Academic literature on the topic 'In-house services (Business) Evaluation'

How value is created for the customer from e-business is a topic of much concern in academic and practitioner circles. In the light of the dot.com downturn, numerous e-business firms ceased to exist. This paper reports the findings from an ongoing research study on the development and decline of the application service provider (ASP) industry. Having witnessed the decline of the first wave of ASPs, with many failing to convince small and medium businesses (SMBs) of the value of adopting an ASP solution, the second wave calls for a more rigorous approach that clearly identifies the key performance areas and indicators of the ASP business model. Applying the constructs of strategic positioning, product/service portfolio, and value proposition, this paper represents the findings from 215 responses to a questionnaire survey on how potential and existing ASP customers evaluate the benefits and risks of ASP. The findings suggest that, if the ASP model is to succeed, vendors will need to carefully identify customer requirements and avoid the pitfalls that beset the first wave of the ASP model, which was largely based upon a technology push strategy.

The outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of electronic governance. Citizens and business actors, two main groups of electronic public administration service users, can effectively and without any personal contacts handle their official duties with public administration bodies. E-governance improves efficiency, transparency and generates economic growth. Perceptions of end-users about services influence their willingness of use, satisfactions and also determine the chosen channel (personal, online, phone) to administer. In general, the main focus of analyzing satisfaction with e-government services is on citizens and business actors are pushed into the background. This paper analyses the satisfaction of business actors with public administration services. Hungarian small and medium enterprises are responsible for the majority of employment in Hungary. Their competitiveness and improving innovation ability are key to break out of the middle-income trap. According to the international comparisons, Hungary is lagging behind in performance of e-governmental services. Based on the survey with 1270 entries, Hungarian businesses are mainly satisfied with public administration services. Further improvements in the quality of public administration services can be carried out based on the evaluation of businesses’ perception.

Recently we can mention in the CR a step by step enterprise number increase in the area of production, transport services, services and financial organisations, which practically apply internal departments of controlling or audit into their managerial structures. That is why it is required to dedicate a wider publication space to the information on the role and principles of managerial instruments, which are provided by controlling and Internal Audit for business administration and financial management. The goal is to ensure a higher quality of preparation or response on the still emerging forms of our enterprises co-operation with foreign business subjects and to match step at the level of building and in particularly in effectiveness of business informational systems usage for managerial process (especially for planning and decision making procedures control) in all areas of business functions. Internal controlling instruments application and using results of risks evaluations by internal audit simultaneously contributes to the improvement of level and effectiveness of intra-enterprise monitoring as a modern conception of control usage in business management. Management level increase and increase of management competency are the conditions of ensuring our enterprises competitiveness.

Integrated logistics platform based on the computer ebaluation system. It services for e-commerce businesses on the platform in the way of helping them choosing a better logistics service. In this paper, we explained the business allocation methods on the platform of integrated logistics, and on this basis, to build a business distribution mathematical model that helps make rational choices for enterprise logistics services provided.

Purpose:The technology industry has become incredibly dynamic and complex, so by utilizing the information technology (IT) framework in the approach to new technology, businesses can avoid confusion around the application of new trends since IT operations can deliver business value. Design/methodology/approach: An overview of recent literature of some assets digitization concepts was applied. In particular the concept of digital twins was presented. Finally, applying the blockchain technology the security from hackers due to its encryption features may be provided. Findings: The improvement of digital twins through blockchain technology is set to transform industries such as manufacturing, healthcare and beyond and, companies can work towards building their future business strategies. Practical and social implications: The impact that digital twins can make is huge. Many are just now in development due to the complexity of their creation, but soon millions of things will have digital twins. And their usefulness and capabilities will continue to evolve. On the other hand blockchain technology has the potential to become the most relevant and capable way to generate and monitor digital twins due to the security and immutability of technology. Originality/value A jet engine, a human heart, even an entire city can all have a digital twin that mirrors the same physical and biological properties as the real thing enabling three critical drivers: continuous evaluation; faster, cheaper prototyping and innovating at the limits (ethics)

The internet is becoming increasingly common worldwide, and the number of users is rapidly increasing. This condition offers up new business opportunities for online businesses. For online companies, high customer satisfaction corresponds with a competitive advantage. For this reason, it is vital to understand consumer expectations for services provided through corporate websites and assess the website quality from the customer's perspective. The primary goal of this research is to evaluate and rate the websites of Cappadocia hotels in Turkey. A solution proposal comprising the Intuitionistic Fuzzy EDAS (IF EDAS) approach is developed to assess the website quality of these hotels. A sensitivity analysis is also provided to demonstrate how the proposed IF EDAS method yields robust decisions. It has been concluded that the most important criteria in evaluating the quality of a hotel website are security, privacy and hotel facilities information. According to the findings, the top three hotels in terms of website quality are Kapadokya Hill Hotel & Spa, Exedra Hotel Cappadocia and Anatolian House. This study will likely be helpful to both researchers interested in hotel website quality evaluations and holidaymakers contemplating a trip to Cappadocia.

In modern business, quality is one of the key factors for recognising a product or service on the market. For this reason, quality is becoming a new business paradigm in all spheres of human activities, whether we talk about material products or services. Therefore, increasing attention is paid to quality management that is focused on meeting the requirements of clients in order to keep the old and attract new ones, so that the organisation can survive in conditions of fierce competition. It is evident that nowadays quality management is becoming a leading asset in competitive business in all industries. World companies are focused on quality, so we may often hear that the 20th century was actually the century of productivity, but the 21st century will be, without doubt, the century of quality. Bearing in mind the importance of the quality of services, there were valid reasons to focus the scientific research attention in this paper on defining the model of valuation of the quality of banking services, as a research objective. In achieving this goal, there were valid and scientifically justified reasons to apply the statistical method, as a general method, and the descriptive (Survey-Research) method, as a special one. The model for evaluating the quality of banking services, which is defined in this way, represents an important assumption of contributing to the improvement of relations with clients (Customer relationship management – CRM) with the goal of satisfying their needs and wishes, but also with the realization of business benefits.

Abstract Through appreciating the expectations and needs of the students and staff and the changing needs of such group of stakeholders in view of educational reforms and organizational changes, we shall examine the expected changes in structure and organizational framework for the implementation of counseling services under the widely adapted Australian approach of Comprehensive Counselling Programme (Aluede, 2006). The key questions to be raised are as follows: 1. What will be the expectations of students and teaching staff in such programmes? How will expectations be satisfied in the programme objectives? 2. What should be the innovative structure for the delivery of Counselling services and related services? 3. Will the services provided by the new counseling centre be adequate, appropriate and suitable for the development of healthy lifestyle, and provide a balanced education for life?

Business-IT alignment has been a top research topic for three decades now and consistently ranks high on CIO priorities and concerns. In spite of its seeming advantages, sustainable business-IT alignment remains elusive in practice. This can be attributed to the language and knowledge gaps which impede mutual understanding between business and IT stakeholders. It can also be attributed to the limitations imposed by approaching alignment solely from a strategic perspective. This thesis argues for an ontology-based framework that bridges the language and knowledge gaps through closer interaction between business and IT stakeholders throughout the software development and project management lifecycles, especially at the requirements engineering stage. Attempts at achieving sustainable business-IT alignment predominantly focus on strategic alignment and have not been successful for various reasons. Firstly, driving down alignment initiatives to the operational and tactical levels is challenging. Secondly, it is difficult to operationalize the metrics used for evaluating alignment maturity at strategic levels. These limitations are less pronounced at the functional levels of an organization. It is at these levels that business strategies are executed and interaction between business and IT personnel is most frequent. The interaction between business and IT stakeholders in the execution of IT projects presents an opportunity that can be leveraged to drive alignment maturity. The proposed framework is discussed in terms of its underpinning hypotheses, workflows, tool design and implementation, its use with a third party framework and tool. Antecedents to operational and tactical alignment such as quality, reuse, communication, learning, and shared understanding, are proposed as a practical means of achieving sustainable alignment maturity. The framework is applied to real world, business-critical projects in a top global financial services organization and validated using descriptive statistical analysis and structural equation modelling techniques. Contributions made through the study are highlighted. This includes the Alignment Forces Model which unifies the proposed framework and its support tool within software development and project management lifecycles. The Alignment Forces model and how it can be applied in practice is presented. Results of the quantitative data analyses indicate support for the arguments for the framework towards improving business-IT alignment, however with some limitations. Results also indicate support for the hypotheses for the antecedents to sustainable alignment maturity at lower organizational levels put forward. Finally, suggestions on furthering the study, addressing its limitations, and refining the framework and tool are articulated.

Le principe d'élasticité est d'assurer que juste les ressources nécessaires sont provisionnées pour préserver le bon fonctionnement des services Cloud. La propriété d'élasticité permet d'éviter la sous-utilisation et la sur-utilisation des ressources. La propriété d'élasticité a attiré beaucoup d'attention ces dernières années comme une tâche pivot qui permet d'assurer un bon compromis entre les QdS désirées et les coûts opérationnels des AbSs. Toutefois, le contrôle d'élasticité des AbSs et la définition des stratégies d'élasticité non-triviales sont encore des tâches difficiles à réaliser. Une stratégie d'élasticité est utilisée pour gérer l'élasticité en décidant des trois éléments essentiels: 'quand', 'où' et 'comment' utiliser les mécanismes d'élasticité (par exemple, les opérations de duplication/consolidation de services) qui permettent d'assurer les objectifs de QdS avec une consommation optimisée des ressources. La complexité de définition de stratégies d'élasticité augmente avec les métriques de QdS considérées. La difficulté de cette tâche est de plus accentuée avec l'absence d'un langage unifiée pour exprimer ces stratégies. Notre travail de thèse vise à remédier aux limites des approches existantes pour la gestion des stratégies d'élasticité. Il consiste à développer un langage pour décrire différents types des stratégies d'élasticité d'une façon unifiée. Nous définissons un modèle formel qui cadre l'ensemble de métriques à considérer, définit les opérations d'élasticité à appliquer et spécifie les lois d'émission de requêtes. Ce modèle servira aussi pour appliquer et valider les stratégies spécifiées. Nous travaillons en plus sur l'alignement des contrats de qualités de services (Service Level Agreement) avec les stratégies d'élasticité
Elasticity is the ability of a system to be adjustable to workload change by allocating and releasing as many resources as needed while ensuring the agreed QoS. It has played a pivotal role in many research works for ensuring QoS. Therefore, Elasticity management is witnessing a lot of attention from IT community as a pivotal issue for finding the right tradeoffs between QoS levels and operational costs by working on developing novel methods and mechanisms. However, controlling business process elasticity and defining non-trivial elasticity strategies are challenging issues. Elasticity strategies are policies that are used to manage elasticity by deciding when, where and how to use elasticity mechanisms (e.g, adding or removing resources). Many strategies can be defined to ensure applications elasticity. The abundance of possible strategies requires their evaluation and validation in order to guarantee their effectiveness before using them in real Cloud environments. Our thesis work aims to overcome the limitations of the existing approaches for elasticity strategies management. It consists in developing a configurable Domain-Specific language to describe different types of elasticity strategies in a unified way. We define a formal model that captures a set of QoS metrics and defines elasticity operations. This model will also be used to define and verify elasticity strategies. We will also work on the alignment of Service Level Agreements with the elasticity strategies

Le Cloud Computing est de plus en plus utilisé pour le déploiement et l'exécution des applications métiers et plus particulièrement des applications à base de services (AbSs). L'élasticité à différents niveaux est l'une des propriétés fournies par le Cloud. Son principe est de garantir la fourniture des ressources nécessaires et suffisantes pour la continuité de l'exécution optimale des services Cloud. La fourniture des ressources doit considérer la variation de la demande pour éviter la sous-utilisation et la surutilisation de ces dernières. Il est évident que la fourniture d'infrastructures et/ou de plateformes élastiques n'est pas suffisante pour assurer l'élasticité des applications métiers déployées. En effet, il est aussi nécessaire de considérer l'élasticité au niveau des applications. Ceci permet l'adaptation dynamique des applications déployées selon la variation des demandes. Par conséquent, les applications métiers doivent être fournies avec des mécanismes d'élasticité permettant leur adaptation tout en assurant les propriétés fonctionnelles et non-fonctionnelles désirées. Dans nos travaux, nous nous sommes intéressés à la fourniture d'une approche holistique pour la modélisation, l'évaluation et la mise en oeuvre des mécanismes d'élasticité des AbSs dans le Cloud. En premier lieu, nous avons proposé un modèle formel pour l'élasticité des AbSs. Pour cela, nous avons modélisé les AbSs en utilisant les réseaux de Petri et défini deux opérations d'élasticité (la duplication et la consolidation). En outre, nous avons proposé de coupler ces deux opérations avec un contrôleur d'élasticité. Pour assurer l'élasticité des AbSs, le contrôleur analyse l'exécution des AbSs et prend des décisions sur les opérations d'élasticité (duplication/consolidation). Après la définition de notre modèle pour l'élasticité des AbSs, nous nous sommes intéressés à l'évaluation de l'élasticité avant de l'implémenter dans des environnements Cloud réels. Pour cela, nous avons proposé d'utiliser notre contrôleur d'élasticité comme un Framework pour la validation et l'évaluation de l'élasticité en utilisant des techniques de vérification et de simulation. Enfin, nous avons mis en oeuvre l'élasticité des AbSs dans des environnements Cloud réels. Pour cela, nous avons proposé deux approches. La première approche encapsule les AbSs non-élastiques dans des micro-conteneurs, étendus avec nos mécanismes d'élasticité, avant de les déployer sur des infrastructures Cloud. La seconde approche intègre notre contrôleur d'élasticité dans une infrastructure autonomique afin de permettre l'ajout dynamique des fonctionnalités d'élasticité aux AbSs déployées sur des plateformes Cloud
Cloud computing is being increasingly used for deploying and executing business processes and particularly Service-based Business Processes (SBPs). Among other properties, Cloud environments provide elasticity at different scopes. The principle of elasticity is to ensure the provisioning of necessary and sufficient resources such that a Cloud service continues running smoothly even when the number or quantity of its utilization scales up or down, thereby avoiding under-utilization and over-utilization of resources. It is obvious that provisioning of elastic infrastructures and/or platforms is not sufficient to provide elasticity of deployed business processes. In fact, it is also necessary to consider the elasticity at the application scope. This allows the adaptation of deployed applications during their execution according to demands variation. Therefore, business processes should be provided with elasticity mechanisms allowing their adaptation to the workload changes while ensuring the desired functional and non-functional properties. In our work, we were interested in providing a holistic approach for modeling, evaluating and provisioning of elastic SBPs in the Cloud. We started by proposing a formal model for SBPs elasticity. To do this, we modeled SBPs using Petri nets and defined two elasticity operations (duplication / consolidation). In addition, we proposed to intertwine these elasticity operations with an elasticity controller that monitors SBPs execution, analyzes monitoring information and executes the appropriate elasticity operation (duplication/consolidation) in order to enforce the elasticity of SBPs. After facing the challenge of defining a model and mechanisms for SBPs elasticity, we were interested in the evaluation of elasticity before implementing it in real environments. To this end, we proposed to use our elasticity controller as a framework for the validation and evaluation of elasticity using verification and simulation techniques. Finally, we were interested in the provisioning of elasticity mechanisms for SBPs in real Cloud environments. For this aim, we proposed two approaches. The first approach packages non-elastic SBPs in micro-containers, extended with our elasticity mechanisms, before deploying them in Cloud infrastructures. The second approach integrates our elasticity controller in an autonomic infrastructure to dynamically add elasticity facilities to SBPs deployed on Cloud platforms

The market for digital TV is developing and some industry actors focus on interactive TV. Interactive content and services that previously only were able to use through a standard PC are now available to use through the TV set. To distribute the services to the TV a so called set top box with broadband connection needs to be used. Such a box can be described as a unit where a standard PC and a digital TV receptor are integrated.

This thesis aims to investigate the market for electronic payment solutions with a focus on payment for interactive content and services in digital TV. The presumptive services are many which lead to a relative complex analysis of how they should be paid for. What kind of service is it really to be paid for?

In order to conduct an appropriate analysis this thesis contains an identification of five different service-/content types. The grouping we have conducted is in so called On Demand services, Voice over IP, Shopping, Interactive TV and web services. In order to be able to conduct a relevant assessment of how the distributed services should be paid for the understanding of the market situation is utterly important. Therefore the thesis contains a pre study of the different market actors that can be related to a set top box and interactive TV.

The study of eight different actors on the Swedish market provides an overview of content providers’ as well as payment companies’ view on how interactive content and services should be paid for. The result from the thesis is a recommendation on how an electronic payment solution should be designed and important aspects to think of. One of the key outcomes is that different services needs different types of payment solutions which implies that you should first decide on what type of services that are to be provided before a decision is made on the payment solution.

A byproduct from the thesis is the analysis model that facilitates analysis of services as well as payment solutions and - methods related to electronic payments and interactive media.

Europe aims for a transition towards less greenhouse gas emission and dependency on fossil fuels. The integration of intermittent renewable energy sources, as wind or solar power, can be facilitated by, among others, temporally decoupling demand and supply of electricity. If technologies for electrical energy storage are profitable, wide implementation could support the transition. Therefore, this study assesses the revenues and costs of long-term storage technologies and evaluates the possibility to stack several services provided by a storage unit to fully utilise it. Key market characteristics influential on storage potential are outlined and used to classify and compare the demand for storage in European markets. Considering them market clusters are formed comprising of countries with similar electricity market and from these two contrasting archetypal countries are chosen for further evaluation, Sweden and Germany. Storage technologies, as pumped hydro or compressed air, are delineated by essential technical specifications and used to determine the compatibility of them to corresponding services. A process for combining multiple services for a single storage unit is designed and employed to develop five cases. The results show that providing multiple services device can improve the profitability of the designed business cases by generating multiple revenue streams and increase the value to the electricity system. The stacking also minimises the storage’s idle time. Furthermore, the results demonstrate the influence of the key characteristics on the economic viability of the electrical energy storage in European markets.
Europa eftersträvar en övergång från att släppa ut mindre växthusgaser och minska eroendet av fossila bränslen. Att implementera förnybara energikällor, som vindkraft ller solenergi, kan underlättas genom att bland annat genom att tillfälligt rikoppla efterfrågan och leveransen av el. Om tekniken för energilagring är lönsam, an genomförande därför stödjas. Denna studie beskriver därför både intäkter ch kostnader för långsiktiga lagringstekniker och utvärderar även möjligheten att mplementera flera tjänster som tillhandahålls av en lagringsenhet till att kunna tnyttja denna till fullo. Marknaden av lagring kännetecknas redan ha potentiella förutsättningar och att den an användas för att klassificera och jämföra efterfrågan för lagring på de europeiska arknaderna. En marknadsanalys har valts att genomförts av länder med likartad lmarknad och de två länder som har välts ut för en vidare utvärdering är Sverige ch Tyskland. Lagringsteknik som vattenkraft som pumpas eller tryckluft, beskrivs ärmare med tekniska förutsättningar och används för att beskriva kompatibiliteten v tekniken och tjänsterna. Ett förfarande för att leverera flera tjänster från en enda innesenhet är utformad och används för att utveckla fem beskrivande fall. Resultatet visar att tillhandahålla flera tjänster från en enda lagringsenhet förbättrar önsamheten för affärsidéer genom att generera flera intäktsströmmar och ökar ärdet till elsystemet. Stapling minimerar också lagring är ledig tid. Dessutom visar esultatet om hur de viktigaste egenskaperna påverkas av de ekonomiska affärsmodellerna.

The objective of the study was to develop a framework for the implementation of a Business Information Management System in order to increase the efficiency of the knowledge management strategy in the ultimate quest to deliver administrative support to public schools at the Gauteng Department of Education within the Sedibeng East District Office geographical area. A literature investigation was done on the concepts of e–Government, eplatforms, information technology and enablers to determine if Government models are working effectively and efficiently. Based on the findings of the literature study, a questionnaire was designed and used to measure the efficiency of the knowledge management strategy in the base of administrative support to public schools. Government to Government models are the ability to interact and support services through the availability of e–platforms in the ultimate support, and sharing of knowledge through effective knowledge management. Knowledge in an organisation alternates between tacit and explicit knowledge as it goes from an idea to explicit knowledge that can be shared throughout the whole organisation and in the process gives the necessary administrative support to public schools and learners. Proper managed and implemented systems are important for the management of knowledge in an organisation. Knowledge management is a never–ending cycle that starts at discovering knowledge and goes through generating knowledge, evaluating knowledge, sharing the newly found knowledge to leveraging the knowledge. This cycle forms the heart of a knowledge management model like the different education e–platforms that is available. It was concluded that the knowledge in an organisation can be managed with the help of one standardized e–platform model throughout the entire Education Department. Knowledge in an organisation is a very important resource and ought to be strategically managed. The knowledge management strategy starts by determining what knowledge is needed and what is available in the organisation. The chosen standardized model will form the central part of a successful knowledge management strategy. The test for the success of a knowledge management strategy is determined with a knowledge audit. The state of the knowledge management strategy at Gauteng Department of Education, Sedibeng East District Office was assessed by employing convenience survey questionnaires to extract the data. Sedibeng East District Office and therefore the Department of Education, still have a long way to go in order to optimise the management of knowledge. The key area of concern is a lack of a written knowledge management strategy and policy which results in informal e–platform usage and therefore different ways of managing knowledge. A large portion of the indecisiveness seen in the analysis of the questionnaires could be attributed to the lack of a formal knowledge management strategy. It was further concluded that a knowledge gap assessment is the start of the knowledge management strategy and will give direction to the strategy. The culture at Sedibeng East District Office was not tested to determine if the staff will be supportive of a knowledge management strategy. However, the survey indicated that much needed administrative support to public schools needs to be formalized in order to optimize the services and standards of support. A practical knowledge management framework is proposed in order to assist the Department in the implementation of a knowledge management strategy and bridging the gaps found after analysing the questionnaires.
Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

AbstractAutonomous vehicles (AV) are intelligent information systems that perceive, collect, generate and disseminate information to improve knowledge to act autonomously and provide its required services of mobility, safety, and comfort to humans. This paper combines the security risk management (ISSRM) and operationally critical threat, asset, and vulnerability evaluation (OCTAVE allegro) methods to define and assess the AV protected assets, security risks, and countermeasures.

Abstract Several companies whose businesses are not centered on technology might fail to innovate and get advantages over their competitors. For them, meaningful innovations are not necessarily related to the usage of new technologies but the optimization of some business process. In the literature, experimentation is described as an essential aspect of the innovation process. Although software engineering studies have explored experimentation, none has focused on software-intensive innovative projects in non-software-intensive companies, which consists of a contrast between the fast-changing environment in software-intensive to rigid structures in consolidated businesses. This paper proposes an experiment-oriented process to identify and implement innovation in this kind of company, including the roles involved in such processes. It has steps to identify business bottlenecks, search for solution alternatives, implement a fast and functional software proof of concept, create a plan for evolution, and migrate to a regular project to continue that idea. This paper also presents an evaluation of this process in a company focused on outsourced services, such as cleaning and maintenance. As a result, several internal procedures in a year were improved and received software support.

AbstractThis chapter aims to describe the role of innovation and digital solutions in facing the mobility needs of the rural areas and tourist destinations and, at the same time, to discuss the problems and conditions for their use in the provision of the different mobility and transport services. Innovation in the mobility provision chain is analysed in relation to the relevant service elements (schemes, planning, programming, evaluation and support) in order to clarify that innovation does not automatically mean digital solutions. An overview of the emerging trends in digital solutions is provided, focusing on the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) concept and mobile applications. For the APP, market-specific considerations are developed on the different roles and typologies, making a classification for understanding current Mobility APP “Jungle”. Moreover, the concept of Shared Use Mobility Agency (SUMA) is presented. SUMA aims to integrate smart mobility services under the concept of MaaS in order to answer to the mobility needs of residents and tourists acting on the demand and providing coordinated collective and ridesharing transport services. SUMA could be considered an “innovative” approach mixing advanced digital architecture and shared mobility schemes with the relevant organization, operation and business elements. Section 5 presents the SUMA implementation in Elba island (Regione Toscana-Italy), within CIVITAS DESTINATIONS project underlying the specifications of the platform and APP. Finally, besides the specific recommendations provided in each section, key recommendations for Mobility Authority and Transport Operators are spotlighted.

In the paper the method for assessing the quality of professional services in the B2C (business to cus-tomer) and B2B (business to business) systems has been presented. The quality evaluation is ana-lyzed according to relationships in the implementation of professional medical services (medical and prosthetic service). A dependence of information flow, knowledge management has been performed as a factor that builds mutual trust between the client (patient), service provider (dentist) and subcon-tractor (dental technician). The quality management model in the context of B2C and B2B coopera-tion has been emphasized.

In order to stand out in a competitive environment, companies are forced to consider the develop-ment of new services. In the context of globalization changes, the development of new services is be-coming an effective tool for adapting to the changing needs of consumers through the introduction of technological innovations or management solutions. By using service development models, compa-nies create favourable environment for generating and selecting ideas, and can prepare more effec-tively for the deployment of a new service. After the critical evaluation of the new service develop-ment models, conceptual new service development model was formulated. The indicators of concep-tual new service development model were presented, also the unique features were highlighted. The results of this research revealed that new service development models are perceived as an unbroken cycle, that includes additional tasks for business subjects, consumers and company employees.

Purpose – the main goal of tourism clusters is to attract more tourists to the region and improve the quality of regional tourism products. The aim of this paper is to verify whether the initiative of the Eastern Poland Tourism Brands Cluster has contributed to the development of tourism services and products offered by local firms. Research methodology – to achieve the goal, we described and evaluated cluster activities based on secondary sources of data and questionnaire interviews conducted with the representatives of entities involved in the cluster. We used the modified COO effect model to evaluate the services according to the following criteria: modernity, diversity, prestige and quality. We employed a 5-item Likert scale in our questionnaire. Findings – the results of the analysis showed that despite the increased recognition of tourist brands and products, the cluster did not survive. This experience shows that clusters operating in the tourism industry have less chance of survival than industrial clusters. Research limitations – main limitation of the research is the scarcity of source materials and a low number of surveys returned by cluster members. Personal meetings with respondents would add valuable information. Practical implications – the results of research can be used as an indication for the development and maintenance of tourist cluster initiatives on the market. In recent years, more and more studies focus on the development prospects of tourism clusters. Originality – until now, however, no study on cluster performance has employed the COO effect model or its derivatives, which makes our paper novel in this aspect.

Purpose – the purpose of the article is to a study of factors that allow to test the impact of digitalization on the economy. Research methodology – the main method of the research is panel analysis of 8 digital economy indicators on GDP per capita for 28 countries for over 17 years. The study asserts that digitalization will ensure the growth of GDP as a key indicator of economic development. Findings – it was found that that transformation into a digital economy is likely to have a positive impact on countries where there is a growth of the net export of ICT services is achieved while communications and computer service imports are reduced. Research limitations – the limitations of the research are that the method applied allows to determine the influence of the studied factors on GDP per capita, but the results of the evaluation require further detailed analysis of the studied factors for each country. Practical implications – the study helps to identify the factors of high importance in the digitalization process and to determine factors what should be focused on achieving the desired results of digitalization. Originality/Value – the method allows to make an express-evaluation, reducing the complexity of calculations and time costs

In recent years, chatbots have been adopted in business contexts and also for public services at a growing rate. Chatbots provide dialogue interfaces combining visual elements with natural conversation. Good Conversational Design in this context covers the topics of Natural-Language Processing (NLP) and Dialogue Management (DM). Few attention has been paid to the usability evaluation of conversational interfaces (Höhn & Bongard-Blanchy, 2021). The present paper builds upon the work by Höhn & Bongard-Blanchy by applying their framework of conversational heuristics to evaluate a set of public service chatbots operated in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Thus, for each public service chatbot, a usability score is established and typical characteristics of public service chatbots in general are summarized. We discuss results by comparing the overall scores, weaknesses and strengths of each chatbot. In addition, we reflect on our experience in the application of the framework as well as highlight possible optimization potentials. Concludingly, this paper collects UX recommendations for public service chatbots.

The purpose of a study is to compare and assess 3PL companies’ selection methods by researching evaluation criteria of 3PL companies and approaches of these criteria’s classification used by companies who outsource logistics and transportation services to third parties. Objective of a study is, foremost, to investigate 3PL companies’ selection methods proposed by leading specialists in field of logistics. Additionally, investigate operational activities, integration levels and core services provided by logistics companies in Europe with an emphasis on 3PL companies. The key finding of a study is that Multiple-criteria decision-making analyses are widely used in order to support strategic decision making in selection of 3PL companies.

The monitoring and evaluation (M&E) Guidelines and Framework presented in this document (and in the accompanying M&E Indicator Framework) aim to encourage stakeholders in the rural sanitation and hygiene sector to take a more comprehensive, comparable and people focused approach to monitoring and evaluation. Many M&E frameworks currently reflect the interests and ambitions of particular implementing agencies – that is, community-led total sanitation (CLTS) interventions focused on open-defecation free (ODF) outcomes in triggered communities; market-based sanitation interventions focused on the number of products sold and whether sanitation businesses were profitable; and sanitation finance interventions reporting the number of facilities built using financial support. Few M&E frameworks have been designed to examine the overall sanitation and hygiene situation – to assess how interventions have affected sanitation and hygiene outcomes across an entire area (rather than just in specific target communities); to look at who (from the overall population) benefitted from the intervention, and who did not; to report on the level and quality of service used; or examine whether public health has improved. Since 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have extended and deepened the international monitoring requirements for sanitation and hygiene. The 2030 SDG sanitation target 6.2 includes requirements to: • Achieve access to adequate sanitation and hygiene for all • Achieve access to equitable sanitation and hygiene for all • End open defecation • Pay special attention to the needs of women and girls • Pay special attention to those in vulnerable situations The 2030 SDG sanitation target calls for universal use of basic sanitation services, and for the elimination of open defecation, both of which require M&E systems that cover entire administration areas (i.e. every person and community within a district) and which are able to identify people and groups that lack services, or continue unsafe practices. Fortunately, the SDG requirements are well aligned with the sector trend towards system strengthening, in recognition that governments are responsible both for the provision of sustainable services and for monitoring the achievement of sustained outcomes. This document provides guidelines on the monitoring and evaluation of rural sanitation and hygiene, and presents an M&E framework that outlines core elements and features for reporting on progress towards the 2030 SDG sanitation target (and related national goals and targets for rural sanitation and hygiene), while also encouraging learning and accountability. Given wide variations in the ambition, capacity and resources available for monitoring and evaluation, it is apparent that not all of the M&E processes and indicators described will be appropriate for all stakeholders. The intention is to provide guidelines and details on useful and progressive approaches to monitoring rural sanitation and hygiene, from which a range of rural sanitation and hygiene duty bearers and practitioners – including governments, implementation agencies, development partners and service providers – can select and use those most appropriate to their needs. Eventually, it is hoped that all of the more progressive M&E elements and features will become standard, and be incorporated in all sector monitoring systems.

The monitoring and evaluation (M&E) Guidelines and Framework presented in this document (and in the accompanying M&E Indicator Framework) aim to encourage stakeholders in the rural sanitation and hygiene sector to take a more comprehensive, comparable and people focused approach to monitoring and evaluation. Many M&E frameworks currently reflect the interests and ambitions of particular implementing agencies – that is, community-led total sanitation (CLTS) interventions focused on open-defecation free (ODF) outcomes in triggered communities; market-based sanitation interventions focused on the number of products sold and whether sanitation businesses were profitable; and sanitation finance interventions reporting the number of facilities built using financial support. Few M&E frameworks have been designed to examine the overall sanitation and hygiene situation – to assess how interventions have affected sanitation and hygiene outcomes across an entire area (rather than just in specific target communities); to look at who (from the overall population) benefitted from the intervention, and who did not; to report on the level and quality of service used; or examine whether public health has improved. Since 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have extended and deepened the international monitoring requirements for sanitation and hygiene. The 2030 SDG sanitation target 6.2 includes requirements to: • Achieve access to adequate sanitation and hygiene for all • Achieve access to equitable sanitation and hygiene for all • End open defecation • Pay special attention to the needs of women and girls • Pay special attention to those in vulnerable situations The 2030 SDG sanitation target calls for universal use of basic sanitation services, and for the elimination of open defecation, both of which require M&E systems that cover entire administration areas (i.e. every person and community within a district) and which are able to identify people and groups that lack services, or continue unsafe practices. Fortunately, the SDG requirements are well aligned with the sector trend towards system strengthening, in recognition that governments are responsible both for the provision of sustainable services and for monitoring the achievement of sustained outcomes. This document provides guidelines on the monitoring and evaluation of rural sanitation and hygiene, and presents an M&E framework that outlines core elements and features for reporting on progress towards the 2030 SDG sanitation target (and related national goals and targets for rural sanitation and hygiene), while also encouraging learning and accountability. Given wide variations in the ambition, capacity and resources available for monitoring and evaluation, it is apparent that not all of the M&E processes and indicators described will be appropriate for all stakeholders. The intention is to provide guidelines and details on useful and progressive approaches to monitoring rural sanitation and hygiene, from which a range of rural sanitation and hygiene duty bearers and practitioners – including governments, implementation agencies, development partners and service providers – can select and use those most appropriate to their needs. Eventually, it is hoped that all of the more progressive M&E elements and features will become standard, and be incorporated in all sector monitoring systems.

This study explores the question of whether California's freight system is staying competitive with other US regions. A novel analytical framework compares supply chain performance metrics across multiple US states and regions for seaports, airports, highways, freight rail service, and distribution centers by combining the Performance Evaluation Matrix (PEM), Competitive Position Matrix (CPM), and Business Process Management (BPM) approaches. Analysis of industry data and responses from structured interviews with 30 freight industry experts across 5 transportation sectors suggests that California's freight system is competitive for seaports, airports, and freight rail; however, highways and distribution centers have room for improvement with respect to travel time reliability and operation costs, and California should prioritize infrastructure investments here. To stay competitive with the Texas and North East regions, state investments could also expand seaport container terminals and air cargo handling facilities, improve intermodal port connections and management of flows of chassis, container trucks, empty containers to ameliorate cargo backlogs and congestion on highways, at the ports, and at warehouses. The state could also invest in inland ports, transporting goods by rail directly from seaports to the Inland Empire or Central Valley.

Maintenance of traffic (MOT) during construction periods is critical to the success of project delivery and the overall mission of transportation agencies. MOT plans may include full road closures and coordination of detours near construction areas. Various state DOTs have designed their own manuals for detour mapping and coordination. However, very limited information is provided to select optimal detour routes. Moreover, closures or detours should provide not only measurable consequences, such as vehicle operating costs and added travel time, but also various unforeseen qualitative impacts, such as business impacts and inconvenience to local communities. Since the qualitative aspects are not easily measurable they tend to be neglected in systematic evaluations and decision-making processes. In this study, the current practices obtained based on an extensive literature review, a nation-wide survey, as well as a series of interviews with INDOT and other state DOTs are leveraged to (1) identify a comprehensive set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for detour route mapping, (2) understand how other state DOTs address the qualitative criteria, (3) identify how the involved risks during the planning, service time, and closure of the detour routes are managed, and (4) recommend process improvements for INDOT detour mapping guidelines. As demonstrated by two sample case studies, the proposed KPIs can be taken as a basis for developing a decision-support tool that enables decision-makers to consider both qualitative and quantitative aspects for optimal detour route mapping. In addition, the current INDOT detour policy can be updated based on the proposed process improvements.

1.1 Macroeconomic summary Economic recovery has consistently outperformed the technical staff’s expectations following a steep decline in activity in the second quarter of 2020. At the same time, total and core inflation rates have fallen and remain at low levels, suggesting that a significant element of the reactivation of Colombia’s economy has been related to recovery in potential GDP. This would support the technical staff’s diagnosis of weak aggregate demand and ample excess capacity. The most recently available data on 2020 growth suggests a contraction in economic activity of 6.8%, lower than estimates from January’s Monetary Policy Report (-7.2%). High-frequency indicators suggest that economic performance was significantly more dynamic than expected in January, despite mobility restrictions and quarantine measures. This has also come amid declines in total and core inflation, the latter of which was below January projections if controlling for certain relative price changes. This suggests that the unexpected strength of recent growth contains elements of demand, and that excess capacity, while significant, could be lower than previously estimated. Nevertheless, uncertainty over the measurement of excess capacity continues to be unusually high and marked both by variations in the way different economic sectors and spending components have been affected by the pandemic, and by uneven price behavior. The size of excess capacity, and in particular the evolution of the pandemic in forthcoming quarters, constitute substantial risks to the macroeconomic forecast presented in this report. Despite the unexpected strength of the recovery, the technical staff continues to project ample excess capacity that is expected to remain on the forecast horizon, alongside core inflation that will likely remain below the target. Domestic demand remains below 2019 levels amid unusually significant uncertainty over the size of excess capacity in the economy. High national unemployment (14.6% for February 2021) reflects a loose labor market, while observed total and core inflation continue to be below 2%. Inflationary pressures from the exchange rate are expected to continue to be low, with relatively little pass-through on inflation. This would be compatible with a negative output gap. Excess productive capacity and the expectation of core inflation below the 3% target on the forecast horizon provide a basis for an expansive monetary policy posture. The technical staff’s assessment of certain shocks and their expected effects on the economy, as well as the presence of several sources of uncertainty and related assumptions about their potential macroeconomic impacts, remain a feature of this report. The coronavirus pandemic, in particular, continues to affect the public health environment, and the reopening of Colombia’s economy remains incomplete. The technical staff’s assessment is that the COVID-19 shock has affected both aggregate demand and supply, but that the impact on demand has been deeper and more persistent. Given this persistence, the central forecast accounts for a gradual tightening of the output gap in the absence of new waves of contagion, and as vaccination campaigns progress. The central forecast continues to include an expected increase of total and core inflation rates in the second quarter of 2021, alongside the lapse of the temporary price relief measures put in place in 2020. Additional COVID-19 outbreaks (of uncertain duration and intensity) represent a significant risk factor that could affect these projections. Additionally, the forecast continues to include an upward trend in sovereign risk premiums, reflected by higher levels of public debt that in the wake of the pandemic are likely to persist on the forecast horizon, even in the context of a fiscal adjustment. At the same time, the projection accounts for the shortterm effects on private domestic demand from a fiscal adjustment along the lines of the one currently being proposed by the national government. This would be compatible with a gradual recovery of private domestic demand in 2022. The size and characteristics of the fiscal adjustment that is ultimately implemented, as well as the corresponding market response, represent another source of forecast uncertainty. Newly available information offers evidence of the potential for significant changes to the macroeconomic scenario, though without altering the general diagnosis described above. The most recent data on inflation, growth, fiscal policy, and international financial conditions suggests a more dynamic economy than previously expected. However, a third wave of the pandemic has delayed the re-opening of Colombia’s economy and brought with it a deceleration in economic activity. Detailed descriptions of these considerations and subsequent changes to the macroeconomic forecast are presented below. The expected annual decline in GDP (-0.3%) in the first quarter of 2021 appears to have been less pronounced than projected in January (-4.8%). Partial closures in January to address a second wave of COVID-19 appear to have had a less significant negative impact on the economy than previously estimated. This is reflected in figures related to mobility, energy demand, industry and retail sales, foreign trade, commercial transactions from selected banks, and the national statistics agency’s (DANE) economic tracking indicator (ISE). Output is now expected to have declined annually in the first quarter by 0.3%. Private consumption likely continued to recover, registering levels somewhat above those from the previous year, while public consumption likely increased significantly. While a recovery in investment in both housing and in other buildings and structures is expected, overall investment levels in this case likely continued to be low, and gross fixed capital formation is expected to continue to show significant annual declines. Imports likely recovered to again outpace exports, though both are expected to register significant annual declines. Economic activity that outpaced projections, an increase in oil prices and other export products, and an expected increase in public spending this year account for the upward revision to the 2021 growth forecast (from 4.6% with a range between 2% and 6% in January, to 6.0% with a range between 3% and 7% in April). As a result, the output gap is expected to be smaller and to tighten more rapidly than projected in the previous report, though it is still expected to remain in negative territory on the forecast horizon. Wide forecast intervals reflect the fact that the future evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic remains a significant source of uncertainty on these projections. The delay in the recovery of economic activity as a result of the resurgence of COVID-19 in the first quarter appears to have been less significant than projected in the January report. The central forecast scenario expects this improved performance to continue in 2021 alongside increased consumer and business confidence. Low real interest rates and an active credit supply would also support this dynamic, and the overall conditions would be expected to spur a recovery in consumption and investment. Increased growth in public spending and public works based on the national government’s spending plan (Plan Financiero del Gobierno) are other factors to consider. Additionally, an expected recovery in global demand and higher projected prices for oil and coffee would further contribute to improved external revenues and would favor investment, in particular in the oil sector. Given the above, the technical staff’s 2021 growth forecast has been revised upward from 4.6% in January (range from 2% to 6%) to 6.0% in April (range from 3% to 7%). These projections account for the potential for the third wave of COVID-19 to have a larger and more persistent effect on the economy than the previous wave, while also supposing that there will not be any additional significant waves of the pandemic and that mobility restrictions will be relaxed as a result. Economic growth in 2022 is expected to be 3%, with a range between 1% and 5%. This figure would be lower than projected in the January report (3.6% with a range between 2% and 6%), due to a higher base of comparison given the upward revision to expected GDP in 2021. This forecast also takes into account the likely effects on private demand of a fiscal adjustment of the size currently being proposed by the national government, and which would come into effect in 2022. Excess in productive capacity is now expected to be lower than estimated in January but continues to be significant and affected by high levels of uncertainty, as reflected in the wide forecast intervals. The possibility of new waves of the virus (of uncertain intensity and duration) represents a significant downward risk to projected GDP growth, and is signaled by the lower limits of the ranges provided in this report. Inflation (1.51%) and inflation excluding food and regulated items (0.94%) declined in March compared to December, continuing below the 3% target. The decline in inflation in this period was below projections, explained in large part by unanticipated increases in the costs of certain foods (3.92%) and regulated items (1.52%). An increase in international food and shipping prices, increased foreign demand for beef, and specific upward pressures on perishable food supplies appear to explain a lower-than-expected deceleration in the consumer price index (CPI) for foods. An unexpected increase in regulated items prices came amid unanticipated increases in international fuel prices, on some utilities rates, and for regulated education prices. The decline in annual inflation excluding food and regulated items between December and March was in line with projections from January, though this included downward pressure from a significant reduction in telecommunications rates due to the imminent entry of a new operator. When controlling for the effects of this relative price change, inflation excluding food and regulated items exceeds levels forecast in the previous report. Within this indicator of core inflation, the CPI for goods (1.05%) accelerated due to a reversion of the effects of the VAT-free day in November, which was largely accounted for in February, and possibly by the transmission of a recent depreciation of the peso on domestic prices for certain items (electric and household appliances). For their part, services prices decelerated and showed the lowest rate of annual growth (0.89%) among the large consumer baskets in the CPI. Within the services basket, the annual change in rental prices continued to decline, while those services that continue to experience the most significant restrictions on returning to normal operations (tourism, cinemas, nightlife, etc.) continued to register significant price declines. As previously mentioned, telephone rates also fell significantly due to increased competition in the market. Total inflation is expected to continue to be affected by ample excesses in productive capacity for the remainder of 2021 and 2022, though less so than projected in January. As a result, convergence to the inflation target is now expected to be somewhat faster than estimated in the previous report, assuming the absence of significant additional outbreaks of COVID-19. The technical staff’s year-end inflation projections for 2021 and 2022 have increased, suggesting figures around 3% due largely to variation in food and regulated items prices. The projection for inflation excluding food and regulated items also increased, but remains below 3%. Price relief measures on indirect taxes implemented in 2020 are expected to lapse in the second quarter of 2021, generating a one-off effect on prices and temporarily affecting inflation excluding food and regulated items. However, indexation to low levels of past inflation, weak demand, and ample excess productive capacity are expected to keep core inflation below the target, near 2.3% at the end of 2021 (previously 2.1%). The reversion in 2021 of the effects of some price relief measures on utility rates from 2020 should lead to an increase in the CPI for regulated items in the second half of this year. Annual price changes are now expected to be higher than estimated in the January report due to an increased expected path for fuel prices and unanticipated increases in regulated education prices. The projection for the CPI for foods has increased compared to the previous report, taking into account certain factors that were not anticipated in January (a less favorable agricultural cycle, increased pressure from international prices, and transport costs). Given the above, year-end annual inflation for 2021 and 2022 is now expected to be 3% and 2.8%, respectively, which would be above projections from January (2.3% and 2,7%). For its part, expected inflation based on analyst surveys suggests year-end inflation in 2021 and 2022 of 2.8% and 3.1%, respectively. There remains significant uncertainty surrounding the inflation forecasts included in this report due to several factors: 1) the evolution of the pandemic; 2) the difficulty in evaluating the size and persistence of excess productive capacity; 3) the timing and manner in which price relief measures will lapse; and 4) the future behavior of food prices. Projected 2021 growth in foreign demand (4.4% to 5.2%) and the supposed average oil price (USD 53 to USD 61 per Brent benchmark barrel) were both revised upward. An increase in long-term international interest rates has been reflected in a depreciation of the peso and could result in relatively tighter external financial conditions for emerging market economies, including Colombia. Average growth among Colombia’s trade partners was greater than expected in the fourth quarter of 2020. This, together with a sizable fiscal stimulus approved in the United States and the onset of a massive global vaccination campaign, largely explains the projected increase in foreign demand growth in 2021. The resilience of the goods market in the face of global crisis and an expected normalization in international trade are additional factors. These considerations and the expected continuation of a gradual reduction of mobility restrictions abroad suggest that Colombia’s trade partners could grow on average by 5.2% in 2021 and around 3.4% in 2022. The improved prospects for global economic growth have led to an increase in current and expected oil prices. Production interruptions due to a heavy winter, reduced inventories, and increased supply restrictions instituted by producing countries have also contributed to the increase. Meanwhile, market forecasts and recent Federal Reserve pronouncements suggest that the benchmark interest rate in the U.S. will remain stable for the next two years. Nevertheless, a significant increase in public spending in the country has fostered expectations for greater growth and inflation, as well as increased uncertainty over the moment in which a normalization of monetary policy might begin. This has been reflected in an increase in long-term interest rates. In this context, emerging market economies in the region, including Colombia, have registered increases in sovereign risk premiums and long-term domestic interest rates, and a depreciation of local currencies against the dollar. Recent outbreaks of COVID-19 in several of these economies; limits on vaccine supply and the slow pace of immunization campaigns in some countries; a significant increase in public debt; and tensions between the United States and China, among other factors, all add to a high level of uncertainty surrounding interest rate spreads, external financing conditions, and the future performance of risk premiums. The impact that this environment could have on the exchange rate and on domestic financing conditions represent risks to the macroeconomic and monetary policy forecasts. Domestic financial conditions continue to favor recovery in economic activity. The transmission of reductions to the policy interest rate on credit rates has been significant. The banking portfolio continues to recover amid circumstances that have affected both the supply and demand for loans, and in which some credit risks have materialized. Preferential and ordinary commercial interest rates have fallen to a similar degree as the benchmark interest rate. As is generally the case, this transmission has come at a slower pace for consumer credit rates, and has been further delayed in the case of mortgage rates. Commercial credit levels stabilized above pre-pandemic levels in March, following an increase resulting from significant liquidity requirements for businesses in the second quarter of 2020. The consumer credit portfolio continued to recover and has now surpassed February 2020 levels, though overall growth in the portfolio remains low. At the same time, portfolio projections and default indicators have increased, and credit establishment earnings have come down. Despite this, credit disbursements continue to recover and solvency indicators remain well above regulatory minimums. 1.2 Monetary policy decision In its meetings in March and April the BDBR left the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1.75%.