Outsourcing Model Research Articles

A Review on Secure Outsourcing and Privacy-Preserving Traffic Monitoring in Fog-Enabled VANETs

New possibilities for fog-based vehicle monitoring have emerged with the expansion of fog computing, but present privacy concerns provide a significant barrier that limits the extent to which vehicles can participate. Because of its potential to improve road network security and vehicle productivity, the field of Vehicle-based Ad hoc Networks (VANETs) is gaining prominence. The security problems with VANETs, such as data confidentiality and message access control are still need better solutions to provide better Quality of Service (QoS). The effectiveness of VANET networks is diminished due to their instability problem. Vehicles continually add requests to the Road Side Unit (RSU) queue whenever they want specific information. For ever-evolving networks like VANETs, better routing is a continual process. Fundamental problems arise in large-scale systems when centralized procedures are used to assign jobs to the nodes along a route. The present centralized system for computing and safety has many needs, including the protection of data storage, user authentication, access control, system availability across multiple network connections, and the provision of a real-time data flow overview. Distributed problem solving and work sharing between multiple agents can improve the system's scalability. This paper provides a brief survey on the secured outsourcing and privacy preservation-based traffic monitoring model with routing and task scheduling models in Fog-enabled VANETS. This survey presents the limitations of the traditional models that help the researchers design new solutions for secure outsourcing in VANETs.

Privacy-preserving and verifiable convolution neural network inference and training in cloud computing

With the rapid development of cloud computing, outsourcing massive data and complex deep learning model to cloud servers (CSs) has become a popular trend, which also brings some security problems. One is that the model stored in the CSs may be corrupted, leading to incorrect inference and training results. The other is that the privacy of outsourced data and model may be compromised. However, existing privacy-preserving and verifiable inference schemes suffer from low detection probability, high communication overhead and substantial computational time. To solve the above problems, we propose a privacy-preserving and verifiable scheme for convolutional neural network inference and training in cloud computing. In our scheme, the model owner generates the authenticators for model parameters before uploading the model to CSs. In the phase of model integrity verification, model owner and user can utilize these authenticators to check model integrity with high detection probability. Furthermore, we design a set of privacy-preserving protocols based on replicated secret sharing for both the inference and training phases, significantly reducing communication overhead and computational time. Through security analysis, we demonstrate that our scheme is secure. Experimental evaluations show that the proposed scheme outperforms existing schemes in privacy-preserving inference and model integrity verification.

The effects of new product quality choices and customer behavior on the in-house refurbishing model versus the outsourcing model

Background Refurbishing encompasses the process of collecting used products, refurbishing them into new ones, and offering them to consumers. Within this framework, manufacturers can opt for either in-house refurbishing, managed internally, or outsource these operations to third parties and retailers. Methods Our study also takes into account the limited supply of remanufacturable products and incorporates customer behavior distinctions, differentiating between high-end and low-end customers in our models. The primary aim of this research is to formulate and analyze models for in-house refurbishing, refurbishing outsourcing to third parties, and refurbishing outsourcing to retailers. We seek to identify optimal solutions, conduct a comprehensive analysis, and implement strategies to maximize benefits. Additionally, we compare the in-house refurbishing model with the outsourcing refurbishing model. Leveraging multivariable function optimization techniques alongside the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker method, we endeavor to ascertain the optimal strategy, thereby facilitating a nuanced and methodical examination of the intricate dynamics governing profitability and sustainability within the refurbishing sector. Results Our study has applied rigorous mathematical modeling and optimization methodologies to identify optimal configurations for each model, aiming to enhance profitability across diverse parameters, including product quantities, quality selections, and pricing strategies. Conclusions Our analysis underscores that the in-house refurbishing approach tends to yield superior profits for profit-oriented enterprises, whereas outsourcing refurbishing to retailers is conducive to meeting environmental sustainability goals. Furthermore, our investigation has considered pivotal factors such as the constrained availability of remanufacturable products and consumer behavior, with a particular emphasis on discerning preferences among high-end and low-end clientele. We also perform sensitivity analyses to assess the impact of parameter variations on optimal outcomes. Our findings yield three distinct refurbishing models: the in-house refurbishing model, suitable for profit-driven companies under specific production cost parameters, and the outsourcing refurbishing to retailers model, tailored for environmentally-conscious companies, contingent upon particular production cost parameters.

Out-Sourcing and Organizational Performance of Seroma Limited in Uganda

This study examines the outsourcing and organizational performance of Seroma LTD in Uganda. A sample of 66 respondents both female and male employees out of the target population of 70 of the company were used for the study. The study employed case study research. The study findings showed that the company does carry ·out outsourcing of services from third-party service providers as shown by the greater majority of respondents. The findings also showed that when it came to outsourcing management, the company was effective and thusconcluded that factors that were considered by the company before outsourcing were cost restructuring, quality appraisal, and current employee skills. Appraisal process and legal issues, stalling issues, and risk management. The study recommended that the company should carry out an appraisal of the outsourcing model that it is using which should also take into consideration the relationship the company has with the respective service providers. More so, the company should carry out a strict and vigorous appraisal process when selecting a potential outsourcing partner. This should be done in line with establishing reliability, post-transaction, service guarantees, and warranties as well as legal cover. Finally, the company should restructure its outsourcing strategy to take into account the need for productivity in Seroma since productivity is pivotal to organizational performance. Keywords: Organizational performance, Outsourced services, Outsourcing, Productivity, Strategic management

Balancing flexibility and stability: The role of outsourced service stations in managing food‐delivery platform work in China

AbstractCurrent mainstream research on on‐demand labor platforms primarily focuses on the discussion of algorithmic technologies while overlooking the issue of how platforms achieve stable operations in a de‐employment context. Addressing this research gap, this study investigates the approaches employed by Chinese food‐delivery platforms to ensure stable labor supply. Utilizing qualitative data, the research reveals that Chinese food‐delivery platforms have established stability in labor supply by implementing the outsourced model, partnering with third‐party staffing agencies to establish service stations, and managing couriers offline. This approach helps to balance platform and courier needs, addressing the tension between work flexibility and income stability. This research provides a case study illuminating the interplay between technology and the labor market in labor relations. Additionally, it highlights the structural forces that workers form within the internal labor market, deepening our understanding of platform management and the complexities of labor relations.

Private outsourced model predictive control via secure multi-party computation

Protecting data privacy is essential in developing practical cloud-based control systems to benefit from remote and distributed computation while avoiding the risks of disclosing sensitive information to potentially untrusted parties. This paper proposes a privacy-preserving framework to outsource the computation of model predictive control law to several untrusted cloud-based servers. A secret sharing scheme is employed to maintain the privacy of the system’s data in all the stages of the control loop in a secure multi-party computation environment. In this regard, a privacy-preserving algorithm is derived to securely implement a projected gradient method to solve the underlying optimization problem, without revealing private data to external eavesdroppers and curious cloud-based servers. The proposed method is solely based on secret sharing, and all computations can be performed securely by cloud servers without the need to designate target nodes or engage the system’s actuator in computing the intermediate steps. Therefore, the proposed method is less computationally demanding than the existing results based on homomorphic encryption and is applicable to systems with limited computing resources. Information-theoretic privacy assessments based on mutual information measures are provided. The efficacy of the proposed method is investigated on the cruise control problem of a freight train system.

Efficient and Accurate Cloud-Assisted Medical Pre-Diagnosis With Privacy Preservation

The emergence of cloud computing enables various healthcare institutions to outsource pre-diagnostic models and provide timely and convenient services for patients. However, healthcare institutions and patients have serious concerns about potential privacy leakage as cloud servers cannot be fully trusted. In this paper, a privacy-preserving cloud-assisted medical pre-diagnosis scheme, named NAIAD, is proposed, where patients can securely query the outsourced model and obtain their pre-diagnostic results. Specifically, the pre-diagnostic model is constructed on <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$k$</tex-math></inline-formula> -Nearest Neighbor ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$k$</tex-math></inline-formula> NN), and Mahalanobis Distance (MD) is chosen as the similarity metric to achieve high accuracy. Accordingly, a secure MD-based comparison method (SMDC) is designed based on a matrix encryption technique. The method is a basic module of NAIAD that enables cloud servers to compare encrypted medical records and achieve privacy-preserving <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$k$</tex-math></inline-formula> NN-based pre-diagnosis with linear complexity. To further improve the computational efficiency, medical records are first clustered and encrypted to construct a hierarchical index tree, then patients can query the tree to speed up the query process. Detailed security analysis indicates NAIAD can resist closeness-same-pattern chosen-plaintext attack, and extensive experiments on real-world and synthetic databases demonstrate NAIAD has high query efficiency and pre-diagnosis accuracy.

BloomDT - An improved privacy-preserving decision tree inference scheme

Outsourcing decision tree models to cloud servers can allow model providers to distribute their models at scale without purchasing dedicated hardware for model hosting. However, model providers may be forced to disclose private model details when hosting their models in the cloud. Due to the time and monetary investments associated with model training, model providers may be reluctant to host their models in the cloud due to these privacy concerns. Furthermore, clients may be reluctant to use these outsourced models because their private queries or their results may be disclosed to the cloud servers. In this paper, we propose BloomDT, a privacy-preserving scheme for decision tree inference, which uses Bloom filters to hide the original decision tree's structure, the threshold values of each node, and the order in which features are tested while maintaining reliable classification results that are secure even if the cloud servers collude. Our scheme's security and performance are verified through rigorous testing and analysis.

A Software Life-Extending Outsourcing Model: An Ethnographic Action Research of a Product Transformation for a European Telecom Equipment Manufacturer

Maximizing returns on software development costs have been a prime objective of product organizations. As the products mature, the organization explores alternatives to extend an existing product's life or retire it from its product portfolio. This article examines the changing trends of the outsourcing model for software product organizations based on a product's lifecycle and technology maturity. Adopting an ethnographic action research methodology, we study the journey of a software product's (re)aligning outsourcing strategy while evolving a parallel strategy for retiring products by either shifting focus from fixed to variable costs or monetizing them as “software assets.” As part of the conclusion, a software life-extending outsourcing model has been proposed based on the specific phase of product development and technology maturity. The article includes research implications for practice and academia in strategizing outsourcing based on a product's development phase.

Strategic Medical Affairs Outsourcing: Pragmatic Solution In A Fast-Changing And Resource-Constrained World

This review explores the advantages of strategic medical affairs outsourcing and introduces 'Medical Affairs Consultation' as a pivotal concept. The pharmaceutical industry grapples with challenges such as regulatory complexity, cost pressures, and limited internal resources, requiring expertise in various domains. Medical affairs consultation empowers companies to navigate these hurdles, optimize costs, and expand geographically. The global market for medical affairs outsourcing is growing rapidly, presenting significant opportunities, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. Outsourcing promotes agility and adaptability in this evolving healthcare landscape, while digital platforms enhance collaboration and information sharing on a global scale. However, careful risk evaluation and proactive management are essential for successful medical affairs outsourcing. Various outsourcing models cater to diverse organizational needs, allowing efficiency and effectiveness in specific functional areas. The future of outsourcing in India holds promise, driven by its skilled workforce, internet accessibility, and cost-efficiency.

Modern HR Management Technologies in Hotel and Restaurant Business: Outsourcing vs Outstaffing

Topicality. In the context of the development of modern HR management technologies, increased competition and global challenges of nowadays realities, hoteliers and restaurateurs are facing the issue of attracting professionals to optimize and improve the business establishments activity. The most relevant HR technologies in the hotel and restaurant business that contribute to improving the efficiency of activity are the technologies of attracting personnel – outsourcing and outstaffing. The aim of the article. The aim of the study is to highlight the essence, to identify advantages and disadvantages, to compare outsourcing and outstaffing models and their application in the hotel and restaurant business. Research methods. A set of general scientific research methods was used: the method of analysis and synthesis, the comparative analysis, the method of logical generalization. Results. The article emphasized the importance of HR management in the hotel and restaurant business in order to ensure the usefulness of staff as the basis for a successful business, and to promote the effective operation of a hotel or restaurant. The article proved that the use of HR technologies is effective, widespread and quite popular, according to well-known experts’ and market practitioners’ studies. As an example, the essence of the concepts of outsourcing and outstaffing was revealed; their advantages and disadvantages were analyzed. For the purpose of comparison, the following models of modern HR technologies in attracting personnel were presented. The expediency of using outsourcing and outstaffing in the hotel and restaurant business was substantiated. Conclusions and discussion. The attraction of a highly qualified personnel in the hotel and restaurant business can be significantly improved by expanding the scope of modern HR technologies, in particular, outsourcing and outstaffing. By implementing these models, hotels and restaurants can significantly increase the efficiency of business processes and competitiveness, financial stability and prospects for strategic development by adopting the world’s experience in HR management progress.

FPCNN: A fast privacy-preserving outsourced convolutional neural network with low-bandwidth

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been widely employed in image and video recognition tasks due to their superior performance. With the increasing popularity of machine learning as a service, CNN model owners often outsource their models to the cloud to provide inference services. However, the user data and outsourced models processed by cloud-based CNN inference applications suffer from privacy leakage issues. Therefore, several studies have proposed different privacy-preserving CNN architectures. Most of these approaches are based on heavyweight cryptographic methods, which require significant computational resources. In this study, we propose a novel scheme, a Fast Privacy-Preserving Outsourced Convolutional Neural Network with Low Bandwidth (FPCNN), to provide secure inference services on the cloud using outsourced data and models. Specifically, for linear CNN layers, FPCNN significantly reduces the bandwidth requirements between servers by applying scaled noise models and scaled secret sharing. For nonlinear CNN layers, we first optimize the multiplication operation under secret sharing to save bandwidth. Subsequently, based on the nonlinear input characteristics of CNNs, we introduce a secure parallel rectified linear unit (ReLU) computation protocol that significantly reduces the number of communication rounds. Finally, the experimental results demonstrate that FPCNN achieves a speedup of 2.66× and a 32.8× reduction in bandwidth compared with state-of-the-art methods.

The Old Conflict in the New Economy? Courier Resistance on Outsourcing Platforms in China

AbstractIn contrast to Western platforms, which are dominated by crowdsourced labour, China's food-delivery platforms rely heavily on outsourced couriers to provide high-quality services. The conflicts emerging from outsourced labour relations have been inadequately examined. Based on extensive fieldwork in south China, this study reveals an intriguing fact: the outsourcing model frequently triggers yet largely conceals couriers’ strikes. This study uses the work regime approach and labour bargaining power theory to analyse the complex dynamics created by the platforms. By scrutinizing state institutions, relationships among various organizations and workplace interactions, this study finds that the platform firms have dominant power but that inherent tensions exist between outsourcing platform firms, outsourced agencies, human supervisors and workers, forming a regime that this study calls “contentious despotism.” Importantly, labour conflict is alive and potentially enduring in China's gigantic platform economy.

In-House Refurbishing and Outsourcing Refurbishing Models with Degree of Interchangeability in Product Design

Refurbishing is the process of processing used products into products with the quality of new products. Refurbishing can be done by the manufacturer itself (in-house) or the manufacturer can delegate the refurbishing process to other manufacturers (outsourcing). This research aims to construct an in-house refurbishing model and an outsourced refurbishing model, determine the optimum solution, analysis, and application so that optimum benefits are obtained, and compare the in-house refurbishing model and the outsourced refurbishing model. Multivariable function optimization is used to get optimum profit. Judging from the optimum production results, manufacturers who carry out in-house refurbishing choose a higher degree of interchangeability and produce more new products. Products with an interchangeability design are products that can be used to replace similar products with the same function. Based on economic benefits, manufacturers who carry out in-house refurbishing get greater profits than outsourcing refurbishing. Viewed from environmental sustainability, outsourcing refurbishing is more environmentally friendly than in-house refurbishing.

Outsourcing in Agriculture in Kazakhstan: Current State and Prospects

The article deals with the problems of increasing the efficiency of enterprises of the agro-industrial complex, the feasibility and possibility of using the outsourcing model in the business organization, the advantages of increasing labor efficiency and forms of management using an outsourcing system for agro-industrial structures are studied. In the post-crisis period, the negative results and principles of agribusiness organization were considered as a new direction for ensuring the sustainable development of agriculture by revising the outsourcing service. At the same time, the problem of increasing the efficiency of the economy of the agro-industrial complex of Kazakhstan was formulated, and much attention was paid to the study of the regional direction and the introduction of outsourcing processes. The aim of the study is to analyze the organizational and economic essence of outsourcing and increase the efficiency of agricultural enterprises using this tool in rural business. When studying outsourcing relations in agricultural enterprises, such methods of research methodology as systemic and situational analysis were applied when introducing outsourcing the theory of the synergetic concept, comparative analysis and synthesis, methods of institutional economic analysis and generalization. The results of the study on the development of outsourcing activities are aimed at the use by small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises, market organizations in business restructuring, as well as management bodies of associations, unions, and support centers interested in providing real assistance to rural entrepreneurs.

RESEARCH OF ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OUTSOURCING

The article examines the advantages and disadvantages of information technology outsourcing. It is determined that outsourcing is one of the actual methods of increasing the efficiency of economic activity. It is emphasized that in the conditions of a significant increase in costs for modern information technologies; the practice of outsourcing acquires a special role. Conditional reasons have been determined; in the presence of which the company's management resorts to the services of external outsourcers. It has been proven that all models of information technology outsourcing; which are currently used in the production and economic activities of industrial enterprises; have their strengths and weaknesses; which must be known; researched; analyzed and taken into account when forming strategic and current plans and when managing the company The advantages and disadvantages of information technology outsourcing are described in detail. It has been proven that the advantages of IT outsourcing include increasing productivity by using the special knowledge of experts in specific areas of activity and market segments; and also enable the company to focus the attention of management and resources on the main (direct) tasks and on the development of specialized business activities. It was determined that the main disadvantage of IT outsourcing is the presence of certain difficulties in choosing a professional and adequate IT outsourcer. It is noted that the outsourcing of information services significantly affects the level of efficiency; flexibility and adaptability of industrial enterprises; contributes to reducing costs and increasing the quality of services.

Cutting the cord : How and why HERE Technologies fired their service provider and took real estate in-house (and whether other end users should too)

This case study challenges the traditional model of real estate outsourcing by end users, by providing an alternative approach to the delivery of real estate services by an insourced team. While acknowledging the reasons why end users have historically opted to partner with third parties, this case study outlines the evaluation process and tactical tasks needed to decide and then act on this shift. The case study details the stated up-front objectives and provides learnings from a successful model change. The intention is that other end users will be able to use it as a model for making their own evaluations of feasibility and appropriateness.

The Impact of Outsourcing Model on Supply Chain Efficiency and Performance in Smes: A Case of the Hospitality Industry

Purpose: The study's main goal was to determine the impact of outsourcing models on supply chain efficiency and SMEs' performance in the hospitality industry. The qualitative research design was used to achieve the objectives.&#x0D; &#x0D; Theoretical framework: Outsourcing model is one of the key business trends experienced in the contemporary business sector. Outsourcing is an organizational operational approach in which a corporation hires a third party to perform planned or ongoing obligations. Whatever the case may be, it entails the transfer of people and assets from one business to another. The approach is concerned with establishing answers to the whys and how’s of the research question.&#x0D; &#x0D; Design/methodology/approach: Secondary data was entirely used to assess the research questions. Articles were obtained from the selected databases comprising Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scribed, Scopus, JSTOR, and DOAJ using the keywords. The PRISMA framework was used to appraise the articles and only 13 met the critical. Data was synthesized and analysed using the thematic approach.&#x0D; &#x0D; Findings: Outsourcing models have contributed significantly in enhancing the efficiency of the supply chain. Additionally, SME’s have portrayed improved performance after adopting the outsourcing models. This is closely associated and reflected by complimenting resources and capabilities, access to better and qualified personnel, high quality products and services, competitive prices and cost reduction.&#x0D; &#x0D; Research, Practical &amp; Social implications: The incorporation of outsourcing models in hospitality industry is a mandatory exercise in the contemporary business sector Nevertheless, the strategy is instrumental in enhancing supply chain efficiency and improving the entire performance. In addition, outsourcing models are key trends in hospitality industry thus all the market should incorporate the conforming strategies to avoid stiff completion.&#x0D; &#x0D; Originality/value: The findings suggest several consequences forth fields of Outsourcing Model on Supply Chain Efficiency and Performance in SMES. Although outsourcing models are associated with multiple benefits, the implementation should be guided by expert depending on the model. Also, a link should be established between the research objectives, outsourcing model and strategic management.

HETERO-FLEX MULTI-CLOUD STORAGE MANAGEMENT SCHEME FOR CLOUD DATA DE-DUPLICATION REDUCTION

The rise of cloud situations has made doable the conveyance of Internet-scale benefits by tending to various difficulties, for example, security support, fault tolerance and nature of administration. Data de-duplication has pulled in numerous cloud specialist organizations (CSPs) as an approach to lessen capacity costs. Despite the fact that the general deduplication approach has been progressively acknowledged, it accompanies numerous security and protection issues due to the outsourced data conveyance models of cloud stockpiling. To manage particular security and protection issues, secure deduplication systems have been proposed for cloud data, prompting an assorted scope of arrangements and exchange offs. Conventional deduplication conspires dependably center around particular application situations, in which the deduplication is totally controlled by either data proprietors or cloud servers. They can't adaptably fulfill different requests of data proprietors as per the level of data affectability. We propose a Hetero-Flex Multi-cloud (HFMC) stockpiling administration plot, which adaptably offers deduplication administration and multi-server get to controls. The outcomes demonstrate its security, adequacy and effectiveness and protection support towards potential pragmatic use are for the most part enhanced than the current work. Key Words: Cloud Computing, Fog Computing, IoT, Big Data, Access Control, Cloud – Based Applications.

The Effectiveness of Different IT Outsourcing Models on Cost, Quality, and Innovation

The Effectiveness of Different IT Outsourcing Models on Cost, Quality, and Innovation