implications – The study reinforces the need for more research that is focused on SMEs. All cases were of Canadian SMEs with either a manufacturing or distribution focus, potentially limiting the generalizability of findings to other industries or countries. Practical implications – By identifying relevant CSFs for SMEs, managers can better prioritize implementation efforts and resources to maximize success of ERP implementations. Originality/value – The paper appears to be one of the first studies to focus on the CSFs of ERP implementation at SMEs.Ye