Shorter Delivery Time Research Articles

Asymptotic Behavior of the Kleinberg Model

We study Kleinberg navigation (the search of a target in a d-dimensional lattice, where each site is connected to one other random site at distance r, with probability approximately r(-alpha) by means of an exact master equation for the process. We show that the asymptotic scaling behavior for the delivery time T to a target at distance L scales as T approximately ln(2)L when alpha=d, and otherwise as T approximately L(x), with x=(d-alpha)/(d+1-alpha) for alpha<d, x=alpha-d for d<alpha<d+1, and x=1 for alpha>d+1. These values of x exceed the rigorous lower bounds established by Kleinberg. We also address the situation where there is a finite probability for the message to get lost along its way and find short delivery times (conditioned upon arrival) for a wide range of alpha's.

Influence of Layer Thickness on the Design of Rapid-Prototyped Models

Today, engineers are aiming for performance, quality, and repeatability, to be reached in a very short delivery time. Rapid-prototyping techniques are applied to concept design and modeling. A typical aircraft development program usually needs at least four to five wind-tunnel models to adequately test the aerodynamics of a new airframe. The models are generally made of steel or aluminum. The models can require months to be manufactured. The dimensional accuracy, surface finish, and strength of such all-metal models have a distinguished history of providing high-fidelity aerodynamics data for both subsonic and supersonic aircraft. However, the fabrication of all-metal wind-tunnel models is very expensive and time-consuming. This paper describes the effects of layer-thickness models on aerodynamic coefficients to construct wind-tunnel-testing models produced with rapid prototyping. These models were fabricated from SOMOS NanoTool by stereolithography. The layer thickness for each model was 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 mm. Testing covered the Mach range of Mach 0.10 to 0.40. Results from this study show that layer thickness does have an effect on aerodynamic characteristics. The layer thickness is more effective on the aerodynamic characteristics when Mach number is decreased and has the most effect on the aerodynamic characteristics of axial force.

The implementation of lean manufacturing in the UK food and drink industry

The structure of the food and drink market in the UK is characterised today by the emergence of major retailers and their own brands and bigger store sizes, greater retailer concentrations, an increasing demand for one-stop shopping, an improved retailer access to information via the Electronic Point of Sale (EPoS), the introduction of loyalty cards and a massive proliferation of choices have caused the shift of power balance from the food and drink industry to the retailer's side in the UK. Most of the food manufacturers have to do business with powerful retailers who demand a wide range of products, short delivery times, frequent deliveries and regular price reductions. In this scenario, it is important for the food and drink industry that there be a mechanism in place that enables it to learn continuously and develop 'world-class practices'. Lean manufacturing has been widely used in the discrete industry as an operational improvement initiative, but nobody has systematically investigated the applicability of lean principles and practices to the food and drink industry. This paper has made an attempt to examine the leanness of six UK food and drink companies and identify the key inhibitors and enablers of lean manufacturing. A multiple case study approach has been used for this purpose.

The relationship between the time from arrival at a hospital to delivery and the occurrence of cerebral palsy in premature infants of less than 34 weeks of gestational age

Purpose : This study aimed to evaluate whether a shorter time from the arrival at a hospital to delivery is related to the occurrence of cerebral palsy in premature infants of less than 34 weeks of gestational age. Methods : We studied 142 newborns of less than 34 weeks of gestational age. The time from the arrival at the hospital to delivery was measured. The correlation between the time required for delivery and the occurrence of cerebral palsy was elucidated by diagnosing cerebral palsy in neonates using the Korean Infant Development Screening Test and neurological examination. Results : Preliminary result suggested that a shorter time from hospital arrival to delivery was related to a lower development score for gross motor activity and to a higher frequency of cerebral palsy occurrence. Moreover, it was responsible for a tendency of obtaining lower Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes. The shorter delivery time was associated with a higher probability of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) occurrence when the length of delivery time was less than 6 hours and there was a higher probability of a shorter gestation period. However, the multifactor analysis revealed that there was little impact of delivery time on the occurrence of cerebral palsy. Conclusions : The length of hospital arrival time to delivery did not significantly influence the occurrence of cerebral palsy in premature infants of less than 34 weeks of gestational age. (Korean J Pediatr 2009;52:1228-1233)

Aerosol Antibiotics in Cystic Fibrosis

Chronic airways infection and inflammation is the greatest source of morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Many organisms can be found in the lower respiratory tract of CF patients, but infection with mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa is common, is associated with poorer outcomes, and is the main target for antimicrobial strategies in CF. Aerosol antibiotics achieve high local concentrations in the airways, reduce systemic toxicity, and have been used successfully for chronic suppressive treatment for established P. aeruginosa infections. Eradication of early P. aeruginosa airway infection has also been tried with aerosol antibiotics, though the ideal treatment strategy is still being investigated. There are several variables to consider when choosing an antibiotic formulation to develop for topical inhalation. Tobramycin solution for inhalation (TSI) is currently the only approved inhaled antibiotic in the United States. The time burden for patients to administer TSI by jet nebulizer is substantial, so efforts have focused on more efficient, faster delivery methods. Novel formulations of aerosol antibiotics are being studied for CF, including beta-lactams, fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides. Phase-3 studies of aztreonam lysinate for inhalation delivered via a proprietary eFlow nebulizer showed improved outcomes and a short (< 3 min) delivery time. Liposome formulations are being studied as a way to penetrate mucoid biofilms and prolong the residence time of the antibiotic in the lungs. Light, porous, dry-powder formulations are also in clinical trials to reduce delivery time. These new formulations and delivery systems promise to expand our armamentarium against microbes while reducing the time burden for patients.

Yeditepe University computer integrated manufacturing studies

AbstractThe role of manufacturing enterprises in developing countries is more significant for economic prosperity than the developed countries since financial institutions are not well established. Today, the capability of producing high quality products with shorter delivery times and the ability to produce according to the diverse customer requirements have become the characteristics required for order‐qualifiers for manufacturing industries. Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) systems have become the backbone of modern manufacturing paradigm for not only being profitable but also staying in business at any corner of the world. In this respect academies play a prominent role to produce well equipped engineers being ready to take the challenge of maintaining and improving CIM systems. This paper is an effort to illustrate a prototype design and manufacturing project with necessary improvements in an educational CIM laboratory by addressing to the courses in the curriculum of Systems Engineering at Yeditepe University. Following to the insightful introduction to the laboratory facilities, the design, simulation and implementation of the prototype are presented. The results obtained are discussed from system engineering education perspective. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 17: 1–12, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae20144

A treatment planning study comparing volumetric arc modulation with RapidArc and fixed field IMRT for cervix uteri radiotherapy

Purpose A treatment planning study was performed to evaluate the performance of the novel volumetric modulated single arc radiotherapy on cervix uteri cancer patients. Conventional fixed field IMRT was used as benchmark. Methods and materials CT datasets of eight patients were included in the study. Plans were optimised with the aim to assess organs at risk and healthy tissue sparing while enforcing highly conformal target coverage. Planning objectives for PTV were: maximum significant dose lower than 52.5 Gy and minimum significant dose higher than 47.5 Gy. For organs at risk, the median and maximum doses were constrained to be lower than 30 (rectum), 35 (bladder) and 25 Gy (small bowel) and 47.5 Gy; additional objectives were set on various volume thresholds. Plans were evaluated on parameters derived from dose volume histograms and on NTCP estimates. Peripheral doses at 5, 10 and 15 cm from the PTV surface were recorded to assess the low-level dose bath. The MU and delivery time were scored to measure expected treatment efficiency. Results Both RapidArc and IMRT resulted in equivalent target coverage but RapidArc had an improved homogeneity ( D 5%– D 95% = 3.5 ± 0.6 Gy for RapidArc and 4.3 ± 0.8 Gy for IMRT) and conformity index (CI 90% = 1.30 ± 0.06 for RapidArc and 1.41 ± 0.15 for IMRT). On rectum the mean dose was reduced by about 6 Gy (10 Gy for the rectum fraction not included in the PTV). Similar trends were observed for the various dose levels with reductions ranging from ∼3 to 14.4 Gy. For the bladder, RapidArc allowed a reduction of mean dose ranging from ∼4 to 6 Gy and a reduction from ∼3 to 9 Gy w.r.t. IMRT. Similar trends but with smaller absolute differences were observed for the small bowel and left and right femur. NTCP calculations on bladder and rectum confirmed the DVH data with a potential relative reduction ranging from 30 to 70% from IMRT to RapidArc. The healthy tissue was significantly less irradiated in the medium to high dose regions (from 20 to 30 Gy) and the integral dose reduction with RapidArc was about 12% compared to IMRT. Concerning peripheral dose, the relative difference between IMRT and RapidArc was of 9 ± 2%, 43 ± 11% and 36 ± 5% at 5, 10 and 15 cm from the PTV surface, respectively. The MU/Gy from RapidArc was 245 ± 17 corresponding to an expected average beam on time of 73 ± 10 s per fractions of 2 Gy. IMRT plans presented higher values with an average of MU/Gy = 479 ± 63. Conclusion RapidArc was investigated for cervix uteri cancer showing significant improvements in organs at risk and healthy tissue sparing with uncompromised target coverage leading to better conformal avoidance of treatments w.r.t. conventional IMRT. This, in combination with the confirmed short delivery time, can lead to clinically significant advances in the management of this highly aggressive cancer type. Clinical protocols are now advised to evaluate prospectively the potential benefit observed at the planning level.

Application of Sandwich Panels in Design and Building of Dredging Ships

The main objective of this paper is to assist shipyards and ship owners to actually decide to examine and implement sandwich panels in ship structures. The awareness that the application of sandwich panels may lead to substantial lower production costs, relatively shorter product delivery times, improved ship performance due to a lower structural weight, and improved fatigue and corrosion characteristics is increasing. As a builder and supplier of dredging ships and dredging equipment, IHC Dredgers(Member of the IHC Merwede Group) is continuously seeking ways to improve the performance of its complex and special ship designs to further reduce production costs and shorten delivery times. Sandwich panels have already been applied in commercial vessels, but on a rather modest scale. After some exploratory studies, IHC is convinced of the potential benefits for the shipyard and its customers, mainly dredging companies. However several factors affect the potential use of sandwich panels in the design and building processes including acceptance by clients, class societies, and the shipyard's own personnel.

The complex exposure histories of the Pitts and Horse Creek iron meteorites: Implications for meteorite delivery models

Abstract— The concentrations of cosmogenic radionuclides and noble gases in Pitts (IAB) and Horse Creek (ungrouped) provide unambiguous evidence that both irons have a complex exposure history with a first‐stage irradiation of 100–600 Myr under high shielding, followed by a second‐stage exposure of ˜1 Myr as small objects. The first‐stage exposure ages of ˜100 Myr for Horse Creek and ˜600 Myr for Pitts are similar to cosmic‐ray exposure ages of other iron meteorites, and most likely represent the Yarkovsky orbital drift times of irons from their parent bodies in the main asteroid belt to one of the nearby chaotic resonance zones. The short second‐stage exposure ages indicate that collisional debris from recent impact events on their precursor objects was quickly delivered to Earth. The short delivery times suggests that the recent collision events occurred while the precursor objects of Horse Creek and Pitts were either very close to the chaotic resonance zones or already in Earth‐crossing orbits. Since the cosmogenic noble gas records of Horse Creek and Pitts indicate a minimum radius of a few meters for the precursor objects, but do not exclude km‐sized objects, we conclude that these irons may represent fragments of two near‐Earth asteroids, 3103 Eger and 1986 DA, respectively. Finally, we used the cosmogenic nuclide concentrations in Horse Creek, which contains 2.5 wt% Si, to test current model calculations for the production of cosmogenic 10Be, 26Al, and neonisotopes from iron, nickel, and silicon.

Flexibility and revenue management in the automotive industry

PurposeThis research aims to analyze the potential of revenue management in the German car industry. The concept offers the chance for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to be more customer‐oriented to reduce costs and increase earnings. To implement revenue management, criteria are required to segment the customers. The car configuration changes and the delivery time look suitable in this context and this paper aims to analyze these.Design/methodology/approachSurvey analysis was conducted with 2974 German buyers of new cars. The respondents recently bought a car or were in the planning process of doing so. A total of 803 data sets could be evaluated statistically using SPSS software. Descriptive statistics and mean test were utilized to test several hypotheses and find out distinctions between the respondents.FindingsThe results show that German car buyers could be segmented in to different groups according to the criteria: delivery time and configuration changes. This enables manufacturers to introduce revenue management and realize benefits in better customer orientation and improved supply chain planning.Originality/valueThis research shows that German OEMs, especially the premium OEMs overestimate the value of change flexibility and short delivery times for their customers. The implementation of revenue management could help to reduce complexity and offer each customer the appropriate degree of change flexibility and the optimal delivery time combined with a process‐ and effort‐adequate pricing.

Methods of Induction of Labour at the University Of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri: A 4-Year Review

Induction of labour is an important intervention in obstetrics. Misoprostol is increasingly being used for induction of labour in many obstetric units and it may replace the traditional Foleys catheter/oxytocin protocol. This was a retrospective study of the 3 methods of induction of labour used at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). A total of 468 women had induction of labour during the study period. Two hundred and twenty eight of them had induction with 50 microg of misoprostol, 57 women had 100 microg of misoprostol while 183 women had extra-amniotic Foleys catheter with oxytocin infusion. Induction of labour constituted 6.6% (468/7086) of all deliveries during the study period. The commonest indication for induction of labour was prolonged pregnancy in 46.8%, followed by pregnancy induced hypertension in 33.5%. There was no difference in the achievement of vaginal delivery between the 3 methods of induction of labour (chi2 = 1.13, p = 0.57). The mean induction delivery time was shortest for those induced with 100 microg of misoprostol (6.38 +/- 2.25 hours), followed by 8.16 +/- 3.58 hours in those induced with 50 ug of misoprostol and 9.73 +/- 4.32. 43 hours in those induced with Foleys catheter/oxytocin (p < 0.001). The babies delivered to women induced with 100 microg of misoprostol were more asphyxiated 12.3% (7/57) compared to 9.2% (21/228) and 6.6% (12/183) in the 50 ug misoprostol and Foleys catheter/oxytocin respectively and was statistically significant (chi2 = 23.08, p = 0.01). The short induction delivery time in the group with 100 microg of misoprostol was advantageous but there was an associated higher risk of birth asphyxia, stillbirth, uterine hyperstimulation, perineal tear and uterine rupture. The normal delivery outcome was not significantly different from those induced with 50 microg of misoprostol and those induced with Foleys catheter/oxytocin (chi2 = 1.24, p = 0.94). Normal delivery rate was significantly higher in those induced with 50 microg of misoprostol compared with those induced with 100 microg of misoprostol (chi2 = 14.38, p = 0.01). Misoprostol appears to be safe and may be a suitable alternative for induction of labour by the traditional Foleys catheter/oxytocin protocol. The 50 microg dosing of misoprostol is safer than the 100 microg.

Poster - Thurs Eve-36: Use of multileaf collimator as a replacement of physical missing tissue compensator.

Missing tissue compensators are used to improve dose uniformity for some patients undergoing radiation therapy. Currently, our practice is to machine compensators out of lead alloy plate. Replacing this physical filter with a segmented multileaf collimator (MLC) delivery sequence is beneficial in terms of work flow and delivery efficiency. The purpose of this work is to compare the dose uniformity achieved by fields that are either (A) conventionally compensated, compensated by segmenting the physical compensator thickness map into either (B) step-and-shoot or (C) dynamic MLC delivery sequences using an in-house sequencer, (D) compensated using Pinnacle sequencer, or (E) compensated using IMRT optimization. A computer program was developed to construct both step-and-shoot and dynamic MLC sequence files from mechanical thickness maps of our current compensators. In addition, the Pinnacle sequencer and IMRT optimization were used to generate step-and-shoot MLC sequences. Planar doses were measured for each at the isocenter depth with an ion chamber array to compare the five methods. A comparison of the relative dose distribution shows that the compensation achieved by method (E) is in close agreement with that achieved using method (A), that is, dose uniformity within 4%. Method (D) resulted in the shortest delivery time and achieved dose uniformity to within 5%. Methods (B) and (C) need additional refinement to be of practical use. The results support the feasibility of replacing physical compensators with MLC delivery sequences. Compensation by MLC segments provides more flexibility and efficiency in design and delivery than by physical compensators while maintaining or improving the uniformity of dose to the plane of compensation.

SU‐GG‐T‐551: VMAT Compared to 3D‐RT and Step and Shoot IMRT for Anal Cancer Pelvis Treatment

Purpose: The shielding of organs at risk (OAR) like testis, small bowel and bladder increases the complexity of a treatment for anal cancer. The new rotation therapy volumetric intensity modulated arc therapy (VMAT) may have the potential to reduce the treatment time while producing a comparable dose distribution as the intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Method and Materials: CT datasets of 8 patients with anal cancer from our department formed the basis of this study. The routinely applied refined 3D‐Treatment Plan (Masterplan, Theranostic) was compared to a 9 beam step and shoot IMRT (Corvus 6.3, Nomos) and a VMAT plan with 2 rotations generated with ERGO++ 1.6 by Elekta. All three treatment planning systems used the identical CT datasets and the same OAR's. To compare these three techniques, the dose volume histograms (DVH) of PTV and OAR's as well as the total treatment time (TTT) were used. The homogeneity index (HI) and the conformality index (CI) calculated as suggested by the RTOG guidelines were analysed. Results: VMAT provided the best PTV coverage as indicated by the following metrics (isodose as percentage of prescription dose (PD) encompassing 95% of the PTV / percentage of tissue outside the PTV encompassed by 95% of PD). For 3D‐RT the mean values were (94.7±0.6% / 5.4±1.5%), for IMRT (89.8±1% / 0.7±2.6%) and for VMAT (93.7±1% / 2.9±1.3%). The mean CI and HI over all 8 patients was (2.00±0.17, 1.06±0.01) for 3D‐RT, for IMRT (1.56±0.16, 1.15±0.02) and for VMAT (1.71±0.13, 1.09±0.03). The TTT for 3D‐RT (220 seconds) was much shorter than for IMRT (557 seconds). The estimated TTT of the VMAT technique is 180 seconds. Conclusion: The new VMAT technique provides excellent treatment planes with highest conformality and homogeneity. The short treatment delivery time together with low primary monitor units is the most important advantage.

A simultaneous collaborative framework for mould and die design

The fiercely competitive global market is obligating mould and die manufacturers to embrace Computer-Supported Collaborative Design (CSCD) as a way to shorten delivery time and improve product quality. A number of collaborative tools have been developed to keep up with demand. Unfortunately, these existing tools support either collaborative review or collaborative design, but hardly consider the seamless integration of the two types of tools and the characteristics of mould and die. This paper presents a novel framework that combines co-review and co-design in one system so as to cover different aspects of mould and die design. The framework consists of four tiers. In the core, five databases serving different purposes are settled for geographically distributed engineers to inherit various disciplines and propagate their intents. Then, an access-control mechanism is employed to synchronize and secure data during the process of mould and die design in the next tier. For the purpose of interchanging information in real time, an event-driven strategy is applied in the third tier. Afterwards, the outmost tier provides uniform interfaces for invoking application tools and manipulating design information in the collaborative system. Finally, the framework proves effective to support simultaneous collaborative design of mould and die through an example scenario.

MyOpenFactory

Shorter delivery times and higher delivery reliability force engineering companies to integrate their order processing with all other business partners. Today's ERP systems do not have the ability to exchange data from one cooperation partner to another in a flexibly automated way. That is why today's inter-company order processing is still done manually by telephone and fax. With a totally integrated order management, there are possible cost savings of up to 50% in order processing. Furthermore, it helps companies to optimize their logistic and delivery processes. myOpenFactory provides an industry wide inter-company order processing technology. The developed IT-platform is founded on service oriented architecture, allowing all platform functions to be executed by the connected ERP systems via web services. The described technical compatibility has been realized in cooperation with a group of leading suppliers of ERP software. Furthermore a standardized data model secures an interface free flow of information. Commercializing the myOpenFactory platform, a new internet business model has been developed – the myOpenFactory cooperative society.

A genetic algorithm-based approach to design minicells for mass customisation manufacturing

Designing and deploying a manufacturing system that has the flexibility to deliver customised product at low cost and short turnaround times is one of the main challenges that must be overcome by potential mass customisers. Configuring the system as a collection of modules, by creating minicells that are dedicated to option families, which can be recombined as necessary is one approach to achieve this flexibility. This paper presents a genetic algorithm-based approach to design a minicell configuration for mass customisation. The method is illustrated using a numerical example and results are compared with those from traditional manufacturing cells. The findings are promising and show potential for further improvement to achieve higher flexibility and shorter delivery times for dynamic demand environments as seen in mass customisation.

Investigation of the reliability, accuracy, and efficiency of gated IMRT delivery with a commercial linear accelerator

This work reports an investigation on the reliability, accuracy, and efficiency of gated intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) delivery with a commercial linear accelerator. The dosimetry measurements of segmented multileaf collimated IMRT (SMLC-IMRT) were performed by using radiographic films and a two-dimensional diode array. Testing involved a series of IMRT fields from actual patients combined with some manually generated fields. To examine the delivery time, dosimetry plans of standard beamlet IMRT, direct-aperture-optimized (DAO) IMRT, compensator IMRT, and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy with wedges were delivered with and without gating. The results demonstrated that the gated SMLC-IMRT can be reliably and accurately delivered on this type of accelerators, as long as extremely high interruption frequencies and very low number of monitor units per segment are avoided. Beam flatness exceeded 5% and monitor linearity deviated more than 3% for the gated operation with 2.5 s breathing cycle and 20% duty cycle with segment sizes less than 10 MU. Gating does not change multi leaf collimator (MLC) positioning accuracy. The DAO IMRT is preferred for gated delivery because of its short delivery time.

SU-FF-T-187: Dosimetry Limitations and a Dose Profile Correction Methodology for Sliding Window IMRT

Purpose: The aim of this work was to investigate dose uncertainties between planned and dynamically delivered IMRT beams using extreme dose rate and leaf speed. In‐house developed software, SWIMRT, was used to convert intensity‐modulated dose to dynamic MLC control points using the sliding window (SW) technique. In this study, the ability of SWIMRT to synchronize a Varian 21EX MLC to deliver dynamic beams was evaluated. Methods and Materials: Non‐clinical and clinical dose profiles were used to deliver from 2 to 100 cGy/beam of field sizes up to 14 cm × 14 cm with dose rates from 100 – 600 MU/min and leaf speeds from 1 – 5 cm/s. As the measurements in this investigation were based on the in‐house software, the relative output ratios for dynamic beams were measured using a Farmer‐type ionization chamber. The dose profile differences were measured using Kodak radiographic films. The differences between planned and delivered doses were determined point‐by‐point for every leaf. The correction methodology was examined on non‐clinical beams, which can be used to extrapolate the behavior of clinical beams. Results: Using point‐by‐point differences as correction factors, a close agreement between the planned and delivered dose profiles was achieved. Profile differences < 0.5 – 0.8% were measured for geometrically complicated and clinical beams irradiated with a dose rate = 600 MU/min and leaf speed = 5 cm/s. Conclusions: Our results suggest that it is possible to use DMLC with extreme DR and LS to achieve clinical SW beams of high quality for shorter delivery time and insignificant increase of leaf leakage outside the field. SWIMRT is found to be an extremely useful QA tool for SW IMRT. The correction methodology could be integrated in a commercial treatment planning system.

An Educational Support for Casting Design Using Immersive Virtual Environment

An environment where Japanese industry has been paid with respect is changing tremendously due to the globalization of economics, where other Asian countries are undergoing economical and technical development as well as advancing in information technology. With acceleration of manufacturing bases relocating abroad, industrial hollowing out is happening; hence effort to transfer the technology and the design knowledge of machine design in a company is becoming an important subject. For example, in the design of custom casting products, a designer who is lacking in casting knowledge may not be able to produce a good design. In order to obtain a good design and manufacturing, it is necessary to equip the designer and manufacturer with a support system related to casting process or so called, knowledge transfer and creation system. This paper proposes a new educational support system for manufacturing technology; where machine design, which requires added values such as advanced technology, high quality, and short delivery time, is taken as an example and both its explicit and tacit knowledge are cooperated by using synchronized multimedia and immersive virtual environment.

A strategic customer relationship management system: a hybrid OLAP-neural approach

Competitiveness is a key word for business success. Manufacturers face the challenge of offering customers high quality products and shorter delivery times while remaining cost-effective. In order to stay ahead of competitors, many enterprises are implementing strategic CRM programs in order to respond quickly to customer demands. Thus, modern enterprises are tending to move from a traditional CRM to an approach integrating other enterprise operational systems. This enables enterprises to improve business intelligence, make better decisions and enhance customer relations. In this paper, the design of a Strategic Customer Relationship Management System (SCRMS) is described which collects, integrates and diagnoses various customer-related data from different operation systems in departments within an enterprise. The proposed system aims to establish a cost-effective strategic CRM solution for achieving total customer satisfaction. It integrates the data warehouse concept with two emerging technologies, Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), to support in the customer relation strategy. The system was applied in Ka Shui Manufactory Company Limited to support their customer relationship planning. The result shows that significant improvements were made in customer service efficiency and cost reduction.