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This paper aims to introduce and demonstrate a new model for service quality that separates out the measurement of service quality in ways grounded in psychological theory and methodological symmetry.

A review of experience in service quality management suggests that new approaches are needed. By seeking a way of managing service at different levels, with symmetry between data collection and data analysis, a model is presented that has more potential applicability and flexibility than is found in traditional models.

A national study in Namibia, Africa provided data that successfully demonstrate the method of working and illustrate the contextual, analytical and data management issues and the reporting potential out of complex service management data.

This new approach to the design of service quality measurement and assessment extends the capability that is generally found in other existing approaches. It provides a new foundation for further research into complex patterns of service success and that will establish more clearly the inter-dependencies between service encounters, service attributes and service measures at the survey item level.

Studies of multiple service sectors and multiple service recipient groups can now gather and manage large complex data sets and analyse and report that data in ways appropriate to the needs of different stakeholders.

In any context where service quality is a socio-economic or development issue, it is now possible to take a more careful and nuanced approach to the collection and aggregation of data, which will inform policy makers and other stakeholder groups at the national or regional level.

This new model addresses a range of problems that have been reported with historical approaches such as SERVQUAL and related methods of working. It also provides foundations for new designs for large-scale service management data collection, organisation and analysis.

A three-year study of information technology and information systems management in South Africa has delivered (amongst other things) a bibliography and a new reference model. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

The new reference model indicates the key informational components of the education “system” that education management must acknowledge, understand and deal with. This paper presents an overview of these two principal outcomes from that research, leading to a view as to how education can be improved through better information management.

There is some available reported work that addresses management, or information, or education, but relatively little that brings the essence of these three domains together. The derived reference model effectively addresses a number of set objectives, hence providing a basis for improved understanding of how information can be more effectively managed in education.

The new reference model comprises an arrangement of ideas that allows education managers to focus on a more strategic approach to their management challenges. It also provides foundations for further research. Although the study was undertaken in South Africa, it has relevance to all countries and regions where education needs improved management.

Explores the business implications for electronic data interchange (EDI) in logistics using techniques highlighted by the Cranfield School of Management′s enterprise model. Develops two fundamental views of a business: a structured view of information and a structured view of logistics operations. Seeks to bring these together for structure and document thoughts about the potential for information exchange and sharing between business partners. Provides a checklist for implementing EDI planning.

With any new technology such as EDI there is a need to reduce the confusion that might arise, by adopting standard terms and by positioning it within a proper context. Reports on the results of work within the Cranfield EDI research project, one of which was a concept model for EDI which achieved standard definitions and a proper contextual model for EDI. Concept models cannot be developed without rules for their construction and in this case entity modelling was used. The Cranfield EDI concept model identifies 14 fundamental aspects of EDI in business and their interrelationships. Drawing on this basic model it is possible to derive checklists, and to build more explicit models of specific EDI implementation situations.

States that there is continuing difficulty in achieving success with information systems, particularly in the sense of meeting users’ expectations and offers a fresh examination of those attributes of information systems by which users perceive success and failure, and through which they establish their expectations. Reviews existing research literature and suggests that, in addition to the process and product viewpoint, an important factor in achieving success is the service management perspective. Applies repertory grid techniques to uncover a total of 43 constructs which relate to users’ perceptions of success with information systems in business. Reduces these to 21 attributes which provide the basis of a new assessment and measurement framework, incorporating and augmenting the attributes found in previous work in this area. Illustrates the practical use of these attributes using two case studies: an information service provider and a hospital equipment supplier.