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The level of trust in a service provider is an important decision factor when buying industrial services. Especially, the outcome uncertainties of services, its individuality, and asymmetric information between buyer and seller are some reasons that the evaluation of trust is a key component in service trading. Consequently, searching of potential new suppliers involves examining providers’ trustworthiness. This paper focuses on the study of online trust signals used by buyers, to assess provider’s trustworthiness in the context of industrial services. The main research objective is to propose the basis for a digital tool, which helps buyers to assess provider’s trustworthiness by providing a “standardized trustworthiness signal description” and “trust functionalities.” A particular approach is used, wherein different methods are mixed such as a case study, expert interviews, and a quantitative method following the guideline of the design science paradigm. The aim is to propose a useful tool for trustworthiness assessment to enhance e-markets for industrial services.

The purpose is to conceptually construct a service-dominant (S-D) logic-based integrated product service system (IPSS) business model.

The model is constructed through literature reviews and inferences.

IPSS model is in compliance with the ten fundamental premises of S-D logic as well as conforming to triple bottom lines of sustainability.

To convert a firm from goods-centric model to service-centric IPSS model is not easy. There are quite a few challenges to be overcome.

There are many successful cases adopting service-centric business model. The key success factors are to be identified in the future studies.

It is the first paper discussing the sustainability of IPSS model and its relationship with S-D logic.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the current state of logistics practices in healthcare organizations in Bogota, Colombia.

The assessment is based on case study research using open interviews, focused interviews, a questionnaire and direct observations as sources of evidence. Seven Colombian health care settings are analyzed: four public hospitals and three private clinics. Cross-case analysis allows the identification of patterns regarding supply management, inventory management, replenishment and use of information and communication technologies.

Manual procedures, poor planning, little recognition from top management and a lack of specialized personnel characterize the current situation. Innovative practices with a potential to improve the efficacy of logistics activities are rare, particularly in public hospitals.

Future research could replicate this study in other Colombian cities, in order to generalize the results to the whole country. It could also be interesting to document successful and less successful implementations of innovative logistics practices in Colombian hospitals to guide and promote their adoption.

The small number of cases considered, and the fact that the research is concentrated in one city, limits the generalizability of the results.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to explore the state of healthcare logistics practices in Colombia.

Este artículo explora el estado actual de las prácticas logísticas en los hospitales de Bogotá, Colombia.

La evaluación se basa en la investigación de un estudio de caso utilizando entrevistas abiertas, entrevistas centradas, un cuestionario y observaciones directas como fuentes de evidencia. Se analizan siete establecimientos de salud colombianos: cuatro hospitales públicos y tres clínicas privadas. El análisis cruzado de casos permite la identificación de patrones relacionados con la gestión del abastecimiento, la gestión de inventarios, la reposición y el uso de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC).

Los procedimientos manuales, la mala planificación, el escaso reconocimiento de la alta dirección y la falta de personal especializado caracterizan la situación actual. Las prácticas innovadoras con un potencial para mejorar la eficacia de las actividades logísticas son raras, particularmente en los hospitales públicos.

Este estudio se podría replicar en otras ciudades colombianas, con el fin de generalizar los resultados a todo el país. También podría ser interesante documentar implementaciones exitosas y menos exitosas de prácticas logísticas innovadoras en hospitales colombianos para guiar y promover su adopción.

El pequeño número de casos considerados, y el hecho de que la investigación se concentra en una ciudad, limita la generalización de nuestros resultados.

Según nuestro conocimiento, esta investigación es la primera en explorar el estado de las prácticas de logística hospitalaria en Colombia.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework for product service system (PSS) design for machine tools and discuss the PSS implementation issues focusing on the Indian machine tool business sector.

The paper opted for an exploratory survey conducted in the Indian machine tool sector including 39 in-depth interviews with employees of different organizations representing middle and senior management having decision-making authority. It also involves proposing a framework to address the stakeholder’s requirements for services that offers foundation for PSS designers.

The paper helps get an insights about key issues for PSS implementation by the Indian machine tool sector. The hybrid PSS model proposed in the paper can address the stakeholder’s requirements for flexibility in business models through different business phases.

The paper offers suggestions for the development of PSS for machine tools for designers and identify issues to be considered particularly in Indian machine tools business context.

This paper provides an insight to judge the feasibility of PSS concept for machine tools in Indian context and offers framework for PSS designers.

To make it easier for searchers to determine which databases contain citations on a specific question, BRS has developed an automatic cross‐database search capability named CROSS. This new feature enables users to ‘browse’ various files and identify which of them contain records of potential interest. Using CROSS the searcher can specify which databases he wishes the system to search. As a convenience, the system has grouped certain files, such as life sciences databases or business databases, so that, if desired, the user may simply enter a single digit to specify which files should be searched. Once the specified files have been identified, a ‘postings’ list appears, telling the user how many appropriate citations are present in each of the files. Once the user determines which databases will yield the desired results, however, it is still necessary to change over to the individual databases to enter the strategy and retrieve the actual items. Nevertheless, this facility should prove very valuable to searchers with cross‐disciplinary queries.

Information can be retrieved by direct interrogation of a remote computer by means of a keyboard terminal and a telephone. The advantages of such an online system are fast access to large quantities of data and the opportunity to refine the enquiry by conversing with the computer. At present, data bases can be used to determine if a translation of a document, or an alternative, already exists. They can assist with translating particular words or phrases, especially in new subject areas. In the future, online systems may be exploited to produce more sophisticated aids, reflecting the structure of language.

VINE is produced at least four times a year with the object of providing up‐to‐date news of work being done in the automation of library housekeeping processes, principally in the UK. It is edited and substantially written by Tony McSean, Information Officer for Library Automation based in Southampton University Library and supported by a grant from the British Library Research and Development Department. Copyright for VINE articles rests with the British Library Board, but opinions expressed in VINE do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the British Library. The subscription to VINE is £10 per year and the subscription period runs from January to December.

Online Information Meeting — 1978 London, December 5–7,1978. Following the successful meeting held in London last year and reported in the March 1978 issue of this journal, Online Review is sponsoring the 2nd International Online Meeting which will be held at the Commonwealth Institute in London, England on December 5–7, 1978.

New survey of information conscious executives. New York, 3 May, 1983 — A survey has produced a new store of data on the demographies, psychographics and information needs of a select group of executives who frequently use information. Completion of the survey was announced by FIND/SVP, the New York‐based information service. The survey consisted of 500 completed telephone interviews of nearly 30‐minutes duration among a random selection of the 6,000 executives who use FIND/SVP's services.

This paper is an appraisal of the current word processing scene as it could apply to librarians and information workers. Some of the problems that are arising due to the introduction or proposed introduction of new technology are described and the concept of evolution rather than revolution is strongly proposed. A description of the systems available and the applications which could be of use to the profession are highlighted. The problems of acquiring equipment and, particularly, the choice some people are having to make between word processors and microcomputers is covered in some detail.