A business model is a set of assumptions about how an organization will perform by creating value for all the players on whom it depends, not just its customers. This paper discusses a multi-method approach to consistently analyzing the structure, the behaviour and the dynamics of business models in order to identify possible optimizations. The method utilizes object-oriented analysis for analyzing structural and behavioral aspects and system dynamics to analyze value creation dynamics.
To better understand the performance of hospital operations in response to IT-enabled improvement, we report the results of a system dynamics model designed to improve core medical processes. Utilizing system dynamics modeling and emerging HIS data, we demonstrate how current behavior within the hospital leads to a stove-pipe effect, in which each functional group employs policies that are rational at the group level, but that lead to inefficiencies at the hospital level. We recommend management improvements in both materials and staff utilization to address the stove-pipe effect, and estimate the resultant cost-saving. We believe that the major gains in health information systems use will accompany new information gathering capabilities, as these capabilities result in collections of data that can be used to greatly improve patient safety, hospital operations, and medical decision support.
Abstract: The scientific community has had increasing concerns for strategic understanding and implementation of food security policies in developing countries, especially since the food crisis in the 70s. The process of decision-making in the public sector is becoming increasingly complex due to the interaction of multiple dimensions related to food security. Policy makers normally use models to support their decisions. This research explores the food security process from a national approach for developing countries through the study of its three main components: The availability of food, the access to food resources and the stability of food security. It bases its study on a systemic perspective through the use of systems dynamics as means of understanding the complexity of this phenomenon as well as the (interrelation) linkage and interdependency of its factors. The study will empower the planners of local regions in the decision making process, to foresee future treats, to alleviate partly the scarcity of food and handle the mismanagement of food resources.
In the modern era, the advancement of Information technology requires improvement in other fields such as communication technologies, management of human resources, business environments, legal background and so on. Indicators that measure the growth of ICTs in different societies have also pointed out this importance. National legislators are always seeking means to improve ICTs and use them as enabler of industry in their countries. a number of developing countries have devoted a considerable effort in this area, but they have not achieved what they were expecting for. In recent years,Iran has made a desperate attempt to get engaged in similar activities, but according to e-readiness indicator nothing has achieved. In this paper, we take a system dynamics approach to model changes in the progress of information technology in Iran. Sources of many of the problems show up, after the simulation of the model. Also we outline a policy required for reaching a steady growth in the future.
Formal studies of decision threshold learning assume full feedback conditions, that is, no matter what the decision is (positive or negative), the decision maker will be provided by feedback. However, in the real world feedback may be conditional on the decision made. In this paper, we investigate how conditional feedback can result in biased decisions. First, based on signal detection theory, a dynamic model of threshold learning is proposed. Then, the model is adjusted to examine effects of conditional feedback on learning and decision making. Then, the model is used to replicate some empirical findings. The results suggest conditional feedback can be a barrier to learning. Further, this study warns about problems of the current assumption of full feedback condition in most dynamic decision-making studies.
This article examines the impact of environmental legislation on sustainability that manifests through the conservation of natural resources and landfills. The developed model is implemented to a real world closed-loop supply chain with recycling and Design for Environment activities of electrical and electronic equipment in Greece. The motivation behind this research is twofold: first, to examine whether the environmental legislation should be considered as an endemic process of the system under study or introduced externally without taking into consideration the rates of the natural resources usage and the used products disposal and second, to examine the efficiency of different types of environmental legislation on sustainability in order to direct the policy at the right mix of regulatory measures. We adopt System Dynamics methodology applied to many environmental systems. Numerical analysis illustrates that the consideration of the endemic process and the expansion of the environmental regulations in order to include also measures for the products recyclability and recycled content improves significantly the efficiency of the environmental legislation on sustainability.
The Beijing 2008 Olympics glamour presents a unique profit opportunity from advertising for entertainment and media firms worldwide. Poised to benefit from this prospect, the European Union Television Network (EUTV Net) formed a system dynamics (SD) modeling team to carve its ad traffic system during and around the Beijing 2008 Olympics. EUTV Nets objective is to maximize monetary gains by making its ads play on time, error free and with minimal duplication effort. A seven-sector SD model shows ad traffic system structure and computed scenarios identify the dysfunctional effects of the lack of information systems (IS) integration at EUTV Net. The SD modeling process can help organizations respond to their IS integration problems in order to significantly and sustainably improve their business performance.
Nowadays Iran is going to become one of the major auto producers in the Middle East. Although Iranian car industry is reaching near 1,000,000 annual productions, the quality of the products is not comparable with global standards. Iranian auto industry, passing a period of maturation, is now in a situation, in which domestic car producers are supported by strict governmental laws, and import is severely limited. Thus there are not sufficient requirements to form a competitive market. In this paper, we will present a system dynamics model which maps condition of Irans auto industry in the recent years. The model is then used to provide insights for the current status of the industry, as well as testing some policies for simulating the auto industrys growth.