Product Warranty Research Articles

Modeling random warranty and replacement strategies for products with two modes of failure and mission cycles

Characteristics like mission cycle, failure number, and failure mode act as crucial metrics for evaluating the reliabilities of products subject to various failure modes. As a result, this study develops two distinct strategies to manage product reliabilities. The first strategy focuses on managing warranty-stage reliability and employs renewable-free replacements to enhance warranty appeal. Using either the criterion of “whichever occurs first” or “whichever occurs last”, this strategy is called a three-dimensional random warranty-first-or-last approach with renewable-free replacement. The second strategy involves various replacements, providing comprehensive management of post-warranty reliability. The first approach within this second type of strategy is called the bivariate random periodic replacement-first-with-corrective-replacement method. The proposed warranty can identify reliability heterogeneities, which serves as the basis for adapting the second approach within the second type of strategy. Time and cost factors are used to quantify the proposed strategies. Numerical analyses are carried out focusing on key parameters.

Crossed signals: The negative effects of manufacturer warranty length on brand share in an independent retail channel

Crossed signals: The negative effects of manufacturer warranty length on brand share in an independent retail channel

Stochastic Analysis of an Industrial System with Preparation Time Repair under Warranty Policy

The main purpose of this study is to examine the behavior of certain industrial systems under the conditions of product warranty policy. Given this policy, we are interested in considering all the parameters of the system in order to study them and show their impact on the proposed system. In order to increase the efficiency of the system and activate the product warranty policy, the system will undergo a preliminary examination for any system failure occurrence to determine the reasons that led to the failure. After completing the initial inspection, the mechanic will decide whether it is a user-caused failure or a manufacturing defect to determine whether or not the repair of the broken appliance is covered by the manufacturer’s contractual warranty policy. All times in the system are assumed as a negative exponential distribution. The expressions for some measures of system effectiveness such as reliability, mean time to system failure (MTSF), and availability are derived using the supplementary variable technique and Laplace transform. Sensitivity analysis and a relative sensitivity are then carried out in order to recognize how each system parameter affects performance measures. Finally, some numerical examples are designed and performed to show how the change of each system parameter affects system performance.

Proactive product warranty service planning and control: unravelling the boons of customer-generated content and multi-frequency analyses

Proactive warranty service problems planning and control serve a crucial role in service continuity and sustainability. In this regard, for the majority of manufacturers, predicting warranty claims for complicated goods is a reliability problem. The prediction of warranty claims is a complex task that also inherently possesses ambiguity, uncertainty, and volatility due to various factors. This study tries to overcome these challenges by providing a unique hybrid forecasting technique and experimenting with the use of social media data to improve the accuracy of warranty claims forecasts. We have established a collaborative partnership with a provider of automobile product services to curate a comprehensive dataset comprising two distinct types of data: (1) internal operational data and (2) social media data sourced from Twitter and Facebook. The proposed algorithm exhibits a high level of proficiency in predicting warranty claims and demonstrates robustness in effectively handling various forms of time series data that display multifarious statistical characteristics. Empirical Wavelet Transform (EWT), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), and a Bayesian optimisation algorithm for optimising the shaped Deep LSTM-CNN hyperparameters make up the proposed approach. It is shown that using EWT to provide multi-frequency analysis, LSTM-CNN combination to capture both short- and long-term memory of the data, and the utilisation of social media data significantly improve the efficacy of out-of-sample predictions and counteract the impact of the “warranty data maturation” phenomenon. The suggested algorithm exhibits a decrease in Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) ranging from 29.13% to 90.64% compared to other advanced benchmark models.

Modeling Renewable Warranties and Post-Warranty Replacements for Self-Announcing Failure Products Subject to Mission Cycles

Modeling Renewable Warranties and Post-Warranty Replacements for Self-Announcing Failure Products Subject to Mission Cycles

Do customers matter in currency hedging policies? Evidence from product warranties

AbstractUsing a data set of US manufacturing firms with sales from foreign operations, we find that firms' currency hedging activities vary with their warranty obligations. The positive link of warranty obligations to currency hedging policies prevails in financially more constrained firms, companies facing fiercer product market competition and corporations producing more unique products. Our results suggest that firms are likely to incorporate their contractual commitments to customers into their currency hedging activities, especially when their failures to honor these commitments are more likely or costly.

A study on two‐dimensional warranty with a preventive maintenance policy under burn‐in or run‐in

AbstractProducts are often offered with warranties, which have become a common marketing strategy intended to indicate that product quality is guaranteed by the firm. Warranties can attract consumer purchases, but they also incur warranty costs, especially when firms falsely claim that their products are high quality; therefore, the determination of an appropriate warranty policy is of particular importance. This study considers a two‐dimensional warranty for complex repairable products, such as a vehicle, a lathe, or industrial machinery, with consideration of (1) burn‐in (run‐in), which is a supervised accelerating testing process performed before product launch to prevent defective products from being sold on the market, and (2) periodic preventive maintenance, which is performed during the usage period to prevent the occurrence of unexpected failures under normal usage conditions. The optimal burn‐in (run‐in) time and preventive maintenance intervals are determined with the aim of minimizing warranty costs for firms. The results of the study show that given a higher repair cost and a greater infant mortality failure rate, more frequent preventive maintenance is preferable, and the repair cost has the largest effect on the total warranty cost for the firm.

Optimal pricing and warranty strategies of a closed‐loop supply chain under government subsidies

AbstractBoth warranty services and subsidy policies are effective strategies for promoting the development of remanufacturing. According to the warranty provider, this paper considers two possible warranty strategies: the manufacturer warranty and the retailer warranty. The optimal pricing and warranty periods are determined by considering the effect of the consumption subsidy policy through Stackelberg game models. Subsequently, this paper investigates the optimal warranty strategy by comparing the economic and integrated performance of the closed‐loop supply chain. The analytical results indicate that the retailer warranty enables the supply chain to obtain a higher economic performance than the manufacturer warranty. Nevertheless, the integrated performance that combines economic and environmental performance depends on the consumption subsidy level. In addition, this paper finds that the consumption subsidy policy enhances supply chain profitability and consumer surplus but may hurt the environment in certain scenarios. Therefore, this paper derives the optimal subsidy level by maximizing the total social welfare, which takes into account both economic and environmental performance. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers in remanufacturing.

Power quality enhancement for Thailand's wind farm using 5 MWh Li-ion battery energy storage system

Several studies have stated that an increase in wind power plants and unpredictable wind energy generation face several issues during over-voltage. In this study, an operational 8 MW wind farm in Nakhon Ratchasima province faced severe annual feeder trips 146 times, which is not permissible according to the manufacturers. The feeder trips are mainly attributed to high grid voltage caused by low load demand. This study developed a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to minimise feeder trips using DigiSILENT and utilized the higher feeder trip period of September to optimise BESS capacity with a 10 % grid load. Notably, a 5 MWh BESS maintained the grid voltage within an allowable range compared to the 1–4 MWh (increment of 1 MWh) throughout the operational period. Furthermore, a 5 MWh BESS was tested during low and high wind periods to assess the stability of over-voltage management. We found that the 5 MWh BESS controlled over-voltage and prevented feeder trips, resulting in enhanced power generation on selective days with high feeder trips, low wind speed, and high wind speed, generating 28.34 MWh, 0.33 MWh, and 76.67 MWh, respectively, compared to conditions without BESS. Additionally, we recommend that the 5 MWh BESS can enhance wind farm power stability and uphold the manufacturer's warranty.

After Sales Services as Determinant of Customers’ Patronage of Satellite Products and Services: A Study of South-South Nigeria

In this study, we examined whether after sales services serve as determinants of customers’ patronage among selected satellite products/services companies in South-South Nigeria. To offer a novel view on the research theme, three (3) after sales service dimensions were employed, namely; product warranty, installation and delivery. Questionnaire was the major instrument of data collection, which was administered on four hundred respondents out of which three hundred and seventy-three were completely retrieved. Data obtained in were analysed using descriptive, diagnostic and inferential statistical techniques. Findings indicated that there is a significant relationship between the after sales services dimensions (product delivery, installation and warranty)and customer’s patronage of satellite products. The implication of the finding is that after sales services serve as determinants of customers’ patronage. In view of the findings, it is recommended that management of satellite products and services need to enhance their strategic plans aimed at further improving product delivery, installation and warranty by ensuring that their transmissions are more effective than ever before so as to attract more customers, increase profitability and market share. Again, the study recommends that management of satellite products and services need to improve on their product warranty, delivery and installation policies so as to further assure customers of improved and quality products as well as attracting more customers.

Pengaruh Kualitas Produk, Layanan Purna Jual dan Jaminan Produk terhadap Kepuasan Pelanggan

The problem of the level of consumer trust and satisfaction is important in the trade business. However, not all products that have been and have not been regulated have adequate after-sales service. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of after-sales service, product quality and product warranty on customer satisfaction. The number of samples in this study amounted to 100 consumers from a population of 180 consumers and are active consumers of PT Karya Bahari Abadi Jakarta. The sampling technique is by accidental sampling. The data collection technique is primary data or data taken directly from the respondents through a questionnaire. This study uses multiple linear regression and comparative analysis for data analysis with the help of SPSS Ver. 21, This study obtained the results that the quality product, after-sales service, product guarantee has a positive effect simultaneously on customer satisfaction, quality product, after-sales service, product guarantee has a partial positive effect on customer satisfaction. Through data processing, researchers can provide input or advice to companies, namely companies are expected to be able to maintain product quality that has been rated well by customers and pay more attention to after-purchase services to create satisfaction which ultimately impacts on customer loyalty.

As cute as a button: the effect of size on online product cuteness perception

PurposeCute products have found market success. The literature has identified various factors of cuteness, but the effect of size is under-addressed. This study aims to investigate whether and how size perception influences consumers’ cuteness perception.Design/methodology/approachIn three experiments, size was manipulated in terms of visual cue, product description and product name to determine its impact on cuteness perception.FindingsThe results of the three experiments demonstrate that a size cue of smallness can heighten consumers’ perception of product cuteness. The first two studies provided converging evidence for the main hypothesis that smaller objects are evaluated as cuter. Study 3 not only replicated the findings of the first two studies but also revealed that vulnerability acts as the underlying process for the smallness-cuteness relationship. Study 3 also showed that the purchase likelihood for an extended product warranty is higher in the small condition compared to the control condition.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the findings were robust across product types and size manipulations, possible boundary conditions related to product types or individual characteristics were not tested.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest how brand managers can use size perceptions to influence consumers’ perceptions of the cuteness of their products and brands.Originality/valueThe findings inform brand managers about the nuances of size cues that may affect how customers perceive their products and identify a more generally applicable cuteness factor that may have downstream implications for marketing practitioners.

Experimental repair technique for glass defects of glass-glass photovoltaic modules – A techno-economic analysis

Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy is a crucial supply technology in the envisioned renewable energy system. With enormous amounts of PV modules being installed, some will be affected by early-life failures and the resulting e-waste from PV modules is raising environmental concerns. A failure of growing importance is the defect in the glass layer(s) of glass-glass PV modules. In this research, an experimental glass repair technique for glass-glass PV modules was tested and examined. The PV modules with glass defects under test did not show internal defects in the PV cells, while the repaired specimens performed properly at each phase in the repair process compared to reference modules, the IEC standards and manufacturer warranty. After a damp-heat test the repaired PV modules showed no signs of water ingress, suggesting that the glass layer was restored as a proper barrier. However, definite conclusions should be made with caution since the non-repaired specimens neither showed visible signs of water ingress. While the practical application of the reparation technique has still some uncertainties, glass reparation is found to be technically feasible and effective. Furthermore, economic and energetic analyses indicate that glass defect reparation is economically interesting and energetically desirable.

Transfer learning applied to bivariate forecasting on product warranty data

The reliability and resource management of products for warranty is important. Furthermore, the number of failures of aproduct over time of use and level of expenditure can assume different distributions. Approaches with parametric modelsbring good results when there is a normal distribution, and the application of Deep Learning (DL) is very promising. Weshow a new methodology for the application of DL models with transfer learning to bivariate forecasts of repair rates inproducts that are under warranty. The solution was applied to data from an American company, recorded from 2015 to2022, of 12 different types of parts from 69 different types of cars. An evaluation of the absolute error of the forecasts wasperformed for each combination of part, car and model year. Tests showed that the model performed well in predictingdata for 70 months in service and 70,000 miles, using data from cars with at least 15 months in service and 1,000 milesas input. It was also concluded that the solution is robust for cases of incomplete data and distributions far from thenormal distribution.

Clustered Coefficient Regression Models for Poisson Process with an Application to Seasonal Warranty Claim Data

Motivated by a product warranty claims dataset, we propose clustered coefficient regression models in a nonhomogeneous Poisson process for recurrent event data. The proposed method, referred as CLUPP, can estimate the group structure and parameters simultaneously. In our proposed method, a penalized regression approach is used to identify the group structure. Numerical studies show that the proposed approach can identify the group structure well, and outperforms traditional methods such as hierarchical clustering and K-means. We also establish theoretical properties, which show that the proposed estimators can converge to true parameters in high probability. In the end, we apply our proposed methods to the product warranty claims dataset, which achieve better prediction than the state-of-the-art methods.

Women's Clothing Microenterprises: A Qualitative Analysis of Consumer Perception

In the context of the pandemic, an increase in the unemployment level originated, but on the other hand, new businesses such as microenterprises were also started, this with the purpose of generating income. The image of Peruvian entrepreneurship has changed during the pandemic, before the pandemic mainly adult men generated entrepreneurship, but now women, young people and low-income Peruvians initiate this challenge. The main research objective is to explore the consumer perception about women's clothing microenterprises in the city of Metropolitan Lima, capital of Peru. The methodological approach was qualitative with a descriptive scope and phenomenological design; the sample was selected for convenience, with a total of 12 women who buy in women's clothing micro-enterprises, who are around the age range between 18 to 35 years of socioeconomic level B and C between professionals and students; who were subsequently conducted in-depth interviews through telephone calls. The instrument consisted of 12 questions per interview divided into 3 dimensions and 4 sub-categories for each dimension. The users expressed their experiences in the use of women's clothing, which made it possible to generate a consumer profile of this type of business by analyzing the quality of information, speed of response and after-sales service. The interviews were transcribed and then the data were analyzed taking into account the most important and differential points of each response obtained. Among the main results, it was found that the users prioritize the quality of service, the veracity of the product images, the differential value of the garments and tolerance. Negative factors such as distrust and lack of attention to queries were found, elements that should be improved for a better closing of sales. In conclusion, after determining certain positive and negative factors on the perception of women's clothing micro-enterprises, users emphasize the importance of product warranty, which produces a feeling of improvement in quality and customer service.

EXPLORING DYNAMIC EFFECT OF SALES PROMOTION ON CONSUMERS: A REVIEW

The recent trend in marketing is customers focused which is intended to fulfill diversified needs, wants and satisfying them. The consumer during purchase evaluates various marketing factors which add value to product either by saving money or providing added benefits. Retailers in this digital era adopt promotional strategies (sales promotion) on routine bases, to persuade and stimulate consumers to buy. Since decades large number of studies has been performed by various authors describing significance of sales promotion. This study elaborates the research conducted in recent years in context with sales promotion techniques and its effectiveness among consumers by reviewing 22 research papers.Sales promotion techniques includes coupons, rebates, price packs, premiums, frequency programs, prizes (contests, sweepstakes, games), patronage awards, free trials, product warranties, point-of-purchase (P-O-P) displays and demonstrations etc, which produce quick results as it boosts sales quickly and make customer loyal in long run. It was evident from past researches review that sales promotion had positive and significant influence on consumers towards purchasing similar or differential products of varying quantities from diversified segments of market. Thus, marketer by selecting combination of sales promotion techniques can exaggerating sales and generate profit.

Reorientation Of Halal Literacy Education Development in The Curriculum of Islamic Educational Institutions: An Alternative Concept

Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 33 Year 2014 on Halal Product Warranty (JPH) mandates the Government that the product circulating in Indonesia is guaranteed halal by the Halal Product Security Organizing Body (BPJPH). Public participation is required in halal product socialization and monitoring. Socialization and education constitute an important task of education institution including madrasah. It is necessary for madrasah as a formal educational institution with Islamic characteristics to enhance its role in disseminating halal product so that students have better awareness on the importance of halal thayyiban products. The socialization and education of halal products will contribute to achieve one of the national educational goals in developing learners’ potentials so that they become the people imbued with human values who are faithful and pious to one and only God; who possess morals and noble character; who are healthy, knowledgeable, competent, creative, independent; and as citizens, are democratic and responsible. To meet the goal, madrasah must respond and play an active role in solving the problems that occur in community, one of which is related to halal product issue. This study is intended to analyze the significance of implementing Halal Education in madrasah. This research applies literature study method. The research findings show that the issue of halal product does not have an adequate portion in Fiqh curriculum. The study of halal product in the curriculum is limited in doctrinaire perspective. The important issues on basic commodity, additives, production process, warehousing packing and halal product distribution need to be conveyed in madrasah education, considering that processed food for children in Indonesia is really complex and require a multi-disciplinary study

Sign Life Expectancy on Low-Volume Roads in Iowa

Traffic signs provide warning and guidance information to drivers 24 h a day. They also represent a significant maintenance and replacement concern and cost for agencies with the advent of retroreflectivity requirements. In some cases, agencies choose to replace their signs in conjunction with the end of the manufacturer warranty period or other time intervals to maintain sign retroreflectivity. However, this could result in signs being replaced while they still exceed their minimum retroreflectivity requirements, with labor and material costs being incurred years before necessary. This research evaluated retroreflectivity data from in-service signs in Iowa, U.S., to determine expected sign life values. It evaluated 10,799 retroreflectivity data points across three different sheeting materials for a variety of sign types. A total of 65 linear regression models were developed to evaluate signs by sheeting type, age, and sign category (regulatory, warning, and guide), as well as directional orientation. The results indicated that all sheeting materials, sign types, and sign directions were predicted to have lives of at least 10 years before falling below Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) minimums. Plots of retroreflectivity versus age indicated that many signs remained well above the MUTCD minimums at the predicted age where failure was expected. In general, the predicted lives for a material/sign type/direction combination were greater than 5 years longer than manufacturer warranty periods. For conservative purposes, agencies could consider a sign to be approaching minimum retroreflectivity levels at approximately 5 years past the manufacturer warranty, based on the research results.

Do Customers Matter in Currency Hedging Policies? Evidence from Product Warranties

Do Customers Matter in Currency Hedging Policies? Evidence from Product Warranties