Estimating additionality and leverage:between public and private sector equity finance in Ireland (2000 – 2002)

This paper aims to contribute to the debate about the role of the public sector in stimulating greater use of private sector equity for business start-up and growth in two ways. First, to examine the extent to which the provision of public sector equity finance enables individual firms to raise additional funds in the private sector market place. Second, to consider the methodological implications for an economic impact assessment of industrial policy interventions (especially those which include an equity component) at the level of the individual firm. We assess the extent to which there may be indirect positive effects (externalities) associated with public sector financial assistance to individual firms and if so how they distort standard evaluation methodologies designed to estimate the level of additionality of that support. The paper draws upon the results of a recent study of the impact of Enterprise Ireland (EI) financial assistance to indigenous Irish industry in the period 2000 to 2002. The paper demonstrates that a process of re-calibration is necessary in estimates of economic impact in order to account for these positive externalities and the result in this study was a ‘boost’ to additionality. In operational and conceptual terms, the study underlines the importance of the relationship between private and public sector sources of equity finance as an important dynamic in the attempt by industrial and regional policy to stimulate the number of firms with viable investment proposals accessing external equity finance.

The determinants of export performance:evidence for manufacturing plants in Ireland and Northern Ireland

The dramatic GDP and export growth of Ireland over the last decade forms a marked contrast with that of its nearest neighbour Northern Ireland. In Ireland, export volume growth averaged 15.5% p.a. from 1991 to 1999 compared with 6.3% from Northern Ireland. Using data on individual manufacturing plants this paper considers the determinants of export performance in the two areas. Larger, externally owned plants with higher skill levels are found to have the highest export propensities in both areas. Other influences (plant age, R&D, etc.) prove more strongly conditional on location, plant size, and ownership. Structural factors (e.g. ownership, industry) explain almost all of the difference in export propensity between larger plants in Northern Ireland and Ireland but only around one-third of that between smaller plants. Significant differences are also evident between plants in terms of their sources of new technology. For indigenously owned plants, inhouse R&D is important. For externally owned plants, R&D conducted elsewhere in the group - typically outside Ireland and Northern Ireland - proves more significant. This external dependency and lower than expected export propensity on the part of small plants in Northern Ireland represent significant policy challenges for the future.© 2006 Scottish Economic Society. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Development of a prescribing indicator for objective quantification of antibiotic usage in secondary care

Objectives: To compare the recognized defined daily dose per 100 bed-days (DDD/100 bed-days) measure with the defined daily dose per finished consultant episode (DDD/FCE) in a group of hospitals with a variety of medicines management strategies. To compare antibiotic usage using the above indicators in hospitals with and without electronic prescribing systems. Methods: Twelve hospitals were used in the study. Nine hospitals were selected and split into three cohorts (three high-scoring, three medium-scoring and three low-scoring) by their 2001 medicines management self-assessment scores (MMAS). An additional cohort of three electronic prescribing hospitals was included for comparison. MMAS were compared to antibiotic management scores (AMS) developed from a questionnaire relating specifically to control of antibiotics. FCEs and occupied bed-days were obtained from published statistics and statistical analyses of the DDD/100 bed-days and DDD/FCE were carried out using SPSS. Results: The DDD/100 bed-days varied from 81.33 to 189.37 whilst the DDD/FCE varied from 2.88 to 7.43. The two indicators showed a high degree of correlation with r = 0.74. MMAS were from 9 to 22 (possible range 0-23) and the AMS from 2 to 13 (possible range 0-22). The two scores showed a high degree of correlation with r = 0.74. No correlation was established between either indicator and either score. Conclusions: The WHO indicator for medicines utilization, DDD/100 bed-days, exhibited the same level of conformity as that exhibited from the use of the DDD/FCE indicating that the DDD/FCE is a useful additional indicator for identifying hospitals which require further study. The MMAS can be assumed to be an accurate guide to antibiotic medicines management controls. No relationship has been found between a high degree of medicines management control and the quantity of antibiotic prescribed. © The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy; 2004 all rights reserved.

Development and validaton of an indicator to compare antibiotic usage in secondary care in England

The use of antibiotics was investigated in twelve acute hospitals in England. Data was collected electronically and by questionnaire for the financial years 2001/2, 2002/3 and 2003/4. Hospitals were selected on the basis of their Medicines Management Self-Assessment Scores (MMAS) and included a cohort of three hospitals with integrated electronic prescribing systems. The total sample size was 6.65% of English NHS activity for 2001/2 based on Finished Consultant Episode (FCE) numbers. Data collected included all antibiotics dispensed (ATC category J01), hospital activity FCE's and beddays, Medicines Management Self-assessment scores, Antibiotic Medicines Management scores (AMS), Primary Care Trust (PCT) of origin of referral populations, PCT antibiotic prescribing rates, Index of Multiple Deprivation for each PCT. The DDD/FCE (Defined Daily Dose/FCE) was found to correlate with the DDD 100beddays (r = 0.74 pindicating this is a useful additional indicator for identifying hospitals that require further study. Antibiotic use increased from a mean 4.16 DDD/FCE in 2001/2 to 4.35 DDD/FCE in 2003/4. Antibiotic use in the electronic prescribing cohort was found to be lower, than the sample mean at 3.48 DDD/FCE in 2001/2 and 3.34 DDD/FCE in 2003/4. The MMAS and AMS were found to correlate (r = 0.74 ping the use of the MMAS as an indication of control of antibiotic use. No correlation was found between the MMAS and a range of qualitative indicators of antibiotic use. A number of indicators are proposed as triggers for further investigation including a proportion of 0.24 for the ratio of third generation to first/second generation cephalosporin use, and five percent as the limit for parenteral quinolone DOD of total quinolone DOD usage. It was possible to demonstrate a correlation between the IMD 2000 and primary care antibiotic prescribing rates but not between primary and secondary care antibiotic prescribing rates for the same referral population or between the weighted mean IMD 2000 for each hospital's referral population and the hospital antibiotic prescribing rate.

An Investigation into Outsourcing Practice in Ireland:A New Direction in Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Companies are increasingly focusing on the development of core competencies as an integral part of their overall strategy development and implementation. The corollary of this is that functions regarded as being non-core are being outsourced. This paper investigates the case for and against outsourcing and in addition what is happening in Ireland regards outsourcing. Furthermore to analysis of current literature in the field, an Irish-wide postal and e-mail survey, as well as three case studies revealed many interesting facts. The key findings of the work are manufacturing outsourcing is now the most popular function to be outsourced for both small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises. Large enterprises (LEs) do not prepare or examine hidden costs more than SMEs, nor do they differ much in relation to the use of consultants. Furthermore, the importance of time spent on preparing or producing contract, and the impact the contract can have on the supplier-buyer relation do not differ significantly. It was found that most companies outsourced within Ireland, which led to further investigation in that area. In relation to logistics outsourcing specifically, this has become very important in the supply chain over the last 20 years as an activity that was traditionally handled by firms as a support function. At that time logistics activities such as warehousing, distribution, transportation and inventory management were given low priority compared with other business functions within the organisation. However, since the customer has become more demanding, the logistics function has now become a source of competitive advantage and there has been a growing emphasis on providing good customer service.

Techonology usage in the supply chain:the case of small 3PLs

In today's supply chain management practices, a successful strategy depends increasingly on the performance of third party logistics (3PLs) providers as they play a key integrative role linking the different supply chain elements more effectively. Information and communications technology (ICT) has become an important element of 3PL competitive capability as it enables higher levels of supply chain integration. Recent industry developments have widened the technological gap between large and small 3PLs. This is critical particularly for those markets populated by a large number of small 3PLs such as the Italian logistics industry. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of ICT adoption in small logistics service providers. The focus of the study is the Italian 3PL market. The methodology adopted in this paper is based on the action research framework and it is a combination of theoretical analysis and empirical findings (focus groups and surveys). Firstly, a literature review on ICT dissemination in the international and Italian 3PL industry has been carried out. Then, a field survey has been developed preceded by two focus groups. The empirical investigation examined a sample of 153 small Italian 3PLs on the base of a definition and taxonomy proposed by the authors. The results provide a useful technological profile of the surveyed companies, as well as an analysis of the role of ICT in customising services and of the factors influencing ICT adoption. To give a more robust scientific justification of the survey results, it would be useful to carry out an additional large-scale analysis including other countries with a high presence of small logistics service companies. Furthermore, a complementary case-study analysis would be of help in defining the role of specific factors in different types of 3PL. Further investigations in this field are needed to better understand innovation paths, and how ICT can improve the competitive capabilities of 3PLs and of the wider supply chain. Managers of small 3PLs can use the findings to set-up guidelines for improving a company's technology innovation. Technology vendors can use the findings to better market their service/product into the small logistics service provider segment. Despite the fact that much has been written about the dissemination of ICT, there is still a shortage of research in the field of small 3PLs with little empirical investigation into the usage of ICT by small 3PLs. This paper provides a contribution to filling this void and suggests some possible research directions.

A case study analysis on information and communication technology usage in small logistics service companies

The impact of ICT (information and communications technology) on the logistics service industry is reshaping its organisation and structure. Within this process, the nature of changes resulting from ICT dissemination in small 3PLs (third party logistics providers) is still unclear, although a large number of logistics service markets, especially in the EU context, are populated by a high number of small 3PLs. In addition, there is still a gap in the literature where the role of technological capability in small 3PLs is seriously underestimated. This gives rise to the need to develop investigation in this area. The paper presents the preliminary results of a case study analysis on ICT usage in a sample of 7 small Italian 3PLs. The results highlight some of the barriers to effective ICT implementation, as well as some of the critical success factors.

Integrated logistics and supply chain management:the state of practice in Ireland

The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland were provided with aid to offset locational disadvantages in the run up to the Single European Market. Since then the Republic has emerged as the fastest growing member of the E.U. Success has not been underpinned by the transport system, suggesting that business has had to overcome locational disadvantages by strong performance elsewhere in the supply chain. The evidence indicates that there are Irish firms operating supply chain management techniques at a truly international standard. The problem is that there are so few in that category Meeting Ireland’s competitiveness challenge means closing the gap between the small group of large and foreign-owned firms, which display excellence in SCM, and the larger group of indigenous small and medium size businesses, which do not.

Outsourcing in Ireland:a literature review, survey and case study perspective

This paper investigates what is happening in Ireland at the moment regards outsourcing. It looks into the literature review and the survey conducted. The research took place over a period of two years, initially as a literature review, and then the survey was conducted through the mediums of e-mail and the postal service. The survey analysis found that Ireland was the most likely place for Irish companies to outsource to, and that nearly 40 percent of the companies that have been surveyed have started on their latest outsourcing initiative since 2004. This indicates that outsourcing is still important on the Island on Ireland, and is important management strategy in terms of SCM (supply chain management). It further shows that Irish companies have confidence in the fact that outsourcing can help their companys’ in some way. The purpose of the literature review and the survey was to come up with an outsourcing roadmap for companies that are considering outsourcing. It builds on what is already in the literature to provide what is felt a comprehensive guide for companies that outsource.

Outsourcing in Ireland:a literature review, survey and case study perspective

Outsourcing, or offshoring as it is now known, has been around for many decades. In the beginning it was only the very peripheral activities that were blue-collar (lower skilled) work outsourced, but this is now all changing with the outsourcing of white-collar jobs. Historically outsourcing was used when organisation could not perform to world-class excellence in all sectors of the organisation due to incompetence of staff and/or management, lack of capacity, financial pressures, and/or technological pressures. The research currently underway is initially focusing on a literature review of current outsourcing applications in the market place and what impact outsourcing has on business performance. This paper will present the findings of the initial literature review. It will also discuss the methodology being followed to explore the Irish Industrial Sector.

An exploratory study of ICT usage in small logistics service providers

Information and communication technology (ICT) developments have strongly affected supply chain management (SCM) in recent years. ICT has had a great impact on all supply chain processes including planning, purchasing, production management, stock management, physical distribution and related integration management. Technology has become an important dimension of third party logistics (3PL) service supply as competitive advantage increasingly depends on the ability to create value for customers through the effective application of ICT. Within this process, while large 3PLs are gaining substantial benefits from technology usage and implementation, the magnitude of changes spurred by ICT dissemination in small logistics service providers remains unclear. This is reflected by the existing gap in literature where the role and competitive developing processes of small 3PLs are seriously underestimated. This gives rise to the need to develop research and investigation in this particular area. The objective of this paper is to narrow the knowledge gap in the field of ICT adoption in small 3PLs through an empirical investigation. It presents the results of a survey on a sample of small Italian 3PLs.