ABSTRACT Purpose of this paper This paper aims to study different aspects of a logistics purchasing process from both the buyer's and supplier's perspective to compare literature and practice. Design/methodology/approach A multiple case study approach is chosen based on the exploratory character of the study. Seven recent logistics purchasing projects are studied by means of semi-structured interviews and company documents. Findings Literature review makes clear that the complexity of outsourced logistics services increased. As a result, buyers of these services should adapt their purchasing process to thoroughly think through its purchasing processes before going on the market, and to fully benefit from the expertise of service providers. Nevertheless, the cases show that most buyers still follow a traditional purchasing approach and process where service providers are not involved in defining the specifications of the logistics services. As a result shippers do not fully benefit from the expertise and possibilities of the service providers. Research limitations/implications The research is qualitative in nature and therefore limited to making theoretical propositions and to generalizing the findings to the total population. This must be accomplished through additional empirical verification. Practical implications The paper shows that both shippers and logistics service providers could improve their competitive position by changing the purchasing process and approach for logistics services. What is original/value of paper Our research differs from existing publications on logistics outsourcing for two reasons: 1) Existing publications do not primarily focus on the aspect of supplier involvement in purchasing logistics services. 2) Our study involves both the buyer's and the supplier's perspective.
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Uit het rapport: "In het kader van een SIA RAAK MKB-project beantwoorden lectoraten van HU en HAN samen met opleidingen en bedrijfsleven de vraag: Hoe kan het voortraject van sociale woningbouwrenovatieprojecten efficiënter en effectiever gemaakt worden vanuit een algemene procesaanpak (toolbox) inclusief bijbehorend procesinstrumentarium (tools) die naar gelang de situatie flexibel kan worden ingezet? Binnen het eerste werkpakket komen de onderzoekers tot een conceptontwikkeling van een beheersarchitectuur. Dit doen zij door gebruikte beheerssystemen in de praktijk te inventariseren en te inventariseren waar de MKB-ers tegenaanlopen tijdens sociale woningbouwrenovatie. Uit een uitgebreide literatuurstudie volgen de beheersconcepten uit de theorie. Een koppeling van praktijk en theorie geeft de eerste inzichten om tot een beheersarchitectuur te komen. In een eerder deelrapport hebben de onderzoekers een inventarisatie gemaakt van beheersconcepten in de literatuur. Deze beheersconcepten sturen op één of enkele kritieke succesfactoren zoals Chua et al (1999) omschreven hebben. Maar aan de andere kant stelt elk beheersconcept ook voorwaarden aan de gebruikers. In dit tweede deelrapport inventariseren de onderzoekers twee casussen van voltooide sociale woningbouwrenovaties. Uit de eerste casus blijkt dat de actoren verschillend aankeken tegen het projectsucces. Het was dan ook niet vreemd dat de verschillende actoren een verschillende kant op probeerden te sturen. In de tweede casus was er tussen de actoren een grotere overeenkomst in beleving tussen wat projectsucces is. De onderzoekers concluderen hieruit dat het essentieel is dat het projectteam aan het begin van de samenwerking, in samenwerking met alle actoren, het projectsucces omschrijft. De onderzoekers hebben voor de casussen de gebruikte beheerssystemen beschreven. Uit de analyse blijkt dat het projectteam in beide casussen stuurt op enkele kritieke succesfactoren. Maar ook is duidelijk te zien dat het projectteam niet alle kritieke succesfactoren onder controle had. Dit waren de rootcauses voor de problemen die tijdens deze casussen optraden. Achteraf gezien hadden deze problemen wellicht voorkomen kunnen worden door het toepassen van een van de beheersconcepten die de onderzoekers in de literatuur hebben gevonden. De onderzoekers stellen dan ook achteraf vast dat casus 1 gebaat zou zijn bij een Agile aanpak in combinatie met Target Value Design en Early Contractor involvement. Bij casus 2 had Early Contractor Involvement een nog beter resultaat kunnen geven. Maar het is goed om te beseffen dat een beheersconcept geen wondermiddel is. De succesfactoren zijn slechts ten dele te beheersen met gebruikmaking van complete beheersconcepten. Het projectteam zal per kritieke succesfactor moeten bepalen hoe deze te beheersen. Dat betekent dat de uiteindelijke Lean Project Preparation Toolbox niet slechts gevuld is met een aantal beheersconcepten maar met diverse aanvullende tools: tools om gezamenlijk een realistische op elkaar afgestemde planning te maken. tools om de risico’s goed in te schatten. tools om de geaccepteerde risico’s te verwerken in het budget. tools om goede opnames te maken. formeel oplossingsproces voor disputen. methodes om bewonersparticipatie te vergroten. De generieke beheersarchitectuur die in de rest van het onderzoek getest gaat worden is een stappenplan waarbij de volgende stappen doorlopen worden: Stap 1: Omschrijving projectsucces Stap 2: Inventarisatie op de overige elementen Stap 3: Maak oorzaakgevolg diagram"
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How do we increase biodiversity in the Netherlands? By working together! What can food forests and restaurants mean for each other? This report focuses on the question: “What is the potential of collaborations between food forests and restaurants in the Netherlands?”Interviews revealed that successful partnerships are based on direct supplier relationships, internal motivation and niche products that create a unique selling point.
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This study focuses on SME networks of design and high-tech companies in Southeast Netherland. By highlighting the personal networks of members across design and high-tech industries, the study attempts to identify the main brokers in this dynamic environment. In addition, we investigate whether specific characteristics are associated with these brokers. The main contribution of the paper lies in the fact that, in contrast to most other work, it is quantitative and that it focuses on brokers identified in an actual network (based on both suppliers and users of the knowledge infrastructure). Studying the phenomenon of brokerage provides us with clear insights into the concept of brokerage regarding SME networks in different fields. In particular we highlight how third parties contribute to the transfer and development of knowledge. Empirical results show, among others that the most influential brokers are found in the nonprofit and science sector and have a long track record in their branch.
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Customer-supplier relationships are becoming more digital. However, a personal approach still seems to be a key success factor in the service journey, creating an optimal customer experience. In this research, we investigated the effects of a personal communication approach on customer experience and customer relationship. The personal touch was operationalised in two studies focusing on written forms of communication (Study 1) and spoken forms of communication (Study 2) amongst customers of an energy company. Both studies show that a personal tone of voice in customer contact results in a more positive customer experience (in terms of consumption emotions, customer satisfaction and recommendation intention). However, it does not impact the long term relationships between service provider and customers. Customers do not adjust previously built relationship norms when they are approached in a more or less personal way, as long as the chosen approach does not violate relationship norms. The research is relevant for organisations interested in the effects of a more personal approach in customer contact. The paper combines existing theories on customer experience and customer communication with the existing theories on relational models.
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Green data centres are the talk of the day. But who in fact is involved in developing green data centres? What is their contribution? And what does this contribution constitute in practical terms? This article states which stakeholders are involved in green data centres in the Netherlands, what their involvement is and what effect their involvement has. The article starts by giving the definitions for sustainability and by determining the stakeholders and their possibilities in this field. Next, we examine the actual impact of each stakeholder for arriving at greener data centres. This leads to a number of conclusions for achieving a larger degree of sustainability.
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How can the grower and the supplier in the greenhouse horticulture industry gain competitive advantage through radical innovation? The challenge lies in time- to-market, in customer relationship, in developing new product/market combinations and in innovative entrepreneurship. Realizing this ambition requires strengthening the knowledge base, stimulating innovation, entrepreneurship and education. It also requires professionalizing people. In this paper an innovation and entrepreneurial educational and research programme is introduced. This KITE120-programme aims at strengthening multidisciplinary collaboration between enterprise, education and research. It helps making the step from ambition to action, and from incremental to radical innovation. We call this an 'Amazing Jump'.
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The purpose of this paper is to gain deeper insight into the practical judgements we are making together in ongoing organizational life when realizing a complex innovative technical project for a customer and so enrich the understanding of how customer orientation emerges in an organization. The outcome contributes to the knowledge of implementing customer orientation in an organization as according to literature (Saarijärvi, Neilimo, Närvänen, 2014 and Van Raaij and Stoelhorst, 2008) the actual implementation process of customer orientation is not that well understood. Saarijärvi, Neilimo and Närvänen (2014) noticed a shift from measuring the antecedents of customer orientation and impact on company performance, towards a better understanding how customer orientation is becoming in organizations. A different way of putting the customer at the center of attention can be found in taking our day-to-day commercial experience seriously, according to the complex responsive process approach, a theory developed by Stacey, Griffin and Shaw (2000). The complex responsive processes approach differs from a systems thinking approach, because it focuses on human behavior and interaction. This means that the only agents in a process are people and they are not thought of as constituting a system (Groot, 2007). Based on a narrative inquiry, the objective is to convey an understanding of how customer orientation is emerging in daily organizational life. Patterns of interaction between people are investigated, who work in different departments of an organization and who have to fulfill customer requirements. This implies that attention is focused towards an understanding in action, which is quite distinct from the kind of cognitive and intellectual understanding that dominates organisational thought. The reflection process resulting from this analysis is located in a broader discourse of management theory.
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This chapter describes the use of a scoring rubric to encourage students to improve their information literacy skills. It will explain how the students apply the rubric to supply feedback on their peers’ performance in information problem solving (IPS) tasks. Supplying feedback appears to be a promising learning approach in acquiring knowledge about information literacy, not only for the assessed but also for the assessor. The peer assessment approach helps the feedback supplier to construct actively sustainable knowledge about the IPS process. This knowledge surpasses the construction of basic factual knowledge – level 1 of the ‘Revised taxonomy of learning objectives’ (Krathwohl, 2002) – and stimulates the understanding and application of the learning content as well as the more complex cognitive processes of analysis, evaluation and creation. This is the author version of a book published by Elsevier. Dit is de auteursversie van een hoofdstuk dat is gepubliceerd bij Elsevier.
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In the current market, the focus is more and more on building long-term relationships with clients in which value is created, communicated and delivered. This also means developing a new customer relationship focus that goes beyond the consumer orientation that has thus far dominated the practice of marketing. In a user-driven approach, the basis is no longer the product range, the world of the manufacturer or supplier, but rather the experience of the user. This has implications not only for manufacturers and service providers, but also for marketeers and market researchers. We feel that the most commonly used methods and techniques do not answer to the new demands of the market. We have therefore adapted emerging generative user research methods from the field of design as a basis for a truly user-driven market approach. As part of the Fitness in Motion project -a programme aimed at helping the health club industry develop a stronger customer orientation- we applied Contextmapping, a generative technique that has already proved its worth in the world of industrial product development and interaction design.
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