Service level

About: Service level is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 7647 publications have been published within this topic receiving 126093 citations. The topic is also known as: service level.

Financial modeling and counseling system

Abstract: The present invention relates to a financial management system for providing personalized financial advice to a user (110). The system operates in a collaborative computing environment between the user and a financial advisor (106) and comprises a service level subsystem and an advice generating subsystem (102). The service level subsystem allows the user to negotiate a service level agreement that defines the user's desired level of support and limits access to user provided information. The advice generating subsystem is coupled to the service level subsystem and includes one or more coaching engines that dynamically analyze the financial needs of the user in accordance with the user's service level agreement. Furthermore, the coaching engine provides customized financial advice tailored to the user's life intentions.

Cost modelling techniques for availability type service support contracts: a literature review and empirical study

Abstract: The traditional distinction between manufacturing and services, both in relation to products and indeed, the actual companies themselves, is getting blurred. Increasingly services are becoming a major part of the company offerings in manufacturing sector. In order to compete in a transformed environment, companies need to assess the cost of their service offerings properly to stay competitive. The research in this paper is focused on enhancing existing knowledge in cost estimation models for availability type support service contracts that focus on equipment availability targets and predefined service levels. Most of the current studies concentrate on product cost estimation rather than on services. The difficulty of this task lies in properly estimating the costs of activities during the long lasting contracts, which in some cases may reach even several decades. The paper first reports the existing knowledge in cost estimating techniques through detailed review of literature and presents the key cost assessment techniques that can be used in estimating the cost of service contracts over its entire life-cycle. The paper investigates different availability type support contracts in defence sector and reports the cost assessment techniques used in practice. The paper presents an integrated framework for costing availability type service contracts based on the literature and practice. The gaps in cost modelling of availability type service contracts and areas for further research are identified.

Forecasting and Inventory Management of Short Life-Cycle Products

Abstract: In this paper, we provide an integrated framework for forecasting and inventory management of short life-cycle products. The literature on forecasting and inventory management does not adequately address issues relating to short life-cycle products. We first propose a growth model that can be used to obtain accurate monthly forecasts for the entire life cycle of the product. The model avoids limiting data requirements of traditional methods. Instead, it extracts relevant information from past product histories and utilizes the information on total life-cycle sales and the peak sales timing. Using disguised demand data from a personal computer PC manufacturer, we validate the model. Next, we model the inventory management problem for the short life-cycle environment. The uncertainty in demand is modeled through the uncertainty in the realized values of the parameters of the forecasting model. The high cost of terminal inventory, shortages, and rapidly changing procurement costs are all included in the model. Extensions to the basic model are also developed. Using optimal control theory, we derive a solution that provides valuable information on procurement cutoff time and terminal service levels. A detailed example explains the characteristics of the policy and its relevance in decision making. Many of the issues covered in the models were brought to our attention while implementing a forecasting model at a PC manufacturer. The benchmark monthly forecasts and the associated inventory levels provide information that can be very helpful in planning and controlling marketing, sales, and production.