Showing papers on "Service provider published in 1994"

System for the operation and management of one or more financial accounts through the use of a digital communication and computation system for exchange, investment and borrowing

Abstract: A practical communication and computer based system and method for effecting exchange, investment and borrowing involves the use of digital communication and computation terminals distributed to users and service providers. Through the system described and its combined computer and communication terminals, client/customers may purchase goods and services, save, invest, track bonuses and rebates and effect enhanced personal financial analysis, planning, management and record keeping with less effort and increased convenience. Through a prioritization function, the client specifies her financial objectives, her risk preference, and budgetary constraints. The prioritization function automatically suggests to the individual a portfolio of asset and liability accounts that may be credited and/or debited to provide the required funds for consumption and to form investments and borrowing to best realize her financial objectives over a defined time horizon. If desired, the system automatically manages a client's budgetary and financial affairs through a system of expert sweeps based on a client's preferences. The client's accounts are monitored via a borrowing power baseline, and considered imbalanced if the client's borrowing power is less than the minimum borrowing power. If the account is imbalanced, the client may reallocate the assets and liabilities within the client account and/or modify a set of constraints on the client account. If the client account is still not balanced after modification of the account, the system will deny authorization for certain requested transactions, and may initiate the liquidation of certain asset accounts and reduce the balances of one or more liability accounts.

The Relationship Between Efficacy and the Instructional Practices of Special Education Teachers and Consultants

Abstract: ABSIRACT:The relationship between efficacy and selected instructional vareables was explored for two types of special education teachers. Teachers were categorized either as direct service providers, who provided direct instruction or behavioral interventions to students with mild disabilities, or as indirect service providers, who spent at least 50% of their time consulting, collaborating, or team teaching with general educators. Significant positive correlations found between efficacy and three instructionally-relevant factors were for both types of teachers. Type of service was related to only one instructional component, Instructional Experimentation. Recommendations for teacher education are addressed.

Service Quality: Concepts and Models

Abstract: The service sector has assumed greater economic importance over the past decade. The latest statistics show that the sector accounts for 60 per cent of the value added in the European Economic Community (EEC). It is estimated that “doing things wrong” typically accounts for between 30 and 40 per cent of a service organization’s operating costs. The elimination of this waste and meeting customer expectations are the major challenges facing managers in the service sector. This is why quality improvement is a vital concern for many service organizations. Despite the significance of the service sector and the importance of quality‐related matters to the sector, there is a paucity of research and publications dealing with service quality. Furthermore, there is significant misunderstanding of the various aspects of service quality. Examines the salient features of service quality and its determinants and describes and discusses several service quality models. Each model represents a different approach to quality improvement. The primary aims are to enhance understanding of “service quality” and to identify models that managers in the service industry can employ to improve quality.

Interactive information services control system

Abstract: A digital video, audio and data distribution system which enables a set top terminal (STT) (30) associated with a customer's television set or the information presentation device to request interactive digital video, audio and data control system messages transmitted via a bi-directional signalling path. The requested interactive service is transmitted from the service provider over a portion of the banwidth of a broadband transmission network (128) which is dedicated to interactive digital services. A video Session Connection (VSC) is provided for setting up and maintaining interactive sessions between the set-top terminal and a video service provider during the time the interactive programming is provided to the customer. The set top terminal (30) and service provider (20) establish the Video Session Connection via a two way signalling path within the bandwidth of the transmission medium into the customer's home.

System for selective communication connection based on transaction pricing signals

Abstract: A communications network in which user equipment is provided with a selecting device which communicates with a pricing device in service provider equipment. When communications or other services are required, the selection circuit polls a plurality of service providers, and the pricing circuit of each service provider generates a price signal indicating the level of price for its services. The selection circuit then selects a service provider, based on price (and also other factors such as quality of service).

Service Management: An Evaluation and the Future

Abstract: Deals with the future of service management in specific service management terms but also in broader, societal terms, from both a practitioner and a scholarly perspective. Claims that service management concerns not only what is traditionally known as service organizations, but also constitutes a future paradigm for organizations in general. The goods‐services division in its traditional sense is outdated; it represents a myopic production view, while the service economy is an expression for customer‐oriented and citizen‐oriented, value‐enhancing offering. Although service management has taken a giant step since the late 1970s, we are just beginning to see a new era of management that will fight the battle for economic survival in the future service society.

Service Management for Competitive Advantage

Abstract: Part 1 Services and the economy: the role of service in an economy the nature of services case: village volvo. Part 2 The service concept and competitive strategy: service strategy and market position case: America west airlines strategic role of the information resource case: Mrs. Fields cookies. Part 3 Structuring the service enterprise: the service delivery system case: 100 yen sushi house service facility design and layout cases: HMO's, esquire department store service facility location cases: HMO, athol furniture. Part 4 Managing service operations: the service encounter case: Amy's ice cream ch.8 supplement: work measurement service quality cases: clean sweep, inc., the complaint letter managing capacity and demand cases: river city national bank, gateway international airport managing queues cases: thrifty rent-a-car, eye'll be seeing you. Part 5 Toward world class service: productivity and quality improvement case: Alcove corp. ch.12 Supplement: data envelopment analysis growth and expansion case: federal express forecasting demand for services cases: oak hollow evaluation centre, gnomial functions, in queuing models and capacity planning cases: houston port authority, freedom express, cedar vall community college, pronto pizza linear programming models in services cases: munich delicatessen, sequoia airlines.

Global Supply Chains: Factors Influencing Outsourcing of Logistics Functions

Abstract: Explores the attitude of shippers and service providers towards outsourcing of logistics functions performed within large multinational, manufacturing companies engaged in global trade and presents a model describing the factors which influence the outsourcing decisions. Indicates that five key factors influence the outsourcing decision: centrality of the logistics functions to the firm′s core competency; risk liability and control; cost/service tradeoffs in operations; information and communications systems; and market relationships. Discusses several drivers, involving product, process and network complexities, which govern these factors.

Quality in Retail Banking

Abstract: Quality is increasingly being seen as a key strategic differentiator within the financial services sector in the UK, with most major players undertaking some form of quality initiative. Describes work undertaken within TSB Bank plc to determine both retail customer and staff perceptions of those factors which determine service quality. Initially identifies the models developed by Parasuraman et al. as being the most appropriate for modelling the data, but finds that although the service gap model provides an excellent basis for analysis, the SERVQUAL model is of more limited value. Describes an alternative basis for modelling service quality based on the three dimensions of process/outcome, subjective/objective and soft/hard is described and modelled against the experimental data. Describes some conclusions of significance for retail banking in particular, and service providers in general.

Updating technique for downloading new system identification (SID) list into a handset

Abstract: A cellular telephone system is upgraded by modifying subscriber units for selective service provider acquisition during roaming. Priority of acquisition is given to those service providers associated with the home service provider. These preferred service providers are identified by System Identification (SIDs) numbers. A roaming subscriber unit will tune to control frequencies to identify all of the system providers operating in a physical area to which the subscriber has roamed. The SIDs of those system providers available are compared to a preferred SID list contained within the subscriber unit. Selection is made based upon a priority of those system providers having arrangements with the home system provider. The SID lists in the subscriber units are modified based upon a version number for each update on the SID list.

Total Quality Management in Services

Abstract: Although quality improvement is being sought, and total quality management is being applied in the service sector, the majority of applications which have been described are in environments similar to manufacturing in some important respects. Some of the cases are, nevertheless, concerned with issues such as: seeking to achieve better service by programmes to shape employee behaviour, encouraging attention to the customer’s requirements, and coping with the inherent variability engendered by interaction between employees and customers; and as such are particularly relevant to the distinctly “service” aspects of businesses. As a precursor to improving service quality it is necessary to be able to define and measure quality in that context. Research which seeks to show that consumers’ perceptions of service quality are based on the difference between their actual experience of the service and what they expected form a platform for both definition and measurement. Reviews the models of service quality which ...

Proximity based toll free communication services

Abstract: A caller in a mobile vehicle requiring service determines his location such as longitude and latitude and transmits his location and service requirements in numbers; by wireless mobile phone tone signals to a remote directory station containing a data base with the phone numbers, service classifications and locations of service providers in the area of the caller to derive the telephone number of a provider who is conveniently closest to the caller and connects the caller to the communication channel of the selected telephone number or advises the caller of the selected providers telephone number. The database is regularly updated by the addition and deletion of providers subscribing to the service.

Home services delivery system with intelligent terminal emulator

Abstract: Systems and methods provide communication between a user-friendly terminal (2), such as a 'home terminal' shaped to resemble a conventional telephone (2), and a number of service provider computers such as financial institutions (20a-20d). The system's application software transforms simple user commands into commands understood by the service provider computers (20a-20d). The network host computer (8) supplies messages to the terminal for generating prompts needed to solicit required information from the user, and communicates with the service computers (20a-20d) according to their respective protocols. The invention provides a packet assembler and disassembler (PAD) element within the home terminal itself, allowing fast response time for the customer at the home terminal while retaining the benefits of data error, entry error correction and data transmission error correction.

Server/client architecture and method for multicasting on a computer network

Abstract: A server/client for a network-based multicast system has a media services manager (1604) and one or more media service providers (1612, 1614, 1616, 1620, 1622). When functioning as a server, the media service providers receive data corresponding to a channel having one or more related data streams, where each media service provider receives data corresponding to a data stream of the channel. In the server, the media services manager receives the data from the media service providers and transmits the data to the network. When functioning as a client, the media services manager receives data from the network fora selected channel having one or more related data streams. In the client, the media service providers receive and play the data from the media services manager, where each media service provider receives and plays data corresponding to a data stream of the channel. In a preferred embodiment, a channel has logically related audio, video, and/or text data streams.

A signaling system for broadband communications networks

Abstract: A network architecture is designed to allow a communications service subscriber to select a signaling provider independently of a) the transport carriers which control the local loops for particular communications services, and b) the providers of those services. Upon the establishment of a signaling connection from a subscriber's terminal device to the signaling provider's network, the latter requests those services from the service providers selected by the subscriber for delivery over the local loops of the transport providers.

Contracting out Government Services: Lessons from the Private Sector

Abstract: Contracting out has become a popular method of simultaneously reducing government expenditures and improving the efficiency of government services.(1) Proponents of privatization can point to the apparent satisfaction of most government decision makers in achieving the dual aims of economy and efficiency, which in turn has spurred on new contracting-out initiatives.(2) Such Structural Changes in government operations can be highly beneficial and deserve to be emulated, provided that these initiatives have been properly evaluated and their limits thoroughly understood. Unfortunately, in the case of contracting out, the benefits have been trumpeted loudly while its weaknesses have been muted. To some extent, this imbalance reflects the absence of a systematic treatment of the advantages and hence the limits of outsourcing. In this article, which supports outsourcing as a vital financial tool in the hands of government authorities, I examine contracting out in a private sector context to determine the sources of its alleged cost-savings. This will facilitate abstracting the essential lessons that can be transferred from the private sector to the public sector. One conclusion will emerge quite dearly: Contracting out is not a panacea. Indeed, at times, instead of stemming the flow of budgetary red ink, it will intensify the hemorrhage. Contracting Out in the Private Sector A business firm can acquire the resources it needs for producing its output by producing them itself, acquiring them from the marketplace on an ad hoc basis, or turning to designated suppliers. The firm will typically buy an input on the market when that resource is not unique and is readily available at acceptable prices. However, the options narrow to contracting out versus self-production when the firm anticipates supply constraints, unacceptable pricing, or unique specifications. It is this constrained choice--produce in-house or contract out--that needs to be understood. In fact, no private business firm is so integrated that it produces all the resources it uses. Companies typically contract out for physical inputs, intermediate or component products, and services used in producing the few goods or services in which the firm specializes. Furthermore, because the typical business firm is geared up for undertaking a limited number of primary activities, secondary functions are relegated to outside contractors. Finally, firms rely on contractors rather than permanent staff and facilities to meet temporary needs. These generalized statements can be easily illustrated with a simple service provider such as an automobile repair facility. The master mechanic who owns a typical small shop repairs vehicles with the assistance of a few mechanics. Parts supplies are normally obtained on an as-needed basis from a few distributors, relying on the competitive local parts market. Outsourcing is routine as well and might be resorted to when demand overwhelms the facility's capacity. The shop might contract out activities that require special skills and equipment such as wheel alignments or transmission repairs. (Although such contracts may be informal, an implicit contract that builds on a long-lasting relationship based on mutual trust may be treated for all practical purposes as a formal contract.) Other contract relationships, such as a service contract with a photocopier or computer repair service, stem from secondary functions, in this case running the business side of the operation in an office equipped with machinery that is prone to malfunction. So, too, will the shop have a contract with a health maintenance organization to cover the medical outlays of the owner and staff. Finally, outside architects and construction crews will manage plant modernization plans and their execution. Similarly, a retained attorney will handle the occasional legal brief and an accountant will file the periodic tax forms. This illustration, however, begs the "contract out versus in-house production" question. …

The Internal Service Encounter

Abstract: An internal customer′s (i.e. employee′s) satisfaction with a service firm can be significantly influenced by service encounters experienced with internal service providers. For example, a loan officer′s satisfaction with the bank he/she works for may well be influenced by internal services provided by the data processing group. Introduces the concept of the “internal service encounter” and presents the results of an initial study of internal service encounter satisfaction. The empirical study builds on previous research in using the critical incident methodology to examine internal services in a large US bank. Indicates that internal customers are similar to external customers in that, with a few interesting differences, the same types of events and behaviours distinguish satisfactory and dissatisfactory incidents in both internal and external encounters. Implications for managers and suggestions for future research are also presented.

System and method for processing multiple electronic transaction requests

Abstract: The present invention provides for a system and method for processing multiple electronic messages in one transmission, or data group, and responding individually to the service requests based on urgency indicators present in the data group. The disclosure describes a system that contains a switch and includes remote access devices, financial institution computers, and service provider computers all connected to the switch. Customers at remote access devices select desired services and the remote access devices construct a data group containing service requests consistent with the protocol described in the invention. The data group includes urgency indicators associated with each service requested. The urgency indicators can represent three different modes: transaction interactive, batch-interactive, or non-interactive. Depending upon the indicator, the switch will respond to the remote access devices either immediately, in a single response after the entire service request is received, or not at all, respectively. The switch will then communicate with the appropriate financial institution computer, service provider computer or remote access device to complete the transaction.

Analysis and reporting of performance of service providers

Abstract: A computer-based method aids comparison of competitive performance of a first provider of services with other providers of the services, where the services are provided to a mix of customers belonging to different classes and the performance in providing the services is different for customers belonging to different classes. Data representing the first provider's competitive performance in providing various services to its customers is stored. Also stored is mix data representing the mix of its customers to which the services are provided. Similar data is stored representing each of the other providers' competitive performance in providing various services to its customers. The data of the other providers is adjusted in accordance with the mix data of the first provider. The unadjusted data of the first provider is visually provided together with the adjusted data of the other providers. Other aspects include automatically generating a printed report of information comparing performance of a first provider of services with performances of other providers of the services; and more broadly generating a report of an analysis of data.

Listening to local voices: adapting rapid appraisal to assess health and social needs in general practice.

Abstract: Objectives: To explore the use of rapid appraisal in defining the health and social needs of a community and to formulate joint action plans between the residents and service providers. Design: Collection of data by an extended primary care team from three sources: existing documents about the neighbourhood, interviews with a range of informants, and direct observations to build a profile of the community. Setting: Council estate of 670 homes in Edinburgh. Main outcome measures - Perceived problems of the community and suggestions for change. Results: The interviews and focus groups identified six priorities for change, many of which were not health related. These changes have been or are being implemented. Conclusions: An expanded primary care team can use rapid appraisal as a first step in identifying and meeting local health needs. It facilitates a multi-disciplinary approach and complements quantitative methods of assessing need.

Service Level Agreements

Abstract: Explains what a service level agreement (SLA) is and describes the benefits of an SLA both as a catalyst to service management and to delivering appropriate, cost‐effective service quality. Examines the application of SLAs in a wide variety of service areas and establishes their importance to market testing and benchmarking. Describes the content of an SLA and outlines the steps to successful implementation. Identifies service quality measurement, using effective quality metrics, and credible service quality monitoring as key factors for success – identifies the pitfalls, too.

Internet traffic characterization

Abstract: Traffic statistics normally collected during day-to-day operation of wide-area datagram networks are frequently insufficient for researchers to use in studying the workloads and performance of these realistic environments. As wide-area networks become more ubiquitous and service expectations rise, current methods for collecting data will become even less suitable. We examine ways to improve techniques for statistics collection so that the resulting data will enable researchers, and indeed service providers themselves, to develop more accurate Internet traffic models. We first provide a taxonomy of traffic characterization tasks. We then use operationally collected statistics to characterize traffic of the T1 and T3 NSFNET backbones. Because current infrastructure statistics collection is oriented toward either short term operational requirements or periodic simplistic traffic reports to funding agencies, this data is often not conducive to assessing network workload or performance; we evaluate to what extent they are useful for tasks in the taxonomy, and propose improvements in current statistics collection architectures, with particular application to the NSFNET backbone. We include an investigation of the effects of sampling to characterize traffic and evaluate performance in a high-speed wide-area network environment. In the second part of the thesis we focus on items in the outlined taxonomy that are not conducive to investigation using operationally collected statistics. These items mostly involve short-term aspects of Internet flows, which operationally collected statistics fail to expose. We develop a general methodology for use in assessing Internet flow profiles and their impact on an aggregate Internet workload. Our methodology for profiling flows differs from many previous studies that have concentrated on end-point definitions of flows defined by TCP connections using the TCP SYN and FIN control mechanism. We focus on the IP layer and define flows based on traffic satisfying various temporal and spatial locality conditions, as observed at internal points of the network. We first define the parameter space and then concentrate on metrics characterizing both individual flows and the aggregate flow. Metrics of individual flows include: volume in packets and bytes per flow, and flow duration. Metrics of the aggregate flow, or workload characteristics from the network perspective, include: counts of the number of active, new, and timed out flows per time interval; flow interarrival and arrival processes; and flow locality metrics. Applying the methodology to our measurements yields significant observations of the Internet infrastructure, which have implications for performance requirements of routers at Internet hotspots, general and specialized flow-based routing algorithms, future usage-based accounting requirements, and traffic prioritization. Finally, we discuss trends that will affect how Internet service providers collect statistics in the future. Improvements in operational statistics collection, such as support for flow assessment, will help networking activities along various time horizons, from defining service quality patterns to long-term capacity planning. We offer a unique combination of operational and research perspectives, allowing us to reduce the gaps among (1) what network service providers need; (2) what statistics service providers can provide; and (3) what network analysis requires.

Reliability of self-reported service use: Test-retest consistency of children's responses to the Child and Adolescent Services Assessment (CASA)

Abstract: This paper reports on the reliability of children's responses on the Child and Adolescent Services Assessment (CASA) — a self-report instrument for use with 8− to 18-year-olds that gathers information about services used to address mental health problems. Findings were based on interviews completed by 77 children at a one week test-retest interval. Results showed that reports of lifetime service use were as reliable as were reports of service use in the preceding three months. Children reported restrictive and intrusive services more reliably than services that were provided in their natural environment. Reliability appeared to be associated more strongly with characteristics of the type of service than with characteristics of the child. Children also could report reliably on some details about their encounters with service providers (e.g., length of stay, number of visits, and onset of service use).

Method and system for providing a distributed service network for telecommunications service providers

Abstract: A system and method for providing custom telephone services to a network of independent Service Providers (SP's) includes a network Service Control Point (SCP) and an associated network Service Creation Environment (SCE) at the network level. A number of SP's have SCE terminals which are interfaced with the network SCE through a network file server. This allows the SP's to create custom services and also to access custom services via a common bulletin board of services maintained at the network SCE. Dedicated, distributed SCP's owned by participating SP's are linked to the network SCP via a high speed data link and use a common operating and application system which provides expanded call processing capabilities, monitoring and system redundancy for the distributed SCP's.

Method for providing a security facility for a network of management servers utilizing a database of trust relations to verify mutual trust relations between management servers

Abstract: This invention consists of a method for providing security for distributing management operations among components of a computer network using a network of mutually trusting, mutually authenticating management services to dispatch operations to selected host systems. Mutual authentication and trust are established on every transmission link from a point of submission to a designated management server which invokes a service provider to perform management operations on a selected host.

Communications network management

Abstract: A communications network (1) such as a Global Multi Service Network is provided with a management system which comprises a distributed control system (4). The distributed control system (4) is an open community of co-operating intelligent software agents (5, 6) which individually have control, or responsibility for managing, one or more nodes (3) of the communications network (1). There are software agents of more than one type and the service management agents (5) which have control over nodes (3) of the network (1) enter a negotiation process with customer agents (6) in the provision of new services, so as to meet the constraints of both customer requirements and the interest of the relevant service provider. In the event of agent failure, the service management agents (5) initiate a bidding process to reallocate the responsibilities of a failed agent.

Disabled People, Service Users, User Involvement and Representation

Abstract: The issue of representation and representativeness has become central in debates about user involvement, disabled people and users of social care services. This article examines the emphasis of service agencies on the ‘unrepresentativeness’ of disabled people and service users; looks at how this is experienced by the latter and considers why the issue has gained such importance. It examines the different meanings attached to representation by recipients and providers of services. As well as looking at how the issue of representativeness is used to devalue, exclude and disempower disabled people and service users, the article explores its relation with the competing participatory and representative models and practices of democracy employed by disabled people and service providers.

The Augmented Service Offering for Perceived and Actual Service Quality

Abstract: Although the augmented service offering model is a popular descriptive paradigm in marketing, little research has been done to empirically test its relationships with service quality in the service industries. The augmented service offering includes the core services and peripheral services offered by the firm, the service delivery system used to deliver these services, and the related promotional communications with customers. The present research investigates the relationships between these elements of the augmented service offering on one hand, and both measures of actual objective service quality and customerperceived service quality on the other. In general, the results imply the importance of a consumer behavior focus for managing, modeling, or doing research on the augmented service offering. The results also strongly support contingency theory, in that augmented service dynamics and managerial recommendations depend on whether objective service quality or customer-perceived service quality is being considered.