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Book part
Publication date: 27 February 2009

Olli Lehtonen and Markku Tykkyläinen

Purpose – This chapter aims at analysing the spatial pattern of the impending shortage of rural labour in North Karelia, Finland. The focus of the analysis is on forestry, which…

Abstract

Purpose – This chapter aims at analysing the spatial pattern of the impending shortage of rural labour in North Karelia, Finland. The focus of the analysis is on forestry, which has a demand for labour that is spread evenly over the entire region.

Methodology – Future population development up to 2020 is predicted by roll-up calculation model, which reveals the future potential of local labour in forestry by area type.

Findings – Economic development shapes the socio-economic landscape. The economic boom since the mid-1990s towards advanced production and services has led to the strengthening of a concentrated regional structure in North Karelia. Forest resources are increasingly being utilized through labour living in the municipal centres, as the supply of competent labour in the distant and core rural areas has been on the decline. Therefore, in the future municipality centres will have to supply the labour force for forestry and its associated services within a reasonable commuting distance.

Practical implications – In order to enable the efficient use of forest resources in the future new policy options such as more efficient forest management through the enlarging of the forest holdings to be harvested, the use of foreign labour, contract work and the better utilization of redundant rural housing and infrastructure should be considered as an addition to the traditional engineering approaches aimed at increasing mechanization. At any rate, if nothing is done, the aim of making more intensive use of forest resources and converting the forest biomass to energy may not be achieved in a region such as this.

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Beyond the Rural-Urban Divide: Cross-Continental Perspectives on the Differentiated Countryside and its Regulation
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84855-138-1

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Article
Publication date: 25 May 2012

Olli Lehtonen, Timo Ala‐Risku and Jan Holmström

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the availability of information on the equipment to be serviced affects field‐service delivery performance.

1051

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the availability of information on the equipment to be serviced affects field‐service delivery performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was performed as a case study with a capital goods manufacturer and its service network. The analysis is based on interviews, a survey of companies in the service network, and warranty records.

Findings

In the case setting, it was found that 40 percent of failed service visits were caused by a lack of information. In addition, almost one third of the service visit's duration was used to inquire for detailed information on the equipment in order to be able to diagnose the problem. Preparation of the on‐site visit is identified as a critical information enabled step for high performance field‐service delivery. In the studied case setting, access to reliable information would significantly improve the service call success ratio and shorten duration of on‐site service operations.

Research limitations/implications

The results on the importance of equipment information for the preparation of the service visit are indicative, as the findings are based on a single case study. Further research is needed on how users, service companies and original equipment manufacturers can collaborate on improving availability of equipment information to enhance performance in field‐service delivery.

Practical implications

Service call success ratio is one of the most significant cost‐saving opportunities in field‐service delivery. The paper shows how introducing an information‐enabled preparation step before making the service call can significantly improve service call success ratio, reduce maintenance costs, and improve equipment uptime.

Originality/value

The paper presents an empirical study highlighting the importance of equipment information in preparations performed prior to accessing the servicing site in field‐service delivery.

Available. Content available
Book part
Publication date: 27 February 2009

Abstract

Details

Beyond the Rural-Urban Divide: Cross-Continental Perspectives on the Differentiated Countryside and its Regulation
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84855-138-1

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Book part
Publication date: 27 February 2009

Kjell Andersson, Erland Eklund, Minna Lehtola and Pekka Salmi

Purpose – To discuss the rural–urban dichotomy and its far-reaching implications, first and foremost from a rural sociological point of view, and at the same time, to structure…

Abstract

Purpose – To discuss the rural–urban dichotomy and its far-reaching implications, first and foremost from a rural sociological point of view, and at the same time, to structure the volume and present the individual chapters.

Methodology/approach – Literature review and analysis of scientific discourse.

Findings – The rural–urban dichotomy has been very persistent in demographic and other kinds of rural and urban research despite intense discussions about its shortcomings in nearly half a century. However, there are mounting arguments for alternative conceptions of rural–urban relations, some of which are found in the chapters in this volume.

Originality/value of chapter – This chapter presents some new ideas about the rural–urban dichotomy, and alternative, more realistic conceptions of rural–urban relations, at the same time as it gives an introduction to the volume.

Details

Beyond the Rural-Urban Divide: Cross-Continental Perspectives on the Differentiated Countryside and its Regulation
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84855-138-1

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Article
Publication date: 11 September 2007

Harri Lorentz, Chee Yew Wong and Olli‐Pekka Hilmola

The purpose of the research is to shed light on the evolution of distribution structures and its consequent implications for supply chain management (SCM) in the context of the…

4229

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the research is to shed light on the evolution of distribution structures and its consequent implications for supply chain management (SCM) in the context of the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

Design/methodology/approach

A structured literature review followed by two case studies, which combine qualitative and quantitative analysis. Mainly in‐depth interviews were used, with company sales data analysis in terms of variation and forecast accuracy.

Findings

It was found that CEE distribution structures are overlapping, and along complex traditional structures there exists a possibility for a more direct approach. This modern key‐account approach improves supply chain performance, mainly due to echelon elimination and information sharing. The case studies also illustrate that supply chain demand distortion originating practices create uncertainty in demand, even in the case of modern key accounts. The findings therefore suggest that general SCM approaches of the “West” are evident and appropriate also in the “East”.

Research limitations/implications

Owing to the limited number of case studies, this research is considered exploratory. The presented two case studies are essentially illustrative examples of the distribution operations of two international companies in CEE markets.

Practical implications

For practitioners, the two case studies provide important insight on the nature of alternative distribution structures in CEE, and what the level of forecast accuracy and the demand fluctuation may be expected. It is proposed that the emerging opportunities for supply chain partnership development should be carefully reviewed.

Originality/value

The paper draws upon real‐life data from emerging CEE markets with an approach that is not commonly used in distribution and SCM studies on CEE.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 37 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

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Article
Publication date: 6 March 2017

Jukka Partanen, Marko Kohtamäki, Vinit Parida and Joakim Wincent

The purpose of this paper is to develop a new scale for measuring the scope (i.e. breadth and depth) of industrial service offering.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a new scale for measuring the scope (i.e. breadth and depth) of industrial service offering.

Design/methodology/approach

The scale and its constructs are developed by combining the key insights from prior literature and practitioners gained through expert interviews; validating the constructs by 3 item-construct validation rounds with 9 academic experts; and by testing and further revising the scale, with a sample of 91 manufacturing firms.

Findings

The distinct contribution of the study is the construction and validation of a new multi-dimensional scale for operationalizing the scope of industrial service offering. In addition, the identified service categories (i.e. pre-sales services, product support services, product life-cycle services, R&D services and operational services) extend the current literature on service typologies.

Research limitations/implications

The data are somewhat biased toward small- and medium-sized industrial firms. Hence, the development of the measurement in the context of large industrial firms provides one fruitful avenue for further research.

Practical implications

For managers of industrial firms, the identified service categories provide novel insight on how to develop, bundle and commercialize industrial services to their varying customer segments.

Originality/value

This study develops a multi-dimensional, fine-grained, statistical and relationship-level scale for measuring the scope of industrial service business. Moreover, this study tests and further develops the scale with quantitative empirical data.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

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