Operations and Supply Chain Management Commons^™

Volume And Cost Implications Of Product Portfolio Complexity, Mark A. Jacobs

MIS/OM/DS Faculty Publications

Business leaders are concerned about the impacts of increasing levels of product portfolio complexity since many sense that complexity related costs such as order management, procurement, and inventory threaten to undermine operational efficiencies and consume profits. Even so, managers do not fully understand the extent and breadth of the impacts of product portfolio complexity. A more complete understanding of the operational effects of product portfolio complexity is lacking partially because researchers have not yet offered a robust theoretical perspective or studied it in a focused controlled way; until now. Herein, measures of product portfolio complexity are developed and related to …

Stages In Adoption Of Rfid Innovations By Organizations: Identifying Facilitaors And Inhibitors, Anand Jeyaraj, Arijit Sengupta, Vikram Sethi

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) innovations have gained considerable attention in the last several years and attracted the attention of organizations across different industries. RFID technologies have found applications in diverse areas such as package tracking, inventory management, baggage handling, school attendance, and logistics. Prior literature on RFID innovations offers insights into the major benefits and challenges of RFID; the technological, organizational, and environmental factors that influence organizational adoption of RFID; and the experiences of specific companies. However, there is a lack of understanding of the processes by which organizations actually adopt and implement RFID technologies over time. We develop a …

Virtual Business With Real Money, Shu Z. Schiller

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

Second Life is a virtual society environment on the Internet where individuals engage in various real-life activities, such as attending classes and shopping at stores, as avatars. Second Life was released as a commercial service by Linden Lab in June 2003. Since then, Second Life has rapidly gained a total of 11.5 million residents by December 2007.

Measuring Organizational Usage Of Information Technology, Anand Jeyaraj

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

Organizations make considerable investments in information technology to support their internal and external operations. For instance, a recent research report by Gartner Inc. indicates that worldwide spending on information technology will reach United States $3.3 trillion for the year 2008.

Product Complexity: A Definition And Impacts On Operations, Mark A. Jacobs

MIS/OM/DS Faculty Publications

The difficulty for organizations arises because neither complexity nor its impacts on performance are well understood (Fisher & Ittner, 1999b). The mechanisms through which it affects cost, quality, delivery, and flexibility need to be explained (Ramdas, 2003). However, this cannot happen until complexity can be explained theoretically. But, to build theory there must first be a common understanding about the construct of interest (Wacker, 2004). Only then can researchers operationalize it and search for meaningful relationships. In light of this, I develop a definition of complexity below. A sampling of the operations management literature is then presented within the context …

A Field Study Of Rfid Deployment And Return Expectations, Jonathan W. Whitaker, Sunil Mithas, M. S. Krishnan

Management Faculty Publications

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology promises to transform supply chain management. Building on previous research in information systems and supply chain management, this paper proposes a theoretical framework for RFID adoption and benefits, and tests the framework using data on U.S. firms. Our analysis suggests that there is a positive association between information technology (IT) application deployment and RFID adoption. We find that RFID implementation spending and partner mandate are associated with an expectation of early return on RFID investment, and a perceived lack of industry-wide standards is associated with an expectation of delayed return on RFID investment. These results …

The Greater Dayton It Alliance Strategic Plan, Donald H. Hopkins Jr.

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

The Greater Dayton IT Alliance 2008-11 Strategic Plan is the product of tactical collaboration by the Board of Trustees and members. This team developed the key elements of the plan which were then individually examined to create required actions, programs and metrics.

Connecting You With Real People At Real Time, Shu Z. Schiller

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

As we all know, traditional customer services are mainly based on face-to-face in-store help, mailing catalogs, and telephone contacts such as call centers. The Internet has introduced new ways of delivering customer services on time and on target to address customers’ needs. Live Chat Online Customer Service uses live text chats, an innovative tool, and advanced features, such as shared co-browsing windows, to deliver real-time help and on-demand assistance to online customers. Although happening over the Internet, customers are interacting with real people synchronously.

E-Grocer Strategies: A Case Study, Anand Jeyaraj, Dubravka Cecez-Kecmanovic, Ville-Pekka Mäkeläine

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

The recent bankruptcy of the eGrocer Webvan demonstrates that online retailers face enormous risks and hence need well thought out business strategies (Porter, 2001). This paper presents a longitudinal study of the business strategies of two eGrocers that use physical stores to house their Internet-based grocery operations (clicks-and-bricks) and two online only (pure-play) eGrocers. Our study results in a number of recommendations for successful eGrocer strategy configuration. Even though we focus on eGrocer’s strategies, we suggest that the lessons learned are of interest to other retailers planning to embark on eCommerce activities.

Real-Time Supply Chain Control Via Multi-Agent Adjustable Autonomy, Hoong Chuin Lau, Lucas Agussurja, Ramesh Thangarajoo

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Real-time supply chain management in a rapidly changing environment requires reactive and dynamic collaboration among participating entities. In this work, we model supply chain as a multi-agent system where agents are subject to an adjustable autonomy. The autonomy of an agent refers to its capability to make and influence decisions within a multi-agent system. Adjustable autonomy means changing the autonomy of the agents during runtime as a response to changes in the environment. In the context of a supply chain, different entities will have different autonomy levels and objective functions as the environment changes, and the goal is to design …

Fisheries Research Contract Report No. 14 - Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: Development Of A National Translocation Policy Using Abalone And Prawns As Templates For Other Aquatic Species (Frdc Project No. 2004/080) Final Report, Brian Jones, Fran Stephens

Fisheries Research Contract Reports

The use of scientifically based hazard identification, risk analysis and risk management is fundamental to managing unwanted effects. Hazards, such as quarantine incursions, will continue to occur despite the use of risk assessment methodologies but the frequency and severity of their occurrence will be reduced.

This was recognised by the Ministerial Council on Forestry, Fisheries and Aquaculture in 1999 when they published the "National policy for the translocation of live aquatic organisms".

This FRDC project provides a simple risk assessment methodology based on the Australian Standard for Risk Management (AS/NZS 4360: 2004) and one that is consistent with the Ministerial …

Missing In Action: The Information System Artifact In Information Systems Adoption And Use, Anand Jeyaraj, Kevin P. Duffy

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

Despite considerable research on information systems adoption and use by individuals, little is known about how the information system (IS) artifact itself affects adoption and use. Prior research has generally treated the IS artifact as a “blackbox” such that it remained peripheral to the central questions asked regarding adoption and use. This paper presents a feature-centric “IS artifact rating” scheme and shows one way in which to unravel the blackbox of the IS artifact and examine its effect on adoption and use. Implications for research and practice are also presented.

Technology Adoption In Supply Chain Management: A Meta-Analysis Of Empirical Findings, George Mangalaraj, Anand Jeyaraj, Edmund Prater

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

Electronic linkages between organizations are an important aspect of modern day supply chains. Organizations implement disparate information / communication systems to integrate their suppliers and customers in a supply chain. Though the underlying technologies and protocols of such information systems may differ, they do possess a common characteristic: they all span boundaries of the supply chain partners. Collectively labeling such systems as supply chain management information systems (SCM-IS), we examine a variety of information systems that support the activities in a supply chain. Specifically, we examine two distinct phenomena related to these information systems: the intention to adopt SCM-IS and …

Improving Disaster Response Efforts With Decision Support Systems, Steven M. Thompson, Nezih Altay, Walter G. Green Iii, Joanne Lapetina

Management Faculty Publications

As evidenced by Hurricane Katrina in August, 2005, disaster response efforts are hindered by a lack of coordination, poor information flows, and the inability of disaster response managers to validate and process relevant information and make decisions in a timely fashion. A number of factors contribute to current lackluster response efforts. Some are inherent to the complex, rapidly changing decision-making environments that characterize most disaster response settings. Others reflect systematic flaws in how decisions are made within the organizational hierarchies of the many agencies involved in a disaster response. Slow, ineffective strategies for gathering, processing, and analyzing data can also …

Production Techniques For Crimson Seedless Table Grapes In Western Australia, Ian Cameron

Viticulture published reports

Crimson Seedless is a late season, red seedless table grape developed by D. Ramming and R. Tarailo in Fresno California for the United States Department of Agriculture. It was bred in 1979 when a white, late ripening seedless hybrid variety was crossed with Red Emperor (see Figure 1). The seedling, which became Crimson Seedless, was selected in 1983 but not released to industry in California until 1989.

Production techniques for Crimson Seedless were largely unknown when the variety was released to industry in Western Australia in 1996. Specific management techniques suitable for Californian conditions had been described by various authors. …

The Effect Of Influence Tactics And Contingency Factors On The Adoption And Diffusion Of Is/It Innovations In Social Networks, Anand Jeyaraj

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

Despite considerable research on both adoption and diffusion of IS/IT innovations, there is a lack of coherent understanding of the processes by which innovations diffuse within social systems. This research proposes that the nature of the innovation diffusion process will depend on the characteristics of the innovation, the personal attributes of the individual, the interpersonal relationships, the composition of the social networks, and the specific influence tactics used by individuals. The empirical investigation involves a combination of three different research methods: meta-analysis, interpretive case studies, and simulation. The meta-analysis, at the organizational level, identifies the various factors (individual, dyad, social …

Information System Development Methodologies As Learning Systems, Anand Jeyaraj, Vicki L. Sauter

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

Although information system development methodologies supposedly improve development processes and end-products, information systems have continued to fail. In practice, methodologies have not been universally accepted, and even when accepted, not consistently used. Often development teams adapt methodologies to respond to perceived problems in past applications and/or specifics of the project under consideration. While it is possible that a combination of these factors contributed to less-than-effective system development processes or final end-products, we believe that there may be a subtler explanation for such failures. Although methodologies recommend best practices for system development, they rarely prescribe mechanisms to capture or evaluate problems …

Fisheries Research Contract Report No. 10 - Mother-Of-Pearl Shell (Pinctada Maxima): Stock Evaluation For Management And Future Harvesting In Western Australia, Anthony M. Hart, Kim J. Friedman

Fisheries Research Contract Reports

The West Australian Pearling industry is one of Australia's most valuable aquaculture industries, currently generating around $120 - $160 million annually. The majority of pearl shell used to culture pearls come from the pearling beds in the inshore waters near Broome. The fishery for pearl oysters preferentially targets smaller (120mm - 165mm DVM) shell (hereafter defined as 'culture' shell), that are more suitable for culturing of pearls, leaving larger MOP oysters (175mm+) on the pearling grounds. These larger pearl oysters, the majority of which are female (protandric hermaphrodites), form a major component of the broodstock for the

fishery. Although MOP …

Bec Metering Department New System Proposal, Bradley Godwin

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Institutional Factors Influencing E-Business Adoption, Anand Jeyaraj, Deborah Balser, Charles Chowa, Gary Griggs

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

Studies of e-business adoption have generally been restricted to understanding organizational factors. Institutional factors provide an alternate explanation of the diffusion of e-business across organizations. We test the influence of coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures on first-time adoption of B2B and B2C innovations by organizations. We further propose that an organization’s response to institutional pressures may be affected by its distinctive organizational identity. Specifically, we hypothesize that those organizations that value innovation and customer service will be more likely to adopt e-business over time. We test the likelihood that the intensity of institutional pressures will vary over different time periods. …

Understanding The Relationship Between Organizational And Individual Adoption Of It Innovations: Literature Review And Analysis, Anand Jeyaraj, Joseph Rottman, Mary Lacity

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

Researchers who study IT innovations aim to understand the relationship between two different loci of adoption1 – individual adoption and organizational adoption. A first step is diagnosis of the current state of empirical research on IT innovation adoption. We analyzed 486 relationships between independent variables (IVs) and dependent variables (DVs) found in 89 empirical studies of which 45 studied individual adoption and 44 studied organizational adoption. We categorized 135 IVs into 4 classes (organizational variables such as top management support, individual variables such as age, innovation variables such as relative advantage, and environment variables such as external pressure). We classified …

Simulation As A Tool For Evaluating Strategic Policies For Flexible Supply Chain Systems, Janice L. Forrester, Wayne W. Wakeland

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

The emergence of flexible supply chain systems (FSC) has sparked increased interest in real-time planning, scheduling, and logistics--with particular consideration for strategic implications and overall cost control. Important aspects of an FSC include forecasting, production, materials handling, transportation, and distribution center inventory. There exists a variety of software applications for addressing tactical issues, such as adaptive scheduling, and short term forecasting. However, these programs typically do not permit the user to assess the strategic implications of different policies for flexing capacity and making alternative commitments to manufacturing plants. Recently there has been increased interest in the use of simulation models …

Cio Lateral Influence Behaviors: Gaining Peers' Commitment To Strategic Information Systems, Harvey Enns, Sid L. Huff, Christopher A. Higgins

MIS/OM/DS Faculty Publications

In order to develop and bring to fruition strategic information systems (SIS) projects, chief information officers (CIOs) must be able to effectively influence their peers. This research examines the relationship between CIO influence behaviors and the successfulness of influence outcomes, utilizing a revised model initially developed by Yukl (1994). Focused interviews were first conducted with CIOs and their peers to gain insights into the phenomenon. A survey instrument was then developed and distributed to a sample of CIO and peer executive pairs to gather data with which to test a research model. A total of 69 pairs of surveys were …

The Evolving E-Business Strategy: Lessons Learned, Anand Jeyaraj, Marius Janson

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

Bricks-and-mortar companies wishing to create value-added Internet services do so in a business environment that is characterized by great uncertainty and, hence, formulating a coherent business strategy is exceedingly challenging. This paper presents a case study based analysis of the evolving eBusiness strategy of a bricks-and mortar grocer contrasted with the strategies of other competitors. The grocery company took a logical, measured, incremental, and, ultimately, successful approach to its eBusiness strategy formulation, development, and implementation. Our case study suggests that in an environment characterized by chaotic change bricks-and-mortar companies can benefit from a strategy informed by organizational learning and eBusiness …

Pricing And Product Mix Optimization In Freight Transportation, Michael F. Gorman

MIS/OM/DS Faculty Publications

We propose improved pricing and market mix can improve the profitability of the freight transportation provider through the reduction of equipment repositioning costs. We hypothesize that because of complexities surrounding pricing and equipment repositioning costing, existing pricing strategies in freight transportation fail to fully consider these costs. We test this hypothesis in an applied setting in which Monte Carlo simulation captures the stochasticity of market conditions inherent in the problem. We use a heuristic to improve the nondifferentiable, discontinuous objective function.

Our results from test cases show with high confidence that current prices are not optimal, as indicated by a …

The Erp Conundrum, B Mahadevan

IIMB Management Review

No abstract provided.

Agent Technology In Web Based Time Scheduling, Shaik Ismail Sharifah Fazlinda

Student Works (2000-2009)

The technology age has, in many ways, makes life easier for human beings. Gone are the days when it takes few days up to few weeks to get letters from one place to another. The emergence of Internet, with its e-business, e-commerce and the like, has left the running of the human life to a click of the mouse with a tool that fits into our palm Similarly, student's enrolment and registration at the university can be done easily and effectively via the Net. The idea of Virtual University, which was once seen as an impossible venture, a foolish dream …

Developing An Environmental Management System A Practical Guidebook For Agricultural Businesses, Lucy Taylor

Natural resources published reports

An environmental management system is a tool that many businesses use to improve their environmental performance. Having an environmental management system enables a business to identify and improve management of their significant environmental impacts.

Environmental management systems work to minimise environmental impacts by following a standard 'plan-do-check-improve' management framework. This framework focuses on identifying significant environmental impacts, setting performance targets, establishing means of achieving targets and maintaining sufficient records to show that targets have been reached. Environmental management systems can assist agricultural businesses in:

* improving resource management

* building public confidence in the environmental management of agriculture

* increasing …

Sistem Inventori Kolej Kediaman Tun Ahmad Zaidi, Ali Ayuniza

Student Works (2000-2009)

Latihan ilmiah merupakan kursus yang ditawarkan kepada pelajar Sarjana Muda Teknologi Maklumat Universiti Malaya bagi Tahap Akhir sebagai syarat utama fakulti. Kursus ini meliputi pembangunan sistem komputer yang ditawarkan oleh pensyarah-pensyarah fakulti. Bagi latihan ini, pembangunan Sistem Inventori Kolej Kediaman (SIKK) telah dipilih dan ia tertumpu kepada Kolej Kediaman Tun Ahmad Zaidi (Kolej 10) Universiti Malaya. Kursus ini terbahagi kepada Latihan llmiah 1 dan Latihan Ilmiah 2 yang masing-masing ditawarkan pada semester I dan semester 2. Kedua-dua kursus ini adalah saling berkait, dan wajib diambil untuk memenuhi syarat latihan ilmiah. Projek ini ditawarkan oleh Puan Nor Edzan Che Nasir di …

Office Equipment Inventory System, Meng Hai Teh

Student Works (2000-2009)

This report was based on the final year project as a partial requirement for the degree of information technology. It’s describing the office equipment inventory system that will be developing. This report contains 4 chapters which are introduction of the project, literature review, methodology and system analysis and system design. Office equipment inventory system is a sub system of the e-Faculty project. e-Faculty project is a project that will bring faculty science computer and information technology to the electronic era. The objective of e-Faculty is to bring faculty become an electronic effective faculty. The purpose of develop the office equipment …