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1 – 10 of over 280000Generic business process models for the supply chain do not cover the specific requirements of the cold chain catering to the needs of temperature-sensitive, perishable goods. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Generic business process models for the supply chain do not cover the specific requirements of the cold chain catering to the needs of temperature-sensitive, perishable goods. The purpose of this paper is to draft a reference model specific to the cold chain.
Design/methodology/approach
Following an object-oriented modeling approach, conceptual elements that have been synthesized from a literature review are transferred into the static view (object model) of the reference model. In addition, the reference model’s dynamic properties representing the business process view are outlined.
Findings
While a few atomic process steps are sufficient to model the cold chain’s dynamic properties, the complexity of the cold chain lies in the object model. The classes of the object model are highly interrelated and cover four domains: perishable product, information technology, infrastructure/equipment and regulatory framework. This technical approach is more adequate to the complex nature of cold chains than typical business process models.
Research limitations/implications
In the present draft status, the reference model is limited by the pure conceptual approach of this paper. As it is in the nature of things for a draft of a reference model, case studies to challenge the draft and a discourse of experts are required before detailed specifications can be added or any software implementation can be started. It is expected that the reference model is able to substantially support further research on cold chain design and optimization.
Practical implications
The cold chain reference model is intended to be a standard toolbox for planning and evaluating cold chains. By integrating the technical, information technology and regulatory objects behind the business processes, it allows to design and analyze cold chains from a more holistic perspective.
Originality/value
To the best knowledge of the author, this paper is the first to outline a reference model for the cold chain that goes beyond the business processes.
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Stephanie Alexander and Diana K. Wakimoto
This study aims to investigate the reference and public service models used at academic libraries in the California State University system.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the reference and public service models used at academic libraries in the California State University system.
Design/methodology/approach
This exploratory study used a qualitative mixed methods design with an online survey and follow-up interviews with public services librarians.
Findings
The majority of the libraries in this study continue to use a traditional reference model with a physical desk staffed by librarians. Some libraries have moved to tiered or on-call reference using students and staff to triage patron questions. The majority of libraries’ public service points also follow a traditional configuration with separate service points for reference and other library public services.
Research limitations/implications
As this research is limited to one public university system, the results may not be generalizable to all academic libraries. Replicating this research in other systems would increase the generalizability of the results and allow for the generation of potential best practices for reference models and public service point configurations.
Practical implications
Librarians who are considering changes to their reference models and service point layouts can use the results as a starting point for conversations about the benefits and challenges of various models as well provide support to create an environment where changes to the models can be successfully implemented.
Originality/value
This study is one of the few to investigate multiple academic libraries’ approaches to reference and public services in the research literature. As such, it addresses a gap in the literature that case studies alone cannot fill.
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Habin Lee, Zahir Irani, Ibrahim H. Osman, Asim Balci, Sevgi Ozkan and Tunc D. Medeni
This paper aims to introduce a European project CEES to develop a standard for the evaluation of Electronic Government (e‐Government) services from a citizen satisfaction…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to introduce a European project CEES to develop a standard for the evaluation of Electronic Government (e‐Government) services from a citizen satisfaction perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
The aim, objectives, methodology, and deliverables of the project CEES are detailed. Furthermore, the challenges of the development of a reference process model in different countries are addressed and academic and practical implications of the project for the citizen‐oriented evaluation of e‐Government services are discussed.
Findings
A reference process model for the evaluation of e‐Government services from a citizens' perspective receives strong support from experiences in other similar areas such as software process and information systems governance. The reference model needs to overcome such challenges as the differences in culture, the maturity of e‐Government systems, and citizens‐government relationships.
Practical implications
The research is expected to trigger international collaboration to develop international standards for the evaluation of e‐Government services.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the literature by enriching the views on e‐Government services and their evaluation via introducing a reference model concept. The CEES project will be the first attempt to apply the reference model concept in the information systems evaluation domain. Despite the wide adoption of reference models in software process, software design, and business process automation, the concept is yet to be applied to the IS evaluation domain.
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To judge from the published literature, recent conference topics, or any listserv where academic reference issues are discussed, reference service reforms are in the air. A steady…
Abstract
To judge from the published literature, recent conference topics, or any listserv where academic reference issues are discussed, reference service reforms are in the air. A steady increase in the sheer number of users seeking reference help, driven largely by the proliferation of new information technologies, has led to a questioning of the traditional structure and mission of the library reference desk. Brandeis University Libraries' approach, which has been described by Virginia Massey‐Burzio, is one example of such a reform. The essential change that the Brandeis model entailed was this: Brandeis' Main Library had included a reference desk at which one librarian at a time was assisted by one graduate student helper. Under the new model, reference services are divided in two: the graduate assistants staff an information desk, which is responsible for concerns like directional questions and quick look‐ups, while the librarians staff a research consultation office where more substantive questions are dealt with at greater length. The primary goal of this tiered approach, which we call the “research consultation model,” was to improve services to the classes of patrons who most need professional reference assistance, while also increasing professional job satisfaction in the face of the ongoing information explosion. (A more complete description of the model is given below under the heading: “Some characteristics of a research consultation model.”)
Lixue Zou, Xiwen Liu, Wray Buntine and Yanli Liu
Full text of a document is a rich source of information that can be used to provide meaningful topics. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how to use citation context (CC…
Abstract
Purpose
Full text of a document is a rich source of information that can be used to provide meaningful topics. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how to use citation context (CC) in the full text to identify the cited topics and citing topics efficiently and effectively by employing automatic text analysis algorithms.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors present two novel topic models, Citation-Context-LDA (CC-LDA) and Citation-Context-Reference-LDA (CCRef-LDA). CC is leveraged to extract the citing text from the full text, which makes it possible to discover topics with accuracy. CC-LDA incorporates CC, citing text, and their latent relationship, while CCRef-LDA incorporates CC, citing text, their latent relationship and reference information in CC. Collapsed Gibbs sampling is used to achieve an approximate estimation. The capacity of CC-LDA to simultaneously learn cited topics and citing topics together with their links is investigated. Moreover, a topic influence measure method based on CC-LDA is proposed and applied to create links between the two-level topics. In addition, the capacity of CCRef-LDA to discover topic influential references is also investigated.
Findings
The results indicate CC-LDA and CCRef-LDA achieve improved or comparable performance in terms of both perplexity and symmetric Kullback–Leibler (sKL) divergence. Moreover, CC-LDA is effective in discovering the cited topics and citing topics with topic influence, and CCRef-LDA is able to find the cited topic influential references.
Originality/value
The automatic method provides novel knowledge for cited topics and citing topics discovery. Topic influence learnt by our model can link two-level topics and create a semantic topic network. The method can also use topic specificity as a feature to rank references.
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The purpose of this paper is to present a supply chain process modelling method adapted to the requirements of humanitarian organisations.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a supply chain process modelling method adapted to the requirements of humanitarian organisations.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical research was conducted to identify the state of practice of supply chain management (SCM) in humanitarian organisations. An established procedure was selected, in order to develop a reference task model which forms the basis of the process modelling method. A literature review, expert interviews and other primary sources were used to identify the SCM activities that are required for the reference task model.
Findings
An empirical survey revealed that process modelling and optimisation are in their infancy at humanitarian organisations. A reference task model identifying over 100 SCM tasks is constructed. The applicability and feasibility of the developed process modelling method is exemplified by means of a case study.
Research limitations/implications
The reference task model provides the basis for further research on process modelling and optimisation in humanitarian supply chains.
Practical implications
The process modelling method supports humanitarian organisations in modelling and optimising their supply chain processes. Standardisation of supply chain processes is promoted which can be a key to improving operational effectiveness and efficiency as well as cooperation and coordination in humanitarian operations.
Originality/value
No rigorous supply chain process modelling technique adapted to the requirements of humanitarian organisations has yet been proposed. Likewise, to date, no comprehensive task model, which enables the construction of supply chain processes for humanitarian organisations, has been developed.
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Peter De Maeyer and Hooman Estelami
The objective of this paper is to propose and empirically test a potential mechanism for how consumers form reference prices. The proposed peak‐end rule of reference price…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this paper is to propose and empirically test a potential mechanism for how consumers form reference prices. The proposed peak‐end rule of reference price formation says that reference prices are formed as a weighted average of the highest observed price and the most recent price.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors argue why the peak‐end rule observed in satisfaction contexts may also apply to the process by which consumers form reference prices. They then test the proposed peak‐end rule using IRI scanner panel data for decaffeinated coffee.
Findings
Fit and predictive validity of a choice model improves when a reference price term based on the peak‐end rule is added. While the most recent price has a greater impact on reference price, the effect of the highest observed peak price is also significant, managerially and statistically.
Research limitations/implications
The study provides evidence for a novel and behaviorally plausible reference price formation process.
Practical implications
Temporarily charging a high price has a longer‐lasting effect on reference price than would be suggested by other reference price models, which typically involve a quickly decaying lag effect. Temporarily charging a very high price to restore the reference price may therefore be a useful pricing tactic.
Originality/value
While the peak‐end rule is amply supported as a mechanism by which consumers form global satisfaction judgements, its application to reference price formation is novel, and has some potentially useful implications.
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Martin Aruldoss, Miranda Lakshmi Travis and V. Prasanna Venkatesan
Bankruptcy is a financial failure of a business or an organization. Different kinds of bankruptcy prediction techniques are proposed to predict it. But, they are restricted as…
Abstract
Purpose
Bankruptcy is a financial failure of a business or an organization. Different kinds of bankruptcy prediction techniques are proposed to predict it. But, they are restricted as techniques in predicting the bankruptcy and not addressing the associated activities like acquiring the suitable data and delivering the results to the user after processing it. This situation demands to look for a comprehensive solution for predicting bankruptcy with intelligence. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
To model Business Intelligence (BI) solution for BP the concept of reference model is used. A Reference Model for Business Intelligence to Predict Bankruptcy (RMBIPB) is designed by applying unit operations as hierarchical structure with abstract components. The layers of RMBIPB are constructed from the hierarchical structure of the model and the components, which are part of the reference model. In this model, each layer is designed based on the functional requirements of the Business Intelligence System (BIS).
Findings
This reference model exhibits the non functional software qualities intended for the appropriate unit operations. It has flexible design in which techniques are selected with minimal effort to conduct the bankruptcy prediction. The same reference model for another domain can be implemented with different kinds of techniques for bankruptcy prediction.
Research limitations/implications
This model is designed using unit operations and the software qualities exhibited by RMBIPB are limited by unit operations. The data set which is applied in RMBIPB is limited to Indian banks.
Originality/value
A comprehensive bankruptcy prediction model using BI with customized reporting.
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Aitor Bilbao‐Guillerna, Manuel de la Sen and Santiago Alonso‐Quesada
The purpose of this paper is to improve the transient response and the inter‐sample behavior of a model reference adaptive control system by an appropriate selection of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to improve the transient response and the inter‐sample behavior of a model reference adaptive control system by an appropriate selection of the fractional order hold (FROH) gain β and the multirate gains used in the control reconstruction signal through a fully freely chosen reference model even when the continuous plant possesses unstable zeros.
Design/methodology/approach
A multiestimation adaptive control scheme for linear time‐invariant continuous‐time plant with unknown parameters is presented. The set of discrete adaptive models is calculated from a different combination of the correcting gain β in a FROH and the set of gains to reconstruct the plant input under multirate sampling with fast input sampling. Then the scheme selects online the model with the best continuous‐time tracking performance which includes a measure of the inter‐sample ripple, which is improved. The estimated discrete unstable zeros are avoided through an appropriate design of the multirate gains so that the reference model might be freely chosen with no constraints on potential unstable zeros.
Findings
The scheme is able to select online the discretization model with the best continuous‐time tracking performance without an appropriate initialization.
Research limitations/implications
The switching mechanism among the different models should maintain in operation the active discretization model at least for a minimum residence time in order to guarantee closed‐loop stability. The inter‐sample behavior is improved, but it is not always completely removed.
Practical implications
The transient response and the inter‐sample behavior are improved by using this multiestimation‐based discrete controller compared with a single estimation‐based one. The implementation of discrete controllers makes it easier and cheaper to implement and also more reliable than continuous‐time controllers.
Originality/value
The main innovation of the paper compared with previous background work is that the reference output is supplied by a stable continuous transfer function. Then the scheme is able to partly regulate the continuous‐time tracking error while the controller is essentially discrete‐time and operated by a FROH in general.
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Nikolaos A. Panayiotou and Konstantinos E. Stergiou
The purpose of this paper is the development of a reference model contributing to the identification of the retail supply chain activities that can be improved by the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is the development of a reference model contributing to the identification of the retail supply chain activities that can be improved by the implementation of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) initiatives, following DMAIC steps and using proposed tools, based on contemporary technologies and best practices.
Design/methodology/approach
The reference model was developed combining the existing literature knowledge about the areas of supply chain that LSS can improve and the data collected by two big retailers in Greece about their supply chain operation. The integration of two sources of information led to the modeling of the retail supply chain processes and the proposal of appropriate LSS initiatives for their improvement.
Findings
This paper aimed to detect the pain points of a retail supply chain, which can be achieved by following the steps of DMAIC and applying specific LSS initiatives as described in the reference model, to introduce the trends of the sector in terms of logistics and supply chain.
Practical implications
The reference model of this paper can be used as a comprehensive guide of LSS implementation in the retail supply chain and help the companies of such a significant sector for the economy.
Originality/value
The literature review revealed that there is a lack of publications concerning LSS implementation in retail supply chain and in the retail sector in general. The development of this model contributes to the filling of this gap by providing a complete reference model, which strives to overcome the barriers of LSS adoption in retail supply chain.
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