Service innovation: Inward and outward related activities and cooperation mode

Knowledge of how customers co-create value, the way that suppliers and providers co-produce services, and how research and development centers and universities transfer technologies is becoming increasingly important to scholars' understanding of service innovation. This paper presents an analysis of the relationship between inward and outward innovation activities in service organizations and their modes of innovation, using network innovation premises and an extended innovation model. Empirical data from retail, health and education sector service organizations show the existence of a relationship between the degree of development of the inward innovation process and the degree of development of outward innovation activities. The majority of service organizations have innovation processes with an orientation toward customers and suppliers rather than other service network members, and leading service organizations follow a path that the literature defines as oriented toward the service value network. Findings lead to implications of how innovation managers could develop their internal innovation capacity to balance inward and outward activities properly.

Modelling of chloride penetration into non-saturated concrete: case study application for real marine offshore structures

The aim of this paper is to explain the chloride concentration profiles obtained experimentally from control samples of an offshore platform after 25 years of service life. The platform is located 12 km off the coast of the Brazilian province Rio Grande do Norte, in the north-east of Brazil. The samples were extracted at different orientations and heights above mean sea level. A simple model based on Fick’s second law is considered and compared with a finite element model which takes into account transport of chloride ions by diffusion and convection. Results show that convective flows significantly affect the studied chloride penetrations. The convection velocity is obtained by fitting the finite element solution to the experimental data and seems to be directly proportional to the height above mean sea level and also seems to depend on the orientation of the face of the platform. This work shows that considering solely diffusion as transport mechanism does not allow a good prediction of the chloride profiles. Accounting for capillary suction due to moisture gradients permits a better interpretation of the material’s behaviour

Enhanced reproducibility of SADI web service workflows with Galaxy and Docke

Background: Semantic Web technologies have been widely applied in the life sciences, for example by data providers such as OpenLifeData and through web services frameworks such as SADI. The recently reported OpenLifeData2SADI project offers access to the vast OpenLifeData data store through SADI services. Findings: This article describes how to merge data retrieved from OpenLifeData2SADI with other SADI services using the Galaxy bioinformatics analysis platform, thus making this semantic data more amenable to complex analyses. This is demonstrated using a working example, which is made distributable and reproducible through a Docker image that includes SADI tools, along with the data and workflows that constitute the demonstration. Conclusions: The combination of Galaxy and Docker offers a solution for faithfully reproducing and sharing complex data retrieval and analysis workflows based on the SADI Semantic web service design patterns.

Proposed 1985 Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease sale offshore the south Atlantic states : OCS sale no. 90 : draft environmental impact statement /

"MMS 84-0007"--Cover.

Proposed 1983 Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease sale offshore central California : OCS sale no. 73 /

Mode of access: Internet.

Offshore oil and gas development : a study prepared pursuant to the request of John H. Murphy, chairman for the use of the Ad Hoc Select Committee on Outer Continental Shelf.

Study prepared jointly by the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress and the Office of Technology Assessment.

"Streamlined auditing and monitoring of community based services: first steps toward a more efficient system for providers, state government, and the community" : report to the Illinois General Assembly as required by PA 96-1141 /

The Steering Committee recognizes that the Departments may need to implement reviews necessary to address specific Federal requirements and that while consolidated reporting should be used when possible, the review and reporting processes should facilitate the ability to garner Federal funding. However, the analysis thus far confirms the need for change and a significant potential to reduce redundant monitoring and reporting. At the end of this Executive Summary, there is a summary presentation, including a timeline and progress indicators, that gives more details on these recommendations.

Offshore airport planning : final report /

"Project no. 197-623-01 R. SRDS report no. RD-69-41."

Perceptions of Malingering or Factitious Disorder by Army Behavioral health Providers

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06

General practitioner, specialist providers case conferences in palliative care: Lessons learned from 56 case conferences

OBJECTIVE: To describe the utility and acceptability to general practitioners and palliative care staff of case conferences in palliative care. METHOD: Research focussed on case conferences conducted between GPs and staff of three specialist palliative care units (in an inner urban, outer metropolitan and regional setting), at the time of referral of patients to the service. Telephone interviews were conducted with all GPs who participated in a case conference, and focus groups were conducted with palliative care staff. RESULTS: For most GPs, case conferences by teleconference were a time effective and immediate means of information transfer. The best instances for a conference were at time of patient referral, time of discharge to the community, or where the case was complex. General practitioners appreciated access to multiple professionals simultaneously. Workload pressures were a drawback of participation for both GPs and specialists. Palliative care team members thought case conferences gave GPs an appreciation of a team approach, and reduced professional isolation. The usefulness of the case conferences depended on the willingness of the GP to participate. General practitioners would participate again provided they did not have to organise the case conference. Specialist staff were concerned by the financial cost of organising case conferences. DISCUSSION: Case conferences provide useful information exchange between GPs and specialist staff, and are acceptable to both parties. Much depends on the individual GPs attitude toward participation, as well as the timing of the conferences in the course of the patient's illness. Organisation needs to be a task of the specialist units, who would need administrative support to organise them. (author abstract)

Environmental factors that influence the community participation of adults with aphasia: The perspective of service industry workers

Background: The loss of language and the inability to communicate effectively as a result of aphasia often affects community participation. Within the World Health Organisation International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, disability is recognised as a dynamic interaction between the individual's health condition, such as aphasia, and his or her personal and environmental factors. There has been little research identifying the environmental facilitators and barriers to participation for people with aphasia in the community, and no research focusing on the perspective of service industry workers. Aims: This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to community participation for adults with aphasia from the perspective of service industry workers. Methods & Procedures: Eight focus groups were conducted with 24 service industry employees. Transcripts of the focus group discussions were analysed using qualitative content analysis procedures, and barriers to and facilitators for participation of people with aphasia were identified. Outcomes & Results: Results revealed that the participation of people with aphasia in the community can be affected by many environmental factors within three broad categories: (1) people environmental factors, (2) physical environmental factors, and (3) business or organisational environmental factors. Conclusions: Service industry employees were able to identify a range of factors that would act as barriers and facilitators for people with aphasia. Some of the more significant findings include the lack of other people's awareness about aphasia, the willingness of service industry workers at the individual level to accommodate people with aphasia, and the difficulty in making the necessary system, policy, and procedural changes at the organisational level. Speech pathologists are encouraged to assist service industry providers to be more aphasia-friendly through education and training, in addition to assisting people with aphasia to become self-advocates.

Premium e-grocery:exploring value in logistics integrated service solutions

E-grocery is gradually becoming viable or a necessity for many families. Yet, most e-supermarkets are seen as providers of low value "staple" and bulky goods mainly. While each store has a large number of SKU available, these products are mainly necessity goods with low marginal value for hedonistic consumption. A need to acquire diverse products (e.g., organic), premium priced products (e.g., wine) for special occasions (e.g., anniversary, birthday), or products just for health related reasons (e.g., allergies, diabetes) are yet to be served via one-stop e-tailers. In this paper, we design a mathematical model that takes into account consumers' geo-demographics and multi-product sourcing capacity for creating critical mass and profit. Our mathematical model is a variant of Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (CVRPTW), which we extend by adding intermediate locations for trucks to meet and exchange goods. We illustrate our model for the city of Istanbul using GIS maps, and discuss its various extensions as well as managerial implications.

Reverse resource exchanges in service supply chains:the case of returnable transport packaging

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand how reverse resource exchanges and resource dependencies are managed in the service supply chain (SSC) of returnable transport packaging (RTP). Design/methodology/approach: A single case study was conducted in the context of automotive logistics focusing on the RTP SSC. Data were collected through 16 interviews, primarily with managers of a logistics service provider (LSP) and document analysis of contractual agreements with key customers of the packaging service. Findings: Resource dependencies among actors in the SSC result from the importance of the RTP for the customer’s production processes, the competition among users for RTP and the negative implications of the temporary unavailability of RTP for customers and the LSP (in terms of service performance). Amongst other things, the LSP is dependent on its customers and third-party users (e.g. the customer’s suppliers) for the timely return of package resources. The role of inter-firm integration and collaboration, formal contracts as well as customers’ power and influence over third-party RTP users are stressed as key mechanisms for managing LSP’s resource dependencies. Research limitations/implications: A resource dependence theory (RDT) lens is used to analyse how reverse resource exchanges and associated resource dependencies in SSCs are managed, thus complementing the existing SSC literature emphasising the bi-directionality of resource flows. The study also extends the recent SSC literature stressing the role of contracting by empirically demonstrating how formal contracts can be mobilised to explicate resource dependencies and to specify, and regulate, reverse exchanges in the SSC. Practical implications: The research suggests that logistics providers can effectively manage their resource dependencies and regulate reverse exchanges in the SSC by deploying contractual governance mechanisms and leveraging their customers’ influence over third-party RTP users. Originality/value: The study is novel in its application of RDT, which enhances our understanding of the management of reverse exchanges and resource dependencies in SSCs.

Technology adoption in small and medium-sized logistics providers

Purpose - The main aim of the research is to shed light on the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in the logistics innovation process of small and medium-sized third party logistics providers (3PLs). Design/methodology/approach - A triangulated research strategy was designed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. The former involved the use of a questionnaire survey of small and medium-sized Italian 3PLs with 153 usable responses received. The latter comprised a series of focus groups and the use of seven case studies. Findings - There is a relatively low level of ICT expenditure with few companies adopting formal technology investment strategies. The findings highlight the strategic importance of supply chain integration for 3PLs with companies that have embarked on an expansion of their service portfolios showing a higher level of both ICT usage and information integration. Lack of technology skills in the workforce is a major constraint on ICT adoption. Given the proliferation of logistics-related ICT tools and applications in recent years it has been difficult for small and medium-sized 3PLs to select appropriate applications. Research limitations/implications - The paper provides practical guidelines to researchers in the effective use of mixed-methods research based on the concept of methodological triangulation. In particular, it shows how questionnaire surveys, focus groups and case study analysis can be used in combination to provide insights into multi-faceted supply chain phenomena. It also identifies several potentially fruitful avenues for future research in this specific field. Practical implications - The paper's findings provide useful guidance for practitioners on the effective adoption of ICT as part of the logistics innovation process. The findings also provide support for ICT vendors in the design of ICT solutions that are aligned to the needs of small 3PLs. Originality/value - There is currently a paucity of research into the drivers and inhibitors of ICT in the innovation processes of small and medium-sized 3PLs. This paper fills this gap by exploring the issue using a range of complementary research approaches. Copyright © 2013 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.

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.