Selection of enterprise resource planning software using analytic hierarchy process

Selecting ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software is crucial to enhance productivity because it provides high-quality services for end users. The choice of an ERP is a problem that should undertake deeper scrutiny. For example, several criteria are usually present, having different tradeoffs. Analysts and managers, when deciding which ERP to acquire, have key considerations to address when facing the myriad of available software suites with market presence. Multicriteria modelling are used to help decision makers select ERPs and one commonly used technique for helping the process of addressing such problems is Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Our work have surveyed the literature on selection of ERP and we have discovered that acquisition and monthly costs, ERP reputation and references, level of support and training, deployment experience, ERP’s feature set, easiness of use, efficiency and reliability, and maintainability are key criteria. We have used those criteria to create an AHP model for deciding the best one according to judgements of importance. The focus of our work is directed for small and medium organizations. We have created a model for ERP selection of a healthcare facility and computed numerical results using pairwise comparisons and group decision-making by selected managers according to their expertise.     

Unit determination: National Labor Relations Board rule making in the health care industry

This article reviews the events leading up to the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) historic decision to engage in substantive rule making over appropriate bargaining units in the health care industry. It describes the rule-making process and outcomes, and the reaction of hospital unions and management to the rules. Finally, the potential for the use of rule making for other issues facing the NLRB is analyzed. This analysis uses a cost/benefit framework from the agency's perspective to predict the likelihood of future rule making. The article concludes that rule making is sufficiently costly to make extensive use in other situations unlikely.The order of the author's names was determined randomly and should not be interpreted as implying an unequal contribution.     

基于主客观决策信息一致化的组合赋权法

文章从客观的角度,提出一种综合主客观权重的组合权重确定法。该方法以主客观决策信息一致化为目标建立数学规划模型,通过求解该模型确定综合主客观权重的加权系数,并通过算例说明方法的有效性。     

Design of a terminal solution for integration of in-home health care devices and services towards the Internet-of-Things

In-home health care services based on the Internet-of-Things are promising to resolve the challenges caused by the ageing of population. But the existing research is rather scattered and shows lack of interoperability. In this article, a business-technology co-design methodology is proposed for cross-boundary integration of in-home health care devices and services. In this framework, three key elements of a solution (business model, device and service integration architecture and information system integration architecture) are organically integrated and aligned. In particular, a cooperative Health-IoT ecosystem is formulated, and information systems of all stakeholders are integrated in a cooperative health cloud as well as extended to patients’ home through the in-home health care station (IHHS). Design principles of the IHHS includes the reuse of 3C platform, certification of the Health Extension, interoperability and extendibility, convenient and trusted software distribution, standardised and secured electrical health care record handling, effective service composition and efficient data fusion. These principles are applied to the design of an IHHS solution called iMedBox. Detailed device and service integration architecture and hardware and software architecture are presented and verified by an implemented prototype. The quantitative performance analysis and field trials have confirmed the feasibility of the proposed design methodology and solution.