Information Technology Customer Research Articles

Computer Vision: The Era of Automation

In spite of its fancy sounding name, cloud computing is rather straightforward. The majority of data that we manage and store in our everyday lives is stored and managed via a few computing platforms. In the technological era, IT customers can access computing resources via the cloud, which is a service model used by information technology (IT). The cloud is increasingly becoming the preferred method of storing business data. This paper is mainly focuses on essential aspects of Computer Vision, like what is Computer Vision, Algorithms of Computer Vision, Applications, Challenges and Future Scope of Computer Vision.

Embracing green supply chain collaboration through technologies: the bridging role of advanced manufacturing technology

PurposeThe implementation of green collaboration has evolved from the interfirm level to the supply chain level, which requires more participation in information and manufacturing technologies. Despite many efforts to green supply chain collaboration (GSCC), the research on how to enhance it from a technological perspective remains unclear. Thus, this study aims to address this gap by exploring how to enhance green supplier, internal and customer collaboration through using information technology (IT) and advanced manufacturing technology (AMT), which further accelerates environmental and economic performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study was conducted based on survey data collected from 213 manufacturing firms from different industries. The direct effects of the conceptual model were tested using the method of structural equation modeling (SEM), whereas the bootstrapping method tested the mediation effects of AMT between IT and GSCC.FindingsThe results show that green supplier collaboration (GSC) is significantly associated with environmental performance, while green customer collaboration (GCC) is positively related to economic performance. Green internal collaboration not only enhances green supplier and customer collaboration but also boosts environmental and economic performance. IT directly improves green internal collaboration but is negatively related to GSC and insignificantly related to GCC. However, AMT not only enhances green internal, supplier and customer collaboration but also mediates the relationship between IT and green supplier and customer collaboration.Originality/valueThis study offers comprehensive and novel insights into GSCC from a technological perspective, giving rise to meaningful contributions to green practices for both scholars and practitioners.

Developing Business Services Using IBM SPSS Statistics

Developing Business Services. This study examines business development services for entrepreneurs, which should be offered in various phases. Non-financial services and products are defined as business services. “Business services” is a common term used to describe supportive but firm objects and non-productive work. Information technology (IT) is an important supporting service in many businesses, such as shipping and finance. A good business service aligns with the company’s IT assets, employees, and customers’ requirements, supports business goals, and facilitates company profitability. The IT sector provides business documenting the value of infrastructure processes, IT service audit, IT service inventory creation or renewal, and/or delivery to improve communication, including an employee self-service portal. More information about this source text is required for additional translation; please send feedback using the side panels. Business services are a support business but produce a solid product. Information technology (IT) is an important business support service in shipping, procurement, and various businesses like finance. Business development is about promoting development in your company to increase revenue strategies and opportunities through the process of implementation. Pursuing opportunities, identifying new opportunities, and converting more customers, including commercial services, are activities that help businesses but do not provide tangible substance. For example, information technology in shipping, procurement, and various businesses like finance supports these services. To help your business grow, you need to pursue opportunities and develop strategies to increase revenue. This involves conducting extensive market research, raising visibility and awareness, promoting thought leadership, conducting outreach, generating quality leads, providing exemplary customer service, and developing sales content from success stories. SPSS statistics is a data management, advanced analytics, multivariate analytics, business intelligence, and criminal investigation developed by IBM for a statistical software package. A long time, spa Inc. was created by IBM, which purchased it in 2009. The brand name for the most recent versions is IBM SPSS statistics. The Cronbach’s alpha reliability result showed that the overall Cronbach’s alpha value for the model is .490, indicating 50% reliability. From the literature review, the above cronbach’s alpha value of 46% can be considered to analyze the model.

Antecedents and Outcomes of Brand Strength: A Study of Asian IT Organizations Towards Brand Sustainability

There is a lacuna in research work in terms of understanding how Asian information technology (IT) organizations can become global brands to achieve brand sustainability. The present research examines the impact of brand strength on sustainable global branding for Asian IT organizations. Survey conducted with sample size of 225 IT customers. Results show positive relationship between brand strength and global branding; between brand loyalty and brand sustainability; between global branding and brand sustainability. This research helps managers with a brand strength-based framework towards global branding of Asian IT organizations. Asia should optimally utilize its human potential, through building global IT brands. The success (or lack of it) of IT firms in Asia can potentially influence the performance of firms in other sectors and other developing regions as well. The originality of the study lies in proposing a conceptual framework for sustainable global branding of Asian IT organizations and conducting a quantitative study. The study further validates the model using structural equation modelling (SEM).

IT implementation and customer results: the mediating role of the competitive priorities achieved by the firm

Studies in information technology (IT) increasingly focus on key variables that might explain the effect of the implementation of IT strategic tools on business performance. In the search to uncover how to achieve greater performance, this study examines how IT implementation, measured through IT use and IT integration, affects the competitive priorities achieved by the firm and customers' results. To do so, an analysis of these interactions is carried out applying the structural equation modelling (SEM) methodology to a survey on Spanish manufacturing firms. The results show a significant and positive relationship between IT implementation and competitive priorities related to the flexibility observed, innovation developed, and delivery time needed. The study also notes that IT integration is positively and directly related to customer results, whereas the relationship between IT use and customer results is positively but indirectly related to those customer results, with the competitive priorities achieved by the firm acting as mediators in this relationship. The main conclusions deriving from the present study clarify the role of IT implementation in organisations, highlighting the role of previous competitive priorities as being responsible for the success of IT implementation.

IMPLEMENTASI PENDEKATAN CUSTOMER INTERFACE PADA MANAJEMEN PEMASARAN DI TOKO KOMPUTER

Conventional management has several weaknesses that must be covered so that the company can be grow. Therefore, trading companies try to analyze the constraints in the company’s expansion, namely marketing management with a customer interface approach. The factor that makes a company in using marketing management is the development of technology in this case information technology. With the existence of information technology customers can easily find the desired product in a store or company, customers can also compare expected products with similar products, customers can also request transactions electronically and request delivery of goods to the destination address with certain conditions and amounts. In addition, customers can easily see information about the item without having to go to the store. These advantages make use of information technology for business management so that trading companies can survive and anticipate the threat of similar companies in eroding the turnover of their business. This research will examine how the marketing process has been carried out by computer stores that have run management traditionally and electronically, how to design and develop marketing management to compete with similar companies. The purpose of this study was to find out the results obtained from utilizing information technology in management traditionally and electronically through interviews and surveys and thinking about how to develop marketing management to become the market leader in Central Java Province. The benefits of this research are so that it can be a consideration in determining good online marketing, as well as improving the quality of services that are better in increasing sales and expanding the sales area. The method used is marketing management with customer interfaces.

RENCANA STRATEGIS ORGANISASI TEKNOLOGI INFORMASI DI PT PERKEBUNAN NUSANTARA X DENGAN METODE CASCADING BALANCED SCORECARD

PT Perkebunan Nusantara X (PTPN X) is a state-owned company engaged in the sugar industry and tobacco as well as a number of subsidiaries. PTPN X uses Information Technology (IT) to improve productivity and competitive advantage. The Management of PTPN X generated IT Organization to deliver good IT solution. But with the limited budget and a huge investment, the role of IT is not contributing the maximum to the progress of the company even IT solution have paradox impact. This is because the IT strategic initiatives do not aligned with its business strategy, so that IT organizations need strategic planning. In This study, strategic planning for IT organization generated by using the Balanced Scorecard Cascading. Wherein the process is divided into several stages, namely the determination of the vision and mission of IT organizations, determine business strategy that will be supported by IT, identification of IT users, identification of output and the main job description of the IT organization, aligning strategy IT organizations indicated to the strategic map, defining Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and IT strategic initiatives of each strategies. The analysis in this study is using SWOT analysis, Critical Success Factor, and Value Chain. Balanced Scorecard is used in this study were IT-Balanced Scorecard with the perspectives of Corporate Contribution, Customer Orientation, Operational Excellence, and Future Orientation. The results obtained from this research are 10 Strategy that is maximizing IT contribution to business, meet the IT customers’ needs, good IT planning, implementing good application, effective and efficient IT operations, improving IT good services, upgrades IT and Technology support, IT good governance implementation, IT alignment with business strategy, and motivated and competent IT personnel. There are 21 KPI to measure the strategy and 30 strategic initiatives or programs to meet the KPI. The KPI and the 30 initiatives are arranged based on the existing condition of IT organization reflected in the SWOT and what targets are indeed to be achieved by implementing the strategy.

Development of a student-driven information technology support service

Background and purposeTo share our experience of a partnership created amongst students, staff, and faculty in order to address a gap in campus information technology (IT) customer services provided to students. Educational activity and settingStudent reliance on a complex educational technology ecosystem requires a robust IT infrastructure; however, campus IT services are often stretched in terms of their capacity to deliver immediate customer support. Compounding this problem is the inability of campus IT services to address issues arising from pharmacy education specific hardware or software. A student help desk (SHD), a student-initiated technology user group was developed. The support provided by the SHD covers student devices to the level of ensuring access to required curriculum technological resources. FindingsOver 24 months, a total of 259 cases were addressed by the SHD. When examining the type of submissions, the top five requested categories included computer-based assessment, e-mail synchronization, curricular management software synchronization, wireless printing and encryption. These results suggest the perceived value and confidence by students and faculty in the service provided by the SHD. SummaryThe use of a SHD helped to resolve technology issues faced by students for curriculum engagement. Regardless of the challenges institutions may face in delivering their curriculum, students have the desire to be engaged in the governance of their curriculum. By creating a collaborative triad, this represents one example of how student motivation can be leveraged to conquer not just gaps in IT customer service, but potentially other programmatic issues within an institution.

Strategic roles of actors in emerging information communication technology (EICT) adoption in SMEs

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are involved in emerging information and communication technology (EICT) adoption by concentrating on the adoption process and the role played by various actors in the process. Information and communication technology (ICT) adoption research, especially in SMEs, has moved from a simple adopters’ participation process to involving diverse actors that continually interact and influence the process. SMEs need to constantly interact with various human and non-human actors to keep up with the EICT adoption. However, this has proved difficult.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a qualitative method to examine the dynamic process of EICT adoption in service SMEs in the UK, and deployed both unstructured and semi-structured interviews in two separate rounds with 26 participants drawn from Crunch Online Database and Luton Business Directory. The participants include managers, customers, government agencies, SMEs consultants and information technology (IT) vendors, with the help of purposeful random sampling.FindingsThe study develops a framework informed by actor network theory (ANT) concepts and found that using ANT to examine the process of adoption helps to unveil the recursive nature of the process and the roles of actors which vary from one stage to another. The finding reveals that adoption of EICT is not straightforward; rather, it is evolutionary and dynamic, and small business managers’ play an important role in the process amidst other actors influence. The framework supports businesses of all types. Although ICT applications are influenced by diverse actors including IT experts, customers and vendors, the decision of SME managers regularly shape the values and beliefs of other actors if adequate information are conveyed by the numerous actors. Therefore, adoption of EICT is embraced faster by organizations, especially small businesses, if diverse actors are committed in conveying the right information to the key actors, thereby helping them to make adequate decision, and streamline their business processes.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited by its focus and other factors. Studying the opinions of small service UK SMEs limits the power of generalizing the identified causal relationships; therefore, extended measures are required on accounts of environmental, cultural, geographical and sectorial differences. While some errors seemed unavoidable when measures appear subjective and prone to common error biases, the study advised on recognizing the overriding influence of the roles at each stage of the adoption process to be proactive in committing resources.Originality/valueThis work is of value to practitioners and academics, as it provides further insight into ICT adoption framework by showing how the diverse actors guarantee EICT adoption in small service(s) businesses. This is relevant given that SMEs have limited knowledge of new ICT and understanding diverse actors and their roles in the adoption process would enhance their knowledge of the analysts in the context of new technology adoption and to cope with EICT continually amidst of the roles of actors in the adoption process. The framework serves as an analytical instrument in explaining ICT adoption process and its outcomes characterized by conflicting views.

Structural Equation Model of Customer Perception of Service and Product Quality Factors that Affects Thai Information Technology Customer Loyalty

Structural Equation Model of Customer Perception of Service and Product Quality Factors that Affects Thai Information Technology Customer Loyalty

Information technology customer aggression: The importance of an organizational climate of support

Information technology personnel are often ill prepared to react in a positive fashion to the aggressive communications from their customers, the users. Being able to regulate the emotions spiked by aggressive customer behavior is important to the long term health and retention of IT employees. Surface acting responses, the ability to display false emotions to mask strong emotions, is common, but not better for the long term health of the individual or organization. Deep acting responses, where emotional responses are modified to encourage expected behavior, are the better response and can be promoted with an organizational climate of support. A model derived from emotion response theory demonstrates these relationships hold for IT employees, who tend to be more introverted than most employees and often react differently to aggressive communication from customers. The model is verified with a sample of IT employees in Taiwan companies. Organizations should provide a climate of support for IT personnel and train them on how to respond appropriately to customer aggression through emotion regulation strategies in a direction that promotes better relationships.

Research Commentary—Information Technology-Enabled Business Models: A Conceptual Framework and a Coevolution Perspective for Future Research

There is growing recognition that firms' information technology (IT)-enabled business models (i.e., how interfirm transactions with suppliers, customers, and partners are structured and executed) are a distinctive source of value creation and appropriation. However, the concept of business models' (BMs) “IT enablement” remains coarse in the information systems and strategic management literatures. Our objectives are to introduce a framework to elaborate the concept of IT-enabled BMs and to identify areas for future research that will enhance our understanding of the subject. We introduce the idea that two business-to-business (B2B) IT capabilities—dyadic IT customization and network IT standardization—are the mediating execution mechanisms between the strategic intent of interfirm collaboration and the (re)configuration of BMs to both create and appropriate value. We develop the logic that B2B IT capabilities for BM (re)configuration operate at two levels—IT customization at the dyadic relationship level and IT standardization at the interfirm network level—that together provide the complementary IT capabilities for firms to exchange content, govern relationships, and structure interconnections between products and processes with a diverse set of customers, suppliers, and partners. We discuss how these two complementary B2B IT capabilities are pivotal for firms to pursue different sources of value creation and appropriation. We identify how a firm's governance choices to engage in interfirm collaboration and its interfirm networks coevolve with its B2B IT capabilities as fruitful areas for future research.

Building procurement capability for firm performance: a service‐dominant logic view

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore four integrative supply chain practices – customer information technology (IT) integration, supplier IT integration, customer collaboration, and supplier collaboration – using a service‐dominant logic (SDL) lens to inform their relationships with procurement capability and ultimately firm performance. The study goes on to examine how firms with high and low procurement capability differ in their use of these practices, thus informing curiosity regarding “best practices”.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 711 firms in 23 countries during the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS). Exploratory factor analysis established simple factor structure and construct validity. Stepwise regression was employed to analyze relationships among customer collaboration, supplier collaboration, customer IT integration, supplier IT integration, procurement capability, and firm performance. T‐tests examined differences between the practices employed by firms with high and low procurement capability.FindingsFindings reveal positive relationships among customer collaboration, supplier collaboration, customer IT integration, and procurement capability. Supplier IT integration is not found to be significantly related to procurement capability. Procurement capability is in turn found to be positively associated with firm performance. All four variables emerge as best practices of firm's demonstrating high procurement capability.Originality/valueThis study provides a rare empirical investigation, and rich insights, into SDL for value co‐creation in supply chain management by examining an international sample of manufacturers. This study contributes to the extant understanding of supply chain collaboration and integration by unpacking key practices in the context of a firm's procurement capability. Lastly, “best practices” are provided which should be of great interest for practitioners from around the globe.

Moderating effect of Information technology (IT) capability on the relationship between business process reengineering factors and organizational performance of Bank

The increasing competitive pressure as a result of technological development, globalization, changing customer demand led to survival challenges of many banks in the developing countries and demanded for improvement in quality customer service and speed to enhance profitability performance and cost reduction. This study is aim to examine the moderating effects of information technology (IT) capability on the relationship between business process reengineering (BPR) factors and organizational performance of Nigerian banks. Field study survey has been conducted under natural research setting. The sample of the data was received from commercial banks, microfinance banks and primary mortgage financial institutions in Nigeria. The tool of analysis used in this study was hierarchical regression analysis using SPSS software. The findings showed that IT capability moderated the relationship between BPR factors such as change management, customer focus, management commitment and overall organizational performance of bank. Also, the result revealed that IT capability moderated the relationship between IT investment, management commitment and customer service management performance of bank. The outcome of this study provides important insight to researchers for further understanding on the effects of BPR factors and IT capability on organizational performance.

Operação de serviços de TI: uma abordagem do dimensionamento de recursos e dos incentivos financeiros

O dimensionamento de recursos e os incentivos para uma eficiente operação de serviços de TI (tecnologia da informação) devem ser planejados de acordo com as necessidades dos níveis de serviços e objetivos do provedor de TI e do cliente. A análise de estudos de dimensionamento pode ser utilizada como informação estratégica, visando adequar o tamanho da equipe e dos ativos de TI e facilitar o planejamento de capacidade. De forma complementar, as melhores práticas apontam para o uso de regras claras de penalidades e bonificações ao longo do relacionamento entre cliente e provedor. Sendo assim, o presente trabalho busca contribuir com uma abordagem que possibilite realizar acordos de níveis de serviço flexíveis, possibilitando um outsourcing de menor risco. São destacados métodos e simulações para movimentação de baseline de serviço e que buscam proporcionar vantagens para os provedores e clientes, evitando conflitos ao longo da operação dos serviços. A pesquisa utiliza uma revisão bibliográfica e uma aplicação em assuntos relacionados com a área estudada. Os resultados obtidos com a análise buscam possíveis contribuições em dimensionamento, flexibilidade em SLA e incentivos para provedores externos de TI na operação de seus serviços.

Information Technology Customer Service: ―Best Practices‖ Processes For Operations

In today’s information economy, information technology customer service managers require increasingly technologically advanced, but cost effective operations. These managers have a Byzantine array of standards, methodologies and best practice frameworks that offer hundreds of pages of detailed, but often confusing, guidance. This article attempts to offer a simpler guide for IT managers beginning a formal program to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the day- to-day operation of their customer support services. The paper’s goal is to summarize and clarify important key concepts from the literature, and also present lessons learned from consulting experiences with several large organizations. Finally, the paper offers ideas for future empirical confirmation of the recommendations summarized here.

Integrating marketing and information services functions: a complementarity and competence perspective

Integrating two disparate functions in organizations—marketing and information services (IS)—has become a critical business concern due to the increasing use of information technology (IT) to find and open new markets, deliver improved services to customers, and streamline internal marketing processes. This study appears to be the first to empirically examine the dynamics of bringing these distinct groups of specialists together. We investigate potential antecedents, consequences, and contingencies of IS-marketing integration, drawing on theories of complementarity and competence. Through a survey of IS and marketing executives, we learn that integration is facilitated by trust between the two functions and the interaction between IT strategic intent and customer orientation; it is impeded by a gap in top management knowledge of IT versus marketing. We also find that integration fosters the much-coveted capabilities of developing and introducing innovations (innovativeness) as well as responding flexibly, swiftly, and adroitly to opportunities (strategic responsiveness). Additionally, we determine integration is bounded by market dynamism. In sum, integration between marketing and IS can be enhanced via managerial efforts, and the relationship is profoundly beneficial to businesses.

A typology of interfirm relationships: the role of information technology and reciprocity

PurposeThis paper aims to advance interfirm relationship (IR) research by applying a theoretically based typology in IR settings and empirically investigating the association of information technology (IT) and relational reciprocity with IR types.Design/methodology/approachThis study draws on Fiske's relational models theory to conceptualize an IR typology. In a business service context, a questionnaire was administered and IR types modeled via a multivariate logistic regression with IT pervasiveness, IT customization, reciprocity and embeddedness as predicting variables.FindingsThe IR typology comprises communal sharing, authority ranking, equality matching, and market pricing types. The authors find that reciprocity is more likely to associate with an equality‐matching relationship and a communal sharing relationship than with a market‐pricing relationship. Pervasive use of IT fosters an equality‐matching IR, but IT‐enabled customization distances an IR from an equality‐matching relationship.Research limitations/implicationsA theoretical implication flows from the innovative application of Fiske's relational models theory to a context of business interactions and investigation of IT in association with IR types. The affirming findings empirically validate the IR typology and offer a new perspective in studying IR structures. This research also exemplifies the theoretical value and great potentials for further exploration of the theory in IR research.Practical implicationsThe IR typology equips marketing managers with a useful tool in comprehending the intricate IRs and developing appropriate strategies for effective IR management. In designing IT use in IR interactions, both the scope and specific function of IT should be considered in order to ensure that all aspects affect consistently. Managers may encourage reciprocal exchange in shifting an IR away from a calculating relationship but consider intensive IT to foster an IR emphasizing balance and correspondence.Originality/valueThe novelty of this paper lies in the innovative application of Fiske's relational forms in IR settings and the empirical examination of the IT‐IR structure association. The IR typology advances IR research by offering a theoretically compelling and practically advantageous framework in studying IR structure, and the examination of IT‐IR associations brings to light the significance of IT in IR structures, which has been largely under‐explored.

Resource Co-Specialization, Firm Growth, and Organizational Performance: An Empirical Analysis of Organizational Restructuring and it Implementations

This paper examines the effects of co-specialized information technology (IT) on the growth and performance of IT-investing firms as a driver of competitive advantages. By adopting resource-based and dynamic-capability perspectives on firm-specific IT systems, we first identify the mechanisms of resource co-specialization strategy in the process of IT implementation as organizational restructuring and adaptive customization of IT applications into the context of adopting firms. Then, we examine the impacts of resulting co-specialized IT system on organizational performance. Testable hypotheses are developed to investigate how the co-specialization mechanisms of organizational restructuring and IT customization influence firm growth - in terms of the number of employees, value-added, and revenue. We also examine how co-specialization mechanisms of organizational restructuring and IT customization influence project outcomes - in terms of project reference - ability and license extension measures. These empirical tests control for other contextual factors and the endogeneity of decision variables. Using a unique panel data on 334 firms adopting Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) applications, we find strong empirical support for the co-specialization hypothesis that strategic choices of using IT co-specialization mechanisms are positively associated with firm growth and with superior project outcomes in the sample firms.

The relation between conscientiousness, empowerment and performance

This study examined the relationship between conscientiousness, empowerment and job performance among information technology professionals. An Employee Empowerment Questionnaire (EEQ), a Conscientiousness Scale and a Social Desirability Scale were administered to 101 information technology customer service engineers. Managers completed a Performance Evaluation Questionnaire (PEQ) for each customer service engineer. The results indicated a significant relationship between conscientiousness and empowerment. A curvilinear relationship was found between empowerment and performance. The practical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.