Showing papers in "Information Systems and E-business Management in 2021"

Processes, benefits, and challenges for adoption of blockchain technologies in food supply chains: a thematic analysis

Abstract: Blockchain technologies have become increasingly popular and attracted great interest in recent years. Beyond the financial sector, blockchain technologies are promising for addressing the current limitations in food supply chain management. As blockchain adoption for food supply chains is still in an early stage, it is significant to have a thematic framework to systematically understand the processes, benefits, and challenges. This paper aims to explore the adoption of blockchain technologies in food supply chains with a thematic analysis. Desktop research is conducted, and data is collected from online databases, including news article (e.g. Factiva) and research paper databases (e.g. Web of Science). Then we carry out a qualitative thematic analysis, according to the investigation processes suggested by Creswell. Based on the thematic analysis, we identify seven first-order themes and two second-order themes in adoption processes; thirteen first-order themes, sixteen second-order themes, and five third-order themes in benefits; and fourteen first-order themes and five second-order themes in challenges. In addition, we discuss and propose how to improve blockchain adoption in food supply chains in practice.

A scientometric review of blockchain research

Abstract: As a new and rapidly developing distributed technology, blockchain has shown substantial impact on the fields of cryptocurrency and e-commerce and thus has attracted the interests of governments, enterprises, and research institutions. As such, it is important to understand the state of blockchain research in order for those institutions to plan their research effectively. Towards this goal, we first integrate two search strategies to construct a representative dataset. Then we analyze the blockchain literature between 2013 and 2018 in this dataset with a science mapping approach and Latent Dirichlet Allocation model. Based on the results of the analysis, we found the following insights: (1) the evolution of blockchain research involves many disciplines while two major disciplines—computer science and business—lead the way. (2) The current research can be divided into four research areas: underlying technology architecture, privacy and security, financial application, and smart scene applications. (3) The evolution of blockchain research has gone through three stages: basic blockchain technology, various business applications, and integration with advanced technologies such as fog computing, Internet of things, and artificial intelligence. (4) We also discovered a close coupling of two research issues that have transformative power, i.e., the potential by the application of cryptocurrency in the real world and the improvement of blockchain technology based on the application requirements. Overall, our study uses multiple complementary scientometric methods to generate a panoramic view of the recent developments in blockchain research. Future research directions and some limitations are discussed.

Generating design knowledge for blockchain-based access control to personal health records

Abstract: In the course of digitization in healthcare, personal health records (PHRs) are handled as a key solution. Despite the indisputable benefits, the adoption of PHRs is hampered by data security and data privacy concerns. Blockchain technology offers promising potential to address these issues by enabling secure transactions of sensitive data. With regards to PHRs, the blockchain can be used to manage the access to health-related data. Besides existing generic PHR architectures, we systematically identified issues for the healthcare sector that need to be considered for the development of a PHR. We subsequently derived eight meta-requirements that were consolidated into three design principles. Within a 1-year design science research project, we developed the blockchain-secured PHR prototype, OSHealthRec, and evaluated the system in four evaluation cycles. The findings of our research are twofold. On the one hand, we contribute to the design knowledge base by presenting three design principles. On the other hand, we present the development of a real, operational blockchain-secured PHR and the findings from its continuous evaluation, which may serve as useful advice for further solutions.

A survey of blockchain with applications in maritime and shipping industry

Abstract: Arrival of blockchain is set to transform supply chain activities. Scholars have barely begun to systematically assess the effects of blockchain on various organizational activities. This paper first summarizes the research articles published between year 2015 and year 2018 into four areas: hardware, software, emerging technology, and business applications. The paper then discusses the key enabling technologies applied in blockchain and three types of blockchain structures. Finally, seven case studies of blockchain projects in the maritime and shipping industry are discussed. This paper examines how blockchain is likely to affect key supply chain management objectives such as cost, quality, speed, and risk management. The paper illustrates various mechanisms by which blockchain can help achieve the above supply chain objectives. The paper presents early evidence linking the use of blockchain in supply chain activities to increasing transparency and accountability. Special emphasis has been placed on the degree of deployment of blockchain to validate individuals’ and assets’ identities.

The impact of blockchain on business models in banking

Abstract: Blockchain technology is predicted to reshape existing business models of the financial services industry. But although blockchain is often seen as a strategic technology, research focusing on its impact on business models is still rare. This research derives a hypotheses model that connects IT innovations with the three generic value disciplines of banks “operational excellence”, “customer intimacy” and “product leadership” as well as the four generic elements of business models “what”, “who”, “how” and “value”. A business model acts as a mediator for IT innovation. To test the hypothesis model data provided from an international survey of 104 financial services institutions and start-up companies was applied. The results support the hypothesis that all three value disciplines might be impacted by blockchain technology in the future. The regression analysis reveals that especially banks’ operations could be significantly changed. With these results, this research contributes to the emerging literature on blockchain and business models and the strategic use of IT.

Analysing the factors affecting the selection of ERP package: a fuzzy AHP approach

Abstract: Contribution of small and medium scale enterprises is significant in development of any country, specifically developing countries like India. Therefore, synchronization and integration of their business processes and functions through effective and efficient information sharing is vital. Hence, enhancing their competence through the adoption of an appropriate Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is crucial to improve their competitiveness in the competitive scenario. Under this backdrop, this paper analyses pertinent factors for selecting an appropriate ERP system for SMEs. This mix-method research involved triangulation design by merging both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Factor Analysis was applied for selection of relevant factors affecting ERP procurement decision. Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process approach, based on triangular fuzzy numbers, was used to rank these factors. Further, sensitivity analysis was performed to ensure the robustness of the FAHP results. Cost of deployment was identified as the most significant criteria. On the other hand, ‘Vendor credibility’ was found to be the least significant factor. Criterion ‘User friendliness and Security’ and ‘Need fulfilment’ were ranked as second and third. ERP vendors can use these findings in developing appropriate marketing mix strategies. SME owners can also make use of these findings by collaborating with other SMEs for buying an ERP. This study can be seen as first attempt in investigating and ranking various factors affecting ERP adoption decision for SMEs, specifically in Indian context, using FAHP approach.

Research on operational research-based financial model based on e-commerce platform

Abstract: At present, the efficiency of electronic technology is minimized the improper funding system which decreases the growth of information technology. Hence, in this research, an optimized financial model has been designed and developed step by step based on an e-commerce assisted framework of operational research (ECFOR). The use of the e-commerce platform has been integrated throughout life and a discussion has been conducted on the structure of the Operational Research-based advanced financing model. This model helps to examine the key parts involved in the funding process and improves the conventional advance payment in contrast with this modern funding model. The congenital superiority of this kind of funding system helps to improve the current financial model through operational research. Finally, it has concluded that the e-commerce-based prepaid financing model helps to reduce the risk of related parties and it has been used to improve the efficiency of financing.

Human and computer interaction in information system design for managing business

Abstract: Artificial intelligence seems to be all pervasive and slowly has become an integral part of commercial entities. However, there needs to be an approach that can integrate human and machine interaction and make it a sustainable implementation. Using framework developed by Mohapatra (2019), we find that such parameters that can improve physical interactions with humans and domain processes. This article is an attempt to characterise these challenges and to exhibit a set of key decisional issues that need to be addressed for a cognitive robot to successfully share space and tasks with a human in retial services in a banking domain (Yang et al. in Inf Syst e-Bus Manag 17(1):1–25, 2019). Here, we identify first the needed individual and collaborative cognitive skills from the published framework and then apply them to a case study in retail banking domain. The article discusses each of these abilities, presents working implementations, and shows how they combine in a coherent and original deliberative architecture for human–robot interaction, which can be used for servicing customers (Tobias and Sebastian in Inf Syst e-Bus Manag 16(3):493–546, 2018). Supported by experimental results, we eventually show how explicit knowledge management, both symbolic and geometric, proves to be instrumental to richer and more natural human–robot interactions by pushing for pervasive, human-level semantics within the robot’s deliberative system.

Laying the foundation for smart contract development : an integrated engineering process model

Abstract: Smart contracts are seen as the major building blocks for future autonomous blockchain- and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)-based applications. Engineering such contracts for trustless, append- ...

Evaluating blockchain technology for reducing supply chain risks

Abstract: With the rapid changes in the global business environment, enterprises face many risks for their supply chains. The development of blockchain technology (BCT), an emerging technology, could transform supply chain activities and provides an opportunity to mitigate supply chain risks (SCRs). However, there is a lack of guidance on this issue. Therefore, this study evaluates and prioritizes the impacts of BCT on reducing SCRs. By applying the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach, this study identifies and assesses the nineteen BCT adoption enablers for reducing SCRs in a hierarchical structure. Results show that the sourcing process is the essential enabler when enterprises consider adopting BCT for reducing risks, and the weight of the making process is ranked second. Among the sub-criteria, the top five items are clarity of supply sources, counterfeit and shoddy products, fraud in contract fulfillment, the flexibility of capacity, and sensitivity to demand change. This study's findings may guide practitioners considering the introduction of BCT to reduce SCRs and for scholars who are developing related theories.

Buyers' trust and mistrust in e-commerce platforms: a synthesizing literature review

Abstract: Electronic markets have grown substantially, and they are considered an effective form of retail in recent years. Despite such growth, lack of physical transactions between different parties, as well as users' concerns about their privacy and security of transactions in electronic commerce (e-commerce) platforms have jeopardized users' trust. Thus, trust as a key issue for reducing consumers' perceived risk and the successful promotion of e-commerce has motivated many researchers to study it. This paper created a comprehensive and up-to-date framework that synthesized the previous studies in the literature conducted on trust in e-commerce environments. A systematic literature review method was selected to achieve this aim. The initial search in 17 top-ranked information systems journals and conferences resulted in 129 papers that met the inclusion criteria. Then these studies underwent an in-depth examination to determine how trust had been conceptualized in e-commerce environments. Further, the theoretical bases in relation to trust in e-commerce contexts used in the literature were investigated. The study concludes with implications for practice and a critical agenda for future research.

An integrated framework of change management for social CRM implementation

Abstract: Social Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a new paradigm in e-business environment that enables businesses to collaboratively manage customer expectations via social technologies. It combines the capabilities of social media with traditional CRM software in order that businesses better engage their customers. Implementation of social CRM systems continues to drive changes in organizations; however, the implementation attempts often lead to failure, partially due to the lack of readiness to change or resistance toward change. This study aims at developing a framework to determine change management requirements for successful implementation of social CRM in the organizations. To this end, a comprehensive literature review is done and semi-structured interviews are conducted to develop the initial framework. Best–Worst Method is applied to calculate the weights of each change requirement. Finally, the stage of change management process to which each of the identified sub-factors is related are determined. The proposed framework contains requirements such as ‘content of change’, ‘context of change’, ‘individual’, and ‘process’; for each, a set of sub-factors is defined. It suggests the change management requirements of social CRM implementation based on the sequential stages of Lewin’s model. The proposed framework is presented as a guideline for successful implementation of social CRM.

The application of multi-server authentication scheme in internet banking transaction environments

Abstract: Information and communication technology has altered businesses’ operations, with a host of established and new banks launching online banking products and services. Banks encourage their customers to use online banking facilities because these facilities reduce transaction costs, improve customer retention, increase the customer share of wallet, and enhance customer services. Many customers also prefer Internet banking channels because of their convenience and the freedom they offer. Although Internet banking offers substantial benefits and opportunities, it does involve security risks associated with sensitive transactions and accessing critical information over public networks. To secure Internet banking activities and maintain the trust and confidence of customers, numerous banks have adopted technical countermeasures, such as two-factor or multi-factor authentication, to prevent cyberattacks, online fraud, and unauthorized access to bank accounts. However, the use of two-factor authentication is inadequate for protecting customers’ accounts against takeover by cyber criminals. Multi-factor authentication services along with related security techniques lead to two considerable barriers: (1) the high cost of deployment and maintenance and (2) the complex integration between authentication processes and online banking systems. This paper presents an alternative model for the authentication of online banking customers and transactions through use of a hash-based multi-server authentication scheme in conjunction with a smart card. The proposed system provides strong security features and low maintenance costs for financial institutions’ Internet banking platforms. The proposed mechanism can be associated with a customized interface and thus easily integrated into existing banking systems for use in Internet banking applications.

Three layers of abstraction: a conceptual framework for theorizing digital multi-sided platforms

Abstract: The digital economy has brought about multi-sided platforms as superior configurations for value co-creation. However, the academic discourse on platforms is scattered across academic disciplines—including management, information systems, and economics. Based on a systematic literature review of 140 papers from nine disciplines, we inductively develop a framework that provides a conceptual point of reference for conducting boundary-spanning research on digital multi-sided platforms. Systematizing the identified concepts, we introduce three layers of abstraction: conceptualizing platforms as information systems, as systems for actor engagement, or as ecosystems. Our framework conceptualizes digital multi-sided platforms as nested hierarchies of systems that are shaped by, and in interaction with, their environment. This view focuses on designing IT artifacts, governance mechanisms, and strategies for platforms in terms of how they interact with their environment. Practitioners can use our insights to analyze, design, and manage platforms aimed at establishing a sustainable competitive advantage.

Understanding augmented reality adoption trade-offs in production environments from the perspective of future employees: A choice-based conjoint study

Abstract: The implementation of augmented reality (AR) systems in production environments is associated with a variety of advantages, such as productivity gains, lower costs and reduced operating times. Despite these potential benefits, the lack of user acceptance due to issues such as privacy concerns constitutes a barrier to diffusion in workplace environments. In order to better understand the issues surrounding AR acceptance, we employed a conjoint study to empirically examine the trade-offs that future employees perceive when being involved in adopting such systems. Using a hierarchical Bayes estimation, we discover that functional benefits such as productivity gains and safety enhancement are the main adoption drivers. In contrast, future employees indeed perceive monitoring through head-worn AR devices as negative. However, a complementary cluster analysis indicates that not all respondents share a negative view of monitoring, and one third are likely to share their performance data with employers. We identify three groups with significantly different utility patterns. Furthermore, we monetize the value of privacy to determine compensation payments. The results may help employers, decision-makers, software solution providers as well as researchers in the information systems domain to better understand the factors surrounding acceptance of AR assistance systems. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to address this issue using conjoint analysis.

Influences of place attachment and social media affordances on online brand community continuance

Abstract: The emergence and rapid development of social media have brought customers to become an indispensable part of brand activities through conversation and co-creation with the brand. Factors affecting customers’ intentions to continually participate in online brand communities thus present a research opportunity to be explored. From the contextual and instrumental viewpoints, this study examines the effects of place attachment and social media affordances on online brand community continuance and the mediating roles of service experience and brand engagement. A model with seven hypotheses is tested using a sample of 231 online survey respondents. The PLS analysis shows that both service experience and brand engagement have positive influences on continuance intention. Also, the proposed impact of place attachment and social media affordances on service experience and brand engagement are partially supported. The results indicate that placement attachment and social media affordances indirectly drive users to continually participate in online brand communities through improving their service experience and brand engagement. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.

Mining sentiment tendencies and summaries from consumer reviews

Abstract: Consumer reviews are an invaluable aid for businesses in obtaining consumers’ feedback to facilitate their marketing campaigns. However, the rapidly increasing number of consumer reviews makes it difficult for businesses to obtain a comprehensive view of consumer opinions about their products, especially about the highlighted product features. This study presents a framework to provide an understanding of how consumers’ feedback changes over time and what concerns consumers most. The framework presented here contributes to consumer review analysis in three ways. First, a novel model is proposed to extract the feature words that are semantically relevant to each highlighted product feature. Second, consumers’ feedback on each highlighted product feature is converted into a sentiment tendency graph, which may reflect how the feedback changes over time. Third, consumers’ feedback is also summarized, which may reveal what consumers appreciate and what concerns them most. The experimental results show that the proposed model can effectively extract the feature words for each highlighted feature of the product. Moreover, both sentiment tendency graphs and summaries could complement each other and provide a more detailed picture for consumers and manufacturers.

Grappling with modern technology: interruptions mediated by mobile devices impact older workers disproportionately

Abstract: Mobile technologies have dramatically increased the number of work-related interruptions. In many organizations, employees must remain accessible and respond to these technology-mediated (T-M) interruptions even after regular work hours. Thus, demands from work interruptions can spill over into workers’ evening and family time, entailing role stress. Ultimately, workers can shy away from using the technologies they deem responsible, with negative impacts for organizations. This implies an indirect effect of demands from T-M interruptions through workers’ experiences of role stress on the use of mobile technology for work. At the same time, the workforce is aging rapidly, and there is a strong reason to assume that older workers may be significantly more susceptible to the negative impacts of interruptions than their younger counterparts. Therefore, the focus of this research is on examining whether the indirect effect of demands from T-M interruptions via workers’ experiences of role stress on the use of mobile technology depends on age such that it is stronger for older workers. Data collected from 135 younger and 137 older knowledge workers supported this idea. The data also show that experience with mobile devices can help older users manage the consequences of interruptions more effectively. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Does fun or freebie increase in-app purchase?

Abstract: The goal of this study is to enhance the understanding of factors that affect intention to purchase virtual items in mobile games. The effects of gameplay motivation and item experience are evaluated on intention to purchase. An online survey was conducted in a leading mobile game and we used partial least squares modeling for the empirical analysis. The results shows that play frequency and social interaction are positively associated with intention to purchase, while the level of stage is negatively associated with intention to purchase. Moreover, a player’s experience with a virtual item is positively related to intention to purchase the item. Although the level of stage is negatively associated with purchase intention of a user, free-item experience positively meditates the effect of expertise on intention to purchase the item. This implies that offering free items is an effective way for all users, not just novices but also skillful players. Furthermore, purchased-item experience has the largest effect on intention to purchase among suggested factors. This presents that players who purchased in-app items are more likely to purchase again. Thus, game developers need to consider more carefully about paying users for continuous purchasing. Drawing on the empirical findings, managerial implications and directions for future research are provided.

Business model innovation driven by the internet of things technology, in internet service providers’ business context

Abstract: Business model innovation (BMI) describes the efforts made by the business in finding new business logic or new ways of value creation. Technological change is deemed to be the main driver of BMI. This study focused on the emergence of the internet of things (IoT) as a technological driver of BMI in internet service providers’ (ISPs) business context, in the scope of wired access (WA) and fixed wireless access (FWA) providers, and addressed new ways of value creation for ISPs driven by IoT. To this end, a four-stage BMI process, including; initiation, ideation, integration, and evaluation, was used. In the implementation of the BMI process, we used the data extracted from the literature of IoT, BMI, and ISP business, as well as those obtained through interviews with experts. As a result of the process implementation, we identified possible ideas for the value creation of ISPs in the IoT domain, based on connectivity service providing, cloud service providing, technical solution providing, and business solution providing. Then, we proposed ISPs’ business models in the IoT domain, in accordance with the identified ideas, based on Hedman and Kalling’s ontology. To boost the validity of the proposed business models, the stress testing approach was recruited at the final stage of the BMI process. Implementing BMI, driven by IoT, in the ISPs’ context, reduces constraints imposed by the paucity of knowledge in both BMI and IoT, helps ISPs’ managers to anticipate and identify the IoT-based opportunities, and provides a starting point for further studies on new ways of value creation in other businesses in the telecom industry.

The digital transformation of management consulting companies: a qualitative comparative analysis of Romanian industry

Abstract: Digital transformation affects all industries. This study targets how management consulting companies address this phenomenon. Based on a survey of 30 Romanian management consulting companies and a qualitative comparative analysis, we model the relationship between management consulting companies’ current context (customers’ industries, internal and external triggers for digital transformation), the current state of digital transformation, and expected digital transformation. By considering managerial expectations importance in future decisions, and contingency theory for explaining the links between context, current state and expected digital transformation, different paths concerning digital transformation are identified at Romanian management consulting companies. For some of them, the combination of internal and external triggers and the existence of previous digital transformation activities led to increases in the recognized importance of digital transformation in future business models and to newer business services (digital strategy). For others, which do not have powerful external triggers, digital transformation is associated with internal efficiency–related triggers, and it targets only improvements in existing business models due to technology adoption (technology strategy). A small number of management consulting companies do not expect digital transformation to have a large impact on their future business model, because of either the lack of external triggers to do so or the absence of previous digital transformation activities. This research demonstrates the contingency and evolutionary nature of the digital transformation process, in which specific combinations between internal and external triggers can explain the expectations of management consulting companies’ managers about digital transformation.

Effect of consumers’ online shopping on their investment in money market funds on ecommerce platforms

Abstract: Along with the rapid growth of online and mobile shopping, a recent interesting phenomenon is the introduction of money market funds by many ecommerce platforms. The goal might be to provide consumers the one-stop convenience of both shopping and short-term investment. So far, little rigorous work has examined the relationship between online shopping and investment in ecommerce money market funds (eMMFs). In this study, we examine how consumers’ online-shopping expenditure affects their eMMF investment amounts using data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) dataset. We find that consumers’ online-shopping expenditure increases their eMMF investment amounts, holding other variables constant. This effect is significant and positive even after we consider the potential endogeneity issues with seemingly unrelated regression estimation. Further, analyzing whether consumers’ risky-market experience could moderate this effect, we find the coefficient of the moderating term to be significant after we consider the potential endogeneity issues. These findings suggest that consumers’ eMMF investments is largely affected by their online-shopping experience, and this effect is even stronger for those with risky-market participation.

Towards an understanding of technology fit and appropriation in business networks: evidence from blockchain implementations

Abstract: Existing information systems research thoroughly explains how task-technology fit and appropriation affect performance on an individual or group level. This was appropriate for many years, as technology is typically used to fulfill a certain task on these levels. Today, however, companies are tightly interconnected and rely on business networks to develop, produce, and deliver products and services. They collaboratively engage in joint implementation and utilization of new technologies that are applied and integrated into their business processes. These technologies, such as the newly introduced blockchain technology, operate across business networks and, thus, unfold their benefits not only on an individual or group level, but ideally on a network level. On this level, though, knowledge of the application and performance of information technology is still scarce. To drive the performance of technology in such networks, we investigate the impact of fit and technology appropriation on a network level. Due to the technology’s expected impact and characteristics, we select blockchain technology to explore potential factors, impacting fit, appropriation and, in turn, performance. We draw upon a set of interviews with experts that have implemented blockchain solutions in large business network settings. Based on our analysis, we propose a comprehensive model elevating the Fit-Appropriation Model to a network level. We contribute to the general understanding of technology utilization and performance by extending existing theory to a network-level perspective. Using insights on blockchain implementations as our empirical base, we also provide guidance to business leaders, intending to connect their partners through blockchain technology.

Value propositions of chatbots to support innovation management processes

Abstract: Chatbots have become popular in recent years as a means of supporting a company’s external communication with customers, but they are also increasingly being used for internal purposes, especially to improve and accelerate workflows. Along these lines, recent studies have suggested that chatbots can also be applied to other internal business practices, such as innovation management. Nevertheless, the use of chatbots for innovation management is still an under-researched topic, and practical experiences are largely missing. We address this gap by identifying value propositions of chatbots to support a company’s innovation management process. Furthermore, we link the value propositions to particular process steps and success dimensions. To do so, we perform a literature review and complement the findings with expert interviews. This study contributes to a better understanding of the benefits of chatbot usage for the innovation management process.

How can we reduce information asymmetries and enhance trust in ‘The Market for Lemons’?

Abstract: The used car market is characterized by information asymmetries and mistrust. Blockchain technology promises to resolve these problems using a system which stores data over the life cycle of a vehicle. However, while blockchain technology is strong in preserving the stored information, sense-making of this information is still essential to bring value to end consumers of the system. In this paper, we take an exploratory approach and create a prototype, which is then evaluated in realistic car sale conversations between buyers and sellers. We demonstrate and discuss how the interplay of different design elements of an application, built on top of a blockchain-based platform, helps to reduce information asymmetries and enhance trust. Our findings suggest that though providing more information about a used product (a car) leads to fewer information asymmetries in general, a reputation mechanism and data analysis are both beneficial in improving the situation further. As for trust, such a system enhances trust between buyers and sellers and, in general, makes the overall purchase process more trustworthy. However, to achieve these positive effects, the quality of the stored information should be guaranteed and properly communicated to the end-user.

Construction of internal management system of business strategic planning based on Artificial Intelligence

Abstract: With the progress of science and technology and the rapid development of artificial intelligence, major import and export enterprises often introduce it system to process orders, but employees will have various problems in the use of the system, which will affect work efficiency. It service management system needs to be set up in the enterprise to deal with the daily IT problems of employees, reduce the learning cost of employees and improve the management level of the enterprise. The Business Strategic Planning is an important link related to the survival and development of an enterprise. It is necessary to build an internal management system according to the strategic planning and internal needs of an enterprise to improve the operation level of an enterprise. Based on Kano model, this paper makes an investigation and Analysis on the needs of the internal employees about the management system. On this basis, from three dimensions of feedback channel management, robot management and integrated management, the process and function of the enterprise internal IT service management system are designed to improve the internal process of the enterprise, enhance the internal management of the enterprise and increase the competitive advantage.

A data-driven, goal-oriented framework for process-focused enterprise re-engineering

Abstract: Along with enterprise transformation, enterprise re-engineering is essential for maintaining the competitiveness of an enterprise. Enterprise re-engineering addresses (emergent) changes, re-organizing, outsourcing and re-aligning alike. Re-engineering itself has drawn traction in both academia and business. Most scholarly work in this area is confined to model-driven analysis, holistic frameworks for analyzing as-is/to-be enterprise models, and a few other conceptualization techniques. The practice of process redesign understandably takes the stage in re-engineering. Yet algorithmic techniques that insightfully point out how a process might be improved for proactively re-engineering process-intensive enterprise architecture are missing. Data science and business intelligence have brought a refreshingly new analysis to this mainstream problem by studying the operational history of a business process to facilitate most plausible changes. In this article, we investigate enterprise process redesign taking into account enterprise’s high-level strategy and data warehouse. More specifically, we propose an approach to reasoning about an enterprise’s strategy together with data mining rules extracted from the data warehouse of the enterprise. Our redesign algorithms suggest design-time changes to be made to its business processes, primarily by eliminating redundant tasks and re-ordering inefficiently-located tasks. We analyze the effectiveness of candidate to-be business processes with regard to business intelligence indicators. We report our work on the enterprise architecture developed for a retailer of low-cost domestic flights.

Platform or direct channel: government-subsidized recycling strategies for WEEE

Abstract: We investigate how government subsidies affect pricing and service-quality strategies under different online-recycling channel structures. We consider two cases: the monopoly case, where the manufacturer recycles by itself, and the coopetition case, where a platform and the manufacturer compete for used products while the platform provides services to the manufacturer. We find the optimal price and service-quality strategies in these two cases with or without government subsidy. We also examine the recycling outcomes in terms of total recycling quantities and the parties’ profits. We find that with government subsidy, in the monopoly case, the manufacturer is motivated to increase both acquisition price and service quality and thus achieves higher recycling quantities and profit. In the case of coopetition, the manufacturer enjoys similar benefits from subsidy, but the platform suffers. The manufacturer gains competitive advantage from subsidy by offering a higher acquisition price, which forces the platform to increase acquisition price as well. To compensate for this increased cost, the platform must lower service quality, which leads to lower recycling quantities and profits. Only when the subsidy is high enough can the platform benefit. We also show that a subsidy can increase the total recycling quantity of the system only when consumers are fairly insensitive to service quality. Our study contributes to the understanding of how subsidy policy interacts with different online channel structures.

The resurgence of business process re-engineering in public sector transformation efforts: exploring the systemic challenges and unintended consequences

Abstract: The realisation of citizen-centric services in the public sector requires breaking traditional silos and transforming existing institutional structures and processes. Recent transformation efforts undertaken in government institutions have embraced business process re-engineering (BPR) concepts championed by the private sector over decades ago to facilitate such change. While public opinion continues to differ about these transformation efforts' success, there is little evidence to explain the influence of BPR on their success or failure. This paper explores BPR led public sector transformation efforts in two local authorities in Europe to evaluate the outcomes realised for both government and citizens. Empirical evidence reveals that while transformation efforts contributed towards improving efficiency and integrating processes across functions in the public sector, the institutional structures evolved into a collection of reshaped and newly formed siloes, which were distinctly focused on delivering a citizen-centric service.