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1 – 2 of 2Kouroush Jenab, Hamid Pourmohammadi and Matin Sarfaraz
The purpose of this paper is to present a new warranty model to improve warranty management. As a case study, the developed model has been applied on an industrial vehicle…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a new warranty model to improve warranty management. As a case study, the developed model has been applied on an industrial vehicle manufacturing company. The model is composed of quality function deployment (QFD) and interval-based analytical hierarchy process (i-AHP). The i-AHP is an extension of the concept of analytical hierarchy process (AHP) that takes the benefits of interval computations in order to mitigate the shortcomings of AHP and fuzzy AHP.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a combination of i-AHP and QFD, the authors analyzed the several options and alternatives available, weighting each one by means of an interval pair-wise comparison. Using collected data, the authors have shown how to map the capability of each option against each alternative and thereby build a relationship matrix under the QFD approach based on interval computations.
Findings
The use of i-AHP&QFD integrated methodology helps to identify the best options to solve several decision problems in diverse fields and could be applied successfully in warranty management. This methodology is especially useful when dealing with several options and equal numbers of alternatives for each warranty option.
Research limitations/implications
The case study includes competitiveness analysis at the first house of quality (HOQ), but not at the subsequent HOQ, due to a lack of information from the relevant competitors. However, the paper demonstrates the kind of competitiveness analysis at the first HOQ which can be extended to all subsequent HOQs.
Practical implications
The research would be useful to academics and practitioners in developing integrated versions of the QFD and i-AHP methodologies to improve warranties.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the diffusion of a new form of integrated warranty model, through the presentation of practical examples of industrial vehicle warranty management. Also, the model presents the i-AHP in order to quantify and compare variables via the use of geometrical averages and to synthesize a subsequent solution.
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Ana Topalović, Mirko Knežević, Ljubica Ivanović, Maja Mikulic-Petkovsek and Višnja Bogdanović
This study aims to examine the relationship between the chemical composition of juices obtained from fruits of autochthonous wild pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) grown in…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the relationship between the chemical composition of juices obtained from fruits of autochthonous wild pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) grown in Montenegro and their cytotoxic effects on cancer cells.
Design/methodology/approach
To explore the potential value of wild pomegranate fruits, in vitro biological assays were carried out with juices whose composition was analyzed in detail for sugars, organic acids, vitamin C and phenolic compounds. The effect of juices on survival was determined in human lung A549, cervical HeLa and breast MCF-7 carcinoma cells by MTT assay. As a control, the cytotoxicity against normal fetal lung fibroblasts (MRC-5) was monitored.
Findings
Among cancer cell lines, considering the IC50 related to total phenolics, the lowest value – 13 µg/mL was found for the A549. The strongest effect on lung cells was assumed due to the favorable contribution of ellagitannins to total phenolics in juice as well as the given combination of anthocyanins and their synergistic action. For HeLa cells, the lowest IC50 value was obtained at 88 µg/mL, and the cytotoxicity could be matched with the effects of anthocyanins and catechin. For MCF-7 cells, the lowest IC50 was 504 µg/mL, and the elevated levels of vitamin C and ellagic acid derivatives should have a noticeable effect on these cells.
Originality/value
This study provides an important contribution to the knowledge on the effect of phytochemicals from wild pomegranate juice on lung, cervical and breast cancer cells, in vitro. The present observations suggest that the juice of wild pomegranate has the potential in the fight against cancer.
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