Developing an index for online customer satisfaction: Adaptation of American Customer Satisfaction Index

This study proposes an index for online customer satisfaction, which is adapted from an American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Since online shopping is an experience different in many ways from traditional shopping, a new index for measuring electronic-customer satisfaction index (e-CSI) is required. Thus, this study is the first step towards integrating satisfaction literature to propose an index for online contexts. The e-CSI model was tested in the context of a one month study of Taiwan’s largest online retailer (PChome Online) where it was found to significantly predict customer loyalty and overall customer satisfaction. In this study, we found that the satisfaction score of PChome Online is similar to the average for the online retail industry in ACSI. This model also allows the online retailer to understand the specific factors that significantly influence overall customer satisfaction by reading the causal relationship in the e-CSI model and the strategic management map. The partial least squares (PLS) method was used to test the theoretical model and to derive the e-CSI score.     

Stability from an operational viewpoint

The concept of stability for single-input/single-output linear time-invariant plants is reformulated within the framework of Mikusinski's generalized functions and then characterized; each plant is given by convolution with a generalized function called the impulse response. The impulse response of a stable plant is the generalized derivative of a function of bounded variation, and is therefore the sum of three uniquely determined functions: the first being an absolutely integrable function, the second being an absolutely convergent sum of at most countably many delays, and the third being an atomless singular measure, a stochastic phenomenon     

Calibration of a model of an operational water distribution system containing pipes of different age

The aim of the paper is to demonstrate that the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm can give successful results when operational water distribution systems are calibrated with the proper selection of parameter increment for the calculation of partial derivatives. The functional dependence of pipe roughness on age, which describes linear and nonlinear dependences, is proposed for the calibration of a model of a water distribution system containing pipes of different age. It is also shown that the visualization of response surface on a coarse grid is very useful for the analysis of the results.     

Development of an operational hydroturbine governor

Requirements of a hydroturbine governor system are considered, including safety constraints and the interface with the power station equipment. The microprocessor system used is described and the structure of the software, whose principal function is the solution of the controller differential equations, is discussed. The programme of tests to confirm operation of the microprocessor system in the laboratory and in the power station included extensive use of real-time simulation of the plant (a 32.5 MW turbine generator) to which the governor was connected.     

Performance monitor for an operational LAN

The design and implementation of a performance monitor of an operational LAN, Monet, the local area network of Monash University (Monet-PM) is presented in this paper. The software has a monitoring and data analysis system. The performance monitor allows the evaluation of the network in the normal operational state. It uses the existing hardware types on the network.     

基于6σ指标度量的分销渠道顾客满意度评价

根据AHP的基本原理,对非结构化的分销渠道客户满意度评价问题的进行了理论探讨,并结合某IT企业ERP系统的研发,对评价指标树的动态建立、评价指标权重集的确定、指标原值的提取、西格玛水平z值计算方法的确定,以及综合评价的数据耦合进行了论述.这种尝试将有益于企业管理者对其分销产品、服务过程、用户反馈以及各渠道之间的差异等做出全面的了解.     

Comparing four operational SAR-based water and flood detection approaches

In recent years, the German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD) of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) has gained a lot of experience in water surface extraction from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data for various application domains. In this context, four approaches have been developed, which jointly form the so-called DFD Water Suite: The Water Mask Processor (WaMaPro) is based on a simple and high-performance algorithm that processes multi-sensor SAR data in order to provide decision-makers with information about the location of water surfaces. The Rapid Mapping of Flooding tool (RaMaFlood) has been developed for flood extent mapping using an interactive object-based classification algorithm. The TerraSAR-X Flood Service (TFS) is used for rapid mapping activities and provides satellite-derived information about the extent of floods in order to support emergency management authorities and decision-makers. It is based on a fully automated processing chain. The last approach is the TanDEM-X Water Indication Mask processor (TDX WAM). It is part of the processing chain for the generation of the seamless, accurate, and high-resolution global digital elevation model (DEM) produced based on data of the TanDEM-X mission. Its purpose is to support the subsequent DEM editing process by the generation of a global reference water mask. In this study, the design of the four approaches and their methodological backgrounds are explained in detail, while simultaneously elaborating on the preferred application domains for the different algorithms. The advantages and disadvantages of the four approaches are identified by qualitatively as well as quantitatively evaluating the water masks derived from data of the TanDEM-X mission for five test sites located in Vietnam, China, Germany, Mali, and the Netherlands.     

The effects of gender differences on operational performance and satisfaction with car navigation systems

This study investigates whether gender differences have an impact on the definition of good interface design and whether manufacturers should develop interfaces that fit small-display portable car navigation systems (CNSs) based on gender. This work adopted an experimental design for collecting data from three tasks – locating points, planning routes, and searching polygons – each emphasizing a different aspect of way-finding. Study results show that gender, the CNS interface the participant used, and a combination of the two predict a person’s operational performance and satisfaction with a CNS. This study’s results provide a better understanding of whether manufacturers should develop interfaces that fit a CNS’s small display based on gender.     

Developing a multi-objective genetic optimisation approach for an operational design of a manual mixed-model assembly line with walking workers

A walking worker assembly line (WWAL), in which each cross-trained worker travels along the line to carry out all required tasks, is an example of lean system, specifically designed to respond quickly and economically to the fluctuating nature of market demands. Because of the complexity of WWAL design problems, classical heuristic approaches are not capable of solving problematic design characteristic of WWAL of very large design space. This paper presents a new genetic approach to address the mixed model walking worker manual assembly line optimisation design problem with multiple objectives. The aim is to select a set of operational variables to perform to the required demand for two product models. The goal is to produce the required models at the lowest cost possible, whilst keeping within an ergonomically balanced operation. Genetic algorithms are developed to tackle this problem. This paper describes the fundamental structure of this approach, as well as the influence of the crossover probability, the mutation probability and the size of the population on the performance of the genetic algorithm. The paper also presents an application of a developed algorithm to the operational design problem of plastic electrical box assembly line.     

A model-based integrated assessment of land degradation by water erosion in a valuable Spanish rangeland

This paper presents an integrated assessment model aimed at evaluating land degradation by water erosion in dehesa rangelands in the Iberian Peninsula. The model is built following the system dynamics approach. The degradation risk is likened to the probability of losing a certain amount of soil within a number of years, as estimated over a great number of stochastic simulations. Complementary indicators are the average times needed to lose different amounts of soil over the simulations. A group of exogenous factors are ranked in order of importance. These factors are mainly climatic and economic and potentially affect soil erosion. Calibration is carried out for a typical dehesa defined over 22 working units selected from 10 representative farms distributed throughout the Spanish region of Extremadura. The degradation risk turns out to be moderate. The importance of climatic factors on soil erosion considerably exceeds that of those linked to human activities.     

Performance of VIDEBAS in an operational environment

VIDEBAS is a relational database management system in which a database consists of two parts, namely a “real-only” and an “update” part. The first part remains unmodified until the next reorganization and exploits redundancy to achieve fast access to data. A prototype of VIDEBAS has been built. In this paper a performance comparison between this relational system and a DBTG-system (UDS) is made. The used external memory and the number of page accesses to retrieve and update tuples is estimated. Although it is commonly assumed that in an operational environment relational systems are slower than network systems the opposite appears. On the other hand UDS needs less external memory.     

Development of an operational cloud classification model

Abstract

Within the PROgramme for a Meteorological Information System (PROMIS) project in Sweden a method of multi-spectral analysis and classification of Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data is developed. The model will be based on a statistical database of object classes and ruled by information about prevailing Sun elevations and air mass temperatures. A new system provides the image processing and data handling capacity necessary for an operational classification of AVHRR data. Operational tests will start during the beginning of 1988.     

prialt in Handel-C: an operational semantics

We describe an operational semantics for the hardware compilation language Handel-C [7], which is a C-like language with channel communication and parallel constructs which compiles down to mainly synchronously clocked hardware. The work in this paper builds on previous work describing the semantics of the “prialt” construct within Handel-C [5] and a denotational semantics for part of the language [6]. We describe a key subset of the language and show how a design decision for the real language, namely that default guards in a prialt statement executed in “zero-time”, has consequences for the complexity of the operational semantics. We present the operational semantics, along with a revised and completed prialt semantics, indicating clearly the interface between them. We then describe a notion of observational equivalence and present an example illustrating how we handle the complexity of nested prialts in default guards.     

Developing information processing capability for operational agility: implications from a Chinese manufacturer

The operational agility literature suffers from a lack of clarity in terms of the process or underlying mechanisms through which operational agility is achieved. Drawing on the information processing view of the firm, this study attempts to address this gap by examining the process of operational agility development. A process model of developing information processing capability for operational agility is proposed. As the model suggests, operational agility is achieved through a two-step process – the construction of IT-enabled information processing network and the implementation of organizational control – to enhance the right information processing capability. We further identify three types of information processing capability – information sensitivity, information synergy and information fluidity – that enable operational agility. Furthermore, a five-step practical guide for developing information processing capability for operational agility is provided for practitioners. This is achieved by conducting a case study of Haier, one of the largest household appliance manufacturers in China. This paper concludes with a discussion of the potential contributions and directions for future research.     

The connection between an event structure semantics and an operational semantics forTCSP

The relation between an operational interleaving semantics forTSCP based on a transition system and a compositional true concurrency semantics based on event structures is studied. In particular we extend the consistency result of Goltz and Loogan [15] forTCSP processes without recursion to the general case. Thus we obtain for everyTCSP processP that its operational meaningO(P) and the interleaving behaviourO( M3P3) which is derived from the event structureM3P3 associated withP are bisimilar.     

Developing a monitoring psychological stress index system via photoplethysmography

The purpose of this work was to assess the psychological stress index (PSI) by using oxyhemoglobin saturation by SpO₂ [i.e., the plethysmograph (PPG) signal], which can be measured easily and conveniently. We use the plethysmograph amplitude (PPGA) and the heart-beat interval (HBI) extracted from the SpO₂ waveform to obtain the stress index and to quantify it from 0 to 100. The respiration rate can also be extracted from the heart-rate interval, as shown in our previous research. Therefore, the PPG signal can display the heart rate, SpO₂ waveform, SpO₂ concentration, respiration rate, and psychological stress index. This methodology was tested on nine volunteer Taiwanese students under the stress of an English presentation. The experiment, which takes 30 min for each student, was separated into three stages: preparation, presentation, and discussion, and relaxation. The PSI values of these three stages were 49 ± 10, 60 ± 11, and 56 ± 10, respectively. The results were very successful, and showed PSI values changing from low, to high, and back to low during these three stages. In the near future, we hope to implement this system into a robotic wheelchair in order to monitor the PSI of elderly patients in a nursing home, and to evaluate their psychological condition based on this method.     

Analysis of point-to-point packet delay in an operational network

In this paper, we perform a detailed analysis of point-to-point packet delay in an operational tier-1 network. The point-to-point delay is the time experienced by a packet from an ingress to an egress point in an ISP, and it provides the most basic information regarding the delay performance of the ISP’s network. Using packet traces captured in the operational network, we obtain precise point-to-point packet delay measurements and analyze the various factors affecting them. Through a simple, step-by-step, systematic methodology and careful data analysis, we identify the major network factors that contribute to point-to-point packet delay and characterize their effect on the network delay performance. Our findings are: (1) delay distributions vary greatly in shape, depending on the path and link utilization; (2) after constant factors dependent only on the path and packet size are removed, the 99th percentile variable delay remains under 1 ms over several hops and under link utilization below 90% on a bottleneck; (3) a very small number of packets experience very large delay in short bursts.     

Grey-box modeling of an ocean vessel for operational optimization

Operational optimization of ocean vessels, both off-line and in real-time, is becoming increasingly important due to rising fuel cost and added environmental constraints. Accurate and efficient simulation models are needed to achieve maximum energy efficiency. In this paper a grey-box modeling approach for the simulation of ocean vessels is presented. The modeling approach combines conventional analysis models based on physical principles (a white-box model) with a feed forward neural-network (a black-box model). Two different ways of combining these models are presented, in series and in parallel. The results of simulating several trips of a medium sized container vessel show that the grey-box modeling approach, both serial and parallel approaches, can improve the prediction of the vessel fuel consumption significantly compared to a white-box model. However, a prediction of the vessel speed is only improved slightly. Furthermore, the results give an indication of the potential advantages of grey-box models, which is extrapolation beyond a given training data set and the incorporation of physical phenomena which are not modeled in the white-box models. Finally, included is a discussion on how to enhance the predictability of the grey-box models as well as updating the neural-network in real-time.