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Presents an approach for assessing the overall performance index (i.e. the relative value) of the suppliers asset base of an organization. Four sets of end‐result variables, for example the total service level (i.e. service level and its reliability), the total quality level (i.e. quality and reliability), the after‐sales service level and the effective price level have been considered to reflect a supplier′s performance. Appropriate surrogate measures for assessing these variables have been suggested. The performance level of a supplier has been judged in relation to the nature of the item, its importance, criticality, situational context in which the supply has been made and the proportional volume of the total requirements supplied by that supplier. This is expressed as an overall performance index for the supplier. A study has been carried out in a small‐scale engineering unit to assess the relative value of its suppliers asset base for a five‐year period relative to the base period. The suppliers asset base has been found to be appreciating over the years reflecting the effectiveness of managing it.

This paper aims to examine the differences in quality and quantity of disclosures dealing with greenhouse gas emissions among companies with a relatively large or small carbon footprint. It also considers whether disclosures are being included in the primary report to stakeholders (an integrated report) or in a secondary source (a sustainability report).

A comprehensive carbon disclosure checklist was constructed based on professional and academic literature to identify and categorise carbon disclosures. Quality is gauged according to a multi-dimensional assessment derived from prior research based on density of reporting, disclosure attributes, management orientation, integration of information, ease of analysis, reporting on strategy, use of independent assurance and repetition. A content analysis is used to gauge the quantity and quality of carbon disclosures of 50 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Differences in the quantity and quality scores of high- and low-carbon companies are tested using a Mann–Whitney U test.

Carbon disclosures are used as part of a legitimacy management exercise. This involves not just the use of additional environmental disclosure to placate stakeholders as environmental impact grows. The quality of reporting and location of disclosures are, perhaps, more important for understanding how companies are responding to stakeholder expectations for reporting on carbon emissions and climate change.

Despite mounting scientific evidence on the risks posed by climate changes, companies remain reluctant to commit to high-quality reporting on specific steps being taken to reduce carbon emissions. Even when disclosures are being targeted at key stakeholders, the possibility of impression management remains. It may, therefore, be necessary to have carbon reporting regulated and independently assured. More guidance on how companies should be managing and reporting on carbon emissions and climate change may also be required.

Despite mounting scientific evidence on the risks posed by climate changes, companies remain reluctant to commit to high-quality reporting on specific steps being taken to reduce carbon emissions. Even when disclosures are being targeted at key stakeholders, the possibility of impression management remains. It may, therefore, be necessary to have carbon reporting regulated and independently assured. More guidance on how companies should be managing and reporting on carbon emissions and climate change may also be required.

The study merges the traditional approach of focusing on the quantity of disclosures to illustrate the application of legitimacy theory in a sustainability/integrated reporting setting with less-seldom-studied quality and location of reporting. This result provides a more nuanced perspective of how carbon disclosures are being used to manage stakeholders’ reporting expectations.

Successful supply chain (SC) design outlines a process for selecting compatible and competent partners and details their interrelationship at different nodes located in different echelons of the order fulfilment process. This paper aims to propose a quality‐oriented approach to such design that encourages all partners to grow in the business process.

The design approach features a central node, formed by competent business process operators or lead firms to coordinate SC functions between customers and suppliers. This co‐ordination includes functions like monitoring quality, quantity and cost figures on the supply‐partner side, while overseeing the order fulfilment process on the receiving‐partner‐retailer side. The result is ensured dispatching, distribution and delivery of the right product at the right time. A mathematical model is proposed to aid the co‐ordination and decision‐making process and numerical examples illustrate the applicability of the proposed model and its approach.

Placing a quality‐oriented co‐ordination process between the supply and receiving partners by following the proposed approach and mathematical model supports the development of an effective SC network that maximizes profit.

The proposed approach and mathematical model may be investigated further in the future with real world data from practical SC networks.

The paper's research improves the SC process by introducing a new SC network design that includes mathematical models for business planners to use in their co‐ordination of SC partners.

Looks at the privatisation of the Swedish telecommunication company, Televerket. Considers the stiffer competition the company will face and describes how, over the last couple of years, the company has developed its own Total Quality Index to meet its growing requirements. Defines a total quality index, adequate indicators for objective satisfaction, performance indicators, and the calculation of quality. Finally, details the implementation of the index.

The national customer satisfaction index (NCSI) shows that these indices compare and estimate the competitiveness and financial benefits for countries and industries. However, general enterprise uses the concepts of NCSI deficiently in the practice of CS activities. This paper will express the latent variables in the NCSI models of different countries in order to highlight all the efforts companies have made in promoting CS activities to win customers’ satisfaction and loyalty. Through the successful experience of a Taiwanese company, the relationship between the NCSI and the various concrete issues within the CS program is compared. Also, this article proposes the concept of a “matching rate” to show how the necessary concrete issues of all CS activities must link with the latent variables of NCSI. Finally, the managerial implications of the matching rate are explained, and it is suggested how an enterprise can use the rate to draw up the strategy of the CS program.

The total quality index (TQI) proposed in this study is an information technology‐supported benchmarking tool that helps managers assess a total quality management program by enabling the cost‐effective measurement of key organizational processes. TQI utilizes the analytic hierarchy process and the Delphi technique to measure ideal and actual quality management along eight critical factors synthesized by Saraph et al. and supported by subsequent research. A study utilizing TQI was conducted to evaluate the progress of quality management in clinical and non‐clinical settings. Eight clinical and six non‐clinical departments were selected from four different hospitals to participate in this study. The results show that, contrary to the common beliefs, there is little difference in the actual and ideal scores on the eight critical factors between the clinical and non‐clinical settings.

A study of the Spanish wine sector, in this case specifically the Designation of Origin (DO) Somontano, requires validation of the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI), which also needs to be improved and adapted to obtain more information on customer satisfaction. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

In this paper the ECSI model was applied, based on structural equation modeling (SEM) using the partial least squares.

An empirical analysis shows that the importance of customers’ expectations and perceived quality are the most influential factors in achieving satisfaction. Also highlighted in the new model is the linkage between service and product qualities in a unique variable, total quality.

In addition to validating the ECSI model for DO Somontano, a new innovative implementation was developed and tested to improve the calculation of satisfaction.

This paper aims to evaluate the association between carbohydrate quality index (CQI) and nutrient adequacy in Iranian adults.

A total of 268 men and women with ages ranged from 18 to 70 years were evaluated in a cross-sectional study. The CQI was calculated by adding together the three components, namely, the ratio of solid to total carbohydrate, dietary fiber and glycemic index. The scores of three components were summed to calculate the CQI, with a higher score indicating a higher dietary carbohydrate quality. The odds ratios (ORs) of nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), defined as the ratio of intake of a nutrient to the age- and gender-specific recommended dietary allowance, for the intake of energy and 10 nutrients across quartiles of the CQI were calculated by logistic regression analysis and expressed with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

CQI ranged between 3 to 15 (mean ± SD: 9 ± 1.9). Being in top versus bottom quartile of the CQI was associated with a higher NAR of folic acid (OR: 3.20, 95% CI: 1.06–9.62; P-trend: <0.001), vitamin A (OR: 3.66; 95% CI: 1.46–9.17; P-trend: <0.001), magnesium (OR: 5.94; 95% CI; 1.71–20.53; P-trend: <0.001), vitamin C (OR: 7.85; 95% CI; 2.99–20.59; P-trend: <0.001).

A higher CQI was associated with greater micronutrient consumption adequacy in Iranian adults. The results suggest that increasing the consumption of total fiber and solid carbohydrates and decreasing the glycemic index of the diet and liquid carbohydrates can improve micronutrient intake adequacy.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a structural model of factors determining quality of juices and to indicate major variables that are significant for further product development.

Juices of apples, oranges, grapefruits, black currants and mixed fruits were subjected to testing in order to determine the qualitative structure of fruit juices. The following determinations were carried out in all fruit‐juice samples: total solids (Brix), Brix other than sucrose, total acidity, pH, vitamin C content, total sugars, direct‐reducing‐sugar content, saccharose content and volatile acidity. In addition, a sensory assessment in a 5‐grade score scale was carried out, covering the sensory characteristics of taste, flavour and colour. Based on the results of sensory analysis, a total sensory quality index (TSQI) was calculated.

Values of the linear correlation coefficient were calculated, and force and direction of the interdependence between the measured juice quality factors were determined. Analysis of major components was applied to develop a model of the structure of quality characteristics of fruit juices and to disclose latent variables. It enabled disclosure of four independent (orthogonal) areas, which determine the quality of fruit juices, and explain 70 per cent of the total juice quality area. They are represented by: total sugars, total solids (Brix), sensory quality and total acidity.

The research enabled identification of factors determining the fruit juice quality. It may prove very useful for R&D departments, as it informs an enterprise of which areas to focus their product development efforts on. Reducing the number of the major factors to four reduces costs and shortens the time necessary for product design and development.

This paper aims at defining a structured process of continuous innovation in the product concept development phase by a statistical‐based Kansei engineering (KE) approach. It consists in the identification of quality elements satisfying both functional and emotional user needs, i.e. the total quality elements.

The approach is developed integrating results from Kano and KE analysis. Three statistical methods considered to be suitable for KE study, are used: supersaturated design for concept configuration, ordinal logistic regression for data analysis, and EVA method for quality evaluation of the optimal concept. These methods are compared with the most used ones in KE regarding their efficacy, efficiency and easiness of use. An innovative procedure to exhibit concepts in a KE session is also presented. It uses the abstraction and association idea principles to elicit users' grade of agreement for a particular Kansei word.

The proposed approach is fully exploited through a case study on train interior design, developed in a virtual reality (VR) laboratory. The evaluation of comfort improvements obtained by means of a new handle and handrail design is carried on with expert users in VR. A consistent increase of a quality index, by using the defined approach, was obtained.

This work aims at contributing to the conception of new product solutions, which are appealing and saleable. The availability of virtual reality technologies and software capable to manage complex statistical analyses, will concretely aid designers and engineers in the ideation of high‐emotional‐quality products, which can be helpful for innovative enterprises to maintain and even increase their market position.