How to improve the promotion of Korean beef barbecue, bulgogi, for international customers. An application of quality function deployment.

PubMed

Park, So-Hyun; Ham, Sunny; Lee, Min-A

2012-10-01

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a product development technique that translates customer requirements into activities for the development of products and services. This study utilizes QFD to identify American customer's requirements for bulgogi, a popular Korean dish among international customers, and how to fulfill those requirements. A customer survey and an expert opinion survey were conducted for US customers. The top five customer requirements for bulgogi were identified as taste, freshness, flavor, tenderness, and juiciness; ease of purchase was included in the place of tenderness after calculating the weight requirements. Eighteen engineering characteristics were developed, and a 'localization of bulgogi menu' is strongly related to the other characteristics as well. The results from the calculation of relative importance of engineering characteristics identified that the 'control of marinating time', 'localization of bulgogi menu', 'improvement of cooking and serving process', 'development of recipe by parts of beef', and 'use of various seasonings' were the highest contributors to the overall improvement of bulgogi. The relative importance of engineering characteristics, correlation, and technical difficulties are ranked and integrated to develop the most effective strategy. The findings are discussed relative to industry implications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of proposed software products' features on the satisfaction and dissatisfaction of potential customers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussain, Azham; Mkpojiogu, Emmanuel O. C.; Yusof, Muhammad Mat

2016-08-01

This paper reports the effect of proposed software products features on the satisfaction and dissatisfaction of potential customers of proposed software products. Kano model's functional and dysfunctional technique was used along with Berger et al.'s customer satisfaction coefficients. The result shows that only two features performed the most in influencing the satisfaction and dissatisfaction of would-be customers of the proposed software product. Attractive and one-dimensional features had the highest impact on the satisfaction and dissatisfaction of customers. This result will benefit requirements analysts, developers, designers, projects and sales managers in preparing for proposed products. Additional analysis showed that the Kano model's satisfaction and dissatisfaction scores were highly related to the Park et al.'s average satisfaction coefficient (r=96%), implying that these variables can be used interchangeably or in place of one another to elicit customer satisfaction. Furthermore, average satisfaction coefficients and satisfaction and dissatisfaction indexes were all positively and linearly correlated.

Setting new standards in MEMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rimskog, Magnus; O'Loughlin, Brian J.

2007-02-01

Silex Microsystems handles a wide range of customized MEMS components. This speech will be describing Silex's MEMS foundry work model for providing customized solutions based on MEMS in a cost effective and well controlled manner. Factors for success are the capabilities to reformulate a customer product concept to manufacturing processes in the wafer fab, using standard process modules and production equipment. A well-controlled system increases the likelihood of a first batch success and enables fast ramp-up into volume production. The following success factors can be listed: strong enduring relationships with the customers; highly qualified well-experienced specialists working close with the customer; process solutions and building blocks ready to use out of a library; addressing manufacturing issues in the early design phase; in-house know how to meet demands for volume manufacturing; access to a wafer fab with high capacity, good organization, high availability of equipment, and short lead times; process development done in the manufacturing environment using production equipment for easy ramp-up to volume production. The article covers a method of working to address these factors: to have a long and enduring relationships with customers utilizing MEMS expertise and working close with customers, to translate their product ideas to MEMS components; to have stable process solutions for features such as Low ohmic vias, Spiked electrodes, Cantilevers, Silicon optical mirrors, Micro needles, etc, which can be used and modified for the customer needs; to use a structured development and design methodology in order to handle hundreds of process modules, and setting up standard run sheets. It is also very important to do real time process development in the manufacturing line. It minimizes the lead-time for the ramp-up of production; to have access to a state of the art Wafer Fab which is well organized, controlled and flexible, with high capacity and short lead-time for prototypes. It is crucial to have intimate control of processes, equipment, organization, production flow control and WIP. This has been addressed by using a fully computerized control and reporting system.

Development of Hybrid Product Breakdown Structure for NASA Ground Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monaghan, Mark W.; Henry, Robert J.

2013-01-01

The Product Breakdown Structure is traditionally a method of identification of the products of a project in a tree structure. It is a tool used to assess, plan, document, and display the equipment requirements for a project. It is part of a product based planning technique, and attempts to break down all components of a project in as much detail as possible, so that nothing is overlooked. The PBS for ground systems at the Kennedy Space Center is being developed to encompass the traditional requirements including the alignment of facility, systems, and components to the organizational hierarchy. The Ground Operations Product Breakdown Structure is a hybrid in nature in that some aspects of a work breakdown structure will be incorporated and merged with the Architecture Concept of Operations, Master Subsystem List, customer interface, and assigned management responsibility. The Ground Operations Product Breakdown Structure needs to be able to identify the flexibility of support differing customers (internal and external) usage of ground support equipment within the Kennedy Space Center launch and processing complex. The development of the Product Breakdown Structure is an iterative activity Initially documenting the organization hierarchy structure and relationships. The Product Breakdown Structure identifies the linkage between the customer program requirements, allocation of system resources, development of design goals, and identification logistics products. As the Product Breakdown Structure progresses the incorporation of the results of requirement planning for the customer occurs identifying facility needs and systems. The mature Product Breakdown Structure is baselined with a hierarchical drawing, the Product Breakdown Structure database, and an associated document identifying the verification of the data through the life cycle of the program/product line. This paper will document, demonstrate, and identify key aspects of the life cycle of a Hybrid Product Breakdown Structure. The purpose is to show how a project management and system engineering approach can be utilized for providing flexible customer service in an evolving manned space flight launch processing environment.

Product-line administration: a framework for redefining medical record department services.

PubMed

Postal, S N

1990-06-01

Product-line administration is a viable approach for managing medical records services in an environment that demands high quantity and quality service levels. Product-line administration directs medical record department team members to look outside of the department and seek input from the customers it is intended to serve. The feedback received may be alarming at first, as the current state of products usually reveals a true lack of customer input. As the planning, defining, managing, and marketing phases are implemented, the road will not be easy and rewards will be slow to come. Product-line administration does not provide quick fixes, but it does provide long-term problem resolution as products are refined and new products developed to meet customer needs and expectations. In addition to better meeting the needs of the department's external customers, the department's internal customers' needs and expectations will be addressed. The participative management approach will help nurture each team member's creativity. The team members will have the opportunity to reach their full potential while reaping the rewards and benefits of providing products and services that meet the needs and expectations of all department customers. The future of the health care industry promises more changes as the country moves toward some form of prospective payment in the ambulatory setting. Reactive management and the constant struggle to catch up can no longer be accepted as a management approach. It is imperative that the medical record department be viewed as a business with product lines composed of quality products. The planning, defining, managing, and marketing components of product-line administration afford responsiveness to the current situation and the development of quality products that will ensure that medical record departments are prepared for the future.

ISO 9000 and/or Systems Engineering Capability Maturity Model?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gholston, Sampson E.

2002-01-01

For businesses and organizations to remain competitive today they must have processes and systems in place that will allow them to first identify customer needs and then develop products/processes that will meet or exceed the customers needs and expectations. Customer needs, once identified, are normally stated as requirements. Designers can then develop products/processes that will meet these requirements. Several functions, such as quality management and systems engineering management are used to assist product development teams in the development process. Both functions exist in all organizations and both have a similar objective, which is to ensure that developed processes will meet customer requirements. Are efforts in these organizations being duplicated? Are both functions needed by organizations? What are the similarities and differences between the functions listed above? ISO 9000 is an international standard of goods and services. It sets broad requirements for the assurance of quality and for management's involvement. It requires organizations to document the processes and to follow these documented processes. ISO 9000 gives customers assurance that the suppliers have control of the process for product development. Systems engineering can broadly be defined as a discipline that seeks to ensure that all requirements for a system are satisfied throughout the life of the system by preserving their interrelationship. The key activities of systems engineering include requirements analysis, functional analysis/allocation, design synthesis and verification, and system analysis and control. The systems engineering process, when followed properly, will lead to higher quality products, lower cost products, and shorter development cycles. The System Engineering Capability Maturity Model (SE-CMM) will allow companies to measure their system engineering capability and continuously improve those capabilities. ISO 9000 and SE-CMM seem to have a similar objective, which is to document the organization's processes and certify to potential customers the capability of a supplier to control the processes that determine the quality of the product or services being produced. The remaining sections of this report examine the differences and similarities between ISO 9000 and SE-CMM and make recommendations for implementation.

Understanding the relationship between Kano model's customer satisfaction scores and self-stated requirements importance.

PubMed

Mkpojiogu, Emmanuel O C; Hashim, Nor Laily

2016-01-01

Customer satisfaction is the result of product quality and viability. The place of the perceived satisfaction of users/customers for a software product cannot be neglected especially in today competitive market environment as it drives the loyalty of customers and promotes high profitability and return on investment. Therefore understanding the importance of requirements as it is associated with the satisfaction of users/customers when their requirements are met is worth the pain considering. It is necessary to know the relationship between customer satisfactions when their requirements are met (or their dissatisfaction when their requirements are unmet) and the importance of such requirement. So many works have been carried out on customer satisfaction in connection with the importance of requirements but the relationship between customer satisfaction scores (coefficients) of the Kano model and users/customers self-stated requirements importance have not been sufficiently explored. In this study, an attempt is made to unravel the underlying relationship existing between Kano model's customer satisfaction indexes and users/customers self reported requirements importance. The results of the study indicate some interesting associations between these considered variables. These bivariate associations reveal that customer satisfaction index (SI), and average satisfaction coefficient (ASC) and customer dissatisfaction index (DI) and average satisfaction coefficient (ASC) are highly correlated (r = 96 %) and thus ASC can be used in place of either SI or DI in representing customer satisfaction scores. Also, these Kano model's customer satisfaction variables (SI, DI, and ASC) are each associated with self-stated requirements importance (IMP). Further analysis indicates that the value customers or users place on requirements that are met or on features that are incorporated into a product influences the level of satisfaction such customers derive from the product. The worth of a product feature is indicated by the perceived satisfaction customers get from the inclusion of such feature in the product design and development. The satisfaction users/customers derive when a requirement is fulfilled or when a feature is placed in the product (SI or ASC) is strongly influenced by the value the users/customers place on such requirements/features when met (IMP). However, the dissatisfaction users/customers received when a requirement is not met or when a feature is not incorporated into the product (DI), even though related to self-stated requirements importance (IMP), does not have a strong effect on the importance/worth (IMP) of that given requirement/feature as perceived by the users or customers. Therefore, since customer satisfaction is proportionally related to the perceived requirements importance (worth), it is then necessary to give adequate attention to user/customer satisfying requirements (features) from elicitation to design and to the final implementation of the design. Incorporating user or customer satisfying requirements in product design is of great worth or value to the future users or customers of the product.

Application of Kansei engineering and data mining in the Thai ceramic manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kittidecha, Chaiwat; Yamada, Koichi

2018-01-01

Ceramic is one of the highly competitive products in Thailand. Many Thai ceramic companies are attempting to know the customer needs and perceptions for making favorite products. To know customer needs is the target of designers and to develop a product that must satisfy customers. This research is applied Kansei Engineering (KE) and Data Mining (DM) into the customer driven product design process. KE can translate customer emotions into the product attributes. This method determines the relationships between customer feelings or Kansei words and the design attributes. Decision tree J48 and Class association rule which implemented through Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis (WEKA) software are used to generate a predictive model and to find the appropriate rules. In this experiment, the emotion scores were rated by 37 participants for training data and 16 participants for test data. 6 Kansei words were selected, namely, attractive, ease of drinking, ease of handing, quality, modern and durable. 10 mugs were selected as product samples. The results of this study indicate that the proposed models and rules can interpret the design product elements affecting the customer emotions. Finally, this study provides useful understanding for the application DM in KE and can be applied to a variety of design cases.

ICP Corporate Customer Assessment - Sampling Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-07-01

CORPORATE CUSTOMER ASSESSMENT - SAMPLING PLAN JULY 1995 Lead Analyst: Lieutenant Commander William J. Wilkinson, USN Associate Analyst: Mr. Henry J...project developed a plan for conducting recurring surveys of Defense Logistics Agency customers , in support of the DLA Corporate Customer Assessment...Team. The primary product was a sampling plan, including stratification of customers by Military Service or Federal Agency and by commodity purchased

Measurement framework for product service system performance of generator set distributors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sofianti, Tanika D.

2017-11-01

Selling Generator Set (Genset) in B2B market, distributors assisted manufacturers to sell products. This is caused by the limited resources owned by the manufacturer for adding service elements. These service elements are needed to enhance the competitiveness of the generator sets. Some genset distributors often sell products together with supports to their customers. Industrial distributor develops services to meet the needs of the customer. Generator set distributors support machines and equipment produced by manufacturer. The services delivered by the distributors could enhance value obtained by the customers from the equipment. Services provided to customers in bidding process, ordering process of the equipment from the manufacturer, equipment delivery, installations, and the after sales stage. This paper promotes framework to measure Product Service System (PSS) of Generator Set distributors in delivering their products and services for the customers. The methodology of conducting this research is by adopting the perspective of the providers and customers and by taking into account the tangible and intangible products. This research leads to the idea of improvement of current Product Service System of a Genset distributor. This research needs further studies in more detailed measures and the implementation of measurement tools.

One-to-one modeling and simulation: a new approach in customer relationship management for grocery retail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baydar, Cem M.

2002-03-01

The ever-increasing competition in retail industry puts pressure on retailers to deal with their customers more efficiently. Currently most companies use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to maximize the customer satisfaction level by trying to understand more about their behaviors. However, one disadvantage of the current approaches is that they focus on the segmentation of customers into homogenous groups and they disregard examining the one-to-one relationship of each individual's behavior toward each product. Therefore, individual behavior cannot be captured in detail. Modeling individual behavior for each product enables several strategies of pricing by keeping the customer satisfaction at the maximum level. One example is offering a personal discount on a particular item to a customer who is price sensitive to that particular product. Therefore, you can still sell other products at the non-discounted level to this customer by keeping him satisfied. In this paper, individual pricing approach is discussed. The aim of this study is to develop a conceptual framework to analyze the feasibility of individual pricing. Customer behaviors can be modeled individually with respect to each product for a grocery store. Several factors can be used to determine these behaviors such as customer's need, brand loyalty and price sensitivity. Each customer can be modeled as an adaptive agent using qualitative descriptions of behaviors (i.e., highly price sensitive). Then, the overall shopping behavior can be simulated using a multi-agent Monte-Carlo simulation. It is expected that with this approach, retailers will be able to determine better strategies to obtain more profits, better sales and better customer satisfaction.

The Application of Concurrent Engineering Tools and Design Structure Matrix in Designing Tire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginting, Rosnani; Fachrozi Fitra Ramadhan, T.

2016-02-01

The development of automobile industry in Indonesia is growing rapidly. This phenomenon causes companies related to the automobile industry such as tire industry must develop products based on customers’ needs and considering the timeliness of delivering the product to the customer. It could be reached by applying strategic planning in developing an integrated concept of product development. This research was held in PT. XYZ that applied the sequential approach in designing and developing products. The need to improve in one stage of product development could occur re-designing that needs longer time in developing a new product. This research is intended to get an integrated product design concept of tire pertaining to the customer's needs using Concurrent Engineering Tools by implementing the two-phased of product development. The implementation of Concurrent Engineering approach results in applying the stage of project planning, conceptual design, and product modules. The product modules consist of four modules that using Product Architecture - Design Structure Matrix to ease the designing process of new product development.

A Multi-Period Optimization Model for Service Providers Using Online Reservation Systems: An Application to Hotels.

PubMed

Xu, Ming; Jiao, Yan; Li, Xiaoming; Cao, Qingfeng; Wang, Xiaoyang

2015-01-01

This paper presents a multi-period optimization model for high margin and zero salvage products in online distribution channels with classifying customers based on number of products required. Taking hotel customers as an example, one is regular customers who reserve rooms for one day, and the other is long term stay (LTS) customers who reserve rooms for a number of days. LTS may guarantee a specific amount of demand and generate opportunity income for a certain number of periods, meanwhile with risk of punishment incurred by overselling. By developing an operational optimization model and exploring the effects of parameters on optimal decisions, we suggest that service providers should make decisions based on the types of customers, number of products required, and duration of multi-period to reduce the loss of reputation and obtain more profit; at the same time, multi-period buying customers should buy products early. Finally, the paper conducts a numerical experiment, and the results are consistent with prevailing situations.

A Multi-Period Optimization Model for Service Providers Using Online Reservation Systems: An Application to Hotels

PubMed Central

Xu, Ming; Jiao, Yan; Li, Xiaoming; Cao, Qingfeng; Wang, Xiaoyang

2015-01-01

This paper presents a multi-period optimization model for high margin and zero salvage products in online distribution channels with classifying customers based on number of products required. Taking hotel customers as an example, one is regular customers who reserve rooms for one day, and the other is long term stay (LTS) customers who reserve rooms for a number of days. LTS may guarantee a specific amount of demand and generate opportunity income for a certain number of periods, meanwhile with risk of punishment incurred by overselling. By developing an operational optimization model and exploring the effects of parameters on optimal decisions, we suggest that service providers should make decisions based on the types of customers, number of products required, and duration of multi-period to reduce the loss of reputation and obtain more profit; at the same time, multi-period buying customers should buy products early. Finally, the paper conducts a numerical experiment, and the results are consistent with prevailing situations. PMID:26147663

19 CFR 10.177 - Cost or value of materials produced in the beneficiary developing country.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) Wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of the beneficiary developing country; or (2) Substantially... beneficiary developing country. 10.177 Section 10.177 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION... produced in the beneficiary developing country. (a) “Produced in the beneficiary developing country...

19 CFR 10.177 - Cost or value of materials produced in the beneficiary developing country.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) Wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of the beneficiary developing country; or (2) Substantially... beneficiary developing country. 10.177 Section 10.177 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION... produced in the beneficiary developing country. (a) “Produced in the beneficiary developing country...

Optimized production planning model for a multi-plant cultivation system under uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ke, Shunkui; Guo, Doudou; Niu, Qingliang; Huang, Danfeng

2015-02-01

An inexact multi-constraint programming model under uncertainty was developed by incorporating a production plan algorithm into the crop production optimization framework under the multi-plant collaborative cultivation system. In the production plan, orders from the customers are assigned to a suitable plant under the constraints of plant capabilities and uncertainty parameters to maximize profit and achieve customer satisfaction. The developed model and solution method were applied to a case study of a multi-plant collaborative cultivation system to verify its applicability. As determined in the case analysis involving different orders from customers, the period of plant production planning and the interval between orders can significantly affect system benefits. Through the analysis of uncertain parameters, reliable and practical decisions can be generated using the suggested model of a multi-plant collaborative cultivation system.

Smart Shop Assistant - Using Semantic Technologies to Improve Online Shopping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niemann, Magnus; Mochol, Malgorzata; Tolksdorf, Robert

Internet commerce experiences a rising complexity: Not only more and more products become available online but also the amount of information available on a single product has been constantly increasing. Thanks to the Web 2.0 development it is, in the meantime, quite common to involve customers in the creation of product description and extraction of additional product information by offering customers feedback forms and product review sites, users' weblogs and other social web services. To face this situation, one of the main tasks in a future internet will be to aggregate, sort and evaluate this huge amount of information to aid the customers in choosing the "perfect" product for their needs.

Applying CBR to machine tool product configuration design oriented to customer requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Pengjia; Gong, Yadong; Xie, Hualong; Liu, Yongxian; Nee, Andrew Yehching

2017-01-01

Product customization is a trend in the current market-oriented manufacturing environment. However, deduction from customer requirements to design results and evaluation of design alternatives are still heavily reliant on the designer's experience and knowledge. To solve the problem of fuzziness and uncertainty of customer requirements in product configuration, an analysis method based on the grey rough model is presented. The customer requirements can be converted into technical characteristics effectively. In addition, an optimization decision model for product planning is established to help the enterprises select the key technical characteristics under the constraints of cost and time to serve the customer to maximal satisfaction. A new case retrieval approach that combines the self-organizing map and fuzzy similarity priority ratio method is proposed in case-based design. The self-organizing map can reduce the retrieval range and increase the retrieval efficiency, and the fuzzy similarity priority ratio method can evaluate the similarity of cases comprehensively. To ensure that the final case has the best overall performance, an evaluation method of similar cases based on grey correlation analysis is proposed to evaluate similar cases to select the most suitable case. Furthermore, a computer-aided system is developed using MATLAB GUI to assist the product configuration design. The actual example and result on an ETC series machine tool product show that the proposed method is effective, rapid and accurate in the process of product configuration. The proposed methodology provides a detailed instruction for the product configuration design oriented to customer requirements.

A meta-heuristic approach supported by NSGA-II for the design and plan of supply chain networks considering new product development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alizadeh Afrouzy, Zahra; Paydar, Mohammad Mahdi; Nasseri, Seyed Hadi; Mahdavi, Iraj

2018-03-01

There are many reasons for the growing interest in developing new product projects for any firm. The most embossed reason is surviving in a highly competitive industry which the customer tastes are changing rapidly. A well-managed supply chain network can provide the most profit for firms due to considering new product development. Along with profit, customer satisfaction and production of new products are goals which lead to a more efficient supply chain. As new products appear in the market, the old products could become obsolete, and then phased out. The most important parameter in a supply chain which considers new and developed products is the time that developed and new products are introduced and old products are phased out. With consideration of the factors noted above, this study proposes to design a tri-objective multi-echelon multi-product multi-period supply chain model, which incorporates product development and new product production and their effects on supply chain configuration. The supply chain under consideration is assumed to consist of suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and customer groups. In terms of overcoming NP-hardness of the proposed model and in order to solve the complicated problem, a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm is employed. As there is no benchmark available in the literature, the non-dominated ranking genetic algorithm is developed to validate the results obtained and some test problems are provided to show the applicability of the proposed methodology and evaluate the performance of the algorithms.

The analysis of market knowledge competence effect and research & development (R&D) toward the policy making of new product development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purwanggono, Bambang; Sesuko, Agung; Budiawan, Wiwik

2017-11-01

The increasing mobility of people without adequate provision of mass transportation infrastructures makes people choose private transportation like motorcycles. Such circumstances lead the motorcycle manufacturers in Indonesia competing to develop their products to meet the needs of customers. In addition, the new regulation of Central Bank of Indonesia dealing with the credit advances has raised the intense competition of motorcycles industries in Indonesia. One of the ways to win the competition is by developing new and improved products. In developing and improving the products, companies need to consider resource utilization. In this research, researcher utilizes the resources that exist both inside and outside the enterprise such as customer demands, intensity of competition, perception of the importance of market knowledge, importance of market competence, and internal R&D as well as external R&D is expected to develop new products that are superior. The study involved 150 employees as respondents. The method used in the study is Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS 20.0 statistical software. The result shows that the demands of the customers and the intensity of competition lead to a positive effect on market knowledge competence, while the perception of the market knowledge importance does not influence the development of new products, and market knowledge competence, internal R&D and external R&D have positive effect on the development of new products.

Product development cycle time reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farran, Robin

1992-05-01

We are facing here today the key issues that face us in the competitive environment. North American companies are struggling to compete in the global marketplace. Gone are the days when presence ensured success. Then, sales and earnings were guaranteed. Today the competition is intense. Many manufacturing and service companies are no longer competitive. Traditionally, manufacturing companies have created the most wealth for the community and economy. Losing this ability to create wealth is tragic and unnecessary. A company can only be successful by focusing on customer satisfaction at competitive costs. Revenue growth and earnings growth require a continuous stream of products that anticipate the customers' needs, result from shorter and shorter innovation cycles, continually improve in quality, and are produced at improved costs on each cycle. The best opportunities for increased quality and decreased costs are with new products. Sure, work on quality and costs everyday. The biggest changes, however, will come through the new product development cycle. We must improve our development processes to provide leadership products which result in high levels of customer satisfaction. This is a prerequisite for business success. When presence in the marketplace was a virtual guarantee of success for a North American company, technology tended to drive the products, and the customers bought virtually everything that was produced. Functional excellence was stressed within companies ... and that was enough. Effective planning processes were not a prerequisite for success. Today success demands highly developed business research and planning processes, and functional excellence combined with organizational capabilities that ensure commercialization excellence.

Silo busting: how to execute on the promise of customer focus.

PubMed

Gulati, Ranjay

2007-05-01

For many senior executives, shifting from selling products to selling solutions--packages of products and services--is a priority in today's increasingly commoditized markets. Companies, however, aren't always structured to make that shift. Knowledge and expertise often reside in silos, and many companies have trouble harnessing their resources across those boundaries in a way that customers value and are willing to pay for. Some companies--like GE Healthcare, Best Buy, and commercial real estate provider Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)--have restructured themselves around customer needs to deliver true solutions. They did so by engaging in four sets of activities: COORDINATION: To deliver customer-focused solutions, three things must occur easily across boundaries: information sharing, division of labor, and decision making. Sometimes this involves replacing traditional silos with customer-focused ones, but more often it entails transcending existing boundaries. JLL has experimented with both approaches. COOPERATION: Customer-centric companies, such as Cisco Systems, develop metrics for customer satisfaction and incentives that reward customer-focused cooperation. Most also shake up the power structure so that people who are closest to customers have the authority to act on their behalf. CAPABILITY: Delivering customer-focused solutions requires some employees to be generalists instead of specialists. They need experience with more than one product or service, a deep knowledge of customer needs, and the ability to traverse internal boundaries. CONNECTION: By combining their offerings with those of a partner, companies can cut costs even as they create higher-value solutions, as Starbucks has found through its diverse partnerships. To stand out in a commoditized market, companies must understand what customers value. Ultimately, some customers may be better off purchasing products and services piecemeal.

I want products my own way, but which way? The effects of different product categories and cues on customer responses to Web-based customizations.

PubMed

Chang, Chia-Chi; Chen, Hui-Yun

2009-02-01

Mass customization is a strategy that has been adopted by companies to tailor their products in order to match customer needs more precisely. Therefore, to fully capture the value of mass customization, it is crucial to explore how customers react to mass customization. In previous studies, an implied premise has been that consumers are keen to embrace customized products, and this assumption has also been treated by firms as a prerequisite for successful mass customization strategies. However, an undesirable complexity may result from difficult configuration processes that may intimidate and confuse some customers. Hence, this study explores strategies that marketers can employ to facilitate the customization process. Specifically, this study investigates how to enhance customer satisfaction and purchase decision toward customized products by providing cues compatible with the product category. It is hypothesized that for search products, customers rely more on intrinsic cues when making configuration decisions. On the other hand, for experience products, customers perceive extrinsic cues to be more valuable in assisting them to make configuration decisions. The results suggest that consumers tend to respond more favorably toward customized search products when intrinsic cues are provided than when extrinsic or irrelevant ones are provided. In contrast, when customizing experience products, customers tend to depend more on extrinsic cues than on intrinsic or irrelevant ones.

Innovation management based on proactive engagement of customers: A case study on LEGO Group. Part II: Challenge of engaging the digital customer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avasilcăi, S.; Rusu, G.

2015-11-01

To foster the development of innovative products and new technologies, nowadays companies use an open innovation system, encouraging stakeholders to contribute, using the companies’ online platforms for open innovation or social media, bringing and sharing creative solutions and ideas in order to respond to challenging needs the company directly expresses. Accordingly, the current research continues the analysis of the LEGO Group innovation efforts, aiming to provide a case study approach based on describing the most important projects and online instruments company uses to interact with customers and other external stakeholders. Thus, by analysing the experience of the company in developing projects of involving stakeholders in the innovation processes, the article emphasizes the objective of these past projects developed by LEGO Group, outlining their objectives regarding the focus on the product or process innovation, the team management and stakeholders involved in the innovation actions and the results they obtained. Moreover, the case study highlights the features of the most important online instruments LEGO Group uses at the moment for engaging LEGO fans, children, parents, and other external stakeholders in developing new LEGO sets. Thus, LEGO online instruments provide the opportunity for customers to be creative and to respond to LEGO management team challenges. Accordingly, LEGO involve customers in bringing innovative ideas for LEGO sets through LEGO Ideas instrument, which aims to engage customers in submitting projects, voting and supporting ideas and also sharing them on social media. Also, the research emphasizes the role of supporting the open dialogue and interaction with customers and other external stakeholders through LEGO.com Create & Share Galleries instrument, using their creativity to upload innovative models in the public galleries. The continuous challenges LEGO launches for their fans create a long-term connection between company and its customers, supporting the value co-creation process, as the submitted ideas can materialize in new LEGO products which can be found on the market. As a consequence, customers’ engagement in the co-creation process facilitated by the multiple online instruments provided by LEGO, resulted in positive outcomes for the company regarding new product development for the sets launched on the market to satisfy changing needs of their customers. The results provided by this case study approach can be useful for the business environment and academia as well in order to understand the role of engaging customers in the open innovation process, creating a competitive advantage on the market for companies.

19 CFR 202.5 - Type of information to be developed at hearing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Type of information to be developed at hearing. 202.5 Section 202.5 Customs Duties UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION NONADJUDICATIVE INVESTIGATIONS INVESTIGATIONS OF COSTS OF PRODUCTION § 202.5 Type of information to be developed at hearing...

19 CFR 202.5 - Type of information to be developed at hearing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Type of information to be developed at hearing. 202.5 Section 202.5 Customs Duties UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION NONADJUDICATIVE INVESTIGATIONS INVESTIGATIONS OF COSTS OF PRODUCTION § 202.5 Type of information to be developed at hearing...

19 CFR 202.5 - Type of information to be developed at hearing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Type of information to be developed at hearing. 202.5 Section 202.5 Customs Duties UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION NONADJUDICATIVE INVESTIGATIONS INVESTIGATIONS OF COSTS OF PRODUCTION § 202.5 Type of information to be developed at hearing...

19 CFR 202.5 - Type of information to be developed at hearing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Type of information to be developed at hearing. 202.5 Section 202.5 Customs Duties UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION NONADJUDICATIVE INVESTIGATIONS INVESTIGATIONS OF COSTS OF PRODUCTION § 202.5 Type of information to be developed at hearing...

19 CFR 202.5 - Type of information to be developed at hearing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Type of information to be developed at hearing. 202.5 Section 202.5 Customs Duties UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION NONADJUDICATIVE INVESTIGATIONS INVESTIGATIONS OF COSTS OF PRODUCTION § 202.5 Type of information to be developed at hearing...

The Integration of COTS/GOTS within NASA's HST Command and Control System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pfarr, Thomas; Reis, James E.; Obenschain, Arthur F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

NASA's mission critical Hubble Space Telescope (HST) command and control system has been re-engineered with COTS/GOTS and minimal custom code. This paper focuses on the design of this new HST Control Center System (CCS) and the lessons learned throughout its development. CCS currently utilizes 31 COTS/GOTS products with an additional 12 million lines of custom glueware code; the new CCS exceeds the capabilities of the original system while significantly reducing the lines of custom code by more than 50%. The lifecycle of COTS/GOTS products will be examined including the pack-age selection process, evaluation process, and integration process. The advantages, disadvantages, issues, concerns, and lessons teamed for integrating COTS/GOTS into the NASA's mission critical HST CCS will be examined in detail. Command and control systems designed with traditional custom code development efforts will be compared with command and control systems designed with new development techniques relying heavily on COTS/COTS integration. This paper will reveal the many hidden costs of COTS/GOTS solutions when compared to traditional custom code development efforts; this paper will show the high cost of COTS/GOTS solutions including training expenses, consulting fees, and long-term maintenance expenses.

Creativity and innovation by empowering the customer: The case of Mulino Bianco. Part II: The digital customer value added

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bujor, A.; Avasilcăi, S.

2015-11-01

The terms of creativity, co-creation, creative industries, innovation, and coinnovation are more and more used nowadays. While co-creation offers the possibility and encourages a more active involvement from the customers to create value rich experiences, innovation is responsible for the little improvements made for a better life, to grow a business, to improve products, services or company's productivity. Either customers, current and potential, or stakeholders’ involvement into innovation activities, through their creativity, represent an important way of value creation, of actions’ performance that increases the worth of goods, services, or business as a whole. More and more, different size businesses gather ideas for innovation from customers / stakeholders by involving them into the early stages of the innovation process. Actually, it has been shown that their ideas sketch their needs and wishes, and have been described as “need information”. Customers and stakeholders, in general, also offer ideas that have been called “solution information”, which represents, not only need information, but also customer-based proposals that describe how ideas can be transformed into marketable products. The term of creative industries refers to those goods that can technically be reproduced, industrially produced, and commercially sold, this being one of the many definitions found in the literature. Mulino Bianco was first launched in Italy, being one of the value brands of Barilla Group, which we can say, according to the Italian definition and classification, it belongs to creative industries: industry of food and taste. Even though Barilla Group's Research & Development department does its job very efficiently, developing and creating new products under different brands, lately a key strategy for the Group and for Mulino Bianco, by default, is customers’ pro-active involvement in products’ development or creation. One of the tools used for this is the Internet Toolkit and Web 2.0. by means of which customers are being invited to participate in competitions, being asked to design and share their concepts / views for new products, or to get involved in by voting those ideas they best like and would love to find them on markets. The aim of this paper is to explore and identify the involvement of stakeholders in Mullino Bianco's product development or improvement through creativity and innovation. As methodology approach, a case study about Mulino Bianco was done, and the foreseen result is highlighting the Nel Mulino Che Vorrei platform's features for consumer's engagement in the value creation and co-creation.

The Development of a Total Quality Management Plan for David Grant USAF Medical Center Travis Air Force Base, California

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-01

customer satisfaction (DOD, 1988). While the application of TQM in the manufacturing industry and the military acquisition system has been successful, the...improvement of products and services. The overriding objective of TOM is to increase customer satisfaction (DOD, 1988). While the application of TOM in the...25 Description of the Organization ................... 26 Internal Customers ..................... ....... 30 External Customers

Turn customer input into innovation.

PubMed

Ulwick, Anthony W

2002-01-01

It's difficult to find a company these days that doesn't strive to be customer-driven. Too bad, then, that most companies go about the process of listening to customers all wrong--so wrong, in fact, that they undermine innovation and, ultimately, the bottom line. What usually happens is this: Companies ask their customers what they want. Customers offer solutions in the form of products or services. Companies then deliver these tangibles, and customers just don't buy. The reason is simple--customers aren't expert or informed enough to come up with solutions. That's what your R&D team is for. Rather, customers should be asked only for outcomes--what they want a new product or service to do for them. The form the solutions take should be up to you, and you alone. Using Cordis Corporation as an example, this article describes, in fine detail, a series of effective steps for capturing, analyzing, and utilizing customer input. First come indepth interviews, in which a moderator works with customers to deconstruct a process or activity in order to unearth "desired outcomes." Addressing participants' comments one at a time, the moderator rephrases them to be both unambiguous and measurable. Once the interviews are complete, researchers then compile a comprehensive list of outcomes that participants rank in order of importance and degree to which they are satisfied by existing products. Finally, using a simple mathematical formula called the "opportunity calculation," researchers can learn the relative attractiveness of key opportunity areas. These data can be used to uncover opportunities for product development, to properly segment markets, and to conduct competitive analysis.

Experiences in Interagency and International Interfaces for Mission Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dell, G. T.; Mitchell, W. J.; Thompson, T. W.; Cappellari, J. O., Jr.; Flores-Amaya, F.

1996-01-01

The Flight Dynamics Division (FDD) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GFSC) provides extensive support and products for Space Shuttle missions, expendable launch vehicle launches, and routine on-orbit operations for a variety of spacecraft. A major challenge in providing support for these missions is defining and generating the products required for mission support and developing the method by which these products are exchanged between supporting agencies. As interagency and international cooperation has increased in the space community, the FDD customer base has grown and with it the number and variety of external interfaces and product definitions. Currently, the FDD has working interfaces with the NASA Space and Ground Networks, the Johnson Space Center, the White Sands Complex, the Jet propulsion Laboratory (including the Deep Space Network), the United States Air Force, the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, the German Spaceflight Operations Center, the European Space Agency, and the National Space Development Agency of Japan. With the increasing spectrum of possible data product definitions and delivery methods, the FDD is using its extensive interagency experience to improve its support of established customers and to provide leadership in adapting/developing new interfaces. This paper describes the evolution of the interfaces between the FDD and its customers, discusses many of the joint activities ith these customers, and summarizes key lessons learned that can be applied to current and future support.

Toward Mass Customization in the Age of Information: The Case for Open Engineering Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, Timothy W.; Lautenschlager, Uwe; Mistree, Farrokh

1997-01-01

In the Industrial Era, manufacturers used "dedicated" engineering systems to mass produce their products. In today's increasingly competitive markets, the trend is toward mass customization, something that becomes increasingly feasible when modern information technologies are used to create open engineering systems. Our focus is on how designers can provide enhanced product flexibility and variety (if not fully customized products) through the development of open engineering systems. After presenting several industrial examples, we anchor our new systems philosophy with two real engineering applications. We believe that manufacturers who adopt open systems will achieve competitive advantage in the Information Age.

Development of a Medical Cyclotron Production Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Danny R.

2003-08-01

Development of a Cyclotron manufacturing facility begins with a business plan. Geographics, the size and activity of the medical community, the growth potential of the modality being served, and other business connections are all considered. This business used the customer base established by NuTech, Inc., an independent centralized nuclear pharmacy founded by Danny Allen. With two pharmacies in operation in Tyler and College Station and a customer base of 47 hospitals and clinics the existing delivery system and pharmacist staff is used for the cyclotron facility. We then added cyclotron products to contracts with these customers to guarantee a supply. We partnered with a company in the process of developing PET imaging centers. We then built an independent imaging center attached to the cyclotron facility to allow for the use of short-lived isotopes.

Sustainable competitive advantage for accountable care organizations.

PubMed

Macfarlane, Michael Alex

2014-01-01

In the current period of health industry reform, accountable care organizations (ACOs) have emerged as a new model for the delivery of high-quality and cost-effective healthcare. However, few ACOs operate in direct competition with one another, and the accountable care business model has yet to present a means of continually developing new marginal value for patients and network partners. With value-based purchasing and patient consumerism strengthening as market forces, ACOs must build organizational sustainability and competitive advantage to meet the value demands set by customers and competitors. This essay proposes a strategy, adapted from the disciplines of agile software development and Lean product development, through which ACOs can engage internal and external customers in the development of new products that will provide sustainability and competitive advantage to the organization by decreasing waste in development, promoting specialized knowledge, and closely targeting customer value.

Spark innovation through empathic design.

PubMed

Leonard, D; Rayport, J F

1997-01-01

Companies are used to bringing in customers to participate in focus groups, usability laboratories, and market research surveys in order to help in the development of new products and services. And for improving products that customers know well, those tools are highly sophisticated. For example, knowledgeable customers are adept at identifying the specific scent of leather they expect in a luxury vehicle or at helping to tune the sound of a motorcycle engine to just the timbre that evokes feelings of power. But to go beyond improvements to the familiar, companies need to identify and meet needs that customers may not yet recognize. To accomplish that task, a set of techniques called empathic design can help. Rather than bring the customers to the company, empathic design calls for company representatives to watch customers using products and services in the context of their own environments. By doing so, managers can often identify unexpected uses for their products, just as the product manager of a cooking oil did when he observed a neighbor spraying the oil on the blades of a lawn mower to reduce grass buildup. They can also uncover problems that customers don't mention in surveys, as the president of Nissan Design did when he watched a couple struggling to remove the backseat of a competitor's minivan in order to transport a couch. The five-step process Dorothy Leonard and Jeffrey Rayport describe in detail is a relatively low-cost, low-risk way to identify customer needs, and it has the potential to redirect a company's existing technological capabilities toward entirely new businesses.

Product assurance technology for custom LSI/VLSI electronics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buehler, M. G.; Blaes, B. R.; Jennings, G. A.; Moore, B. T.; Nixon, R. H.; Pina, C. A.; Sayah, H. R.; Sievers, M. W.; Stahlberg, N. F.

1985-01-01

The technology for obtaining custom integrated circuits from CMOS-bulk silicon foundries using a universal set of layout rules is presented. The technical efforts were guided by the requirement to develop a 3 micron CMOS test chip for the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES). This chip contains both analog and digital circuits. The development employed all the elements required to obtain custom circuits from silicon foundries, including circuit design, foundry interfacing, circuit test, and circuit qualification.

Customer Discovery as the First Essential Step for Successful Health Information Technology System Development.

PubMed

Thamjamrassri, Punyotai; Song, YuJin; Tak, JaeHyun; Kang, HoYong; Kong, Hyoun-Joong; Hong, Jeeyoung

2018-01-01

Customer discovery (CD) is a method to determine if there are actual customers for a product/service and what they would want before actually developing the product/service. This concept, however, is rather new to health information technology (IT) systems. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to demonstrate how to use the CD method in developing a comprehensive health IT service for patients with knee/leg pain. We participated in a 6-week I-Corps program to perform CD, in which we interviewed 55 people in person, by phone, or by video conference within 6 weeks: 4 weeks in the United States and 2 weeks in Korea. The interviewees included orthopedic doctors, physical therapists, physical trainers, physicians, researchers, pharmacists, vendors, and patients. By analyzing the interview data, the aim was to revise our business model accordingly. Using the CD approach enabled us to understand the customer segments and identify value propositions. We concluded that a facilitating tele-rehabilitation system is needed the most and that the most suitable customer segment is early stage arthritis patients. We identified a new design concept for the customer segment. Furthermore, CD is required to identify value propositions in detail. CD is crucial to determine a more desirable direction in developing health IT systems, and it can be a powerful tool to increase the potential for successful commercialization in the health IT field.

Developing customer databases.

PubMed

Rao, S K; Shenbaga, S

2000-01-01

There is a growing consensus among pharmaceutical companies that more product and customer-specific approaches to marketing and selling a new drug can result in substantial increases in sales. Marketers and researchers taking a proactive micro-marketing approach to identifying, profiling, and communicating with target customers are likely to facilitate such approaches and outcomes. This article provides a working framework for creating customer databases that can be effectively mined to achieve a variety of such marketing and sales force objectives.

Transformation to a Customer-Oriented Perspective through Action Learning in Product and Service Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olsson, Annika

2007-01-01

Customer orientation is strongly visible in the visions and strategies of most organizations, but how do these visions and strategies move from intentions to practice? This question provides the focus for this research which aims to acquire deeper insights into this process. The point of departure is the change in perspective from a product to a…

Discovering new points of differentiation.

PubMed

MacMillan, I C; McGrath, R G

1997-01-01

Most profitable strategies are built on differentiation: offering customers something they value that competitors don't have. But most companies concentrate only on their products or services. In fact, a company can differentiate itself every point where it comes in contact with its customers--from the moment customers realize they need a product or service to the time when they dispose of it. The authors believe that if companies open up their thinking to their customer's entire experience with a product or service--the consumption chain--they can uncover opportunities to position their offerings in ways that neither they nor their competitors though possible. The authors show how even a mundane product such as candles can be successfully differentiated. By analyzing its customers' experiences and exploring various options, Blyth Industries, for example, has grown from a $2 million U.S. candle manufacturer into a global candle and accessory business with nearly $500 million in sales and a market value of $1.2 billion. Finding ways to differentiate one's company is a skill that can be nurtured, the authors contend. In this Manager's Tool Kit, they have designed a two-part approach that can help companies continually identify new points of differentiation and develop the ability to generate successful differentiation strategies. "Mapping the Consumption Chain" captures the customer's total experience with a product or service. "Analyzing Your Customer's Experience" shows managers how directed brainstorming about each step in the consumption chain can elicit numerous ways to differentiate any offering.

Developing Customized Programs for Steel and Other Heavy Industries: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Day, Philip R., Jr.

1984-01-01

This article discusses the successful implementation of a unique customized training program for steel and other industries. A contextual framework for understanding both the process and the product is presented. Traditional labor management problems are examined as well as the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) procedure of identifying job-related…

17 CFR 41.41 - Security futures products accounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... SECURITY FUTURES PRODUCTS Customer Accounts and Margin Requirements § 41.41 Security futures products... all of a customer's security futures products in a futures account, all of a customer's security futures products in a securities account, or some of a customer's security futures products in a futures...

Development of a Medical Cyclotron Production Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allen, Danny R.

Development of a Cyclotron manufacturing facility begins with a business plan. Geographics, the size and activity of the medical community, the growth potential of the modality being served, and other business connections are all considered. This business used the customer base established by NuTech, Inc., an independent centralized nuclear pharmacy founded by Danny Allen. With two pharmacies in operation in Tyler and College Station and a customer base of 47 hospitals and clinics the existing delivery system and pharmacist staff is used for the cyclotron facility. We then added cyclotron products to contracts with these customers to guarantee a supply.more » We partnered with a company in the process of developing PET imaging centers. We then built an independent imaging center attached to the cyclotron facility to allow for the use of short-lived isotopes.« less

A Quality Function Deployment-Based Expert System for Cotton Fibre Selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Shankar; Prasad, Kanika

2018-01-01

The textile industries have seen resurgence in customers' demand for quality products during the preceding few years. This product range is extremely varied, with hand-spun and hand-woven products at one end of the spectrum, while products manufactured from the capital intensive sophisticated machineries at the other end. Since, cotton fibres are predominantly employed as the raw material for manufacturing these products, their proper selection is crucial for sustainable development of the textile/spinning industries. However, availability of numerous cotton fibre alternatives with various physical properties makes this selection process unwieldy and time consuming. Thus, there is need for a structured approach that can incorporate customers' demand into the selection process. This paper demonstrates the application of a structured and logical procedure of selecting the best cotton fibre type to fulfill a set of specified end product requirements through design and development of a quality function deployment (QFD)-based expert system. The QFD technique is employed here to provide due importance to the customers' spoken and unspoken needs, and subsequently calculate the priority weights of the considered cotton fibre properties. Two real time illustrative examples are presented to explicate the applicability and potentiality of the developed expert system to resolve cotton fibre selection problems.

A Quality Function Deployment-Based Expert System for Cotton Fibre Selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Shankar; Prasad, Kanika

2018-06-01

The textile industries have seen resurgence in customers' demand for quality products during the preceding few years. This product range is extremely varied, with hand-spun and hand-woven products at one end of the spectrum, while products manufactured from the capital intensive sophisticated machineries at the other end. Since, cotton fibres are predominantly employed as the raw material for manufacturing these products, their proper selection is crucial for sustainable development of the textile/spinning industries. However, availability of numerous cotton fibre alternatives with various physical properties makes this selection process unwieldy and time consuming. Thus, there is need for a structured approach that can incorporate customers' demand into the selection process. This paper demonstrates the application of a structured and logical procedure of selecting the best cotton fibre type to fulfill a set of specified end product requirements through design and development of a quality function deployment (QFD)-based expert system. The QFD technique is employed here to provide due importance to the customers' spoken and unspoken needs, and subsequently calculate the priority weights of the considered cotton fibre properties. Two real time illustrative examples are presented to explicate the applicability and potentiality of the developed expert system to resolve cotton fibre selection problems.

Fringe field switching AMLCD technology in military and consumer applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niemczyk, James

2006-05-01

American Panel Corporation (APC) designs and delivers customized AMLCD products for aircraft cockpits and rugged ground vehicles. APC specifies AMLCD's to be designed and manufactured, based on an exclusive relationship, with both LG.Philips LCD, in South Korea and BOE Hydis, in South Korea. This paper addresses the Fringe Field Switching (FFS) technology developed by BOE Hydis and APC's customization of this technology into both high end avionics display products as well as consumer display products. FFS technology optimizes all optical and electrical performance qualities into a single product. APC offers the high temperature FFS products for all applications.

Customer Discovery as the First Essential Step for Successful Health Information Technology System Development

PubMed Central

Thamjamrassri, Punyotai; Song, YuJin; Tak, JaeHyun; Kang, HoYong; Hong, Jeeyoung

2018-01-01

Objectives Customer discovery (CD) is a method to determine if there are actual customers for a product/service and what they would want before actually developing the product/service. This concept, however, is rather new to health information technology (IT) systems. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to demonstrate how to use the CD method in developing a comprehensive health IT service for patients with knee/leg pain. Methods We participated in a 6-week I-Corps program to perform CD, in which we interviewed 55 people in person, by phone, or by video conference within 6 weeks: 4 weeks in the United States and 2 weeks in Korea. The interviewees included orthopedic doctors, physical therapists, physical trainers, physicians, researchers, pharmacists, vendors, and patients. By analyzing the interview data, the aim was to revise our business model accordingly. Results Using the CD approach enabled us to understand the customer segments and identify value propositions. We concluded that a facilitating tele-rehabilitation system is needed the most and that the most suitable customer segment is early stage arthritis patients. We identified a new design concept for the customer segment. Furthermore, CD is required to identify value propositions in detail. Conclusions CD is crucial to determine a more desirable direction in developing health IT systems, and it can be a powerful tool to increase the potential for successful commercialization in the health IT field. PMID:29503756

OpinionSeer: interactive visualization of hotel customer feedback.

PubMed

Wu, Yingcai; Wei, Furu; Liu, Shixia; Au, Norman; Cui, Weiwei; Zhou, Hong; Qu, Huamin

2010-01-01

The rapid development of Web technology has resulted in an increasing number of hotel customers sharing their opinions on the hotel services. Effective visual analysis of online customer opinions is needed, as it has a significant impact on building a successful business. In this paper, we present OpinionSeer, an interactive visualization system that could visually analyze a large collection of online hotel customer reviews. The system is built on a new visualization-centric opinion mining technique that considers uncertainty for faithfully modeling and analyzing customer opinions. A new visual representation is developed to convey customer opinions by augmenting well-established scatterplots and radial visualization. To provide multiple-level exploration, we introduce subjective logic to handle and organize subjective opinions with degrees of uncertainty. Several case studies illustrate the effectiveness and usefulness of OpinionSeer on analyzing relationships among multiple data dimensions and comparing opinions of different groups. Aside from data on hotel customer feedback, OpinionSeer could also be applied to visually analyze customer opinions on other products or services.

Get inside the lives of your customers.

PubMed

Seybold, P B

2001-05-01

Many companies have become adept at the art of customer relationship management. They've collected mountains of data on preferences and behavior, divided buyers into ever-finer segments, and refined their products, services, and marketing pitches. But all too often those efforts are too narrow--they concentrate only on the points where the customer comes into contact with the company. Few businesses have bothered to look at what the author calls the customer scenario--the broad context in which customers select, buy, and use products and services. As a result, consultant Patricia Seybold maintains, they've routinely missed chances to deepen loyalty and expand sales. In this article, the author shows how effective three very different companies have been at using customer scenarios as the centerpiece of their marketing plans. Chip maker National Semiconductor looked beyond the purchasing agents that buy in bulk to find ways to make it easier for engineers to design National's components into their specifications for mobile telephones. Each time they do so, it translates into millions of dollars in orders. By developing a customer scenario that describes how people actually shop for groceries, Tesco learned the importance of decentralizing its Web shopping site and how the extra costs of decentralization could be outweighed by the higher profit margins on-line customers generate. And Buzzsaw.com used customer scenarios as the basis for its entire business. It has used the Web to create a better way for the dozens of participants in a construction project to share their drawings and manage their projects. Seybold lays out the steps managers can take to develop their own customer scenarios. By thinking broadly about the challenges your customers face, she suggests, you can almost always find ways to make their lives easier--and thus earn their loyalty.

16 CFR 436.5 - Disclosure items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... offered j. Warranty and customer service requirements k. Territorial development and sales quotas l... the franchisee will offer to its customers. (ii) Hiring and training employees. (iii) Improving and.... (iv) The general market for the product or service the franchisee will offer. In describing the...

Improving Customer Satisfaction: A People CMM Perspective

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-11

customers internal service quality Employee satisfaction in turn fuels employee loyalty , which raises employee productivity. Higher productivity means...greater external service value for customers – which enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty . Internal Service Quality Employee Loyalty ...Employee Productivity Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty “A mere 5% jump in customer loyalty can boost profits 25%”…or more.

Sensor to User - NASA/EOS Data for Coastal Zone Management Applications Developed from Integrated Analyses: Verification, Validation and Benchmark Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Callie; Arnone, Robert

2006-01-01

The NASA Applied Sciences Program seeks to transfer NASA data, models, and knowledge into the hands of end-users by forming links with partner agencies and associated decision support tools (DSTs). Through the NASA REASoN (Research, Education and Applications Solutions Network) Cooperative Agreement, the Oceanography Division of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRLSSC) is developing new products through the integration of data from NASA Earth-Sun System assets with coastal ocean forecast models and other available data to enhance coastal management in the Gulf of Mexico. The recipient federal agency for this research effort is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The contents of this report detail the effort to further the goals of the NASA Applied Sciences Program by demonstrating the use of NASA satellite products combined with data-assimilating ocean models to provide near real-time information to maritime users and coastal managers of the Gulf of Mexico. This effort provides new and improved capabilities for monitoring, assessing, and predicting the coastal environment. Coastal managers can exploit these capabilities through enhanced DSTs at federal, state and local agencies. The project addresses three major issues facing coastal managers: 1) Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs); 2) hypoxia; and 3) freshwater fluxes to the coastal ocean. A suite of ocean products capable of describing Ocean Weather is assembled on a daily basis as the foundation for this semi-operational multiyear effort. This continuous realtime capability brings decision makers a new ability to monitor both normal and anomalous coastal ocean conditions with a steady flow of satellite and ocean model conditions. Furthermore, as the baseline data sets are used more extensively and the customer list increased, customer feedback is obtained and additional customized products are developed and provided to decision makers. Continual customer feedback and response with new improved products are required between the researcher and customer. This document details the methods by which these coastal ocean products are produced including the data flow, distribution, and verification. Product applications and the degree to which these products are used successfully within NOAA and coordinated with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) is benchmarked.

Operationalizing Space Weather Products - Process and Issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scro, K. D.; Quigley, S.

2006-12-01

Developing and transitioning operational products for any customer base is a complicated process. This is the case for operational space weather products and services for the USAF. This presentation will provide information on the current state of affairs regarding the process required to take an idea from the research field to the real-time application of 24-hour space weather operations support. General principles and specific issues are discussed and will include: customer requirements, organizations in-play, funding, product types, acquisition of engineering and validation data, security classification, version control, and various important changes that occur during the process. The author's viewpoint is as an individual developing space environmental system-impact products for the US Air Force: 1) as a member of its primary research organization (Air Force Research Laboratory), 2) working with its primary space environment technology transition organization (Technology Application Division of the Space and Missile Systems Center, SMC/WXT), and 3) delivering to the primary sponsor/customer of such system-impact products (Air Force Space Command). The experience and focus is obviously on specific military operationalization process and issues, but most of the paradigm may apply to other (commercial) enterprises as well.

The ODDI Odyssey: Developing and Integrating Operations for the International Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deal, Ryan W.

2002-01-01

International Space Station (ISS) comprise the deliverable products (OP-01 Reports) of the Boeing Operations Data Development and Integration (ODDI) Integrated Product Team (IPT) to the NASA customer. The ODDI IPT's mission is to exceed the customer's expectations by providing high-quality data and sound techniques for assembling and operating the ISS. strategies in order to streamline the generation of operations products that the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) utilizes for its crew and ground operations procedures development. Just as for other business practices, operations is a transformation process, converting inputs (resources) into outputs (products) based on a strategy that works best for the established competitive priorities of the operations organization. product reviews, and supporting other ISS operations duties (such as Mission Evaluation Room support) must be balanced with meeting schedules for delivery of the ODDI IPT's OP-01 Reports in accordance with the ISS assembly sequence timeline.

Characteristics of a semi-custom library development system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yancey, M.; Cannon, R.

1990-01-01

Standard cell and gate array macro libraries are in common use with workstation computer aided design (CAD) tools for application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) semi-custom application and have resulted in significant improvements in the overall design efficiencies as contrasted with custom design methodologies. Similar design methodology enhancements in providing for the efficient development of the library cells is an important factor in responding to the need for continuous technology improvement. The characteristics of a library development system that provides design flexibility and productivity enhancements for the library development engineer as he provides libraries in the state-of-the-art process technologies are presented. An overview of Gould's library development system ('Accolade') is also presented.

A Simulation Model for Measuring Customer Satisfaction through Employee Satisfaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zondiros, Dimitris; Konstantopoulos, Nikolaos; Tomaras, Petros

2007-12-01

Customer satisfaction is defined as a measure of how a firm's product or service performs compared to customer's expectations. It has long been a subject of research due to its importance for measuring marketing and business performance. A lot of models have been developed for its measurement. This paper propose a simulation model using employee satisfaction as one of the most important factors leading to customer satisfaction (the others being expectations and disconfirmation of expectations). Data obtained from a two-year survey in customers of banks in Greece were used. The application of three approaches regarding employee satisfaction resulted in greater customer satisfaction when there is serious effort to keep employees satisfied.

Data Mining Techniques for Customer Relationship Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Feng; Qin, Huilin

2017-10-01

Data mining have made customer relationship management (CRM) a new area where firms can gain a competitive advantage, and play a key role in the firms’ management decision. In this paper, we first analyze the value and application fields of data mining techniques for CRM, and further explore how data mining applied to Customer churn analysis. A new business culture is developing today. The conventional production centered and sales purposed market strategy is gradually shifting to customer centered and service purposed. Customers’ value orientation is increasingly affecting the firms’. And customer resource has become one of the most important strategic resources. Therefore, understanding customers’ needs and discriminating the most contributed customers has become the driving force of most modern business.

A research model of health-care competition and customer satisfaction.

PubMed

Asoh, Derek A; Rivers, Patrick A

2007-11-01

In all industries, competition among businesses has long been encouraged as a mechanism to increase value for customers. In other words, competition ensures the provision of better products and services to satisfy the needs of customers. Various perspectives of competition, the nature of service quality, health-care system costs and customer satisfaction in health care are examined. A model of the relationship among these variables is developed. The model depicts customer satisfaction as an outcome measure directly dependent on competition. Quality of care and health-care system costs, while also directly dependent on competition, are considered as determinants of customer satisfaction as well. The model is discussed in the light of propositions for empirical research.

Using Customer Reviews to Build Critical Reading Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Mary

2007-01-01

Junior high school teacher Mary Rice designs a consumer research unit that cultivates students' critical reading and thinking skills. As students learn how to develop and revise criteria for evaluating the reliability of online information, they read customer reviews, research products, and present their findings orally.

A Case Study of Reverse Engineering Integrated in an Automated Design Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pescaru, R.; Kyratsis, P.; Oancea, G.

2016-11-01

This paper presents a design methodology which automates the generation of curves extracted from the point clouds that have been obtained by digitizing the physical objects. The methodology is described on a product belonging to the industry of consumables, respectively a footwear type product that has a complex shape with many curves. The final result is the automated generation of wrapping curves, surfaces and solids according to the characteristics of the customer's foot, and to the preferences for the chosen model, which leads to the development of customized products.

Community pharmacy customer segmentation based on factors influencing their selection of pharmacy and over-the-counter medicines.

PubMed

Kevrekidis, Dimitrios Phaedon; Minarikova, Daniela; Markos, Angelos; Malovecka, Ivona; Minarik, Peter

2018-01-01

Within the competitive pharmacy market environment, community pharmacies are required to develop efficient marketing strategies based on contemporary information about consumer behavior in order to attract clients and develop customer loyalty. This study aimed to investigate the consumers' preferences concerning the selection of pharmacy and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, and to identify customer segments in relation to these preferences. A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and March 2016 on a convenient quota sample of 300 participants recruited in the metropolitan area of Thessaloniki, Greece. The main instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire with close-ended, multiple choice questions. To identify customer segments, Two-Step cluster analysis was conducted. Three distinct pharmacy customer clusters emerged. Customers of the largest cluster (49%; 'convenience customers') were mostly younger consumers. They gave moderate to positive ratings to factors affecting the selection of pharmacy and OTCs; convenience, and previous experience and the pharmacist's opinion, received the highest ratings. Customers of the second cluster (35%; 'loyal customers') were mainly retired; most of them reported visiting a single pharmacy. They gave high ratings to all factors that influence pharmacy selection, especially the pharmacy's staff, and factors influencing the purchase of OTCs, particularly previous experience and the pharmacist's opinion. Customers of the smallest cluster (16%; 'convenience and price-sensitive customers') were mainly retired or unemployed with low to moderate education, and low personal income. They gave the lowest ratings to most of the examined factors; convenience among factors influencing pharmacy selection, whereas previous experience, the pharmacist's opinion and product price among those affecting the purchase of OTCs, received the highest ratings. The community pharmacy market comprised of distinct customer segments that varied in the consumer preferences concerning the selection of pharmacy and OTCs, the evaluation of pharmaceutical services and products, and demographic characteristics.

The chiller`s role within a utility`s marketing strategy: Using chiller related products and services to win and retain customers. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-04-01

Commercial chillers are used in space and industrial process cooling. Approximately 3% of commercial buildings, representing 19% of all commercial floor space, are cooled by chillers. Consequently, every chiller represents significant electric (or gas) consumption. Chillers can comprise as much as 30% of a large office building`s electrical load. The selection decisions (electric versus gas, standard versus high efficiency, thermal storage or no thermal storage, etc.) for a new or replacement chiller will affect the customer`s energy consumption for twenty to thirty years. Consequently, this decision can play a major role in the customer`s relationship with the energy provider. However,more » even though these chiller decisions have a significant impact on the utility, today the utility has limited influence over these decisions. EPRI commissioned this study to develop understanding that will help utilities increase their influence over chiller decisions. To achieve this objective, this study looks at the customer`s behavior -- how they make chiller decisions, how the customer`s behavior and decisions are influenced today, and how these decisions might change in the future due to the impact of deregulation and changes in customer goals. The output of this project includes a list of product and service offerings that utilities and EPRI could offer to increase their influence over chiller decisions.« less

Rapid Prototyping Methodology in Action: A Developmental Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Toni Stokes; Richey, Rita C.

2000-01-01

Investigated the use of rapid prototyping methodologies in two projects conducted in a natural work setting to determine the nature of its use by designers and customers and the extent to which its use enhances traditional instructional design. Discusses design and development cycle-time reduction, product quality, and customer and designer…

Recruitment. Getting Customers for Employment and Training Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newton, Greg

This workbook presents the essential principles of successful marketing and applies the proven strategies used by the private sector to attract customers for their products to the recruitment of clients for employment and training programs. It also provides the tools and how-to's to develop recruitment strategies. Informative materials, lists of…

Boeing Displays Process Action team

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, R. Nick; Jacobsen, Alan R.

2000-08-01

Boeing uses Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Display (AMLCD) technology in a wide variety of its aerospace products, including military, commercial, and space applications. With the demise of Optical Imaging Systems (OIS) in September 1998, the source of on-shore custom AMLCD products has become very tenuous. Reliance on off-shore sources of AMLCD glass for aerospace products is also difficult when the average life of a display product is often less than one-tenth the 30 or more years expected from aerospace platforms. Boeing is addressing this problem through the development of a Displays Process Action Team that gathers input from all display users across the spectrum of our aircraft products. By consolidating requirements, developing common interface standards, working with our suppliers and constantly monitoring custom sources as well as commercially available products, Boeing is minimizing the impact (current and future) of the uncertain AMLCD avionics supply picture.

Competing in the brave new (deregulated) world: Service innovation and brand strategy for utilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Foster, D.; Lathrop, S.; Wolf, A.

This paper will address ways utilities can gain a competitive advantage despite industry turbulence. It details how to create successful brand and innovation strategies and how to link these in order to create successful new products and services for customers. After gaining a solid understanding of industry trends, the first step is to develop an ideal brand image and create a brand strategy around it. Next, companies must determine how to roll out and leverage brands to targeted customer segments over time through a brand architecture. Then, they must build an innovation strategy, defining where and how to apply newmore » technologies and develop new products and services. This strategy is linked to the brand architecture through a product architecture. Finally, companies must be able to successfully develop new products and services through a well-planned innovation process.« less

Cooperative fuzzy games approach to setting target levels of ECs in quality function deployment.

PubMed

Yang, Zhihui; Chen, Yizeng; Yin, Yunqiang

2014-01-01

Quality function deployment (QFD) can provide a means of translating customer requirements (CRs) into engineering characteristics (ECs) for each stage of product development and production. The main objective of QFD-based product planning is to determine the target levels of ECs for a new product or service. QFD is a breakthrough tool which can effectively reduce the gap between CRs and a new product/service. Even though there are conflicts among some ECs, the objective of developing new product is to maximize the overall customer satisfaction. Therefore, there may be room for cooperation among ECs. A cooperative game framework combined with fuzzy set theory is developed to determine the target levels of the ECs in QFD. The key to develop the model is the formulation of the bargaining function. In the proposed methodology, the players are viewed as the membership functions of ECs to formulate the bargaining function. The solution for the proposed model is Pareto-optimal. An illustrated example is cited to demonstrate the application and performance of the proposed approach.

Cooperative Fuzzy Games Approach to Setting Target Levels of ECs in Quality Function Deployment

PubMed Central

Yang, Zhihui; Chen, Yizeng; Yin, Yunqiang

2014-01-01

Quality function deployment (QFD) can provide a means of translating customer requirements (CRs) into engineering characteristics (ECs) for each stage of product development and production. The main objective of QFD-based product planning is to determine the target levels of ECs for a new product or service. QFD is a breakthrough tool which can effectively reduce the gap between CRs and a new product/service. Even though there are conflicts among some ECs, the objective of developing new product is to maximize the overall customer satisfaction. Therefore, there may be room for cooperation among ECs. A cooperative game framework combined with fuzzy set theory is developed to determine the target levels of the ECs in QFD. The key to develop the model is the formulation of the bargaining function. In the proposed methodology, the players are viewed as the membership functions of ECs to formulate the bargaining function. The solution for the proposed model is Pareto-optimal. An illustrated example is cited to demonstrate the application and performance of the proposed approach. PMID:25097884

Enhanced Product Generation at NASA Data Centers Through Grid Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barkstrom, Bruce R.; Hinke, Thomas H.; Gavali, Shradha; Seufzer, William J.

2003-01-01

This paper describes how grid technology can support the ability of NASA data centers to provide customized data products. A combination of grid technology and commodity processors are proposed to provide the bandwidth necessary to perform customized processing of data, with customized data subsetting providing the initial example. This customized subsetting engine can be used to support a new type of subsetting, called phenomena-based subsetting, where data is subsetted based on its association with some phenomena, such as mesoscale convective systems or hurricanes. This concept is expanded to allow the phenomena to be detected in one type of data, with the subsetting requirements transmitted to the subsetting engine to subset a different type of data. The subsetting requirements are generated by a data mining system and transmitted to the subsetter in the form of an XML feature index that describes the spatial and temporal extent of the phenomena. For this work, a grid-based mining system called the Grid Miner is used to identify the phenomena and generate the feature index. This paper discusses the value of grid technology in facilitating the development of a high performance customized product processing and the coupling of a grid mining system to support phenomena-based subsetting.

Comparative analysis of data mining techniques for business data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamil, Jastini Mohd; Shaharanee, Izwan Nizal Mohd

2014-12-01

Data mining is the process of employing one or more computer learning techniques to automatically analyze and extract knowledge from data contained within a database. Companies are using this tool to further understand their customers, to design targeted sales and marketing campaigns, to predict what product customers will buy and the frequency of purchase, and to spot trends in customer preferences that can lead to new product development. In this paper, we conduct a systematic approach to explore several of data mining techniques in business application. The experimental result reveals that all data mining techniques accomplish their goals perfectly, but each of the technique has its own characteristics and specification that demonstrate their accuracy, proficiency and preference.

Integration of QFD, AHP, and LPP methods in supplier development problems under uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shad, Zahra; Roghanian, Emad; Mojibian, Fatemeh

2014-04-01

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a customer-driven approach, widely used to develop or process new product to maximize customer satisfaction. Last researches used linear physical programming (LPP) procedure to optimize QFD; however, QFD issue involved uncertainties, or fuzziness, which requires taking them into account for more realistic study. In this paper, a set of fuzzy data is used to address linguistic values parameterized by triangular fuzzy numbers. Proposed integrated approach including analytic hierarchy process (AHP), QFD, and LPP to maximize overall customer satisfaction under uncertain conditions and apply them in the supplier development problem. The fuzzy AHP approach is adopted as a powerful method to obtain the relationship between the customer requirements and engineering characteristics (ECs) to construct house of quality in QFD method. LPP is used to obtain the optimal achievement level of the ECs and subsequently the customer satisfaction level under different degrees of uncertainty. The effectiveness of proposed method will be illustrated by an example.

The balanced scorecard--measures that drive performance.

PubMed

Kaplan, R S; Norton, D P

1992-01-01

Frustrated by the inadequacies of traditional performance measurement systems, some managers have abandoned financial measures like return on equity and earnings per share. "Make operational improvements and the numbers will follow," the argument goes. But managers do not want to choose between financial and operational measures. Executives want a balanced presentation of measures that allow them to view the company from several perspectives simultaneously. During a year-long research project with 12 companies at the leading edge of performance measurement, the authors developed a "balanced scorecard," a new performance measurement system that gives top managers a fast but comprehensive view of the business. The balanced scorecard includes financial measures that tell the results of actions already taken. And it complements those financial measures with three sets of operational measures having to do with customer satisfaction, internal processes, and the organization's ability to learn and improve--the activities that drive future financial performance. Managers can create a balanced scorecard by translating their company's strategy and mission statements into specific goals and measures. To create the part of the scorecard that focuses on the customer perspective, for example, executives at Electronic Circuits Inc. established general goals for customer performance: get standard products to market sooner, improve customers' time-to-market, become customers' supplier of choice through partnerships, and develop innovative products tailored to customer needs. Managers translated these elements of strategy into four specific goals and identified a measure for each.

Development of user customized smart keyboard using Smart Product Design-Finite Element Analysis Process in the Internet of Things.

PubMed

Kim, Jung Woo; Sul, Sang Hun; Choi, Jae Boong

2018-06-07

In a hyper-connected society, IoT environment, markets are rapidly changing as smartphones penetrate global market. As smartphones are applied to various digital media, development of a novel smart product is required. In this paper, a Smart Product Design-Finite Element Analysis Process (SPD-FEAP) is developed to adopt fast-changing tends and user requirements that can be visually verified. The user requirements are derived and quantitatively evaluated from Smart Quality Function Deployment (SQFD) using WebData. Then the usage scenarios are created according to the priority of the functions derived from SQFD. 3D shape analysis by Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was conducted and printed out through Rapid Prototyping (RP) technology to identify any possible errors. Thus, a User Customized Smart Keyboard has been developed using SPD-FEAP. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adopting Quality Assurance Technology in Customer-Vendor Relationships: A Case Study of How Interorganizational Relationships Influence the Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heeager, Lise Tordrup; Tjørnehøj, Gitte

Quality assurance technology is a formal control mechanism aiming at increasing the quality of the product exchanged between vendors and customers. Studies of the adoption of this technology in the field of system development rarely focus on the role of the relationship between the customer and vendor in the process. We have studied how the process of adopting quality assurance technology by a small Danish IT vendor developing pharmacy software for a customer in the public sector was influenced by the relationship with the customer. The case study showed that the adoption process was shaped to a high degree by the relationship and vice versa. The prior high level of trust and mutual knowledge helped the parties negotiate mutually feasible solutions throughout the adoption process. We thus advise enhancing trust-building processes to strengthen the relationships and to balance formal control and social control to increase the likelihood of a successful outcome of the adoption of quality assurance technology in a customer-vendor relationship.

Online Student Induction: A Case Study of the Use of Mass Customization Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Marion; Hawkins, Rachel; Lunsford, Jane; Sinclair-Pearson, Andrew

2004-01-01

New technology within Open and Distance learning (ODL) provides new opportunities for the delivery of learner support resources. Mass customization techniques offer the advantages of efficient production combined with the development of a learning experience precisely tailored for the individual's study requirements. In this article, we discuss…

Growth outside the core.

PubMed

Zook, Chris; Allen, James

2003-12-01

Growth in an adjacent market is tougher than it looks; three-quarters of the time, the effort fails. But companies can change those odds dramatically. Results from a five-year study of corporate growth conducted by Bain & Company reveal that adjacency expansion succeeds only when built around strong core businesses that have the potential to become market leaders. And the best place to look for adjacency opportunities is inside a company's strongest customers. The study also found that the most successful companies were able to consistently, profitably outgrow their rivals by developing a formula for pushing out the boundaries of their core businesses in predictable, repeatable ways. Companies use their repeatability formulas to expand into any number of adjacencies. Some companies make repeated geographic moves, as Vodafone has done in expanding from one geographic market to another over the past 13 years, building revenues from $1 billion in 1990 to $48 billion in 2003. Others apply a superior business model to new segments. Dell, for example, has repeatedly adapted its direct-to-customer model to new customer segments and new product categories. In other cases, companies develop hybrid approaches. Nike executed a series of different types of adjacency moves: it expanded into adjacent customer segments, introduced new products, developed new distribution channels, and then moved into adjacent geographic markets. The successful repeaters in the study had two common characteristics. First, they were extraordinarily disciplined, applying rigorous screens before they made an adjacency move. This discipline paid off in the form of learning curve benefits, increased speed, and lower complexity. And second, in almost all cases, they developed their repeatable formulas by studying their customers and their customers' economics very, very carefully.

An RFID-Based Manufacturing Control Framework for Loosely Coupled Distributed Manufacturing System Supporting Mass Customization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ruey-Shun; Tsai, Yung-Shun; Tu, Arthur

In this study we propose a manufacturing control framework based on radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology and a distributed information system to construct a mass-customization production process in a loosely coupled shop-floor control environment. On the basis of this framework, we developed RFID middleware and an integrated information system for tracking and controlling the manufacturing process flow. A bicycle manufacturer was used to demonstrate the prototype system. The findings of this study were that the proposed framework can improve the visibility and traceability of the manufacturing process as well as enhance process quality control and real-time production pedigree access. Using this framework, an enterprise can easily integrate an RFID-based system into its manufacturing environment to facilitate mass customization and a just-in-time production model.

The Integration of COTS/GOTS within NASA's HST Command and Control System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pfarr, Thomas; Reis, James E.

2001-01-01

NASA's mission critical Hubble Space Telescope (HST) command and control system has been re-engineered with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS/GOTS) and minimal custom code. This paper focuses on the design of this new HST Control Center System (CCS) and the lessons learned throughout its development. CCS currently utilizes more than 30 COTS/GOTS products with an additional 1/2 million lines of custom glueware code; the new CCS exceeds the capabilities of the original system while significantly reducing the lines of custom code by more than 50%. The lifecycle of COTS/GOTS products will be examined including the package selection process, evaluation process, and integration process. The advantages, disadvantages, issues, concerns, and lessons learned for integrating COTS/GOTS into the NASA's mission critical HST CCS will be examined in detail. This paper will reveal the many hidden costs of COTS/GOTS solutions when compared to traditional custom code development efforts; this paper will show the high cost of COTS/GOTS solutions including training expenses, consulting fees, and long-term maintenance expenses.

Conception of Self-Construction Production Scheduling System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Hai; Zhang, Xuerui; Shimizu, Yasuhiro; Fujimura, Shigeru

With the high speed innovation of information technology, many production scheduling systems have been developed. However, a lot of customization according to individual production environment is required, and then a large investment for development and maintenance is indispensable. Therefore now the direction to construct scheduling systems should be changed. The final objective of this research aims at developing a system which is built by it extracting the scheduling technique automatically through the daily production scheduling work, so that an investment will be reduced. This extraction mechanism should be applied for various production processes for the interoperability. Using the master information extracted by the system, production scheduling operators can be supported to accelerate the production scheduling work easily and accurately without any restriction of scheduling operations. By installing this extraction mechanism, it is easy to introduce scheduling system without a lot of expense for customization. In this paper, at first a model for expressing a scheduling problem is proposed. Then the guideline to extract the scheduling information and use the extracted information is shown and some applied functions are also proposed based on it.

A Study of the Shipment of Produce to Department of Defense Customers in Korea.

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-03-01

DSCP logistics planners can more effectively provide superior products and customer service to South Korean produce customers. 3 C. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...an average of approximately twelve personnel and maintain responsibility for providing chilled and frozen products to their customers. Additionally...responsible for providing chill and frozen products to customers. 2. DSO-San Francisco The Defense Subsistence Office (DSO)-San Francisco is located in

Diffusion of subsidized ACTs in accredited drug shops in Tanzania: determinants of stocking and characteristics of early and late adopters

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Many households in sub-Saharan Africa utilize the private sector as a primary source of treatment for malaria episodes. Expanding access to effective treatment in private drug shops may help reduce incidence of severe disease and mortality. This research leveraged a longitudinal survey of stocking of subsidized artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs), an effective anti-malarial, in Accredited Drug Dispensing Outlets (ADDOs) in two regions of Tanzania. This provided a unique opportunity to explore shop and market level determinants of product diffusion in a developing country retail market. Methods 356 ADDOs in the Rukwa and Mtwara regions of Tanzania were surveyed at seven points between Feb 2011 and May 2012. Shop level audits were used to measure the availability of subsidized ACTs at each shop. Data on market and shop level factors were collected during the survey and also extracted from GIS layers. Regression and network based methodologies were used. Shops classified as early and late adopters, following Rogers’ model of product diffusion, were compared. The Bass model of product diffusion was applied to determine whether shops stocked ACTs out of a need to imitate market competitors or a desire to satisfy customer needs. Results Following the introduction of a subsidy for ACTs, stocking increased from 12% to nearly 80% over the seven survey rounds. Stocking was influenced by higher numbers of proximal shops and clinics, larger customer traffic and the presence of a licensed pharmacist. Early adopters were characterized by a larger percentage of customers seeking care for malaria, a larger catchment and sourcing from specific wholesalers/suppliers. The Bass model of product diffusion indicated that shops were adopting products in response to competitor behavior, rather than customer demand. Conclusions Decisions to stock new pharmaceutical products in Tanzanian ADDOs are influenced by a combination of factors related to both market competition and customer demand, but are particularly influenced by the behavior of competing shops. Efforts to expand access to new pharmaceutical products in developing country markets could benefit from initial targeting of high profile shops in competitive markets and wholesale suppliers to encourage faster product diffusion across all drug retailers. PMID:24350611

Diffusion of subsidized ACTs in accredited drug shops in Tanzania: determinants of stocking and characteristics of early and late adopters.

PubMed

Larson, Peter S; Yadav, Prashant; Alphs, Sarah; Arkedis, Jean; Massaga, Julius; Sabot, Oliver; Cohen, Jessica L

2013-12-18

Many households in sub-Saharan Africa utilize the private sector as a primary source of treatment for malaria episodes. Expanding access to effective treatment in private drug shops may help reduce incidence of severe disease and mortality. This research leveraged a longitudinal survey of stocking of subsidized artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs), an effective anti-malarial, in Accredited Drug Dispensing Outlets (ADDOs) in two regions of Tanzania. This provided a unique opportunity to explore shop and market level determinants of product diffusion in a developing country retail market. 356 ADDOs in the Rukwa and Mtwara regions of Tanzania were surveyed at seven points between Feb 2011 and May 2012. Shop level audits were used to measure the availability of subsidized ACTs at each shop. Data on market and shop level factors were collected during the survey and also extracted from GIS layers. Regression and network based methodologies were used. Shops classified as early and late adopters, following Rogers' model of product diffusion, were compared. The Bass model of product diffusion was applied to determine whether shops stocked ACTs out of a need to imitate market competitors or a desire to satisfy customer needs. Following the introduction of a subsidy for ACTs, stocking increased from 12% to nearly 80% over the seven survey rounds. Stocking was influenced by higher numbers of proximal shops and clinics, larger customer traffic and the presence of a licensed pharmacist. Early adopters were characterized by a larger percentage of customers seeking care for malaria, a larger catchment and sourcing from specific wholesalers/suppliers. The Bass model of product diffusion indicated that shops were adopting products in response to competitor behavior, rather than customer demand. Decisions to stock new pharmaceutical products in Tanzanian ADDOs are influenced by a combination of factors related to both market competition and customer demand, but are particularly influenced by the behavior of competing shops. Efforts to expand access to new pharmaceutical products in developing country markets could benefit from initial targeting of high profile shops in competitive markets and wholesale suppliers to encourage faster product diffusion across all drug retailers.

Report on audit of the Department of Energy`s Transportation Accident Resistant Container Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-10-11

The U.S. Department of Energy (Department) has ultimate responsibility for the safety of all nuclear explosives and weapons operations conducted by the Department and its contractors. The Department also has joint responsibility for the safety of nuclear weapons in the custody of the Armed Services. Since the 1970s, the Department has designed, developed, and produced accident resistant containers to promote safety when transporting certain types of nuclear weapons by air. After successfully developing and modifying accident resistant containers for use on Army helicopters, the Department subsequently designed, modified, and produced similar containers for the United States Air Force. Because themore » Department spent millions of dollars on this project, we conducted the audit to determine if the Department had adequate controls in place to preclude the development and production of projects which did not have customer agreement or meet customer requirements. One goal of the Department`s Strategic Plan is to ensure that customer expectations are met by having them participate in the planning process. Although nuclear safety responsibility was shared with the Department of Defense, the Department designed and produced 87 accident resistant containers for about $29 million when the customer did not want them and expressed no desire to use these containers. This occurred because the Department unilaterally decided to produce containers without ensuring that the containers met customer expectations. There may be circumstances where the Department will do some preliminary design and testing before agreeing with the Department of Defense on requirements. However, the Departments of Energy and Defense should reach agreement on the requirement for products before final design and production, otherwise funds will be spent unnecessarily.« less

Development of a QFD-based expert system for CNC turning centre selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, Kanika; Chakraborty, Shankar

2015-12-01

Computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools are automated devices capable of generating complicated and intricate product shapes in shorter time. Selection of the best CNC machine tool is a critical, complex and time-consuming task due to availability of a wide range of alternatives and conflicting nature of several evaluation criteria. Although, the past researchers had attempted to select the appropriate machining centres using different knowledge-based systems, mathematical models and multi-criteria decision-making methods, none of those approaches has given due importance to the voice of customers. The aforesaid limitation can be overcome using quality function deployment (QFD) technique, which is a systematic approach for integrating customers' needs and designing the product to meet those needs first time and every time. In this paper, the adopted QFD-based methodology helps in selecting CNC turning centres for a manufacturing organization, providing due importance to the voice of customers to meet their requirements. An expert system based on QFD technique is developed in Visual BASIC 6.0 to automate the CNC turning centre selection procedure for different production plans. Three illustrative examples are demonstrated to explain the real-time applicability of the developed expert system.

The Qualitative Measurement towards Emotional Feeling of Design for Product Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syaifoelida, Fevi; Megat Hamdan, M. A. M.; Murrad, M.; Aminuddin, Hazim

2018-04-01

To compete in today’s ever-growing technology market, a product needs to be well presentable to the customers. It is a challenge to design a product that is able to attract customer’s attention and to build their loyalty towards the product. A product needs to be designed with focus to give the maximum level of satisfaction to the end user which is the customer. That is the focus of this paper, to achieve customer’s satisfaction, by studying feelings and emotional value related to product designs using Kansei Engineering (KE) and to test how important that product element (level of satisfaction) by using Kano Method (KM). KE is a method of translating human emotions and feelings into product development. The method studies the human interaction and responses when a customer sees a product, then translates it into a new improved design. However, KE cannot stand on its own. It did not specify in which extends the feeling or emotions is important in a product. After we had the design appearance parameters from KE and existing design evaluation, it need to be classified which is more important than the other is. That is why Kano Method (KM) will also be used. Since this scope of study towards an emotional feeling of design (existing part/appearance) in Kano categories not in deep function of technical requirement, so KM will help to classify parts of product into categories, which part will give fully satisfaction while using it. It studies the more important attributes considered by the customers for improvement. The objective is to find out the design priority guide that can be used to maximize customer’s satisfaction. Therefore, in order to apply the qualitative measurement idea into the real situation, the headphone product is chosen (popular among students) as the product (the appearance of part, feeling when use it) domain for this study. As the results progressed, it was found out that the headband part of headphone is the most important part of the product. It needs to be durable and comfortably designed to give full satisfaction while using (Kano-functional). The research and development (R&D), and designing process of a product can be improved greatly to increase the customer’s satisfaction by capturing their emotional feeling in physiological design.

CALL CENTER SUPPORT AND TODAY’S WARFIGHTER

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-01

COR and Contractor Relationship……………………………………………..12 Figure 5: TFSC Customer Satisfaction Survey and Product Delivery Increase…………14 Figure 6: TFSC...practices can the TFSC adopt to provide higher levels of service and increased customer satisfaction ?” During development, this paper will employ a...higher levels of service and increased customer satisfaction ?” For the purpose of this paper, the private industry partner that was chosen for

Innovation management based on proactive engagement of customers: A case study on LEGO Group. Part I: Innovation Management at Lego Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusu, G.; Avasilcăi, S.

2015-11-01

Customers' proactive engagement in the innovation process represents a business priority for companies which adopt the open innovation business model. In such a context, it is of outmost importance for companies to use the online environment and social media, in order to create an interactive and open dialogue with customers and other important external stakeholders, achieving to gather creative solutions and innovative ideas by involving them in the process of co-creating value. Thus, the current paper is based on a case study approach, which aims to highlight the open innovation business model of the LEGO Group, one of the most successful and active company in engaging customers in submitting ideas and creative solutions for developing new products and new technologies, through online platforms. The study then proceeds to analyze the innovation management at LEGO Group, emphasizing the most important elements regarding the management team, the success and failures, the evolution of the LEGO products focusing on the innovation efforts of the company, its mission, vision, and values, emphasizing the innovation terms which guide the actions and objectives of the LEGO Group. Also, the research based on the case study approach, outlines the most important policies and strategies of the company, the organizational structure consisting of flat structures which facilitate the orientation of the team management on the innovation process and the proactive involvement of consumers and other external stakeholders in product development, highlighting also the most important activities developed by the management team in exploring the new opportunities which may occur on the market, involving customers in sharing their ideas at festivals, participating to discussions of adult fans on web-based platforms and establishing partnerships with the external stakeholders in order to create value. Moreover, the paper is focused on identifying the company's concerns regarding the competitive strategies, new technologies developed for sustainable development and innovation, emphasizing also the concerns of the LEGO Group for a long-term orientation strategy which implies developing innovative products, made by ecological materials, reducing the negative impact on the environment. In addition, the company aims to foster innovation maintaining a clear vision, multiple contacts with the internal and external environment, and the flat structures which enable the communication between innovative management teams and top management team. Consequently, the study provides the insights regarding the innovation management of the LEGO Group, emphasizing the role of engaging customers and other external stakeholders in the co-creation of value.

Configurable product design considering the transition of multi-hierarchical models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Bin; Qiu, Lemiao; Zhang, Shuyou; Tan, Jianrong; Cheng, Jin

2013-03-01

The current research of configurable product design mainly focuses on how to convert a predefined set of components into a valid set of product structures. With the scale and complexity of configurable products increasing, the interdependencies between customer demands and product structures grow up as well. The result is that existing product structures fails to satisfy the individual customer requirements and hence product variants are needed. This paper is aimed to build a bridge between customer demands and product structures in order to make demand-driven fast response design feasible. First of all, multi-hierarchical models of configurable product design are established with customer demand model, technical requirement model and product structure model. Then, the transition of multi-hierarchical models among customer demand model, technical requirement model and product structure model is solved with fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and the algorithm of multi-level matching. Finally, optimal structure according to the customer demands is obtained with the calculation of Euclidean distance and similarity of some cases. In practice, the configuration design of a clamping unit of injection molding machine successfully performs an optimal search strategy for the product variants with reasonable satisfaction to individual customer demands. The proposed method can automatically generate a configuration design with better alternatives for each product structures, and shorten the time of finding the configuration of a product.

Balanced scorecard as a framework for driving performance in managed care organizations.

PubMed

Sahney, V K

1998-01-01

Managed care organizations in a highly competitive environment constantly face the pressure of improving their financial performance. At the same time, customers of the organization expect the organization to deliver high-quality outcomes and improve customer service. Payers expect the organization to develop innovative new products to meet their needs. This article presents an approach called "Balanced Scorecard" for measurement, development of strategy, and performance improvement in a managed care organization.

A Brand Loyalty Model Utilizing Team Identification and Customer Satisfaction in the Licensed Sports Product Industry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Soonhwan; Shin, Hongbum; Park, Jung-Jun; Kwon, Oh-Ryun

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among the attitudinal brand loyalty variables (i.e., cognitive, affective, and conative components), team identification, and customer satisfaction by developing a structural equation model, based on Oliver's (1997) attitudinal brand loyalty model. The results of this study confirmed…

Technical Knowledge and Skills Development in the Informal Sector in Kenya: The Case of Custom Tailors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Apunda, Edwinah Amondi; de Klerk, Helena M.; Ogina, Teresa

2017-01-01

Custom tailors working in the informal sector in Nairobi, Kenya, mainly acquire technical skills through undertaking traditional apprenticeships (TAs). However, most of these tailors are semi-skilled, produce low-quality products and are often poorer than their formally trained counterparts. This qualitative case study explores the aspects of…

COSTMODL: An automated software development cost estimation tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roush, George B.

1991-01-01

The cost of developing computer software continues to consume an increasing portion of many organizations' total budgets, both in the public and private sector. As this trend develops, the capability to produce reliable estimates of the effort and schedule required to develop a candidate software product takes on increasing importance. The COSTMODL program was developed to provide an in-house capability to perform development cost estimates for NASA software projects. COSTMODL is an automated software development cost estimation tool which incorporates five cost estimation algorithms including the latest models for the Ada language and incrementally developed products. The principal characteristic which sets COSTMODL apart from other software cost estimation programs is its capacity to be completely customized to a particular environment. The estimation equations can be recalibrated to reflect the programmer productivity characteristics demonstrated by the user's organization, and the set of significant factors which effect software development costs can be customized to reflect any unique properties of the user's development environment. Careful use of a capability such as COSTMODL can significantly reduce the risk of cost overruns and failed projects.

Holy Trinity of Instrumentation Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uršič, Rok; Šolar, Borut

2004-11-01

Being user friendly should be the main guidance, beside the self-understood high performance, in today's instrumentation development. Here we identify three components of the user-friendly policy: the all-in-one concept, customization, and connectivity. All-in-one is the concept of unification of various building blocks and thus various functionalities in one product. The customization is enabled by the product's reconfigurability that allows a product to grow and support new requirements and applications without changing hardware. The consequence of the two is the capacity of the single instrument to perform a variety of tasks that before were split among different devices. The last of the three is connectivity that improves the relationship between controls and beam diagnostics, brings out-of-the-crate freedom, and opens unforeseen possibilities for intra-accelerator cooperation and remote technical support.

Integrated methodology for standard-setting norms of innovative product in the new competitive environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polyakova, Marina; Rubin, Gennadiy

2017-07-01

Modern theory of technological and economical development is based on long-term cycles. So far it has been proved that the technological structure of the economy can be subdivided into groups of technological complexes, which are inter-related with each other by similar technological links, so called technological modes. Technological mode is defined as a complex of interrelated production units of similar technological level, which develop simultaneously. In order to provide competitiveness of products in the new changing conditions, it is necessary to make sure that they meet all the regulatory requirements specified in standards. But the existing and the fast changing situation on the merchandise markets causes disbalance between the growing customer requirements and the technological capabilities of the manufacturer. This makes the issue of standardization development even more urgent both from the point of view of establishing the current positions and from the point of view of possible promising development trends in technology. In the paper scientific and engineering principles of developing standardization as a science are described. It is shown that further development of standardization is based on the principles of advanced standardization the main idea of which is to set up the prospective requirements to the innovative product. Modern approaches of advanced standardization are shown in this paper. The complexity of the negotiation procedure between customer and manufacturer as a whole and achieving of consensus, in particular, make it necessary to find conceptually new approaches to developing mathematical models. The developed methodology picture the process of achieving the consensus between customer and manufacturer while developing the standard norms in the form of decreasing S-curve diagram. It means that in the end of the negotiation process, there is no difference between customer and manufacturer positions. It makes it possible to provide the basics of the assessment using the differential equation of the relationship between the rate of change of quality assessment and the distance of the estimated parameter value from the best value to the worst one. The obtained mathematical model can be used in the practice of standardization decreasing time of setting standard norms.

Customer service: developing a new mindset for today's instant gratification society.

PubMed

Stockburger, W T

1998-01-01

Today's society expects and demands immediate service, results and access to information. Can those of us in leadership positions say that the service we provide is equal to or exceeds what our customers expect? How can we redesign our services so they are better than those we currently provide? Some people look to advances in technology as one means to improve services and access to information, but this should not be the only means. If we are to develop a philosophy of exceptional service, we must develop a vision of those services. We must gain an understanding of our customers, plus a knowledge of products, the availability of resources and any industry constraints. In healthcare, we must look to leadership to achieve our goals. A goal of exceptional customer service must be communicated to all levels of service providers from management. Top-down action by management--leadership by example--is critical. Leadership must gain the trust of both customers and employees by actively listening to both verbal and nonverbal comments at all points of service. Without an understanding of our customers' needs, it won't be possible to deliver services at or above their expectations.

47 CFR 32.6611 - Product management and sales.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Product management and sales. 32.6611 Section... Product management and sales. This account shall include: (a) Costs incurred in performing administrative..., development and presentation of customer proposals, sales order preparation and handling, and preparation of...

47 CFR 32.6611 - Product management and sales.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Product management and sales. 32.6611 Section... Product management and sales. This account shall include: (a) Costs incurred in performing administrative..., development and presentation of customer proposals, sales order preparation and handling, and preparation of...

47 CFR 32.6611 - Product management and sales.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Product management and sales. 32.6611 Section... Product management and sales. This account shall include: (a) Costs incurred in performing administrative..., development and presentation of customer proposals, sales order preparation and handling, and preparation of...

Enhancing Dairy Manufacturing through customer feedback: A statistical approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vineesh, D.; Anbuudayasankar, S. P.; Narassima, M. S.

2018-02-01

Dairy products have become inevitable of habitual diet. This study aims to investigate the consumers’ satisfaction towards dairy products so as to provide useful information for the manufacturers which would serve as useful inputs for enriching the quality of products delivered. The study involved consumers of dairy products from various demographical backgrounds across South India. The questionnaire focussed on quality aspects of dairy products and also the service provided. A customer satisfaction model was developed based on various factors identified, with robust hypotheses that govern the use of the product. The developed model proved to be statistically significant as it passed the required statistical tests for reliability, construct validity and interdependency between the constructs. Some major concerns detected were regarding the fat content, taste and odour of packaged milk. A minor proportion of people (15.64%) were unsatisfied with the quality of service provided, which is another issue to be addressed to eliminate the sense of dissatisfaction in the minds of consumers.

Employee customer orientation in manufacturing organizations: joint influences of customer proximity and the senior leadership team.

PubMed

Liao, Hui; Subramony, Mahesh

2008-03-01

Pursuing a customer-focused strategy in manufacturing organizations requires employees across functions to embrace the importance of understanding customer needs and to align their everyday efforts with the goal of satisfying and retaining customers. Little prior research has examined what factors influence employee customer orientation in manufacturing settings. Drawing on the attraction-selection-attrition model, upper-echelons theory, and contingency theories of leadership, this study investigated the joint influences of functional roles' proximity to external customers and the senior leadership team's customer orientation on employee customer orientation. Hierarchical linear modeling results based on data obtained from 4,299 employees and 403 senior leaders from 42 facilities of a global manufacturer operating in 16 countries revealed that employees occupying customer-contact roles had the highest level of customer orientation, followed by employees occupying production roles, and then by those in support roles. In addition, there was a positive relationship between the senior leadership team's customer orientation and employee customer orientation for all 3 functional roles. The positive relationship between the senior leadership team and employee customer orientation was the strongest for employees in support roles, suggesting that lower levels of proximity to external customers may create a greater need for leadership in developing employees' customer-oriented attitudes. Copyright 2008 APA

Mining consumer reviews to generate ratings of different product attributes while producing feature-based review-summary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kangale, Akshay; Krishna Kumar, S.; Arshad Naeem, Mohd; Williams, Mark; Tiwari, M. K.

2016-10-01

With the massive growth of the internet, product reviews increasingly serve as an important source of information for customers to make choices online. Customers depend on these reviews to understand users' experience, and manufacturers rely on this user-generated content to capture user sentiments about their product. Therefore, it is in the best interest of both customers and manufacturers to have a portal where they can read a complete comprehensive summary of these reviews in minimum time. With this in mind, we arrived at our first objective which is to generate a feature-based review-summary. Our second objective is to develop a predictive model to know the next week's product sales based on numerical review ratings and textual features embedded in the reviews. When it comes to product features, every user has different priorities for different features. To capture this aspect of decision-making, we have designed a new mechanism to generate a numerical rating for every feature of the product individually. The data have been collected from a well-known commercial website for two different products. The validation of the model is carried out using a crowd-sourcing technique.

An Integrated model for Product Quality Development—A case study on Quality functions deployment and AHP based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maitra, Subrata; Banerjee, Debamalya

2010-10-01

Present article is based on application of the product quality and improvement of design related with the nature of failure of machineries and plant operational problems of an industrial blower fan Company. The project aims at developing the product on the basis of standardized production parameters for selling its products in the market. Special attention is also being paid to the blower fans which have been ordered directly by the customer on the basis of installed capacity of air to be provided by the fan. Application of quality function deployment is primarily a customer oriented approach. Proposed model of QFD integrated with AHP to select and rank the decision criterions on the commercial and technical factors and the measurement of the decision parameters for selection of best product in the compettitive environment. The present AHP-QFD model justifies the selection of a blower fan with the help of the group of experts' opinion by pairwise comparison of the customer's and ergonomy based technical design requirements. The steps invoved in implementation of the QFD—AHP and selection of weighted criterion may be helpful for all similar purpose industries maintaining cost and utility for competitive product.

Defeating feature fatigue.

PubMed

Rust, Roland T; Thompson, Debora Viana; Hamilton, Rebecca W

2006-02-01

Consider a coffeemaker that offers 12 drink options, a car with more than 700 features on the dashboard, and a mouse pad that's also a clock, calculator, and FM radio. All are examples of "feature bloat", or "featuritis", the result of an almost irresistible temptation to load products with lots of bells and whistles. The problem is that the more features a product boasts, the harder it is to use. Manufacturers that increase a product's capability--the number of useful functions it can perform--at the expense of its usability are exposing their customers to feature fatigue. The authors have conducted three studies to gain a better understanding of how consumers weigh a product's capability relative to its usability. They found that even though consumers know that products with more features are harder to use, they initially choose high-feature models. They also pile on more features when given the chance to customize a product for their needs. Once consumers have actually worked with a product, however, usability starts to matter more to them than capability. For managers in consumer products companies, these findings present a dilemma: Should they maximize initial sales by designing high-feature models, which consumers consistently choose, or should they limit the number of features in order to enhance the lifetime value of their customers? The authors' analytical model guides companies toward a happy middle ground: maximizing the net present value of the typical customer's profit stream. The authors also advise companies to build simpler products, help consumers learn which products suit their needs, develop products that do one thing very well, and design market research in which consumers use actual products or prototypes.

Analysing the consumer behaviour and the influence of brand loyalty in purchasing sportswear products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erdumlu, N.; Saricam, C.; Tufekyapan, M.; Cetinkaya, M.; Donmez, AC

2017-10-01

Brand loyalty is an important term that defines the relationship between customer and it is important for the retailers to have a large loyal customer base. Specifically, sportswear products seem to be one of the most convenient apparel product categories to develop loyalty for the consumers. In this study, it was aimed to analyse the profile of sportswear consumers and their loyalty towards the leading sportswear retailers in Turkey. For this aim, a survey was conducted among 190 participants aged between 18 and 40, and the socio-demographic characteristics of the consumers were explored. The results revealed that more than half of the participants (54.74%) identified themselves as loyal customers in terms of sportswear products. The loyal consumers stated that they would continue to buy from these brands in the future and recommend to others. Expressing the reason for loyalty, the majority of the participant related their loyalty to the satisfying products offered by this brand. However, the participants seem likely to switch to the other brands if the other brands offer attractive promotions.

Wood products research in the USA

Treesearch

Theodore Wegner

2010-01-01

Forest biomass conversion to biofuels and other value-added co-products; hyper-performance advanced composites custom tailored to end use requirements; advanced high performance wood-based structures; and nanomaterials and nano-enable high performance products from wood represent important research and development investment areas for the successful transformation of...

Utility Green-Pricing Programs: What Defines Success? (Topical Issues Brief)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Swezey, B.; Bird, L.

2001-09-13

''Green pricing'' is an optional service through which customers can support a greater level of investment by their electric utility in renewable energy technologies. Electric utilities in 29 states are now implementing green-pricing programs. This report examines important elements of green-pricing programs, including the different types of programs offered, the premiums charged, customer response, and additional factors that experience indicates are key to the development of successful programs. The best-performing programs tend to share a number of common attributes related to product design, value creation, product pricing, and program implementation. The report ends with a list of ''best practices'' formore » utilities to follow when developing and implementing programs.« less

An Analysis Of Additive Manufacturing Production Problems And Solutions

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

democratization of manufacturing (Hornick, 2015). AM has three distinct advantages over subtractive manufacturing : product customization, design flexibility...58 develops software and other technology solutions for the design , analysis, testing, manufacture , and validation of products (Diane Ryan, personal...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA MBA PROFESSIONAL REPORT AN ANALYSIS OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PRODUCTION

Continuing Professional Education of Insurance and Risk Management Practitioners: A Comparative Case Study of Customer Service Representatives, Insurance Agents and Risk Managers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krauss, George E.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study is to understand how selected insurance practitioners learn and developed in their practices setting. The selected insurance practitioners (collectively customer service representatives, insurance agents, and risk managers) are responsible for the counseling and placement of insurance products and the implementation of…

Advanced uncooled infrared system electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neal, Henry W.

1998-07-01

Over the past two decades, Raytheon Systems Company (RSC), formerly Texas Instruments Defense Systems & Electronics Group, developed a robust family of products based on a low- cost, hybrid ferroelectric (FE) uncooled focal-plane array (FPA) aimed at meeting the needs for thermal imaging products across both military and commercial markets. Over the years, RSC supplied uncooled infrared (IR) sensors for applications such as in combat vehicles, man-portable weaponry, personnel helmets, and installation security. Also, various commercial IR systems for use in automobiles, boats, law enforcement, hand-held applications, building/site security, and fire fighting have been developed. These products resulted in a high degree of success where cooled IR platforms are too bulky and costly, and other uncooled implementations are less reliable or lack significant cost advantage. Proof of this great success is found in the large price reductions, the unprecedented monthly production rates, and the wide diversity of products and customers realized in recent years. The ever- changing needs of these existing and potential customers continue to fuel the advancement of both the primary technologies and the production capabilities of uncooled IR systems at RSC. This paper will describe a development project intended to further advance the system electronics capabilities of future uncooled IR products.

Implementing a Strategically-Focused Science and Technology Program for Missile Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-07-01

Development Practices: Updating Trends and Benchmarking Best Practices,” Journal of Product Innovation Management , Vol 14, 1997, pp. 429–458. V-18...Development,” Journal of Product Innovation Management , Vol. 15, 1998, pp. 57–74. V-32 situation. Thus, each stage-gate process must be customized to meet the

Information logistics: A production-line approach to information services

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Dennis; Lee, Chee-Seng

1991-01-01

Logistics can be defined as the process of strategically managing the acquisition, movement, and storage of materials, parts, and finished inventory (and the related information flow) through the organization and its marketing channels in a cost effective manner. It is concerned with delivering the right product to the right customer in the right place at the right time. The logistics function is composed of inventory management, facilities management, communications unitization, transportation, materials management, and production scheduling. The relationship between logistics and information systems is clear. Systems such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Point of Sale (POS) systems, and Just in Time (JIT) inventory management systems are important elements in the management of product development and delivery. With improved access to market demand figures, logisticians can decrease inventory sizes and better service customer demand. However, without accurate, timely information, little, if any, of this would be feasible in today's global markets. Information systems specialists can learn from logisticians. In a manner similar to logistics management, information logistics is concerned with the delivery of the right data, to the ring customer, at the right time. As such, information systems are integral components of the information logistics system charged with providing customers with accurate, timely, cost-effective, and useful information. Information logistics is a management style and is composed of elements similar to those associated with the traditional logistics activity: inventory management (data resource management), facilities management (distributed, centralized and decentralized information systems), communications (participative design and joint application development methodologies), unitization (input/output system design, i.e., packaging or formatting of the information), transportations (voice, data, image, and video communication systems), materials management (data acquisition, e.g., EDI, POS, external data bases, data entry) and production scheduling (job, staff, and project scheduling).

Custom LSI plus hybrid equals cost effectiveness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedman, S. N.

The possibility to combine various technologies, such as Bi-Polar linear and CMOS/Digital makes it feasible to create systems with a tailored performance not available on a single monolithic circuit. The custom LSI 'BLOCK', especially if it is universal in nature, is proving to be a cost effective way for the developer to improve his product. The custom LSI represents a low price part in contrast to the discrete components it will replace. In addition, the hybrid assembly can realize a savings in labor as a result of the reduced parts handling and associated wire bonds. The possibility of the use of automated system manufacturing techniques leads to greater reliability as the human factor is partly eliminated. Attention is given to reliability predictions, cost considerations, and a product comparison study.

eShopper modeling and simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrushin, Valery A.

2001-03-01

The advent of e-commerce gives an opportunity to shift the paradigm of customer communication into a highly interactive mode. The new generation of commercial Web servers, such as the Blue Martini's server, combines the collection of data on a customer behavior with real-time processing and dynamic tailoring of a feedback page. The new opportunities for direct product marketing and cross selling are arriving. The key problem is what kind of information do we need to achieve these goals, or in other words, how do we model the customer? The paper is devoted to customer modeling and simulation. The focus is on modeling an individual customer. The model is based on the customer's transaction data, click stream data, and demographics. The model includes the hierarchical profile of a customer's preferences to different types of products and brands; consumption models for the different types of products; the current focus, trends, and stochastic models for time intervals between purchases; product affinity models; and some generalized features, such as purchasing power, sensitivity to advertising, price sensitivity, etc. This type of model is used for predicting the date of the next visit, overall spending, and spending for different types of products and brands. For some type of stores (for example, a supermarket) and stable customers, it is possible to forecast the shopping lists rather accurately. The forecasting techniques are discussed. The forecasting results can be used for on- line direct marketing, customer retention, and inventory management. The customer model can also be used as a generative model for simulating the customer's purchasing behavior in different situations and for estimating customer's features.

Agile manufacturing: The factory of the future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loibl, Joseph M.; Bossieux, Terry A.

1994-01-01

The factory of the future will require an operating methodology which effectively utilizes all of the elements of product design, manufacturing and delivery. The process must respond rapidly to changes in product demand, product mix, design changes or changes in the raw materials. To achieve agility in a manufacturing operation, the design and development of the manufacturing processes must focus on customer satisfaction. Achieving greatest results requires that the manufacturing process be considered from product concept through sales. This provides the best opportunity to build a quality product for the customer at a reasonable rate. The primary elements of a manufacturing system include people, equipment, materials, methods and the environment. The most significant and most agile element in any process is the human resource. Only with a highly trained, knowledgeable work force can the proper methods be applied to efficiently process materials with machinery which is predictable, reliable and flexible. This paper discusses the affect of each element on the development of agile manufacturing systems.

Nonprofit, payload process improvement through lean management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sampson, Melissa

Organizations that are successful and competitive long-term have learned to efficiently utilize their resources, such as money, people, facilities, and time. Over the last half-century, there have been a variety of theories and techniques put forth on how to do this. One recent theory applied in the aerospace industry is Lean Management (LM), which emphasizes a customer focus and a rigorous elimination of activities that do not add value from the customer's perspective. LM has not, until now, been evaluated for small, nonprofit, one-off production organizations (NOPOs). Previous research on LM focused on for-profit companies and large-scale production organizations, producing relatively similar products repetitively (e.g. automobiles, commercial satellites, aircraft, and launch vehicles). One-off production organizations typically create one-of-a-kind products. The purpose of this research is to examine the applicability of LM to a NOPO. LM will improve resource utilization and thereby competitiveness, as well as exploring a new area of knowledge and research. The research methodology consists of conducting case studies, formal and informal interviews, observation and analysis in order to assess whether and how LM may be beneficial. The research focuses on one particular NOPO, BioServe Space Technologies (BST): a nonprofit, payload development organization. Additional NOPOs were interviewed in order to draw more generalized conclusions about LM benefits. The research demonstrates that LM is applicable to NOPOs, thus providing a tool to improve efficiency and competitiveness. Results from this research are guidelines for payload development organizations to implement LM, and highlighting potential LM weaknesses. A major conclusion is that LM needs some minor modifications to be applicable and useful to NOPOs, particularly in terms of value stream mapping. The LM implementation roadmap developed for NOPOs introduces customized metrics, as well as including standard LM ideas. The metrics address efficiency; customer and stakeholder satisfaction; research value; and employee education. LM will improve resource utilization, while retaining the NOPO's hallmarks of adaptability and flexibility.

19 CFR 151.47 - Optional entry of net quantity of petroleum or petroleum products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Optional entry of net quantity of petroleum or petroleum products. 151.47 Section 151.47 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF... Petroleum and Petroleum Products § 151.47 Optional entry of net quantity of petroleum or petroleum products...

19 CFR 151.47 - Optional entry of net quantity of petroleum or petroleum products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Optional entry of net quantity of petroleum or petroleum products. 151.47 Section 151.47 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF... Petroleum and Petroleum Products § 151.47 Optional entry of net quantity of petroleum or petroleum products...

List of DOE radioisotope customers with summary of radioisotope shipments, FY 1980

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burlison, J.S.

1981-08-01

The sixteenth edition of the radioisotope customer list was prepared at the request of the Office of Health and Environmental Research, Office of energy Research, Department of Energy (DOE). This document lists DOE's radioisotope production and distribution activities by its facilities at Argonne National Laboratory; Pacific Northwest Laboratory; Brookhaven National Laboraory; Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory; Idaho Operations Office; Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory; Mound Facility; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Savannah River Laboratory; and UNC Nuclear Industries, Inc. The information is divided into five sections: (1) isotope suppliers, facility, contracts and isotopes or services supplied; (2) alphabetical list of customers, and isotopesmore » purchased; (3) alphabetical list of isotopes cross-referenced to customer numbers; (4) geographical location of radioisotope customers; and (5) radioisotope sales and transfers-FY 1980.« less

List of DOE radioisotope customers with summary of radioisotope shipments, FY 1979

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burlison, J.S.

1980-06-01

The fifteenth edition of the radioisotope customer list was prepared at the request of the Division of Financial Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Environment, Department of Energy (DOE). This document lists DOE's radioisotope production and distribution activities by its facilities at Argonne National Laboratory; Pacific Northwest Laboratory; Brookhaven National Laboratory; Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory; Idaho Operations Office; Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory; Mound Facility; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Rocky Flats Area Office; Savannah River Laboratory; and UNC Nuclear Industries, Inc. The information is divided into five sections: Isotope suppliers, facility, contracts and isotopes or services supplied; alphabetical list ofmore » customers, and isotopes purchased; alphabetical list of isotopes cross-referenced to customer numbers; geographical location of radioisotope customers; and radioisotope sales and transfers-FY 1979.« less

List of DOE radioisotope customers with summary of radioisotope shipments, FY 1981

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burlison, J.S.

1982-09-01

The seventeenth edition of the radioisotope customer list was prepared at the request of the Office of Health and Environmental Research, Office of Energy Research, Department of Energy (DOE). This document lists DOE's radioisotope production and distribution activities by its facilities at Argonne National Laboratory: Pacific Northwest Laboratory; Brookhaven National Laboratory; Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory; Idaho Operations Office; Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory; Mound Facility; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Savannah River Laboratory; and UNC Nuclear Industries, Inc. The information is divided into five sections: (1) isotope suppliers, facility, contracts and isotopes or services supplied; (2) alphabetical list of customers, and isotopesmore » purchased; (3) alphabetical list of isotopes cross-referenced to customer numbers; (4) geographical location of radioisotope customers; and (5) radioisotope sales and transfers-FY 1980.« less

A quality system for PET: An industry perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zigler, Steven S.; Breslow, Kenneth; Nazerias, Michael

2005-12-01

Quality systems have been employed in a variety of industries to develop and supply products that meet customer expectations and regulatory requirements. Most quality systems address organizational structure, design controls, production, complaints, audits, corrective actions and preventive actions. This paper describes PETNET's efforts to develop a quality system for use in the production of PET tracers. Our goal is to ensure quality products and to facilitate compliance with impending PET good manufacturing practice (GMP) regulations.

Testing Software Development Project Productivity Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipkin, Ilya

Software development is an increasingly influential factor in today's business environment, and a major issue affecting software development is how an organization estimates projects. If the organization underestimates cost, schedule, and quality requirements, the end results will not meet customer needs. On the other hand, if the organization overestimates these criteria, resources that could have been used more profitably will be wasted. There is no accurate model or measure available that can guide an organization in a quest for software development, with existing estimation models often underestimating software development efforts as much as 500 to 600 percent. To address this issue, existing models usually are calibrated using local data with a small sample size, with resulting estimates not offering improved cost analysis. This study presents a conceptual model for accurately estimating software development, based on an extensive literature review and theoretical analysis based on Sociotechnical Systems (STS) theory. The conceptual model serves as a solution to bridge organizational and technological factors and is validated using an empirical dataset provided by the DoD. Practical implications of this study allow for practitioners to concentrate on specific constructs of interest that provide the best value for the least amount of time. This study outlines key contributing constructs that are unique for Software Size E-SLOC, Man-hours Spent, and Quality of the Product, those constructs having the largest contribution to project productivity. This study discusses customer characteristics and provides a framework for a simplified project analysis for source selection evaluation and audit task reviews for the customers and suppliers. Theoretical contributions of this study provide an initial theory-based hypothesized project productivity model that can be used as a generic overall model across several application domains such as IT, Command and Control, Simulation and etc... This research validates findings from previous work concerning software project productivity and leverages said results in this study. The hypothesized project productivity model provides statistical support and validation of expert opinions used by practitioners in the field of software project estimation.

76 FR 55362 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; NOAA Customer Surveys

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-07

... Collection; Comment Request; NOAA Customer Surveys AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration... contained in the OMB Resource Manual for Customer Surveys. In accordance with Executive Order 12862, the... gather customer feedback on services and/or products, which can be used in planning for service/product...

Using Customer Satisfaction for Measuring the Effectiveness of Integrated Product Teams.

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-09-01

personal interviews with five major customers of ASC. The customers are Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, Air Education and Training Command...Air Mobility Command U.S. Army 25 Research Question 5. What characteristics of IPT performance do IPT customers perceive as most important? The...USING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION FOR MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTEGRATED PRODUCT TEAMS THESIS Charles H. Embs James N. Anderson Captain

Antecedents and consequences of customer-company identification: expanding the role of relationship marketing.

PubMed

Ahearne, Michael; Bhattacharya, C B; Gruen, Thomas

2005-05-01

This article presents an empirical test of organizational identification in the context of customer-company (C-C) relationships. It investigates whether customers identify with companies and what the antecedents and consequences of such identification are. The model posits that perceived company characteristics, construed external image, and the perception of the company's boundary-spanning agent lead to C-C identification. In turn, such identification is expected to impact both in-role behavior (i.e., product utilization) as well as extra-role behavior (i.e., citizenship). The model was tested in a consultative selling context of pharmaceutical sales reps calling on physicians. Results from the empirical test indicated that customers do indeed identify with organizations and that C-C identification positively impacts both product utilization behavior and extra-role behavior even when the effect of brand perception is accounted for. Second, the study found that the organization's characteristics as well as the salesperson's characteristics contributed to the development of C-C identification.

Switching Logic for Converting Off-grid PV Customers to On-grid by Utilizing Off-grid Inverter and Battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anishkumar, A. R.; Sreejaya, P.

2016-12-01

Kerala is a state in India having a very good potential for solar PV energy production. The domestic customers in Kerala using PV system are approximately 15 % and almost all of them are using the off-grid PV system. When these off grid customers move to on-grid system, off grid system accessories such as inverter and batteries become redundant. In this paper, a switching logic has been developed for the effective utilization of off grid accessories and reducing islanding power loss for on grid customers. An algorithm is proposed for the switching logic and it is verified using simulation results and hardware implementation.

Issues and Methods for Assessing COTS Reliability, Maintainability, and Availability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneidewind, Norman F.; Nikora, Allen P.

1998-01-01

Many vendors produce products that are not domain specific (e.g., network server) and have limited functionality (e.g., mobile phone). In contrast, many customers of COTS develop systems that am domain specific (e.g., target tracking system) and have great variability in functionality (e.g., corporate information system). This discussion takes the viewpoint of how the customer can ensure the quality of COTS components. In evaluating the benefits and costs of using COTS, we must consider the environment in which COTS will operate. Thus we must distinguish between using a non-mission critical application like a spreadsheet program to produce a budget and a mission critical application like military strategic and tactical operations. Whereas customers will tolerate an occasional bug in the former, zero tolerance is the rule in the latter. We emphasize the latter because this is the arena where there are major unresolved problems in the application of COTS. Furthermore, COTS components may be embedded in the larger customer system. We refer to these as embedded systems. These components must be reliable, maintainable, and available, and must be with the larger system in order for the customer to benefit from the advertised advantages of lower development and maintenance costs. Interestingly, when the claims of COTS advantages are closely examined, one finds that to a great extent these COTS components consist of hardware and office products, not mission critical software [1]. Obviously, COTS components are different from custom components with respect to one or more of the following attributes: source, development paradigm, safety, reliability, maintainability, availability, security, and other attributes. However, the important question is whether they should be treated differently when deciding to deploy them for operational use; we suggest the answer is no. We use reliability as an example to justify our answer. In order to demonstrate its reliability, a COTS component must pass the same reliability evaluations as the custom components, otherwise the COTS components will be the weakest link in the chain of components and will be the determinant of software system reliability. The challenge is that there will be less information available for evaluating COTS components than for custom components but this does not mean we should despair and do nothing. Actually, there is a lot we can do even in the absence of documentation on COTS components because the customer will have information about how COTS components are to be used in the larger system. To illustrate our approach, we will consider the reliability, maintainability, and availability (RMA) of COTS components as used in larger systems. Finally, COTS suppliers might consider increasing visibility into their products to assist customers in determining the components' fitness for use in a particular application. We offer ideas of information that would be useful to customers, and what vendors might do to provide it.

Supply chain planning classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hvolby, Hans-Henrik; Trienekens, Jacques; Bonde, Hans

2001-10-01

Industry experience a need to shift in focus from internal production planning towards planning in the supply network. In this respect customer oriented thinking becomes almost a common good amongst companies in the supply network. An increase in the use of information technology is needed to enable companies to better tune their production planning with customers and suppliers. Information technology opportunities and supply chain planning systems facilitate companies to monitor and control their supplier network. In spite if these developments, most links in today's supply chains make individual plans, because the real demand information is not available throughout the chain. The current systems and processes of the supply chains are not designed to meet the requirements now placed upon them. For long term relationships with suppliers and customers, an integrated decision-making process is needed in order to obtain a satisfactory result for all parties. Especially when customized production and short lead-time is in focus. An effective value chain makes inventory available and visible among the value chain members, minimizes response time and optimizes total inventory value held throughout the chain. In this paper a supply chain planning classification grid is presented based current manufacturing classifications and supply chain planning initiatives.

Integrated Component-based Data Acquisition Systems for Aerospace Test Facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Richard W.

2001-01-01

The Multi-Instrument Integrated Data Acquisition System (MIIDAS), developed by the NASA Langley Research Center, uses commercial off the shelf (COTS) products, integrated with custom software, to provide a broad range of capabilities at a low cost throughout the system s entire life cycle. MIIDAS combines data acquisition capabilities with online and post-test data reduction computations. COTS products lower purchase and maintenance costs by reducing the level of effort required to meet system requirements. Object-oriented methods are used to enhance modularity, encourage reusability, and to promote adaptability, reducing software development costs. Using only COTS products and custom software supported on multiple platforms reduces the cost of porting the system to other platforms. The post-test data reduction capabilities of MIIDAS have been installed at four aerospace testing facilities at NASA Langley Research Center. The systems installed at these facilities provide a common user interface, reducing the training time required for personnel that work across multiple facilities. The techniques employed by MIIDAS enable NASA to build a system with a lower initial purchase price and reduced sustaining maintenance costs. With MIIDAS, NASA has built a highly flexible next generation data acquisition and reduction system for aerospace test facilities that meets customer expectations.

[On the implementation by Rospotrebnadzor (Federal service for the oversight of consumer protection and welfare) common principles and rules of technical regulation within the agreement of the Customs Union].

PubMed

Onishchenko, G G

2013-01-01

In accordance with the Agreement of the Customs Union on sanitary measures between the Government of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Kazakhstan in the customs territory of the Customs Union the Uniform sanitary and epidemiological and hygienic requirements for goods subject to sanitary-epidemiological control are applied. Common sanitary requirements are binding for executive authorities of the Member States of the Customs union, local authorities, legal persons, whatever legalform, individual entrepreneurs, individuals. Currently, out of 47 planned to take priority technical regulations of the Customs Union 31 regulation, including the safety of railway rolling stock, production of perfumery and cosmetics, toys and products for children and teenagers, food products, grain, and other furniture products was adopted.

Custom avionics-grade AM LCDs for high performance military and avionics applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niemczyk, James

2003-09-01

American Panel Corporation in Alpharetta Georgia and LG-Philips-LCD in Seoul South Korea have a strategic alliance for the design and manufacture of custom AMLCD products targeted for the military vehicle and avionics sector. As part of this relationship, new innovations in AMLCD technology specifically aimed at the rugged and avionics applications have been developed and are now brought to the marketplace

A mathematical formulation for interface-based modular product design with geometric and weight constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung-Woon Yoo, John

2016-06-01

Since customer preferences change rapidly, there is a need for design processes with shorter product development cycles. Modularization plays a key role in achieving mass customization, which is crucial in today's competitive global market environments. Standardized interfaces among modularized parts have facilitated computational product design. To incorporate product size and weight constraints during computational design procedures, a mixed integer programming formulation is presented in this article. Product size and weight are two of the most important design parameters, as evidenced by recent smart-phone products. This article focuses on the integration of geometric, weight and interface constraints into the proposed mathematical formulation. The formulation generates the optimal selection of components for a target product, which satisfies geometric, weight and interface constraints. The formulation is verified through a case study and experiments are performed to demonstrate the performance of the formulation.

How to sell services more profitably.

PubMed

Reinartz, Werner; Ulaga, Wolfgang

2008-05-01

When products become commodities, manufacturing companies may seek to differentiate themselves with value-added services--a potentially profitable strategy. Unfortunately, companies often stumble in the effort. Reinartz and Ulaga conducted in-depth studies of 18 leading companies in a broad variety of product markets to learn what distinguished the successes from the rest. They discovered four steps to developing a profitable services capability. RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE A SERVICE COMPANY: You can identify and charge for simple services--as Merck did when it stopped quietly absorbing shipping costs. Switching services from free to fee clarifies their value for managers as well as for customers. INDUSTRIALIZE THE BACK OFFICE: To prevent delivery costs from eating up service-offering margins, build flexible service platforms, closely monitor process costs, and exploit new technologies that enable process innovations. The Swedish bearings manufacturer SKF provided off-site access to an online monitoring tool that could warn of potential failure in customers' machines. CREATE A SERVICE-SAVVY SALES FORCE: Services require longer sales cycles and, often, decisions from high up in a customer's hierarchy; what's more, product salespeople may be inimical to change. Schneider-Electric did a major overhaul of its sales organization and trained its people to switch from cost-plus pricing to value-based pricing. FOCUS ON CUSTOMERS' PROCESSES AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THEY AFFORD FOR NEW SERVICE OFFERINGS: You may need to acquire new capabilities to take advantage of those opportunities: The industrial coatings specialist PPG had to learn how painting robots function after it offered to take over Fiat's Torino paint shop. Services can both lock in customers and help acquire new accounts. They should be developed with care and attention.

Teaching Customer-Centric Operations Management--Evidence from an Experiential Learning-Oriented Mass Customisation Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medini, Khaled

2018-01-01

The increase of individualised customer demands and tough competition in the manufacturing sector gave rise to more customer-centric operations management such as products and services (mass) customisation. Mass customisation (MC), which inherits the "economy of scale" from mass production (MP), aims to meet specific customer demands…

The development of daily monitoring tool in a service part manufacturing company

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marpaung, Seamus Tadeo; Rosyidi, Cucuk Nur

2018-02-01

Production lead time is one of the key measures to assess whether a production system is running well or not. A short lead time will lead to higher customer satisfaction and will be a solid proof that a system is well-organized. To shorten the production lead time, a good production planning and control are required. There are many obstacles which can occur at any time, for instance shortage of material and worker, or poor production scheduling. Service Parts Planning Department works with many parties from the beginning of service parts production until it is delivered to the customer. This research was conducted to find an appropriate production monitoring tool for Service Parts Planning Department, which is a control method that make problems appears to the surface and can be overcome quickly so that the production process can run normally. The tool development started with a field study to find out the production flow from start to finish, a literature review and a interview with some employees who will later use the production control tool, and the creation of a daily control that went through several modifications until finally meet the needs of the department. In this research, a production monitoring tool which is developed can be used to monitor the entire order status, the production lead time, and also serves as the records and reports for presentation.

Users guide for WoodCite, a product cost quotation tool for wood component manufacturers [computer program

Treesearch

Jeff Palmer; Adrienn Andersch; Jan Wiedenbeck; Urs. Buehlmann

2014-01-01

WoodCite is a Microsoft® Access-based application that allows wood component manufacturers to develop product price quotations for their current and potential customers. The application was developed by the U.S. Forest Service and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in cooperation with the Wood Components Manufacturers Association.

Mapping High Dimensional Sparse Customer Requirements into Product Configurations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiao, Yao; Yang, Yu; Zhang, Hongshan

2017-10-01

Mapping customer requirements into product configurations is a crucial step for product design, while, customers express their needs ambiguously and locally due to the lack of domain knowledge. Thus the data mining process of customer requirements might result in fragmental information with high dimensional sparsity, leading the mapping procedure risk uncertainty and complexity. The Expert Judgment is widely applied against that background since there is no formal requirements for systematic or structural data. However, there are concerns on the repeatability and bias for Expert Judgment. In this study, an integrated method by adjusted Local Linear Embedding (LLE) and Naïve Bayes (NB) classifier is proposed to map high dimensional sparse customer requirements to product configurations. The integrated method adjusts classical LLE to preprocess high dimensional sparse dataset to satisfy the prerequisite of NB for classifying different customer requirements to corresponding product configurations. Compared with Expert Judgment, the adjusted LLE with NB performs much better in a real-world Tablet PC design case both in accuracy and robustness.

Product manufacturing, quality, and reliability initiatives to maintain a competitive advantage and meet customer expectations in the semiconductor industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capps, Gregory

Semiconductor products are manufactured and consumed across the world. The semiconductor industry is constantly striving to manufacture products with greater performance, improved efficiency, less energy consumption, smaller feature sizes, thinner gate oxides, and faster speeds. Customers have pushed towards zero defects and require a more reliable, higher quality product than ever before. Manufacturers are required to improve yields, reduce operating costs, and increase revenue to maintain a competitive advantage. Opportunities exist for integrated circuit (IC) customers and manufacturers to work together and independently to reduce costs, eliminate waste, reduce defects, reduce warranty returns, and improve quality. This project focuses on electrical over-stress (EOS) and re-test okay (RTOK), two top failure return mechanisms, which both make great defect reduction opportunities in customer-manufacturer relationship. Proactive continuous improvement initiatives and methodologies are addressed with emphasis on product life cycle, manufacturing processes, test, statistical process control (SPC), industry best practices, customer education, and customer-manufacturer interaction.

Quality Control through Design and Process: Gambrel Roof Truss Challenge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Dell; Jones, James

2011-01-01

Customers determine whether a product fulfills their needs or satisfies them. "Quality control", then, is the process of finding out what the customer wants, along with designing, producing, delivering, and servicing the product--and ultimately satisfying the customer's expectations. For many years, people considered a product to be of good…

78 FR 36744 - Diamond Sawblades and Parts Thereof From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-19

... management, production facilities, supplier relationships, and customer base.\\5\\ While no single factor or... significant changes to management, production facilities, supplier relationships, and customers. As a result..., production facilities, and customer/ supplier relationships have not changed as a result of the name change...

QFD-ANP Approach for the Conceptual Design of Research Vessels: A Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkata Subbaiah, Kambagowni; Yeshwanth Sai, Koneru; Suresh, Challa

2016-10-01

Conceptual design is a subset of concept art wherein a new idea of product is created instead of a visual representation which would directly be used in a final product. The purpose is to understand the needs of conceptual design which are being used in engineering designs and to clarify the current conceptual design practice. Quality function deployment (QFD) is a customer oriented design approach for developing new or improved products and services to enhance customer satisfaction. House of quality (HOQ) has been traditionally used as planning tool of QFD which translates customer requirements (CRs) into design requirements (DRs). Factor analysis is carried out in order to reduce the CR portions of HOQ. The analytical hierarchical process is employed to obtain the priority ratings of CR's which are used in constructing HOQ. This paper mainly discusses about the conceptual design of an oceanographic research vessel using analytical network process (ANP) technique. Finally the QFD-ANP integrated methodology helps to establish the importance ratings of DRs.

Improving The Performance of Customer Loyalty of Online Ticketing in Indonesia's Showbiz Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dachyar, M.; Athory, E. S.

2015-06-01

Currently the entertainment industry is adopting online ticketing for supporting business from main products to profitability improvement. E-loyalty needs to be examined because are deals with less loyal customer characteristic. The sample are 249 customers whom have purchased for tickets online at least once. Data was gathered by questionnaires and analyzed by Path Analysis and Importance - Performance Analysis. The findings of the research indicate that satisfaction has the strongest relationship to e-loyalty. This study provides four improvement alternatives as a form of new business development strategy for showbiz industry in Indonesia.

Focusing on customer service.

PubMed

1996-01-01

This booklet is devoted to a consideration of how good customer service in family planning programs can generate demand for products and services, bring customers back, and reduce costs. Customer service is defined as increasing client satisfaction through continuous concern for client preferences, staff accountability to clients, and respect for the rights of clients. Issues discussed include the introduction of a customer service approach and gaining staff commitment. The experience of PROSALUD in Bolivia in recruiting appropriate staff, supervising staff, soliciting client feedback, and marketing services is offered as an example of a successful customer service approach. The key customer service functions are described as 1) establishing a welcoming atmosphere, 2) streamlining client flow, 3) personalizing client services, and 4) organizing and providing clear information to clients. The role of the manager in developing procedures is explored, and the COPE (Client-Oriented Provider-Efficient) process is presented as a good way to begin to make improvements. Techniques in staff training in customer service include brainstorming, role playing, using case studies (examples of which are provided), and engaging in practice sessions. Training also leads to the development of effective customer service attitudes, and the differences between these and organizational/staff-focused attitudes are illustrated in a chart. The use of communication skills (asking open-ended questions, helping clients express their concerns, engaging in active listening, and handling difficult situations) is considered. Good recovery skills are important when things go wrong. Gathering and using client feedback is the next topic considered. This involves identifying, recording, and discussing customer service issues as well as taking action on these issues and evaluating the results. The booklet ends by providing a sample of customer service indicators, considering the maintenance of a customer service focus, and reporting comments from the reviewers of the booklet.

Final Technical Report for EE0006091: H2Pump Hydrogen Recycling System Demonstration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Staudt, Rhonda

The objective of this project is to demonstrate the product readiness and to quantify the benefits and customer value proposition of H2Pump’s Hydrogen Recycling System (HRS-100™) by installing and analyzing the operation of multiple prototype 100-kg per day systems in real world customer locations. The data gathered will be used to measure reliability, demonstrate the value proposition to customers, and validate our business model. H2Pump will install, track and report multiple field demonstration systems in industrial heat treating and semi-conductor applications. The customer demonstrations will be used to develop case studies and showcase the benefits of the technology to drivemore » market adoption.« less

19 CFR 132.17 - Export certificate for sugar-containing products subject to tariff-rate quota.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Export certificate for sugar-containing products subject to tariff-rate quota. 132.17 Section 132.17 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION... certificate for sugar-containing products subject to tariff-rate quota. (a) Requirement. For sugar-containing...

19 CFR 132.17 - Export certificate for sugar-containing products subject to tariff-rate quota.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Export certificate for sugar-containing products subject to tariff-rate quota. 132.17 Section 132.17 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION... certificate for sugar-containing products subject to tariff-rate quota. (a) Requirement. For sugar-containing...

19 CFR 102.24 - Entry of textile or apparel products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Entry of textile or apparel products. 102.24 Section 102.24 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY RULES OF ORIGIN Rules of Origin § 102.24 Entry of textile or apparel products. (a...

19 CFR 132.17 - Export certificate for sugar-containing products subject to tariff-rate quota.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Export certificate for sugar-containing products subject to tariff-rate quota. 132.17 Section 132.17 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION... certificate for sugar-containing products subject to tariff-rate quota. (a) Requirement. For sugar-containing...

19 CFR 132.17 - Export certificate for sugar-containing products subject to tariff-rate quota.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Export certificate for sugar-containing products subject to tariff-rate quota. 132.17 Section 132.17 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION... certificate for sugar-containing products subject to tariff-rate quota. (a) Requirement. For sugar-containing...

19 CFR 132.17 - Export certificate for sugar-containing products subject to tariff-rate quota.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Export certificate for sugar-containing products subject to tariff-rate quota. 132.17 Section 132.17 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION... certificate for sugar-containing products subject to tariff-rate quota. (a) Requirement. For sugar-containing...

The impact of the customer relationship management on organizational productivity, customer trust and satisfaction by using the structural equation model: A study in the Iranian hospitals.

PubMed

Yaghoubi, Maryam; Asgari, Hamed; Javadi, Marzieh

2017-01-01

One of the challenges in the fiercely competitive space of health organizations is responding to customers and building trust and satisfaction in them in the shortest time, with best quality and highest productivity. Hence the aim of this study is to survey the impact of customer relationship management (CRM) on organizational productivity, customer loyalty, satisfaction and trust in selected hospitals of Isfahan (in Iran). This study is a correlation descriptive research. Study population was the nurses in selected hospitals of Isfahan and the sampling has been conducted using stratified random method. Data collection tool is a researcher-made questionnaire of CRM and its effects (organizational productivity, customer loyalty, satisfaction and trust) which its validity and reliability has been confirmed by researchers. Structural equation method was used to determine the impact of variables. Data analysis method was structural equation modeling and the software used was SPSS version 16 (IBM, SPSS, 2007 Microsoft Corp., Bristol, UK) and AMOS version 18 (IBM, SPSS, 2010 Microsoft Corp, Bristol, UK). Among the dimensions of CRM, diversification had the highest impact (0.83) and customer acquisition had the lowest (0.57) CRM, had the lowest impact on productivity (0.59) and the highest effect on customer satisfaction (0.83). For the implementation of CRM, it is necessary that the studied hospitals improve strategies of acquiring information about new customers, attracting new customers and keeping them and communication with patients outside the hospital and improve the system of measuring patient satisfaction and loyalty.

Profile of the customers and the pattern of purchasing in sweet shops, Kuwait.

PubMed

Al-Sayegh, Fatimah A; Al-Ali, Wajiha M

2007-01-01

This study aimed to describe the profile and the purchasing pattern of the customers of two sweet shops in Kuwait. The data were collected by observing 500 customers in two sweet shops between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. during a two-week period. One shop was in the city (Capital Governorate; n = 330) and the other was in the suburban area (Ahmadi Governorate; n = 170). Every tenth adult customer was also interviewed, when they had completed their purchasing. There were 58.2% females and 41.8% males among the customers. The mean estimated age of the customers was 29.6 (SD = 13.8) years. The mean payment for the purchase was $5.32 USD (SD 2.350). Females commonly purchased larger amount of sweets (42.6%) compared with males (30.1%; p<0.001). Chocolate was the most common choice of purchase (71%), and only 10% of the products were sugar-free products. The mean age of the customers interviewed was 35.6 years (SD = 9.4). The favourite sugar product of the interviewed customers was also chocolate (36%). The proportion of the customers considering sugar-free products as their favourite decreased consistently with increasing age. More than half of the customers used soft drinks every day (58%). Knowledge of the caries risk from sweets needs to be increased with a health education programme. Increasing the availability of sugar-free or tooth-friendly products should be one of the aims of the Kuwait Ministry of Health.

Stem Inc. SunShot Incubator Program Final Technical Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Butterfield, Karen

In this Energy Storage Control Algorithms project, Stem sought to develop tools and control algorithms to increase the value and reduce balance-of-system and grid integration costs associated with adding distributed solar generation to the grid. These advances fell under the headings SolarScope and SolarController. Stem sought to create initial market traction with a fully commercialized product for the solar industry to size storage systems (SolarScope) as well as a solar intermittency-mitigation framework for utilities (SolarController) in the course of the project. The company sought to align strategic growth plans and enable the rollout of the products to broader audiences inmore » multiple geographic regions by leveraging the major solar companies in the national market as partners. Both final products were both intended to be commercialized. They are: SolarScope: Analysis tool to identify viable PV + storage projects and thereby expedite the sales and interconnection processes. SolarScope combines customer load data, PV production estimates, utility rate tariff, and simulated storage into a simple user interface for PV developers. Developers can easily identify viable solar + storage sites without the need for complex and time consuming, site-by-site spreadsheet modeling. SolarContoller: Tool to autonomously dispatch distributed storage in order to mitigate voltage fluctuation and reduce curtailment. SolarController co-optimizes, in real time, storage dispatch for circuit stability and curtailment reduction, enabling higher penetrations of PV. SolarController is automated, not requiring utility dispatch or management, as Stem hardware senses grid voltage, frequency, customer load, PV production, and power factor. In the end the two products met with different outcomes. SolarScope was tested by potential users, and continues to be used as a foundational platform for partnership with key solar industry partners. SolarController, on the other hand, was successful in lab testing but was not commercialized due to a lack of marketability and lack of interested customer base. Together the development of these two products marked a material step forward for Stem; and a new milestone along the pathway of integration for the solar and storage industries. SolarScope is leading to real, out-of-the-lab project development in storage + solar for the commercial customer sector. Meanwhile SolarController has opened the eyes of regulators and utility executives alike to the potential of distributed solar and by doing so, has moved the conversation forward for the integration of distributed energy resources more broadly on the grid.« less

Managing for creativity.

PubMed

Florida, Richard; Goodnight, Jim

2005-01-01

A company's most important asset isn't raw materials, transportation systems, or political influence. It's creative capital--simply put, an arsenal of creative thinkers whose ideas can be turned into valuable products and services. Creative employees pioneer new technologies, birth new industries, and power economic growth. If you want your company to succeed, these are the people you entrust it to. But how do you accommodate the complex and chaotic nature of the creative process while increasing efficiency, improving quality, and raising productivity? Most businesses haven't figured this out. A notable exception is SAS Institute, the world's largest privately held software company. SAS makes Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For list every year. The company has enjoyed low employee turnover, high customer satisfaction, and 28 straight years of revenue growth. What's the secret to all this success? The authors, an academic and a CEO, approach this question differently, but they've come to the same conclusion: SAS has learned how to harness the creative energies of all its stakeholders, including its customers, software developers, managers, and support staff. Its framework for managing creativity rests on three guiding principles. First, help employees do their best work by keeping them intellectually engaged and by removing distractions. Second, make managers responsible for sparking creativity and eliminate arbitrary distinctions between "suits" and "creatives". And third, engage customers as creative partners so you can deliver superior products. Underlying all three principles is a mandate to foster interaction--not just to collect individuals' ideas. By nurturing relationships among developers, salespeople, and customers, SAS is investing in its future creative capital. Within a management framework like SAS's, creativity and productivity flourish, flexibility and profitability go hand in hand, and work/life balance and hard work aren't mutually exclusive.

Food Supplement Reduces Fat, Improves Flavor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

Diversified Services Corporation, seeking to develop a new nutritional fat replacement and flavor enhancement product, took advantage of the NASA Glenn Garrett Morgan Commercialization Initiative (GMCI) for technology acquisition and development and introductions to potential customers and strategic partners. Having developed and commercialized the product, named Nurtigras, the company is now marketing it through its subsidiary, H.F. Food Technologies Inc. The Nutrigras fat substitute is available in liquid, gel, or dry form and can be easily customized to the specific needs of the food manufacturer. It is primarily intended for use as a partial replacement for animal fat in beef patties and other normally high-fat meat products, and can also be used in soups, sauces, bakery items, and desserts. In addition to the nutritional benefits, the fat replacement costs less than the food it replaces, and as such can help manufacturers reduce material costs. In precooked products, Nutrigras can increase moisture content and thereby increase product yield. The company has been able to repay the help provided by NASA by contributing to the Space Agency's astronaut diet-the Nutrigras fat substitute can be used as a flavor enhancer and shelf-life extender for food on the ISS.

Benefits of mass customized products: moderating role of product involvement and fashion innovativeness.

PubMed

Park, Minjung; Yoo, Jungmin

2018-02-01

The objective of this study was to explore impacts and benefits of mass customized products on emotional product attachment, favorable attitudes toward a mass customization program, and the ongoing effect on loyalty intentions. This study further investigated how benefits, attachment, attitudes, and loyalty intentions differed as a function of involvement and fashion innovativeness. 290 female online shoppers in South Korea participated in an online survey. Results of this study revealed that perceived benefits positively influenced emotional product attachment and attitudes toward a mass customization program. In addition, attachment positively influenced attitudes, which in turn affected loyalty intentions. This study also found that benefits, attachment, attitudes, and loyalty intentions were all higher in highly involved consumers (high fashion innovators) than those in less involved consumers (low fashion innovators). This study concludes with theoretical and practical implications for mass customization programs.

Marketers Understanding Engineers and Engineers Understanding Marketers: The Opportunities and Constraints of a Cross-Discipline Course Using 3D Printing to Develop Marketable Innovations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reifschneider, Louis; Kaufman, Peter; Langrehr, Frederick W.; Kaufman, Kristina

2015-01-01

Marketers are criticized for not understanding the steps in the engineering research and development process and the challenges of manufacturing a new product at a profit. Engineers are criticized for not considering the marketability of and customer interest in such a product during the planning stages. With the development of 3D printing, rapid…

Thou Shalt Not Dupe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Association of Data Processing Service Organizations, Arlington, VA.

The problem of unauthorized computer software duplication impedes the production of upgraded products by software developers, who find thousands of illegal computer program copies have been made by customers who either innocently believe they are doing nothing wrong, or simply choose to ignore the law. Unauthorized duplication and use of software…

Human Factors in Industrial and Consumer Products and Services

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-24

modeling; simulation and intelligent agents; Transportation ; Space and aviation; Telecommunication and web applications; Consumer products; and Customer...the user feedback throughout the product development. Self-explaining and forgiving roads to improve safety Karel Brookhuis, Dick de Waard...in a simulated ambulance dispatcher’s task Ben Mulder, Anje Kruizinga & Dick de Waard University of Groningen, Experimental and Work Psychology

Proposal for a Conceptual Model for Evaluating Lean Product Development Performance: A Study of LPD Enablers in Manufacturing Companies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osezua Aikhuele, Daniel; Mohd Turan, Faiz

2016-02-01

The instability in today's market and the emerging demands for mass customized products by customers, are driving companies to seek for cost effective and time efficient improvements in their production system and this have led to real pressure for the adaptation of new developmental architecture and operational parameters to remain competitive in the market. Among such developmental architecture adopted, is the integration of lean thinking in the product development process. However, due to lack of clear understanding of the lean performance and its measurements, many companies are unable to implement and fully integrate the lean principle into their product development process and without a proper performance measurement, the performance level of the organizational value stream will be unknown and the specific area of improvement as it relates to the LPD program cannot be tracked. Hence, it will result in poor decision making in the LPD implementation. This paper therefore seeks to present a conceptual model for evaluation of LPD performances by identifying and analysing the core existing LPD enabler (Chief Engineer, Cross-functional teams, Set-based engineering, Poka-yoke (mistakeproofing), Knowledge-based environment, Value-focused planning and development, Top management support, Technology, Supplier integration, Workforce commitment and Continuous improvement culture) for assessing the LPD performance.

The sales learning curve.

PubMed

Leslie, Mark; Holloway, Charles A

2006-01-01

When a company launches a new product into a new market, the temptation is to immediately ramp up sales force capacity to gain customers as quickly as possible. But hiring a full sales force too early just causes the firm to burn through cash and fail to meet revenue expectations. Before it can sell an innovative product efficiently, the entire organization needs to learn how customers will acquire and use it, a process the authors call the sales learning curve. The concept of a learning curve is well understood in manufacturing. Employees transfer knowledge and experience back and forth between the production line and purchasing, manufacturing, engineering, planning, and operations. The sales learning curve unfolds similarly through the give-and-take between the company--marketing, sales, product support, and product development--and its customers. As customers adopt the product, the firm modifies both the offering and the processes associated with making and selling it. Progress along the manufacturing curve is measured by tracking cost per unit: The more a firm learns about the manufacturing process, the more efficient it becomes, and the lower the unit cost goes. Progress along the sales learning curve is measured in an analogous way: The more a company learns about the sales process, the more efficient it becomes at selling, and the higher the sales yield. As the sales yield increases, the sales learning process unfolds in three distinct phases--initiation, transition, and execution. Each phase requires a different size--and kind--of sales force and represents a different stage in a company's production, marketing, and sales strategies. Adjusting those strategies as the firm progresses along the sales learning curve allows managers to plan resource allocation more accurately, set appropriate expectations, avoid disastrous cash shortfalls, and reduce both the time and money required to turn a profit.

ProSens: integrated production control by automated inspection planning and efficient multisensor metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glaser, Ulf; Li, Zhichao; Bichmann, Stephan, II; Pfeifer, Tilo

2003-05-01

By China's entry into the WTO, Chinese as well as German companies are facing the question, how to minimize the risk of unfamiliar cooperation partners when developing products. The rise of customer demands concerning quality, product diversity and the reduction of expenses require flexibility and efficiency with reliable component suppliers. In order to build and strengthen sino-german cooperations, a manufacturing control using homogenized and efficient measures to assure high quality is of vital importance. Lack of unifications may cause identical measurements conducted at subcontractors or customers to be carried out with different measurement processes which leads to incomparable results. Rapidly growing company cooperations and simultaneously decreasing of manufacturing scope cause substantial difficulties when coordinating joint quality control activities. "ProSens," a sino-german project consortium consisting of industrial users, technology producers and research institutes, aims at improving selected production processes by: Creation of a homogeneous quality awareness in sino-german cooperations. Sensitization for process accompanying metrology at an early stage of product development. Increase of the process performance by the use of integrated metrology. Reduction of production time and cost. Unification of quality control of complex products by means of efficient measurement strategies and CAD-based inspection planning.

36 CFR 1193.23 - Product design, development, and evaluation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., usability, and compatibility of telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment and shall... as possible. Manufacturers shall identify barriers to accessibility and usability as part of such a...

Green Power Marketing in the United States: A Status Report (Ninth Edition)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bird, L.; Swezey, B.

Voluntary consumer decisions to purchase electricity supplied by renewable energy sources represent a powerful market support mechanism for renewable energy development. Beginning in the early 1990s, a small number of U.S. utilities began offering ''green power'' options to their customers. Since then, these products have become more prevalent, both from traditional utilities and from marketers operating in states that have introduced competition into their retail electricity markets. Today, more than half of all U.S. consumers have an option to purchase some type of green power product from a retail electricity provider. Currently, more than 600 utilities, or about 20% ofmore » utilities nationally, offer green power programs to customers. These programs allow customers to purchase some portion of their power supply as renewable energy--almost always at a higher price--or to contribute funds for the utility to invest in renewable energy development. The term ''green pricing'' is typically used to refer to these utility programs offered in regulated or noncompetitive electricity markets. This report documents green power marketing activities and trends in the United States.« less

Grid Data Management and Customer Demands at MeteoSwiss

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigo, G.; Lukasczyk, Ch.

2010-09-01

Data grids constitute the required input form for a variety of applications. Therefore, customers increasingly expect climate services to not only provide measured data, but also grids of these with the required configurations on an operational basis. Currently, MeteoSwiss is establishing a production chain for delivering data grids by subscription directly from the data warehouse in order to meet the demand for precipitation data grids by governmental, business and science customers. The MeteoSwiss data warehouse runs on an Oracle database linked with an ArcGIS Standard edition geodatabase. The grids are produced by Unix-based software written in R called GRIDMCH which extracts the station data from the data warehouse and stores the files in the file system. By scripts, the netcdf-v4 files are imported via an FME interface into the database. Currently daily and monthly deliveries of daily precipitation grids are available from MeteoSwiss with a spatial resolution of 2.2km x 2.2km. These daily delivered grids are a preliminary based on 100 measuring sites whilst the grid of the monthly delivery of daily sums is calculated out of about 430 stations. Crucial for the absorption by the customers is the understanding of and the trust into the new grid product. Clearly stating needs which can be covered by grid products, the customers require a certain lead time to develop applications making use of the particular grid. Therefore, early contacts and a continuous attendance as well as flexibility in adjusting the production process to fulfill emerging customer needs are important during the introduction period. Gridding over complex terrain can lead to temporally elevated uncertainties in certain areas depending on the weather situation and coverage of measurements. Therefore, careful instructions on the quality and use and the possibility to communicate the uncertainties of gridded data proofed to be essential especially to the business and science customers who require near-real-time datasets to build up trust in the product in different applications. The implementation of a new method called RSOI for the daily production allowed to bring the daily precipitation field up to the expectations of customers. The main use of the grids were near-realtime and past event analysis in areas scarcely covered with stations, and inputs for forecast tools and models. Critical success factors of the product were speed of delivery and at the same time accuracy, temporal and spatial resolution, and configuration (coordinate system, projection). To date, grids of archived precipitation data since 1961 and daily/monthly precipitation gridsets with 4h-delivery lag of Switzerland or subareas are available.

Modeling of market segmentation for new IT product development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasiopoulos, Dimitrios K.; Sakas, Damianos P.; Vlachos, D. S.; Mavrogianni, Amanda

2015-02-01

Businesses from all Information Technology sectors use market segmentation[1] in their product development[2] and strategic planning[3]. Many studies have concluded that market segmentation is considered as the norm of modern marketing. With the rapid development of technology, customer needs are becoming increasingly diverse. These needs can no longer be satisfied by a mass marketing approach and follow one rule. IT Businesses can face with this diversity by pooling customers[4] with similar requirements and buying behavior and strength into segments. The result of the best choices about which segments are the most appropriate to serve can then be made, thus making the best of finite resources. Despite the attention which segmentation gathers and the resources that are invested in it, growing evidence suggests that businesses have problems operationalizing segmentation[5]. These problems take various forms. There may have been a rule that the segmentation process necessarily results in homogeneous groups of customers for whom appropriate marketing programs and procedures for dealing with them can be developed. Then the segmentation process, that a company follows, can fail. This increases concerns about what causes segmentation failure and how it might be overcome. To prevent the failure, we created a dynamic simulation model of market segmentation[6] based on the basic factors leading to this segmentation.

Three-dimensional body scanning system for apparel mass-customization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Bugao; Huang, Yaxiong; Yu, Weiping; Chen, Tong

2002-07-01

Mass customization is a new manufacturing trend in which mass-market products (e.g., apparel) are quickly modified one at a time based on customers' needs. It is an effective competing strategy for maximizing customers' satisfaction and minimizing inventory costs. An automatic body measurement system is essential for apparel mass customization. This paper introduces the development of a body scanning system, body size extraction methods, and body modeling algorithms. The scanning system utilizes the multiline triangulation technique to rapidly acquire surface data on a body, and provides accurate body measurements, many of which are not available with conventional methods. Cubic B-spline curves are used to connect and smooth body curves. From the scanned data, a body form can be constructed using linear Coons surfaces. The body form can be used as a digital model of the body for 3-D garment design and for virtual try-on of a designed garment. This scanning system and its application software enable apparel manufacturers to provide custom design services to consumers seeking personal-fit garments.

Custom software development for use in a clinical laboratory

PubMed Central

Sinard, John H.; Gershkovich, Peter

2012-01-01

In-house software development for use in a clinical laboratory is a controversial issue. Many of the objections raised are based on outdated software development practices, an exaggeration of the risks involved, and an underestimation of the benefits that can be realized. Buy versus build analyses typically do not consider total costs of ownership, and unfortunately decisions are often made by people who are not directly affected by the workflow obstacles or benefits that result from those decisions. We have been developing custom software for clinical use for over a decade, and this article presents our perspective on this practice. A complete analysis of the decision to develop or purchase must ultimately examine how the end result will mesh with the departmental workflow, and custom-developed solutions typically can have the greater positive impact on efficiency and productivity, substantially altering the decision balance sheet. Involving the end-users in preparation of the functional specifications is crucial to the success of the process. A large development team is not needed, and even a single programmer can develop significant solutions. Many of the risks associated with custom development can be mitigated by a well-structured development process, use of open-source tools, and embracing an agile development philosophy. In-house solutions have the significant advantage of being adaptable to changing departmental needs, contributing to efficient and higher quality patient care. PMID:23372985

Custom software development for use in a clinical laboratory.

PubMed

Sinard, John H; Gershkovich, Peter

2012-01-01

In-house software development for use in a clinical laboratory is a controversial issue. Many of the objections raised are based on outdated software development practices, an exaggeration of the risks involved, and an underestimation of the benefits that can be realized. Buy versus build analyses typically do not consider total costs of ownership, and unfortunately decisions are often made by people who are not directly affected by the workflow obstacles or benefits that result from those decisions. We have been developing custom software for clinical use for over a decade, and this article presents our perspective on this practice. A complete analysis of the decision to develop or purchase must ultimately examine how the end result will mesh with the departmental workflow, and custom-developed solutions typically can have the greater positive impact on efficiency and productivity, substantially altering the decision balance sheet. Involving the end-users in preparation of the functional specifications is crucial to the success of the process. A large development team is not needed, and even a single programmer can develop significant solutions. Many of the risks associated with custom development can be mitigated by a well-structured development process, use of open-source tools, and embracing an agile development philosophy. In-house solutions have the significant advantage of being adaptable to changing departmental needs, contributing to efficient and higher quality patient care.

Can there be mutual support between hospital marketing and continuous quality improvement?

PubMed

Weiland, D E

1992-01-01

Marketing the results of continuous quality improvement in hospitals builds a growing bank of loyal customers in an increasingly competitive and quality-oriented environment: If healthcare institutions want to survive and flourish, they must develop a lasting relationship with their customers. The long-term goal of CQI is to provide quality products and services. If marketing managers can sell these improved services, hospitals will build a solid client foundation.

The impact of the customer relationship management on organizational productivity, customer trust and satisfaction by using the structural equation model: A study in the Iranian hospitals

PubMed Central

Yaghoubi, Maryam; Asgari, Hamed; Javadi, Marzieh

2017-01-01

Context: One of the challenges in the fiercely competitive space of health organizations is responding to customers and building trust and satisfaction in them in the shortest time, with best quality and highest productivity. Hence the aim of this study is to survey the impact of customer relationship management (CRM) on organizational productivity, customer loyalty, satisfaction and trust in selected hospitals of Isfahan (in Iran). Materials and Methods: This study is a correlation descriptive research. Study population was the nurses in selected hospitals of Isfahan and the sampling has been conducted using stratified random method. Data collection tool is a researcher-made questionnaire of CRM and its effects (organizational productivity, customer loyalty, satisfaction and trust) which its validity and reliability has been confirmed by researchers. Structural equation method was used to determine the impact of variables. Data analysis method was structural equation modeling and the software used was SPSS version 16 (IBM, SPSS, 2007 Microsoft Corp., Bristol, UK) and AMOS version 18 (IBM, SPSS, 2010 Microsoft Corp, Bristol, UK). Results: Among the dimensions of CRM, diversification had the highest impact (0.83) and customer acquisition had the lowest (0.57) CRM, had the lowest impact on productivity (0.59) and the highest effect on customer satisfaction (0.83). Conclusions: For the implementation of CRM, it is necessary that the studied hospitals improve strategies of acquiring information about new customers, attracting new customers and keeping them and communication with patients outside the hospital and improve the system of measuring patient satisfaction and loyalty. PMID:28546971

36 CFR § 1193.23 - Product design, development, and evaluation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., usability, and compatibility of telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment and shall... as possible. Manufacturers shall identify barriers to accessibility and usability as part of such a...

Customizing graphical user interface technology for spacecraft control centers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beach, Edward; Giancola, Peter; Gibson, Steven; Mahmot, Ronald

1993-01-01

The Transportable Payload Operations Control Center (TPOCC) project is applying the latest in graphical user interface technology to the spacecraft control center environment. This project of the Mission Operations Division's (MOD) Control Center Systems Branch (CCSB) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has developed an architecture for control centers which makes use of a distributed processing approach and the latest in Unix workstation technology. The TPOCC project is committed to following industry standards and using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software components wherever possible to reduce development costs and to improve operational support. TPOCC's most successful use of commercial software products and standards has been in the development of its graphical user interface. This paper describes TPOCC's successful use and customization of four separate layers of commercial software products to create a flexible and powerful user interface that is uniquely suited to spacecraft monitoring and control.

19 CFR 102.25 - Textile or apparel products under the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Textile or apparel products under the North American Free Trade Agreement. 102.25 Section 102.25 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY RULES OF ORIGIN Rules of Origin § 102.25 Textile or apparel products under the North...

Manufacturing Bms/Iso System Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gomez, Yazmin

2004-01-01

The Quality Management System (QMS) is one that recognizes the need to continuously change and improve an organization s products and services as determined by system feedback, and corresponding management decisions. The purpose of a Quality Management System is to minimize quality variability of an organization's products and services. The optimal Quality Management System balances the need for an organization to maintain flexibility in the products and services it provides with the need for providing the appropriate level of discipline and control over the processes used to provide them. The goal of a Quality Management System is to ensure the quality of the products and services while consistently (through minimizing quality variability) meeting or exceeding customer expectations. The GRC Business Management System (BMS) is the foundation of the Center's ISO 9001:2000 registered quality system. ISO 9001 is a quality system model developed by the International Organization for Standardization. BMS supports and promote the Glenn Research Center Quality Policy and wants to ensure the customer satisfaction while also meeting quality standards. My assignment during this summer is to examine the manufacturing processes used to develop research hardware, which in most cases are one of a kind hardware, made with non conventional equipment and materials. During this process of observation I will make a determination, based on my observations of the hardware development processes the best way to meet customer requirements and at the same time achieve the GRC quality standards. The purpose of my task is to review the manufacturing processes identifying opportunities in which to optimize the efficiency of the processes and establish a plan for implementation and continuous improvement.

Automated Flight Dynamics Product Generation for the EOS AM-1 Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matusow, Carla

1999-01-01

As part of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, the Earth Observing System (EOS) AM-1 spacecraft is designed to monitor long-term, global, environmental changes. Because of the complexity of the AM-1 spacecraft, the mission operations center requires more than 80 distinct flight dynamics products (reports). To create these products, the AM-1 Flight Dynamics Team (FDT) will use a combination of modified commercial software packages (e.g., Analytical Graphic's Satellite ToolKit) and NASA-developed software applications. While providing the most cost-effective solution to meeting the mission requirements, the integration of these software applications raises several operational concerns: (1) Routine product generation requires knowledge of multiple applications executing on variety of hardware platforms. (2) Generating products is a highly interactive process requiring a user to interact with each application multiple times to generate each product. (3) Routine product generation requires several hours to complete. (4) User interaction with each application introduces the potential for errors, since users are required to manually enter filenames and input parameters as well as run applications in the correct sequence. Generating products requires some level of flight dynamics expertise to determine the appropriate inputs and sequencing. To address these issues, the FDT developed an automation software tool called AutoProducts, which runs on a single hardware platform and provides all necessary coordination and communication among the various flight dynamics software applications. AutoProducts, autonomously retrieves necessary files, sequences and executes applications with correct input parameters, and deliver the final flight dynamics products to the appropriate customers. Although AutoProducts will normally generate pre-programmed sets of routine products, its graphical interface allows for easy configuration of customized and one-of-a-kind products. Additionally, AutoProducts has been designed as a mission-independent tool, and can be easily reconfigured to support other missions or incorporate new flight dynamics software packages. After the AM-1 launch, AutoProducts will run automatically at pre-determined time intervals . The AutoProducts tool reduces many of the concerns associated with the flight dynamics product generation. Although AutoProducts required a significant effort to develop because of the complexity of the interfaces involved, its use will provide significant cost savings through reduced operator time and maximum product reliability. In addition, user satisfaction is significantly improved and flight dynamics experts have more time to perform valuable analysis work. This paper will describe the evolution of the AutoProducts tool, highlighting the cost savings and customer satisfaction resulting from its development. It will also provide details about the tool including its graphical interface and operational capabilities.

Review: Polymeric-Based 3D Printing for Tissue Engineering.

PubMed

Wu, Geng-Hsi; Hsu, Shan-Hui

Three-dimensional (3D) printing, also referred to as additive manufacturing, is a technology that allows for customized fabrication through computer-aided design. 3D printing has many advantages in the fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds, including fast fabrication, high precision, and customized production. Suitable scaffolds can be designed and custom-made based on medical images such as those obtained from computed tomography. Many 3D printing methods have been employed for tissue engineering. There are advantages and limitations for each method. Future areas of interest and progress are the development of new 3D printing platforms, scaffold design software, and materials for tissue engineering applications.

Long-range strategic planning: a case study.

PubMed

Moller-Tiger, D

1999-05-01

In highly competitive healthcare markets, integrated delivery systems (IDSs) that have exhausted traditional means of maintaining market competitiveness are challenged to identify effective new strategies that will ensure market success in an uncertain future. Finding itself facing this challenge, Legacy Health System, a Portland, Oregon-based IDS, undertook an innovative, long-range, strategic-planning initiative based on an evaluation of key market trends. Legacy discovered that it might benefit from making some changes in the way it approached its mission. These changes included focusing on specific customer segments, developing products and services aimed at those customers, and broadening physician and insurer relationships to enhance service and improve customers' access to health care.

Customer social network affects marketing strategy: A simulation analysis based on competitive diffusion model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Rui; Wu, Jiawen; Du, Helen S.

2017-03-01

To explain the competition phenomenon and results between QQ and MSN (China) in the Chinese instant messaging software market, this paper developed a new population competition model based on customer social network. The simulation results show that the firm whose product with greater network externality effect will gain more market share than its rival when the same marketing strategy is used. The firm with the advantage of time, derived from the initial scale effect will become more competitive than its rival when facing a group of common penguin customers within a social network, verifying the winner-take-all phenomenon in this case.

Developing GIOVANNI-based Online Prototypes to Intercompare TRMM-Related Global Gridded-Precipitation Products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Zhong; Ostrenga, Dana; Teng, William; Kempler, Steven; Milich, Lenard

2014-01-01

New online prototypes have been developed to extend and enhance the previous effort by facilitating investigation of product characteristics and intercomparison of precipitation products in different algorithms as well as in different versions at different spatial scales ranging from local to global without downloading data and software. Several popular Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) products and the TRMM Composite Climatology are included. In addition, users can download customized data in several popular formats for further analysis. Examples show product quality problems and differences in several monthly precipitation products. It is seen that differences in daily and monthly precipitation products are distributed unevenly in space and it is necessary to have tools such as those presented here for customized and detailed investigations. A simple time series and two area maps allow the discovery of abnormal values of 3A25 in one of the months. An example shows a V-shaped valley issue in the Version 6 3B43 time series and another example shows a sudden drop in 3A25 monthly rain rate, all of which provide important information when the products are used for long-term trend studies. Future plans include adding more products and statistical functionality in the prototypes.

Introducing the MCHF/OVRP/SDMP: Multicapacitated/Heterogeneous Fleet/Open Vehicle Routing Problems with Split Deliveries and Multiproducts

PubMed Central

Yilmaz Eroglu, Duygu; Caglar Gencosman, Burcu; Cavdur, Fatih; Ozmutlu, H. Cenk

2014-01-01

In this paper, we analyze a real-world OVRP problem for a production company. Considering real-world constrains, we classify our problem as multicapacitated/heterogeneous fleet/open vehicle routing problem with split deliveries and multiproduct (MCHF/OVRP/SDMP) which is a novel classification of an OVRP. We have developed a mixed integer programming (MIP) model for the problem and generated test problems in different size (10–90 customers) considering real-world parameters. Although MIP is able to find optimal solutions of small size (10 customers) problems, when the number of customers increases, the problem gets harder to solve, and thus MIP could not find optimal solutions for problems that contain more than 10 customers. Moreover, MIP fails to find any feasible solution of large-scale problems (50–90 customers) within time limits (7200 seconds). Therefore, we have developed a genetic algorithm (GA) based solution approach for large-scale problems. The experimental results show that the GA based approach reaches successful solutions with 9.66% gap in 392.8 s on average instead of 7200 s for the problems that contain 10–50 customers. For large-scale problems (50–90 customers), GA reaches feasible solutions of problems within time limits. In conclusion, for the real-world applications, GA is preferable rather than MIP to reach feasible solutions in short time periods. PMID:25045735

Quality Assurance/Quality Control Jobs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fanslau, Melody; Young, Janelle

The production of a quality and safe food product is essential to the success of any food manufacturing facility. Because of this great importance, a career in quality can be extremely rewarding. Without happy customers willing to buy a product, a company would not be able to survive. Quality issues such as foreign objects, spoiled or mislabeled product, failure to meet net weight requirements, or a recall can all turn customers away from buying a product. The food industry is a customer-driven market in which some consumers are brand loyal based on a history of high quality or in which a single bad experience with a product will turn them away for a lifetime. With this said, the main role of a quality department is to help ensure that quality issues such as these are eliminated or kept to a minimum to maintain or increase the number of customers purchasing their product.

Army Efficiency Initiatives

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-28

provide, its customers with products and services that satisfy their needs. A total quality culture requires quality in all aspects of the company’s...operations, with things being done right the first time, with product defects and waste eradicated from operations. Many companies have...government, service, research and development, and education. Yet in today’s global economy of today, the quality of many American products and services

Creativity and innovation by empowering the customer: The case of Mulino Bianco. Part I: Organisational innovation context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bujor, A.; Avasilcăi, S.

2015-11-01

The terms of creativity, co-creation, creative industries, innovation, and coinnovation are more and more used nowadays. While co-creation offers the possibility and encourages a more active involvement from the customers to create value rich experiences, innovation is responsible for the little improvements made for a better life, to grow a business, to improve products, services or company's productivity. Either customers, current and potential, or stakeholders’ involvement into innovation activities, through their creativity, represent an important way of value creation, of actions’ performance that increases the worth of goods, services, or business as a whole. More and more, different size businesses gather ideas for innovation from customers / stakeholders through their involvement into the early stages of the innovation process. Actually, it has been shown that their ideas sketch their needs and wishes, and have been described as “need information”. Customers and stakeholders, in general, also offer ideas that have been called “solution information”, which represents, not only need information, but also customer-based proposals that describe how ideas can be transformed into marketable products. The term of creative industries refers to those goods that can technically be reproduced, industrially produced, and commercially sold, this being one of the many definitions found in the literature. The classification of creative industries differs at the European Union level according to each country's development level and opening towards these industries’ perception as an engine for economic growth. To better explore and identify the importance of innovation and creativity for new products’ development or improvement a case study about Mulino Bianco was done. This methodology approach represents a part of a qualitative research approach within a broader research undertaken within the framework of the National Research Program PN II. Mulino Bianco was first launched in Italy, being one of the value brands of Barilla Group, which we can say, according to the Italian researches regarding their definition and classification, it belongs to creative industries: industry of food and taste. The foreseen result of this paper is highlighting the fact that the key strategy for the Group and for Mulino Bianco, by default, is mainly its customers’ pro-active involvement in products’ development or creation.

An Empirical Study of the Volkswagen Crisis in China: Customers' Information Processing and Behavioral Intentions.

PubMed

Wei, Jiuchang; Zhao, Ming; Wang, Fei; Cheng, Peng; Zhao, Dingtao

2016-01-01

Product-harm crises usually lead to product recalls, which may cause consumers concern about the product quality and safety. This study systematically examines customers' immediate responses to the Volkswagen product recall crisis in China. Particular attention was given to customers' responses to the risk information influencing their behavioral intentions. By combining the protective action decision model and the heuristic-systematic model, we constructed a hypothetical model to explore this issue. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data involving 467 participants drawn from the customers of Volkswagen. We used structural equation modeling to explore the model. The results show that customers' product knowledge plays an important role in their responses to the crisis. Having more knowledge would make them perceive a lower risk, but they might need even more information, making them more likely to seek and process information, and subsequently increasing their positive behavioral intentions toward the firm (that is pro-firm behavioral intentions). Risk perception increased customers' information needs, information seeking, and information processing but decreased their pro-firm behavioral intentions. In addition to promoting information seeking, information needed to also facilitate customers' systematic processing and thus increase their behavioral intentions to take corrective action. Customers' behavioral intentions were also spurred by systematic processing, but failed to be predicted by information seeking. In summary, theoretical and practical implications and suggestions for further research are also discussed. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

Research activities at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology for the regional ionospheric specification and forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouya, Zahra; Terkildsen, Michael

2016-07-01

The Australian Space Forecast Centre (ASFC) provides space weather forecasts to a diverse group of customers. Space Weather Services (SWS) within the Australian Bureau of Meteorology is focussed both on developing tailored products and services for the key customer groups, and supporting ASFC operations. Research in SWS is largely centred on the development of data-driven models using a range of solar-terrestrial data. This paper will cover some data requirements , approaches and recent SWS activities for data driven modelling with a focus on the regional Ionospheric specification and forecasting.

Analysis of two production inventory systems with buffer, retrials and different production rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jose, K. P.; Nair, Salini S.

2017-09-01

This paper considers the comparison of two ( {s,S} ) production inventory systems with retrials of unsatisfied customers. The time for producing and adding each item to the inventory is exponentially distributed with rate β. However, a production rate α β higher than β is used at the beginning of the production. The higher production rate will reduce customers' loss when inventory level approaches zero. The demand from customers is according to a Poisson process. Service times are exponentially distributed. Upon arrival, the customers enter into a buffer of finite capacity. An arriving customer, who finds the buffer full, moves to an orbit. They can retry from there and inter-retrial times are exponentially distributed. The two models differ in the capacity of the buffer. The aim is to find the minimum value of total cost by varying different parameters and compare the efficiency of the models. The optimum value of α corresponding to minimum total cost is an important evaluation. Matrix analytic method is used to find an algorithmic solution to the problem. We also provide several numerical or graphical illustrations.

9 CFR 590.930 - Imported egg products; retention in customs custody; delivery under bond; movement prior to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Imported egg products; retention in..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE EGG PRODUCTS INSPECTION INSPECTION OF EGGS AND EGG PRODUCTS (EGG PRODUCTS INSPECTION ACT) Imports § 590.930 Imported egg products; retention in customs custody; delivery under bond...

9 CFR 590.930 - Imported egg products; retention in customs custody; delivery under bond; movement prior to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Imported egg products; retention in..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE EGG PRODUCTS INSPECTION INSPECTION OF EGGS AND EGG PRODUCTS (EGG PRODUCTS INSPECTION ACT) Imports § 590.930 Imported egg products; retention in customs custody; delivery under bond...

Simscape Modeling Verification in the Simulink Development Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Volle, Christopher E. E.

2014-01-01

The purpose of the Simulation Product Group of the Control and Data Systems division of the NASA Engineering branch at Kennedy Space Center is to provide a realtime model and simulation of the Ground Subsystems participating in vehicle launching activities. The simulation software is part of the Spaceport Command and Control System (SCCS) and is designed to support integrated launch operation software verification, and console operator training. Using Mathworks Simulink tools, modeling engineers currently build models from the custom-built blocks to accurately represent ground hardware. This is time consuming and costly due to required rigorous testing and peer reviews to be conducted for each custom-built block. Using Mathworks Simscape tools, modeling time can be reduced since there would be no custom-code developed. After careful research, the group came to the conclusion it is feasible to use Simscape's blocks in MatLab's Simulink. My project this fall was to verify the accuracy of the Crew Access Arm model developed using Simscape tools running in the Simulink development environment.

Special Gender Studies for Engineering?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ihsen, Susanne

2005-01-01

Today we are confronted with a new challenge in product development: "Diversity" needs to be implemented in the engineering design and development teams. Such diversity means to "mirror" within the teams the characteristics of different customer groups: the two genders, the different age groups, and the different cultural…

The Business Practices Course: Self-Study Learning Reengineered.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acovelli, Marianne; Nowakowski, Alan

1994-01-01

Describes an interactive multimedia Business Practices Course, developed to help reengineer point-of-need training for professional development, in which the learner conducts a business review of a company's current operations and makes recommendations to improve productivity and increase customer satisfaction. (six references) (LRW)

Image2000: A Free, Innovative, Java Based Imaging Package

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pell, Nicholas; Wheeler, Phil; Cornwell, Carl; Matusow, David; Obenschain, Arthur F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center's (GSFC) Scientific and Educational Endeavors (SEE) and the Center for Image Processing in Education (CIPE) use satellite image processing as part of their science lessons developed for students and educators. The image processing products that they use, as part of these lessons, no longer fulfill the needs of SEE and CIPE because these products are either dependent on a particular computing platform, hard to customize and extend, or do not have enough functionality. SEE and CIPE began looking for what they considered the "perfect" image processing tool that was platform independent, rich in functionality and could easily be extended and customized for their purposes. At the request of SEE, NASA's GSFC, code 588 the Advanced Architectures and Automation Branch developed a powerful new Java based image processing endeavors.

Perceptions, use and attitudes of pharmacy customers on complementary medicines and pharmacy practice.

PubMed

Braun, Lesley A; Tiralongo, Evelin; Wilkinson, Jenny M; Spitzer, Ondine; Bailey, Michael; Poole, Susan; Dooley, Michael

2010-07-20

Complementary medicines (CMs) are popular amongst Australians and community pharmacy is a major supplier of these products. This study explores pharmacy customer use, attitudes and perceptions of complementary medicines, and their expectations of pharmacists as they relate to these products. Pharmacy customers randomly selected from sixty large and small, metropolitan and rural pharmacies in three Australian states completed an anonymous, self administered questionnaire that had been pre-tested and validated. 1,121 customers participated (response rate 62%). 72% had used CMs within the previous 12 months, 61% used prescription medicines daily and 43% had used both concomitantly. Multivitamins, fish oils, vitamin C, glucosamine and probiotics were the five most popular CMs. 72% of people using CMs rated their products as 'very effective' or 'effective enough'. CMs were as frequently used by customers aged 60 years or older as younger customers (69% vs. 72%) although the pattern of use shifted with older age. Most customers (92%) thought pharmacists should provide safety information about CMs, 90% thought they should routinely check for interactions, 87% thought they should recommend effective CMs, 78% thought CMs should be recorded in customer's medication profile and 58% thought pharmacies stocking CMs should also employ a complementary medicine practitioner. Of those using CMs, 93% thought it important for pharmacists to be knowledgeable about CMs and 48% felt their pharmacist provides useful information about CMs. CMs are widely used by pharmacy customers of all ages who want pharmacists to be more involved in providing advice about these products.

Contraceptive security, information flow, and local adaptations: family planning Morocco.

PubMed

Chandani, Y; Breton, G

2001-12-01

Many developing countries increasingly recognize and acknowledge family planning as a critical part of socio-economic development. However, with few health dollars to go around, countries tend to provide essential drugs for curative care, rather than for family planning products. Donors have historically provided free contraceptives for family planning services. Whether products are donated or purchased by the country, a successful family planning program depends on an uninterrupted supply of products, beginning with the manufacturer and ending with the customer. Any break in the supply chain may cause a family planning program to fail. A well-functioning logistics system can manage the supply chain and ensure that the customers have the products they need, when they need them. Morocco was selected for the case study. The researchers had ready access to key informants and information about the Logistics Management Information System. Because the study had time and resource constraints, research included desktop reviews and interview, rather than data collection in the field. The case study showed that even in a challenging environment an LMIS can be successfully deployed and fully supported by the users. It is critical to customize the system to a country-specific situation to ensure buy-in for the implementation. Significant external support funding and technical expertise are critical components to ensure the initial success of the system. Nonetheless, evidence from the case study shows that, after a system has been implemented, the benefits may not ensure its institutionalization. Other support, including local funding and technical expertise, is required.

Mass Customization and Personalization Prospects in Developing Country: Indonesian Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Risdiyono; Djati Widodo, Imam; Mahtarami, Affan

2016-01-01

The advancement of information technology (IT) has changed many modes and ways for people in doing their businesses. Mass Customization and Personalization (MCP) is one example of business modes that has been dramatically evolve, mainly due to the currently very fast IT development. MCP has enabled people to involve in adjusting some design parameters of a product to meet their personal requirements before purchased. The advancement of IT has made MCP more successful as it makes the process faster, easier, simpler and more joyful. The success stories of MCP are easily found in many developed countries, where the IT infrastructure has firmly been established. For developing countries, there are very few industries have implemented the MCP concept, including Indonesia. This paper discusses a descriptive study to depict what people think about MCP implementation in Indonesia especially in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Kano model was used to see the perception of both producers and consumers in relation with MCP implementation. Five dummy MCP prototypes were developed for five creative products including plaques, hats, invitation card, t-shirts and leather bags. Based on the KANO questionnaire analyses, it is clear that there are big opportunities to implement MCP in Indonesia especially for creative products produced by SMEs. Identifying the correct product features is an important key for successful MCP implementation in developing countries.

Understanding Customer Product Choices: A Case Study Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process

Treesearch

Robert L. Smith; Robert J. Bush; Daniel L. Schmoldt

1996-01-01

The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to characterize the bridge material selection decisions of highway officials across the United States. Understanding product choices by utilizing the AHP allowed us to develop strategies for increasing the use of timber in bridge construction. State Department of Transportation engineers, private consulting engineers, and...

Is Bigger Better? Customer Base Expansion through Word-of-Mouth Reputation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rob, Rafael; Fishman, Arthur

2005-01-01

A model of gradual reputation formation through a process of continuous investment in product quality is developed. We assume that the ability to produce high-quality products requires continuous investment and that as a consequence of informational frictions, such as search costs, information about firms' past performance diffuses only gradually…

VTLS Inc.: The Company, the Products, the Services, the Vision.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chachra, Vinod; And Others

1993-01-01

Describes the range of products and services offered by VTLS, a company that offers comprehensive, integrated library automation software and customer support. VTLS's growth and development in the United States and abroad is described, and nine sidebar articles detail system features and applications in public, academic, and virtual libraries. (20…

Laboratory automation —some perspectives on the challenges in the implementation of the technology in pharmaceutical development

PubMed Central

North, Nigel; Smith, Simon

1998-01-01

The intensifying pressure on reducing the development time for new pharmaceutical products is resulting in an increasing need for laboratory automation. A key element for the successful implementation of robotics for drug product analysis is the establishment of a reliable process for interaction of the automation team with its various customers, for example development product team and manufacturing group. The reduction of cycle time for product development appears to be resulting in more stability studies to support NDA/MAA filings for several reasons. Key clinical information may not be available before initiation of the stability studies and simultaneous world-wide development may result in an increase in the number of product strength and pack options. PMID:18924828

B2C Mass Customization in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Visich, John K.; Gu, Qiannong; Khumawala, Basheer M.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe an internet-based mass customization assignment in Operations Management/Supply Chain Management classes where students utilize the Web site of a company that offers a customized product. Students evaluate the user interface, judge the value proposition of the product they demonstrate, and discuss issues…

76 FR 37889 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-28

... before the customer completes the purchase of the contract. There are special rules for transactions by... customers who buy DCCs and DSAs from national banks and ensure that national banks provide these products in... appropriate: Anti-tying--A bank must inform the customer that purchase of the product is optional and neither...

A Framework for Prioritizing NOAA's Climate Data Portfolio to Improve Relevance and Value

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Privette, J. L.; Hutchins, C.; McPherson, T.; Wunder, D.

2016-12-01

NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) is the largest civilian environmental data archive in the world. NCEI operationally provides hundreds of long term homogeneous climate data records and assessments that describe Earth's atmosphere, oceans and land surface. For decades, these data have underpinned leading climate research and modeling efforts and provided key insights into weather and climate changes. Recently, NCEI has increased support for economic and societal sectors beyond climate research by emphasizing use-inspired product development and services. Accordingly, NCEI has begun comprehensively assessing customer needs and user applications. In parallel, NCEI is analyzing and adjusting its full product portfolio to best address those needs and applications. In this presentation, we will describe NCEI's new approaches to capturing needs, performing use analytics, and molding a more responsive portfolio. We will summarize the findings of a quantitative relevance- and cost-scoring analysis that suggests the relative effectiveness of NCEI science and service investments. Finally, we will describe NCEI's effort to review, document and validate customer-driven product requirements. Results will help guide future prioritization of measurements, research and development, and product services.

'NASA Invention of the Year' Controls Noise and Vibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

Developed at NASA's Langley Research Center, the Macro-Fiber Composite (MFC) is designed to control vibration, noise, and deflections in composite structural beams and panels. Smart Material Corporation specializes in the development of piezocomposite components, and licensed the MFC technology from Langley in 2002. To date, Smart Material Corporation has sold MFCs to over 120 customers, including such industry giants as Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, BMW, General Electric, and the tennis company, HEAD. The company estimates that its customers have filed at least 100 patents for their various unique uses of the technology. In addition, the company's product portfolio has grown to include piezoceramic fibers and fiber composites, piezoceramic actuators and sensors, and test equipment for these products. It also offers a compact, lightweight power system for MFC testing and validation. Consumer applications already on the market include piezoelectric systems as part of audio speakers, phonograph cartridges and microphones, and recreational products requiring vibration control, such as skis, snowboards, baseball bats, hockey sticks, and tennis racquets.

The Importance of Take-Out Food Packaging Attributes: Conjoint Analysis and Quality Function Deployment Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lestari Widaningrum, Dyah

2014-03-01

This research aims to investigate the importance of take-out food packaging attributes, using conjoint analysis and QFD approach among consumers of take-out food products in Jakarta, Indonesia. The conjoint results indicate that perception about packaging material (such as paper, plastic, and polystyrene foam) plays the most important role overall in consumer perception. The clustering results that there is strong segmentation in which take-out food packaging material consumer consider most important. Some consumers are mostly oriented toward the colour of packaging, while another segment of customers concerns on packaging shape and packaging information. Segmentation variables based on packaging response can provide very useful information to maximize image of products through the package's impact. The results of House of Quality development described that Conjoint Analysis - QFD is a useful combination of the two methodologies in product development, market segmentation, and the trade off between customers' requirements in the early stages of HOQ process

Application of quality by design for 3D printed bone prostheses and scaffolds

PubMed Central

Martinez-Marquez, Daniel; Mirnajafizadeh, Ali; Carty, Christopher P.

2018-01-01

3D printing is an emergent manufacturing technology recently being applied in the medical field for the development of custom bone prostheses and scaffolds. However, successful industry transformation to this new design and manufacturing approach requires technology integration, concurrent multi-disciplinary collaboration, and a robust quality management framework. This latter change enabler is the focus of this study. While a number of comprehensive quality frameworks have been developed in recent decades to ensure that the manufacturing of medical devices produces reliable products, they are centred on the traditional context of standardised manufacturing techniques. The advent of 3D printing technologies and the prospects for mass customisation provides significant market opportunities, but also presents a serious challenge to regulatory bodies tasked with managing and assuring product quality and safety. Before 3D printing bone prostheses and scaffolds can gain traction, industry stakeholders, such as regulators, clients, medical practitioners, insurers, lawyers, and manufacturers, would all require a high degree of confidence that customised manufacturing can achieve the same quality outcomes as standardised manufacturing. A Quality by Design (QbD) approach to custom 3D printed prostheses can help to ensure that products are designed and manufactured correctly from the beginning without errors. This paper reports on the adaptation of the QbD approach for the development process of 3D printed custom bone prosthesis and scaffolds. This was achieved through the identification of the Critical Quality Attributes of such products, and an extensive review of different design and fabrication methods for 3D printed bone prostheses. Research outcomes include the development of a comprehensive design and fabrication process flow diagram, and categorised risks associated with the design and fabrication processes of such products. An extensive systematic literature review and post-hoc evaluation survey with experts was completed to evaluate the likely effectiveness of the herein suggested QbD framework. PMID:29649231

Application of quality by design for 3D printed bone prostheses and scaffolds.

PubMed

Martinez-Marquez, Daniel; Mirnajafizadeh, Ali; Carty, Christopher P; Stewart, Rodney A

2018-01-01

3D printing is an emergent manufacturing technology recently being applied in the medical field for the development of custom bone prostheses and scaffolds. However, successful industry transformation to this new design and manufacturing approach requires technology integration, concurrent multi-disciplinary collaboration, and a robust quality management framework. This latter change enabler is the focus of this study. While a number of comprehensive quality frameworks have been developed in recent decades to ensure that the manufacturing of medical devices produces reliable products, they are centred on the traditional context of standardised manufacturing techniques. The advent of 3D printing technologies and the prospects for mass customisation provides significant market opportunities, but also presents a serious challenge to regulatory bodies tasked with managing and assuring product quality and safety. Before 3D printing bone prostheses and scaffolds can gain traction, industry stakeholders, such as regulators, clients, medical practitioners, insurers, lawyers, and manufacturers, would all require a high degree of confidence that customised manufacturing can achieve the same quality outcomes as standardised manufacturing. A Quality by Design (QbD) approach to custom 3D printed prostheses can help to ensure that products are designed and manufactured correctly from the beginning without errors. This paper reports on the adaptation of the QbD approach for the development process of 3D printed custom bone prosthesis and scaffolds. This was achieved through the identification of the Critical Quality Attributes of such products, and an extensive review of different design and fabrication methods for 3D printed bone prostheses. Research outcomes include the development of a comprehensive design and fabrication process flow diagram, and categorised risks associated with the design and fabrication processes of such products. An extensive systematic literature review and post-hoc evaluation survey with experts was completed to evaluate the likely effectiveness of the herein suggested QbD framework.

Pragmatic quality metrics for evolutionary software development models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Royce, Walker

1990-01-01

Due to the large number of product, project, and people parameters which impact large custom software development efforts, measurement of software product quality is a complex undertaking. Furthermore, the absolute perspective from which quality is measured (customer satisfaction) is intangible. While we probably can't say what the absolute quality of a software product is, we can determine the relative quality, the adequacy of this quality with respect to pragmatic considerations, and identify good and bad trends during development. While no two software engineers will ever agree on an optimum definition of software quality, they will agree that the most important perspective of software quality is its ease of change. We can call this flexibility, adaptability, or some other vague term, but the critical characteristic of software is that it is soft. The easier the product is to modify, the easier it is to achieve any other software quality perspective. This paper presents objective quality metrics derived from consistent lifecycle perspectives of rework which, when used in concert with an evolutionary development approach, can provide useful insight to produce better quality per unit cost/schedule or to achieve adequate quality more efficiently. The usefulness of these metrics is evaluated by applying them to a large, real world, Ada project.

WMS and WFS Standards Implementation of Weather Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, M.

2005-12-01

CustomWeather is private weather company that delivers global weather data products. CustomWeather has built a mapping platform according to OGC standards. Currently, both a Web Mapping Service (WMS) and Web Feature Service (WFS) are supported by CustomWeather. Supporting open geospatial standards has lead to number of positive changes internally to the processes of CustomWeather, along with those of the clients accessing the data. Quite a number of challenges surfaced during this process, particularly with respect to combining a wide variety of raw modeling and sensor data into a single delivery platform. Open standards have, however, made the delivery of very different data products rather seamless. The discussion will address the issues faced in building an OGC-based mapping platform along with the limitations encountered. While the availability of these data products through open standards is still very young, there have already been many adopters in the utility and navigation industries. The discussion will take a closer look at the different approach taken by these two industries as they utilize interoperability standards with existing data. Insight will be given in regards to applications already taking advantage of this new technology and how this is affecting decision-making processes. CustomWeather has observed considerable interest and potential benefit in this technology from developing countries. Weather data is a key element in disaster management. Interoperability is literally opening up a world of data and has the potential to quickly enable functionality that would otherwise take considerable time to implement. The discussion will briefly touch on our experience.

Artificial Intelligence: The Bumpy Path Through Defense Acquisition

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

products through Amazon’s suite of services , or can be trained using the Alexa application to interact and control other smart products in your house...software, and capitalizing on the opportunities for customization and consultation. NVIDIA’s approach to AI hardware, offers opportunities for garage...have teamed up to provide licensing, training , and development services for a product called Unreal Engine 4, aimed at government and military

Managing for the next big thing. Interview by Paul Hemp.

PubMed

Ruettgers, M

2001-01-01

In this HBR interview, CEO Michael Ruettgers speaks in detail about the managerial practices that have allowed EMC to anticipate and exploit disruptive technologies, market opportunities, and business models ahead of its competitors. He recounts how the company repeatedly ventured into untested markets, ultimately transforming itself from a struggling maker of minicomputer memory boards into a data storage powerhouse and one of the most successful companies of the past decade. The company has achieved sustained and nearly unrivaled revenue, profit, and shareprice growth through a number of means. Emphasizing timing and speed, Ruettgers says, is critical. That's meant staggering products rather than developing them sequentially and avoiding the excessive refinements that slow time to market. Indeed, a sense of urgency, Ruettgers explains, has been critical to EMC's success. Processes such as quarterly goal setting and monthly forecasting meetings help maintain a sense of urgency and allow managers to get early glimpses of changes in the market. So does an environment in which personal accountability is stressed and the corporate focus is single-minded. Perhaps most important, the company has procedures to glean insights from customers. Intensive forums involving EMC engineers and leading-edge customers, who typically push for unconventional solutions to their problems, often yield new product features. Similarly, a customer service system that includes real-time monitoring of product use enables EMC to understand customer needs firsthand.

Profitability primer: a guide to profitability analysis in the electric power industry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woo, C.K.; Lloyd-Zannetti, D.; Martin, J.

1996-06-01

As the electric power industry is opened to forces of competition, increased attention must be focused to develop products and services that deliver good value to customers and to identify customer segments that are profitable to serve. This primer introduces the concept of profitability analysis and its application to the electric power industry. The primer recognizes that some segments of the business will remain monopolistic and subject to regulations, while other segments will become competitive. The primer also recognizes that customer profitability is critically dependent on a host of related issues such as how internal costs are allocated to variousmore » functions and how revenues are collected and allocated.« less

Computer-supported weight-based drug infusion concentrations in the neonatal intensive care unit.

PubMed

Giannone, Gay

2005-01-01

This article addresses the development of a computerized provider order entry (CPOE)-embedded solution for weight-based neonatal drug infusion developed during the transition from a legacy CPOE system to a customized application of a neonatal CPOE product during a hospital-wide information system transition. The importance of accurate fluid management in the neonate is reviewed. The process of tailoring the system that eventually resulted in the successful development of a computer application enabling weight-based medication infusion calculation for neonates within the CPOE information system is explored. In addition, the article provides guidelines on how to customize a vendor solution for hospitals with neonatal intensive care unit.

Anti-Hassle Chip

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

With assistance from NASA's Ames Research Center, the iTV Corporation has developed a full custom microprocessor that enables access to the Internet through a $49 device. The microprocessor is supported with a compliment of design tools for customization and adaptation as either a licensable core or as a complete microprocessor. Other uses include cell phones, DVD (digital versatile disk) players, cable modems, video conferencing equipment, digital cameras, wireless LANs (Local Area Network) and WANs (Wide Area Network). iTV continues to design new, low-cost consumer products.

Pharmacy layout: What are consumers' perceptions?.

PubMed

Emmett, Dennis; Paul, David P; Chandra, Ashish; Barrett, Hilton

2006-01-01

The physical layout of a retail pharmacy can play a significant role in the development of the customers' perceptions which can have a positive (or negative) impact on its sales potential. Compared to most general merchandise stores, pharmacies are more concerned about safety and security issues due to the nature of their products. This paper will discuss these aspects as well as the physical and professional environments of retail pharmacies that influence the perceptions of customers and how these vary whether chain, independent, or hospital pharmacies.

76 FR 71436 - Agency Information Collection Activities Proposed Information Collection; Submission for OMB Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-17

... before the customer completes the purchase of the contract. There are special rules for transactions by... customers who buy DCCs and DSAs from national banks and ensure that national banks provide these products in... appropriate: Anti-tying--A bank must inform the customer that purchase of the product is optional and neither...

Competitive Bidding in a Certain Class of Auctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johansson, Mathias

2006-11-01

We consider the problem of determining the amount to bid in a certain type of auctions in which customers submit one sealed bid. The bid reflects the price a customer is willing to pay for one unit of the offered goods. The auction is repeated and at each auction each customer requests a certain amount of goods, an amount that we call the capacity of the customer and that varies among customers and over time. At each auction, only the customer with the largest bid-capacity product obtains any goods. The price paid by the winner equals his/her bid-capacity product, and the amount of goods obtained in return equals the winner's capacity. The auction is repeated many times, with only limited information concerning winning bid-capacity products being announced to the customers. This situation is motivated in for example wireless communication networks in which a possible way of obtaining a desired service level is to use dynamic pricing and competitive bidding. In this application, the capacity is typically uncertain when the bid is made. We derive bidding rules and loss functions for a few typical service requirements.

Analysis of the single-vehicle cyclic inventory routing problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aghezzaf, El-Houssaine; Zhong, Yiqing; Raa, Birger; Mateo, Manel

2012-11-01

The single-vehicle cyclic inventory routing problem (SV-CIRP) consists of a repetitive distribution of a product from a single depot to a selected subset of customers. For each customer, selected for replenishments, the supplier collects a corresponding fixed reward. The objective is to determine the subset of customers to replenish, the quantity of the product to be delivered to each and to design the vehicle route so that the resulting profit (difference between the total reward and the total logistical cost) is maximised while preventing stockouts at each of the selected customers. This problem appears often as a sub-problem in many logistical problems. In this article, the SV-CIRP is formulated as a mixed-integer program with a nonlinear objective function. After a thorough analysis of the structure of the problem and its features, an exact algorithm for its solution is proposed. This exact algorithm requires only solutions of linear mixed-integer programs. Values of a savings-based heuristic for this problem are compared to the optimal values obtained for a set of some test problems. In general, the gap may get as large as 25%, which justifies the effort to continue exploring and developing exact and approximation algorithms for the SV-CIRP.

Research on Capturing of Customer Requirements Based on Innovation Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

junwu, Ding; dongtao, Yang; zhenqiang, Bao

To exactly and effectively capture customer requirements information, a new customer requirements capturing modeling method was proposed. Based on the analysis of function requirement models of previous products and the application of technology system evolution laws of the Theory of Innovative Problem Solving (TRIZ), the customer requirements could be evolved from existing product designs, through modifying the functional requirement unit and confirming the direction of evolution design. Finally, a case study was provided to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed approach.

GOES-R Space Weather Data: Ensuring Access and Usability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tilton, M.; Rowland, W. F.; Wilkinson, D. C.; Denig, W. F.; Darnel, J.; Kress, B. T.; Loto'aniu, P. T. M.; Machol, J. L.; Redmon, R. J.; Rodriguez, J. V.

2015-12-01

The upcoming Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite series, GOES-R, will provide critical space weather data. These data are used to prevent communication outages, mitigate the damage solar weather causes to satellites and power grids, and reduce astronaut radiation exposure. The space weather instruments aboard GOES-R will deliver an operational dataset of unprecedented breadth. However, NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)—the organization that provides access to archived GOES-R data—has faced several challenges in delivering this information to customers in usable form. For instance, the GOES-R ground system was contracted to develop higher-level products for terrestrial data but not space weather data. Variations in GOES-R data file formats and archive locations have also threatened to create an inconsistent user experience. This presentation will examine the ways in which NCEI is making GOES-R space weather data more accessible and actionable for customers. These efforts include NCEI's development of high-level data products to meet the requirements of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center—a role NCEI has not previously played. In addition, NCEI is creating a demonstration system to show how these products can be produced in real-time. The organization is also examining customer usage of the GOES-NOP data access system and using these access patterns to drive decisions about the GOES-R user interface.

Unbundling the corporation.

PubMed

Hagel, J; Singer, M

1999-01-01

No matter how monolithic they may seem, most companies are really engaged in three kinds of businesses. One business attracts customers. Another develops products. The third oversees operations. Although organizationally intertwined, these businesses have conflicting characteristics. It takes a big investment to find and develop a relationship with a customer, so profitability hinges on achieving economies of scope. But speed, not scope, drives the economics of product innovation. And the high fixed costs of capital-intensive infrastructure businesses require economies of scale. Scope, speed, and scale can't be optimized simultaneously, so trade-offs have to be made when the three businesses are bundled into one corporation. Historically, they have been bundled because the interaction costs--the friction--incurred by separating them were too high. But we are on the verge of a worldwide reduction in interaction costs, the authors contend, as electronic networks drive down the costs of communicating and of exchanging data. Activities that companies have always believed were central to their businesses will suddenly be offered by new, specialized competitors that won't have to make trade-offs. Ultimately, the authors predict, traditional businesses will unbundle and then rebundle into large infrastructure and customer-relationship businesses and small, nimble product innovation companies. And executives in many industries will be forced to ask the most basic question about their companies: What business are we really in? Their answer will determine their fate in an increasingly frictionless economy.

Opinion Summarizationof CustomerComments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Miao; Wu, Guoshi

Web 2.0 technologies have enabled more and more customers to freely comment on different kinds of entities, such as sellers, products and services. The large scale of information poses the need and challenge of automatic summarization. In many cases, each of the user-generated short comments implies the opinions which rate the target entity. In this paper, we aim to mine and to summarize all the customer comments of a product. The algorithm proposed in this researchis more reliable on opinion identification because it is unsupervised and the accuracy of the result improves as the number of comments increases. Our research is performed in four steps: (1) mining the frequent aspects of a product that have been commented on by customers; (2) mining the infrequent aspects of a product which have been commented by customers (3) identifying opinion words in each comment and deciding whether each opinion word is positive, negative or neutral; (4) summarizing the comments. This paper proposes several novel techniques to perform these tasks. Our experimental results using comments of a number of products sold online demonstrate the effectiveness of the techniques.

The LiveWire Project final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, C.D.; Nelson, T.T.; Kelly, J.C.

Utilities across the US have begun pilot testing a variety of hardware and software products to develop a two-way communications system between themselves and their customers. Their purpose is to reduce utility operating costs and to provide new and improved services for customers in light of pending changes in the electric industry being brought about by deregulation. A consortium including utilities, national labs, consultants, and contractors, with the support of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), initiated a project that utilized a hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) wide-area network integrated with a CEBus based local areamore » network within the customers home. The system combined energy consumption data taken within the home, and home automation features to provide a suite of energy management services for residential customers. The information was transferred via the Internet through the HFC network, and presented to the customer on their personal computer. This final project report discusses the design, prototype testing, and system deployment planning of the energy management system.« less

The limits of scale.

PubMed

Halaburda, Hanna; Oberholzer-Gee, Felix

2014-04-01

The value of many products and services rises or falls with the number of customers using them; the fewer fax machines in use, the less important it is to have one. These network effects influence consumer decisions and affect companies' ability to compete. Strategists have developed some well-known rules for navigating business environments with network effects. "Move first" is one, and "get big fast" is another. In a study of dozens of companies, however, the authors found that quite often the conventional wisdom was dead wrong. And when the rules failed, the reason was always the same: Companies trip up when they try to attract large volumes of customers without understanding (1) the strength of mutual attraction among various customer groups and (2) the extent of asymmetric attraction among them. Looking at examples such as TripAdvisor, Wikipedia, and the New York Times, the authors offer strategies for competing in markets with network effects. New entrants should focus on customer groups that they are uniquely positioned to serve or appeal to the most attractive customers in a market. Incumbents pursuing growth strategies in adjacent markets or new geographies should consider how similar the needs of new customers are to those of existing customers. Offering complements also allows incumbents to reach additional customer groups.

The Impact of Software Culture on the Management of Community Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, J. A.; Pulsifer, P. L.; Sheffield, E.; Lewis, S.; Oldenburg, J.

2013-12-01

The Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA), a program hosted at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), supports the collection, curation, and distribution of Local and Traditional Knowledge (LTK) data, as well as some quantitative data products. Investigations involving LTK data often involve community participation, and therefore require flexible and robust user interfaces to support a reliable process of data collection and management. Often, investigators focused on LTK and community-based monitoring choose to use ELOKA's data services based on our ability to provide rapid proof-of-concepts and economical delivery of a usable product. To satisfy these two overarching criteria, ELOKA is experimenting with modifications to its software development culture both in terms of how the software applications are developed as well as the kind of software applications (or components) being developed. Over the past several years, NSIDC has shifted its software development culture from one of assigning individual scientific programmers to support particular principal investigators or projects, to an Agile Software Methodology implementation using Scrum practices. ELOKA has participated in this process by working with other product owners to schedule and prioritize development work which is then implemented by a team of application developers. Scrum, along with practices such as Test Driven Development (TDD) and paired programming, improves the quality of the software product delivered to the user community. To meet the need for rapid prototyping and to maximize product development and support with limited developer input, our software development efforts are now focused on creating a platform of application modules that can be quickly customized to suit the needs of a variety of LTK projects. This approach is in contrast to the strategy of delivering custom applications for individual projects. To date, we have integrated components of the Nunaliit Atlas framework (a Java/JavaScript client-server web-based application) with an existing Ruby on Rails application. This approach requires transitioning individual applications to expose a service layer, thus allowing interapplication communication via RESTful services. In this presentation we will report on our experiences using Agile Scrum practices, our efforts to move from custom solutions to a platform of customizable modules, and the impact of each on our ability to support researchers and Arctic residents in the domain of community-based observations and knowledge.

Perceptions, use and attitudes of pharmacy customers on complementary medicines and pharmacy practice

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Complementary medicines (CMs) are popular amongst Australians and community pharmacy is a major supplier of these products. This study explores pharmacy customer use, attitudes and perceptions of complementary medicines, and their expectations of pharmacists as they relate to these products. Methods Pharmacy customers randomly selected from sixty large and small, metropolitan and rural pharmacies in three Australian states completed an anonymous, self administered questionnaire that had been pre-tested and validated. Results 1,121 customers participated (response rate 62%). 72% had used CMs within the previous 12 months, 61% used prescription medicines daily and 43% had used both concomitantly. Multivitamins, fish oils, vitamin C, glucosamine and probiotics were the five most popular CMs. 72% of people using CMs rated their products as 'very effective' or 'effective enough'. CMs were as frequently used by customers aged 60 years or older as younger customers (69% vs. 72%) although the pattern of use shifted with older age. Most customers (92%) thought pharmacists should provide safety information about CMs, 90% thought they should routinely check for interactions, 87% thought they should recommend effective CMs, 78% thought CMs should be recorded in customer's medication profile and 58% thought pharmacies stocking CMs should also employ a complementary medicine practitioner. Of those using CMs, 93% thought it important for pharmacists to be knowledgeable about CMs and 48% felt their pharmacist provides useful information about CMs. Conclusions CMs are widely used by pharmacy customers of all ages who want pharmacists to be more involved in providing advice about these products. PMID:20646290

Recent trends in print portals and Web2Print applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuijn, Chris

2009-01-01

For quite some time now, the printing business has been under heavy pressure because of overcapacity, dropping prices and the delocalization of the production to low income countries. To survive in this competitive world, printers have to invest in tools that, on one hand, reduce the production costs and, on the other hand, create additional value for their customers (print buyers). The creation of customer portals on top of prepress production systems allowing print buyers to upload their content, approve the uploaded pages based on soft proofs (rendered by the underlying production system) and further follow-up the generation of the printed material, has been illustrative in this respect. These developments resulted in both automation for the printer and added value for the print buyer. Many traditional customer portals assume that the printed products have been identified before they are presented to the print buyer in the portal environment. The products are, in this case, typically entered by the printing organization in a so-called MISi system after the official purchase order has been received from the print buyer. Afterwards, the MIS system then submits the product to the customer portal. Some portals, however, also support the initiation of printed products by the print buyer directly. This workflow creates additional flexibility but also makes things much more complex. We here have to distinguish between special products that are defined ad-hoc by the print buyer and standardized products that are typically selected out of catalogs. Special products are most of the time defined once and the level of detail required in terms of production parameters is quite high. Systems that support such products typically have a built-in estimation module, or, at least, a direct connection to an MIS system that calculates the prices and adds a specific mark-up to calculate a quote. Often, the markup is added by an account manager on a customer by customer basis; in this case, the ordering process is, of course, not fully automated. Standardized products, on the other hand, are easily identified and the cost charged to the print buyer can be retrieved from predefined price lists. Typically, higher volumes will result in more attractive prices. An additional advantage of this type of products is that they are often defined such that they can be produced in bulk using conventional printing techniques. If one wants to automate the ganging, a connection must be established between the on-line ordering and the production planning system. (For digital printing, there typically is no need to gang products since they can be produced more effectively separately.) Many of the on-line print solutions support additional features also available in general purpose e-commerce sites. We here think of the availability of virtual shopping baskets, the connectivity with payment gateways and the support of special facilities for interfacing with courier services (bar codes, connectivity to courier web sites for tracking shipments etc.). Supporting these features also assumes an intimate link with the print production system. Another development that goes beyond the on-line ordering of printed material and the submission of full pages and/or documents, is the interactive, on-line definition of the content itself. Typical applications in this respect are, e.g., the creation of business cards, leaflets, letter heads etc. On a more professional level, we also see that more and more publishing organizations start using on-line publishing platforms to organize their work. These professional platforms can also be connected directly to printing portals and thus enable extra automation. In this paper, we will discuss for each of the different applications presented above (traditional Print Portals, Web2Print applications and professional, on-line publishing platforms) how they interact with prepress and print production systems and how they contribute to the improvement of the overall operations of a printing organization.

An overview of fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) product requirements and qualification programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gebizlioglu, Osman S.; Gallo, Ernest J.

2006-04-01

North American deployments of FTTP architectures have been rapidly increasing. While the FTTP market is being driven by major telecommunications service providers, equipment suppliers have been scrambling to bring products to market that will ensure them a piece of this high-stakes market. In this invited presentation/paper, we propose to examine the technical requirements that are needed to support the new FTTP network with a host of new products that have been in development. To enable service providers select the best new products for FTTP deployment, product selection needs to be based on the analysis and testing of new products for performance and reliability, Telcordia, in its traditional role of telecommunications standards development, has been publishing generic requirements (GR) documents that have been used by suppliers, service providers and the industry at large. Product qualification programs based on the established performance and reliability requirements/standards have been designed to evaluate products to determine if they can 1) withstand the rigors of the outside plant deployment environment and perform for extended periods of time, 2) be upgradeable, and 3) craft friendly. The outside plant is a tough environment to live in. A product must perform under the extreme conditions of cold down -40°C (-40°F) and hot up to 46°C (115°F) with high humidity of 95%, rain, snow, sleet, vibration due to traffic, lightning, heating due to solar loads, high winds, ice, sand storms, and products are even tested to demonstrate if they can continue to operate in an earthquake, a wild fire and a shotgun blast. All FTTP products are not only expected to perform, but they must meet stringent optical performance criteria of low insertion loss and reflectance / return loss at a broad range of wavelengths from 1310, 1490, 1550 and 1625 nm. While the upstream (from the customer to the CO) voice and data transmission is currently planned over 1310-nm wavelength, the downstream (from the CO to the customer) voice and data transmission is offered over 1490 nm, the video (analog, digital and HDTV) transmission will be offered over 1550-nm wavelength, and the 1625-nm will be reserved for overhead, surveillance, and management functions. This paper will cover some of the new products that will be needed and the requirements that would apply. The FTTP deployments require the placement of a number of new products in the FTTP network from the CO to the customer premises. These new products are designed to be installed in an efficient manner with acceptable cost to the service provider in the outside plant and to perform the required functions. One such new product is an HFOC (Hardened Fiber Optic Connector). The HFOC products provide drop connections to customers from fiber distribution networks. They may be placed in pedestal closures, aerial and buried closures, or equipment located at a Fiber Distribution Hub (FDH) enclosure or optical network termination (ONT) unit near customer premises. Current versions of this HFOC product have been based on a well-known and widely used SC fiber optic connector. Simply described, it consists of an SC connector in a protective shell made of a polymeric (plastic) material, and it allows highly efficient connections between the distribution cables from the FDH (Fiber Distribution Hub) where optical signal on a feeder cable from the CO is split for transmission over distribution cables and drop cables in locations near customer premises. In addition to the description of new products, the paper will review the environmental, mechanical and optical test criteria. Attendees would benefit from the knowledge of products and requirements needed to support FTTP deployment.

26 CFR 1.482-2A - Determination of taxable income in specific situations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... property. Example 3. In 1967 X undertakes to develop product M in its research and development department... likely to remain unique, (e) The degree and duration of protection afforded to the property under the..., systems, procedures, campaigns, surveys, studies, forecasts, estimates, customer lists, technical data...

77 FR 70708 - VA Acquisition Regulation: Electronic Submission of Payment Requests

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-27

... payment requests in electronic form in order to enhance customer service, departmental productivity, and... to enhance customer service, departmental productivity, and adoption of innovative information... economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or...

Let's Drum Up Some Business: Developing Entrepreneurship through the Retail Florist Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Howard R. D.

The retail florist industry is composed of many small businesses. A flower shop is unique as a retail outlet because it sells a highly perishable agricultural product that involves customized work requiring a high degree of product knowledge and skill. Qualifications of a successful florist include being a good businessperson, able to design,…

Profile of winery visitors of Michigan wineries based on behavioral segmentations

Treesearch

Tzu-Ching Chang; Mi-Kyung Kim; Seung Hyun Kim

2003-01-01

Since 1995, the number of wineries and sales of Michigan wine continued to increase. In addition to wine production, the vineyards have been designed for agriculture tourism including the development of tasting rooms and winery tours. Commercial winery is more than simply grape production and has an important relationship with visitors or customers. However, little...

Strategies and challenges for nursery production: Perspectives on where we're going and where we've been

Treesearch

Diane L. Haase

2010-01-01

During the past century, seedling production has changed in accordance with technology and new knowledge. Many strategies have been developed to address challenges associated with pests, environmental conditions, and customer demands. Although the underlying concepts for growing seedlings have remained relatively constant, technological advances have enabled nurseries...

Determining the need for improvement of infant incubator design with quality function deployment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarigan, U.; Ginting, R.; Siregar, I.

2018-02-01

A Newborns need particular attention because it takes time to adapt to the outside world. In accordance with the standard post-neonatal procedures, newborns should be incorporated into the incubator within a specified period of time according to the infant’s health level. Infant incubator as a medical device used to care for newborns, often get complaints from doctors and child nurses. The complaint indicates consumer dissatisfaction with incubator products in the hospital. Broadly speaking, objection against infant incubators lie in inappropriate designs. To overcome these complaints the researchers apply the method of Quality Function Deployment to determine the characteristics of priority techniques in accordance with the wishes of consumers with it. The primary focus of QFD is to engage customers in the product development process as early as possible, which their needs and desires serve as the starting point of the QFD process. Therefore, QFD is called the voice of customer. The underlying philosophy is that customers are not always satisfied with a product even though the product has been perfectly produced. The results show that the category used as a priority improvement is the additional function of the oxygen cylinder and the size of the door hole. QFD phase one produces technical characteristics of Ergonomy, Features and Cost as critical part determinants.

75 FR 5036 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-01

... identify areas where service levels differ from customer expectations. Affected Public: Individuals or...). Title: Customer Input--Patent and Trademark Customer Surveys. Form Number(s): None. Agency Approval... their opinions, suggestions, and comments about the USPTO's services, products, and customer service...

Regional Differences in Demand for Coal as A Basis for Development of A Product Distribution Model for Mining Companies in the Individual Customers Segment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magda, Roman; Bogacz, Paweł; Franik, Tadeusz; Celej, Maciej; Migza, Marcin

2014-10-01

The article presents a proposal of methodology based on the process of relationship marketing, serving to determine the level of demand for coal in the individual customer segment, as well as fuel distribution model for this customer group in Poland developed on the basis of this methodology. It also includes selected results of tests carried out using the proposed methods. These proposals have been defined on the basis of market capacity indicators, which can be determined for the district level based on data from the Polish Central Statistical Office. The study also included the use of linear programming, based on the cost of coal logistics, data concerning railway, road and storage infrastructure present on the Polish market and taking into account the legal aspects. The presented results may provide a basis for mining companies to develop a system of coal distribution management in the locations with the highest demand values.

Development of S-ARIMA Model for Forecasting Demand in a Beverage Supply Chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mircetic, Dejan; Nikolicic, Svetlana; Maslaric, Marinko; Ralevic, Nebojsa; Debelic, Borna

2016-11-01

Demand forecasting is one of the key activities in planning the freight flows in supply chains, and accordingly it is essential for planning and scheduling of logistic activities within observed supply chain. Accurate demand forecasting models directly influence the decrease of logistics costs, since they provide an assessment of customer demand. Customer demand is a key component for planning all logistic processes in supply chain, and therefore determining levels of customer demand is of great interest for supply chain managers. In this paper we deal with exactly this kind of problem, and we develop the seasonal Autoregressive IntegratedMoving Average (SARIMA) model for forecasting demand patterns of a major product of an observed beverage company. The model is easy to understand, flexible to use and appropriate for assisting the expert in decision making process about consumer demand in particular periods.

Sensory evaluation based fuzzy AHP approach for material selection in customized garment design and development process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Y.; Curteza, A.; Zeng, X.; Bruniaux, P.; Chen, Y.

2016-06-01

Material selection is the most difficult section in the customized garment product design and development process. This study aims to create a hierarchical framework for material selection. The analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy sets theories have been applied to mindshare the diverse requirements from the customer and inherent interaction/interdependencies among these requirements. Sensory evaluation ensures a quick and effective selection without complex laboratory test such as KES and FAST, using the professional knowledge of the designers. A real empirical application for the physically disabled people is carried out to demonstrate the proposed method. Both the theoretical and practical background of this paper have indicated the fuzzy analytical network process can capture expert's knowledge existing in the form of incomplete, ambiguous and vague information for the mutual influence on attribute and criteria of the material selection.

Line managers as marketers.

PubMed

Rynne, T J

1986-09-01

Many hospital administrators and boards of directors, having overcome their initial opposition to advertising and hired a marketing professional, are wondering why their marketing programs have not accomplished all that they had hoped. The answer lies in their perception of who is responsible for marketing. Marketing is not a specialty separate from the disciplines of management--it is a basic management skill. Its goal is to satisfy the customer by providing products and services that meet the customer's needs, wants, and preferences. Line managers must understand the hospital's customers and make the critical day-to-day differences in satisfying them. They are the hospital's front-line marketers, and the marketing department's role is to support them in this function. The marketing department should develop the line managers' marketing skills by furnishing them with the appropriate tools: formats, models, examples, and instructions. In addition, the marketing staff should provide such specialized services as marketing research, ad agency management, and development of communications.

Affecting the value chain through supplier kaizen.

PubMed

Forman, C R; Vargas, D H

1999-02-01

In the aerospace industry, typically 60 percent of a product's cost and 70 percent of the lead time are due to purchased material. To affect price and customer responsiveness, improvement initiatives must be extended into the supply chain. Many companies have developed supply base management systems that include long-term agreements with suppliers, partnering with suppliers in risk taking and product design, information sharing, and quality and delivery rating systems. The premise is that suppliers are an extension of the factory. But to take full advantage of customer-supplier relationships, the suppliers must be "developed" in the same manner as a manufacturing unit. Supplier kaizen is a method of bringing suppliers to the same level of operations as the parent company, through training and improvement projects, to ensure superior performance and nurture the trust that is required for strong partnerships. This article describes Sikorsky Aircraft's use of kaizen to improve its supply base management.

Business Architecture Development at Public Administration - Insights from Government EA Method Engineering Project in Finland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valtonen, Katariina; Leppänen, Mauri

Governments worldwide are concerned for efficient production of services to customers. To improve quality of services and to make service production more efficient, information and communication technology (ICT) is largely exploited in public administration (PA). Succeeding in this exploitation calls for large-scale planning which embraces issues from strategic to technological level. In this planning the notion of enterprise architecture (EA) is commonly applied. One of the sub-architectures of EA is business architecture (BA). BA planning is challenging in PA due to a large number of stakeholders, a wide set of customers, and solid and hierarchical structures of organizations. To support EA planning in Finland, a project to engineer a government EA (GEA) method was launched. In this chapter, we analyze the discussions and outputs of the project workshops and reflect emerged issues on current e-government literature. We bring forth insights into and suggestions for government BA and its development.

9 CFR 327.13 - Foreign products offered for importation; reporting of findings to customs; handling of articles...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY ORGANIZATION AND TERMINOLOGY; MANDATORY MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTS INSPECTION AND VOLUNTARY INSPECTION AND... original port of entry where the same is offered for clearance through Customs inspection. (2) When product...

Software Product Lines: Report of the 2009 U.S. Army Software Product Line Workshop

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-01

record system was fielded in 2008. One early challenge for Overwatch was coming up with a funding model that would support core asset development (a...match the organizational model to the funding model . Product line architecture is essential. Address product line requirements up front. Put processes...when trying to move from a customer-driven, product-specific funding model to one in which at least some of the funds are allocated to the creation and

Optimal changes in the prepress process: a model for evaluation of state and direction of productivity and quality improvements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kihlberg, Henrik; Lindgren, Mats

1998-09-01

The demands changes with the customers marketplace which makes it crucial for prepress companies of today and those of tomorrow to be able to change their services. The production tools are becoming more standardized and similar through out the industry. Intelligent tools are developed at a rapid pace which results in possibilities to automate these processes. Key success factors of today and tomorrow are the ability to change and understand the customers' market. The market demands shorter delivery times and lower costs. The total number of printed editions are decreasing while each edition contains an increased numbers of pages and images. The customers requires higher quality with the ability to control and predict the end result. Case studies, interviews and workshops have been carried out at commercial printing companies, prepress houses, image bureau's, advertising agencies and digital photographers in Sweden. A major part of the research focus on the digital image process at eleven companies in the graphic arts industry, all of which have prepress. The analysis has resulted in the thorough knowledge of both the production process and the parameters to measure productivity and quality. A model for the evaluation of changes is presented, with measurable values for productivity and quality. The model can be used to map and compare the states prepress are in, and/or be used to evaluate if changes are needed.

77 FR 67427 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; ICE Clear Europe Limited; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-09

... would not apply to that relationship. The adoption of the Customer CDS Clearing Model will also require... Customer Clearing Model for CDS Products and To Amend, Clarify and Consolidate Certain Rules and Procedures... provide for a clearing model for CDS products whereby customers of ICE Clear Europe have the ability to...

A conjoint analysis to consumer choice in Brazil: Defining device attributes for recognizing customized foods characteristics.

PubMed

Calegari, L P; Barbosa, J; Marodin, G A; Fettermann, D C

2018-07-01

the availability of information about food products may be an essential factor in the consumer's value perception in their purchasing decision. As the food product becomes personalized, the customization of this information becomes complex due to the possible combinations of product components. The use of smart technology in devices is one way to provide customers with customized food information. In the following research five attributes were identified in the composition of these devices: (A) portability; (B) precision; (C) diet customization; (D) food quality analysis; and (E) price. This study aims to identify the appropriate combination of possible functionalities or attributes that must be present in a device in order to detect the food composition of customized foods and their relation to market characteristics. One experiment used fractional factorial project to present the attributes in the form of scenarios following the Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis (CBCA) method. The data collection was done using survey methodology, through online questionnaire, with some 303 Brazilian respondents. So, the Logistic Regression was applied to data analysis. The moderating variables-gender, age, gluten restriction, lactose restriction and other restrictions-were also added to verify potential interactions with the primary attributes. From the results obtained, it was possible to observe higher significance for the primary attributes of diet personalization and quality food analyzes function. Our study contributes to the literature by enhancing the understanding about what the attributes should be in a technological device that has the purpose of recognizing food characteristics and is capable of generating information about customized food products. Furthermore, this device can enabler the production of mass customized food with the nutritional labels for each possible combination. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Analysis and Development of a Mechanical Breadboard Structure

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

a George Foreman© grill, a garage door opener, a smoothie blender, and a heavy duty stapler. The customer needs for each product and their...cordless drill, a smoothie blender, a small George Foreman© grill, a garage door opener, and heavy duty stapler. The cordless drill and smoothie ...individually. Table 6: Sample Products and Mechanical Areas Product George Foreman Grill Cordless Drill Garage Door Opener Smoothie Blender

Is your company ready for one-to-one marketing?

PubMed

Peppers, D; Rogers, M; Dorf, B

1999-01-01

One-to-one marketing, also known as relationship marketing, promises to increase the value of your customer base by establishing a learning relationship with each customer. The customer tells you of some need, and you customize your product or service to meet it. Every interaction and modification improves your ability to fit your product to the particular customer. Eventually, even if a competitor offers the same type of service, your customer won't be able to enjoy the same level of convenience without taking the time to teach your competitor the lessons your company has already learned. Although the theory behind one-to-one marketing is simple, implementation is complex. Too many companies have jumped on the one-to-one band-wagon without proper preparation--mistakenly understanding it as an excuse to badger customers with excessive telemarketing and direct mail campaigns. The authors offer practical advice for implementing a one-to-one marketing program correctly. They describe four key steps: identifying your customers, differentiating among them, interacting with them, and customizing your product or service to meet each customer's needs. And they provide activities and exercises, to be administered to employees and customers, that will help you identify your company's readiness to launch a one-to-one initiative. Although some managers dismiss the possibility of one-to-one marketing as an unattainable goal, even a modest program can produce substantial benefits. This tool kit will help you determine what type of program your company can implement now, what you need to do to position your company for a large-scale initiative, and how to set priorities.

Psychosocial risk factors among telephone service workers: a study of the interaction between customer and worker.

PubMed

Scarone, Mireya; Cedillo, Leonor A

2007-01-01

Many activities in the telephone industry involve interaction with customers, including both traditional (for example, client assistance) and emerging services (product sales). Interaction with customers has been reported to cause stress in workers. The study was initiated as a consequence of changes in dialing of long-distance numbers. The main sources of stress among workers in Traffic and Customer Services Departments were analyzed, together with the resulting psychological distress and other health symptoms. Information was gathered through semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire containing the Spanish version of the Job Content Questionnaire, as well as psychological strain and health symptoms items. Questions developed specifically for this study concerned emotional demands, client interactions, and mechanisms used to deal with violent or unpleasant interactions. Workers received valuable information from the study that empowered them to demand improved working conditions.

The interplay between customer participation and difficulty of design examples in the online designing process and its effect on customer satisfaction: mediational analyses.

PubMed

Chang, Chia-Chi; Chen, Hui-Yun; Huang, I-Chiang

2009-04-01

In the current consumer-centric economy, consumers increasingly desire the opportunity to design their own products in order to express more effectively their self-image. Mass customization, based on efficient and flexible modulization designs, has provided individualized products to satisfy this desire. This work presents an experiment employed to demonstrate that customer participation leads to higher satisfaction. Specifically, the increment in customer satisfaction due to participation is greater when an easy example is provided than when either no example or a difficult one is provided. Additionally, self-congruity plays a mediating role on the customer participation-satisfaction relationship, and this mediating effect varies across different levels of the design example provided in the design process. When an easy design example is present, customer participation has a direct effect on satisfaction, in addition to the indirect effect of self-congruity. When a difficult example is provided, customer participation does not have incremental effects on either self-congruity or customer satisfaction. Finally, when no design example is shown to customers, contrary to our expectation, participation still enhances customer satisfaction due to an increased sense of self-congruity.

Commercial space opportunities - Advanced concepts and technology overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reck, Gregory M.

1993-01-01

The paper discusses the status of current and future commercial space opportunities. The goal is to pioneer innovative, customer-focused space concepts and technologies, leveraged through industrial, academic, and government alliance, to ensure U.S. commercial competitiveness and preeminence in space. The strategy is to develop technologies which enable new products and processes, deploy existing technology into commercial and military products and processes, and integrate military and commercial research and production activities. Technology development areas include information infrastructure, electronics design and manufacture, health care technology, environment technology, and aeronautical technologies.

Standardized versus custom parenteral nutrition: impact on clinical and cost-related outcomes.

PubMed

Blanchette, Lisa M; Huiras, Paul; Papadopoulos, Stella

2014-01-15

Results of a study comparing clinical and cost outcomes with the use of standardized versus custom-prepared parenteral nutrition (PN) in an acute care setting are reported. In a retrospective pre-post analysis, nutritional target attainment, electrolyte abnormalities, and other outcomes were compared in patients 15 years of age or older who received custom PN (n = 49) or a standardized PN product (n = 57) for at least 72 hours at a large medical center over a 13-month period; overall, 45% of the cases were intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. A time-and-motion assessment was conducted to determine PN preparation times. There were no significant between-group differences in the percentage of patients who achieved estimated caloric requirements or in mean ICU or hospital length of stay. However, patients who received standardized PN were significantly less likely than those who received custom PN to achieve the highest protein intake goal (63% versus 92%, p = 0.003) and more likely to develop hyponatremia (37% versus 14%, p = 0.01). Pharmacy preparation times averaged 20 minutes for standardized PN and 80 minutes for custom PN; unit costs were $61.06 and $57.84, respectively. A standardized PN formulation was as effective as custom PN in achieving estimated caloric requirements, but it was relatively less effective in achieving 90% of estimated protein requirements and was associated with a higher frequency of hyponatremia. The standardized PN product may be a cost-effective formulation for institutions preparing an average of five or fewer PN orders per day.

A 3D bioprinting exemplar of the consequences of the regulatory requirements on customized processes.

PubMed

Hourd, Paul; Medcalf, Nicholas; Segal, Joel; Williams, David J

2015-01-01

Computer-aided 3D printing approaches to the industrial production of customized 3D functional living constructs for restoration of tissue and organ function face significant regulatory challenges. Using the manufacture of a customized, 3D-bioprinted nasal implant as a well-informed but hypothetical exemplar, we examine how these products might be regulated. Existing EU and USA regulatory frameworks do not account for the differences between 3D printing and conventional manufacturing methods or the ability to create individual customized products using mechanized rather than craft approaches. Already subject to extensive regulatory control, issues related to control of the computer-aided design to manufacture process and the associated software system chain present additional scientific and regulatory challenges for manufacturers of these complex 3D-bioprinted advanced combination products.

Analysing Customer Opinions with Text Mining Algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Consoli, Domenico

2009-08-01

Knowing what the customer thinks of a particular product/service helps top management to introduce improvements in processes and products, thus differentiating the company from their competitors and gain competitive advantages. The customers, with their preferences, determine the success or failure of a company. In order to know opinions of the customers we can use technologies available from the web 2.0 (blog, wiki, forums, chat, social networking, social commerce). From these web sites, useful information must be extracted, for strategic purposes, using techniques of sentiment analysis or opinion mining.

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) proposed dual-use technology investment program in intelligent robotics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erickson, Jon D.

1994-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the proposed Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) precompetitive, dual-use technology investment project in robotics. New robotic technology in advanced robots, which can recognize and respond to their environments and to spoken human supervision so as to perform a variety of combined mobility and manipulation tasks in various sectors, is an objective of this work. In the U.S. economy, such robots offer the benefits of improved global competitiveness in a critical industrial sector; improved productivity by the end users of these robots; a growing robotics industry that produces jobs and profits; lower cost health care delivery with quality improvements; and, as these 'intelligent' robots become acceptable throughout society, an increase in the standard of living for everyone. In space, such robots will provide improved safety, reliability, and productivity as Space Station evolves, and will enable human space exploration (by human/robot teams). The proposed effort consists of partnerships between manufacturers, universities, and JSC to develop working production prototypes of these robots by leveraging current development by both sides. Currently targeted applications are in the manufacturing, health care, services, and construction sectors of the U.S. economy and in the inspection, servicing, maintenance, and repair aspects of space exploration. But the focus is on the generic software architecture and standardized interfaces for custom modules tailored for the various applications allowing end users to customize a robot as PC users customize PC's. Production prototypes would be completed in 5 years under this proposal.

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) proposed dual-use technology investment program in intelligent robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erikson, Jon D.

1994-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the proposed Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) precompetitive, dual-use technology investment project in robotics. New robotic technology in advanced robots, which can recognize and respond to their environments and to spoken human supervision so as to perform a variety of combined mobility and manipulation tasks in various sectors, is an obejective of this work. In the U.S. economy, such robots offer the benefits of improved global competitiveness in a critical industrial sector; improved productivity by the end users of these robots; a growing robotics industry that produces jobs and profits; lower cost health care delivery with quality improvements; and, as these 'intelligent' robots become acceptable throughout society, an increase in the standard of living for everyone. In space, such robots will provide improved safety, reliability, and productivity as Space Station evolves, and will enable human space exploration (by human/robot teams). The proposed effort consists of partnerships between manufacturers, universities, and JSC to develop working production prototypes of these robots by leveraging current development by both sides. Currently targeted applications are in the manufacturing, health care, services, and construction sectors of the U.S. economy and in the inspection, servicing, maintenance, and repair aspects of space exploration. But the focus is on the generic software architecture and standardized interfaces for custom modules tailored for the various applications allowing end users to customize a robot as PC users customize PC's. Production prototypes would be completed in 5 years under this proposal.

77 FR 64953 - Notice of Initiation and Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-24

... company's management, production facilities and customer/supplier relationships have not changed as a... in no significant changes to management, production facilities, supplier relationships, and customers... limited to, changes in: (1) Management; (2) production facilities; (3) supplier relationships; and (4...

77 FR 20887 - Proposed Information Collection (National Acquisition Center Customer Response Survey) Activity...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-06

... information needed to measure customer satisfaction with delivered products and services. DATES: Written... (National Acquisition Center Customer Response Survey) Activity; Comment Request AGENCY: Office of...: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Acquisition Center Customer Response Survey, VA Form 0863. OMB...

19 CFR 163.6 - Production and examination of entry and other records and witnesses; penalties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... written, oral, or electronic notice, any Customs officer may require the production of entry records by... 19 Customs Duties 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Production and examination of entry and other..., DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) RECORDKEEPING § 163.6 Production and...

19 CFR 11.12b - Labeling textile fiber products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... pursuant to § 141.113 of this chapter shall demand the immediate return of the involved products to customs... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Labeling textile fiber products. 11.12b Section 11... THE TREASURY PACKING AND STAMPING; MARKING Marking § 11.12b Labeling textile fiber products. (a...

Coping with Variability in Model-Based Systems Engineering: An Experience in Green Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trujillo, Salvador; Garate, Jose Miguel; Lopez-Herrejon, Roberto Erick; Mendialdua, Xabier; Rosado, Albert; Egyed, Alexander; Krueger, Charles W.; de Sosa, Josune

Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is an emerging engineering discipline whose driving motivation is to provide support throughout the entire system life cycle. MBSE not only addresses the engineering of software systems but also their interplay with physical systems. Quite frequently, successful systems need to be customized to cater for the concrete and specific needs of customers, end-users, and other stakeholders. To effectively meet this demand, it is vital to have in place mechanisms to cope with the variability, the capacity to change, that such customization requires. In this paper we describe our experience in modeling variability using SysML, a leading MBSE language, for developing a product line of wind turbine systems used for the generation of electricity.

What matters to infrequent customers: a pragmatic approach to understanding perceived value and intention to revisit trendy coffee café.

PubMed

Ting, Hiram; Thurasamy, Ramayah

2016-01-01

Notwithstanding the rise of trendy coffee café, little is done to investigate revisit intention towards the café in the context of developing markets. In particular, there is a lack of study which provides theoretical and practical explanation to the perceptions and behaviours of infrequent customers. Hence, the study aims to look into the subject matter by using the theory of reasoned action and social exchange theory as the underpinning basis. The framework proposed by Pine and Gilmore (Strat Leadersh 28:18-23, 2000), which asserts the importance of product quality, service quality and experience quality in a progressive manner, is used to decompose perceived value in the model so as to determine their effects on intention to revisit the café. Given the importance to gain practical insights into revisit intention of infrequent customers, pragmatism stance is assumed. Explanatory sequential mixed-method design is thus adopted whereby qualitative approach is used to confirm and complement quantitative findings. Self-administered questionnaire-based survey is first administered before personal interview is carried out at various cafés. Partial least squares structural equation modelling and content analysis are appropriated successively. In the quantitative findings, although product quality, service quality and experience quality are found to have positive effect on perceived value and revisit intention towards trendy coffee café, experience quality is found to have the greater effect than the others among the infrequent customers. The qualitative findings not only confirm their importance, but most importantly explain the favourable impressions they have at trendy coffee café based on their last in-store experience. While product and service quality might not necessary stimulate them to revisit trendy coffee café, experience quality driven by purposes of visit would likely affect their intention to revisit. As retaining customers is of utmost importance to businesses, and infrequent customers more than often make up the majority of the customers, the study provides meaningful and practical understanding of revisit intention.

Introducing Products to DoD Using Specifications and Standards

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-18

to utilize the Product Introduction Tool. Search ~Favorites .S » Links ~Customize Links ~ EDS-NMCI ~Free Hotmail Product Introduction Process User...the Product Introduction Tool. Search ~Favorites .S » Links ~Customize Links ~ EDS-NMCI ~Free Hotmail Product Introduction Process User Pol icy...Links i1 EDS-NMCI ~ Free Hotmail i] I] Go ldentitify Categories/Subcategories Identify the category/subcategory that most closely covers your

78 FR 59948 - Accreditation and Approval of Inspectorate America Corporation, as a Commercial Gauger and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-30

... test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for... test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in...

78 FR 52958 - Accreditation and Approval of Inspectorate America Corporation, as a Commercial Gauger and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-27

... test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for... petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance...

78 FR 59947 - Accreditation and Approval of Inspectorate America Corporation, as a Commercial Gauger and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-30

... test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for... accredited to test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs...

78 FR 52958 - Accreditation and Approval of Inspectorate America Corporation, as a Commercial Gauger and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-27

... test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for... to test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes...

78 FR 29377 - Accreditation and Approval of Inspectorate America Corporation, as a Commercial Gauger and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-20

... test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for... test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in...

78 FR 32681 - Accreditation and Approval of Inspectorate America Corporation, as a Commercial Gauger and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-31

... test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for... accredited to test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs...

78 FR 59948 - Accreditation and Approval of Inspectorate America Corporation, as a Commercial Gauger and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-30

... test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for... accredited to test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs...

Gaining a Competitive Edge through Action Design Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexa, L.; Alexa, M.; Avasilcăi, S.

2016-08-01

The current business environment is characterized by increased competition and highly innovative approach, in order to create products and services to better respond to the costumers’ needs and expectations. In this specific context, the research approaches need to be more flexible and business oriented and so, throughout the paper we have used a research method that combines design research and action research, named Action Design Research which is a research method used for generating prescriptive design knowledge through building and evaluating IT artifacts in an organizational setting [1]. Following the Action Design Research stages and principles: problem identification, building, intervention and evaluation, reflection and learning and formalization of learning, the research team has developed an online instrument used to actively involve the consumer in the product development process, in order to generate a better consumers insight regarding their needs and desires and to design and/or adjust the product accordingly. The customer engagement IT tool created and tested by using Action Design Research, E-PICUS, has been developed within the framework of the research project „E-solutions for innovation through customer pro-active involvement in value creation to increase organisational competitiveness (E-PICUS)”, PN- II-PT-PCCA-2013-4-1811, currently undergoing.

27 CFR 46.166 - Dealing in tobacco products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... packages, provided the products remain in the packages until removed by the customer or in the presence of the customer. Where a vending machine is used, tobacco products must similarly be vended in proper... consumption in the United States unless such articles are removed from their export packaging and repackaged...

Kansei, surfaces and perception engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosen, B.-G.; Eriksson, L.; Bergman, M.

2016-09-01

The aesthetic and pleasing properties of a product are important and add significantly to the meaning and relevance of a product. Customer sensation and perception are largely about psychological factors. There has been a strong industrial and academic need and interest for methods and tools to quantify and link product properties to the human response but a lack of studies of the impact of surfaces. In this study, affective surface engineering is used to illustrate and model the link between customer expectations and perception to controllable product surface properties. The results highlight the use of the soft metrology concept for linking physical and human factors contributing to the perception of products. Examples of surface applications of the Kansei methodology are presented from sauna bath, health care, architectural and hygiene tissue application areas to illustrate, discuss and confirm the strength of the methodology. In the conclusions of the study, future research in soft metrology is proposed to allow understanding and modelling of product perception and sensations in combination with a development of the Kansei surface engineering methodology and software tools.

Simultaneous Co-Clustering and Classification in Customers Insight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anggistia, M.; Saefuddin, A.; Sartono, B.

2017-04-01

Building predictive model based on the heterogeneous dataset may yield many problems, such as less precise in parameter and prediction accuracy. Such problem can be solved by segmenting the data into relatively homogeneous groups and then build a predictive model for each cluster. The advantage of using this strategy usually gives result in simpler models, more interpretable, and more actionable without any loss in accuracy and reliability. This work concerns on marketing data set which recorded a customer behaviour across products. There are some variables describing customer and product as attributes. The basic idea of this approach is to combine co-clustering and classification simultaneously. The objective of this research is to analyse the customer across product characteristics, so the marketing strategy implemented precisely.

78 FR 25268 - Proposed Guidance on Deposit Advance Products

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-30

... affect the institution's ability to establish new or service existing customer relationships. \\5\\ See...: The Length of a Customer's Deposit Relationship With the Bank. Banks should ensure that the customer relationship is of sufficient duration to provide the bank with adequate information regarding the customer's...

16 CFR 240.13 - Customer's and third party liability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... ADVERTISING ALLOWANCES AND OTHER MERCHANDISING PAYMENTS AND SERVICES § 240.13 Customer's and third party... invoices or other similar means. Example 1: A customer should not induce or receive advertising allowances for special promotion of the seller's product in connection with the customer's anniversary sale or...

TRC research products: Components for service robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lob, W. Stuart

1994-01-01

Transitions Research Corporation has developed a variety of technologies to accomplish its central mission: the creation of commercially viable robots for the service industry. Collectively, these technologies comprise the TRC 'robot tool kit.' The company started by developing a robot base that serves as a foundation for mobile robot research and development, both within TRC and at customer sites around the world. A diverse collection of sensing techniques evolved more recently, many of which have been made available to the international mobile robot research community as commercial products. These 'tool-kit' research products are described in this paper. The largest component of TRC's commercial operation is a product called HelpMate for material transport and delivery in health care institutions.

78 FR 14103 - Request for Information (RFI) Regarding the Planned Biotechnology Development Module (BDM) as...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-04

... the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Animal and...-ARS, USDA-APHIS, and DHS) to implement early product development initiatives in partnership with... will support customers from all three NBAF user groups (DHS S&T, ARS, and APHIS) as well as potential...

Building brand equity and customer loyalty

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pokorny, G.

Customer satisfaction and customer loyalty are two different concepts, not merely two different phrases measuring a single consumer attitude. Utilities having identical customer satisfaction ratings based on performance in areas like power reliability, pricing, and quality of service differ dramatically in their levels of customer loyalty. As competitive markets establish themselves, discrepancies in customer loyalty will have profound impacts on each utility`s prospects for market retention, profitability, and ultimately, shareholder value. Meeting pre-existing consumer needs, wants and preferences is the foundation of any utility strategy for building customer loyalty and market retention. Utilities meet their underlying customer expectations by performingmore » well in three discrete areas: product, customer service programs, and customer service transactions. Brand equity is an intervening variable standing between performance and the loyalty a utility desires. It is the totality of customer perceptions about the unique extra value the utility provides above and beyond its basic product, customer service programs and customer service transactions; it is the tangible, palpable reality of a branded utility that exists in the minds of consumers. By learning to manage their brand equity as well as they manage their brand performance, utilities gain control over all the major elements in the value-creation process that creates customer loyalty. By integrating brand performance and brand equity, electric utility companies can truly become in their customers` eyes a brand - a unique, very special, value-added energy services provider that can ask for and deserve a premium price in the marketplace.« less

Vape shops: who uses them and what do they do?

PubMed

Pattinson, Julie; Lewis, Sarah; Bains, Manpreet; Britton, John; Langley, Tessa

2018-04-23

'Vape shops' are a popular source for buying electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and related products. The products that vape shops sell, their marketing techniques and the extent to which they provide information or encouragement to smokers to quit tobacco use, as well as the patterns of tobacco and e-cigarette use of their customers are not well understood. We conducted cross-sectional surveys in vape shops in the East Midlands region of the United Kingdom, one with shop staff (n = 41), and one with customers (n = 197). The majority of customers (84%) currently used e-cigarettes. Among current vapers, 19% were dual users and 78% had quit smoking. Over half of vapers reported using a lower level of nicotine in their current e-liquid than when they started using e-cigarettes. There was a wide variety in products and price ranges between the shops. Many staff reported that customers ask for information about quitting smoking (90%). Less than half reported providing smoking cessation advice, although 76% of staff reported feeling confident about delivering cessation advice to customers who ask for it. Just under half of customers and shop staff said they thought it was appropriate to deliver formal in-store smoking cessation support. The majority of vape shop customers are vapers who have quit smoking. Shop staff play a central role in providing customers with product information, and many provide smoking cessation advice. Further research is needed to investigate the potential for smoking cessation interventions in vape shops, including the extent to which these would appeal to non-vapers.

Particle Swarm Optimization Approach in a Consignment Inventory System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharifyazdi, Mehdi; Jafari, Azizollah; Molamohamadi, Zohreh; Rezaeiahari, Mandana; Arshizadeh, Rahman

2009-09-01

Consignment Inventory (CI) is a kind of inventory which is in the possession of the customer, but is still owned by the supplier. This creates a condition of shared risk whereby the supplier risks the capital investment associated with the inventory while the customer risks dedicating retail space to the product. This paper considers both the vendor's and the retailers' costs in an integrated model. The vendor here is a warehouse which stores one type of product and supplies it at the same wholesale price to multiple retailers who then sell the product in independent markets at retail prices. Our main aim is to design a CI system which generates minimum costs for the two parties. Here a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is developed to calculate the proper values. Finally a sensitivity analysis is performed to examine the effects of each parameter on decision variables. Also PSO performance is compared with genetic algorithm.

Integrating sentiment analysis and term associations with geo-temporal visualizations on customer feedback streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Ming; Rohrdantz, Christian; Janetzko, Halldór; Keim, Daniel; Dayal, Umeshwar; Haug, Lars-Erik; Hsu, Mei-Chun

2012-01-01

Twitter currently receives over 190 million tweets (small text-based Web posts) and manufacturing companies receive over 10 thousand web product surveys a day, in which people share their thoughts regarding a wide range of products and their features. A large number of tweets and customer surveys include opinions about products and services. However, with Twitter being a relatively new phenomenon, these tweets are underutilized as a source for determining customer sentiments. To explore high-volume customer feedback streams, we integrate three time series-based visual analysis techniques: (1) feature-based sentiment analysis that extracts, measures, and maps customer feedback; (2) a novel idea of term associations that identify attributes, verbs, and adjectives frequently occurring together; and (3) new pixel cell-based sentiment calendars, geo-temporal map visualizations and self-organizing maps to identify co-occurring and influential opinions. We have combined these techniques into a well-fitted solution for an effective analysis of large customer feedback streams such as for movie reviews (e.g., Kung-Fu Panda) or web surveys (buyers).

Innovation through developing consumers communities. Part II: Digitalizing the innovation processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avasilcai, S.; Galateanu (Avram, E.

2015-11-01

The current research recognises the concept of innovation as the main driver for organisational growth and profitability. The companies seek to develop new ways to engage consumers and customers into co - creation value through the product design, development and distribution processes. However the main concern is manifested for new and creative ways of customization products based on consumers’ requirements and needs. Thus the need for innovative virtual instruments arose as the demand from social communities for personalised products or services increased. Basically companies should develop own innovative platforms, where consumers can participate, with ideas, concepts or other relevant contributions, and interact with designers or engineers for product development. This paper aims to present the most important features of platform development within BMW Group as a concept and as innovative instrument. From this point of view it is important to enhance past experiences of the company in the field of co - creation projects. There will be highlighted the dual consumers’ character as co - creator and co - evaluator based on their involvement in the proposed and developed projects and platform structure. The significant impact on platform functioning it has the diversity of company's concerns for Research & Development and innovation activities. From this point of view there will be assessed the platform structure, the main proposed themes and the evaluation process. The main outcome is to highlight the significance of platform development as innovative tool for consumers’ communities’ enhancement. Based on the analysis of “BMW Co-Creation Lab”, there will be revealed the main consumers concerns in terms of safety, comfort and appearance of the products. Thus it is important to understand the evaluation process of gathered ideas and intellectual property policy. The importance of platform development and implementation will be highlighted by company's results in terms of Research & Development investments and future projects which will be proposed, assessed and implemented by BMW Group in order to show the responsibility for their products and consumers.

Customer satisfaction with patient care: "Where's the Beef?".

PubMed

Vukmir, Rade B

2006-01-01

This was an attempt to present an analysis of the literature examining objective information concerning the subject of customer service, as it applies to the current medical practice. Hopefully this information will be synthesized to generate a cogent approach to correlate customer service with quality. Articles were obtained by an English language search of MEDLINE from January 1976 to July 2005. This computerized search was supplemented with literature from the author's personal collection of peer reviewed articles on customer service in a medical setting. This information was presented in a qualitative fashion. There is a significant lack of objective data correlating customer service objectives, patient satisfaction, and quality of care. Patients present predominantly for the convenience of emergency department care. Specifics of satisfaction are directed to the timing, and amount of "caring." Demographic correlates including symptom presentation, practice style, location, and physician issues directly impact on satisfaction. It is most helpful to develop a productive plan for the "difficult patient" emphasizing communication and empathy. The current emergency medicine customer service dilemmas are a complex interaction of both patient and physician factors specifically targeting both efficiency and patient satisfaction. Awareness of these issues can help to maximize efficiency, minimize subsequent medicolegal risk and improve patient care.

78 FR 29376 - Accreditation and Approval of Quality Custom Inspections & Laboratories, LLC, as a Commercial...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-20

..., has been approved to gauge and accredited to test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals... petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance...

78 FR 6829 - Approval of AmSpec Services, LLC, as a Commercial Gauger

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-31

..., petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of... petroleum, petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance with...

78 FR 57407 - Approval of Altol Petroleum Product Service, as a Commercial Gauger

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-18

... approved to gauge petroleum, petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes..., organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance with the provisions of 19 CFR 151...

78 FR 13371 - Accreditation and Approval of Camin Cargo Control, Inc., as a Commercial Gauger and Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-27

... test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for... test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in...

A Total Management Measurement Model for the Naval Weapons Center

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-01

Efficiency Productivity Public safety Employee safety Safety’Sccurity Customer safety Product security _ Quality of worklife Corporate Concern for...3 Corporate-ievel measures should represent a balance of in-house expertise; types of customers; and issues that surpass the customers’ I expertise...consideration. Examining the balance of distribution of these resources is also important. Addressing these issues would link the best potential to the most

19 CFR 103.21 - Purpose and definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Purpose and definitions. 103.21 Section 103.21 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE... followed with respect to the production or disclosure of any documents contained in Customs files, any...

19 CFR 103.21 - Purpose and definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Purpose and definitions. 103.21 Section 103.21 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE... followed with respect to the production or disclosure of any documents contained in Customs files, any...

19 CFR 103.21 - Purpose and definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Purpose and definitions. 103.21 Section 103.21 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE... followed with respect to the production or disclosure of any documents contained in Customs files, any...

16 CFR 240.5 - Definition of competing customers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Definition of competing customers. 240.5... ADVERTISING ALLOWANCES AND OTHER MERCHANDISING PAYMENTS AND SERVICES § 240.5 Definition of competing customers. Competing customers are all businesses that compete in the resale of the seller's products of like grade and...

17 CFR 248.9 - Delivering privacy and opt out notices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... regarding the customer relationship, and your current privacy notice remains available to the customer upon... reasonably expect that a customer will receive actual notice of your annual privacy notice if: (i) The customer uses your web site to access financial products and services electronically and agrees to receive...

17 CFR 39.12 - Participant and product eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... a customer that: (A) Discloses to the futures commission merchant or any swap dealer or major swap participant the identity of a customer's original executing counterparty; (B) Limits the number of counterparties with whom a customer may enter into trades; (C) Restricts the size of the position a customer may...

17 CFR 39.12 - Participant and product eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... a customer that: (A) Discloses to the futures commission merchant or any swap dealer or major swap participant the identity of a customer's original executing counterparty; (B) Limits the number of counterparties with whom a customer may enter into trades; (C) Restricts the size of the position a customer may...

Understanding the Role of Online Reviews on Customers' Risk Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Jing

2013-01-01

Customer reviews play an important role in today's online shopping environment. Research into customer reviews has largely focused on the predictive effect of review characteristics on variables such as product sales. However, relatively little attention has been directed towards understanding how reviews impact a customer's decision to purchase a…

Chemical characteristics of custom compost for highbush blueberry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Recent development of markets for blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) produced under Organic certification has stimulated interest in production of composts specifically tailored to its edaphic requirements. Blueberry is a calcifuge (acid-loving) plant that responds favorably to mulching and incorpo...

Performance Support on the Shop Floor.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kasvi, Jyrki J. J.; Vartiainen, Matti

2000-01-01

Discussion of performance support on the shop floor highlights four support systems for assembly lines that incorporate personal computer workstations in local area networks and use multimedia documents. Considers new customer-focused production paradigms; organizational learning; knowledge development; and electronic performance support systems…

Western Michigan University Libraries' "Electronic Journal Finder"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gedeon, Randle; Boston, George

2005-01-01

This article describes the development of the "Electronic Journal Finder," a TDNet installation for the University Libraries of Western Michigan University. Topics covered include: rationale for subscription project timeline, content, product customization, set-up, maintenance issues, reporting functions, directing URL links, searching…

Monitoring Users' Satisfactions of the NOAA NWS Climate Products and Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horsfall, F. M.; Timofeyeva, M. M.; Dixon, S.; Meyers, J. C.

2011-12-01

The NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) Climate Services Division (CSD) ensures the relevance of NWS climate products and services. There are several ongoing efforts to identify the level of user satisfaction. One of these efforts includes periodical surveys conducted by Claes Fornell International (CFI) Group using the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which is "the only uniform, national, cross-industry measure of satisfaction with the quality of goods and services available in the United States" (http://www.cfigroup.com/acsi/overview.asp). The CFI Group conducted NWS Climate Products and Services surveys in 2004 and 2009. In 2010, a prominent routine was established for a periodical assessment of the customer satisfaction. From 2010 onward, yearly surveys will cover major climate services products and services. An expanded suite of climate products will be surveyed every other year. Each survey evaluated customer satisfaction with a range of NWS climate services, data, and products, including Climate Prediction Center (CPC) outlooks, drought monitoring, and ENSO monitoring and forecasts, as well as NWS local climate data and forecast products and services. The survey results provide insight into the NWS climate customer base and their requirements for climate services. They also evaluate whether we are meeting the needs of customers and the ease of their understanding for routine climate services, forecasts, and outlooks. In addition, the evaluation of specific topics, such as NWS forecast product category names, probabilistic nature of climate products, interpretation issues, etc., were addressed to assess how our users interpret prediction terminology. This paper provides an analysis of the following products: hazards, extended-range, long-lead and drought outlooks, El Nino Southern Oscillation monitoring and predictions as well as local climate data products. Two key issues make comparing the different surveys challenging, including the inconsistent suite of characteristics measured and the different number of respondent collected for each survey. Regardless of these two factors contributing to uncertainty of the results, CSD observed general improvement in customer satisfaction. Although, all NWS climate products have competitive scores, the leading ACSIs are for NWS Drought products and climate surface observation products. Overall, the survey results identify requirements for improving existing NWS climate services and introducing new ones. To date, the 2011 survey results have not been evaluated, but will be included in the conference presentation. A key point out of the initial 2011 survey results was that the climate section captured the greatest interest (as measured by number of respondents) of the customers of NWS products and services.

The Effect of Supply Disruptions on Customer Service Levels: a Case for Delivering Fertilizer Products using Maritime Transportation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siswanto, N.; Kurniawati, U.; Wiratno, S. E.; Rusdiansyah, A.

2018-04-01

Delivering a product to customers can have a series of activities. It starts with the production of the product and then transporting it to the customers. However, uncontrollable and undesirable chance of disruption can occur during the delivery either at the production facility/supply side or in the process of transporting the product. Many researches has been conducting in the process of delivering the product. However not many considers these disruptions, although the disruptions has negative impacts on company such as reduce the profit, produce unbalanced inventory, and affect its reputation. This research will focus on the effect of supply disruption on customer service levels in the maritime transportation problem in order to maintain inventory level both in the supply and destination warehouses during predetermined planning horizon. The system considered consists of one loading port and two discharge ports for distributing one product. By using discrete event simulation, the result showed that supply disruption affects unbalanced inventory in the destination warehouses so that it will also influence company’s service level. The results show that there is a significant decreasing both in delivery service level, about 14%, and production service level, about 15% when the disruption occurs. A scenario to increase production rate is simulated to improved the service level.

Recent Weather Technologies Delivered to America's Space Program by the Applied Meteorology Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauman, WIlliam, H., III; Crawford, Winifred

2009-01-01

The Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) is a unique joint venture of NASA, the Air Force and the National Weather Service (NWS) and has been supporting the Space Program for nearly two decades. The AMU acts as a bridge between the meteorological research community and operational forecasters by developing, evaluating and transitioning new technology and techniques to improve weather support to spaceport operations at the Eastern Range (ER) and Kennedy Space Center. Its primary customers are the 45th Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), the Spaceflight Meteorology Group at Johnson Space Center and the National Weather Service Office in Melbourne, FL. Its products are used to support NASA's Shuttle and ELV programs as well as Department of Defense and commercial launches from the ER. Shuttle support includes landing sites beyond the ER. The AMU is co-located with the Air Force operational forecasters at CCAFS to facilitate continuous two-way interaction between the AMU and its operational customers. It is operated under a NASA, Air Force, and NWS Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by a competitively-selected contractor. The contract, which is funded and managed by NASA, provides five full time professionals with degrees in meteorology or related fields, some of whom also have operational experience. NASA provides a Ph.D.- level NASA civil service scientist as Chief of the AMU. The AMU is tasked by its customers through a unique, nationally recognized process. The tasks are limited to development, evaluation and operational transition of technology to improve weather support to spaceport operations and providing expert advice to the customers. The MOU expressly forbids using the AMU resources to conduct operations or do basic research. The presentation will provide a brief overview of the AMU and how it is tasked by its customers to provide high priority products and services. The balance of the presentation will cover a sampling of products delivered over the last 18 years that are currently in operational use. Each example will describe the problem to be solved, the solution provided, and the operational benefits of implementing that solution.

My Green Car: Painting Motor City Green (Ep. 2) – DOE Lab-Corps Video Series

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saxena, Samveg; Shah, Nihar; Hansen, Dana

The Lab’s MyGreenCar team kicks off its customer discovery process in Detroit with a business boot camp designed for scientists developing energy-related technologies. Customer interviews lead to late night discussions and insights on less-than-receptive consumers. Back in Berkeley, the team decides to fine tune targeted customer segments. What makes a new technology compelling enough to transition out of the lab and become a consumer product? That’s the question Berkeley Lab researchers Samveg Saxena, Nihar Shah, and Dana Hansen plus industry mentor Russell Carrington set out to answer for MyGreenCar, an app providing personalized fuel economy or electric vehicle range estimatesmore » for consumers researching new cars. DOE’s Lab-Corps program offered the technology team some answers. The EERE-funded program, based on the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps™ model for entrepreneurial training, provides tools and training to move energy-related inventions to the marketplace. During Lab-Corp’s intensive six-week session, technology teams interview 100 customer and value chain members to discover which potential products based on their technologies will have significant market pull. A six video series follows the MyGreenCar team’s Lab-Corps experience, from pre-training preparation with the Lab’s Innovation and Partnerships Office through the ups and downs of the customer discovery process. Will the app make it to the marketplace? You’ll just have to watch.« less

Evolving Dispensers: How to Take Benefit from Heritage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veilleraud, Fredderic; Larcher, Virginie

2014-06-01

Thanks to its large know-how in the field of accommodation and launch of multiple payloads on civil and military programs, Airbus Defence and Space has developed since 1996 dispensers for various constellations on various launchers.Taking into account time and cost constraints of this market, Airbus D&S early based its solutions on adaptation of previous products enabling to limit engineering and manufacturing effort. Thus, Airbus D&S has developed a family of prequalified technological elements allowing adaptation of design to requirement while limiting drastically qualification need.Doing that, Airbus Defence and Space has also gathered a strong experience on various primary concepts that could be easily tuned and customized to new customer needs.

You catch more flies with sugar...marketing RIM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

KEENEN,MARTHA JANE

There is a difference between marketing and selling. Marketing is finding out what the customer wants and/or needs and showing that customer how a product meets those needs. Modifying or repackaging the product may be required to make its utility clear to the customer. When it is, they'll buy because they, on their own, want it. Selling is pushing a product on the customer for reasons of profit, compliance, the way things have always been done here, or any others. When one markets, a relationship is built. This isn't about a one-time sale, it's about getting those records into safekeepingmore » and customers trusting us to give them back, retrieve them, the way that customer needs them, when and how that customer needs them. This is a trust building exercise that has long-term as well as short-term actions and reactions all aligned toward that interdependent relationship between customers and us, the recorded information managers. Marketing works better than selling because human beings don't like to be pushed...think door-to-door sales people and evaluate emotions. Are they positive? Go a step further. No one likes to be told to do what's good for you? Which brings us to the fundamental marketing, as opposed to sales, principle: What's In It For Me? Commonly called the WIIFM of Wiff-em principle in marketing and entrepreneurship texts and classes.« less

Influence of End Customer Exposure on Product Design within an Epistemic Game Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markovetz, Matthew R.; Clark, Renee M.; Swiecki, Zachari; Irgens, Golnaz Arastoopour; Chesler, Naomi C.; Shaffer, David W.; Bodnar, Cheryl A.

2017-01-01

Engineering product design requires both technical aptitude and an understanding of the nontechnical requirements in the marketplace, economic or otherwise. Engineering education has long focused on the technical side of product design, but there is increasing demand for market-aware engineers in industry. Market-awareness and customer-focus are…

27 CFR 41.85 - Release from customs custody of imported tobacco articles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., cigarette papers, and cigarettes tubes, which are not put up in packages, i.e., not placed by the... TOBACCO PRODUCTS, CIGARETTE PAPERS AND TUBES, AND PROCESSED TOBACCO Tobacco Products and Cigarette Papers... Products and Cigarette Papers and Tubes Without Payment of Tax Or Certain Duty § 41.85 Release from customs...

27 CFR 41.85 - Release from customs custody of imported tobacco articles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... TOBACCO PRODUCTS, CIGARETTE PAPERS AND TUBES, AND PROCESSED TOBACCO Tobacco Products and Cigarette Papers... Products and Cigarette Papers and Tubes Without Payment of Tax Or Certain Duty § 41.85 Release from customs..., cigarette papers, and cigarettes tubes, which are not put up in packages, i.e., not placed by the...

27 CFR 41.85 - Release from customs custody of imported tobacco articles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., cigarette papers, and cigarettes tubes, which are not put up in packages, i.e., not placed by the... TOBACCO PRODUCTS, CIGARETTE PAPERS AND TUBES, AND PROCESSED TOBACCO Tobacco Products and Cigarette Papers... Products and Cigarette Papers and Tubes Without Payment of Tax Or Certain Duty § 41.85 Release from customs...

27 CFR 41.85 - Release from customs custody of imported tobacco articles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., cigarette papers, and cigarettes tubes, which are not put up in packages, i.e., not placed by the... TOBACCO PRODUCTS, CIGARETTE PAPERS AND TUBES, AND PROCESSED TOBACCO Tobacco Products and Cigarette Papers... Products and Cigarette Papers and Tubes Without Payment of Tax Or Certain Duty § 41.85 Release from customs...

An Interdisciplinary Approach for Understanding Information Utilization in Engineering and Product Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bi, Youyi

2017-01-01

Human-centered design requires thorough understanding of people (e.g. customers, designers, engineers) in order to better satisfy the needs and expectations of all stakeholders in the design process. Designers are able to create better products by incorporating customers' subjective evaluations on products. Engineers can also build better tools…

78 FR 6828 - Accreditation and Approval of King Laboratories, Inc., as a Commercial Gauger and Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-31

... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance with the...

16 CFR 240.10 - Availability to all competing customers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... retail promotion of its product in Philadelphia. Some of its retailing customers purchase directly and it.... The seller may use the wholesalers to reach the retailing customers that buy through them, either by...

16 CFR 240.10 - Availability to all competing customers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... retail promotion of its product in Philadelphia. Some of its retailing customers purchase directly and it.... The seller may use the wholesalers to reach the retailing customers that buy through them, either by...

16 CFR 240.10 - Availability to all competing customers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... retail promotion of its product in Philadelphia. Some of its retailing customers purchase directly and it.... The seller may use the wholesalers to reach the retailing customers that buy through them, either by...

16 CFR 240.10 - Availability to all competing customers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... retail promotion of its product in Philadelphia. Some of its retailing customers purchase directly and it.... The seller may use the wholesalers to reach the retailing customers that buy through them, either by...

A Strategic Decision Matrix for Analyzing Food Service Operations at Air Force Bases

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

substitute product can replace your product, for example high - fructose corn syrup can substitute for sugar. Substitutes may negatively affect...dining facility closed and receive BAS. Customers can be happy with customer service and the quality of the food (a high customer satisfaction level...Services squadron may achieve significant cost savings by pursuing the NAF MOA but must also weigh the dollar savings against the threat of high

Enabling CoO improvement thru green initiatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, Eric; Padmabandu, G. G.; Ujazdowski, Richard; Haran, Don; Lake, Matt; Mason, Eric; Gillespie, Walter

2015-03-01

Chipmakers continued pressure to drive down costs while increasing utilization requires development in all areas. Cymer's commitment to meeting customer's needs includes developing solutions that enable higher productivity as well as lowering cost of lightsource operation. Improvements in system power efficiency and predictability were deployed to chipmakers' in 2014 with release of our latest Master Oscillating gas chamber. In addition, Cymer has committed to reduced gas usage, completing development in methods to reduce Helium gas usage while maintaining superior bandwidth and wavelength stability. The latest developments in lowering cost of operations are paired with our advanced ETC controller in Cymer's XLR 700ix product.

27 CFR 28.28 - Withdrawal of wine and distilled spirits from customs bonded warehouses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Withdrawal of wine and... Miscellaneous Provisions Customs Bonded Warehouses § 28.28 Withdrawal of wine and distilled spirits from customs bonded warehouses. Wine and bottled distilled spirits entered into customs bonded warehouses as provided...

78 FR 9088 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; ICE Clear Europe Limited; Order Approving Proposed Rule Change To...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-07

... Customer Clearing Model for CDS Products and To Amend, Clarify, and Consolidate Certain Rules and... the proposed rule change is to provide for a Customer CDS Clearing Model whereby customers of ICE... changes that are unrelated to Customer CDS Clearing Model. Currently, ICE Clear Europe Clearing Members...

29 CFR 794.131 - “Customer * * * engaged in bulk distribution”.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false âCustomer * * * engaged in bulk distributionâ. 794.131... Sales Made to Other Bulk Distributors § 794.131 “Customer * * * engaged in bulk distribution”. A sale to a customer of an enterprise engaged in the wholesale or bulk distribution of petroleum products will...

16 CFR 240.4 - Definition of customer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Definition of customer. 240.4 Section 240.4... ALLOWANCES AND OTHER MERCHANDISING PAYMENTS AND SERVICES § 240.4 Definition of customer. A customer is any... “customer” is any buyer of the seller's product for resale who purchases from or through a wholesaler or...

Internal Branding: Using Performance Technology To Create an Organization Focused on Customer Value.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tosti, Donald T.; Stotz, Rodger

2000-01-01

Presents a performance technology approach to revenue enhancement, with the goal of improving customer retention through building customer value. Topics include internal branding, a way to make sure that what the company delivers matches what's promised in the advertising; product versus service brands; and customer satisfaction, including…

The organism is the product.

PubMed

Kelly, Jason

2012-01-20

A new industry model is emerging where microbes are first developed by specialist organism engineering firms and then deployed by customers in specific application areas. It is now realistic for companies without prior fermentation experience to purchase and deploy an engineered organism to expand their business.

Challenges in Teaching Modern Manufacturing Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngaile, Gracious; Wang, Jyhwen; Gau, Jenn-Terng

2015-01-01

Teaching of manufacturing courses for undergraduate engineering students has become a challenge due to industrial globalisation coupled with influx of new innovations, technologies, customer-driven products. This paper discusses development of a modern manufacturing course taught concurrently in three institutions where students collaborate in…

Client-oriented Building Mass Customization (CoBMC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Xia Sheng; Faris Khamidi, Mohd; Kuppusamy, Sivaraman; Tuck Heng, Chin

2017-12-01

Although much later compared to other industries including aerospace, automobile, oil and gas etc., digital technology development has been cresting towards an exponential curve in the construction industry. Technological diversity and abundance change the game from “what you can” to “what you want”. Society is changing at an unprecedented rate. Consequently adaptability will be crucial. This research paper explores the integration of digital adaptive technologies that transform the construction industry from the mass production to that of a possible client-oriented mass customization. The focus on the design, construction and performance stages of a building project, currently undergoing major overhaul faces a paradigm shift globally that will impact and compel attention for the next three decades with viable solutions such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) to manage massive data cum information. Customization maximizes clients’ participation during the design process thereby achieving greater effective value and higher satisfaction. A study between customized and standardized examples will investigate how adaptive customization will shift the design paradigm from cost to value centric. This action research will explore different aspects of emerging innovative systems already in place pushing the edge of frontiers, and transforming the building industry landscape whether micro or giga, to compliment new technologies to create an unprecedented exhilaration of freshness over the mundane, routine and mediocrity. Three identified fundamental aspects that are instrumental to Client-oriented Building Mass Customization (CoBMC) are design option visualization, parametric product information and n-dimensional modelling. The study concluded that a paradigm shift is therefore inevitable for every stakeholder including clients who will need to re-examine their roles, capabilities, and competencies in preparation towards challenging future.

Optimizing Product Attributes to Gain Competitive Advantage in Markets for Hardwood Lumber

Treesearch

Robert J. Bush; Philip A. Araman

1990-01-01

One of the ways in which wood-based companies can gain competitive advantage is to concentrate on a particular segment of the market for their products. By meeting the needs of this segment better than its competitors, a company can create switching costs, develop customer loyalty, and the increase profit margins. This article describes a study that was conducted that...

78 FR 18999 - Accreditation and Approval of SGS North America, Inc., as a Commercial Gauger and Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-28

... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of... and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance with...

78 FR 18620 - Accreditation and Approval of SGS North America, Inc., as a Commercial Gauger and Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-27

... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of... petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance...

78 FR 31970 - Accreditation and Approval of SGS North America, Inc., as a Commercial Gauger and Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-28

... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance with the...

78 FR 66757 - Accreditation and Approval of SGS North America, Inc., as a Commercial Gauger and Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-06

... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance with the...

78 FR 30321 - Accreditation and Approval of Camin Cargo Control, Inc., as a Commercial Gauger and Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-22

... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance with the...

78 FR 6828 - Accreditation and Approval of AmSpec Services, LLC, as a Commercial Gauger and Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-31

... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance with the...

78 FR 57407 - Accreditation and Approval of Camin Cargo Control, Inc., as a Commercial Gauger and Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-18

... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of... petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance...

78 FR 39001 - Accreditation and Approval of AmSpec Services, LLC, as a Commercial Gauger and Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-28

... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of... products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance with the provisions of...

78 FR 30321 - Accreditation and Approval of SGS North America, Inc., as a Commercial Gauger and Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-22

... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance with the...

78 FR 46359 - Accreditation and Approval of Pan Pacific Surveyors, Inc., as a Commercial Gauger and Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-31

... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of... and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance with...

78 FR 62645 - Accreditation and Approval of Camin Cargo Control, Inc., as a Commercial Gauger and Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-22

... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of... petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance...

78 FR 41945 - Accreditation and Approval of Camin Cargo Control, Inc., as a Commercial Gauger and Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-12

... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance with the...

78 FR 19000 - Accreditation and Approval of SGS North America, Inc., as a Commercial Gauger and Laboratory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-28

... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for the next three years as of... petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance with the...

Online Assessment of Satellite-Derived Global Precipitation Products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Zhong; Ostrenga, D.; Teng, W.; Kempler, S.

2012-01-01

Precipitation is difficult to measure and predict. Each year droughts and floods cause severe property damages and human casualties around the world. Accurate measurement and forecast are important for mitigation and preparedness efforts. Significant progress has been made over the past decade in satellite precipitation product development. In particular, products' spatial and temporal resolutions as well as timely availability have been improved by blended techniques. Their resulting products are widely used in various research and applications. However biases and uncertainties are common among precipitation products and an obstacle exists in quickly gaining knowledge of product quality, biases and behavior at a local or regional scale, namely user defined areas or points of interest. Current online inter-comparison and validation services have not addressed this issue adequately. To address this issue, we have developed a prototype to inter-compare satellite derived daily products in the TRMM Online Visualization and Analysis System (TOVAS). Despite its limited functionality and datasets, users can use this tool to generate customized plots within the United States for 2005. In addition, users can download customized data for further analysis, e.g. comparing their gauge data. To meet increasing demands, we plan to increase the temporal coverage and expanded the spatial coverage from the United States to the globe. More products have been added as well. In this poster, we present two new tools: Inter-comparison of 3B42RT and 3B42 Inter-comparison of V6 and V7 TRMM L-3 monthly products The future plans include integrating IPWG (International Precipitation Working Group) Validation Algorithms/statistics, allowing users to generate customized plots and data. In addition, we will expand the current daily products to monthly and their climatology products. Whenever the TRMM science team changes their product version number, users would like to know the differences by inter-comparing both versions of TRMM products in their areas of interest. Making this service available to users will help them to better understand associated changes. We plan to implement this inter-comparison in TRMM standard monthly products with the IPWG algorithms. The plans outlined above will complement and accelerate the existing and ongoing validation activities in the community as well as enhance data services for TRMM and the future Global Precipitation Mission (GPM).

CRM as a General Practice of Every Business Organization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, TS Ezaz; Prabhakar, D.

2012-11-01

Every business unit emphasizes on spurting a long term relationship with customers to nurture its stability in todayís blooming market. Customerís expectations are now not only limited to get best products and services, they also need a face-to-face business in which they want to receive exactly what they demand and in a quick time. Customer Relationship Management is an upright concept or strategy to solidify relations with customers and at the same time reducing cost and enhancing productivity and profitability in business. An ideal CRM system is a centralized collection all data sources under an organization and provides an atomistic real time vision of customer information. A CRM system is vast and significant, but it be can implemented for small business, as well as large enterprises also as the main goal is to assist the customers efficiently.

Robust modular product family design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Lan; Allada, Venkat

2001-10-01

This paper presents a modified Taguchi methodology to improve the robustness of modular product families against changes in customer requirements. The general research questions posed in this paper are: (1) How to effectively design a product family (PF) that is robust enough to accommodate future customer requirements. (2) How far into the future should designers look to design a robust product family? An example of a simplified vacuum product family is used to illustrate our methodology. In the example, customer requirements are selected as signal factors; future changes of customer requirements are selected as noise factors; an index called quality characteristic (QC) is set to evaluate the product vacuum family; and the module instance matrix (M) is selected as control factor. Initially a relation between the objective function (QC) and the control factor (M) is established, and then the feasible M space is systemically explored using a simplex method to determine the optimum M and the corresponding QC values. Next, various noise levels at different time points are introduced into the system. For each noise level, the optimal values of M and QC are computed and plotted on a QC-chart. The tunable time period of the control factor (the module matrix, M) is computed using the QC-chart. The tunable time period represents the maximum time for which a given control factor can be used to satisfy current and future customer needs. Finally, a robustness index is used to break up the tunable time period into suitable time periods that designers should consider while designing product families.

An analysis of the field service function of selected electronics firms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hull, Dennis Lee

For the purposes of this study, field service was defined as the function concerned with the servicing and maintaining, by the manufacturer or supplier, of products (usually owned by customers) used away from the manufacturer's or supplier's site. Field service is an important component of the service sector and of customer service. Field service availability and quality of this service are increasingly being used by customers as a means of product selection. Many companies have recognized this trend and have identified field service as a competitive edge. A review of the field service literature and discussions with field service consultants and professionals indicated a lack of field service research--more specifically, a systems analysis of the area was lacking. The purpose of this research was to examine, utilizing a systems perspective, the field service practices of leading electronics firms in order to develop field service management propositions (empirical generalizations) and a prescriptive model of best practice. The electronics industry was selected due to the critical relation of service-based competition to company profitability.

An academic radiology information system (RIS): a review of the commercial RIS systems, and how an individualized academic RIS can be created and utilized.

PubMed

Tamm, E P; Kawashima, A; Silverman, P

2001-06-01

Current commercial radiology information systems (RIS) are designed for scheduling, billing, charge collection, and report dissemination. Academic institutions have additional requirements for their missions for teaching, research and clinical care. The newest versions of commercial RIS offer greater flexibility than prior systems. We sent questionnaires to Cerner Corporation, ADAC Health Care Information Systems, IDX Systems, Per-Se' Technologies, and Siemens Health Services regarding features of their products. All of the products we surveyed offer user customizable fields. However, most products did not allow the user to expand their product's data table. The search capabilities of the products varied. All of the products supported the Health Level 7 (HL-7) interface and the use of structured query language (SQL). All of the products were offered with an SQL editor for creating customized queries and custom reports. All products included capabilities for collecting data for quality assurance and included capabilities for tracking "interesting cases," though they varied in the functionality offered. No product offered dedicated functions for research. Alternatively, radiology departments can create their own client-server Windows-based database systems to supplement the capabilities of commercial systems. Such systems can be developed with "web-enabled" database products like Microsoft Access or Apple Filemaker Pro.

Patient Satisfaction and Productivity

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-14

in patient satisfaction were realized when as a matter of policy every patient was encouraged to complete a customer satisfaction card at each...Productivity 1 Army-Baylor University Graduate Program in Health and Business Administration Patient Satisfaction and Productivity Graduate Management...of policy every patient was encouraged to complete a customer satisfaction card at each appointment. This was due to several factors, most

Evaluation Method for Service Branding Using Word-of-Mouth Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirahada, Kunio; Kosaka, Michitaka

Development and spread of internet technology contributes service firms to obtaining the high capability of brand information transmission as well as relative customer feedback data collection. In this paper, we propose a new evaluation method for service branding using firms and consumers data on the internet. Based on service marketing 7Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Physical evidence, Process) which are the key viewpoints for branding, we develop a brand evaluation system including coding methods for Word-of-Mouth (WoM) and corporate introductory information on the internet to identify both customer's service value recognition vector and firm's service value proposition vector. Our system quantitatively clarify both customer's service value recognition of the firm and firm's strength in service value proposition, thereby analyzing service brand communication gaps between firm and consumers. We applied this system to Japanese Ryokan hotel industry. Using six ryokan-hotels' data on Jyaran-net and Rakuten travel, we made totally 983 codes from WoM information and analyzed their service brand value according to three price based categories. As a result, we found that the characteristics of customers' service value recognition vector differ according to the price categories. In addition, the system clarified that there is a firm that has a different service value proposition vector from customers' recognition vector. This helps to analyze corporate service brand strategy and has a significance as a system technology supporting service management.

Data-Driven Simulation-Enhanced Optimization of People-Based Print Production Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rai, Sudhendu

This paper describes a systematic six-step data-driven simulation-based methodology for optimizing people-based service systems on a large distributed scale that exhibit high variety and variability. The methodology is exemplified through its application within the printing services industry where it has been successfully deployed by Xerox Corporation across small, mid-sized and large print shops generating over 250 million in profits across the customer value chain. Each step of the methodology consisting of innovative concepts co-development and testing in partnership with customers, development of software and hardware tools to implement the innovative concepts, establishment of work-process and practices for customer-engagement and service implementation, creation of training and infrastructure for large scale deployment, integration of the innovative offering within the framework of existing corporate offerings and lastly the monitoring and deployment of the financial and operational metrics for estimating the return-on-investment and the continual renewal of the offering are described in detail.

Loyalty-based management.

PubMed

Reichheld, F F

1993-01-01

Despite a flurry of activities aimed at serving customers better, few companies have systematically revamped their operations with customer loyalty in mind. Instead, most have adopted improvement programs ad hoc, and paybacks haven't materialized. Building a highly loyal customer base must be integral to a company's basic business strategy. Loyalty leaders like MBNA credit cards are successful because they have designed their entire business systems around customer loyalty--a self-reinforcing system in which the company delivers superior value consistently and reinvents cash flows to find and keep high-quality customers and employees. The economic benefits of high customer loyalty are measurable. When a company consistently delivers superior value and wins customer loyalty, market share and revenues go up, and the cost of acquiring new customers goes down. The better economics mean the company can pay workers better, which sets off a whole chain of events. Increased pay boosts employee moral and commitment; as employees stay longer, their productivity goes up and training costs fall; employees' overall job satisfaction, combined with their experience, helps them serve customers better; and customers are then more inclined to stay loyal to the company. Finally, as the best customers and employees become part of the loyalty-based system, competitors are left to survive with less desirable customers and less talented employees. To compete on loyalty, a company must understand the relationships between customer retention and the other parts of the business--and be able to quantify the linkages between loyalty and profits. It involves rethinking and aligning four important aspects of the business: customers, product/service offering, employees, and measurement systems.

29 CFR 794.131 - “Customer * * * engaged in bulk distribution”.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... petroleum products to gasoline stations would clearly be a sale to a customer described in section 7(b)(3). The essential tests are: first, that the customer must be one who is engaged in the distribution of...

Optimizing the warranty period by cuckoo meta-heuristic algorithm in heterogeneous customers' population

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roozitalab, Ali; Asgharizadeh, Ezzatollah

2013-12-01

Warranty is now an integral part of each product. Since its length is directly related to the cost of production, it should be set in such a way that it would maximize revenue generation and customers' satisfaction. Furthermore, based on the behavior of customers, it is assumed that increasing the warranty period to earn the trust of more customers leads to more sales until the market is saturated. We should bear in mind that different groups of consumers have different consumption behaviors and that performance of the product has a direct impact on the failure rate over the life of the product. Therefore, the optimum duration for every group is different. In fact, we cannot present different warranty periods for various customer groups. In conclusion, using cuckoo meta-heuristic optimization algorithm, we try to find a common period for the entire population. Results with high convergence offer a term length that will maximize the aforementioned goals simultaneously. The study was tested using real data from Appliance Company. The results indicate a significant increase in sales when the optimization approach was applied; it provides a longer warranty through increased revenue from selling, not only reducing profit margins but also increasing it.

Polytobacco Use and the "Customization Generation"-New Perspectives for Tobacco Control.

PubMed

Horn, Kimberly; Pearson, Jennifer L; Villanti, Andrea C

2016-12-01

In recent years, the United States observed a significant uptake in concurrent use of multiple tobacco products and alternative nicotine delivery devices among youth-a phenomenon identified as polytobacco use-making tobacco control efforts more complex for clinicians, policy makers, and scientists, alike.The present commentary stimulates new perspectives on tobacco control in the context of polytobacco use and a youth culture of customization. This culture-based value of today's youth may inform current patterns of tobacco use. More specifically, the authors hypothesize a concept of tobacco customization-the concurrent use of multiple tobacco products to create personalized tobacco experience matching lifestyle, culture, values, and addiction levels. With a range of experiences made possible through an ever-increasing menu of tobacco products, flavors, and novel devices, the current youth culture of customization may also translate to tobacco customization. Given the predominance of polytobacco use in youth-tobacco users, tobacco control initiatives must be challenged to new perspectives. Should we discover the viability of tobacco customization, tobacco use strategies that target cultural values, harness popular trends, and culture and provide customizable experiences may have a notable impact on tobacco use in this population.

Efficient Windows Collaborative

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nils Petermann

2010-02-28

The project goals covered both the residential and commercial windows markets and involved a range of audiences such as window manufacturers, builders, homeowners, design professionals, utilities, and public agencies. Essential goals included: (1) Creation of 'Master Toolkits' of information that integrate diverse tools, rating systems, and incentive programs, customized for key audiences such as window manufacturers, design professionals, and utility programs. (2) Delivery of education and outreach programs to multiple audiences through conference presentations, publication of articles for builders and other industry professionals, and targeted dissemination of efficient window curricula to professionals and students. (3) Design and implementation of mechanismsmore » to encourage and track sales of more efficient products through the existing Window Products Database as an incentive for manufacturers to improve products and participate in programs such as NFRC and ENERGY STAR. (4) Development of utility incentive programs to promote more efficient residential and commercial windows. Partnership with regional and local entities on the development of programs and customized information to move the market toward the highest performing products. An overarching project goal was to ensure that different audiences adopt and use the developed information, design and promotion tools and thus increase the market penetration of energy efficient fenestration products. In particular, a crucial success criterion was to move gas and electric utilities to increase the promotion of energy efficient windows through demand side management programs as an important step toward increasing the market share of energy efficient windows.« less

Video-CRM: understanding customer behaviors in stores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haritaoglu, Ismail; Flickner, Myron; Beymer, David

2013-03-01

This paper describes two real-time computer vision systems created 10 years ago that detect and track people in stores to obtain insights of customer behavior while shopping. The first system uses a single color camera to identify shopping groups in the checkout line. Shopping groups are identified by analyzing the inter-body distances coupled with the cashier's activities to detect checkout transactions start and end times. The second system uses multiple overhead narrow-baseline stereo cameras to detect and track people, their body posture and parts to understand customer interactions with products such as "customer picking a product from a shelf". In pilot studies both systems demonstrated real-time performance and sufficient accuracy to enable more detailed understanding of customer behavior and extract actionable real-time retail analytics.

26 CFR 1.924(d)-1 - Requirement that economic processes take place outside the United States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President. (ii) Customer groupings. A customer grouping... customers. Through its existing agreements with a domestic unrelated person, the related supplier... requirements of section 924(d)(1)(A). For example, if a FSC sells a product to a foreign customer by first...

9 CFR 203.14 - Statement with respect to advertising allowances and other merchandising payments and services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... customer? (a) A customer is a person who buys for resale directly from the packer, or through the packer's agent or broker; and in addition, a customer is any buyer of the packer's product for resale who... packer has fulfilled its obligations toward its customers, the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards...

9 CFR 203.14 - Statement with respect to advertising allowances and other merchandising payments and services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... customer? (a) A customer is a person who buys for resale directly from the packer, or through the packer's agent or broker; and in addition, a customer is any buyer of the packer's product for resale who... packer has fulfilled its obligations toward its customers, the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards...

26 CFR 1.924(d)-1 - Requirement that economic processes take place outside the United States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President. (ii) Customer groupings. A customer grouping... customers. Through its existing agreements with a domestic unrelated person, the related supplier... requirements of section 924(d)(1)(A). For example, if a FSC sells a product to a foreign customer by first...

9 CFR 203.14 - Statement with respect to advertising allowances and other merchandising payments and services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... customer? (a) A customer is a person who buys for resale directly from the packer, or through the packer's agent or broker; and in addition, a customer is any buyer of the packer's product for resale who... packer has fulfilled its obligations toward its customers, the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards...

26 CFR 1.924(d)-1 - Requirement that economic processes take place outside the United States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President. (ii) Customer groupings. A customer grouping... customers. Through its existing agreements with a domestic unrelated person, the related supplier... requirements of section 924(d)(1)(A). For example, if a FSC sells a product to a foreign customer by first...

9 CFR 203.14 - Statement with respect to advertising allowances and other merchandising payments and services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... customer? (a) A customer is a person who buys for resale directly from the packer, or through the packer's agent or broker; and in addition, a customer is any buyer of the packer's product for resale who... packer has fulfilled its obligations toward its customers, the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards...

Reinventing the Training Business.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forman, David C.

2003-01-01

Discusses steps that companies who develop and distribute technology-based training products need to take in order to be more successful, including focusing on the customer; moving away from large, generic courseware libraries; better pricing schemes; commitment to produce learning outcomes; and partnerships with clients to produce documented…

Operational Monitoring of Data Production at KNMI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van de Vegte, John; Kwidama, Anecita; van Moosel, Wim; Oosterhof, Rijk; de Wit de Wit, Ronny; Klein Ikkink, Henk Jan; Som de Cerff, Wim; Verhoef, Hans; Koutek, Michal; Duin, Frank; van der Neut, Ian; verhagen, Robert; Wollerich, Rene

2016-04-01

Within KNMI a new fully automated system for monitoring the KNMI operational data production systems is being developed: PRISMA (PRocessflow Infrastructure Surveillance and Monitoring Application). Currently the KNMI operational (24/7) production systems consist of over 60 applications, running on different hardware systems and platforms. They are interlinked for the production of numerous data products, which are delivered to internal and external customers. Traditionally these applications are individually monitored by different applications or not at all; complicating root cause and impact analysis. Also, the underlying hardware and network is monitored via an isolated application. Goal of the PRISMA system is to enable production chain monitoring, which enables root cause analysis (what is the root cause of the disruption) and impact analysis (what downstream products/customers will be effected). The PRISMA system will make it possible to reduce existing monitoring applications and provides one interface for monitoring the data production. For modeling and storing the state of the production chains a graph database is used. The model is automatically updated by the applications and systems which are to be monitored. The graph models enables root cause and impact analysis. In the PRISMA web interface interaction with the graph model is accomplished via a graphical representation. The presentation will focus on aspects of: • Modeling real world computers, applications, products to a conceptual model; • Architecture of the system; • Configuration information and (real world) event handling of the to be monitored objects; • Implementation rules for root cause and impact analysis. • How PRISMA was developed (methodology, facts, results) • Presentation of the PRISMA system as it now looks and works

Green marketing, renewables, and free riders: increasing customer demand for a public good

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wiser, R.; Pickle, S.

1997-09-01

Retail electricity competition will allow customers to select their own power suppliers and some customers will make purchase decisions based, in part, on their concern for the environment. Green power marketing targets these customers under the assumption that they will pay a premium for ``green`` energy products such as renewable power generation. But renewable energy is not a traditional product because it supplies public goods; for example, a customer supporting renewable energy is unable to capture the environmental benefits that their investment provides to non-participating customers. As with all public goods, there is a risk that few customers will purchasemore » ``green`` power and that many will instead ``free ride`` on others` participation. By free riding, an individual is able to enjoy the benefits of the public good while avoiding payment. This report reviews current green power marketing activities in the electric industry, introduces the extensive academic literature on public goods, free riders, and collective action problems, and explores in detail the implications of this literature for the green marketing of renewable energy. Specifically, the authors highlight the implications of the public goods literature for green power product design and marketing communications strategies. They emphasize four mechanisms that marketers can use to increase customer demand for renewable energy. Though the public goods literature can also contribute insights into the potential rationale for renewable energy policies, they leave most of these implications for future work (see Appendix A for a possible research agenda).« less

TESPI (Tool for Environmental Sound Product Innovation): a simplified software tool to support environmentally conscious design in SMEs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misceo, Monica; Buonamici, Roberto; Buttol, Patrizia; Naldesi, Luciano; Grimaldi, Filomena; Rinaldi, Caterina

2004-12-01

TESPI (Tool for Environmental Sound Product Innovation) is the prototype of a software tool developed within the framework of the "eLCA" project. The project, (www.elca.enea.it)financed by the European Commission, is realising "On line green tools and services for Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs)". The implementation by SMEs of environmental product innovation (as fostered by the European Integrated Product Policy, IPP) needs specific adaptation to their economic model, their knowledge of production and management processes and their relationships with innovation and the environment. In particular, quality and costs are the main driving forces of innovation in European SMEs, and well known barriers exist to the adoption of an environmental approach in the product design. Starting from these considerations, the TESPI tool has been developed to support the first steps of product design taking into account both the quality and the environment. Two main issues have been considered: (i) classic Quality Function Deployment (QFD) can hardly be proposed to SMEs; (ii) the environmental aspects of the product life cycle need to be integrated with the quality approach. TESPI is a user friendly web-based tool, has a training approach and applies to modular products. Users are guided through the investigation of the quality aspects of their product (customer"s needs and requirements fulfilment) and the identification of the key environmental aspects in the product"s life cycle. A simplified check list allows analyzing the environmental performance of the product. Help is available for a better understanding of the analysis criteria. As a result, the significant aspects for the redesign of the product are identified.

Toward Customized Care

PubMed Central

Minvielle, Etienne

2018-01-01

Patients want their personal needs to be taken into account. Accordingly, the management of care has long involved some degree of personalization. In recent times, patients’ wishes have become more pressing in a moving context. As the population ages, the number of patients requiring sophisticated combinations of longterm care is rising. Moreover, we are witnessing previously unvoiced demands, preferences and expectations (eg, demand for information about treatment, for care complying with religious practices, or for choice of appointment dates). In view of the escalating costs and the concerns about quality of care, the time has now come to rethink healthcare delivery. Part of this reorganization can be related to customization: what is needed is a customized business model that is effective and sustainable. Such business model exists in different service sectors, the customization being defined as the development of tailored services to meet consumers’ diverse and changing needs at near mass production prices. Therefore, its application to the healthcare sector needs to be seriously considered. PMID:29524957

Business marketing: understand what customers value.

PubMed

Anderson, J C; Narus, J A

1998-01-01

How do you define the value of your market offering? Can you measure it? Few suppliers in business markets are able to answer those questions, and yet the ability to pinpoint the value of a product or service for one's customers has never been more important. By creating and using what the authors call customer value models, suppliers are able to figure out exactly what their offerings are worth to customers. Field value assessments--the most commonly used method for building customer value models--call for suppliers to gather data about their customers firsthand whenever possible. Through these assessments, a supplier can build a value model for an individual customer or for a market segment, drawing on data gathered form several customers in that segment. Suppliers can use customer value models to create competitive advantage in several ways. First, they can capitalize on the inevitable variation in customers' requirements by providing flexible market offerings. Second, they can use value models to demonstrate how a new product or service they are offering will provide greater value. Third, they can use their knowledge of how their market offerings specifically deliver value to craft persuasive value propositions. And fourth, they can use value models to provide evidence to customers of their accomplishments. Doing business based on value delivered gives companies the means to get an equitable return for their efforts. Once suppliers truly understand value, they will be able to realize the benefits of measuring and monitoring it for their customers.

Knowing what to sell, when, and to whom.

PubMed

Kumar, V; Venkatesan, Rajkumar; Reinartz, Werner

2006-03-01

Despite an abundance of data, most companies do a poor job of predicting the behavior of their customers. In fact, the authors' research suggests that even companies that take the greatest trouble over their predictions about whether a particular customer will buy a particular product are correct only around 55% of the time--a result that hardly justifies the costs of having a CRM system in the first place. Businesses usually conclude from studies like this that it's impossible to use the past to predict the future, so they revert to the timeworn marketing practice of inundating their customers with offers. But as the authors explain, the reason for the poor predictions is not any basic limitation of CRM systems or the predictive power of past behavior, but rather of the mathematical methods that companies use to interpret the data. The authors have developed a new way of predicting customer behavior, based on the work of the Nobel Prize-winning economist Daniel McFadden, that delivers vastly improved results. Indeed, the methodology increases the odds of successfully predicting a specific purchase by a specific customer at a specific time to about 85%, a number that will have a major impact on any company's marketing ROI. What's more, using this methodology, companies can increase revenues while reducing their frequency of customer contact-evidence that overcommunication with customers may actually damage a company's sales.

The Decision to Publish Electronically.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craig, Gary

1983-01-01

Argues that decision to publish a given intellectual product "electronically" is a business decision based on customer needs, available format alternatives, current business climate, and variety of already existing factors. Publishers are most influenced by customers' acceptance of new products and their own role as intermediaries in…

27 CFR 479.117 - Action by Customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 3 2011-04-01 2010-04-01 true Action by Customs. 479.117 Section 479.117 Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS, AND EXPLOSIVES, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION MACHINE GUNS, DESTRUCTIVE DEVICES, AND CERTAIN...

27 CFR 479.117 - Action by Customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Action by Customs. 479.117 Section 479.117 Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS, AND EXPLOSIVES, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION MACHINE GUNS, DESTRUCTIVE DEVICES, AND CERTAIN...

27 CFR 479.117 - Action by Customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 3 2012-04-01 2010-04-01 true Action by Customs. 479.117 Section 479.117 Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS, AND EXPLOSIVES, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION MACHINE GUNS, DESTRUCTIVE DEVICES, AND CERTAIN...

27 CFR 479.117 - Action by Customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Action by Customs. 479.117 Section 479.117 Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS, AND EXPLOSIVES, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION MACHINE GUNS, DESTRUCTIVE DEVICES, AND CERTAIN...

27 CFR 479.117 - Action by Customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Action by Customs. 479.117 Section 479.117 Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS, AND EXPLOSIVES, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION MACHINE GUNS, DESTRUCTIVE DEVICES, AND CERTAIN...

A preliminary examination of patient loyalty: an application of the customer loyalty classification framework in the health care industry.

PubMed

Heiens, R A; Pleshko, L P

1997-01-01

The present article applies the customer loyalty classification framework developed by Dick and Basu (1994) to the health care industry. Based on a two factor classification, consisting of repeat patronage and relative attitude, four categories of patient loyalty are proposed and examined, including true loyalty, latent loyalty, spurious loyalty, and no loyalty. Data is collected and the four patient loyalty categories are profiled and compared on the basis of perceived risk, product class importance, provider decision importance, provider awareness, provider consideration, number of providers visited, and self-reported loyalty.

Teaming up to crack innovation and enterprise integration.

PubMed

Cash, James I; Earl, Michael J; Morison, Robert

2008-11-01

In the continuing quest for business growth, many CEOs are turning to their CIOs and IT organizations because technology is essential to two compelling sources of growth: innovation and integration. Innovation, of course, is doing new things that customers ultimately appreciate and value--not only developing new generations of products, services, channels, and customer experience but also conceiving new business processes and models. Integration is making the multiple units, functions, and sites of large organizations work together to increase capacity, improve performance, lower cost structure, and discover opportunities for improvement that don't appear until you look across functions.

Loads Providing Ancillary Services: Review of InternationalExperience-- Technical Appendix: Market Descriptions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grayson Heffner, Charles Goldman, Kintner-Meyer, M; Kirby, Brendan

2007-05-01

In this study, we examine the arrangements for andexperiences of end-use loads providing ancillary services (AS) in fiveelectricity markets: Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), the Nordicmarket, and the ERCOT and PJM markets in the United States. Our objectivein undertaking this review of international experience was to identifyspecific approaches or market designs that have enabled customer loads toeffectively deliver various ancillary services (AS) products. We hopethat this report will contribute to the ongoing discussion in the U.S.and elsewhere regarding what institutional and technical developments areneeded to ensure that customer loads can meaningfully participate in allwholesale electricity markets.

Quality and customer satisfaction: A case study in Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barcellos, Paulo Fernando Pinto

The dissertation deals with the case of CEEE-Companhia Estadual de Energia Eletrica, an electric power utility located in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil. Customer satisfaction with the services provided by CEEE is investigated within three groups of consumers: residential, commercial, and industrial. The purpose of the dissertation is to find answers to the following research questions: (1) What is service quality in public utilities, and particularly in an electric power company? (2) What service quality dimensions do customers want to be provided and favor the most? (3) How does the market measure service quality? (4) What should be done by companies, and particularly by an electric utility monopoly, to increase the performance of the rendered service? (5) How does this impact customer satisfaction, retention, and intention to recommend? and (6) How do we start a company-wide quality program provided that the resources are scarce and therefore priorities should be set forth? To investigate the posed questions, the study begins with an exploratory survey of CEEE's Board. The survey is followed by qualitative research of the three customer groups. After qualitative analysis of the data is concluded, questionnaires for the quantitative research, as well as hypothetical models, are developed. Dillman's "Total Design Method" is used to design the questionnaires. The basic ACSI (American Customer Satisfaction Model) is used to approach customer satisfaction. Data are processed by PLS (Partial Least Squares) which follows the procedure developed at the National Quality Research Center of the University of Michigan Business School. In summary, commercial customers are the most dissatisfied with the services provided by CEEE, while residential customers are the most satisfied. To improve quality, priority should be placed on commercial customers and include efforts to improve productivity gains throughout the company. Also, CEEE's image should be improved through a better communication process with the market and an intensive and extensive training of personnel. A special marketing campaign could help build a better image by explaining CEEE's goals to improve quality. Finally, a bottom line of satisfaction scores (as quality indicators) should be set for the entire company.

The innovation catalysts.

PubMed

Martin, Roger L

2011-06-01

A few years ago the software development company Intuit realized that it needed a new approach to galvanizing customers. The company's Net Promoter Score was faltering, and customer recommendations of new products were especially disappointing. Intuit decided to hold a two-day, off-site meeting for the company's top 300 managers with a focus on the role of design in innovation. One of the days was dedicated to a program called Design for Delight. The centerpiece of the day was a PowerPoint presentation by Intuit founder Scott Cook, who realized midway through that he was no Steve Jobs: The managers listened dutifully, but there was little energy in the room. By contrast, a subsequent exercise in which the participants worked through a design challenge by creating prototypes, getting feedback, iterating, and refining, had them mesmerized. The eventual result was the creation of a team of nine design-thinking coaches--"innovation catalysts"--from across Intuit who were made available to help any work group create prototypes, run experiments, and learn from customers. The process includes a "painstorm" (to determine the customer's greatest pain point), a "soljam" (to generate and then winnow possible solutions), and a "code-jam" (to write code "good enough" to take to customers within two weeks). Design for Delight has enabled employees throughout Intuit to move from satisfying customers to delighting them.

New Product Launching Ideas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiruthika, E.

2012-09-01

Launching a new product can be a tense time for a small or large business. There are those moments when you wonder if all of the work done to develop the product will pay off in revenue, but there are many things are can do to help increase the likelihood of a successful product launch. An open-minded consumer-oriented approach is imperative in todayís diverse global marketplace so a firm can identify and serve its target market, minimize dissatisfaction, and stay ahead of competitors. Final consumers purchase for personal, family, or household use. Finally, the kind of information that the marketing team needs to provide customers in different buying situations. In high-involvement decisions, the marketer needs to provide a good deal of information about the positive consequences of buying. The sales force may need to stress the important attributes of the product, the advantages compared with the competition; and maybe even encourage ìtrialî or ìsamplingî of the product in the hope of securing the sale. The final stage is the post-purchase evaluation of the decision. It is common for customers to experience concerns after making a purchase decision. This arises from a concept that is known as ìcognitive dissonance

A System for Distributing Real-Time Customized (NEXRAD-Radar) Geosciences Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Satpreet; McWhirter, Jeff; Krajewski, Witold; Kruger, Anton; Goska, Radoslaw; Seo, Bongchul; Domaszczynski, Piotr; Weber, Jeff

2010-05-01

Hydrometeorologists and hydrologists can benefit from (weather) radar derived rain products, including rain rates and accumulations. The Hydro-NEXRAD system (HNX1) has been in operation since 2006 at IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering at The University of Iowa. It provides rapid and user-friendly access to such user-customized products, generated using archived Weather Surveillance Doppler Radar (WSR-88D) data from the NEXRAD weather radar network in the United States. HNX1 allows researchers to deal directly with radar-derived rain products, without the burden of the details of radar data collection, quality control, processing, and format conversion. A number of hydrologic applications can benefit from a continuous real-time feed of customized radar-derived rain products. We are currently developing such a system, Hydro-NEXRAD 2 (HNX2). HNX2 collects real-time, unprocessed data from multiple NEXRAD radars as they become available, processes them through a user-configurable pipeline of data-processing modules, and then publishes processed products at regular intervals. Modules in the data processing pipeline encapsulate algorithms such as non-meteorological echo detection, range correction, radar-reflectivity-rain rate (Z-R) conversion, advection correction, merging products from multiple radars, and grid transformations. HNX2's implementation presents significant challenges, including quality-control, error-handling, time-synchronization of data from multiple asynchronous sources, generation of multiple-radar metadata products, distribution of products to a user base with diverse needs and constraints, and scalability. For content management and distribution, HNX2 uses RAMADDA (Repository for Archiving, Managing and Accessing Diverse Data), developed by the UCAR/Unidata Program Center in the Unites States. RAMADDA allows HNX2 to publish products through automation and gives users multiple access methods to the published products, including simple web-browser based access, and OpenDAP access. The latter allows a user to set up automation at his/her end, and fetch new data from HNX2 at regular intervals. HNX2 uses a two-dimensional metadata structure called a mosaic for managing metadata of the rain products. Currently, HNX2 is in pre-production state and is serving near real-time rain-rate map data-products for individual radars and merged data-products from seven radars covering the state of Iowa in the United States. These products then drive a rainfall-runoff model called CUENCAS, which is used as part of the Iowa Flood Center (housed at The University of Iowa) real-time flood forecasting system. We are currently developing a generalized scalable framework that will run on inexpensive hardware and will provide products for basins anywhere in the continental United States.

Certification standards transfer: from committee to laboratory.

PubMed

Lehmann, H P

1998-12-01

The ISO 9000 Standards series were developed to provide the international manufacturing industry with a framework to ensure purchased products meet quality criteria. Section 4 of ISO 9001, Quality System Model for Quality Assurance in Design, Development, Production, Installation and Servicing, contains 20 aspects of a quality system that must be addressed by an organization in order to receive ISO 9001 certification. This concept is extended to the clinical laboratory, where a quality system program establishes for the customer (patient/clinician) that the purchased product (requested information on a submitted specimen-test result) meets established quality norms. In order to satisfy the customer, the providing organization must have policies and procedures in place that ensure a quality product, and be certified. To become certified the organization must, through an inspection process, demonstrate to an independent accrediting agency that it meets defined standards. In the United States, the government through the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) 1988 established quality standards for the clinical laboratory. The College of American Pathologists (CAP), through its Laboratory Accreditation Program (LAP), serves as an independent agency that certifies that laboratories meet standards. To demonstrate the applicability of an established clinical laboratory accreditation program to ISO 9001 certification, the standards and checklists of CLIA 1988 and the CAP LAP will be examined to determine their conformance to ISO 9001, Section 4.

My Green Car: Painting Motor City Green (Ep. 2) – DOE Lab-Corps Video Series

ScienceCinema

Saxena, Samveg; Shah, Nihar; Hansen, Dana

2018-06-12

The Lab’s MyGreenCar team kicks off its customer discovery process in Detroit with a business boot camp designed for scientists developing energy-related technologies. Customer interviews lead to late night discussions and insights on less-than-receptive consumers. Back in Berkeley, the team decides to fine tune targeted customer segments. What makes a new technology compelling enough to transition out of the lab and become a consumer product? That’s the question Berkeley Lab researchers Samveg Saxena, Nihar Shah, and Dana Hansen plus industry mentor Russell Carrington set out to answer for MyGreenCar, an app providing personalized fuel economy or electric vehicle range estimates for consumers researching new cars. DOE’s Lab-Corps program offered the technology team some answers. The EERE-funded program, based on the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps™ model for entrepreneurial training, provides tools and training to move energy-related inventions to the marketplace. During Lab-Corp’s intensive six-week session, technology teams interview 100 customer and value chain members to discover which potential products based on their technologies will have significant market pull. A six video series follows the MyGreenCar team’s Lab-Corps experience, from pre-training preparation with the Lab’s Innovation and Partnerships Office through the ups and downs of the customer discovery process. Will the app make it to the marketplace? You’ll just have to watch.

27 CFR 447.56 - Authority of Customs officers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Authority of Customs officers. 447.56 Section 447.56 Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS, AND EXPLOSIVES, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION IMPORTATION OF ARMS, AMMUNITION AND...

27 CFR 447.56 - Authority of Customs officers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 3 2011-04-01 2010-04-01 true Authority of Customs officers. 447.56 Section 447.56 Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS, AND EXPLOSIVES, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION IMPORTATION OF ARMS, AMMUNITION AND...

27 CFR 447.56 - Authority of Customs officers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 3 2012-04-01 2010-04-01 true Authority of Customs officers. 447.56 Section 447.56 Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS, AND EXPLOSIVES, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION IMPORTATION OF ARMS, AMMUNITION AND...

27 CFR 447.56 - Authority of Customs officers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Authority of Customs officers. 447.56 Section 447.56 Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS, AND EXPLOSIVES, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION IMPORTATION OF ARMS, AMMUNITION AND...

27 CFR 447.56 - Authority of Customs officers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Authority of Customs officers. 447.56 Section 447.56 Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS, AND EXPLOSIVES, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION IMPORTATION OF ARMS, AMMUNITION AND...

19 CFR 357.111 - Public and proprietary information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Public and proprietary information. 357.111 Section 357.111 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE SHORT SUPPLY...: (1) Business or trade secrets concerning the nature of a product or production process, if unique or...

19 CFR 357.111 - Public and proprietary information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Public and proprietary information. 357.111 Section 357.111 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE SHORT SUPPLY...: (1) Business or trade secrets concerning the nature of a product or production process, if unique or...

19 CFR 357.111 - Public and proprietary information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Public and proprietary information. 357.111 Section 357.111 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE SHORT SUPPLY...: (1) Business or trade secrets concerning the nature of a product or production process, if unique or...

47 CFR 2.805 - Operation of radio frequency products prior to equipment authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...) Evaluation of performance and determination of customer acceptability, during developmental, design, or pre... performance and determination of customer acceptability, during developmental, design, or pre-production... under the authority of an experimental radio service authorization issued under part 5 of this chapter...

Why Customers Use or Do Not Use Internet Banking: A Case Study of a Community Bank

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beadnell, Stephen Allen

2014-01-01

The banking industry is being challenged by shareholders and consumers to provide its products in the most efficient manner, provide good customer service, and earn a fair profit. Although the infrastructure is in place to serve most customers through Internet banking, the number of customers using this channel is less than expected. The purpose…

Organizational Performance and Customer Value

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tosti, Donald; Herbst, Scott A.

2009-01-01

While behavior systems analysts have recognized the importance of the consumer of organizational products (i.e., receiving system) in developing models of organizational change, few have offered a systematic assessment of the relationship between consumer and organizational practices. In this article we will discuss how a behavior systems approach…

Quality Management Builds Solid eTraining

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Echard, Rachel D.; Berge, Zane L.

2008-01-01

History has shown effective training techniques can produce significant business results especially in customer service, product development, and capability in obtaining new skill sets. This linkage of training to business strategy has given many businesses the needed competitive edge in today's global market. In today's technology age,…

Handbook for Implementing Agile in Department of Defense Information Technology Acquisition

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-15

Wire-frame Mockup of iTunes Cover Flow Feature (source: http://www.balsamiq.com/products/mockups/examples#mytunez...programming. The JOPES customer was included early in the development process in order to understand requirements management (story cards ), observe...transition by teaching the new members Agile processes, such as story card development, refactoring, and pair programming. Additionally, the team worked to

The Role of Customer Engagement in Innovation Adoption

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

strikingly true for our knowledge of skills. I can say that I know how to ride a bicycle or how to swim, but this does not mean that I can tell how I...Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Research and Development Management Management Scott A. Skiple, BS DR...Encountered in New Product and Service Development

Managers' perceptions of customers' satisfactions with their hospital cafeteria services.

PubMed

Johnston, C M; Upton, E M

1991-01-01

It is important that hospital cafeterias deliver products that create customer satisfaction so that financial objectives are met. An exploratory descriptive survey of 12 selected hospital cafeterias used a self-administered questionnaire to determine how satisfied customers were with services provided. It also asked cafeteria managers to give their perceptions of their customers' relative satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the service. Principal components analysis, followed by varimax rotation, identified four underlying constructs of the 15 pre-selected foodservice characteristics used to measure relative satisfaction. A multiple regression model, controlling for country, hospital size and customer demographics, in which the dependent variable was overall rating, found that the independent variables, the underlying rating constructs--food and service--made a much greater impact on overall rating than environment and accessibility. Most cafeteria managers' predictions about their customers' satisfaction were within two standard deviations of their customers' mean scores of satisfaction. While the managers' close association with their service may have accounted for this, it does not necessarily follow that they have the power to implement policy and product improvements.

Life Cost Based FMEA Manual: A Step by Step Guide to Carrying Out a Cost-based Failure Modes and Effects Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rhee, Seung; Spencer, Cherrill; /Stanford U. /SLAC

2009-01-23

Failure occurs when one or more of the intended functions of a product are no longer fulfilled to the customer's satisfaction. The most critical product failures are those that escape design reviews and in-house quality inspection and are found by the customer. The product may work for a while until its performance degrades to an unacceptable level or it may have not worked even before customer took possession of the product. The end results of failures which may lead to unsafe conditions or major losses of the main function are rated high in severity. Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)more » is a tool widely used in the automotive, aerospace, and electronics industries to identify, prioritize, and eliminate known potential failures, problems, and errors from systems under design, before the product is released (Stamatis, 1997). Several industrial FMEA standards such as those published by the Society of Automotive Engineers, US Department of Defense, and the Automotive Industry Action Group employ the Risk Priority Number (RPN) to measure risk and severity of failures. The Risk Priority Number (RPN) is a product of 3 indices: Occurrence (O), Severity (S), and Detection (D). In a traditional FMEA process design engineers typically analyze the 'root cause' and 'end-effects' of potential failures in a sub-system or component and assign penalty points through the O, S, D values to each failure. The analysis is organized around categories called failure modes, which link the causes and effects of failures. A few actions are taken upon completing the FMEA worksheet. The RPN column generally will identify the high-risk areas. The idea of performing FMEA is to eliminate or reduce known and potential failures before they reach the customers. Thus, a plan of action must be in place for the next task. Not all failures can be resolved during the product development cycle, thus prioritization of actions must be made within the design group. One definition of detection difficulty (D) is how well the organization controls the development process. Another definition relates to the detectability of a particular failure in the product when it is in the hands of the customer. The former asks 'What is the chance of catching the problem before we give it to the customer'? The latter asks 'What is the chance of the customer catching the problem before the problem results in a catastrophic failure?' (Palady, 1995) These differing definitions confuse the FMEA users when one tries to determine detection difficulty. Are we trying to measure how easy it is to detect where a failure has occurred or when it has occurred? Or are we trying to measure how easy or difficult it is to prevent failures? Ordinal scale variables are used to rank-order industries such as, hotels, restaurants, and movies (Note that a 4 star hotel is not necessarily twice as good as a 2 star hotel). Ordinal values preserve rank in a group of items, but the distance between the values cannot be measured since a distance function does not exist. Thus, the product or sum of ordinal variables loses its rank since each parameter has different scales. The RPN is a product of 3 independent ordinal variables, it can indicate that some failure types are 'worse' than others, but give no quantitative indication of their relative effects. To resolve the ambiguity of measuring detection difficulty and the irrational logic of multiplying 3 ordinal indices, a new methodology was created to overcome these shortcomings, Life Cost-Based FMEA. Life Cost-Based FMEA measures failure/risk in terms of monetary cost. Cost is a universal parameter that can be easily related to severity by engineers and others. Thus, failure cost can be estimated using the following simplest form: Expected Failure Cost = {sup n}{Sigma}{sub i=1}p{sub i}c{sub i}, p: Probability of a particular failure occurring; c: Monetary cost associated with that particular failure; and n: Total number of failure scenarios. FMEA is most effective when there are inputs into it from all concerned disciplines of the product development team. However, FMEA is a long process and can become tedious and won't be effective if too many people participate. An ideal team should have 3 to 4 people from: design, manufacturing, and service departments if possible. Depending on how complex the system is, the entire process can take anywhere from one to four weeks working full time. Thus, it is important to agree to the time commitment before starting the analysis else, anxious managers might stop the procedure before it is completed.« less

A customer satisfaction model for a utility service industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamil, Jastini Mohd; Nawawi, Mohd Kamal Mohd; Ramli, Razamin

2016-08-01

This paper explores the effect of Image, Customer Expectation, Perceived Quality and Perceived Value on Customer Satisfaction, and to investigate the effect of Image and Customer Satisfaction on Customer Loyalty of mobile phone provider in Malaysia. The result of this research is based on data gathered online from international students in one of the public university in Malaysia. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) has been used to analyze the data that have been collected from the international students' perceptions. The results found that Image and Perceived Quality have significant impact on Customer Satisfaction. Image and Customer Satisfaction ware also found to have significantly related to Customer Loyalty. However, no significant impact has been found between Customer Expectation with Customer Satisfaction, Perceived Value with Customer Satisfaction, and Customer Expectation with Perceived Value. We hope that the findings may assist the mobile phone provider in production and promotion of their services.

76 FR 30211 - Product List Transfer

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-24

... boxes. Id. at 2 n.5. The Postal Service selected the 6,800 locations based on whether its customers have sufficient access to private mailbox service providers. Id. at 2. In general, these locations serve customers... Service request to transfer Post Office Box Service at 6800 locations from the market dominant product...

78 FR 76297 - Social Media: Consumer Compliance Risk Management Guidance

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-17

... controls should apply to all customers, products and services, including customers engaging in electronic banking (e-banking) through the use of social media, and e- banking products and services offered in the...., Washington DC 20219, (202) 649-7181. Board: Lanette Meister, Senior Supervisory Consumer Financial Services...

27 CFR 28.261 - Notice to district director of customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Notice to district director of customs. 28.261 Section 28.261 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS EXPORTATION OF ALCOHOL Proceedings at Ports of...

27 CFR 28.269 - Certification by district director of customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Certification by district director of customs. 28.269 Section 28.269 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL EXPORTATION OF ALCOHOL Proceedings at Ports of...

27 CFR 28.261 - Notice to district director of customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Notice to district director of customs. 28.261 Section 28.261 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL EXPORTATION OF ALCOHOL Proceedings at Ports of...

27 CFR 28.269 - Certification by district director of customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Certification by district director of customs. 28.269 Section 28.269 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS EXPORTATION OF ALCOHOL Proceedings at Ports of...

27 CFR 28.269 - Certification by district director of customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Certification by district director of customs. 28.269 Section 28.269 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL EXPORTATION OF ALCOHOL Proceedings at Ports of...

27 CFR 28.261 - Notice to district director of customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Notice to district director of customs. 28.261 Section 28.261 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS EXPORTATION OF ALCOHOL Proceedings at Ports of...

27 CFR 28.261 - Notice to district director of customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Notice to district director of customs. 28.261 Section 28.261 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL EXPORTATION OF ALCOHOL Proceedings at Ports of...

27 CFR 28.261 - Notice to district director of customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Notice to district director of customs. 28.261 Section 28.261 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS EXPORTATION OF ALCOHOL Proceedings at Ports of...

27 CFR 28.269 - Certification by district director of customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Certification by district director of customs. 28.269 Section 28.269 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS EXPORTATION OF ALCOHOL Proceedings at Ports of...

US Geological Survey customers speak out

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gillespie, S.; Snyder, G.

1995-01-01

Provides results of a customer survey carried out in 1994 by the US Geological Survey. Uses of cartographic products are classified, as are application areas, accuracy satisfaction, media, Digital Line Graph requirements in update, and frequency of product use. USGS responses and plans for the future are noted. -M.Blakemore

Science on Drupal: An evaluation of CMS Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinay, S.; Gonzalez, A.; Pinto, A.; Pascuzzi, F.; Gerard, A.

2011-12-01

We conducted an extensive evaluation of various Content Management System (CMS) technologies for implementing different websites supporting interdisciplinary science data and information. We chose two products, Drupal and Bluenog/Hippo CMS, to meet our specific needs and requirements. Drupal is an open source product that is quick and easy to setup and use. It is a very mature, stable, and widely used product. It has rich functionality supported by a large and active user base and developer community. There are many plugins available that provide additional features for managing citations, map gallery, semantic search, digital repositories (fedora), scientific workflows, collaborative authoring, social networking, and other functions. All of these work very well within the Drupal framework if minimal customization is needed. We have successfully implemented Drupal for multiple projects such as: 1) the Haiti Regeneration Initiative (http://haitiregeneration.org/); 2) the Consortium on Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast (http://beta.ccrun.org/); and 3) the Africa Soils Information Service (http://africasoils.net/). We are also developing two other websites, the Côte Sud Initiative (CSI) and Emerging Infectious Diseases, using Drupal. We are testing the Drupal multi-site install for managing different websites with one install to streamline the maintenance. In addition, paid support and consultancy for Drupal website development are available at affordable prices. All of these features make Drupal very attractive for implementing state-of-the-art scientific websites that do not have complex requirements. One of our major websites, the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), has a very complex set of requirements. It has to easily re-purpose content across multiple web pages and sites with different presentations. It has to serve the content via REST or similar standard interfaces so that external client applications can access content in the CMS repository. This means the content repository and structure should be completely separated from the content presentation and site structure. In addition to the CMS repository, the front-end website has to be able to consume, integrate, and display diverse content flexibly from multiple back-end systems, including custom and legacy systems, such as Oracle, Geoserver, Flickr, Fedora, and other web services. We needed the ability to customize the workflow to author, edit, approve, and publish content based on different content types and project requirements. In addition, we required the ability to use the existing active directory for user management with support for roles and groups and permissions using Access Control List (ACL) model. The ability to version and lock content was also important. We determined that most of these capabilities are difficult to implement with Drupal and needed significant customization. The Bluenog eCMS (enterprise CMS) product satisfied most of these requirements. Bluenog eCMS is based on an open source product called Hippo with customizations and support provided by the vendor Bluenog. Our newly redesigned and recently released SEDAC website, http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu, is implemented using Bluenog eCMS. Other products we evaluated include WebLogic portal, Magnolia, Liferay portal, and Alfresco.

Commercial Style Market Research for Navy Activities

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-01

confused with or used interchangeably with the term " marketing research ." Marketing research is generally concerned with investigating opportunities to...sell goods and services. [Ref. 64:p. 35] In particular, marketing research deals with influencing and persuading potential customers that a particular...product is better than other products, or that a product meets a parti- cular customer’s need. Marketing research is also used in defining

NASA Scientific Data Purchase Project: From Collection to User

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicholson, Lamar; Policelli, Fritz; Fletcher, Rose

2002-01-01

NASA's Scientific Data Purchase (SDP) project is currently a $70 million operation managed by the Earth Science Applications Directorate at Stennis Space Center. The SDP project was developed in 1997 to purchase scientific data from commercial sources for distribution to NASA Earth science researchers. Our current data holdings include 8TB of remote sensing imagery consisting of 18 products from 4 companies. Our anticipated data volume is 60 TB by 2004, and we will be receiving new data products from several additional companies. Our current system capacity is 24 TB, expandable to 89 TB. Operations include tasking of new data collections, archive ordering, shipment verification, data validation, distribution, metrics, finances, customer feedback, and technical support. The program has been included in the Stennis Space Center Commercial Remote Sensing ISO 9001 registration since its inception. Our operational system includes automatic quality control checks on data received (with MatLab analysis); internally developed, custom Web-based interfaces that tie into commercial-off-the-shelf software; and an integrated relational database that links and tracks all data through operations. We've distributed nearly 1500 datasets, and almost 18,000 data files have been downloaded from our public web site; on a 10-point scale, our customer satisfaction index is 8.32 at a 23% response level. More information about the SDP is available on our Web site.

48 CFR 252.229-7002 - Customs exemptions (Germany).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... (Germany). 252.229-7002 Section 252.229-7002 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... of Provisions And Clauses 252.229-7002 Customs exemptions (Germany). As prescribed in 229.402-70(b), use the following clause: Customs Exemptions (Germany) (JUN 1997) Imported products required for the...

48 CFR 252.229-7002 - Customs exemptions (Germany).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... (Germany). 252.229-7002 Section 252.229-7002 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... of Provisions And Clauses 252.229-7002 Customs exemptions (Germany). As prescribed in 229.402-70(b), use the following clause: Customs Exemptions (Germany) (JUN 1997) Imported products required for the...

48 CFR 252.229-7002 - Customs exemptions (Germany).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... (Germany). 252.229-7002 Section 252.229-7002 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... of Provisions And Clauses 252.229-7002 Customs exemptions (Germany). As prescribed in 229.402-70(b), use the following clause: Customs Exemptions (Germany) (JUN 1997) Imported products required for the...

48 CFR 252.229-7002 - Customs exemptions (Germany).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... (Germany). 252.229-7002 Section 252.229-7002 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... of Provisions And Clauses 252.229-7002 Customs exemptions (Germany). As prescribed in 229.402-70(b), use the following clause: Customs Exemptions (Germany) (JUN 1997) Imported products required for the...

48 CFR 252.229-7002 - Customs exemptions (Germany).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (Germany). 252.229-7002 Section 252.229-7002 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... of Provisions And Clauses 252.229-7002 Customs exemptions (Germany). As prescribed in 229.402-70(b), use the following clause: Customs Exemptions (Germany) (JUN 1997) Imported products required for the...

19 CFR 12.22 - Labels; samples.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Labels; samples. 12.22 Section 12.22 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY SPECIAL CLASSES OF MERCHANDISE Viruses, Serums, Toxins, Antitoxins, and Analogous Products for the...

19 CFR 12.22 - Labels; samples.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Labels; samples. 12.22 Section 12.22 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY SPECIAL CLASSES OF MERCHANDISE Viruses, Serums, Toxins, Antitoxins, and Analogous Products for the...

19 CFR 12.22 - Labels; samples.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Labels; samples. 12.22 Section 12.22 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY SPECIAL CLASSES OF MERCHANDISE Viruses, Serums, Toxins, Antitoxins, and Analogous Products for the...

The ultimately accountable job: leading today's sales organization.

PubMed

Colletti, Jerome A; Fiss, Mary S

2006-01-01

In recent years, sales leaders have had to devote considerable time and energy to establishing and maintaining disciplined processes. The thing is, many of them stop there--and they can't afford to, because the business environment has changed. Customers have gained power and gone global, channels have proliferated, more product companies are selling services, and many suppliers have begun providing a single point of contact for customers. Such changes require today's sales leaders to fill various new roles: Company leader. The best sales chiefs actively help formulate and execute company strategy, and they collaborate with all functions of the business to deliver value to customers. Customer champion. Customers want C-level relationships with suppliers in order to understand product strategy, look at offerings in advance, and participate in decisions made about future products--and sales leaders are in the best position to offer that kind of contact. Process guru. Although sales chiefs must look beyond the sales and customer processes they have honed over the past decade, they can't abandon them. The focus on process has become only more important as many organizations have begun bundling products and services to meet important customers' individual needs. Organization architect. Good sales leaders spend a lot of time evaluating and occasionally redesigning the sales organization's structure to ensure that it supports corporate strategy. Often, this involves finding the right balance between specialized and generalized sales roles. Course corrector. Sales leaders must watch the horizon, but they can't take their hands off the levers or forget about the dials. If they do, they might fail to respond when quick adjustments in priorities are needed.

Project Success in Agile Development Software Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farlik, John T.

2016-01-01

Project success has multiple definitions in the scholarly literature. Research has shown that some scholars and practitioners define project success as the completion of a project within schedule and within budget. Others consider a successful project as one in which the customer is satisfied with the product. This quantitative study was conducted…

Development of Measures of Success for Corporate Level Air Force Acquisition Initiatives

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-04-30

initiative. Customer satisfaction is described as the extent to which a process or product meets a customer’s expectations ( Kotler and Armstrong ...ADA366787). Kotler , P. and G. Armstrong . Principles of Marketing (9th Edition). Upper Saddle River NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001. Lambert, D. and T

Development of Measures of Success for Corporate Level Air Force Acquisition Initiatives

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-01

has failed. Customer satisfaction is described as the extent to which a process or product meets a customer’s expectations ( Kotler and Armstrong ...ADA366787). Kotler , P. and G. Armstrong . Principles of Marketing (9th Edition). Upper Saddle River NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001. Lambert, D. and T

Leveraging the Talent-Driven Organization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adler, Richard

2010-01-01

This report details how a number of firms are using social networking tools to open up communication, collaboration and learning across boundaries, leveraging these tools to develop new products and real-time solutions for customers. It discusses the qualities of leadership throughout an organization that fosters innovation and learning. And it…

Rescaling Vocational Education: Workforce Development in a Metropolitan Region

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lakes, Richard D.

2008-01-01

This article profiles a vocational charter school located in Atlanta as an institutional model for customized industry training in the high-tech production firms located nearby. Social partnerships with business and industry, parents and educators, and elected officials will be illuminated, exhibiting new forms of neoliberalism that reconstitute…

Competencies for the 21st Century Information Professional: Translating the SLA Competencies into Business Competencies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henczel, Sue

This paper examines how the Special Libraries Association competencies can be mapped to the broader business competencies of marketing (promoting), packaging (product development), persuading and performing (sales/customer service), and positioning (strategic maneuvering). It introduces a process whereby the skills, knowledge, understandings, and…

Companies and the customers who hate them.

PubMed

McGovern, Gail; Moon, Youngme

2007-06-01

Why do companies bind customers with contracts, bleed them with fees, and baffle them with fine print? Because bewildered customers, who often make bad purchasing decisions, can be highly profitable. Most firms that profit from customers' confusion are on a slippery slope. Over time, their customer-centric strategies for delivering value have evolved into company-centric strategies for extracting it. Not surprisingly, when a rival comes along with a friendlier alternative, customers defect. Adversarial value-extracting strategies are common in such industries as cell phone service, retail banking, and health clubs. Overly complex product and pricing options, for example, may have been designed to serve various segments. But in fact they take advantage of how difficult it is for customers to predict their needs (such as how many cell phone minutes they'll use each month) and make it hard for them to choose the right product. Similarly, penalties and fees, which may have been instituted to offset the costs of undesirable customer behavior, like bouncing checks, turn out to be very profitable. As a result, companies have no incentive to help customers avoid them. Tactics like these generate bad publicity and fuel customer defections, creating opportunities for competitors. Virgin Mobile USA, for example, has lured millions of angry cell phone customers away from the incumbents by offering a straightforward plan with no hidden fees, no time-of-day restrictions, and no contracts. ING Direct, now the fourth-largest thrift bank in the United States, offers accounts with no fees, no tiered interest rates, and no minimums. In industries where squeezing value from customers is commonplace, companies that dismantle these harmful practices and design a transparent, value-creating offer can head off customer retaliation and spur rapid growth.

12 CFR 216.9 - Delivering privacy and opt out notices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... sending any information regarding the customer relationship, and your current privacy notice remains.... You may reasonably expect that a customer will receive actual notice of your annual privacy notice if: (1) The customer uses your web site to access financial products and services electronically and...

12 CFR 332.9 - Delivering privacy and opt out notices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... sending any information regarding the customer relationship, and your current privacy notice remains.... You may reasonably expect that a customer will receive actual notice of your annual privacy notice if: (1) The customer uses your web site to access financial products and services electronically and...

Development of the Internet-Based Customer-Oriented Ordering System Framework for Complicated Mechanical Product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ong, Mingwei; Watanuki, Keiichi

Recently, as consumers gradually prefer buying products that reflect their own personality, there exist some consumers who wish to involve in the product design process. Parallel with the popularization of e-business, many manufacturers have utilized the Internet to promote their products, and some have even built websites that enable consumers to select their desirable product specifications. Nevertheless, this method has not been applied on complicated mechanical product due to the facts that complicated mechanical product has a large number of specifications that inter-relate among one another. In such a case, ordinary consumers who are lacking of design knowledge, are not capable of determining these specifications. In this paper, a prototype framework called Internet-based consumer-oriented product ordering system has been developed in which it enables ordinary consumers to have large freedom in determining complicated mechanical product specifications, and meanwhile ensures that the manufacturing of the determined product is feasible.

Why are product prices in online markets not converging?

PubMed

Mizuno, Takayuki; Watanabe, Tsutomu

2013-01-01

Why are product prices in online markets dispersed in spite of very small search costs? To address this question, we construct a unique dataset from a Japanese price comparison site, which records price quotes offered by e-retailers as well as customers' clicks on products, which occur when they proceed to purchase the product. The novelty of our approach is that we seek to extract useful information on the source of price dispersion from the shape of price distributions rather than focusing merely on the standard deviation or the coefficient of variation of prices, as previous studies have done. We find that the distribution of prices retailers quote for a particular product at a particular point in time (divided by the lowest price) follows an exponential distribution, showing the presence of substantial price dispersion. For example, 20 percent of all retailers quote prices that are more than 50 percent higher than the lowest price. Next, comparing the probability that customers click on a retailer with a particular rank and the probability that retailers post prices at a particular rank, we show that both decline exponentially with price rank and that the exponents associated with the probabilities are quite close. This suggests that the reason why some retailers set prices at a level substantially higher than the lowest price is that they know that some customers will choose them even at that high price. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that price dispersion in online markets stems from heterogeneity in customers' preferences over retailers; that is, customers choose a set of candidate retailers based on their preferences, which are heterogeneous across customers, and then pick a particular retailer among the candidates based on the price ranking.

Real-Time Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Coryphaeus Software, founded in 1989 by former NASA electronic engineer Steve Lakowske, creates real-time 3D software. Designer's Workbench, the company flagship product, is a modeling and simulation tool for the development of both static and dynamic 3D databases. Other products soon followed. Activation, specifically designed for game developers, allows developers to play and test the 3D games before they commit to a target platform. Game publishers can shorten development time and prove the "playability" of the title, maximizing their chances of introducing a smash hit. Another product, EasyT, lets users create massive, realistic representation of Earth terrains that can be viewed and traversed in real time. Finally, EasyScene software control the actions among interactive objects within a virtual world. Coryphaeus products are used on Silican Graphics workstation and supercomputers to simulate real-world performance in synthetic environments. Customers include aerospace, aviation, architectural and engineering firms, game developers, and the entertainment industry.

A Modified Dynamic Evolving Neural-Fuzzy Approach to Modeling Customer Satisfaction for Affective Design

PubMed Central

Kwong, C. K.; Fung, K. Y.; Jiang, Huimin; Chan, K. Y.

2013-01-01

Affective design is an important aspect of product development to achieve a competitive edge in the marketplace. A neural-fuzzy network approach has been attempted recently to model customer satisfaction for affective design and it has been proved to be an effective one to deal with the fuzziness and non-linearity of the modeling as well as generate explicit customer satisfaction models. However, such an approach to modeling customer satisfaction has two limitations. First, it is not suitable for the modeling problems which involve a large number of inputs. Second, it cannot adapt to new data sets, given that its structure is fixed once it has been developed. In this paper, a modified dynamic evolving neural-fuzzy approach is proposed to address the above mentioned limitations. A case study on the affective design of mobile phones was conducted to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. Validation tests were conducted and the test results indicated that: (1) the conventional Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) failed to run due to a large number of inputs; (2) the proposed dynamic neural-fuzzy model outperforms the subtractive clustering-based ANFIS model and fuzzy c-means clustering-based ANFIS model in terms of their modeling accuracy and computational effort. PMID:24385884

A modified dynamic evolving neural-fuzzy approach to modeling customer satisfaction for affective design.

PubMed

Kwong, C K; Fung, K Y; Jiang, Huimin; Chan, K Y; Siu, Kin Wai Michael

2013-01-01

Affective design is an important aspect of product development to achieve a competitive edge in the marketplace. A neural-fuzzy network approach has been attempted recently to model customer satisfaction for affective design and it has been proved to be an effective one to deal with the fuzziness and non-linearity of the modeling as well as generate explicit customer satisfaction models. However, such an approach to modeling customer satisfaction has two limitations. First, it is not suitable for the modeling problems which involve a large number of inputs. Second, it cannot adapt to new data sets, given that its structure is fixed once it has been developed. In this paper, a modified dynamic evolving neural-fuzzy approach is proposed to address the above mentioned limitations. A case study on the affective design of mobile phones was conducted to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. Validation tests were conducted and the test results indicated that: (1) the conventional Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) failed to run due to a large number of inputs; (2) the proposed dynamic neural-fuzzy model outperforms the subtractive clustering-based ANFIS model and fuzzy c-means clustering-based ANFIS model in terms of their modeling accuracy and computational effort.

Space station System Engineering and Integration (SE and I). Volume 2: Study results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

A summary of significant study results that are products of the Phase B conceptual design task are contained. Major elements are addressed. Study results applicable to each major element or area of design are summarized and included where appropriate. Areas addressed include: system engineering and integration; customer accommodations; test and program verification; product assurance; conceptual design; operations and planning; technical and management information system (TMIS); and advanced development.

Two phase genetic algorithm for vehicle routing and scheduling problem with cross-docking and time windows considering customer satisfaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baniamerian, Ali; Bashiri, Mahdi; Zabihi, Fahime

2018-03-01

Cross-docking is a new warehousing policy in logistics which is widely used all over the world and attracts many researchers attention to study about in last decade. In the literature, economic aspects has been often studied, while one of the most significant factors for being successful in the competitive global market is improving quality of customer servicing and focusing on customer satisfaction. In this paper, we introduce a vehicle routing and scheduling problem with cross-docking and time windows in a three-echelon supply chain that considers customer satisfaction. A set of homogeneous vehicles collect products from suppliers and after consolidation process in the cross-dock, immediately deliver them to customers. A mixed integer linear programming model is presented for this problem to minimize transportation cost and early/tardy deliveries with scheduling of inbound and outbound vehicles to increase customer satisfaction. A two phase genetic algorithm (GA) is developed for the problem. For investigating the performance of the algorithm, it was compared with exact and lower bound solutions in small and large-size instances, respectively. Results show that there are at least 86.6% customer satisfaction by the proposed method, whereas customer satisfaction in the classical model is at most 33.3%. Numerical examples results show that the proposed two phase algorithm could achieve optimal solutions in small-size instances. Also in large-size instances, the proposed two phase algorithm could achieve better solutions with less gap from the lower bound in less computational time in comparison with the classic GA.

Applying environmental product design to biomedical products research.

PubMed Central

Messelbeck, J; Sutherland, L

2000-01-01

The principal themes for the Biomedical Research and the Environment Conference Committee on Environmental Economics in Biomedical Research include the following: healthcare delivery companies and biomedical research organizations, both nonprofit and for-profit, need to improve their environmental performance; suppliers of healthcare products will be called upon to support this need; and improving the environmental profile of healthcare products begins in research and development (R&D). The committee report begins with requirements from regulatory authorities (e.g., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], the U.S. Food and Drug Administration), and the healthcare delivery sector). The 1998 American Hospital Association and EPA Memorandum of Understanding to reduce solid waste and mercury from healthcare facilities is emblematic of these requirements. The dominant message from the requirements discussion is to ensure that R&D organizations do not ignore customer, environmental, and regulatory requirements in the early stages of product development. Several representatives from healthcare products manufacturers presented their companies' approaches to meeting these requirements. They reported on efforts to ensure that their R&D processes are sensitive to the environmental consequences from manufacturing, distributing, using, and disposing of healthcare products. These reports describe representatives' awareness of requirements and the unique approaches their R&D organizations have taken to meet these requirements. All representatives reported that their R&D organizations have embraced environmental product design because it avoids the potential of returning products to R&D to improve the environmental profile. Additionally, several reports detailed cost savings, sustainability benefits, and improvements in environmental manufacturing or redesign, and increased customer satisfaction. Many companies in healthcare delivery are working to improve environmental performance. Fundamental to these efforts is the necessity of motivating suppliers to improve the environmental profile of new products used in the healthcare delivery sector. PMID:11121364

Applying environmental product design to biomedical products research.

PubMed

Messelbeck, J; Sutherland, L

2000-12-01

The principal themes for the Biomedical Research and the Environment Conference Committee on Environmental Economics in Biomedical Research include the following: healthcare delivery companies and biomedical research organizations, both nonprofit and for-profit, need to improve their environmental performance; suppliers of healthcare products will be called upon to support this need; and improving the environmental profile of healthcare products begins in research and development (R&D). The committee report begins with requirements from regulatory authorities (e.g., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], the U.S. Food and Drug Administration), and the healthcare delivery sector). The 1998 American Hospital Association and EPA Memorandum of Understanding to reduce solid waste and mercury from healthcare facilities is emblematic of these requirements. The dominant message from the requirements discussion is to ensure that R&D organizations do not ignore customer, environmental, and regulatory requirements in the early stages of product development. Several representatives from healthcare products manufacturers presented their companies' approaches to meeting these requirements. They reported on efforts to ensure that their R&D processes are sensitive to the environmental consequences from manufacturing, distributing, using, and disposing of healthcare products. These reports describe representatives' awareness of requirements and the unique approaches their R&D organizations have taken to meet these requirements. All representatives reported that their R&D organizations have embraced environmental product design because it avoids the potential of returning products to R&D to improve the environmental profile. Additionally, several reports detailed cost savings, sustainability benefits, and improvements in environmental manufacturing or redesign, and increased customer satisfaction. Many companies in healthcare delivery are working to improve environmental performance. Fundamental to these efforts is the necessity of motivating suppliers to improve the environmental profile of new products used in the healthcare delivery sector.

The Evolution of ICT Markets: An Agent-Based Model on Complex Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Liangjie; Wu, Bangtao; Chen, Zhong; Li, Li

Information and communication technology (ICT) products exhibit positive network effects.The dynamic process of ICT markets evolution has two intrinsic characteristics: (1) customers are influenced by each others’ purchasing decision; (2) customers are intelligent agents with bounded rationality.Guided by complex systems theory, we construct an agent-based model and simulate on complex networks to examine how the evolution can arise from the interaction of customers, which occur when they make expectations about the future installed base of a product by the fraction of neighbors who are using the same product in his personal network.We demonstrate that network effects play an important role in the evolution of markets share, which make even an inferior product can dominate the whole market.We also find that the intensity of customers’ communication can influence whether the best initial strategy for firms is to improve product quality or expand their installed base.

7 CFR 57.930 - Imported eggs; retention in customs custody; delivery under bond; movement prior to inspection...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Imported eggs; retention in customs custody; delivery... AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946 AND THE EGG PRODUCTS INSPECTION ACT (CONTINUED) INSPECTION OF EGGS (EGG PRODUCTS INSPECTION ACT) Regulations Governing the Inspection of Eggs...

19 CFR 210.30 - Requests for production of documents and things and entry upon land.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Requests for production of documents and things and entry upon land. 210.30 Section 210.30 Customs Duties UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION INVESTIGATIONS OF UNFAIR PRACTICES IN IMPORT TRADE ADJUDICATION AND ENFORCEMENT Discovery and Compulsory Process...

78 FR 29377 - Accreditation and Approval of Inspectorate America Corporation, as a Commercial Gauger and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-20

... test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes for... 70123), has been approved to gauge and accredited to test petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils for customs purposes, in accordance with the provisions of 19 CFR 151.12 and 19...

27 CFR 26.261 - Action by district director of customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Action by district director of customs. 26.261 Section 26.261 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX..., 1975] Editorial Note: For Federal Register citations affecting § 26.261, see the List of CFR Sections...

27 CFR 26.261 - Action by district director of customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Action by district director of customs. 26.261 Section 26.261 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL LIQUORS AND ARTICLES FROM PUERTO RICO AND THE...

27 CFR 26.261 - Action by district director of customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Action by district director of customs. 26.261 Section 26.261 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX..., 1975] Editorial Note: For Federal Register citations affecting § 26.261, see the List of CFR Sections...

27 CFR 26.261 - Action by district director of customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Action by district director of customs. 26.261 Section 26.261 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL LIQUORS AND ARTICLES FROM PUERTO RICO AND THE...

27 CFR 26.261 - Action by district director of customs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Action by district director of customs. 26.261 Section 26.261 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX..., 1975] Editorial Note: For Federal Register citations affecting § 26.261, see the List of CFR Sections...

27 CFR 41.85a - Release from customs custody of returned articles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... PRODUCTS, CIGARETTE PAPERS AND TUBES, AND PROCESSED TOBACCO Tobacco Products and Cigarette Papers and Tubes... Cigarette Papers and Tubes Without Payment of Tax Or Certain Duty § 41.85a Release from customs custody of... warehouse proprietor. (b) Domestically produced cigarette papers and tubes (classifiable under item 9801.00...

76 FR 10394 - Ohio Decorative Products, Inc., Including On-Site Leased Workers From Custom Staffing...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-24

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-74,890] Ohio Decorative Products, Inc., Including On-Site Leased Workers From Custom Staffing, Spencerville, OH; Amended Certification... Act of 1974, as amended (``Act''), 19 U.S.C. 2273, the Department of Labor issued a Certification of...

7 CFR 57.930 - Imported eggs; retention in customs custody; delivery under bond; movement prior to inspection...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Imported eggs; retention in customs custody; delivery... AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING ACT OF 1946 AND THE EGG PRODUCTS INSPECTION ACT (CONTINUED) INSPECTION OF EGGS (EGG PRODUCTS INSPECTION ACT) Regulations Governing the Inspection of Eggs...

19 CFR 4.74 - Transportation orders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Transportation orders. 4.74 Section 4.74 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY... issued under authority of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. App. 2061-2066). ...

19 CFR 4.74 - Transportation orders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Transportation orders. 4.74 Section 4.74 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY... issued under authority of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. App. 2061-2066). ...

19 CFR 4.74 - Transportation orders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Transportation orders. 4.74 Section 4.74 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY... issued under authority of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. App. 2061-2066). ...

19 CFR 4.74 - Transportation orders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Transportation orders. 4.74 Section 4.74 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY... issued under authority of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. App. 2061-2066). ...

76 FR 61761 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-05

... retained up to 3 years after the customer relationship ends. * * * * * 6. Records related to inquiries and.... These modifications reflect the changes that have been made in providing alternate access to customers... products and services when and where its customers want them. II. Rationale for Changes to USPS Privacy Act...

16 CFR 313.9 - Delivering privacy and opt out notices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... refrain from sending any information regarding the customer relationship, and your current privacy notice...) Annual notices only. You may reasonably expect that a customer will receive actual notice of your annual privacy notice if: (1) The customer uses your web site to access financial products and services...

17 CFR 160.7 - Form of opt out notice to consumers; opt out methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... consumer agrees, electronically. (2) When a customer relationship terminates, the customer's opt out... that relationship. If the individual subsequently establishes a new customer relationship with you, the... relationships. (1) If two or more consumers jointly obtain a financial product or service from you, you may...

Customer satisfaction.

PubMed

Vukmir, Rade B

2006-01-01

This paper seeks to present an analysis of the literature examining objective information concerning the subject of customer service, as it applies to the current medical practice. Hopefully, this information will be synthesized to generate a cogent approach to correlate customer service with quality. Articles were obtained by an English language search of MEDLINE from January 1976 to July 2005. This computerized search was supplemented with literature from the author's personal collection of peer-reviewed articles on customer service in a medical setting. This information was presented in a qualitative fashion. There is a significant lack of objective data correlating customer service objectives, patient satisfaction and quality of care. Patients present predominantly for the convenience of emergency department care. Specifics of satisfaction are directed to the timing, and amount of "caring". Demographic correlates including symptom presentation, practice style, location and physician issues directly impact on satisfaction. It is most helpful to develop a productive plan for the "difficult patient", emphasizing communication and empathy. Profiling of the customer satisfaction experience is best accomplished by examining the specifics of satisfaction, nature of the ED patient, demographic profile, symptom presentation and physician interventions emphasizing communication--especially with the difficult patient. The current emergency medicine customer service dilemmas are a complex interaction of both patient and physician factors specifically targeting both efficiency and patient satisfaction. Awareness of these issues particular to the emergency patient can help to maximize efficiency, minimize subsequent medicolegal risk and improve patient care if a tailored management plan is formulated.

How to survive climate change and still run a thriving business.

PubMed

Lowitt, Eric

2014-04-01

Climate change presents clear and pressing threats to business--materials and product shortages, price volatility, legal bans or consumer backlash, and damaged transportation infrastructure, to name just a few. But there are opportunities as well. Lowitt, a consultant in the sustainability field, has developed a series of detailed checklists that will help smart managers reduce operational, regulatory, and reputational risk while finding new ways to cut costs, improve performance, enhance customer relationships, and otherwise increase competitiveness. The checklist recommendations, tested and refined through Lowitt's research into and work with firms including Coca-Cola, GE, and Owens Corning, cover four broad areas in the product life cycle: sourcing, manufacturing, distribution, and consumption. Actions range from educating and incentivizing employees to use climate change-conscious behavior to measuring and reporting key metrics to determining when alternative materials, methods, sites, or contract partners may be called for. Like any such tool, the checklists don't provide a one-size-fits-all plan. Rather, they equip executives to customize their strategies according to factors such as their goods and services, risk tolerance, customer needs, and reliance on third parties throughout the value chain.

Error-free pathology: applying lean production methods to anatomic pathology.

PubMed

Condel, Jennifer L; Sharbaugh, David T; Raab, Stephen S

2004-12-01

The current state of our health care system calls for dramatic changes. In their pathology department, the authors believe these changes may be accomplished by accepting the long-term commitment of applying a lean production system. The ideal state of zero pathology errors is one that should be pursued by consistently asking, "Why can't we?" The philosophy of lean production systems began in the manufacturing industry: "All we are doing is looking at the time from the moment the customer gives us an order to the point when we collect the cash. And we are reducing that time line by removing non-value added wastes". The ultimate goals in pathology and overall health care are not so different. The authors' intention is to provide the patient (customer) with the most accurate diagnostic information in a timely and efficient manner. Their lead histotechnologist recently summarized this philosophy: she indicated that she felt she could sleep better at night knowing she truly did the best job she could. Her chances of making an error (in cutting or labeling) were dramatically decreased in the one-by-one continuous flow work process compared with previous practices. By designing a system that enables employees to be successful in meeting customer demand, and by empowering the frontline staff in the development and problem solving processes, one can meet the challenges of eliminating waste and build an improved, efficient system.

Measuring Customer and Employee Loyalty at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Charleston

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-09-01

industries there is generally an initial outlay of capital to acquire each new customer for the firm, whether through advertising , marketing or direct...marketing or product advertising , this word of mouth from current and past customers may be even more important to an organization like SPAWAR Charleston...MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. MEASURING CUSTOMER AND EMPLOYEE LOYALTY AT SPACE

New product development: A batik multifunctional chair

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Indrawati, Sri; Sukmaningsih, Nias

2017-11-01

The biggest challenge facing by Batik industry in ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) era is the greater number of fashion competitors both domestically and internationally. Based on that condition, the development of new product variants by considering product performance and price is needed. This research was conducted to develop batik products with a new target market. Products that being developed is batik multifunctional chair using integrated value engineering and analytic hierarchy process methods. This research has been done in several stages, ie. Information stage, creative stage, value analysis and product prototyping. The results of this research shows that the batik multifunctional chair product criteria are aesthetic (29%), multifunctional (34%) and ergonomic (37%). There are three new product design alternatives that successfully being developed. Based on value analysis, the product design alternatives that have the highest value is alternative design 2, the value is 2,37. The production cost for this design is Rp. 500.000,-. Alternative design 2 specification are using Mahoni wood, Batik parang rusak pattern with natural coloring process, can be used as table and fit with customer's body anthropometry. Then a batik multifunctional chair prototype is developed based on the best alternative design.

The recommender system for virtual items in MMORPGs based on a novel collaborative filtering approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, S. G.; Shi, L.

2014-10-01

The recommendation system for virtual items in massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) has aroused the interest of researchers. Of the many approaches to construct a recommender system, collaborative filtering (CF) has been the most successful one. However, the traditional CFs just lure customers into the purchasing action and overlook customers' satisfaction, moreover, these techniques always suffer from low accuracy under cold-start conditions. Therefore, a novel collaborative filtering (NCF) method is proposed to identify like-minded customers according to the preference similarity coefficient (PSC), which implies correlation between the similarity of customers' characteristics and the similarity of customers' satisfaction level for the product. Furthermore, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to determine the relative importance of each characteristic of the customer and the improved ant colony optimisation (IACO) is adopted to generate the expression of the PSC. The IACO creates solutions using the Markov random walk model, which can accelerate the convergence of algorithm and prevent prematurity. For a target customer whose neighbours can be found, the NCF can predict his satisfaction level towards the suggested products and recommend the acceptable ones. Under cold-start conditions, the NCF will generate the recommendation list by excluding items that other customers prefer.

Agile Development Methods for Space Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trimble, Jay; Webster, Chris

2012-01-01

Main stream industry software development practice has gone from a traditional waterfall process to agile iterative development that allows for fast response to customer inputs and produces higher quality software at lower cost. How can we, the space ops community, adopt state of the art software development practice, achieve greater productivity at lower cost, and maintain safe and effective space flight operations? At NASA Ames, we are developing Mission Control Technologies Software, in collaboration with Johnson Space Center (JSC) and, more recently, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

Institutional and financial guide to geothermal district heating, serial no. 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1982-03-01

General planning considerations which affect nearly every community are reviewed, and alternative operating structures which are available to communities are reviewed, including local governments, nonprofit cooperatives, private enterprises, and joint ventures. The financing options available to publicly-owned and privately-owned district heating systems are then summarized. The geothermal production and distribution activities most appropriate to each type of operating structure are reviewed, along with typical equity and debt funding sources. The tax advantages for private developers are described, as are the issues of customer contracts and service prices, and customer retrofit financing. The treatment is limited to an introductory overview.

Customer complaints: a managed care firm's best weapon in CQI.

PubMed

Polonski, G J

1995-01-01

Encouraging customer feedback and developing an automated customer complaint system are two essential steps a health plan must take if it wishes to develop a balanced relationship with the customer. The author explores how the right attitude and appropriate action can ensure that both customers and the company reap the benefits of a comprehensive customer complaint system.

Customized vaginal vault brachytherapy with computed tomography imaging-derived applicator prototyping.

PubMed

Wiebe, Ericka; Easton, Harry; Thomas, Gillian; Barbera, Lisa; D'Alimonte, Laura; Ravi, Ananth

2015-01-01

A novel customized vaginal brachytherapy mould technique has been developed for clinical use. This image-guided technique provides a brachytherapy applicator solution for irregular vaginal vault configuration and/or a wide vaginal apex relative to the vaginal introitus that would be sub-optimally treated with standard cylinders. The customized vaginal applicator is generated by the following process: CT images are obtained with contrast-soaked vaginal packing in situ to highlight unique anatomical detail. A 3-dimensional digital model is developed from the images and subsequently converted into a custom applicator with the use of stereolithography, which is an additive manufacturing technique whereby layers 50-100 μm thick of resin are deposited and polymerized using a laser to create intricate 3-dimensional objects. The density of the applicator and the dose delivered using the custom applicator were both measured to ensure accurate dosimetry. The CT-based densities of a clinical vaginal cylinder and the cylinder generated using stereolithography were 1.29 ± 0.06 g/cm(3) vs 1.28 ± 0.01 g/cm(3), respectively. The mean measured dose from a representative stereolithographed applicator normalized to dose measured for a single plastic catheter was 99.8 ± 4.2%. In patient dosimetric results indicate improved coverage of the lateral aspect of vaginal vault with the custom cylinder relative to the standard cylinder; 700 cGy vs 328 cGy, respectively, at a representative lateral vaginal dose point, while simultaneously achieving relatively narrow dose distribution in the anterior/posterior direction. Stereolithographic applicator production was available within a clinically acceptable timeframe, and its clinical feasibility and utility has been demonstrated. Copyright © 2015 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

European small geostationary communications satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Wei, , Dr.; Ellmers, Frank; Winkler, Andreas; Schuff, Herbert; Sansegundo Chamarro, Manuel Julián

2011-04-01

Hispasat Advanced Generation 1 (HAG1) is the first satellite using the SGEO platform, which is under the development in the ESA Artes-11 program. Since the last presentation in the IAC 2007, a European industrial consortium led by OHB has completed the mission and spacecraft design. The platform Preliminary Design Review has been carried out in May 2008. The customer for the first mission is a commercial operator—Hispasat. The contract was signed in December 2008 and the satellite will be launched in 2012. To give confidence to the customer, SGEO platform will use up to date flight proven technologies. HAG1 carries 20/24 Ku-band and 3/5 Ka-band transponders to provide commercial services. Some innovative payload technologies will also be flown on board of HAG1 to gain in-orbit heritage. SGEO has also been selected as the baseline platform for the ESA Data Relay Satellite (EDRS). Phase-A study has just kicked off in January 2009. The targeted launch date is 2013. Heinrich Hertz will also use the SGEO platform. Heinrich Hertz is funded by the German Space Agency (DLR) and provides flight opportunities for technologies and components developed by the German Space Industry. With the HAG1 contract in hand, and EDRS and Heinrich Hertz in the line, OHB with its partners has the confidence that it will be able to speed up the product development of the SGEO platform for potential customers in the commercial market. This paper will first present the updated platform design and the status of the product development will be followed with the introduction of innovative payload technologies on board the first mission—HAG1 and ended with the mission concepts of EDRS and Heinrich Hertz missions.

Challenges in engineering large customized bone constructs.

PubMed

Forrestal, David P; Klein, Travis J; Woodruff, Maria A

2017-06-01

The ability to treat large tissue defects with customized, patient-specific scaffolds is one of the most exciting applications in the tissue engineering field. While an increasing number of modestly sized tissue engineering solutions are making the transition to clinical use, successfully scaling up to large scaffolds with customized geometry is proving to be a considerable challenge. Managing often conflicting requirements of cell placement, structural integrity, and a hydrodynamic environment supportive of cell culture throughout the entire thickness of the scaffold has driven the continued development of many techniques used in the production, culturing, and characterization of these scaffolds. This review explores a range of technologies and methods relevant to the design and manufacture of large, anatomically accurate tissue-engineered scaffolds with a focus on the interaction of manufactured scaffolds with the dynamic tissue culture fluid environment. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1129-1139. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Discussion of the Software Quality Assurance Role

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kandt, Ronald Kirk

2010-01-01

The basic idea underlying this paper is that the conventional understanding of the role of a Software Quality Assurance (SQA) engineer is unduly limited. This is because few have asked who the customers of a SQA engineer are. Once you do this, you can better define what tasks a SQA engineer should perform, as well as identify the knowledge and skills that such a person should have. The consequence of doing this is that a SQA engineer can provide greater value to his or her customers. It is the position of this paper that a SQA engineer providing significant value to his or her customers must not only assume the role of an auditor, but also that of a software and systems engineer. This is because software engineers and their managers particularly value contributions that directly impact products and their development. These ideas are summarized as lessons learned, based on my experience at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

Development and evaluation of a new contoured cushion system with an optimized normalization algorithm.

PubMed

Li, Sujiao; Zhang, Zhengxiang; Wang, Jue

2014-01-01

Prevention of pressure sores remains a significant problem confronting spinal cord injury patients and the elderly with limited mobility. One vital aspect of this subject concerns the development of cushions to decrease pressure ulcers for seated patients, particularly those bound by wheelchairs. Here, we present a novel cushion system that employs interface pressure distribution between the cushion and the buttocks to design custom contoured foam cushion. An optimized normalization algorithm was proposed, with which interface pressure distribution was transformed into the carving depth of foam cushions according to the biomechanical characteristics of the foam. The shape and pressure-relief performance of the custom contoured foam cushions was investigated. The outcomes showed that the contoured shape of personalized cushion matched the buttock contour very well. Moreover, the custom contoured cushion could alleviate pressure under buttocks and increase subjective comfort and stability significantly. Furthermore, the fabricating method not only decreased the unit production cost but also simplified the procedure for manufacturing. All in all, this prototype seat cushion would be an effective and economical way to prevent pressure ulcers.