Search results

The majority of past classification models for services have failed to account for the different nature of online services, and therefore, they are not helpful in classifying online services. This paper aims to present a new model for classifying online services, and managerial implications for creating customer loyalty to online service organizations are discussed.

This paper presents an overview of the research in service classifications and a classification model for online services based on a review of the services literature.

The model for online services presented in this paper classifies online services into four categories: online mass services, online mass e-tailing services, online professional and personal services and online service shops.

The classification of online services has received very limited research attention; yet, online services represent a rapidly growing area. The model presented in this paper provides a foundation for the further study and research of online services.

States that there is general agreement among total quality management (TQM) and business process re‐engineering (BPR) experts that properly implemented organizational change programmes improve customer satisfaction and organizational performance. Suggests that there is, however, a growing frustration with the less than positive results that many companies have experienced with TQM or BPR. These failures have resulted in much debate about the usefulness of such programmes. Many executives believe that they have to choose between TQM and BPR and consider these programmes to be mutually exclusive. Yet, advocates of TQM and re‐engineering have recognized and acknowledged that the best organizational change programmes are those which integrate quality and re‐engineering initiatives. Examines some reasons behind TQM and BPR failures, and presents a model for integrating TQM and BPR implementation plans, while focusing on the linkage of the organization’s strategic goals and culture with this process. The framework uses the concept of quality function deployment and house of quality for the selection of a TQM/BPR implementation plan. Presents an example which illustrates the procedure.

Examines the planning and scheduling systems in an integrative framework for a dual resource constrained (DRC) job shop. Models a bottleneck shop environment which represents a common situation in practice. Research on workload smoothing mechanisms which integrate the planning and scheduling systems is sparse. Simulates 13 smoothing rules (utilizing aggregate workload and bottleneck information), three despatching rules and two order review/release rules. The results of this study indicate that workload smoothing by the planning system has a significant effect on the performance of the DRC job shop. Pulling work ahead in valley periods improved the tardy measures of performance, while pushing jobs back in peak periods usually deteriorated shop performance. Suggests that combining a planning system effectively with order review/release can improve mean tardiness, percentage tardy and mean flowtime measures of performance.