Outsourcing Provider Research Articles

Driving Forces of Strategic Outsourcing in Telecommunication Companies in Tanzania

Abstract This article aims to evaluate the driving forces of outsourcing strategies on the organizational performance of mobile network operators in mainland Tanzania. The objectives are to identify the driving forces of outsourcing and determine the challenges of outsourcing in telecommunication companies. The article adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey. The selection of mobile companies is based on high market share and operation period. Findings show that customer needs for high-quality services, high-rated change in service, reduction of operational expenditure, and accessing the world’s capability are among the major driving forces for outsourcing. Dependability, loss of security, hidden costs, and selection of competent partners to mention a few are the challenges faced by telecom companies. It is noted that outsourcing enables network operators to advance their organizational performance in terms of operating cost, productivity, profitability, and market share. However, customer satisfaction suffers due to the inconsistency of the quality of service offered. Therefore, it is advised that mobile operators closely monitor outsourcing service providers to ensure that agreed service levels are met, thereby, safeguarding the reputation of the company to customers.

Improving Productivity and Reducing Costs in an IT Service Provider: Applying the Lean Six Sigma Methodology

Objective: to present the use of the Six Sigma framework as a framework for IT Governance, in a multinational company that operates in the market of IT outsourcing services, with a view to assisting in the improvement of productivity, in its consequent significant reduction of costs and a better operational performance in the processes of the company providing outsourced IT services. Theoretical Framework: The study addresses concepts of the Lean philosophy, as well as the Six Sigma framework and the marriage of Lean and Six Sigma as a way to obtain advantages from the application of its methods, meeting the needs of the organization. Method: In this study, quantitative and qualitative methods were used from a descriptive research. A literature review and associated issues were carried out and a case study was applied from the results obtained through a project in a large multinational company that provides IT outsourcing services. Outcome and Discussion: The combination of Six Sigma with the business process offered the company an opportunity for cost reduction and improved its competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive and quality-driven market. Regarding the implementation of the incident governance process, a reduction of 24% was obtained; Regarding actions to reduce the number of overtime, a reduction of 40% was obtained. A total monthly reduction of US$ 5,589 was obtained and annually the reduction amount plus benefits reached US$ 67,068. Research Implications: Research contributes to the improvement of quality and significant cost reduction with the application of the Six Sigma framework, properly tested and demonstrated in an organization. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by using the Six Sigma framework as a framework for IT Governance in order to help improve productivity with consequent significant cost reduction and better operational performance in the processes of an outsourced IT service provider. The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by the demonstration of the benefits obtained in the environment of the company under analysis.

More than one way to peel an orange : A fresh approach to building an effective lease administration function

This paper explores the evolving landscape of lease administration, prompted by shifts in labour markets, growing complexities of financial reporting for lease agreements and the emergence of robust lease management technology. Lease administration emerges as a critical business function, with a focus on managing lease data, ensuring accurate rent payments and navigating compliance and landlord relationships, while providing realtime reporting capability for business stakeholders. In addition, lease administrators transition from labour-intensive manual processes to a more analytical and technical approach. Given the altered environment in lease management requirements, tools and skill sets, now is an ideal juncture for companies to assess their current lease administration operating model, and the paper introduces a perfect assessment tool. The Lease Administration Framework, a proactive lease administration management system, highlights strategies and decisions for managing a company’s real estate portfolio while considering the use of in-house teams and outsourced service providers. The paper advocates for a tailored approach to be aligned with organisational needs, while emphasising the importance of evaluating talent, technology and risk tolerance in the decision-making process. By following the framework, corporate real estate (CRE) leaders can ensure financial prudence, gain the agility to allocate resources strategically, invest in growth initiatives and weather economic uncertainties.

Enhancing FM digitalization strategies for shopping complexes amidst post-COVID-19: a case study analysis and improvement insights

PurposeThis study aims to improve the use of digitalization in facilities management (FM) for shopping complex facilities in the post-COVID-19 era. The resumption of economic activities, especially in shopping complexes, poses challenges for FM with throngs of shoppers. To tackle these challenges, enhanced and innovative FM practices are necessary.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a qualitative research approach, incorporating case studies, interviews, observations and documentation. It focused on super-regional shopping complexes in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, selecting two complexes for qualitative data collection. Supplementary data were gathered from various sources, including government policy publications, websites, books, journal papers and archival records.FindingsThe research provides valuable insights into FM innovations and the application of FM digitalization in shopping complexes after the COVID-19 pandemic. It also addresses challenges faced by FM teams during this period. Recommendations for implementing FM digitalization in super-regional shopping complexes post-COVID-19 include developing skilled personnel, defining appropriate work scopes, strategies and policies, using cost-effective software, and increasing occupant awareness. The involvement of outsourced service providers is advised, emphasizing their understanding of the organization’s business model and innovative approaches.Originality/valueThe findings offer new perspectives on the characteristics of FM digitalization in the commercial sector during business disruptions caused by the pandemic. The proposed strategies are grounded in real industry implementations, aiming to enhance the FM digitalization approach for improved business performance.

Outsourced Facility Management (OFM) Services to Creating Global Competitiveness

In a time of increasing globalization and fierce competition in the market, being competitive has become essential for companies in a variety of sectors. Providers of Outsourced Facilities Management (OFM) services, which include everything from space management to security and maintenance, are essential in helping businesses streamline their operations and concentrate on their core business. The strategic value of outsourcing Facilities Management services is gaining more attention and adaption as the business landscape gets complicated and complex. This increased adoption of the OFM services creates opportunities thus resulting in the presence of both local and global players in this industry. Local outsourced facilities management service providers are encountering a progressively competitive market in today’s business scene. To assess and improve the competitiveness of local OFM service providers fighting to gain market shares against global industry giants, this study explores the idea of critical success factors (CSFs). CSFs stand for those critical areas in which a company must succeed to meet its objectives and beat out rivals. CSFs are essential for comprehending the unique factors that allow local OFM service providers to not only endure but also prosper in a complex network of markets. Additionally, local outsourced facilities management services providers must evaluate their abilities, performance, and competitiveness in comparison to well-established global facilities management leaders that are present in the country. By comparing with these industry giants, local suppliers can establish a baseline and initiate research to gain useful insights, direction, and positioning. This will help them improve their global competitiveness and survival at least at the local industry level. This study examines the rationale for comparing a local supplier against the industry’s critical success factors (CSF) with global companies and emphasizes the potential advantages gained from conducting such a comparison. Keywords: competitiveness, outsourced facility management, property management, critical success factors, integrated facility management

Contract manufacturer encroachment via the customer‐to‐manufacturer strategy under different platform selling modes

AbstractThis paper considers an outsourced supply chain comprising a contract manufacturer (CM), an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and an online platform. In addition to providing contract manufacturing services to the OEM, the CM enters the market using the customer‐to‐manufacturer (C2M) strategy. Two baseline models and four encroachment models with different selling modes are modeled to explore the interaction among CM encroachment, selling modes and the C2M strategy. We find that the CM will always encroach if brand substitution is sufficiently high. However, the CM will still encroach despite brand substitution being low if the platform charges the OEM a high commission rate in Scenario PR. The results also show that the CM may increase or decrease the wholesale price charged to the OEM according to his dependence on the OEM channel and direct channel. Finally, we find that after CM encroachment, the OEM is worse off, while the platform may be better or worse off. The profits of the CM, OEM, and platform decrease if customers are more concerned about production flexibility. Our work provides guidance for CM encroachment from the perspective of channel choice and product strategy and offers managerial insights into C2M practice.

How does blockchain technology implementation affect the supply chain members' strategic decisions under the factory encroachment?

PurposeContract Manufacturers (CM, factory) can cultivate factory brand products by imitating Original Equipment Manufacturers' (OEM, brand owner) National Brand products, and compete with OEM through the online retailer, that is, factory encroachment. In practice, few consumers can identify the quality of those two products in the online market. Implementing blockchain technology (BTI) can help all consumers identify product quality but may change the operation decisions and incur implementation costs. This study aims to explore how will the BTI strategies affect participants' operation performance under the factory encroachment and delve into the decisions regarding NB product quality and CM encroachment.Design/methodology/approachThis study constructs a three-level outsourcing supply chain comprising one contract manufacturer (CM, factory), one original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and one online retailer. By utilizing the Stackelberg game, the authors first compared the results between two strategic decisions of BTI and no-BTI by online retailers under the factory encroachment scenario. Then, the NB product quality decision and the CM's encroachment decision are also investigated.FindingsBTI strategy can benefit all participants (triple win), which both occurs in exogenous and endogenous quality cases, and the triple win area will expand (shrink) as the BTI cost decreases (increases). In addition, the OEM will improve product quality to confront competition from the CM, and the OEM may not always benefit from the BTI, it depends on the maturity of the market. Interestingly, BTI could improve the consumer surplus when the proportion of novice consumers is low. Finally, this study also investigates the extended case that CM always encroaches into the market whether the online retailer choose BTI or not, which hurts OEM's profit and decreases the product quality.Originality/valueThis study sheds light on the strategic decisions of online retailers' BTI regarding supply chain members' profits, consumer surplus and social welfare under factory encroachment. It also demonstrates that the BTI strategy, under different quality decisions (endogenous and exogenous), can be more profitable for chain members and consumers.

Evaluation of the clinical and quantitative performance of a practical HPLC-UV platform for in-hospital routine therapeutic drug monitoring of multiple drugs

BackgroundIn-hospital therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) requires a suitable quantification method for target drugs from the viewpoint of precision, throughput, and testing costs. We previously developed a practical HPLC-UV platform for quantification of serum levels of various drugs. In this report, the platform was effectively applied to the quantification of patient serum levels of five different drugs by clinical professionals in our hospital during their daily work.MethodsThe residual sera of patients receiving carbamazepine (CBZ), phenytoin (PHT), lamotrigine (LTG), vancomycin (VCM), or voriconazole (VRCZ) were used in the present clinical study. The quantification method for each drug consisted of rapid solid-phase extraction (SPE) of each drug in the patient serum, followed by optimized HPLC-UV analysis of the drug in the SPE eluate. Furthermore, patient serum levels of PHT, CBZ, and VCM were also measured by ligand-binding assay using a cobas® analyzer in our hospital, and those of LTG and VRCZ were measured by HPLC-MS/MS at an outsourced provider. Passing–Bablok regression analysis and Bland–Altman analysis were employed to analyze the agreement of drug levels in patient sera, which was separately quantified using two different methods—our HPLC-UV platform and the cobas analyzer, or HPLC-UV and HPLC-MS/MS.ResultsAll analytical conditions of the present method using our HPLC-UV platform were well optimized for each target drug quantification in the patient’s serum, and the quantification method for each drug was fully validated for accuracy, precision and reproducibility. Furthermore, Passing–Bablok regression analysis and Bland–Altman analysis revealed that patient serum levels of PHT, CBZ, and VCM quantified by our HPLC-UV platform were closely correlated with those quantified by the cobas® analyzer, and the levels of LTG and VRCZ quantified by our HPLC-UV platform were also correlated with those quantified by HPLC-MS/MS.ConclusionsOur HPLC-UV platform can be performed without requiring special analytical techniques. This platform is expected to be used for the measurement of blood levels of multiple drugs for in-hospital routine TDM.

Strategic analysis of supplier integration and encroachment in an outsourcing supply chain

To prevent suppliers from gaining full knowledge of production technology, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) typically adopt a multisourcing strategy, wherein each supplier handles only a portion of the production tasks. However, a recent trend has emerged where suppliers are increasingly inclined to integrate and negotiate for control over the entire end market. The implications and impact of such integration strategies, particularly in the context of supplier encroachment, remain uncertain. In this study, we examine an OEM that outsources production tasks to two competing suppliers with varying production capabilities. The supplier with higher capacity has the potential to produce their own branded products and encroach upon the end market. To strengthen their bargaining power during the outsourcing process, the two suppliers may choose to integrate with each other. Our findings indicate that without integration, OEMs can adjust the outsourcing allocation ratio to prevent encroachment by capable suppliers. In cases of integration, although the OEM must outsource all production tasks to the integrated supplier, the likelihood of market encroachment may be reduced. Furthermore, we observe that in situations involving supplier integration and encroachment, both competitive suppliers, the OEM, and the entire supply chain can achieve a win–win–win outcome. This occurs because the supplier, acting as a market competitor, provides positive incentives for the OEM to enhance product quality, thereby maintaining market share and competitiveness. The strategic recommendations derived from our results can be valuable for supply chain members engaged in outsourcing decisions.

Quality assuring an outsourced ambulatory electrocardiogram pathway

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction The rising demand for arrhythmia care has led to the use of outsourced ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) pathways to maintain timely service delivery and meet diagnostic targets. Since COVID-19, our ambulatory ECG service operates primarily through external third-party providers, using the remote (postal) model, where monitors are dispatched to patients for self-application. This pathway was activated to comply with social distancing restrictions and has now been integrated into our diagnostic model of care. A quality assurance (QA) process was introduced to ensure compliance with our internal ECG reporting practice and escalation protocols. Purpose To quality assure our outsourced ambulatory ECG reports and pathways against internal practices and protocols. Methods We audited our QA records on outsourced services from 1st January 2022 - 31st December 2022. During this period, a total of 4317 patients were provided with an ambulatory ECG monitor via the remote service. We conducted regular (~every 2-3 months) retrospective random sampling of ambulatory ECG reports (~10%) for inclusion in QA. Our QA framework consists of a series of quality and consistency checks related to clinical information, report content, and adherence to escalation protocols (table 1). QA reports are fed back to our providers at quarterly meetings to ensure improved service quality. To obtain the requisite data, a variety of sources were cross-referenced. These included our QA reports, outsourced databases, third-party provider platforms, and our patient information system. Results Over a 12-month period, a total of 459 reports were quality assured. Ambulatory ECG reports were checked for clinical information, report content, supporting ECG evidence and amendment requests (table 1). A compliance rate of 99% was achieved. There were few cases (1%) where a request was made to the provider to amend the report or include additional information, namely ECG strips to clarify the findings. We also quality checked compliance to our escalation protocols: appropriate RAG (red, amber, green) rating and action, timely notification to clinicians, and adequate documentation. The reviewed ambulatory ECG reports were RAG rated as: Red 23 (5%), Amber 189 (40%), Green-Amber 142 (30%), Green 117 (25%). These were carried out with 99% accuracy. Activation of the appropriate escalation protocols and timely clinician notification achieved 100% compliance, including 23 red-flagged reports requiring immediate action. Conclusion The outsourced ambulatory ECG pathway had a very high rate of compliance with internal ECG reporting practice and escalation protocols. Our QA framework ensures we work in collaboration with our external partners to continually provide high-quality ECG diagnostics. We believe undertaking internal quality checks is a vital part of using outsourced service providers.

THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF SOFTWARE SOLUTION IN LOGISTICS SERVICE

This study aims to investigate the role of software solutions and outsourced logistics service providers in the logistics industry in India. The logistics industry in India is a significant contributor to the country's economy, and with the growth of e-commerce and the increasing demand for timely and efficient delivery of goods, the industry has seen significant transformations in recent years. This case study will provide an overview of the Indian logistics industry and the challenges faced by logistics companies in the country. It will then examine the role of software solutions such as transportation management systems (TMS), warehouse management systems (WMS), and supply chain management (SCM) systems in streamlining logistics processes and reducing costs. The study will also analyze the role of outsourced logistics service providers in offering a range of services, including transportation, warehousing, inventory management, and order fulfillment, to businesses operating in the logistics industry in India. The case study will provide examples of companies that have successfully implemented software solutions and outsourced logistics services to improve their logistics operations and gain a competitive advantage in the market. The study aims to demonstrate the benefits of adopting software solutions and outsourcing logistics services for businesses operating in the logistics industry in India. The findings of the case study can provide valuable insights into the role of software solutions and outsourced logistics service providers in the Indian logistics industry and their impact on the industry's growth and competitiveness.

THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF SOFTWARE SOLUTION IN LOGISTICS SERVICE

This study aims to investigate the role of software solutions and outsourced logistics service providers in the logistics industry in India. The logistics industry in India is a significant contributor to the country's economy, and with the growth of e-commerce and the increasing demand for timely and efficient delivery of goods, the industry has seen significant transformations in recent years. This case study will provide an overview of the Indian logistics industry and the challenges faced by logistics companies in the country. It will then examine the role of software solutions such as transportation management systems (TMS), warehouse management systems (WMS), and supply chain management (SCM) systems in streamlining logistics processes and reducing costs. The study will also analyze the role of outsourced logistics service providers in offering a range of services, including transportation, warehousing, inventory management, and order fulfillment, to businesses operating in the logistics industry in India. The case study will provide examples of companies that have successfully implemented software solutions and outsourced logistics services to improve their logistics operations and gain a competitive advantage in the market. The study aims to demonstrate the benefits of adopting software solutions and outsourcing logistics services for businesses operating in the logistics industry in India. The findings of the case study can provide valuable insights into the role of software solutions and outsourced logistics service providers in the Indian logistics industry and their impact on the industry's growth and competitiveness.

E050 Developing multidisciplinary models of care in rheumatology at University College London Hospital: 18 months of learning from conception to delivery and beyond

Abstract Background/Aims The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented pressures on NHS departments, with demand rapidly outstripping capacity. The British Society for Rheumatology ‘Rheumatology Workforce: a crisis in numbers (2021)’ highlighted the need to provide innovative ways of delivering rheumatology specialist care. At University College London Hospitals (UCLH) we created a rheumatology multidisciplinary team (MDT) clinic to meet rising demands on our service. The aims of the Rheumatology MDT clinic were to: reduce new appointment/follow-up waiting times, increase clinic capacity, incorporate musculoskeletal (MSK) point of care ultrasound, reduce number of hospital visits and add value to each clinic encounter. Methods We ran a 6-month pilot, supported by our outpatient transformation team, incorporating a Rheumatology Advanced Practice Physiotherapist (APP), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and MSK ultrasound within a Consultant clinic. The success of the pilot helped secure funding for a further 12 months. Over 18 months we have implemented: APP/Consultant enhanced triage - up to 40% of referrals were appropriate for APP assessment, including regional MSK problems and back pain. This increased capacity for consultant-led appointments. Standardisation of time-lapse between CNS and consultant follow-up appointments to ensure appropriate spacing between patient encounters. Facilitated overbooking of urgent cases afforded by additional capacity provided by the APP. MSK ultrasound embedded in the clinic template. ‘Zoom’ patient education webinars facilitated by MDT members and wider disciplines e.g. dietetics, to empower self-management and reduce the administrative burden of patient emails/phone calls occurring outside the clinic. Patient participation sessions and feedback to help shape the service. Results During the 6-month pilot we reduced our waiting time for follow-up appointments from 9 months to 2. We now have capacity to book 1-2 urgent cases each week. Pre-MDT the average wait from consultant referral to physiotherapist appointment was 55 days. The MDT allows for same day assessment (reducing 2-3 patient journeys a clinic) and where suitable, facilitates discharge or onwards referral to the appropriate service. A dedicated MDT CNS has shortened treatment times, reduced email traffic between CNS and consultant and allows for same day, joint decision-making resulting in fewer appointments. Zoom webinar feedback has been positive. Patients value the broad expertise of allied health professionals which supports self-management. Embedding ultrasound allows for same day diagnostics, decreased referrals to radiology and reduced hospital visits. Conclusion Our MDT model has reduced waiting lists, decreased treatment delays and cut hospital attendances. Point of care ultrasound allows for same day decision making and abolishes the cost and diagnostic delay associated with referrals to radiology or outsourced providers. Shared decision-making adds value to outpatient attendances, which is reflected in patients’ positive feedback. The MDT model maximises the existing workforce skill set by enhancing the APP and CNS role, allowing patients immediate access to their expertise. Disclosure F. Higgs: None. D. Ludwig: None. N. Allotey: None. S. Begum: None. J. Burton: None.

Integrated production and maintenance planning in hybrid manufacturing-remanufacturing system with outsourcing opportunities

This paper deals with the problem of integrated production and maintenance planning with different qualities of returned products and outsourcing opportunities in a closed-loop supply chain context. The considered network consists of one manufacturer in a relationship with an outsourcing provider. The manufacturer is considered as hybrid manufacturing-remanufacturing system. It produces the new products and collects returned ones for remanufacturing activities. The outsourcing provider specializes in the remanufacturing of returned products from the collection and sorting center that the manufacturer is unable to reprocess. We propose an integrated control policy based on mathematical programming, which aims to determine the integrated production and maintenance planning in a hybrid manufacturing-remanufacturing context with outsourcing options. The proposed strategy minimizes the total cost of the system over a finite planning horizon, including manufacturing, in-house remanufacturing, outsourced remanufacturing, maintenance, holding, backlogging, and disposal costs. To show the applicability and validity of the developed model, we implement an iterative procedure using Matlab and CPLEX solver of GAMS. We conduct and discuss computational experiments to investigate managerial insights for the newly developed integrated strategy.

Research on corporate social responsibility and product quality in an outsourcing supply chain

<p style='text-indent:20px;'>In a supply chain with product outsourcing, it is crucial to identify which firm implements corporate social responsibility (CSR) leads to a higher CSR effort level, a higher product quality level, a higher quantity of outsourced products, and higher profits for supply chain members. In response to this question, we consider a decentralized supply chain with an upstream contract manufacturer (CM) and a downstream original equipment manufacturer (OEM). In this relationship, the downstream OEM outsources the product to the upstream CM and determines the quantity, while the upstream CM produces for the downstream OEM and determines the product quality and the wholesale price. Based on the scenario that each supply chain member can respectively implement the CSR effort (i.e., the CM model and the OEM model), we first investigate the impacts of the CSR demand-sensitivity coefficient, the CSR cost-reducing efficiency, and the CSR effort investment efficiency on the operational decisions and on the profits for supply chain members. Second, we compare the equilibrium results between the CM model and the OEM model. Finally, we study supply chain coordination. We find that (1) an increase in the CSR demand-sensitivity coefficient (the CSR cost-reducing efficiency and the CSR effort investment efficiency) is beneficial to the CSR effort level, the product quality level, the quantity of outsourced products, and the profitability for each supply chain member; (2) the CSR effort level is higher in the CM model than that in the OEM model, which in turn leads to a higher product quality level, a higher quantity of outsourced products, and a higher profitability of supply chain members; and (3) the proposed schemes consisting of quantity discount contracts, CSR effort investment cost sharing contracts, and quality investment cost sharing contracts can effectively coordinate the supply chain.</p>

Intuitionistic Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach for Agile Outsourcing Provider Selection in COVID-19: An Application in Turkish White Goods Industr

Proje yönetiminde çeviklik kavramı, sıralı ve doğrusal olan geleneksel proje yönetimi metodolojilerini geliştirmek için ortaya çıkmıştır. Çevik bir proje, yinelemelerin yanı sıra planlanmış süreçleri de içermektedir. Rekabetin fazla olduğu global alanlarda dış kaynak kullanılan süreçlerde çevikliğin sağlanması, şirketlerin değişimlere ve dinamik çevrelere uyum sağlayabilmesi açısından faydalıdır. Günümüz COVID-19 pandemisi koşullarında çeviklik kavramının önemi eskiye oranla daha da artmaktadır. Ayrıca, dış kaynak kullanımı süreçlerinde çeviklik kavramının sağlanması, piyasalardaki değişimlerin ve dinamik sorunların üstesinden gelinmesini sağlamaktadır. Bu çalışmada, çevik dış kaynak sağlayıcısı alternatiflerini sıralamak ve aralarından en iyi performans göstereni belirlemek için ideal çözüme göre bir çözüm elde etmeyi amaçlayan sezgisel bulanık COPRAS yaklaşımı kullanılmaktadır. Sezgisel bulanık kümeler, bulanık sayılarla yapılan işlemlerde meydana gelebilecek bilgi kayıpları ve verilerdeki tereddüt ile başa çıkmak için kullanılmaktadır. Sezgisel bulanık karar verme yaklaşımının uygulaması COVID-19 döneminde Türk beyaz eşya endüstrisinde bir dış kaynak sağlayıcısı tarafından uzaktan yürütülecek bilgi teknolojileri tabanlı proje için bir vaka çalışması yapılarak sağlanmıştır. Bu amaçla, beş adet alternatif dış kaynak sağlayıcısı önerilmiş ve 13 adet seçim kriteri kullanılmıştır. Uygulanan yaklaşım, uzmanların görüşlerini ifade etmek için sezgisel bulanık sayıların kullanılmasını sağlamakta, böylece verilerdeki tereddüt hesap edilebilmektedir. Önerilen karar modeli, COVID-19 pandemisinin etkilerini çevik dış kaynak sağlayıcı değerlendirme/seçim karar çerçevesine dahil etmektedir.

Impact of outsourced machinery services on farmers' green production behavior: Evidence from Chinese rice farmers

As an important part of agricultural socialization services, outsourced machinery services are of great significance for promoting the green development of agriculture. Using the field survey data of 1080 rice growers in Sichuan Province, this paper empirically analyzes outsourced machinery services' impact and role path on farmers' green production behavior. Further, it analyzes the difference in influence from the perspective of group heterogeneity. The research results show that: (1) The outsourced machinery services significantly impact farmers' adoption of no-tillage technology, organic fertilizer application technology, and straw returning technology. The conclusion is still stable after considering endogeneity. (2) The outsourced machinery services indirectly affect farmers' green production behavior by promoting off-farm employment and expanding the scale of farmland. (3) The impact of outsourced machinery services on farmers' green production behavior is not significant in the male group and the group whose households own agricultural machinery. In conclusion, the study proposes to increase assistance to outsourced machinery services providers and encourage service entities to actively publicize and popularize green production technologies while providing services, to play an influential role in guiding and educating farmers.

Multiobjective Order Promising for Outsourcing Supply Network of IC Design Houses

To decide which orders to be accepted for an IC design house, besides wafers and capacity, several factors also need to be considered, including product flexibility, minimal cost path, order delay cost, and the fairness of order fulfillment rate between customers. This research focuses on a multi-objective order promising problem for the hybrid MTS-MTO outsourcing supply network of an IC design house. The objectives are to maximize total profit, minimize total delay cost of accepted orders, and minimize the discrepancy of order fulfillment rate between customers. The multi-stage and multi-site outsourcing supply network, technical capacity constraints, product flexibility and multi-chip module are considered. This problem is modeled with a multi-objective mixed integer programming model. A heuristic algorithm, called the fairness-based multi-objective order promising algorithm (FMOPA) with four modes is developed to solve the problem. Moreover, experimental design is conducted to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed model with various factors and levels. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is used to evaluate the factors in accordance to the objectives. The optimal algorithm mode under thirty-two combinations of different environment factors are also evaluated. This can assist decision makers to use the optimal algorithm mode to generate the best favorable result under different environment factors.

Going-Concern Audit Opinion and Firm-Specific Expertise of Outsourced IAF Providers: Empirical Evidence from an Emerging Market

Objective and interest of the work: This study examines the effect of firm-specific expertise of outsourced IAF providers on going-concern audit opinion.
 Design of the methodology: Based on the agency theoretical background as well as relevant studies from the audit literature, the study’s hypothesis is developed and tested by probit regression to analyse the data of 1,071 firm-year observations listed on the Omani capital market over the period 2006-2019.
 Results: The result is consistent with the hypothesis that Omani public listed companies with greater reliance on the outsourced IAF providers who have sufficient firm-specific expertise are less likely to receive a going-concern audit opinion.
 Practical implications: The current study reinforces theoretical and practical implications for regulators, auditors, shareholders and decision makers by providing the first empirical evidence on the relationship between the firm-specific expertise of outsourced IAF providers and going-concern audit opinion, in an Asian emerging market, specifically Omani, context.

Partnerships promote innovation in food supply chains

Partnerships promote innovation in food supply chains