Service Quality Parameters Research Articles

Application of piecewise-linear approximation of probabilistic-time characteristics of queuing systems

Nowadays many modern industries depend on satellite technologies to a greater or lesser extent. To build such satellite communication systems it is necessary to have estimated parameters of high service quality, one including the information delay time. To implement a mathematical model of traffic distribution in a satellite network, such analytical expressions for time delays are used, which have a discontinuity of the second kind at the moment when the arrival rate becomes equal to the service rate. Removal of this discontinuity can reduce the time required for calculating optimal routes. To achieve this goal, a piecewise linear approximation is used. As a way of specifying line segments, two approaches are considered, which are compared using the integral least squares method and the issue of the number of lines used in the conditions of the problem is also considered. As a result, approximation dependences were obtained, which allows plotting a piecewise-linear function of the mean waiting time in the buffer for the M/M/1 system. The procedure for finding the optimal parameters for this function is described and the analytical method was used to obtain approximate formulas for finding the tangency points of depending on the incoming traffic intensity.

Development of internet measurement principles for representation of measured provision of service (QoS-2)

ABSTRACT In modern world, technology plays a significant role. Upcoming services, demanding a specific level of service quality that should be guaranteed no matter what, will impose obligations to network performance and capacity. European strategy for broadband development prescribes a set of quality indicators that networks should correspond. But imposed obligations themselves don’t guarantee the persistent level of quality. European initiatives of geographical mapping of broadband access, which are developed in order to monitor the development of internet access services, propose guidance for gathering and representation of estimated QoS parameters at the so-called QoS-1 level, whereas monitoring of actual network performance on QoS-2 level and representation of real and objective internet quality indicators rests undefined. Besides ensuring that quality is described in meaningful and comparable manner the general measurement methodology that suits various purposes should be established. This research is aimed to develop principles of monitoring and objective representation of internet access service quality parameters in specific location on QoS-2 level, as well as to establish joint mechanism to obtain the quality of service data that would be appropriate for different needs. This research is directed to the mobile internet access service.

Effectiveness of e-learning: the mediating role of student engagement on perceived learning effectiveness

PurposeThis study extends the literature on the effectiveness of e-learning by investigating the role of student engagement on perceived learning effectiveness (PLE) in the context of Indian higher education. Further, the impact of personal factors (Internet self-efficacy (ISE)) and environmental factors (information, system and service quality parameters) on various dimensions of student engagement (behavioral, emotional and cognitive) is studied through the lens of social cognitive theory (SCT).Design/methodology/approachAn online management information systems (MIS) course is delivered to a batch of 412 postgraduate students. An online survey was conducted to measure the factors affecting their PLE. In addition to the survey, a summative assessment is conducted to evaluate the students in terms of their marks to assess their achievements (actual learning). Covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) is used to validate the developed research model.FindingsIt is discovered that the IS (information system) quality parameters (environmental factors) positively impact PLE. The ISE affects the PLE through the mediating effect of all the dimensions of student engagement. Furthermore, there exists a positive relationship between PLE and student marks.Originality/valueThis study develops a research model using personal and environmental factors to understand PLE through the lens of SCT and then empirically validates it. The psychological process from the students' ISE to the PLE is explained through the mediating effects of various dimensions of engagement. Further, it is found that the PLE is positively related to student marks.

INFLUENCE OF SERVICE EXCELLENCE ON CONSUMER SATISFACTION OF RIDESHARING INDUSTRY

The objective of the study was to determine the influence of service excellence on consumer satisfaction in the ridesharing industry of Pakistan. Uber and Careem are two ridesharing services or Transport Network Companies (TNCs) which use mobile-based applications and use GPS to connect passengers and drivers in an efficient way. These ridesharing companies have been operating in the country for the past five years. For TNCs such as Uber and Careem, consumer satisfaction plays an important role in retaining customers and satisfying them thereby boosting their profits. Consumer satisfaction and service excellence are interconnected and associated with each other. This research determined the influence of the five service quality dimensions of SERVQUAL model i.e. assurance, responsiveness empathy, tangibility and reliability on consumer satisfaction of ridesharing services. This questionnaire survey-based research study was carried out on 268 respondents. The collected data was analyzed by Pearson correlation followed by the formulation of the regression model, associating consumer satisfaction with service quality. The research showed that all the service quality dimensions had a positive impact on consumer satisfaction. Assurance, responsiveness, and empathy significantly influenced consumer satisfaction whereas reliability and tangibility had a less significant impact on consumer satisfaction as compared to other service quality parameters. This research study assisted the TNCs in better understanding of service quality parameters which needed improvement for enhancing the consumer satisfaction.

Analytical and Agent-Based Model to Evaluate Ride-Pooling Impact Factors

On-demand ride-pooling (ODRP) services have the potential to improve traffic conditions in cities and at the same time offer user-centric mobility services. Recently, an analytical model, which investigates the influence of service quality parameters, such as detour, maximum waiting time, and boarding time, on the fraction of trips which could potentially be shared (a quantity called shareability), has been presented. The aim of this study is to test this model with a simulation framework that models an ODRP service in different levels of detail. The results show that by increasing the modeling complexity, in which we consider network topology, trip distribution patterns, optimization objectives, and changing velocity, the theoretical value of shareability and the actual experienced shared rides are decreased. It is observed that the shareability predicted by the mathematical model could be confirmed by a certain simulation setup with the objective to maximize shared rides. Nevertheless, changing the optimization objective to optimizing the total kilometers driven has the highest impact on shareability, decreasing it by up to 50%. By using a fitting procedure within this simulation setup, we can still exploit the analytical model to predict the influence of service quality parameters. This study may be useful for other researchers who plan to model ride-pooling systems and for operators who want to have an estimation of the level of shared rides they can achieve in an operating area.

Modelling analysis of service quality improvement in mobile communications based on hard handover

Mobile communication systems make it easy for users to be able to do the communication process even in a mobile condition, one of which allows users to move from a cell area coverage to another cell area coverage, this movement phenomenon is called a handoff. Handoff is the process of diverting traffic channels automatically on a mobile station (MS) that is being used to communicate without termination. This paper analyzes the service quality improvement of the hard handover mobile communication network model from two to three base stations (BS) on the path loss parameter. Service quality parameters to be considered are the improvement of signal degradation and delay handover from two BS to three BS against the fixed and adaptive hysteresis methods.

A Survey on Congestion Control Protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are composed of several sensor nodes which are limited in terms of resources for computing, storage, communication bandwidth, and, most importantly of all, energy. One of the major challenges in these networks is congestion, which is triggered by factors such as packet collision, node buffer overflow, transmission channel contention, transmission rate, and many-to-one data transmission from several nodes to the sink node. Congestion affects energy consumption and various parameters of service quality in sensor nodes. Therefore, it is one of the most critical issues in WSNs that requires developing more advanced techniques for its avoidance, diagnosis, and control. In this paper, different methods of congestion control have been investigated; also, a novel taxonomy has been proposed based on combination of concentration of congestion control policies, different algorithms employed, and the effective parameter in detecting and controlling congestion.

A QFD-TISM approach for service quality improvement in polytechnic education institutes: a case study

The study aims to present a framework to enhance the service quality of polytechnic education institutions (PEIs) enabling the policymakers to address the problems of low enrolment rate and unemployment of the students. A quality function deployment (QFD) methodology has been used to transform stakeholders' expectations into service quality parameters. A total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) approach has been used to prepare a structured hierarchical inter relationship-based model. In the present study, a service quality improvement framework for PEIs has been proposed and different parameters to improve the service quality of PEIs have been prioritised. A service quality improvement framework has been proposed for PEIs in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. However, outcomes of the study may be used as directions to develop improvement criteria for service quality in engineering educational institutes. This article may facilitate polytechnic education managers, policymakers, and planners, to derive a strategic plan on service quality to attract the students for admissions in PEIs. The proposed framework has been designed to meet the expectations of stakeholders of PEIs. An integration of QFD-TISM approach has been used to convert such expectations into a structured hierarchical interrelationship of service quality criteria.

Визначення конкурентоспроможності автосервісних підприємств

The increase in the Ukrainian car fleet with more modern, although mostly used cars, leads to an increase in the need for car service. This leads to the intensive development of the car service market, the creation of a large number of car service stations of various profiles and capacities. A gradual increase in the market of car service enterprises that provide the same services will certainly lead to increased competition between them, because the creation of competitive advantages will allow the company to provide a flow of customers, and therefore profit. The existing approaches and systems of indicators for assessing competitiveness, according to the authors, cannot fully provide an assessment of the competitiveness of car service enterprises in modern conditions and the further possibility of developing a strategy for their development. Considering the specifics of car service station services, it is proposed to use an integrated indicator of competitiveness based on the ratio of quality and cost indicators of services provided by the enterprise, and a comparison of these indicators with competitors. To evaluate the quality of car service station services, the principle of evaluating the quality of services taking into account the position of the consumer based on a comparison of actual and expected customer service quality parameters is proposed. Also, the paper proposes a methodology for assessing the quality of car service station services, which, based on a survey of consumers, employees and car service managers, allows one to determine both the quality of the service and the discrepancy between its assessment among the indicated process participants. According to this methodology, the quality of services was assessed using the example of the service station “Bosch Service Autodrom” in Vinnitsa, which found problems in the area of information content in the provision of services. Also, according to the results of the study, a significant discrepancy was found in the assessment of the information content of services between consumers and employees, as well as the management of the enterprise.

Determination of service quality attributes based on user perception for paratransit services in developing country like India

In case of developing countries like India, there is an urgent need to regulate the paratransit system because it faces various issues related to operation, service quality and enforcement. Regulation of these services requires delivery of services as per users’ expectations. Thus, this research aims to identify the paratransit service quality parameters based on users’ perception in Kolkata focusing on Eastern Metropolitan Bypass corridor (Ultadanga to Kamalgazi). This study focuses on auto-rickshaws, as these are the most popular mode amongst all types of paratransit modes in the city. 17 qualitative and quantitative paratransit service quality attributes were selected for the study area. Various surveys were conducted in order to assess the user perception. This data has been then analyzed with the help of RIDIT technique to prioritize the selected attributes. Results indicate that customer service, safety and security, service hours, environmental sustainability and headway of service has been perceived as most important attributes by the users. This is followed by the assessment of service delivery levels which is a function of users’ expectation from the services. In this research, concept of Zone of Tolerance is utilized to assess service delivery levels which are bounded by the desired service level and minimum acceptable service level of paratransit service. The results demonstrated that the users’ expectation varies significantly amongst user groups for certain service attributes such as auto stop proximity, delay in total journey time, etc. while the differences were minimal for other attributes such as service hours, crowding level inside the auto-rickshaw, etc.

Service Quality Parameters of Greek Dynamic Pricing Platforms

Service Quality Parameters of Greek Dynamic Pricing Platforms

La calidad de los servicios de las empresas de turismo activo en Portugal

El turismo de naturaleza es uno de los sectores del turismo que más crece en el mundo. Este tipo de práctica aglutina muchas modalidades y actividades. Por ello, es importante investigar la forma como las empresas expertas en el área del turismo proporcionan los servicios, se identificaron los parámetros y condicionantes que determinan la calidad, proponiendo mejoras en los procedimientos. Se aplicó el cuestionario HEVA (Bento et al., 2017), adaptado de Mediavilla (2010), a 183 empresas de turismo activo portuguesas. Se ha descrito el perfil y opinión de los responsables de las empresas, destacando: el crecimiento del sector en Portugal, la importancia atribuida a instrumentos fiables, capaces de medir la satisfacción de los clientes, el compartir información inherente a la seguridad de los servicios y poseer recursos humanos especializados y motivados, son factores esenciales a la calidad de los servicios prestados por las empresas en el área. Nature Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in the tourism area. These activities are carried out in a very particular environment. In this context, it is important to study the way in which expert companies in active tourism area provide their services, they were identified the parameters and constraints which determine the quality of the services they render, and subsequently propose improvements in processes and procedures. In this study, we analyze the portuguese active tourism companies profile (N=183), with the application of the validated HEVA questionnaire (Bento et al., 2017), from the original Mediavilla (2010). Among other results, the study showed the recent growth of this sector in Portugal, the importance of measuring customer satisfaction, sharing security activities information with clients and motivated human resources are essential factors in the quality of services provided by companies in the area.

Does service quality increase the level of banks performance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to unfold the relationship between service quality and level of performance of conventional and Islamic banks. Also, it intends to uncover what are the features of service quality which can raise the level of performance either in conventional banks or Islamic banks. There is rare literature available that focused on comparative study between above stated banking systems based on emerging parameters of SERVQUAL model. Design/methodology/approach To meet the objectives of this investigation, research data has been from 450 customers who have had accounts and dealings with conventional and Islamic banks in the previous five years. The customers are selected based on cluster sampling from regional offices of conventional and Islamic banks. Findings The collected data have been analyzed by using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) technique followed by common method variance (CMV), multiple regression test and independent sample t-test used to examine the parameters of service quality in the context of banks performance. The purpose of CFA is to find the model validity, while multiple regression and t-test is performed in order to examine the influence of service quality parameters on banks performance. Originality/value The study used compliance as a one of the emerging and unique dimension of service quality. This dimension is rarely investigated in the context of measuring the level of bank performance of conventional and Islamic banking systems. Findings reveal responsiveness and assurance is the strongest predictor of conventional banking performance. Compliance and reliability has significant and positive impact on the level of performance of Islamic banks. Moreover, the study has practical implications for the top management and stakeholders of conventional and Islamic banks to increase the level of performance by using SERVQUAL model.

ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ ЯКОСТІ ОБСЛУГОВУВАННЯ ПАСАЖИРІВ НА АВТОБУСНОМУ МАРШРУТІ №240 МІСТА ОДЕСИ

Предметом вивчення в статті є якість транспортного обслуговування пасажирів на автобусному маршруті №240 в місті Одесі. Метою дослідження є проведення оцінки якості транспортного обслуговування пасажирів на автобусному маршруті №240 в місті Одесі, основною вихідною базою якої є результати натурних спостережень за роботою автобусів на маршруті, і вибір заходів, спрямованих на підвищення ефективності функціонування маршруту. Завдання дослідження: аналіз існуючих підходів оцінки якості транспортного обслуговування пасажирів громадським транспортом; вибір і обґрунтування підходів вивчення попиту на пересування пасажирів громадським транспортом; розробка методики проведення натурних обстежень роботи автобусів на маршруті; визначення обраних параметрів якості транспортного обслуговування пасажирів; розробка заходів щодо підвищення якості транспортного обслуговування пасажирів на маршруті №240. Отримані наступні результати: проаналізовані основні підходи оцінки якості транспортного обслуговування пасажирів громадським транспортом, а також нормативноправову базу в цій сфері; розроблена методика і наведені результати натурних обстежень роботи автобусів на маршруті; розраховані основні параметри якості транспортного обслуговування пасажирів на маршруті (середня дальність поїздки, коефіцієнт нерівномірності пасажиропотоків, коефіцієнт динамічного використання місткості автобуса, коефіцієнт змінюваності, транспортну роботу, регулярність руху, час очікування), на підставі яких запропоновано заходи щодо підвищення ефективності роботи маршруту. Висновки. Розроблена методика проведення натурних обстежень якості обслуговування пасажирів дає можливість отримати вихідні дані для подальшого визначення і розрахунку параметрів якості обслуговування на маршруті: регулярність руху автобусів, ступінь використання місткості транспортного засобу, середня дальність поїздки пасажирів, коефіцієнт змінності, коефіцієнт нерівномірності пасажиропотоків, час очікування на зупиночному пункті. Для підвищення якості обслуговування пасажирів на маршруті пропонується зменшити інтервал руху автобусів до 9 хв., Що призведе до необхідності придбання двох додаткових автобусів місткістю 50-60 пас.

Analysis of distributed database access path prediction based on recurrent neural network in internet of things

SummaryFor avoiding the phenomenon of congestion, delay, and jitter in thedatabase access path, it is necessary to study the prediction method of database access path. Predicted database access path has high delay and jitter when using existing database access path prediction method to predict the path. Therefore, a prediction method of database access path is proposed based on the recurrent neural network. A decision matrix is constructed and normalized based on the analytic hierarchy process. The evaluation value of the alternative transit data center is calculated by the arithmetic weighted average operator, and the transit data center is selected according to the evaluation result. The matter‐element analysis model is used to establish the mapping relationship between the user experience quality and the network service quality parameters. Moreover, the user experience quality evaluation level objective function of the database access path prediction method is constructed. Through the objective function to obtain the optimal database access path, the database access path prediction is completed. The experimental results show that the delay of the database access path predicted by the proposed method is much lower than other methods. The jitter is less than 30 ms and the jitter is small, which verifies the effectiveness of the path prediction method.

An empirical study on the cellular subscribers churn, selection factors and satisfaction with the services

With mobile phones becoming smarter, almost all operating systems are downloading and using data. Cellular service providers are concerned with decline in revenue due to constant decline in voice call and text messages and consequently more options of moving to competitor. This leads to building of a model that describes the critical factor explaining the switching of subscriber, to understand the factors for customer churn and identify the relationships between these three constructs with respect to higher mobile data usage. In order to validate the proposed relationship, Confirmatory Factor Analysis using Structure Equation Modelling is used. Findings indicate that one of the important construct of selecting a service provider is customer's satisfactory experience with the service provider. Also, it has been found that the significance of data services is constantly increasing for the subscribers. These findings will be useful to both service providers and researchers to comprehend the service quality parameters considering mobile subscribers view point. This can help to re-look the existing benchmarks and increase customer satisfaction.

An empirical study on the cellular subscribers churn, selection factors and satisfaction with the services

With mobile phones becoming smarter, almost all operating systems are downloading and using data. Cellular service providers are concerned with decline in revenue due to constant decline in voice call and text messages and consequently more options of moving to competitor. This leads to building of a model that describes the critical factor explaining the switching of subscriber, to understand the factors for customer churn and identify the relationships between these three constructs with respect to higher mobile data usage. In order to validate the proposed relationship, Confirmatory Factor Analysis using Structure Equation Modelling is used. Findings indicate that one of the important construct of selecting a service provider is customer's satisfactory experience with the service provider. Also, it has been found that the significance of data services is constantly increasing for the subscribers. These findings will be useful to both service providers and researchers to comprehend the service quality parameters considering mobile subscribers view point. This can help to re-look the existing benchmarks and increase customer satisfaction.

INTERNET: MODELS, TECHNOLOGIES, ACCESS SPEED, PROSPECTS

Background. Open multiservice network of telecommunications the Internet has become the most used source of such vital information as: scientific and technical, information, entertainment, and, especially, commercial. Today, it unites 3.36 billion users and provides high economic efficiency of human activity. However, there are many different technologies for accessing Internet services that compete with each other. Objective. The aim of the paper is to create the Internet network model and a content access model, as the main value of the network from the point of view of the end user, for building an effective network infrastructure. Methods. Analysis of all known publications on the construction and evaluation of Internet service quality parameters. Analysis of technologies for accessing the network and content. Synthesis of the model of formation and distribution of traffic between levels of the hierarchy of the Internet. Results. Enlarged indicators of Internet services provision were received. An enlarged scheme for building a global Internet network is proposed. Based on the generalized end-to-end scheme of user access to services and network resources, an estimate of the amount of sufficient access speed was obtained. The concepts of hierarchy level and gravitational coefficient are defined for which mathematical relations are derived. Conclusions. The main task of the providers of any level is to close the traffic as close as possible to the client, i.e. to reduce the gravity coefficient. The task of theoreticians and engineers is to determine theoretically the optimal number of levels (there were only three of them in the model in question) of closure or aggregation of traffic. Keywords: Internet; access network; quality indicator; availability indicator; access speed.

Assessment of hospital service quality parameters from patient, doctor and employees’ perspectives

The Indian healthcare industry has been growing at a tremendous pace and contributing a great deal towards the employment and revenue generation for the country. Recently, medical tourism has also gained a huge impetus as people from all over the globe visiting India for availing affordable and worldclass healthcare services. Hence, delivering effective healthcare service quality and understanding the perceptions of all stakeholders – i.e. patients, doctors and employees – has become very critical for the success of any healthcare centre. Over a period of time, service providers have been defining service quality parameters based on their own judgment and trying to deliver services as per their assumptions. However, patient satisfaction requires a proper synchronisation between what the patient expects and what the management perceives. For addressing this issue, six new dimensions were identified using SERVQUAL and termed it as ‘HealQual’ tool keeping in mind the needs of current Scenario. The paper would identify those healthcare service quality parameters which improve patient satisfaction and also generate priority weights from the perspectives of both service reviewer, i.e. patients and the service provider, i.e. doctors and employees.

Evaluation of the improved particle swarm optimization algorithm efficiency inward peer to peer video streaming

Streaming video in peer-to-peer(P2P) networks is always faced with many challenges. In most of video streaming methods, service quality and observing the video integration are less concentrated; which is resulted from the loss of suitable algorithms to identify optimized route for sending information between a pair of nodes. The dynamic structure of such networks needs an algorithm which beside its high speed and accuracy can find suitable path for sending data pieces that provide service quality parameters. Using the algorithm of improved particle swarm optimization(IPSO), the present paper provides a method for video streaming. The suggested method is based on the principle that in every moment, every particle adjusts its location in the search space according to the best location that has been placed in it so far as well as the best place in its whole neighborhood. For validity check of the suggested method, a simulation with MATLAB has been done. The results show that the suggested method is more efficient comparing to other methods as well as other meta-heuristic methods such as Genetic Algorithm(GA).