Business Case Analysis Research Articles

The Impact of 5G and Data Science on Digital Marketing: An Analytical Review and Research Agenda

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of 5G technology across various sectors, focusing on its applications in smart cities, digital marketing, and industrial use cases, with the goal of understanding how 5G enhances connectivity, efficiency, and user experience. Theoretical Framework: The research is based on theories of digital transformation and emerging technologies, highlighting the role of artificial intelligence and advanced connectivity in the evolution of urban, commercial, and industrial systems. Method: A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted, analyzing studies published from 1996 to 2023. The research utilized social network analysis, content analysis, and business case analysis to gain a comprehensive understanding of the effects of 5G. Results and Discussion: The findings reveal that 5G technology significantly improves connectivity, operational efficiency, and user experience, facilitating real-time communication and advanced resource management. The discussion contextualizes these findings within the theoretical framework, highlighting the benefits and challenges of 5G. Implications of the Research: The study emphasizes implications for digital infrastructure and services, suggesting the need for strategic investments and policies to fully leverage the potential of 5G. Originality/Value: This study provides an integrated and novel view of 5G, distinguishing itself from previous research by offering a holistic perspective on advanced applications.

Combined utilization of electricity and thermal storages in a highly renewable energy system within an island society

With the increasing share of intermittent renewable energy resources, the demand for different forms of energy storage increases. In this paper, a comparative analysis was performed on two energy storage solutions: small-scale underground pumped hydro storage (PHS) and high-temperature thermal energy storage (HTTES). Using the PLEXOS energy and power system modeling software, the study analyzed the operation and performance of these storage systems in Åland Island, an autonomous region of Finland. The novelty of the paper is in evaluating the business cases of these storage solutions when operating separately and combined. Business cases are studied by comparing annual energies, operating hours, price paid, and price received of the storage types in different scenarios. The results showed that both storages promoted electrification and renewable energy integration, with the HTTES reducing curtailment by 77 % and the PHS by 4 %. The storage systems were also able to take advantage of lower-cost hours of external electricity markets, with the PHS increasing electricity imports by 0.2 % and the HTTES by 1.5 %. Moreover, the PHS enabled the sale of excess electricity to external markets, leading to an increase in exports by 0.3 %. In contrast, the HTTES increased local consumption of excess production, reducing exports by 1.1 %. Results showed that integrating both storage systems in the same energy system could achieve significant benefits, such as reduced curtailment of renewable energy. However, the study also highlighted that the two systems could compete for the same resources in an open energy market, leading to a decrease in annual energy and net profits for both systems. A PHS exhibits an 11 % reduction in annual energies, when compared with operating alone, whereas for an HTTES, the reduction is 1 %. Similarly, the net profit of the PHS is reduced by 25.2 % and that of the HTTES by 4.9 %. Concluding the business case analysis, changes in annual energy and operation hours are not linearly correlated with revenue and charging cost, and the dynamics of the electricity market and the studied energy system must also be considered. Finally, energy storage can be considered a key element in supporting the energy transition; however, the importance of careful planning must be emphasized when integrating energy storage systems into an energy market.

The business case for hospital mobility programs in the veterans health care system: Results from multi-hospital implementation of the STRIDE program.

To conduct a business case analysis for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program STRIDE (ASsisTed EaRly MobIlization for hospitalizeD older VEterans), which was designed to address immobility for hospitalized older adults. This was a secondary analysis of primary data from a VA 8-hospital implementation trial conducted by the Function and Independence Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI). In partnership with VA operational partners, we estimated resources needed for program delivery in and out of the VA as well as national implementation facilitation in the VA. A scenario analysis using wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics informs implementation decisions outside the VA. This budget impact analysis compared delivery and implementation costs for two implementation strategies (Replicating Effective Programs [REP]+CONNECT and REP-only). To simulate national budget scenarios for implementation, we estimated the number of eligible hospitalizations nationally and varied key parameters (e.g., enrollment rates) to evaluate the impact of uncertainty. Personnel time and implementation outcomes were collected from hospitals (2017-2019). Hospital average daily census and wage data were estimated as of 2022 to improve relevance to future implementation. Average implementation costs were $9450 for REP+CONNECT and $5622 for REP-only; average program delivery costs were less than $30 per participant in both VA and non-VA hospital settings. Number of walks had the most impact on delivery costs and ranged from 1 to 5 walks per participant. In sensitivity analyses, cost increased to $35 per participant if a physical therapist assistant conducts the walks. Among study hospitals, mean enrollment rates were higher among the REP+CONNECT hospitals (12%) than the REP-only hospitals (4%) and VA implementation costs ranged from $66 to $100 per enrolled. STRIDE is a low-cost intervention, and program participation has the biggest impact on the resources needed for delivering STRIDE. ClinicalsTrials.gov NCT03300336. Prospectively registered on 3 October 2017.

Implementation intensification to disseminate a skills-based caregiver training program: protocol for a type III effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial

BackgroundFamily caregiver training decreases caregiver psychological burden and improves caregiver depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life. Caregivers FIRST is an evidence-based group skills training curriculum for family caregivers and was announced for national dissemination in partnership with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) National Caregiver Support Program (CSP). Previous evaluations of Caregivers FIRST implementation highlighted that varying support was needed to successfully implement the program, ranging from minimal technical assistance to intensive assistance and support. However, we do not know the optimal level of support needed to inform cost-effective national scaling of the program. We describe a protocol for randomizing 24 non-adopting VA medical centers 1:1 to a tailored, high-touch implementation support or a standard, low-touch implementation support to test the primary hypothesis that high-touch support increases Caregivers FIRST penetration, fidelity, and adoption. Additionally, we describe the methods for evaluating the effect of Caregivers FIRST participation on Veteran outcomes using a quasi-experimental design and the methods for a business case analysis to examine cost of delivery differences among sites assigned to a low or high-touch implementation support.MethodsWe use a type III hybrid implementation-effectiveness study design enrolling VA medical centers that do not meet Caregivers FIRST adoption benchmarks following the announcement of the program as mandated within the CSP. Eligible medical centers will be randomized to receive a standard low-touch implementation support based on Replicating Effective Programs (REP) only or to an enhanced REP (high-touch) implementation support consisting of facilitation and tailored technical assistance. Implementation outcomes include penetration (primary), fidelity, and adoption at 12 months. Mixed methods will explore sites’ perceptions and experiences of the high-touch intensification strategy. Additional analyses will include a patient-level effectiveness outcome (Veteran days at home and not in an institution) and a business case analysis using staffing and labor cost data.DiscussionThis pragmatic trial will lead to the development and refinement of implementation tools to support VA in spreading and sustaining Caregivers FIRST in the most efficient means possible.Trial registrationThis study was registered on April 8, 2022, at ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT05319535).

Assessment of willingness-to-pay for bio-based fertilisers among farmers and agricultural advisors in the EU

Modern agricultural systems heavily depend on replenishing nutrients in the soils via mineral fertilisers. However, the extensive use and production of mineral fertilisers lead to adverse environmental effects. Furthermore, the raw materials used for the production of mineral fertilisers are unevenly distributed in the world and are susceptible to price fluctuations on the international market. A more circular solution is needed to ensure the sustainable supply of nutrients for agriculture in Europe. Bio-based fertilisers (i.e. fertilisers recycled from various waste streams while avoiding the use of fossil resources) can be a solution. The transition requires significant marketing efforts, but there is very little information on pricing preferences for newly developed bio-based fertilisers. This article aims to fill the gap by performing analyses of willingness-to-pay and price sensitivity using the Van Westendorp pricing technique and its extended version. Our analyses exemplified how the Van Westendorp methodologies can be used to generate insights into the price sensitivity of farmers and agricultural advisors in the EU. The selected methodologies allowed us to consider the ‘revenue vs. market share’ trade-off and thus distinguish the prices that are needed to gain the largest product market share and the prices that are needed to maximise the revenue from the products. Our results suggest that the price for a bio-based fertiliser at the 30–46% discount compared to the price of an equivalent mineral fertiliser would allow to maximise the market share of the product. Yet, to maximise the revenue the prices can be set equivalent to the ones of the mineral fertilisers. Combined with benchmarking studies and technical economic assessments our results contribute to the understanding of the key aspects needed for the development of marketing strategies and business case analyses for newly introduced products, such as bio-based fertilisers.

A Review of Renewable Electricity Cost and Capacity Factor Impact on Green Hydrogen Levelized Cost in Off-grid Configuration

Green hydrogen development is still at a niche stage and faces several technical & commercial barriers. Among them is the high LCOH (Levelized Cost of Hydrogen) of green hydrogen, predominantly due to the cost of renewable electricity. In recent years, several research studies have focused on finding the most cost-effective renewable electricity option to feed electrolyzers for producing green hydrogen. However, their findings suggest that renewable electricity costs vary widely between solar, onshore wind, and offshore wind technologies based on the meteorological conditions of the location. With a focus on the United Kingdom (UK), this paper does a high-level business case analysis to assess renewable electricity options considering their impact on the green hydrogen LCOH in off-grid configuration. The paper uses the cost and capacity factors of renewable electricity generated from solar, onshore wind, and offshore wind in the UK. The paper discusses how offshore wind electricity in an off-grid configuration could be the most effective in bringing down the green hydrogen LCOH and reducing offshore wind curtailments in the UK.

A Review of Renewable Electricity Cost and Capacity Factor Impact on Green Hydrogen Levelized Cost in Off-grid Configuration

Green hydrogen development is still at a niche stage and faces several technical & commercial barriers. Among them is the high LCOH (Levelized Cost of Hydrogen) of green hydrogen, predominantly due to the cost of renewable electricity. In recent years, several research studies have focused on finding the most cost-effective renewable electricity option to feed electrolyzers for producing green hydrogen. However, their findings suggest that renewable electricity costs vary widely between solar, onshore wind, and offshore wind technologies based on the meteorological conditions of the location. With a focus on the United Kingdom (UK), this paper does a high-level business case analysis to assess renewable electricity options considering their impact on the green hydrogen LCOH in off-grid configuration. The paper uses the cost and capacity factors of renewable electricity generated from solar, onshore wind, and offshore wind in the UK. The paper discusses how offshore wind electricity in an off-grid configuration could be the most effective in bringing down the green hydrogen LCOH and reducing offshore wind curtailments in the UK.

Comparing two implementation strategies for implementing and sustaining a case management practice serving homeless-experienced veterans: a protocol for a type 3 hybrid cluster-randomized trial

BackgroundThe Veterans Health Administration (VA) Grant and Per Diem case management “aftercare” program provides 6 months of case management for homeless-experienced veterans (HEVs) undergoing housing transitions. To standardize and improve aftercare services, we will implement critical time intervention (CTI), an evidence-based, structured, and time-limited case management practice. We will use two strategies to support the implementation and sustainment of CTI at 32 aftercare sites, conduct a mixed-methods evaluation of this implementation initiative, and generate a business case analysis and implementation playbook to support the continued spread and sustainment of CTI in aftercare.MethodsWe will use the Replicating Effective Programs (REP) implementation strategy to support CTI implementation at 32 sites selected by our partners. Half (n=16) of these sites will also receive 9 months of external facilitation (EF, enhanced REP). We will conduct a type 3 hybrid cluster-randomized trial to compare the impacts of REP versus enhanced REP. We will cluster potential sites into three implementation cohorts staggered in 9-month intervals. Within each cohort, we will use permuted block randomization to balance key site characteristics among sites receiving REP versus enhanced REP; sites will not be blinded to their assigned strategy. We will use mixed methods to assess the impacts of the implementation strategies. As fidelity to CTI influences its effectiveness, fidelity to CTI is our primary outcome, followed by sustainment, quality metrics, and costs. We hypothesize that enhanced REP will have higher costs than REP alone, but will result in stronger CTI fidelity, sustainment, and quality metrics, leading to a business case for enhanced REP. This work will lead to products that will support our partners in spreading and sustaining CTI in aftercare.DiscussionImplementing CTI within aftercare holds the potential to enhance HEVs’ housing and health outcomes. Understanding effective strategies to support CTI implementation could assist with a larger CTI roll-out within aftercare and support the implementation of other case management practices within and outside VA.Trial registrationThis project was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov as “Implementing and sustaining Critical Time Intervention in case management programs for homeless-experienced Veterans.” Trial registration NCT05312229, registered April 4, 2022.

JISWorkshop on Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Research: Views from RPA Industry Leaders and AIS Researchers

<i>JIS</i>Workshop on Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Research: Views from RPA Industry Leaders and AIS Researchers

Development of an affordable and auto-reconfigurable solution for small box assembly*

The aerospace manufacturing industry has been using dedicated assembly systems with manual processes for decades. Not only is this labour-intensive, it is also extremely wasteful as no reuse is possible at the end of a product life cycle. As automation technologies evolve, a flexible/reconfigurable assembly solution is needed to reduce tooling and manual hours in the process. However, a reconfigurable system is often perceived to be costly compared to a dedicated system. In this paper, an affordable and auto-reconfigurable assembly system is proposed for small box products. The proposed system consists of a jig frame, adjustable interface plates, reconfigurable profile boards and a pick-and-place (PnP) end effector. The jig frame can be robotically configured via a PnP process, in which the profile boards are loaded and unloaded onto the jig frame via the end effector. The process feasibility is proven with business case analyses and lab-based experiments regarding tolerance and process timing requirements. Through the business case analysis, cost-saving benefits can be achieved under realistic production scenarios, including a low-volume case. Process timing and repeatability of the jig configuration were also proven to be within the product and process requirements. The proposed tooling solution with automated robotic reconfiguration can be incorporated as a standard operation in a smart assembly factory.

The Value Creation Determinants of the Global Software Engineering Industry

Every requirement in the software application does not add value to the end users equally where the stakeholders are benefited through them. Majority of the current software engineering practices are formed and done in a value neutral way. With the recent demand for the global software engineering, many organizations have decided to either initiate their own technology centers in the low-cost countries or to partner with outsourced companies to get the benefits of it. However, the practitioners tried applying the traditional software development processes without a proper customization of them to best suit for the distributed teams. Due to the nature of this industry, those traditional processes have further eroded the value with unnecessary checkpoints and gates. This research therefore was carried out to identify the value creation dimensions and their influence creating value with special reference the global software engineering industry. For that, a systematic literature review was carried out and findings were categorized to five areas based on the research questions. They are benefit realization in the delivery process, eliciting and reconciling the requirements for stakeholder value proposition, business case analysis against the business processes, assessment of the value, risk, and opportunity through the frameworks and finally value based monitoring and control through the software development methodology. Mapping the development processes against these areas can change the value addition on the global software engineering industry.

Using TurnItIn to Run Cheating-Resistant Take-Home Tests

Thanks to a lot of criticism, TurnItIn has changed a lot of its settings recently that comply with privacy legislation. In this session, a former academic librarian turned business professor will show and discuss why TurnItIn is a useful tool for avoiding plagiarism. By having the students generate their Similarity Reports themselves, and as many times as they want, faculty are providing a new opportunity to students to self-identify mistaken plagiarism. This proactive, student-driven focus is proving especially helpful for international students who are still new to the Western ideas of plagiarism, sharing credit, and copying works. Furthermore, students themselves are self-reporting to faculty that they feel less pressure to cheat because there is more opportunity for early feedback on their writing at times outside the regular Writing Centre and Library service hours. This presentation includes a copy of the assessment package for Business Case Analyses used by CapU faculty that incorporates the use of TurnItIn to maximize student success and minimize challenges with academic integrity.

The Digital Chasm between an Idea and Its Implementation in Industry 4.0—The Case Study of a Polish Service Company

Digitization in Industry 4.0 is a key trend in a modern company’s development. However, business practice shows that digitization can be associated not only with the prospect of development but with numerous limitations that a company may struggle with. The goal of this manuscript is to verify the existence and identify of the management gaps that lead to formation of digitization problems in companies under the conditions of Industry 4.0. Management gap is understood here as a set of discontinuities, identified within management functions, which result in specific problems in the implementation of digitization projects. In general, this aspect is omitted in the literature on the subject, which focuses on benefits of implementing Industry 4.0 technology. The chosen goal of the manuscript is part of the research trend related to the identification of general digitization problems and to a company’s development, taking into account the use of technological solutions, as well as to the scope of research on the problems of implementing ICT projects. The development of an enterprise is understood as the ability to improve an organization both in the face of internal challenges and the environmental with maintaining innovation potential. The research structure is based on the construction of a conceptual model of management gaps and its empirical verification. In the theoretical part, the chosen research method is analysis of literature from the last 20 years and in the practical part analysis of a business case supplemented with an in-depth interview conducted among the management of the analyzed company. In the theoretical part, the article defines basic concepts related to Industry 4.0 and digitization of companies. It presents the place and role of digitization and its impact on the blurring of boundaries of traditional management layers. Based on these considerations, a conceptual model is developed defining management gaps within which problems of digitization of enterprises are indicated. The practical part of the article presents an empirical verification of the existence of the formulated management gaps on the basis of a business case analysis. The case study describes a mass, geographically dispersed implementation of the application for 34,000 users, which is the result of the implementation of the digitization strategy. Conclusions were formulated in the last part of the manuscript. On the theoretical ground, the analysis confirms that the process of digitization in an enterprise under the conditions of Industry 4.0 is related to blurring the boundaries of operational, tactical and strategic management. The premises of the said blur are identifiable and appear in each of the above-mentioned layers. On the practical ground, the existence of reasons for blurring the boundaries of management is related to the need to adapt the organization to the new operating conditions related to Industry 4.0. The strategic activities should be targeted at determining the directions of company improvement, which should precede the efforts to implement advanced solutions in the field of Industry 4.0. This approach allows providing a sustainable company development with the possibility of creating short-term effects and maintaining a long-term growth perspective.

Learning health systems: Driving real-world impact in mental health and substance use disorder research.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is one of the largest single providers of health care in the U.S. VA supports an embedded research program that addresses VA clinical priorities in close partnership with operations leaders, which is a hallmark of a Learning Health System (LHS). Using the LHS framework, we describe current VA research initiatives in mental health and substance use disorders that rigorously evaluate national programs and policies designed to reduce the risk of suicide and opioid use disorder (data to knowledge); test implementation strategies to improve the spread of effective programs for Veterans at risk of suicide or opioid use disorder (knowledge to performance); and identify novel research directions in suicide prevention and opioid/pain treatments emanating from implementation and quality improvement research (performance to data). Lessons learned are encapsulated into best practices for building and sustaining an LHS within health systems, including the need for early engagement with clinical leaders; pragmatic research questions that focus on continuous improvement; multi‐level, ongoing input from regional and local stakeholders, and business case analyses to inform ongoing investment in sustainable infrastructure to maintain the research‐health system partnership. Essential ingredients for supporting VA as an LHS include data and information sharing capacity, protected time for researchers and leaders, and governance structures to enhance health system ownership of research findings. For researchers, incentives to work with health systems operations (e.g., retainer funding) are vital for LHS research to be recognized and valued by academic promotion committees.

사회적 협업을 통한 공유가치창출 모델과 사례연구

Recently, social economy and social collaboration are emerging as the vehicles to overcome social issues such as poverty, environments and unemployment. This study is to examine the social collaboration model and suggest practical implications through the relevant case analysis. First, social collaborations based on social enterprise are classified by involved participants and collaboration level such as governance based LoB(Line of Business) model and value chain based collaboration model among commercial & public organizations, local community and social enterprise. The level of collaboration is defined as philanthropic, transaction, integration and transformation. Second, three business cases (Hanhwa B&B, Heemanghousing, Chungmil) are analyzed in views of business model, nature of social collaboration structure, and economic & social performance. Key implications from business case analysis are as follows. The level and scope of social collaboration in Korea has extended. The productive social partnerships require that business resource complementarity and resource transfer are necessary. In addition, the sustainable collaboration relationships depend on the distinctive resource and competency of participants with balanced coordinating management. This research is so meaningful that social collaboration models and practical key success factors based on business cases analysis are suggested, which provides the growth or survival path of Korean social enterprises.

Economic value analysis of on-orbit servicing for geosynchronous communication satellites

In recent years, On-orbit servicing (OOS) is in the ascendant, attracting attentions of a growing number of institutions and commercial space companies. The sustainable development of OOS is heavily relied on its economic benefits. However, the economic feasibility of OOS is not sufficiently analyzed in the existing studies. Based on this, a general economic value analysis framework for OOS is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the maximum price that clients would be willing to pay is obtained by real option method through comparing values of OOS by an alternative scheme. Secondly, the minimum price that the servicer could afford is predicted by Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method, which is based on a service provider value model. Six necessary factors are considered in this model at the same time, including servicing architecture and its initial construction cost, mission related depreciation, income tax, operating expense, monetary value, as well as technical risks and the corresponding insurance premium. Then, the above two prices are compared to analyze the economic feasibility of OOS. Finally, mission cost, pricing strategies and OOS value drivers are modeled and discussed within the estimated acceptable price range. The results show that the OOS is commercially viable when the initial costs of geosynchronous communication satellites and the servicing architecture are more than $242 M and less than $140 M respectively. The applicability and usefulness of the proposed method are demonstrated by an actual business case analysis of the Mission Extension Vehicle-1 (MEV-1).

A Study on the Development of Senior Care Industry -Focused on the business case analysis of Driving Miss Daisy®-

A Study on the Development of Senior Care Industry -Focused on the business case analysis of Driving Miss Daisy®-

Business case analysis of hybrid systems consisting of battery storage and power-to-heat on the German energy market

Declining prices on frequency containment reserve (FCR) markets endanger the profitability of battery energy storage systems (BESS). BESS combined with power-to-heat units could improve the economics both by supplying higher power rates on FCR markets and by converting excessive power into heat. Two cases were investigated with a techno-economic model using primary operation and market data of 2018/2019. The system amortises after 12 years with a net present value of two million € operating on the FCR market. No improvement was realized by additional arbitrage trading. Taxes, levies and charges frameworks are crucial for the economic success of hybrid systems.

The Circular Economy Strategy in Hospitality: A Multicase Approach

The circular economy (CE) is considered a possible solution to problems, such as the increasing global demand for resources, climate change and worldwide pollution. CE can help to transform the hospitality industry from its current linear model of production to a circular one. However, there is a lack of research on circular tourism, therefore, this paper’s main purpose is to shed light on CE strategies—reduction, reuse, recycle, redesign, replace and rethink—developed in the tourism sector, as well as the tourism sector’s CE initiatives by means of a business case analysis method. This qualitative multicase analysis allows us to comprehend the CE practices deployed by large hotel chains, thus identifying the CE strategies and best practices. The results show that the main strategies adopted are the reduction, recycle and reuse, in this order. Nevertheless, the remaining strategies have yet to be adopted in the mainstream. This research emphasises the need to promote the CE in the hospitality industry, especially among independent hotels.

Food Loss and Food Waste, Causes and Solutions, by MichaelBlakeney. Published by Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, UK, 2019, 225 pp, ISBN: 978‐1‐78897‐538‐4.

Food Loss and Food Waste, Causes and Solutions, by MichaelBlakeney. Published by Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, UK, 2019, 225 pp, ISBN: 978‐1‐78897‐538‐4.