Forecasting business needs in the telephone market

The last decade has seen substantial changes in the environment in which U.S. telephone companies operate. As regulated monopolies, telephone companies are experiencing effective competition in several areas of their operations. Additionally the consumerist movement has made regulatory agencies more aware of the requirements of the numerous markets served by the utilities. With “good” telephone service available at reasonable cost throughout the United States, users and telephone companies are more aware of secondary product attributes such as style (decorator sets) and auxiliary features (the ability to place one caller on hold and answer another call). These changes reflect the evolution of the marketing function within the telephone companies and the increasing use of marketing research for product line expansion and sales forecasting. What has caused this shifting perspective on the function of marketing? How have the utilities responded? The following discussion deals with these questions as well as the ways in which marketing research has aided the telephone company in forecasting sales to business customers.     

The US fashion industry: A supply chain review

The fashion industry has short product life cycles, tremendous product variety, volatile and unpredictable demand, and long and inflexible supply processes. These characteristics, a complex supply chain and wide availability of data make the industry a suitable avenue for efficient supply chain management practices. The industry has also been in a transition over the last 20 years: significant consolidation in retail, majority of apparel manufacturing operations moving overseas and, more recently, increasing use of electronic commerce in retail and wholesale trade. This paper aims to review the current state of operations and recent trends across the fashion supply chain in the US. We use industry-wide data, articles from business journals, industry reviews and extensive interviews with an apparel manufacturer in California, and a major US department store chain to describe the current operational practices and how the industry is restructuring itself during the transition, focusing at the apparel manufacture and retail segments of the supply chain.     

Information systems in fast cycle development: identifying user needs in integrated automotive component development

Product development literature strongly emphasizes the need for open communication between suppliers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). There is a widespread expectation that computer-aided communication networks will enable organizational members to work more flexibly, to share knowledge and competencies, and to span functional and company boundaries. However, few studies merge the possibilities of new information technologies and the operational needs of specific groups of users, for example product development engineers. The research reported in this paper aims to fill that gap. Through in-depth case studies of two development projects involving one auto OEM, one of its systems suppliers (working directly with the OEM) and five medium-sized expert suppliers (working either directly with the OEM or through the systems supplier), we identify three groups of user needs that are not currently satisfied by existing information system solutions: improvement of coordination and communication; enhancement of the access to new technological information; and support for the development of an organizational memory. We then explore what kind of information systems might help satisfy the above-mentioned needs. Potential barriers to efficient implementation of information systems in terms of the motivation of people using the systems, the reliability of the information, and the willingness to render information more transparent are discussed. It is concluded that when implementing information systems to support operational development work, it is essential to ground the system specification in clearly identified user needs that reflect the double nature of product engineering, namely the continuous interplay between routines and cognitive processes.     

US telecommunications regulation: Will technology decide?

Twenty years ago, the telecommunications industry was an established regulated monopoly. But improvements in technology and reductions in costs have ripped apart the premises of natural monopoly and the economic rationale for public utility regulation. The authors review past US telecommunications policy and question the assumptions of the current search for a policy for the future. They believe that, for the industry to develop, institutions and restraints need to be removed.     

The 3G transition: Changes in the US wireless industry

The transition of the wireless industry from second generation (2G) to third generation (3G) is more than a simple technology upgrade. The industry's service profile will move far beyond telephony and services will converge with the computing and content sectors. This will bring many more players into this already huge industry. Thus the transition to 3G needs to be regarded as a major economic transformation as it requires a major reconfiguration of the existing value networks. Standards have traditionally been essential in the success of wireless services and will play an increasingly critical role in the future.Due to the on-going transition, wireless standardization has changed considerably—reflecting changes in the configuration of the value network. While the number of major air-interface standards has been reduced to just two, the overall number of standards bodies has increased by almost an order of magnitude while the number and scope of interfaces being standardized has grown at a breathtaking pace. This growth reflects the need to support the industry's new coordination requirements at critical interfaces in the value network. At the same time, the importance of the traditional standards development organizations (SDOs) has diminished as more nimble industry consortia have taken over the main responsibilities for standardization. The major standardization battlegrounds have shifted up the protocol stack to the service enabler level. In addition, the manufacture of handsets and other mobile communication devices is transitioning to a more horizontal industry structure. These changes, along with changes in the way value is extracted from new services and their influence on the reconfiguration of the industry are discussed.     

Investments in tracking and tracing systems in the food industry: A PLS analysis

Traceability and related concepts, such as trust and transparency have gained greatly in relevance in food supply chains. This study seeks to answer what exactly determines firms’ investments in traceability systems by developing and testing a theoretical framework using partial least squares methodology and empirical data from 234 companies of the German food industry.The results reveal that high external pressure to implement improves the image of tracking and tracing systems in the sense that their use enhances a firm’s status, increases the intention to use those systems and fosters their perceived usefulness in the eyes of agribusiness executives. The hypothesized negative effect of costs on perceived usefulness and the intention to invest could not be verified.     

Organizational factors and technology-intensive industry: the US and Japan

High technology industry in the US and Japan can be thought of as distinct organizational models. Here the authors examine the historical evolution, major characteristics, and benefits and costs of these different models. This leads to the conclusion that organizational factors exert a powerful influence on the ability of firms, industries and nations to adapt to new technology-intensive industries.     

A framework of E-SCM multi-agent systems in the fashion industry

The fashion industry's supply chain is full of uncertainty and unpredictability. Thus, building an intelligent system to effectively capture the requirements of customers and help manage the supply chain is very important. Typical quick response (QR) systems have been broadly used in the fashion industry to serve as a way of maintaining an efficient supply chain management (SCM). The original functions of a QR system cannot, however, completely overcome the challenge of quickly satisfying the requirements of customers with effective customer relationship and quality of service. In this paper, we have integrated the typical management information system (MIS) development procedure with that of an e-fashion SCM multi-agent system. Some related research and reports from different countries have been thoroughly surveyed in order to find possible IT and non-IT methods for use in the SCM of fashion retailers. This paper thus provides an electronic fashion SCM system by adopting the techniques of the Semantic Web and multiple agents. The proposed system can integrate different information technologies to make its behavior more intelligent and to catch more useful information from customers. Its implementation also considers some practical issues in the fashion retailing SCM.     

A practical approach to quality-adjusted price cap regulation

Price cap regulation is often combined with service quality regulation since price caps may create incentives for quality degradation. A service quality adjustment factor (the Q-Factor) in the price cap formula ensures that allowed prices fall as quality declines. This paper discusses some considerations in determining the appropriate form of the Q-Factor. The paper examines the difficulties involved in exploiting the price/quality tradeoff. In addition, the paper presents a quality-corrected price cap procedure—possessing desirable properties—that can be implemented with reasonable informational requirements.     

US national dietary goals: Food industry threat or opportunity?

The authors discuss the recent controversial promulgation of a set of national dietary goals for the USA, in the context of their effect on the food industry. A report is described which surveyed reactions to the goals. Several suggestions are made for food industry, consumer and government responses to changes in the food policy environment in the USA.     

Local measured telephone service in the USA: A quantitative analysis

The USA has steadfastly held to a flat rate for local telephone service, whereas most other countries are characterized by a user-sensitive (measured service) system of pricing. Economic theory suggests some method of measured service pricing more accurately reflects the true costs of local service. This article seeks to determine how many US consumers could be induced to switch to measured service pricing, and using ordinary least squares, derives a model of the demand for measured service. The factors are identified that will induce the US population to move towards a measured service rate structure. The findings indicate that consumers are quite responsive to both relative price (between a local flat rate and a measured service rate) and advertising.     

Government regulation and quality in the US beef market

We show how government regulation played a critical role in shaping the beef industry over the past century. Technological developments in the late 19th century led to a highly concentrated meatpacking industry and fostered a national market for beef in the US, and the development of a national market for beef led to regulations to ensure quality uniformity, especially USDA grading. We explain the problems with beef quality created by USDA grading using tools from information economics. Because USDA’s fairly coarse grading system failed to measure significant aspects of beef quality, beef production suffered from the multi-tasking problem, which led producers to focus on producing larger quantities of beef while ignoring quality issues. We show that producing high quality beef requires either ex ante input controls or ex post sorting. In turn, we show how newly developed programs such as USDA quality certification and branding are incentivizing production of higher beef quality and dealing with information problems arising under USDA grading. We conclude with the implications of the regulatory history for current regulation of beef markets.     

美国医药包装工业现状及我国的差距

根据对美国部分包装机械、药用包装材料和容器的生产技术、设备、检测及管理水平的了解和认识，同时对比我国同类产品和企业存在的差距。下面就药品包装自动化、灌装设备、玻璃制品、天然胶塞等方面作一具体分析。     

Broadband adoption,jobs and wages in the US telecommunications industry

This article evaluates the impact of broadband adoption on wage and employment levels among the local exchange companies in the US telecommunications industry for the period between 1988 and 2001. Broadband is a general purpose technology and its adoption and diffusion is expected positively to impact wages because of the need for higher level skill in its deployment and usage, but can also lead to less human capital usage because of a scale effect. Using the extent of fiber adoption among the local exchange firms as a measure of broadband deployment, it was found that broadband diffusion within and between the firms over time has had a positive and significant impact on wage levels but its impact on employment has been negative. As broadband diffusion increases, with substantial scope available to do so given the low levels of deployment both among the local exchange firms studied and within the United States as a whole, the impact of such diffusion on enhancing wage levels in the sector can be profound.     

Information and communication technology in the real estate industry: productivity,industry structure and market efficiency

This survey of changes in the real estate industry due to information and communication technology (ICT) covers three areas: (a) A brief survey of ICT applications in the property industry, (b) speculation about implications for market structure and productivity within the real estate industry, and (c) comments on the wider macroeconomic implications of these changes. Improvements in information and productivity may lead to important long-run changes in business processes and industry structure tending to favour larger firms and promoting specialization of functions. Changing the information structure of real estate decision systems could change system dynamics and improve allocative efficiency. On the other hand, under different institutional arrangements, better information could increase the amplitude of real estate cycles and destabilize economies.     

Paradoxical impact of asymmetric regulation in Taiwan's telecommunications industry: Restriction and rent seeking

The mobile penetration rate in Taiwan has climbed from 6.86 to 112.15. Mobile phone accounts per 100 capita in the first 6 years of market competition, during this time the state-owned incumbent Chunghua Telecom has been dethroned by a new entrant, Taiwan Cellular Corp. This paper addresses the cause of Taiwan's unprecedented mobile growth, and provides policy solutions for countries that strive to improve their telecommunications sectors in a short time scale. The authors highlight the fundamental role of asymmetric regulation, rather than pure liberalization, in the creation of the deregulated telecommunications industry in Taiwan. The asymmetric regulation in Taiwan is manifested in a twofold framework: the dominant carrier vs. competitors, and the fixed-line carrier vs. mobile companies. Econometric analysis concludes that dualistic asymmetric regulation leads to higher growth for mobile competitors and raises the total mobile penetration rate. However, the authors warn against the paradoxical consequences of dualistic asymmetric regulation. The regulatory benefits which mobile entrants received evolved into rents when they successfully lobbied to end the follow-me call service, the pricing scheme of which contradicts the asymmetric revenue-sharing constraint. The paper calls for a sunset clause for dualistic asymmetric regulation in order to take full advantage of its strengths, while at the same time preventing rent seeking by the firms, which benefit.     

Access regulation and infrastructure investment in the mobile telecommunications industry

While mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) increase competition in the mobile telecommunications industry, granting market access to MVNOs may have unwanted consequences. In particular, infrastructure investment by incumbent mobile network operators (MNOs) may be smaller. This paper examines the effects of MVNO entry and access regulation on the investment behavior of MNOs. It uses firm-level data for 58 MNOs in 21 OECD countries during 2000–2008. The results suggest that mandated provision of access is related to lower investment intensity of MNOs, while voluntary access provision has no effect. Although reduced investment incentives do not necessarily correspond to under-investment, this underscores the need for those countries where MVNOs are provided access to address the issue of investment incentives.     

Determinants of US multinational banking performance in the Asia pacific region: An eclectic approach

The Asia Pacific region has provided the fastest growing and the most profitable overseas markets for US multinational banks (MNBs) since 1975. In the region, US MNBs remain the dominant banking power despite a recent contraction in their relative market share. This paper discusses major characteristics of US MNB activities in the region and identifies empirically major determinants of MNB performance in the two key countries of the region (Singapore and South Korea) using an eclectic approach.     

The dairy herd buyout program : An impact analysis for the US feeder cattle industry

Dairy production decisions are considered to be determined outside the beef cattle industry. However, through its effects on non-fed cattle marketings, the Dairy Herd Buyout Program affects both feeder and slaughter cattle prices in the US feeder cattle industry. An impact analysis of a year-long buyout programme indicates relatively severe first-quarter price effects. However, by the second quarter price flexibilities show lessened relative price impacts, even though prices continue to decline in absolute terms. Within two years, reduced beef cattle numbers lead to higher prices than would have occurred without the buyout programme.