RELIABILITY OF LOGISTICS CHAINS IN FOREIGN TRADE OPERATIONS

The aim of the paper is to justify the decision on cooperation with entities in the transport service market for foreign trade operations based on the assessment of logistics chain reliability and shipping time on different routes. The research findings will enable cargo owners and other stakeholders to make management decisions at the delivery planning stage optimizing all processes related to customs and logistics services. Methods. We assess the reliability of four logistics chain types based on a simulation model developed in the GPSS software environment using the method of statistical testing. Results. Customs and logistics service users challenge entities in the transport service market with the task of performing foreign trade operations in compliance with the highest level of quality and service reliability minimizing the cost of delivery and shipping time. The proposed method allows determining the probability of timely delivery of goods in different transportation directions as well as the reliability of the studied process. Scientific novelty. The obtained simulation results will make it possible to work out proposals and recommendations for customs and logistics service users on the choice of an optimal logistics chain type, taking into account its impact on shipping time and reliability of goods delivery. Practical value. The practical value of the research is that the proposed method will allow foreign economic entities to form logistics chains, taking into account available resources and the need to use the services of other companies in international goods delivery. In this case, the efficiency of a logistics chain can be further assessed by the shipping time and reliability for export/import operations.

Conceptual Foundations of Modeling Tourist Service Market in Russia by Using Digital Technologies

Big participants of IT market, whose profits can depend seriously on dynamics of tourist flows use today’s analytical systems in order to get information concerning tourist service providing. Such information can be used for efficient distribution of resources. In March 2021 spokespeople of such companies as ‘RZhD’, ‘Yandex’, ‘Megafon’, ‘MTS’, ‘Roscosmos’ and others delivered reports on possibility to use indirect data to analyze tourist flows at the round table discussion ‘Managing Tourist Industry on the Basis of Data’, that was arranged by the Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation. Opportunities to use big data and advanced methods of data analysis were demonstrated. However, such systems are not meant to solve problems of social character. Moreover, a player cannot affect the steps and preferences of the considerable circle of people, which means that there is no need to test the community response on possible planned events that can increase usefulness of the entity. In view of state entities the latter is rather important, especially in case usefulness is considered in the social-economic aspect. As a conclusion the authors underline significance of tourist market modeling in Russia by using digital technologies.

A Review on Unit Commitment Algorithms for the Italian Electricity Market

This paper focuses on the state-of-the-art of unit commitment (UC) and economic dispatch (ED) algorithms suitable for the Italian electricity market. In view of the spread of renewable energy systems (RES), the desired UC algorithm should be able to properly consider the uncertainty affecting key input variables into the formulation of the problem, as well as the different capabilities of dispatched power plants to provide ancillary services (e.g., voltage regulation). The goal of this paper is to resume the developments in UC and ED algorithms which occurred in the last decades, having a particular focus on alternating current (AC) security constrained (SC) approaches and stochastic ones, highlighting the advantages and weakness of each technique. This review is useful for the Italian TSO (Terna) to investigate what is the best solution to formulate a new algorithm to be potentially adopted in the framework of the Italian Ancillary Service Market, striving for an explicit modelization of stochastic variables and voltage constraints. This review is also useful to all system operators (SOs), independently to the market environment in which they operate, because UC algorithms are widely adopted to ensure real-time security of power systems. In conclusion, an SC-UC algorithm which takes into account both stochastic variables and AC formulation does not exist.

Are Credit-Based Internet Consumer Finance Platforms Sustainable? A Study on Continuous Use Intention of Chinese Users

Internet consumer finance platforms (ICFPs), as a new Internet financial model, have emerged and been widely adopted by Chinese as well as global online shoppers following the rapid growth of e-commerce. This emerging financial tool is, however, luring younger generations deep into debt. It jeopardizes the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1—No poverty, bringing the sustainability of this consumer financial model into question. To aid the sustainable development of ICFP industry, this paper distinguishes two antecedents of continuous use intention for ICFP users: (1) satisfaction, as a sustainable determinant; and (2) impulsive buying, as a non-sustainable determinant. We found satisfaction (b = 0.452) has a larger positive effect on continuous use intention compared to impulsive buying (b = 0.229). Therefore, ICFPs should weigh heavier on technology innovation instead of seducing consumers’ impulsive buying behavior. We also found that credit limit misconception poses the largest impact (b = 0.483) on impulsive buying. In the near term, governments and ICFPs may initiate public programs to improve ICFP users’ financial literacy in order to restrain their unsustainable impulsive buying behavior and cultivate their sustainable satisfaction on ICFP technology and service. Market regulators may build up institutional frameworks to tighten the abuse of financial platforms on credit issuing power and better foster sustainable entrepreneurship in this new financial platform business.

Corporate intelligence as a competitive fighting tool

All existing companies today want not only to remain in the service market, but also to gain a foothold in it, and methodically develop from year to year. And in the modern world, this is simply impossible to imagine without corporate intelligence. Those firms that did not realize this in time simply went bankrupt or their business does not develop, and economic indicators remain in one place from year to year. Today, there is a wide variety of ways of business intelligence in the world. All types of competitive intelligence can be divided into two large groups: direct and indirect business intelligence. Let’s look at each of them in more detail. A separate subspecies is business intelligence, which can relate to both indirect and direct intelligence, depending on the surrounding circumstances.

The Pandemic Social Services Market: New Practices and Technologies

This article analyzes the processes of development of the social service market, which is part of the social protection system. Through a comparative analysis of the Soviet and Russian models of social services, the authors conclude that the modern system, while partially retaining some characteristics of the Soviet system, is transforming and acquiring new specific features. Based on the generalization of the results of the authors' comprehensive sociological research using quantitative and qualitative methods (questionnaire survey, in-depth interviews, content analysis), the innovative practices of working with consumers (recipients) of social services, which social efficiency in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic was noted by respondents, used by NCOs operating in the social services market. Despite the complexity of objective circumstances faced by organizations, regional NCOs still managed to maintain the quality of social services provided in both online and offline formats at a level that meets the needs of recipients. The prospects for the development of SO NPOs are connected not only with the creation and implementation of innovative technologies and practices, but also depend on strengthening the personnel composition of employees through the development and subsequent implementation of proposals for protecting their health and improving professional competencies by creating conditions for training, advanced training and mastering new specialties. The article notes the important role of regional media in covering the activities of NGOs in the difficult period of the spread of coronavirus infection and the establishment of a forced regime of social isolation. An analysis of video materials broadcast on official channels of Volgograd television is given, which contributed to strengthening the status of NGOs as competitive providers of quality social services. It is predicted that the experience gained during the "pandemic" period will be used by NGOs in their day-to-day activities in the future.

TURISTIČKO PUTOVANjE PREMA NOVOM SRPSKOM ZAKONU O ZAŠTITI POTROŠAČA

In September 2021. the Republic of Serbia adopted the new Law on consumer protection which, on the one hand, represents a step further in harmonization of the Serbian consumer rights with the consumer rights of EU while, on the other hand it is also on advanced step in better quality of protection of Serbian consumers, bearing in mind the specific issues in Serbian legistature in general and the needs and the situation in practice. A part of this law deals also with the protection of consumers in a chieving their rights from the agreement on tourst travel. The Law on consumer protection (2021) implements Directive EU on package travel and linked travel arrangements (2015/2302). In addition to the harmonization required, as the travel service market experiences significant changes, especially because of the internet, that is, the fact that with the increasing number of the internet users the travel services are provided by the internet more often as well as establishment of new combinations of travel services, new legal solutions became necessary which resulted in obligatory further protection of travelers

Networking of educational institutions and commercial enterprises

Currently, in Russia there is a systemic gap between the educational service market and employers’ requirements for a university graduate. Employers are not satisfied with the educational system, which cannot close this gap on its own. This situation requires access to an open educational system, which implies involvement in the training of both the educational institution and employer. As part of the research, a hypothesis about the greater efficiency of future specialist training in the format of network interaction between educational institutions and commercial companies was put forward. The purpose of the research is to prove that future specialist training in the format of networking between educational institutions and for-profit companies is more effective than the classical student training programme in Russia. As part of the research, with the case method, the essence of network interaction between educational institutions and for-profit entities and their optimal format were discovered by the example of communication between the Far Eastern State University of Communications and Russian Railways JSC. In addition, an experiment to confirm or refute the hypothesis put forward was conducted. As a result of the research, the essence of networking between educational institutions and for-profit entities. The experiment carried out confirmed the hypothesis about the greater efficiency of future specialist training for the railway sector in the format of networking between educational institutions and the Russian Railways company.

The Construction and Development of App Application Platform for Public Information Products of Urban Grand Media in the Context of Artificial Intelligence

This paper conducts in-depth research and analysis on the construction of the public information product APP application platform of urban big media in the context of artificial intelligence and discusses its development. Based on the improvement of the SICAS model, a model of enterprise and user information interaction characteristics in the new media environment is constructed, and social network analysis and semantic analysis methods are used to research enterprise and user information interaction characteristics in the new media environment. The point degree centrality index is used to analyze forwarding and being forwarded behavior in information interaction, the intermediate centrality index is used to analyze following and being followed behavior, the proximity centrality index is used to analyze commenting and being commented behavior, the feature vector centrality index is used to analyze the cohesiveness of information interaction behavior, and the semantic keyword word is used to analyze the semantic keyword word in the research process. The results of the study show that the constructed model can analyze the information interaction behaviors of enterprises and users in the new media environment. The research results show that the constructed model can systematically analyze the information interaction characteristics, and the information interaction between enterprises and users in the new media environment is more timely, more effective, and more satisfying to users. The current situation of the construction of the public information platform and the problems existing in the construction are proposed to achieve the standardization of the construction of the public information platform in the context of smart city, the construction of the platform supervision system, and the strengthening of information security publicity and talent training. To offer a suitable platform and provide efficient solutions for the development of a public information service platform in the city, enhance the professional quality of research papers and dissertations, as well as the solutions’ operability. More public services will be provided in a highly connected way across the boundaries between government, enterprises, society, and citizens and even form a public service market that accepts autonomous choices and becomes an important part of the digital economy, thus finding a good balance between economic development and social welfare.