This paper analyzes the value of different sources of installed base information for spare part demand forecasting and inventory control. The installed base is defined as the set of products (or ...machines) in use where the part is installed. Information on the number of products still in use, the age of the products, the age of their parts, as well as the part reliability may indicate when a part will fail and trigger a demand for a new spare part. The current literature is unclear which of this installed base information adds most value – and should thus be collected – for inventory control purposes. For this reason, we evaluate the inventory performance of eight methods that include different sets of installed base information in their demand forecasts. Using a comparative simulation study we identify that knowing the size of the active installed base is most valuable, especially when the installed base changes over time. We also find that when a failure-based prediction model is used, it is important to work with the part age itself, rather than the machine age. When one is not able to collect information on the part age, a logistic regression on the machine age might be a valuable alternative to a failure-based prediction model. Our findings may support the prioritization of data collection for spare part demand forecasting and inventory control.
•Tracking the size of the installed base provides most value to control inventories.•Installed base information is more valuable when the installed base size changes.•A failure-based forecast model reduces costs, if it works with accurate age data.•When the part age is not available, a logistic regression is a valuable alternative.
Many works have reported that protein folding rates are influenced by the characteristics of amino acid sequences and protein structures. However, few reports on the problem of whether the ...corresponding mRNA sequences are related to the protein folding rates can be found. An mRNA sequence is regarded as a kind of genetic language, and its vocabulary and phraseology must provide influential information regarding the protein folding rate. In the present work, linear regressions on the parameters of the vocabulary and phraseology of mRNA sequences and the corresponding protein folding rates were analyzed. The results indicated that
(the adjacent base-related information redundancy) values and the GC content values of the corresponding mRNA sequences exhibit significant negative relations with the protein folding rates, but
(the single base information redundancy) values exhibit significant positive relations with the protein folding rates. In addition, the results show that the relationships between the parameters of the genetic language and the corresponding protein folding rates are obviously different for different protein groups. Some useful parameters that are related to protein folding rates were found. The results indicate that when predicting protein folding rates, the information from protein structures and their amino acid sequences is insufficient, and some information for regulating the protein folding rates must be derived from the mRNA sequences.
Many of the challenges in spare parts logistics emerge due to the combination of large service networks, and sporadic/slow-moving demand. Customer heterogeneity and stringent service deadlines entail ...further challenges. Meanwhile, high revenue rates in service operations motivate companies to invest and optimize the service logistics function. An important aspect of the spare parts logistics function is its ability to support customer-specific requirements with respect to service deadlines. To support customer specific operations, many companies are actively maintaining and utilizing installed base data during forecasting, planning and execution stages. In this paper, we highlight the potential economic value of installed base data for spare parts logistics. We also discuss various data quality issues that are associated with the use of installed base data and show that planning performance depends on the quality dimensions.
Previous studies in the manufacturing context have highlighted the important role of maintenance work, or field technicians, in manually collected installed base information (IBI). These studies have ...brought up various challenges related to accuracy and availability of this manually gathered IBI. However, the current research has not yet managed to identify underlying cultural and contextual aspects affecting this manual data collection work. Therefore this paper proposes a research agenda focusing on gaining deeper understanding of this data collection work by ethnographic research setting opening up new theoretical and practical insights to this part of modern maintenance work.
Manual data gathering and data quality in industrial context have been, to some extent, discussed in the existing literature. The focus has been on companies’ own staff as data collectors. In the ...case of industrial companies, own staff might often be the only resource that can be harnessed to data gathering. However, this does not always hold true, and hence exploring also other alternatives is worthwhile. We have identified four data collector groups that can possibly be involved in the manual data gathering process, namely own staff, customers, equipment users and other parties. This paper explores the characteristics of the identified groups as potential data gatherers and provides our insights on how manual installed base information gathering utilizing multiple data collector groups could be approached.
An information infrastructure has to scale, and hence change, as it expands. This creates a dilemma. The expansion fuels new patterns of use, which require changes, while on the other hand, the ...diffusion of and investments in the information infrastructure have a strong, conservative influence-the intertia of the installed base. The changes required to implement the scaling have to be in small steps. An information infrastructure is not ''changed,'' but rather it undergoes transitions. These transitions are highly involved sociotechnical negotiations. This article is based on a case study of the efforts to change the Internet Protocol (IP) in the Internet to facilitate further growth. The revision of IP is the most serious challenge to the continued scaling of the Internet during its nearly 30 years of existence.
Elements of installed base information value Mahlamaki, Katrine; Borgman, Jukka; Ramanen, Jussi ...
2016 International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation/IEEE lnternational Technology Management Conference (ICE/ITMC),
2016-June
Conference Proceeding
Installed base information (EBI) is used in industrial service operations, but currently there are challenges with maintaining and utilizing this information to its full potential. The purpose of ...this paper is to aid in improving the realized value of IBI. We conducted two case studies of IBI collection and utilization with two industrial product-service system suppliers. From this material, we identified four elements contributing to the value of IBI and constructed a framework for managing this value. Furthermore, we identified the sources of the difference between the potential value and the realized value of IBI. The elements contributing to the value of IBI are its management, scope, utilization and quality. These elements form interconnected leaves in the proposed value clover framework. Each element potentially contributes to the difference between the theoretical maximum value and the realized value of IBI. Future research should look into the different elements and their relationships in more detail. Our framework helps managers in identifying and balancing the different elements of IBI value and in deciding on investments in this area. Previous literature has recognized the need for IBI, but not analyzed the different elements affecting its value. Our research offers industrial service operations a novel framework of IBI value.
Many of the challenges in spare parts logistics emerge due to the combination of large service networks, and sporadic/slow-moving demand. Customer heterogeneity and stringent service deadlines entail ...further challenges. Meanwhile, high revenues rates in service operations motivate companies to invest and optimize the service logistics function. An important aspect of the spare parts logistics function is its ability to support customer-specific requirements with respect to service deadlines. To support customer specific operations, many companies are actively maintaining and utilizing installed base data during forecasting, planning and execution stages. In this paper, we highlight the potential economic value of installed base data for spare parts logistics. We also discuss various data quality issues that are associated with the use of installed base data and show that planning performance depends on the quality dimensions.
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