Search results
1 – 10 of 893Andrew White, Mark Johnson and Hugh Wilson
Radio frequency identification (RFID) is increasingly being presented as a technology with the potential to improve supply chain performance, but empirical evidence from early…
Abstract
Purpose
Radio frequency identification (RFID) is increasingly being presented as a technology with the potential to improve supply chain performance, but empirical evidence from early adopters is sparse. This paper aims to rectify this scarcity and contribute to a more informed discussion in and between academic and practitioner communities.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on a conceptual model of factors influencing the success of adoption efforts. It then reports the results of a survey of 612 European supply chain managers, focusing on the 128 respondents who have begun RFID trials.
Findings
A significant influence on operational deployment is the presence of mandates from key customers requiring the technology's use. Customer mandates also impact the anticipated benefits of a faster sales cycle and of enhanced systems integration, though the relationships are complex. By contrast, greater cost reduction benefits are anticipated in two industries where mandates are less common – industrial goods and logistics. Perceived organizational innovativeness positively impacts anticipated ROI from RFID. Companies adopting a “slap and ship” approach are less likely to anticipate pricing benefits than those integrating RFID into enterprise systems.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of the paper include the limited sample size of early adopters. In addition, qualitative research is needed into RFID supply chain applications and into different approaches to IS integration of RFID, to inform future survey work.
Practical implications
This paper informs supply chain managers and senior decision makers who are examining the potential of RFID technology. It offers guidance on what issues to look for when adopting this technology, approaches to take and the benefits that might be accrued.
Originality/value
This paper offers a contribution to understanding the current status of the adoption of RFID in European supply chains. This understanding is put in the context of the wider literatures on supply chain management and the adoption of information systems and technology.
Details
Keywords
Any attempt to generalize when referring to Latin America is extremely hazardous, since economic causes, effects and trends vary from country to country and there is always some…
Abstract
Any attempt to generalize when referring to Latin America is extremely hazardous, since economic causes, effects and trends vary from country to country and there is always some exception to the rule. This is understandable with an area covering a land surface more than four times the size of Europe and containing no less than twenty countries, one of which, Brazil, is larger than the United States. I think this brings me to the first fundamental point regarding Latin America: it cannot be regarded as a single unit. Each of the twenty countries, for the purpose of any effective study, must be regarded as an individual entity. Failure to appreciate this has been the cause of a great many mistakes on the part of British exporters in the past, and even today.
Advances in adaptive computing technology provide opportunities forpeople with disabilities to access information and participate insociety. But some networking tools, especially…
Abstract
Advances in adaptive computing technology provide opportunities for people with disabilities to access information and participate in society. But some networking tools, especially those based on graphical user interfaces, threaten to erode the accessibility of electronic resources. This paper offers a brief overview of adaptive technology for computers and networking and identifies a number of issues that must be addressed in order for people with disabilities to become full participants in online activities.
Details
Keywords
Briefly reviews previous literature by the author before presenting an original 12 step system integration protocol designed to ensure the success of companies or countries in…
Abstract
Briefly reviews previous literature by the author before presenting an original 12 step system integration protocol designed to ensure the success of companies or countries in their efforts to develop and market new products. Looks at the issues from different strategic levels such as corporate, international, military and economic. Presents 31 case studies, including the success of Japan in microchips to the failure of Xerox to sell its invention of the Alto personal computer 3 years before Apple: from the success in DNA and Superconductor research to the success of Sunbeam in inventing and marketing food processors: and from the daring invention and production of atomic energy for survival to the successes of sewing machine inventor Howe in co‐operating on patents to compete in markets. Includes 306 questions and answers in order to qualify concepts introduced.
Details
Keywords
Gives an in depth view of the strategies pursued by the world’s leading chief executive officers in an attempt to provide guidance to new chief executives of today. Considers the…
Abstract
Gives an in depth view of the strategies pursued by the world’s leading chief executive officers in an attempt to provide guidance to new chief executives of today. Considers the marketing strategies employed, together with the organizational structures used and looks at the universal concepts that can be applied to any product. Uses anecdotal evidence to formulate a number of theories which can be used to compare your company with the best in the world. Presents initial survival strategies and then looks at ways companies can broaden their boundaries through manipulation and choice. Covers a huge variety of case studies and examples together with a substantial question and answer section.
Details
Keywords
History teachers are continually seeking new ways in which they can actively involve their students and allow them to think more creatively. Creating local history projects allows…
Abstract
History teachers are continually seeking new ways in which they can actively involve their students and allow them to think more creatively. Creating local history projects allows students to look beyond the information on the pages of their text and forces them to look deeper into the history of their local environment. Properly constructed community and local history projects assist students in “actually doing history” and engage them in authentic activities directly related to the study of history. As educators, we need to utilize the communities in which we live, because they offer a wealth of opportunities for learning and continue to be one of the least tapped resources for social studies teaching (Martorella, 1998). Presented in this paper are methods and resources that can be used when conducting local histories in the K-12 classrooms in a manner encouraging students to engage in historical inquiry in authentic and meaningful ways.
Janice Denegri‐Knott and Mark Tadajewski
The purpose of this paper is to produce a critical history of MP3 technology in an effort to show how its stature as the digital music format of choice had nothing to do with…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to produce a critical history of MP3 technology in an effort to show how its stature as the digital music format of choice had nothing to do with music or associated industries and that its configuration as a product to be bought and sold was unintended.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach is reminiscent of Michel Foucault's critical histories, which sought to problematise our current understanding of existing cultural arrangements by unearthing the conditions that made the production of knowledge and their accompanying artefacts possible.
Findings
The paper documents how MP3s emerged by outlining the conditions that made its production viable, showing how before MP3s were profiled as commodities to be bought and sold online, the composite of technologies making up the standard MPEG1‐Layer III were objects of knowledge within the fields of electrical engineering and psychoacoustics, and later a process of compression used mainly by audio broadcasting professionals. The paper concludes by examining MPEG1‐Layer III's reconstitution as MP3: its formal configuration and valuation, first as a license for the broadcasting industry to compress sound and then as a “free‐ware” application distributed online.
Originality/value
The paper problematises the taken for granted status of commodities, in this case, MP3s, as digital music to be bought and sold, by revealing how they emerged. At a more parochial level, it produces a competing history of MP3 technology which until now has not been told.
Details
Keywords
Text information retrieval systems fall into three main categories: full text, free vocabulary, controlled vocabulary. Using the software ADABAS and NATURAL, we developed and…
Abstract
Text information retrieval systems fall into three main categories: full text, free vocabulary, controlled vocabulary. Using the software ADABAS and NATURAL, we developed and implemented an Information Retrieval System for the National Television and Radio Network. The system falls into the free vocabulary and controlled vocabulary categories and constitutes an adaptable model for information retrieval applications in other areas as well.
William H. Warden and Bette M. Warden
Microcomputers are rapidly becoming commonplace in libraries today and will become even more so as prices fall and capabilities increase. Microcomputers can provide a wide range…
Abstract
Microcomputers are rapidly becoming commonplace in libraries today and will become even more so as prices fall and capabilities increase. Microcomputers can provide a wide range of services, from being an integral part of a circulation system to serving as a terminal to access online databases and information utilities such as the Source or CompuServe. Software can be purchased or developed to assist in online literature searching (record keeping or standardization of database commands). Database packages, or even word processing programs, can be used to help compile local newspaper indexes or other local information files. Statistical packages can be used to analyze library usage and even the laborious task of writing reports or letters can be greatly aided by word processing programs. Even though the availability of software is a determining factor in choosing a microcomputer, this report will concentrate on meeting the hardware needs of individual libraries.
The Austin Company of UK Ltd is supervising the construction of a £6.3 million state‐of‐the‐art warehouse for Sandoz Products Ltd. To ensure that the pharmaceutical manufacturer…
Abstract
The Austin Company of UK Ltd is supervising the construction of a £6.3 million state‐of‐the‐art warehouse for Sandoz Products Ltd. To ensure that the pharmaceutical manufacturer has 100% inventory accuracy, the distribution centre will be equipped with an advanced radio frequency bar‐coding system.