Set Of Key Performance Indicators Research Articles

A metrics-driven approach for customer experience management evaluation: the case of commercial banks in developing countries

PurposeCustomer experience management (CXM), which aims to achieve and maintain customers' long-term loyalty, has attracted the attention of many organizations. Improving customer experience management in organizations requires that, first, their relevant capabilities be evaluated. The present study aimed to offer a set of key performance indicators for evaluating customer experience management in commercial banks.Design/methodology/approachThe study, first, attempted to identify the components of evaluating customer experience management by reviewing the related literature and conducting interviews with experts. Then, the extracted components were transformed into assessable metrics using the goal question metric method, and the key performance indicators relevant to customer experience management in commercial banks were selected according to the experts' opinions and the Fuzzy Delphi method. FindingsAccording to the findings of the study, 21 key performance indicators were identified for customer experience management in commercial banks, and customer satisfaction, the mean number of calls to resolve an issue in customer journey touchpoints, the NPS, and the ratio of the budget allocated to the CXM department to the budget of the marketing department were found as the most significant performance indicator according to banking experts.Originality/valueThe present study was among the first research projects intended to evaluate CXM and offer key performance indicators that could help the managers of commercial banks assess the maturity levels of their CXM.

Validation of a Maturity Model for Applied R&D: Adding Value to Business

EMBRAPII was developed and has been using a maturity model since 2014 to help accredited research groups to reach high performance when conducting applied research to industry. Although the benefits of using such a model have already been demonstrated on many occasions, the model has not been subjected to full scrutiny and formal validation. To do so, a validation procedure is proposed to answer four questions: 1) whether the EMBRAPII model congregates the expected features of this class of evaluation tools, 2) whether the implemented tool complies with its design principles, 3) how the model results benefit research groups and 4) how the achieved maturity relates to group goals and results. The first two questions were answered through a cross-analysis between the model characteristics and well-known conceptual references. To answer question 3), a survey was conducted to verify the user's perceptions about the model. To answer question 4), a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) was compared with achieved maturity levels. Results show that the discussed model complies with the fundamental characteristics of business process maturity models and provides clear evolution guidance to research groups, not only about the improvement of processes but also on business results expressed by KPIs.

Investigation of key performance indicators for performance management of the manufacturing industry in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic

AbstractThe execution of constructive Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is a critical tool for the Performance Management (PM) of the manufacturing industry to regulate operations. The companies rely on the PM strategies grounded on conventional KPIs assessment to achieve sustainability although the current dynamic manufacturing environment is undergoing complexities. The KPIs used in the past for PM are not mutually dependent, as they have not been adequately measured and updated to address emergency situations like the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for the Leather Products Industry (LPI). Monitoring of plentiful KPIs is inconceivable and literature is also not available. Realizing these gaps, this study accumulates suggestions from a wide-ranging context of 25 experts’ feedback. Initially, a set of KPI was identified through literature review and experts survey. Later, employing a Pareto analysis, 15 KPIs were identified from 48 KPIs. Then the finalized KPIs investigated utilizing linguistic Z-digits and Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) to find the “Cause-Effect” relationship. An industrial chronology is conferred to demonstrate the potency and functionality of the suggested method. The upshot signifies the “Target fulfillment within the delivery time during COVID-19” as the most important KPI for the studied case. The outcomes will assist the LPI managers to dictate crucial KPIs suitably and flourish the PM in attaining the goals and objectives.

Processability Considerations for Next-Generation Organic Photovoltaic Materials.

The evolution of organic semiconductors for organic photovoltaics (OPVs) has resulted in unforeseen outcomes. This has provided substitute choices of photoactive layer materials, which effectively convert sunlight into electricity. Recently developed OPV materials have narrowed down the gaps in efficiency, stability, and cost in devices. Records now show power conversion efficiency in single-junction devices closing to 20%. Despite this, there is still a gap between the currently developed OPV materials and those that meet the requirements of practical applications, especially the solution processability issue widely concerned in the field of OPVs. Based on the general rule that structure determines properties, methodologies to enhance the processability of OPV materials are reviewed and explored from the perspective of material design and viewson the further development of processable OPV materials are presented. Considering the current dilemma that the existing evaluation indicators cannot reflect the industrial processability of OPV materials, a more complete set of key performance indicators are proposedfor their processability considerations. The purpose of this perspective is to raise awareness of the boundary conditions that exist in industrial OPV manufacturing and to provide guidance for academic research that aspires to contribute to technological advancements.

Capability Studies as a Key Driver for Product and Pro-Cess Quality Assurance in Industrialization Process

Abstract Customer satisfaction has long been an important concern for most organizations aiming to provide and ensure excellent quality products. To offer an appropriate level of quality assurance, it is necessary to have implemented a robust quality assurance system. Nowadays, mere customer satisfaction is not sufficient for organizations to sustain a mutually beneficial relationship. There has arisen a necessary requirement to go beyond customer satisfaction, aiming primarily to achieve a level of socalled cus-tomer delight. To attain sustainable product and process quality assurance and, consequently, customer delight, we must address process capability. This includes gauges, machines, and the overall process and product capability, with a specific emphasis on the design and development process, product reali-zation, and the initial flow. This also includes data gathering from the utilization stage of product opera-tion. This article deals with the capability study during the industrialization process of a new product into serial production, using chosen Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), particularly Capability indices and their sequence, to ensure the appropriate level of quality guarantee and customer delight. The article aims to broaden the existing set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) by incorporating crucial metrics from the quality domain, with a particular emphasis on Capability indices.

A proposed set of indicators for evaluating the performance of the operation and maintenance of photovoltaic plants

As photovoltaic plants (PV) age, the need for efficient monitoring of operations & maintenance (O&M) increases, helping to understand the situation of the plant, identify problems and propose solutions for future strategies. In this context, the objective of this paper is to propose a set of key performance indicators (KPIs), responsable to evaluate O&M performance in PV power plants, considering their importance and complexity mensuration levels. After refining and validating a set of KPIs using Delphi method with industry specialists, the KPIs are classified by energy performance assessment and O&M services assessment. Subsequently, the levels of importance and complexity of measurement are evaluated with stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) method. Finally, after obtaining this information, an importance-complexity matrix is developed, thus contemplating the proposed set of KPIs. This study presents a comprehensive set of 25 KPIs capable of quantitatively measuring the O&M performance of a PV plant. The results show that the KPIs, Performance Ratio and Spare Parts Availability are the most important in this evaluation, and KPI Contractual Availability presents greater complexity in measuring its parameters. Based on the importance-complexity matrix, it is possible to verify that the KPI, Schedule Compliance stands out compared to the others, presenting a high level of importance and a low level of complexity in its measurement. The information resulting from this study seeks to help PV plant managers to select the appropriate KPIs to measure the status of the O&M management of the PV plant.

Achieving sustainable emissions in China: Techno-economic analysis of post-combustion carbon capture unit retrofitted to WTE plants

China's aims of achieving CO2 emissions peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 are crucial in guiding international efforts to mitigate climate change. Amine-based solvent technologies for capturing CO2 on a large scale have been implemented as retrofits in various industrial facilities, with a particular focus on coal-fired power plants. Nonetheless, its implementation within the waste-to-energy (WTE) industry is considerably limited and non-existent in China. This work presents a technical and economic evaluation of retrofitting a generic WTE facility in China with a carbon capture system. A rate-based process simulation model of the capture plant was developed in Aspen Plus, and the effect of equipment installation factors on capital cost was evaluated via the enhanced detailed factor (EDF) method. A set of key performance indicators were evaluated. The findings indicate that the energy demand linked to the capture system caused a decrease in efficiency by 13.17%, 14.85%, and 16.56% at 85%, 90%, and 95% capture rates, respectively, and the overall exergy efficiency of the system was reduced by 5.5%, 8.27%, and 10.63%, respectively. The estimated CO2 captured costs range from €56.41/tCO2 to €58.95/tCO2, while CO2 avoided costs range from €153.33/tCO2 to €236.47/tCO2. Retrofitting a CO2 capture unit at WTE facilities has the potential to substantially contribute to achieving the country's emission reduction targets. However, the successful implementation requires a comprehensive policy structure. This work offers some insights into the prospective integration of CO2 capture technology in China's WTE industry.

Power plant design for all-electric ships considering the assessment of carbon intensity indicator

The design and management of a ship power system determine the amount of CO2 emitted during the ship operations. Recently, the International Maritime Organization has introduced the Carbon Intensity Indicator to limit the environmental impact of ships, pushing designers to define new solutions to reduce polluting emissions. The proposed methodology allows to estimate the environmental performances of a ship during the preliminary design phase, starting from the mission analysis. The tool simulates different power plant configurations, including diesel generators with different type of fuels, battery energy storage systems, fuel cells and hydrogen storage systems. Each source is modelled in the quasi-dynamic domain, where a set of selected state variables is taken into account. The load is derived from the ship mission profile through a stochastic process that considers the ship speed. Different power management strategies are tested to exploit the various resources while maximizing the operating condition requirements. A set of key performance indicators, such as the CO2 emissions, the weight, and volume of the equipment, allows to compare the various power plant configurations so that the preliminary design solution can be identified.

An empirical study to evaluate the impact of mindfulness on helpdesk employees

Purpose: Mindfulness is a meditation technique whose main goal involves maintaining a calm mind and training attention by focusing only on a single thing (the support) at a time; this support is usually the practitioner's breathing. The practice of mindfulness aims to improve concentration and attention, which has proven useful in knowledge-intensive and stressful work environments like technological companies. This article aims to find empirical evidence on the positive effect of the practice of mindfulness on a sample of 56 helpdesk employees working for a consulting and information technology company (Accenture) with respect to: i) their attention awareness; ii) a set of key performance indicators (KPIs); and iii) the perceived benefits of mindfulness. Method: Of the 56 recruited employees, 29 worked as managers, and 27 worked as agents answering phone calls to solve software issues of the main information system of the Andalusian Health Service, a public organization with more than 115,000 employees. Mindfulness (the treatment) was applied to 26 subjects, while the other 30 subjects were the control group. For all subjects, their attention awareness was measured using the MAAS scale. Results: Both helpdesk managers and agents significantly improved their attention awareness with respect to the control group. Regarding organizational KPIs, in general, no evidence of significant differences between groups was detected, apart from the fact that the number of phone calls answered was significantly lower in the mindfulness group, probably due to a longer call duration caused by a deliberate better attention to the customer, but without degrading any other KPI. With respect to the perceived benefits of the treatment, the questionnaires show relevant improvements perceived by most employees after practicing mindfulness.Conclusions: We confirm that mindfulness improves attention awareness and benefits the working and personal life of helpdesk employees. However, further research is needed to identify a clear impact on productivity.

Green growth in agriculture―New measurement concept and its empirical verification

AbstractThis paper proposes a new method for evaluating green growth in agriculture (GGA) based on a set of key performance indicators and a synthetic index. To this end, we used the zero unitarisation method. The objects of study were seven countries/groups of countries with the largest share in agricultural production in 2020. This paper attempts to answer the following questions: (1) Has there been any progress in fulfilling the assumptions of the green growth concept implemented in the agricultural sector of the examined countries? (2) Which countries do better, and which do worse in that respect? (3) What are the challenges respective countries need to face? In the analysed years, the mean GGA index increased from 0.3287 to 0.3342, which means that the overall level of ‘greening’ in agriculture grew insignificantly. Out of the seven analysed countries/regions, China did the best in handling the challenges of GGA, while India did the worst. The paper discusses the reasons for this state of affairs, simultaneously making recommendations for improving the existing situation.

A Meta-model for Key Performance Indicators in Higher Education

We propose a software solution for representing diverse sets of key performance indicators in higher education. Our solution addresses both the heterogeneity and the common structure of key performance indicators. To tackle the issue of heterogeneity, we employ metamodeling and propose a meta-model that is expressive and generic enough to represent any set of key performance indicators in higher education. The proposed meta-model is more abstract than any specific key performance indicators set, and the sets are considered as models, which are instances of the proposed metamodel. We address the heterogeneity in calculating the key performance indicators' values by representing them with mathematical formulas and utilizing an expression language that allows for their dynamic evaluation. We verified the solution by representing typical key performance indicator sets and developing a software application prototype that enables the creation, monitoring, and further development of key performance indicator sets. The verification confirms the wide applicability of our proposed solution.

Design and application of a key performance indicator (KPI) framework for autonomous shipping in Europe

The European Union (EU) transport policy recognizes the importance of the waterborne transport systems as key elements for sustainable growth in Europe. By 2030, 30% of total road freight over 300 km should shift to rail or waterborne transport, and more than 50% by 2050. Thus far, this ambition has failed but there have been several project initiatives within the EU to address these issues. In one of these projects, we consider a new waterborne transport system for Europe that is green, robust, flexible, more automated and autonomous, and able to connect both rural and urban terminals. The purpose of this paper is to describe work and preliminary results from this project. To that effect, and in order to assess any solutions contemplated, a comprehensive set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) has been defined, and three specific use cases within Europe are examined and evaluated according to these KPIs. KPIs represent the criteria under which the set of solutions developed are evaluated, and also compared to non-autonomous solutions. They are grouped under economic, environmental and social KPIs. KPIs have been selected after a consultation process involving project partners and external Advisory Group members. Links to EU transport and other regulatory action are also discussed.

360 Health Analysis (H360)-A Comparison of Key Performance Indicators in Breast Cancer Management across Health Institution Settings in Portugal.

The increased focus on quality indicators (QIs) and the use of clinical registries in real-world cancer studies have increased compliance with therapeutic standards and patient survival. The European Society of Breast Cancer Specialists (EUSOMA) established QIs to assess compliance with current standards in breast cancer care. This retrospective study is part of H360 Health Analysis and aims to describe compliance with EUSOMA QIs in breast cancer management in different hospital settings (public vs. private; general hospitals vs. oncology centers). A set of key performance indicators (KPIs) was selected based on EUSOMA and previously identified QIs. Secondary data were retrieved from patients' clinical records. Compliance with target KPIs in different disease stages was compared with minimum and target EUSOMA standards. A total of 259 patient records were assessed. In stages I, II, and III, 18 KPIs met target EUSOMA standards, 5 met minimum standards, and 8 failed to meet minimum standards. Compliance with KPIs varied according to the type of hospital (particularly regarding diagnosis) and disease stage. Although small differences were found in KPI compliance among institutions, several statistical differences were found among treatment KPIs according to disease stage, particularly in stage III. This study represents the first assessment of the quality of breast cancer care in different hospital settings in Portugal and shows that, although most QIs meet EUSOMA standards, there is room for improvement. Differences have been found across institutions, particularly between oncology centers and general hospitals, in diagnosis and compliance with KPIs among disease stages. Stage III showed the greatest variability in compliance with treatment KPIs, probably related to the lower specificity of the guidelines in this disease stage.

Developing key performance indicators for monitoring sustainability in the ceramic industry: The role of digitalization and industry 4.0 technologies

This research explores the importance of sustainability in the ceramic industry, focusing on how companies measure and monitor their sustainability indicators. Economic crises and climate change have led scholars over the years to focus their attention on reducing impacts and monitoring sustainability indicators with particular attention to the energy sphere. In the scientific literature it emerges that there is no set of indicators for the ceramic industries suitable for monitoring company data. To address this emerging gap, the paper takes a ceramic company as a reference and proposes a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) to help manufacturing companies monitor their economic, environmental, and social sustainability performance. The study aims to fill these gaps by underlining the importance of investing in the digitization of processes and in Industry 4.0 digital technologies to obtain constantly updated and real-time information for sustainability monitoring. The research also emphasizes the applicability of these findings to other manufacturing enterprises, offering a methodology for self-monitoring sustainability. The article suggests the development of a "Sustainability Digital Twin" as a tool to help business managers make informed decisions and design products with all aspects of sustainability in mind. The integration of sustainability and digitization is highlighted as a crucial aspect for achieving sustainable ceramic production. The proposed KPIs and the digitization of processes can provide data to implement strategic plans for sustainable production. Therefore, this study has contributed to fill the gaps in the literature by demonstrating that the digitization of production processes allows for a more specific assessment of economic, social and environmental impacts by ensuring transparent communication of performance to stakeholders.

The Quality of Hospital Disaster Plans in Belgium: Evaluation Research. Development and Content Validity of a Questionnaire to Define the Quality Key Performance Indicators Influencing Hospital Disaster Preparedness: A Modified Delphi Study

Introduction:Emergency and disaster situations have a major impact on hospitals, some of which are already overloaded daily. The recent COVID-19 outbreak, attacks in Brussels, floods in Wallonia and influx of Ukrainian refugees show that the risk of facing a disaster and involvement of local hospitals (and stakeholders) is real. However, how hospitals implement their own hospital disaster plan (HDP), the position of the hospital disaster coordinator (HDC) and the real efficacy of these measures remain unclear. Therefore, an evaluation tool with an expert-consensus set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and an evaluation of the HDC position is neededMethod:A semi-quantitative survey, as part of evaluation research, was designed by a research group. This questionnaire was based on the document analysis of the main topics of the national template and accompanying legislation. To establish consensus on the importance of the KPIs concerning the HDP, a three-round email-based modified Delphi study (Policy Delphi) was undertaken.Results:For a task group, 15 qualified multidisciplinary professionals (in-hospital) agreed to participate, 11 completed all rounds. As a pilot group, a total of 25 ‘experts on the field’, were purposively selected from Belgian hospitals, nine of them completed the questionnaire. The modified Delphi reached the agreed consensus threshold (i.e.75%), resulting in five main themes: demographic characteristics/profile HDC, hospital incident management system (HIMS), pre-incident phase, incident phase, post-incident phase. Collectively including a core set of 289 KPIs (29 indicators to assess progress concerning the HDC position).Conclusion:This study employed a modified Delphi approach to establish consensus, resulting in the development of an evaluation tool to measure hospital disaster preparedness and to evaluate progress of the HDC position within Belgian hospitals. All indicators were considered relevant and immediately implementable. When the implementation of KPIs is completed, the statement is that a HIMS exists within the hospitals.

Evaluating key performance indicators of the process of care in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

ObjectiveTo determine whether and how often the information to measure a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is found in data collected routinely in a Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic.MethodsA retrospective electronic chart review and administrative data analysis was conducted for a cohort of 140 patients with JIA at a tertiary Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic between 2016–2020. The set of KPIs include measuring patient outcomes (joint assessment, physician’s global assessment of disease activity, assessment of functional ability, composite disease activity measurement), access to care (waiting time between referral and first visit, visit with the rheumatologist within the first year of diagnosis, annual follow-up visits with the rheumatologist), and safety (tuberculosis screening, and laboratory monitoring). Documentation was assessed as a binary variable indicating whether the required information was ever found. Documentation frequency for each KPI was assessed with counts and percentages of the number of times the required information was documented for each clinic visit. Compliance with the safety KPI definitions was assessed using administrative databases.ResultsData for each KPI were found at least once in the cohort and documentation varied in frequency and consistency. Access to care and safety KPIs were documented more frequently than patient outcome KPIs. A joint assessment was documented at every visit for 95% of patients, 46% for an assessment of pain, and none for a physician’s global assessment of disease activity, an assessment of functional ability, or a composite disease activity measurement.ConclusionAlthough feasible to measure, there is an opportunity for improving the consistency of documentation. Having an active system of monitoring KPIs and tools to simplify measurement is a key step in the process toward improved patient care outcomes. Streamlining the collection of KPI data can increase the likelihood of compliance. Next steps should involve replicating this study in various centres.

Definition of Key Performance Indicators for Noise Monitoring Networks

The European Noise Directive fixed a well-defined schedule on a five-year basis for the noise exposure evaluation of citizens. Noise monitoring is needed to validate noise maps of the main transportation infrastructures and it can also represent an improvement. By comparing with average noise maps, a properly set sensor network can report noise information in a more case-specific way, including time variations. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, key performance indicators (KPIs) evaluating the technical performance and financial sustainability of acoustic networks have never been presented in the scientific literature. Therefore, in the present work, a set of KPIs are proposed on the basis of KPIs defined for monitoring networks of other pollutants. It is then tuned according to noise monitoring, in line with the current legislations. As a case study, the performance of three monitoring networks installed in ports are evaluated and discussed. The resulting investment and maintenance costs can be helpful for decision makers to calculate the cost–benefits in the installation of new monitoring stations and also to evaluate the performance of the already-existing ones.

A BIM-based Techno-Economic Framework and Tool for Evaluating and Comparing Building Renovation Strategies

Building renovation presents real challenges for project participants which frequently generate high cost and schedule overruns. The disruption caused to occupants is one of the main challenges for the planning and management of renovation works. To better manage occupant interference and enable the acceleration of renovation works, this study aims to develop a novel framework for the assessment and optimisation of renovation strategies using BIM. The concept of disruption is formalised through a renovation ontology using the UML language. To enable process automation, the renovation ontology is then populated, and knowledge related to renovation tasks, constraints, duration, cost, equipment, and disruption are captured, structured and validated with industry partners. A digital tool and a set of Key Performance Indicators are also developed so as to facilitate the identification, assessment and optimisation of renovation scenarios in terms of cost, project duration and disruptive potential. Using a step-by-step process, detailed descriptions of the methodologies and workflows of the proposed framework are finally provided and demonstrated on a live case study located in Greece. The findings show no spatial correlation exist for the disruption concept and also confirm the disruptive nature of building floor renovation which can lead to a low rate of retrofitting them. Furthermore, the findings question the general applicability of the Whiteman et al.’s heuristic suggesting to prioritise the planning and execution of the most disruptive renovation activities as early as possible in the renovation process, and of the preference of Fawcett for a one-off renovation strategy recommending to conduct renovation works in one go as quickly as possible. Ultimately, the TEA framework will be further demonstrated and tested by end-users on three additional European case studies within the RINNO project which will particularly help validating the added value and benefits of the TEA framework from a user perspective.

Quasi-Static Mechanical Response of Density-Graded Polyurea Elastomeric Foams.

Density gradation of foam structures has been investigated and found to be a practical approach to improve the mechanical efficacy of protective padding in several applications based on nature-based evidence of effectiveness. This research aims to disclose a discrete gradation approach without adhesives by relying on the properties of the frothed foam slurry to bond and penetrate through previously cured foam sheets naturally. As confirmed by electron microscopy observations, bilayer- and trilayer-graded elastomeric polyurea foam sheets were fabricated, resulting in seamless interfaces. The mechanical performance of seamless, graded foam samples was compared with monolayer, mono-density benchmark foam, considered the industry standard for impact mitigation. All foam samples were submitted to compressive loading at a quasi-static rate, reporting key performance indicators (KPIs) such as specific energy absorption, efficiency, and ideality. Polyurea foams, irrespective of gradation and interface type, outperformed benchmark foam in several KPIs despite the drastic difference in the effective or average density. The average compressive stress-strain curves were fitted into empirical constitutive models to reveal critical insights into the elastic, plateau, and densification behaviors of the tested foam configuration. The novelty of these outcomes includes (1) a fabrication approach to adhesive-free density-graded foam structures, (2) implementation of a diverse set of KPIs to assess the mechanical efficacy of foams, and (3) elucidation of the superiority of polyurea foam-based lightweight protective paddings. Future research will focus on assessing the dynamic performance of these graded foam structures under impact loading conditions at a wide range of velocities.

Conceptual Framework and Analisys of the Business Incubation Process

The main stages of the study and analysis of the business incubation process (in the relevant organizations) are presented, both from the perspective of a resident and from the side of a business incubator. The accepted approach to the specifics and characteristics of the leading business incubators / accelerators and other similar organizations from the point of view of project management is explained. In the process of research, a review of academic works and sources of professional associations / institutional organizations was carried out, in which the existing definitions of a business incubator are analyzed, an overview of the organization / business model (business incubator) is provided together with data collection (from interviews and questionnaires). The most famous business incubation programs have been studied. A functional model of a business incubator has been obtained, as well as a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics that can be useful for a business incubator to achieve effective company management.