A process model for customer relationship management system selection

[no abstract

Discussion and Validation of a CRM System Selection Approach with Experts

Due to the high failure rate, costs, and long duration of CRM implementation projects, it is crucial to evaluate softwaresolutions before making an investment decision. A methodological approach is required to make these decisions moreeffectively and efficiently. In this paper, an approach to evaluating CRM software packages is proposed that is the result of aliterature review. In a second step, an initial applicability check of the approach is conducted. The intention is to verify thefeasibility of the proposed approach with CRM experts who have practical experience with the selection of different systems.An empirical study that is subdivided into qualitative expert interviews and a quantitative online survey is used for thisverification. The core results demonstrate that the approach is a valid method for evaluating CRM software applications

A PRACTICAL TEST OF A PROCESS MODEL FOR CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SELECTION WITH AN AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIER

Selecting suitable customer relationship management systems (CRM) is a decision problem with economic, behavioural, technical and functional implications. It is important to methodically identify an appropriate solution with regard to the various aspects of the decision. In this paper, a practical test of the previously developed customer relationship management system selection (CRMSS) process model is conducted in a case study with an automotive safety goods supplier. The process model used was constructed based on a literature review and further refined by expert interviews and two international online surveys. To test the models applicability and align phases, tasks, roles and deliverables with practical experiences, qualitative interviews were conducted with the different stakeholders in the evaluation project. The CRMSS process model was then further refined according to the conclusions drawn from the presented case study. The first application of the process model suggests that it is considered as relevant for practice and can be understood and applied successfully for a CRM selection and evaluation. In the context of the case study the model was customised to meet the needs of the project

Towards a Process Model for Efficient Customer Relationship Management System Selection

Changes to the economic and competitive environment require a reorientation of companies’ communication activities, which has implications for the customer relationship management (CRM). Assistance provided by information communication technology (ICT) is an important component of reacting to these potential changes. The failure rate of CRM implementation projects is high when it comes to measuring the impact. It is crucial to evaluate system solutions before making an investment decision. Based on a literature review, the authors developed a CRM evaluation approach to select CRM systems that suit the particular needs of a company. This approach resulted in a CRM system selection (CRMSS) model that covers the whole process of evaluating CRM systems, once a CRM strategy has been defined, and before the implementation phase begins

Delegates' Summit: Best Practice and Definitions - Quality of Knowledge and Quality of Data

Post-Summit Results, Delegates' Summit, September 19, 2022, The Twelfth Symposium on Advanced Computation and Information in Natural and Applied Sciences (SACINAS), The 20th International Conference of Numerical Analysis and Applied Mathematics (ICNAAM), September 19--25, 2022, Heraklion, Crete, Greec

Urine Metabolomics by 1H-NMR Spectroscopy Indicates Associations between Serum 3,5-T2 Concentrations and Intermediary Metabolism in Euthyroid Humans

Context: 3,5-Diiodo-L-thyronine (3,5-T2) is a thyroid hormone metabolite which exhibited versatile effects in rodent models, including the prevention of insulin resistance or hepatic steatosis typically forced by a high-fat diet. With respect to euthyroid humans, we recently observed a putative link between serum 3,5-T2 and glucose but not lipid metabolism. Objective: The aim of the present study was to widely screen the urine metabolome for associations with serum 3,5-T2 concentrations in healthy individuals. Study Design and Methods: Urine metabolites of 715 euthyroid participants of the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-TREND) were analyzed by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Multinomial logistic and multivariate linear regression models were used to detect associations between urine metabolites and serum 3,5-T2 concentrations. Results: Serum 3,5-T2 concentrations were positively associated with urinary levels of trigonelline, pyroglutamate, acetone and hippurate. In detail, the odds for intermediate or suppressed serum 3,5-T2 concentrations doubled owing to a 1-standard deviation (SD) decrease in urine trigonelline levels, or increased by 29-50% in relation to a 1-SD decrease in urine pyroglutamate, acetone and hippurate levels. Conclusion: Our findings in humans confirmed the metabolic effects of circulating 3,5-T2 on glucose and lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and enhanced drug metabolism as postulated before based on interventional pharmacological studies in rodents. Of note, 3,5-T2 exhibited a unique urinary metabolic profile distinct from previously published results for the classical thyroid hormones

Dual Targeting of Cell Wall Precursors by Teixobactin Leads to Cell Lysis

ABSTRACT Teixobactin represents the first member of a newly discovered class of antibiotics that act through inhibition of cell wall synthesis. Teixobactin binds multiple bactoprenol-coupled cell wall precursors, inhibiting both peptidoglycan and teichoic acid synthesis. Here, we show that the impressive bactericidal activity of teixobactin is due to the synergistic inhibition of both targets, resulting in cell wall damage, delocalization of autolysins, and subsequent cell lysis. We also find that teixobactin does not bind mature peptidoglycan, further increasing its activity at high cell densities and against vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) isolates with thickened peptidoglycan layers. These findings add to the attractiveness of teixobactin as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of infection caused by antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive pathogens

A Thyroid Hormone-Independent Molecular Fingerprint of 3,5-Diiodothyronine Suggests a Strong Relationship with Coffee Metabolism in Humans.

Background: In numerous studies based predominantly on rodent models, administration of 3,5-diiodo-L-thyronine (3,5-T2), a metabolite of the thyroid hormones (TH) thyroxine (T4) and triiodo-L-thyronine (T3), was reported to cause beneficial health effects, including reversal of steatohepatosis and prevention of insulin resistance, in most instances without adverse thyrotoxic side effects. However, the empirical evidence concerning the physiological relevance of endogenously produced 3,5-T2 in humans is comparatively poor. Therefore, to improve the understanding of 3,5-T2-related metabolic processes, we performed a comprehensive metabolomic study relating serum 3,5-T2 concentrations to plasma and urine metabolite levels within a large general population sample. Methods: Serum 3,5-T2 concentrations were determined for 856 participants of the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania-TREND (SHIP-TREND). Plasma and urine metabolome data were generated using mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, allowing quantification of 613 and 578 metabolites in plasma and urine, respectively. To detect thyroid function-independent significant 3,5-T2-metabolite associations, linear regression analyses controlling for major confounders, including thyrotropin and free T4, were performed. The same analyses were carried out using a sample of 16 male healthy volunteers treated for 8 weeks with 250 μg/day levothyroxine to induce thyrotoxicosis. Results: The specific molecular fingerprint of 3,5-T2 comprised 15 and 73 significantly associated metabolites in plasma and urine, respectively. Serum 3,5-T2 concentrations were neither associated with classical thyroid function parameters nor altered during experimental thyrotoxicosis. Strikingly, many metabolites related to coffee metabolism, including caffeine and paraxanthine, formed the clearest positively associated molecular signature. Importantly, these associations were replicated in the experimental human thyrotoxicosis model. Conclusion: The molecular fingerprint of 3,5-T2 demonstrates a clear and strong positive association of the serum levels of this TH metabolite with plasma levels of compounds indicating coffee consumption, therefore pointing to the liver as an organ, the metabolism of which is strongly affected by coffee. Furthermore, 3,5-T2 serum concentrations were found not to be directly TH dependent. Considering the beneficial health effects of 3,5-T2 administration observed in animal models and those of coffee consumption demonstrated in large epidemiological studies, one might speculate that coffee-stimulated hepatic 3,5-T2 production or accumulation represents an important molecular link in this connection

Metal–metal interaction in Fischer carbene complexes : a study of ferrocenyl and biferrocenyl tungsten alkylidene complexes

A series of ferrocenyl (Fc = ferrocenyl; fc = ferrocen-1,1'-diyl) and biferrocenyl (Bfc = 1',1''-biferrocenyl; bfc = 1',1''-biferrocen-1,1'''-diyl) mono- and biscarbene tungsten(0) complexes of the type [(CO)5W=C(OMe)R] (1, R = Fc; 3, R = Bfc) and [(CO)5W=C(OMe)-R'-(OMe)C=W(CO)5] (2, R' = fc; 4, R' = bfc) were synthesized according to the classical synthetic methodology by reacting W(CO)6 with LiR (R = Fc, fc, bfc), followed by a subsequent alkylation using methyl trifluoromethanesulfonate. Electrochemical investigations were carried out on these complexes to get a closer insight into the electronic properties of 1 - 4. The ferrocenyl and biferrocenyl moieties in 1 – 4 show reversible one electron redox events. It was further found that the Fischer carbene unit is reducible in an electrochemical one electron transfer process. For the tungsten carbonyl moieties, irreversible oxidation processes were found. In addition, charge transfer studies were performed on 1 - 4 by the use of in situ UV-Vis-NIR and infrared spectroelectrochemical techniques. During the UV-Vis-NIR investigations typical low energy transitions for the mixed-valent biferrocenyl unit were found. A further observed high energy NIR absorption is attributed to a metal-metal charge transfer transition between the tungsten carbonyl fragment and the ferrocenyl/biferrocenyl group in the corresponding oxidized states, which can be described as class II systems according to Robin and Day. This assignment was verified by infrared spectroelectrochemical studies. The electrochemical investigations are supported by DFT calculations. The structural properties of 1 - 4 in the solid state were investigated by single-crystal Xray diffraction studies showing no substituent effects on bond lengths and angles. The biferrocenyl derivatives exhibit synconformation of the ferrocenyl and carbene building blocks.D.I.B. and B.v.d.W. acknowledge the National Research Foundation, South Africa for financial support (Grant number 76226). We are grateful to the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie for financial support. J.M.S. and M.K. thank the FCI for Chemiefonds Fellowships.http://pubs.acs.org/journal/inocajhb201

Sex-Specific Associations of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in the General Population

The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was initially considered to be neuron-specific. Meanwhile, this neurotrophin is peripherally also secreted by skeletal muscle cells and increases due to exercise. Whether BDNF is related to cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is currently unclear. We analyzed the association of serum BDNF levels with CRF in the general population (Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-TREND) from Northeast Germany; n = 1607, 51% female; median age 48 years). Sex-stratified linear regression models adjusted for age, height, smoking, body fat, lean mass, physical activity, and depression analyzed the association between BDNF and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2peak), maximal oxygen consumption normalized for body weight (VO2peak/kg), and oxygen consumption at the anaerobic threshold (VO2@AT). In women, 1mL/min higher VO2peak, VO2peak/kg, and VO2@AT were associated with a 2.43 pg/mL (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16 to 3.69 pg/mL; p = 0.0002), 150.66 pg/mL (95% CI: 63.42 to 237.90 pg/mL; p = 0.0007), and 2.68 pg/mL (95% CI: 0.5 to 4.8 pg/mL; p = 0.01) higher BDNF serum concentration, respectively. No significant associations were found in men. Further research is needed to understand the sex-specific association between CRF and BDNF. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland