Information system selection for hospitality industry via integrated use of IVIF-DEMATEL and IVIF-TOPSIS

Like the other industries, information technologies are very important tools for the hotels’ success in the tourism industry. Various processes required for the hotel business can be integrated by using a proper system, and simultaneous data transfer among different channels can be facilitated. Due to its contribution in creating value for the customers and the increasing efficiency of the processes, substantial investments in information technologies are planned by the hotel management. Like most operation management problems, evaluation and selection of proper hotel information systems require considering multiple criteria. Also, considering the uncertainty inherent to the problem and difficulties during the evaluation process, an integrated IVIF-DEMATEL and IVIF-TOPSIS approach is utilized in this paper. The IVIF-DEMATEL is used for the criteria evaluation, and the weight determination phase and IVIF-TOPSIS is used to evaluate hotel information systems alternatives. An application for the Turkish tourism sector’s case is realized, and the results of the methodology are compared with the IVIF-VIKOR approach.

THE SUSTAINABILITY OF BAMBOO MATERIALS IN THE BUMI PEMUDA RAHAYU BAMBOO HALL BUILDING

- The issue of global warming strongly encourages architects to use sustainable materials to preserve nature. Bamboo material is an ecological and sustainable material. Bamboo is also predicted as a future material. The strengths and advantages of bamboo are very likely to be used as a building construction material. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for bamboo material to be used inappropriately so that it does not optimize the ecological and sustainable properties of bamboo. The object of study chosen was the Bumi Pemuda Rahayu bamboo hall. This object is close to the concept of sustainability as seen from the function of the building, which is a co-creating space that prioritizes sustainability-related activities. This research uses qualitative-quantitative methods that will compare the theory regarding the concept of sustainability of materials related to the building material life cycle with the data obtained. The concept will be divided into three aspects, namely design aspects, construction aspects, and maintenance and renovation aspects. These three aspects can be examined by knowing the object data related to these aspects. The results of the study will answer whether the use of bamboo material in the object of study is in accordance with the concept of sustainability of the bamboo material. The analysis of the design stage pays attention to material selection, material preservation, how to optimize the age of bamboo and the selection of a structural system. The construction stage is analyzed by considering the type of connection used. The maintenance and renovation phases are analyzed by paying attention to how to renovate the bamboo structure and post-construction maintenance of the building. This building is appropriate in choosing the type of material, applying preservation of bamboo materials, and successfully preventing bamboo from environmental influences in order to reach its optimal age. In terms of structural system selection, this building is also appropriate by applying the arc rod structural system. Bolted joints are appropriate for complex structural systems, it's just that there must be special treatment at the base of the arc structure that receives the greatest load due to cracks. Renovation and maintenance aspects must be considered again because this building will have difficulty if you have to do renovations, especially on the arc structure. Maintenance that is rarely performed can also reduce the life of the building. Key Words: bamboo, sustainable materials, Bumi Pemuda Rahayu

Research on strategic partner selection under industrial agglomeration

<p>The selection of excellent partners for enterprises is crucial to the establishment and operation of industrial agglomeration enterprise alliances. It is not only related to the creation of new market values, the reduction of cost of cooperative enterprises, but also directly affects the efficiency of enterprise alliances. This study analyzes the theory of enterprise cooperation under industrial agglomeration, and establishes the index system, selection method and scientific rational selection process of strategic partner selection under this foundation and background<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">, </span>to provide theoretical guidance for enterprises to choose the best strategic partners for industrial agglomeration.</p>

Analysis of Formwork System Selection Criteria for Building Construction Projects: A Comparative Study

The formwork system (FWS) in reinforced concrete (RC) construction is a critical component. The appropriate FWS is selected based on a number of conflicting and compromising criteria, and the selection of the FWS is carried out by construction professionals with different technical and/or administrative backgrounds. The perspectives and perceptions of construction professionals and companies involved in the FWS selection process may vary depending on their motives. In addition, some building structural parameters may have a significant impact on the FWS selection criteria. Most of the former studies investigated the FWS selection criteria from only the perspective of contractors and neglected the potential differences in the perspectives and perceptions of different construction professionals (i.e., owners (CO), project managers (PM), construction managers (CM), site engineers (SE), planning engineers (PL), procurement engineers (PR), technical office engineers (TO), and formwork design and/or formwork sales engineers (FD/FSL)) and companies specialized in different fields (i.e., project management service (PMS), engineering and design (ENG/DSG), formwork and scaffolding (FW/SCF), and general and/or sub-contractor (GC/SC)) regarding this issue. Moreover, the impact of building structural parameters on the FWS selection criteria has not been investigated. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap through analysing the FWS selection criteria for building construction projects while comparing the perspectives and perceptions of different groups of construction professionals and companies and investigating how FWS selection criteria are affected by the building structural parameters. Based on a comprehensive literature review, 35 FWS selection criteria were identified and a questionnaire was developed. The questionnaire data obtained from 222 Turkish construction professionals were statistically analysed using mean score analysis, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and the Mann–Whitney U test. According to the study’s findings, the FD/FSL group presented significant statistical differences regarding the FWS selection criteria as compared to the CO, PM/CM/SE, and PL/PR/TO groups. Moreover, the total area of building construction and total building height significantly affected the FWS selection criteria. This study serves to underscore the perspectives of various groups of construction professionals and the critical connection between the structural parameters and FWS selection criteria. The findings of this study may guide construction professionals to select the appropriate FWS for their building construction projects.

Selecting and using faculty data management software systems

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine which software systems business school administrators use to support accreditation efforts and how administrators select and use these systems. This study also provides best practice suggestions from institutions using faculty data management systems to support accreditation efforts. Design/methodology/approach This study used a sequential explanatory design using an internet-based survey for business school administrators involved with accreditation reporting with follow-up interviews with survey respondents. Findings There are four major software vendors that most respondents use for managing reporting of faculty research activity and sufficiency. The location of the school appears to influence the system selected. For assurance of learning reporting, most schools used an in-house or manual system. Respondents highlighted the importance of doing a thorough needs analysis before selecting a system. Research limitations/implications Although respondents were geographically diverse, having a larger sample with schools in developing regions would provide greater generalizability of results. Practical implications This study gives business school leaders a comprehensive overview of the business schools’ data management systems, criteria used in system selection and best practices for system selection and implementation, faculty engagement and ongoing maintenance. Originality/value This study addresses the limited attention given to resources and best practices for selecting and implementing faculty data management software for accreditation in the academic and industry literature despite the significant investment of resources for schools and the importance such systems play in a successful accreditation effort.

Dynamic Performance Simulation Analysis of Electric Forklift Truck Based on ADVISOR

According to the power system selection and technical parameters of the lithium titanate electric forklift that have been matched, the ADVISOR simulation software modeled the parameters of the drive motor, lithium titanate battery, reducer and other major components of the system. The acceleration ability, climbing ability and energy consumption of lithium titanate-electric forklift are simulated, and its technical parameters are obtained, which provides a basis for testing the rationality of system parameter matching.

Advances in the Development of Microbial Double-Stranded RNA Production Systems for Application of RNA Interference in Agricultural Pest Control

RNA interference (RNAi) is a valuable and revolutionary technology that has been widely applied in medicine and agriculture. The application of RNAi in various industries requires large amounts of low-cost double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Chemical synthesis can only produce short dsRNAs; long dsRNAs need to be synthesized biologically. Several microbial chassis cells, such as Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Bacillus species, have been used for dsRNA synthesis. However, the titer, rate of production, and yield of dsRNA obtained by these microorganism-based strategies is still low. In this review, we summarize advances in microbial dsRNA production, and analyze the merits and faults of different microbial dsRNA production systems. This review provides a guide for dsRNA production system selection. Future development of efficient microbial dsRNA production systems is also discussed.