• Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.194-200
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• 2009

This study provides a heuristic algorithm to solve the locating problem of repair service centers (RSCs). To enhance the customer service level with more satisfaction and quicker responsiveness, the locating problem of RSCs has become one of the important issues in reverse supply chain management. This problem is formulated as a zero-one mixed integer programming in which an exiting distributor will be considered to be an un-capacitated repair service center for the objective of cost-minimizing. Since logistical costs are highly interrelated with the multinational location of distributors and RSCs, the fixed cost for setting a repair service center, variable cost, transportation cost, and exchange rates are considered in this study. Recognizing the selection of un-capacitated RSCs' locations is a combinatorial optimization problem and is a zero-one mixed integer programming with NP-hard complexity, we provide a heuristic algorithm named as incremental cost matrix procedure (ICMP) to simplify the solving procedure. By using the concise and structural cost matrix, ICMP can efficiently screen the potential location with cost advantage and effectively decide which distributor should be a RSC. Results obtained from the numerical experiments conducted in small scale problem have shown the fact that ICMP is an effective and efficient heuristic algorithm for solving the RSCs locating problem. In the future, using the extended ICMP to solve problems with larger industrial scale or problems with congestion effects caused by the variation of customer demand and the restriction of the RSC capacity is worth a further investigation.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.59-81
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• 2019

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the resistance factors interfering the acceptance factors of the mobile easy remittance service focusing on the switching cost and the innovation resistance model. Design/methodology/approach This study focuses on revealing the resistance factors of the mobile easy remittance service acceptance. The resistance factor is designed consisting both consumer characteristics and service characteristics in the Innovation Resistance Model. Furthermore, the effect of resistance factors on the innovation resistance and acceptance intentions were detected by moderating the switching cost. Findings According to the empirical analysis result, this study investigated the effect of resistance factors on innovation resistance and acceptance intention for the mobile easy remittance service. The results of this study as follows; (1) The consumer's inherent innovativeness did not significantly affect the innovation resistance and acceptance intention. (2) The attitude toward existing services and complexity significantly affected innovation resistance in direct manner, thus affecting the acceptance intention in indirect manner. (3) The perceived usefulness significantly affected both the innovation resistance and the acceptance intention in direct manner. (4) The perceived risk only effected the acceptance intention. (5) The switching cost had a moderating effect on the innovation resistance and acceptance intention.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.18-35
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• 2000

Universal service policy is the core of telecommunications policy and, therefore, in many countries, governments have been accomplished universal service as the critical goal of telecommunications policy. In the past when the market was under monopoly, the monopolist had the responsibility of supplying for universal service, whereas supply cost complemented through internal assistance. From 1998 when WTO basic telecommunications negotiation took effect, however, telecommunications markets fully opened, it was impossible to supply of universal service under the past system. Therefore, governments of major countries are trying to renew laws and institutions for policies compatible with competition environments. In this paper, I analyse and compare major countries' policies for the universal services and try to find out policy implication for Korea.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.315-322
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• 2008

Objectives : This study was performed to explore customer royalty and the related factors. Methods : 900 households(a 1% sample) were randomly selected from the total population of K city located in Kangwon province. An interview survey was performed with using a structured questionnaire for the subjects(923 persons) who had used medical service during the year before the survey, and the survey was done September, 2002. Results : When comparing the relating factors related with customer royalty according to the sociodemographic characteristics, the older group showed a significantly higher level of recognition for service quality, service reputation, internal customers' attitudes and switching cost. The lower income group showed a higher level of recognition for service quality, service image and switching cost. The lower educated group showed a higher level of recognition for service reputation, service image and internal customers' attitudes. The higher educated group showed a higher level of recognition for perceived risk, and seeking variety. In addition, the expert group or the service and manufacturing workers group showed a higher level of recognition for service involvement. On multiple regression analysis, internal customers' attitudes, service image, service reputation, service quality, switching cost, and substitutability showed significant relations with customer loyalty. Conclusions : This study showed that customer loyalty was significantly influenced by service factors like internal customers' attitudes, service image, service reputation, and service quality, and by market factors like switching cost, and substitutability. The results of this study can be used as a baseline for developing strategies to create and keep customers with high loyalty.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.149-160
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• 2008

In a service business, it is difficult to cope with all your customers' needs. They come and go with various wants and when it comes to their own good there are complaining. Such variances in the service business interfere the operation resulting in inefficiency. To come against all those fluctuate wants, Frei is suggesting a new way how to cope with this customer variability in the service business: Low-Cost accommodation and uncompromised reduction. However, his assertion that these solutions can reduce cost and enhance service quality at the same time is empirically not proved. Thus, the following research will be dedicated in the empirical proof whether the solutions mentioned above can enhance service quality while reducing cost by pursuing efficiency in the service business.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.35-44
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to derive the factors that affect the development cost and the priority/weight of effectiveness in the pre-development stage of a service robot to estimate the development cost. In particular, the functions of service robots vary according to the field of application, and their prices are not only different but most of them are small-scale production; hence, a cost estimation is necessary. In this research, the factors affecting the service robot development cost in the process of service robot development and adding functions are classified as a functional factor while the factors that affect the entire development cost due to environmental causes, in which the service robot is operated or in the development process, are classified as an adjustment factor. The FGI was conducted to derive the factors and a Delphi survey was conducted among 84 domestic experts to determine the weights of the factors. As a result of the analysis, six functional factors (41 detailed criteria) and five adjustment factors (17 criteria) were derived, the cost weight and rank of the factors were suggested. This study suggests that the development cost of the service robot can be used as a decision-making strategy to select the operation functions in the development process, and can be utilized as an essential tool for the service robot development.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.28-47
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to assess the user's satisfaction of health care service in public health centers in Busan. The study respondents were 212, those who visited health centers for health care service. Data were collected in July 2002 by using SERVQUAL(comprehensive service quality measurement scale) and 3 open questions for more details about service satisfaction and the needs for health care service. SERVQUAL has 5 dimensions； tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. The results were as follows ： 1. The users reported more satisfaction at 'just service cost', 'convenient service procedure' and 'clean physical environment' at SERVQUAL. Among them the highest rated item was 'service cost'. And the less satisfaction items were 'understanding and individual concerns about service users', 'medical equipment' and 'health center facilities'. 2. There were no statistical differences by general characteristics except for the kind of services rendered. Those who visited for physical examinations and laboratory tests reported lower satisfaction than any other groups. 3. At the open questions, the respondents expressed that they were satisfied with the low service cost, kindness of employee and clean environment. But they criticized the old facilities and worn medical equipment, in addition to the less than kind attitudes. These strengths and weaknesses of health center's service could be applied for planning of customer­centered health care service.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.35-69
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• 1995

The managerial environment of hospitals in Korea characterized by low levels of medical insurance fees is worsening by increasing government regulations as to the utilization of medical services, rising costs of labor, material, and medical equipments, growing patient expectations concerning the quality of services, and escalating competitions among large hospitals in the market. Hospitals should seek for their survival strategies in this harsh environment and they should have information about costs of their products in doing so. However, it has not been available due to the complexity of the production process of hospital services. The objectives of this study were to develop a service-based cost accounting model and to apply the developed model to a study hospital to obtain cost information of hospital services. A model commonly used for the job-order product cost accounting in the manufacturing industry was modified for the use in hospitals in Korea. Actual costs, instead of standard costs, incurred to produce a unit of services during a given period of time were estimated in the model. Data required to implement the model included financial information, statistics for the allocation of supportive cost center costs to final cost centers, statistics for the allocation of final cost center costs to services, and the volume of each services charged to patients during a study period. The model was executed using data of a university teaching hospital located in Seoul for the fiscal year 1992. Data for financial information, allocation statistics fo supportive service costs, and the volume of services, most of them in electronic form, were available to the study. Data for allocation statistics of final cost center costs were collected in the study. There were 15 types of evaluation and management service, 2, 923 types of technical service, and 2, 608 types of drug and material service charged to patients in the study hospital during the fiscal year 1992. Labor costs of each of seven types of pesonnel, material costs of 611 types of drugs and materials, and depreciation costs of 212 types of medical equipments, miscellaneous costs, and indirect costs incurred in producing a unit of each services were estimated. Medical insurance fees for basic services such as evaluation and management of inpatients and outpatients, injection, and filling prescriptions, and for operating procedures were found to be set lower than costs. Infrequent services which use expensive medical equipments showed negative revenuse as well. On the other hand, fees for services not covered by the insurance such as CT, MRI and Sonogram, and for laboratory tests were higher than costs. This study has a significance in making it possible for a hospital to obtain cost information for all types of services which produced income based on all types of expenses incurred during a given period of time. This information can assist the management of a hospital in finding an effective cost reduction strategy, an efficient service-mix strategy under a given fee structure, and an optimum strategy for within-hospital resource allocations.

• Journal of the Korean Operations Research and Management Science Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.63-72
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• 1990

This problem in this paper concerns the determination of safety stock for multi-echelon invenetory system. In this model the criterion is to minimize system safety stock subject to a service level constraint and expected annual total cost. Then, safety stock is determined by minimizing expected annual total cost and satisfying given service level. This expected annual total cost is obtained by expected total inventory holding cost plus the expected total stockout cost. Numerical example is given in a three-echelon inventory system. The results obtained by the use of the Hill Algorithm.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.17-26
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• 2000

LOS(Level of Service), the qualitative measure describing operational condition of highway, must be evaluated as quantative index in terms of user service. So, This study is focused on developing the user cost function that user cost is measured in the variation of V/C, MOE(Measure of Effectiveness) of LOS in basic Section of highway. The user cost is calculated as the sum of accident cost, operation cost, travel time cost. The data is collected in the four basic section of Singal-Ansan and Jung bu Highway. As the result of user cost function analysis, the user cost is the lowest When V/C is 0.54. Considering the V/C ratio(0.7) of Basic Section in rural highway suggested in KHCM, We find out that the LOS suggested KHCM increase the user cost of highway.