The Development of Key Performance Indicators for E-Commerce in Hotel Businesses Using Balanced Scorecard

 In the modern business world, the IT advances accelerate the world's commercial development with the help of Internet technology in supporting variety of activities. As a result, e-commerce plays a significant role in almost every industry. Hotel industry is one of those which are fully beneficial from the e-commerce, which fulfills the customer's needs. This research is conducted to study the character of the hotel e-commerce and the measurement of performance of the hotel e-commerce in Thailand in all perspectives of Balanced Scorecard. The researcher uses the reasoning approach to describe the relationship between the variables of causes and effects whose directions are precisely specified. The samples of the research are the hotels in the Bangkok metropolitans and vicinity areas. The researcher uses questionnaires to measure the customer satisfaction of business operations according to the Balanced Scorecard. Then, the initial collective information is analyzed to categorize those samples in percentage. Next, the result of the satisfaction based on  Balanced Scorecard measurement is tested for the relationship of all variables by using the statistic of interrelation and chi-square values.
The result of the research provides us the character of operating of the hotel industries and the sufficiency of operating e-commerce of hotel industries in Thailand. In addition, it can be used as guidelines in hotel business development which enhances the capabilities of performance and competition.

Knowledge, innovation and firm performance in high- and low-technology regimes

Industries with greater aggregate levels of research and development (R&D) intensity are home to higher rates of firm-level innovation, according to survey data from 845 Canadian manufacturing firms. And, though innovation is more common when industry dynamism is high, innovative firms are likely to enjoy revenue growth, irrespective of the industry in which they operate. The research also shows that firm knowledge, industry dynamism and innovation interact in the way they influence firm performance. A highly skilled workforce is most beneficial to firm performance in dynamic environments, while firms in stable manufacturing industries benefit more from investments in training.

Keywords: Dynamism; Innovation; Knowledge

Knowledge Creation through Networked Strategic Communities Case Studies on New Product Development in Japanese Companies

This article provides a new point of view regarding the knowledge management of new product development, a high-tech field requiring the merging and integration of different technologies. Case studies examine the dynamism of the knowledge creation process at Fujitsu Ltd. as it merges and integrates the different elements of broadband network technology, computer and software technology, and multimedia processing technology, and these observations are analysed and compared with the NPD processes at other manufacturers. To achieve the desired product development, a strategic team at Fujitsu, consisting mainly of undisclosed cross-functional middle managers, swiftly transcended Fujitsu's business divisions to form strategic communities inside and outside the company, including customers, and then networked the communities together. The synthesizing capability of the network Leader Group enabled Fujitsu to build new business models aimed at customers and achieve a successful outcome ahead of Japanese competitors.

Based on action research with product development teams from Roche and DaimlerChrysler, and project teams from Pixelpark and Versicherungskammer Bayern, the following article proposes a model of how team leaders can improve the knowledge management within their teams. The model consists of five layers. The first layer describes the necessary communication platforms for a team. The second level, the normative layer, consists of team rules, goals, and standards. The third layer represents the core team knowledge processes. The fourth layer assembles the relevant tools. The last layer describes the necessary leadership functions to foster effective team knowledge management.

Keywords: High-performance teams, Knowledge management, Leadership, Team processes

The impact of product life cycle on supply chain strategy

In order to compete in today's highly competitive marketplace supply chains must be engineered to match product characteristics and customer requirements. As products proceed through their life cycles these requirements dramatically change. Consequently supply chain strategies must be dynamically matched so as to maximize competitiveness. This paper demonstrates how an innovative UK lighting company re-engineered its supply chain to accommodate the impact of product life cycles. The key to their success is the ability to classify products and develop appropriate supply chain strategies. Careful matching ofproducts to pipelines thereby enables maximisation of the appropriate order winner and market qualifier characteristics. The classification system used enables generic modeling ofthe methodology and hence potential for use in other market sectors.

Keywords: Case study; Product life cycles; Product classification; Supply chain management

Studying the operational efficiencies of a multi-product supply chain using excel spreadsheet model

This paper presents a simple Excel spreadsheets-based model with @Risk add-in software that incorporates the effects of variability in demand, forecast and lead time. The model replicates a four-stage supply chain with multiple-retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and suppliers to demonstrate how a multi-product supply chain will react to certain changes. The model was created so that it could be used in either a teaching setting or in industry for making supply chain design decisions. From the teaching aspect, students can look at a supply chain and see the effects of changes without having to experience it firsthand. Professionals in industry can modify the model to make it more like their own supply chain and see what the affects are when they want to make changes in one or more attributes. Other key characteristics of a supply chain such as, bullwhip effect, total supply chain cost analysis and information sharing can also be studied using this model.

A flow-network approach for equilibrium of material requirements planning

Material requirements planning(MRP) has been a very popular and widely used multi-level inventory control method since 1970s. Recent developments in computer and information technology accelerate and facilitate the calculations necessary for MRP, but MRP is simply a system to open and trace the production/purchasingorders under pre-determined lead-time and lot size constraints. It does not directly include any optimization feature. In this article, an approach, which consists of the Flow Network with Side Constraints, is discussed in order to optimize the material flows in MRP problems. Additionally, an example case is given in order to show the applicability of the flow network formulation to APS. The model of the example case is solved and the computational results are given.

Dynamic Knowledge Map: reusing experts' tacit knowledge in the AEC industry

Much knowledge in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry is experience-based and tacit. Nevertheless, the typical strategy for knowledge management is focused on computer-based approaches for capturing and disseminating explicit knowledge. AEC firms have been successful at collecting and storing explicit information in enterprise databases, but they are poor at knowledge retrieval and exchange. Consequently, AEC professionals find it difficult to reuse core experts' knowledge for highly knowledge-intensive AEC activities. This situation calls for a method for disseminating tacit knowledge from experts' brains to achieve higher quality AEC projects. The primary purpose of this paper is to set a theoretical foundation for clarifying the contribution of experts' tacit knowledge in the AEC industry. The secondary purpose is to describe the concept for prototype software, Dynamic Knowledge Map, that can assist in the reuse of experts' tacit knowledge. Dynamic Knowledge Map is a Web-based knowledge navigator that searches for experts and facilitates communication with those experts by using internet technology. Higher performance levels theoretically can be achieved while accelerating the knowledge transfer processes. Future research will test the suitability of Dynamic Knowledge Map for tacit knowledge utilization in AEC organizations.

Keywords: Internet; Dynamic Knowledge Map; AEC

Knowledge web-based system architecture for collaborative product development

The manufacturing competitive environment has intensified in recent years. In this environment, companies do not possess all the knowledge they need but instead rely on other organizations. This results in the need of distance product development, which in turn requires information and knowledge in the place, time and format required. In response to this need the research community has come with a solution called collaborative product development (CPD) systems. This paper introduces the partial results of the ongoing research to propose a knowledge driven CPD system architecture, which will facilitate the provision of knowledge involved in product development. This paper presents the research issues and industrial requirements for such system. Furthermore, the proposed system architecture is described in detail and its implementation is presented using a case study of an injection moulded product.

Keywords: Collaborative product development; Manufacturing model; Injection moulding process information; Knowledge web-based Engineering

The material requirements planning system for aircraft maintenance and inventory control: a note

Airline operators and maintenance organizations were queried regarding their maintenance and inventoryprocedures. Of 175 respondents, 152 were using the reorder point system, and the remainder the material requirements planning (MRP) system. The surveywas intended to examine the experience of companies using MRP. It indicates that the aircraft parts industrytakes this system seriously. However, it is more difficult to implement in the aircraft maintenance environment than in a commercial environment, where the need for spare parts is unpredictable. But if the obstacles are understood and a sound plan is realised by good management, MRP can be successfullyimplemented, with substantial benefits.

Information technology support for the knowledge and social processes of innovation management

While the management of innovation is the most knowledge-intensive organizational process, its information technology support has received only fragmented attention. The majority of systems proposed are either aiming at augmenting individual creativity and productivity, or at increasing the productivity of communication among the actors involved. In this paper, building on the view of innovation as a process of consecutive problems resolution, we present an information systems framework that aims at integrating different actors' perspectives and tools across different activities, by explicitly addressing the knowledge and social dynamics of the whole process. The framework is based on a systemic problem-knowledge representation scheme and an evolutionary problem-resolution methodology that supports the innovation process in its entirety, enabling the gradual 'breeding' of innovation concept(s). After reviewing the relevant literature, we present the structure, functionality and use of Knowledge Breeder, a web-based software system that implements this methodology through a structured dialogue and a formal argumentation scheme. By means of a use case we show how this system can support the innovation process effectively.

Keywords: Innovation management; Knowledge management; Collaborative problem resolution

Usability Literature Review

Usability evaluation methods measure the probable effectiveness of a computer system or tool by looking at how learnable, efficient, memorable, safe, and satisfying it is for a given set of users.
With many of the tools that we use every day to accomplish our tasks and goalscomputers, wireless phones, Web pageswe communicate with complex computer systems. Because human beings don't speak in zeros and ones (binary code), and computers don't speak natural English, the software and the user must communicate via an intermediary--a layer of information that both user and system can interpret. We call this layer the "user interface." So when we are evaluating a computer system or application's usability, we are evaluating how well it communicates with and supports the functional needs of its target users.
Usable interfaces possess five basic attributes:
Learnability.--The system is easy to learn. Novice users are able to complete basic tasks in a short period of time, with a minimum of training.
Efficiency of use.--Experienced users are able to reach a steady state of productivity.
Memorability.--The system is easy to remember. Users can return to it after an absence and complete tasks without retraining.
Error Prevention.--Users experience few errors while using the system, and recover quickly from them.
Satisfaction.--The system is pleasant to use.

Manufacturing planning and control: The evolution of MRP andJIT integration

Material Requirements Planning (MRP) and Just-in-Time (JIT) system are directed toward planning and controlling the important characteristics of material flow: how much of what materials flow and when. Since the material flow is at the heart of the manufacturing finn, MRP and JIT are the powerful management tools that could determine the success or failure of an entire manufacturing system. One of the strongest debates in manufacturing has been centered on the performance comparison and compatibility of JIT production system to the existing MRP. The primary intent of this research is to provide an overview of the manufacturing planning and control environment associated with MRP and JIT. Classifying the existing MRP/JIT comparison and integration literature, two different perspectives on MRP/JIT are discussed, and future research area is proposed based on the taxonomy.

Configurations and Coordination for Global Information Technology  Governance: Complex Designs in a Transnational European Context

This paper describes an exploratory study of  configurations and coordination mechanisms for IT governance in European-based transnational  companies. IT governance is traditionally defined as the formal allocation of IT decision-making  authority. Rooted in organisation design theory, a  research framework is proposed and comparative case study research is conducted in three large  financial service companies. The findings indicate that financial institutions adopt distinct hybrid  configurations and coordination mechanisms contingent on their strategic context. The results suggest that whatever formal configuration is chosen for IT governance, mechanisms for lateral coordination need to be addressed, if performance targets are to be achieved. Effective mechanisms for lateral coordination move beyond the level of structure, and focus on the different stakeholders involved in the IT governance process. An  organisation's capability to deal with globalization and IT is dependent on the complexity of both the configuration and coordination for IT governance.