Service Chain Research Articles

Diversity of kidney care referral pathways in national child health systems of 48 European countries.

Primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare services in Europe create complex networks covering pediatric subspecialties, sociology, economics and politics. Two surveys of the European Society for Paediatric Nephrology (ESPN) in 1998 and 2017 revealed substantial disparities of kidney care among European countries. The purpose of the third ESPN survey is to further identify national differences in the conceptualization and organization of European pediatric kidney health care pathways during and outside normal working hours. In 2020, a questionnaire was sent to one leading pediatric nephrologist from 48 of 53 European countries as defined by the World Health Organization. In order to exemplify care pathways in pediatric primary care nephrology, urinary tract infection (UTI) was chosen. Steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) was chosen for pediatric rare disease nephrology and acute kidney injury (AKI) was analyzed for pediatric emergency nephrology. The care pathways for European children and young people with urinary tract infections were variable and differed during standard working hours and also during night-time and weekends. During daytime, UTI care pathways included six different types of care givers. There was a shift from primary care services outside standard working hours to general outpatient polyclinic and hospital services. Children with SNSS were followed up by pediatric nephrologists in hospitals in 69% of countries. Patients presenting with community acquired AKI were admitted during regular working hours to secondary or tertiary care hospitals. During nights and weekends, an immediate shift to University Children's Hospitals was observed where treatment was started by intensive care pediatricians and pediatric nephrologists. Gaps and fragmentation of pediatric health services may lead to the risk of delayed or inadequate referral of European children with kidney disease to pediatric nephrologists. The diversity of patient pathways outside of normal working hours was identified as one of the major weaknesses in the service chain.

A New Adoption Intention Model of Drone Application in Food Delivery Services in Malaysia: A Conceptual Paper

The current Industrial Revolution era seems to enforce new ways of implementing online food delivery services, one of which is the use of drone delivery. One of the problems is that the existing food delivery services use human riders which are prone to accidents, for example about 1600 death cases were reported in 2020 involving p-hailing (food and parcel) riders. Also, the use of drones is needed to help victims of natural disasters such as floods, typhoons, and landslides. Malaysia has commenced the trial use of drone food delivery to tackle these problems. Particularly, consumers’ behavioral intentions to use drone food delivery services have been laid low with complex aviation rules and regulations. Hence, the main objective of this study is to examine the predictors of adoption intention in drone food delivery among food delivery providers and consumers in Malaysia. The research methods used are qualitative and quantitative research designs. The quantitative data will be collected using an online survey and will be analyzed using structural equation modeling (SMART PLS). For qualitative technique, the telephone interviews with 15 food delivery service providers and drone collaborators will be conducted and analyzed using verbatim analysis. The expected output is a new adoption intention model of drone food delivery services, one Master student (by research), two publications, and one IP. The result will be significant to the nation in terms of increasing the adoption of delivery drones hence increasing automation in line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0). This research also improves the economy and societal benefit through efficient supply chain and transportation of services in urban and affected areas such as the spread of diseases or natural disasters, i.e., floods and landslides.

Water Safety Practices Along the Water Service Chain in Addis Ababa: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Cosmopolitan City.

This study investigated water safety practices and risk levels along Addis Ababa's water supply service chain. The data came from 23 random woredas, 384 random households, 115 microbiological water quality tests, and diagnostic inspections from source to point of use. Findings from this study indicate that the surface water sources (53%) and the water source catchments (62%) are characterized by very high-risk and high risk contamination levels respectively. Conversely, the water treatment process (5%) and temporary reservoir (20%) indicates a low risk level. Whereas the water distribution system (40%), water source boreholes (44%), and Household level (29%) water safety practices are identified as medium risk levels. The microbial analysis of the drinking water at the source and point of use indicated low (<11 CFU/100 ml) to high levels (>100 CFU/100 ml) of risk with significant levels of contamination at the household level. Moreover, the household-level water safety practice assessment revealed intermediate to very high levels of risks. The Chi2 test shows that water supply type is significantly associated with occupation(X2(12,384) = 23.44, P < .05) and education(X2(8,384) = 15.4, P < .05). Multinomial regression analysis also showed better occupation is associated with increased access to safe bottled water compared to safe piped water on premises. It can be concluded that the water safety practice encountered low to very high levels of risk of contamination at different components along the water supply service chain and the household level. This study suggests ways to improve Addis Ababa residents' health and well-being through water safety interventions. These include safeguarding water sources, supporting local safe water businesses, providing household water treatment, and handling options, and addressing the barriers and incentives for adopting safe water practices.

Automated Manufacturing Toolchain using Skill-based Digital Twins

Digital twins with a skill-based description are increasingly finding their way into industrial production. Their models link properties of a product with available process capabilities that are realized by resource skills. A matchmaking derives capable resources, e.g. for modular assembly systems. For capability-based planning in manufacturing, integration with computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programs is missing. This paper presents an automated toolchain with focus on subtractive manufacturing using skill-based digital twins. Product-Process-Resource (PPR) models are used and enriched with subtractive manufacturing information and further relations. A configurator allows the design of the individual digital product twin, which can synchronously be generated as a 3D model using a CAD service. Necessary subtractive manufacturing steps including capable resources are then determined in a planning environment and fed into the CAM system. This allows an individual generation of machining code based on PPR information, which can be validated on a simulation model. The result is an automated tool chain of different software services, which are composed by a common description of the PPR model and the software services themselves. By defined models and interfaces the toolchain is not restricted to subtractive manufacturing but enables the integration of computer-aided everything (CAx) services.

СОВРЕМЕННОЕ СОСТОЯНИЕ РАЗВИТИЯ ГЛОБАЛЬНОЙ ЦИФРОВОЙ ЭКОНОМИКИ

The development of the digital economy is ahead of the overall development of the global economy. Digital technologies determine the level and scale of development of the digital economy. Due to the progress of digital technologies, the global value chain of digital products or digital services has gradually formed. In this value chain, digital products have become the main factor in value creation. Data is no longer just a quantity used for measurement, a supporting role given to material, but has become a core element of wealth creation. In the future, the trends of globalization and fragmentation of the digital economy will coexist, and the integration of people and the digital economy will become a prominent feature of the era. At the same time, the gap in the development of the digital economy is becoming more and more noticeable, which exacerbates the uneven development of the world.

A different perspective on agricultural products within the scope of water footprint intensity

Water is one of the most basic requirements for the sustainability of life on Earth. However, global climate change threatens this important resource by deeply affecting water resources and the water cycle. The sustainability of food production also depends on the proper management and protection of existing water resources. Therefore, it is important to know the amount of water required for agricultural production on a product basis and to prepare basin-based production plans taking into account water resources. The concept of water footprint (WF), which is used to express the amount of water consumed directly and indirectly in the process from the supply chain of goods and services to the end user or the extent of water pollution it causes, is presented as an important tool in water management. Nowadays, the WF calculations of agricultural products are also one of the most widely studied topics. In this study, Water Footprint Intensity is calculated for some agricultural products and the WFD of these products is evaluated through economic indicators and a different perspective is tried to be presented to the readers.

The quality of service and supply chain effectiveness of high-level hospitals in Cali,Colombia

The quality of service and supply chain effectiveness of high-level hospitals in Cali,Colombia

The quality of service and supply chain effectiveness of high-level hospitals in Cali, Colombia

The quality of service and supply chain effectiveness of high-level hospitals in Cali, Colombia

ИНТЕГРАЦИЯ ИСКУССТВЕННОГО ИНТЕЛЛЕКТА В БИЗНЕС-ПРОЦЕССЫ

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has ushered in a new era of transformation in various sectors of modern business. This article examines the growing integration of artificial intelligence into various organizational processes and its profound impact on business in various industries. Enterprises are increasingly recognizing the potential of AI to improve operational efficiency, streamline decision-making processes and open new avenues for innovation. This integration covers a broad spectrum that includes data analytics, automation, machine learning and natural language processing. AI is being used to streamline routine tasks, enhance customer service, and create competitive advantage. This article examines the real-world applications of AI in key areas such as marketing, customer service and supply chain management, and sheds light on how companies are using AI to make meaningful improvements and stay ahead in an increasingly dynamic marketplace.

Factors Affecting the Development of a Logistics Service Chain for Agricultural Products in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

In this paper, we analyze the factors affecting the development of a logistics service chain for agricultural products in the Mekong Delta. Specially, we consider cold chain to be an indispensable component in the oriented logistics chain. A special contribution of this study is that the weight levels of factors are detailed to the sub-factors in a special multivariate regression function. To accomplish it, an integrated method between the descriptive statistics and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied based on the orientation of using the strengths of each other. The results show that the new approach of this study can help managers consider and compare the prioritizing level between the factors in selecting the designing process of a logistics service chain for the agricultural products in this region.

Performability of Service Chains with Rejuvenation: A Multidimensional Universal Generating Function Approach

Performability of Service Chains with Rejuvenation: A Multidimensional Universal Generating Function Approach

Service Chain Placement by Using an African Vulture Optimization Algorithm Based VNF in Cloud-Edge Computing

The use of virtual network functions (VNFs) enables the implementation of service function chains (SFCs), which is an innovative approach for delivering network services. The deployment of service chains on the actual network infrastructure and the establishment of virtual connections between VNF instances are crucial factors that significantly impact the quality of network services provided. Current research on the allocation of vital VNFs and resource constraints on the edge network has overlooked the potential benefits of employing SFCs with instance reuse. This strategy offers significant improvements in resource utilization and reduced startup time. The proposed approach demonstrates superior performance compared to existing state-of-the-art methods in maintaining inbound service chain requests, even in complex network typologies observed in real-world scenarios. We propose a novel technique called African vulture optimization algorithm for virtual network functions (AVOAVNF), which optimizes the sequential arrangement of SFCs. Extensive simulations on edge networks evaluate the AVOAVNF methodology, considering metrics such as latency, energy consumption, throughput, resource cost, and execution time. The results indicate that the proposed method outperforms BGWO, DDRL, BIP, and MILP techniques, reducing energy consumption by 8.35%, 12.23%, 29.54%, and 52.29%, respectively.

The Practice of Healthy Elderly Service Innovation Model Based on Data Analytics

Abstract With the gradual deepening of China’s aging population, the status quo of “getting old before getting rich” has brought great challenges to the problem of elderly care. In this paper, we take the supply chain management of elderly services as the core and optimize the service cost and service quality through a two-layer planning model to obtain the best decision-making scheme. A particle Swarm Algorithm (PSO) is proposed to solve the model with intelligent evolution, and an incentive mechanism is established on the basis of the senior care supply chain, which maximizes its revenue by relying on the contract. Finally, by improving the SCORE model, data analysis and dynamic simulation of the senior care service supply chain can be carried out. The results show that the supply chain of senior care service reaches the optimization when the ratio of the capital input of community, institution and home is 0.2:0.2:0.6, and its equilibrium ratio stabilizes at about 96.0%:4%, which effectively alleviates the current pressure of senior care service. This study realizes the coordination of information and interests in the supply chain of community senior care service, which is of great practical significance for the innovation of healthy senior care service.

Realization of Vitality Optimization in Traditional Village Human Settlement Environment Supported by Intelligent Sensor Technology

The vitality of traditional villages (VTV) is a reference indicator for measuring the hollowing out of traditional villages. Human settlements in the world are based on the access and availability to the chief vitality factors of the geographical region. The traditional villages of China are the potential candidates for improving vitality optimization, as their development is still in the stage of infancy. This work proposes a framework that integrates complex subsystems of the traditional village human settlements with the vitality factors. The issues in these traditional villages are analyzed under the umbrella of social life, domestic life and agriculture, which is the primary occupation of people in traditional villages. Further, the work identifies the contemporary computing technologies and communication technologies used in various applications of intelligent sensor technology. This work associates the various subsystems of the villages, namely strategic, social, economic, resource and environment subsystem, and information subsystem, with the factors influencing dimensions of development, namely resources, service chain, sustainability, technology and institution. This framework can be further extended to include more elements of vitality factors.

Comment on “The Impact of Foundational AI on International Trade, Services and Supply Chains in Asia”

Comment on “The Impact of Foundational <scp>AI</scp> on International Trade, Services and Supply Chains in Asia”

Comment on “The Impact of FoundationalAIon International Trade, Services and Supply Chains in Asia”

Comment on “The Impact of Foundational<scp>AI</scp>on International Trade, Services and Supply Chains in Asia”

Heuristic-Based Service Chain Construction with Security-Level Management

Heuristic-Based Service Chain Construction with Security-Level Management

Service Chain Provisioning Model Considering Traffic Changes Due to Virtualized Network Functions

Service Chain Provisioning Model Considering Traffic Changes Due to Virtualized Network Functions

The perceptions of food service staff in a nursing home on an upcoming transition towards a healthy and sustainable food environment: a qualitative study.

Healthy and sustainable food environments are urgently needed, also in nursing and residential care homes. Malnutrition in care homes is becoming an increasing problem as populations worldwide are ageing and many older people do not consume sufficient protein, fibre, fruit, and vegetables. Nursing homes also often experience a lot of food waste. A transition in the food environment like a nursing home, involves the participation of facility management and food service staff members. This study aims to map out their perceived barriers and facilitators for this transition. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with food service staff members (n = 16), comprising of kitchen staff (n = 4), wait staff (n = 10), and facility management (n = 2) of two nursing homes in the Netherlands. Thematic analysis was used to derive content and meaning from transcribed interviews. Four main themes were identified. Theme 1: 'Communication, transparency and accountability in the chain', highlighting the lack of effective communication flows and a fragmented overview of the food service chain as a whole. Theme 2: 'Understanding, knowledge and ability of the concepts healthy and sustainable', revealing the gap in staff's understanding of these abstract concepts, despite perceiving themselves as having sufficient knowledge and ability. Theme 3: 'The pampering service mind-set', highlighting the contradiction in the staff's shared goal of proving the highest quality of life for residents while also pampering them in ways that may not align with promoting healthy and sustainable food choices. Theme 4: 'Transition is important but hard to realize', describing the barriers such as existing routines and a lack of resources as challenges to implementing changes in the food service. Facilitators to transitioning nursing homes towards a healthy and sustainable food environment as perceived by staff members included transparent communication, accountability in the food supply chain, staff's perceived ability and shared goal, while barriers included lack of understanding of the concepts healthy and sustainable, the current pampering mindset, and top-down decision-making. These findings provide valuable insights for nursing homes seeking to transition towards a healthier and more sustainable food environment.

Research on the Inflation and Unemployment under COVID-19 and Ukraine Conflict

The global economy has been under a lot of stress and volatility since the COVID-19 virus broke out in 2020. The Russian-Ukrainian war that broke out in early 2022 not only escalated regional tensions but also brought more instability factors to the global economic development in the post-epidemic era. A symbiotic system of various nations has been created by the growth of economic globalization, and because the industrial, supply, capital, and service chains are all intertwined and have a strong linkage effect, the financial effects of emergencies like epidemics and wars will be greater. This article examines the development of the world economy under the dual impact of the epidemic and local wars through the analysis of major economic indicators of the United States, the European Union, and China from 2019 to 2023, including GDP, unemployment, and inflation. In addition, we will systematically analyze the monetary policies adopted by the three countries in response to economic shocks, evaluate their effects, and predict future economic development trends.