Paula Jach, Jiju Antony, Scott Paul Thomson, Beth Cudney and Sandra Furterer
The purpose of this paper is to explore the voice of the customer (VOC) of public transport (PT) users and non-users and to identify the role VOC plays in PT service quality…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the voice of the customer (VOC) of public transport (PT) users and non-users and to identify the role VOC plays in PT service quality analysis and improvement practices.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is based on quantitative and qualitative data collection. Quantitative data were collected through two questionnaires; the first is based on ranking data: 192 responses and the second on the Kano model: 46 responses. The qualitative data was obtained through 10 semi-structured interviews with senior management from seven bus companies in the UK.
Findings
Findings indicate that VOC differs between PT users and non-users and compared with the perspectives of PT Providers. The research also revealed that VOC plays a crucial role in PT service quality improvement (QI).
Practical implications
The findings can be used by PT service providers to better understand the VOC of PT users and non-users, which will assist in strategic and QI decision-making. Furthermore, an in-depth study of VOC in PT is provided, which progresses the academic field on this topic and advances research in this area.
Originality/value
This research brings new insight into the most important quality attributes for PT users and non-users. Moreover, the paper fundamentally contributes to the literature, which until now had severely limited input pertaining to the role of VOC in PT and little knowledge of service QI tools and practices in this sector.
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Keywords
Mohit Goswami, M. Ramkumar, Jiju Anthony, Raja Jayaraman, Beth Cudney and Felix T.S. Chan
This study aims to develop analytical models that consider product quality and production volume as essential drivers for profitability in the marketplace. It also considers…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to develop analytical models that consider product quality and production volume as essential drivers for profitability in the marketplace. It also considers product demand and price dynamics to understand related nuances backed by empirical validation.
Design/methodology/approach
The pricing mechanism is influenced by production quality, while product demand is influenced by both price and quality. The study considers cost elements, including production cost and quality loss cost which in turn are influenced by production volume and product quality. It establishes analytical conditions for optimal product quality and applies them to numerical analyses considering four distinct industry settings.
Findings
The study reveals that unique solutions exist for optimal product quality at each production level in four industry scenarios. The optimal production volume depends on product quality, and empirical research validates these findings from analytical models and numerical analysis.
Originality/value
This study represents a pioneering effort to investigate operational strategies in both analytical and empirical contexts, thus contributing to the existing body of knowledge in this area.
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Navjit Singh, Akriti Gupta and Bharti Kapur
The purpose of this study is to explore the trends in publications made to International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management (IJQRM) for time period ranging from…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the trends in publications made to International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management (IJQRM) for time period ranging from 2002–2022. In this study authors performed bibliometric analysis on the publications extracted from Scopus database using citations, authors, keywords and bibliographic coupling methods. The analysis helped authors highlighting the achievements of the journal towards the development of field of “quality” and “reliability” management and explore future avenues to be researched upon in the domain.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper outputs derived through VoS viewer and bibliographic data of Scopus were used to examine various tabular and pictorial aspects of the authors, sources, documents, countries and keywords analysis.
Findings
The analysis results revealed that International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management (IJQRM) has got incredible 33,344 citations since 2002 with average citation count per document at 22.69. Sohal A.S. from Monash University, Australia has topped the list of most influential authors in terms of citations per document (107.20 citations/doc) published with IJQRM. However, Antony J. with massive 39 publications in total with 2074 citations is the most prominent contributor for the journal. The author has gained 6% of the total journal citations. The contributions from India, United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), Iran, Australia, Portugal, Brazil, Spain, Sweden, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia are more noteworthy.
Research limitations/implications
The study has implications for future researchers and journal editorial team to explore possibilities in tapping various uncovered and upcoming research areas related to the scope of journal. The findings of the study may prompt research initiatives linked to diverse fields in sync with changes happening across globe such as: Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Data Science etc.
Originality/value
The study is an attempt to investigate the long standing heritage offered by IJQRM to the world of quality and reliability management. The authors tried to unearth some hidden facts about the IJQRM and attempted to showcase the past and explore future directions to the researchers and editorial team.
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This study aims to identify empirically proven strategies for reducing healthcare supply chain inventory costs.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify empirically proven strategies for reducing healthcare supply chain inventory costs.
Design/methodology/approach
The author conducted in-depth interviews in 80 hospitals covering different supply chains. The author treated the healthcare firm as the unit of analysis and examined Vrat's taxonomy of inventory models based on the static and dynamic complexity theories of inventory models to identify an appropriate approach. The author addressed 33 highly priced and moderately priced stock-keeping units from 1,432 items and test several inventory policies. Next, the author applied combinations of inventory models, testing probabilistic hybrid inventory models.
Findings
The study finds that medical supplies, equipment, and medications are indispensable for a quality healthcare system. Hence, healthcare supply chain management (SCM) professionals must adopt basic inventory cost-reduction strategies, implementing inventory software functionalities effectively and efficiently. This study shows that probabilistic hybrid inventory techniques in healthcare SCM effectively determine an optimal stocking level, significantly reducing costs.
Research limitations/implications
This study analyzes data from primary care and (to some extent) secondary care institutions. Although tertiary and quaternary care systems do not represent a large portion of the healthcare system, future research should also address these highly specialized organizations' needs.
Practical implications
This study proposes practical strategies to help continuously improve supply chain operations in healthcare organizations worldwide.
Originality/value
This study suggests probabilistic hybrid inventory models as empirically proven solutions for evaluating stock-keeping units in the healthcare sector. In doing so, the study provides a new healthcare supply chain approach, proposing a modified taxonomy of inventory models.