Field service management continues to be a major challenge for many service organizations as companies are required to provide more service with less resources. Especially in information intense environments, short response times for service calls are essential to avoid disruptions to a business office or production facility. Managers must regularly assess their manpower needs, and ensure that their allocation and operational decisions lead to the best service at the lowest cost.Xerox Corporation provides copiers, duplicators, and printing systems to an international market. Xerox operates a service network consisting of over 30,000 trained service personnel, each allocated to service regions by the service planning staff. Response-time planning involves many challenging problems: requirements planning at the national level, allocation planning at the district level, and operational planning at the team level. Customer service is critical and is commonly measured by response time-the time that elapses from when a service call is placed to when a service engineer begins service. This paper discusses how Xerox Corporation has used simulation models and metamodels to improve response-time planning and field service operations.

No abstract

This study investigates whether or not student's performance, self-efficacy, and satisfaction are enhanced by the use of an enterprise system as a support tool for learning business process and enterprise systems concepts. The study compares three instructional delivery methods. A traditional instruction method (lecture format plus reading/exercises) serves as the control. The second and third instructional methods are computer-based methods. In the second method, students receive traditional lecture format with full access to hands-on an enterprise system transaction exercise. In the third method, students receive traditional lecture format, but also have full access to simulated hands-on an enterprise system via Web transaction exercises (i.e. ScreenCam movies). A statistically significant difference between-instructional methods effect is found. Post hoc analysis showed that the simulated hands-on instruction group's performance score was significantly higher than that of the control group. There were no other statistically significant differences found, but practical considerations at this learning environment are discussed.

No abstract