Due to their limited resources, budgets and their high sensitivity to costs, when Small and Medium Enterprises （SMEs） take the first step into implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning （ERP） system, they need t...Due to their limited resources, budgets and their high sensitivity to costs, when Small and Medium Enterprises （SMEs） take the first step into implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning （ERP） system, they need to think about many things, foremost the cost of adoption. Literature suggests that most ERP implementations fail due to inaccurate and optimistic budget and schedule estimations, as well as, anticipating indirect costs beforehand is problematic. With the deficiency of a clear model of cost factors for ERP adoptions, ERP adoptions face high risks of failure. Failures could be caused by several factors, but the scope of this research is focused on identifying, exploring, and validating a comprehensive list of ERP adoption cost factors. This could aid SMEs in visualizing the different expected costs, and would consequently assist in better future cost management and estimations. There has been plenty of research in ERP; however, a clear gap in ERP cost identification, management, and estimation exists. This paper focuses on identifying direct and indirect cost factors that influence total costs in the ERP adoption process. The paper presents a cost list that has been developed through literature and an ERP expert panel. Furthermore, this study validates the costs list through interviews with different stakeholders within ERP adoption projects in Egypt.展开更多
Background: The cost and economic burden of diabetes are a serious worldwide issue. In this study, we evaluated medical payments for persons diagnosed with diabetes and the factors that led to a person having diabetes...Background: The cost and economic burden of diabetes are a serious worldwide issue. In this study, we evaluated medical payments for persons diagnosed with diabetes and the factors that led to a person having diabetes to reduce its prevalence. Methods: A dataset containing 113,979 medical checkups and 3,671,783 monthly medical, dental, care-giving and pharmacy payment records of one health insurance society was used. The dataset contains information of normal and healthy persons. The sample period ran from April, 2013 to March, 2016. The medical payments for persons diagnosed with diabetes were calculated. The regression analysis was used to remove the effects of age and gender. The probit analysis was used to analyze the factors that led to a person having diabetes. Results: In 2.9% of cases, the person undergoing the checkup was diagnosed with diabetes, and the medical payments for these patients were 2.7 times as much as the average medical payment per person. This result did not change significantly even if age and gender were considered. The results of the probit analysis suggested that body mass index, high systolic blood pressure, low diastolic blood pressure, eating habits, physical activities, smoking, drinking alcohol and sleeping were important factors for diabetes. Conclusion: The diabetes might be a costlier disease than previously thought in Japan. By the estimation, 8% of all medical payments were made for these persons with diabetes, which is much higher than the result shown by national survey data. However, overall prevalence could be recused by efforts such as prevention of overweight and obesity.展开更多
Background: Kidney (renal) diseases and dialysis are among the most costly disorders and represent a worldwide burden. In this study, we evaluate the medical costs for individuals with kidney diseases and risk factors...Background: Kidney (renal) diseases and dialysis are among the most costly disorders and represent a worldwide burden. In this study, we evaluate the medical costs for individuals with kidney diseases and risk factors for the diseases in Japan. Data and Methods: The dataset used contained 113,979 medical checkups and 3,172,066 medical cost records obtained from 48,022 individuals in one health insurance society. The sample period was April 2013 to March 2016. We evaluated the distribution of all medical costs, and those of kidney diseases specifically. Then the power transformation Tobit model was used to remove the effects of other variables. Finally, a probit analysis was used to analyze the risk factors. Results: In 0.25% of all cases, individuals were diagnosed with kidney diseases. An individual with kidney disease cost 14.5 times more than those without kidney disease. If the diseases progressed into chronic kidney disease (CKD), the medical costs increased substantially. Even disregarding various characteristics of individuals, this conclusion did not vary. We found important risk factors included diabetes and blood pressure problems. In particular, an individual with both factors had a high probability of developing kidney disease. Conclusion: Kidney diseases are much costlier than other diseases. Screening high-risk individuals, educating patients, and ensuring that treatment begins at an early stage are critically important to controlling medical costs. Limitations: The dataset was observatory, and the sample period was only 3 years.展开更多
Research reports show that the accuracies of many explicit friction factor models, having different levels of accuracies and complexities, have been improved using genetic algorithm (GA), a global optimization approac...Research reports show that the accuracies of many explicit friction factor models, having different levels of accuracies and complexities, have been improved using genetic algorithm (GA), a global optimization approach. However, the computational cost associated with the use of GA has yet to be discussed. In this study, the parameters of sixteen explicit models for the estimation of friction factor in the turbulent flow regime were optimized using two popular global search methods namely genetic algorithm (GA) and simulated annealing (SA). Based on 1000 interval values of Reynolds number (Re) in the range of and 100 interval values of relative roughness () in the range of , corresponding friction factor (f) data were obtained by solving Colebrook-White equation using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. These data were then used to modify the parameters of the selected explicit models. Although both GA and SA led to either moderate or significant improvements in the accuracies of the existing friction factor models, SA outperforms the GA. Moreover, the SA requires far less computational time than the GA to complete the corresponding optimization process. It can therefore be concluded that SA is a better global optimizer than GA in the process of finding an improved explicit friction factor model as an alternative to the implicit Colebrook-White equation in the turbulent flow regime.展开更多
Cost and time overrun are the key troubles of any improvement ventures. These troubles are inflicting the terrible end result in the development of kingdom monetary improvement and thriving. To overcome these problems...Cost and time overrun are the key troubles of any improvement ventures. These troubles are inflicting the terrible end result in the development of kingdom monetary improvement and thriving. To overcome these problems, the?paper examines predominant impact on elements causing the mission postponement and cost. A poll review was led for the situation study embracing various information-gathering procedures. The discoveries from the contextual investigation uncovered that the most persuasive factors in Malaysia:?1) contractor’s inappropriate arranging, 2) poor site the board, 3) deficient contractual worker experience,?are the most powerful factors. This paper has likewise broken down the normal and least effective of the postpone variables causing task deferral and cost overrun in Malaysia. It likewise infers that there are various measures as per the idea of deferring components to decrease the effect on task postponement and cost overruns in the development industry.?There are significant factors in the control of time overrun that would be actual thought related to know and tackle in great impact to improvement rate which may additionally no capacity that be recovered. Thirty (30) massive development extensions in Malaysia were exceptional coping with time overrun at some stage in development. Out of 30 undertakings, 17 (56.67%) ventures had been introduced by using 1100 days’ time overrun, 5 (16.67%) extensions in the middle of a hundred and one to 200 days, 5 (16.67%) ventures?201 to 300 days while three (10%) ventures have been deferred for timeframe over 300 days.展开更多
In the past few decades,China's foreign trade,leveraging its comprehensive industrial system,resilient supply chain,and factor cost advantages,has steadily constructed a global division of labor pattern as the“wo...In the past few decades,China's foreign trade,leveraging its comprehensive industrial system,resilient supply chain,and factor cost advantages,has steadily constructed a global division of labor pattern as the“world's factory”.展开更多
文摘Due to their limited resources, budgets and their high sensitivity to costs, when Small and Medium Enterprises （SMEs） take the first step into implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning （ERP） system, they need to think about many things, foremost the cost of adoption. Literature suggests that most ERP implementations fail due to inaccurate and optimistic budget and schedule estimations, as well as, anticipating indirect costs beforehand is problematic. With the deficiency of a clear model of cost factors for ERP adoptions, ERP adoptions face high risks of failure. Failures could be caused by several factors, but the scope of this research is focused on identifying, exploring, and validating a comprehensive list of ERP adoption cost factors. This could aid SMEs in visualizing the different expected costs, and would consequently assist in better future cost management and estimations. There has been plenty of research in ERP; however, a clear gap in ERP cost identification, management, and estimation exists. This paper focuses on identifying direct and indirect cost factors that influence total costs in the ERP adoption process. The paper presents a cost list that has been developed through literature and an ERP expert panel. Furthermore, this study validates the costs list through interviews with different stakeholders within ERP adoption projects in Egypt.
文摘Background: The cost and economic burden of diabetes are a serious worldwide issue. In this study, we evaluated medical payments for persons diagnosed with diabetes and the factors that led to a person having diabetes to reduce its prevalence. Methods: A dataset containing 113,979 medical checkups and 3,671,783 monthly medical, dental, care-giving and pharmacy payment records of one health insurance society was used. The dataset contains information of normal and healthy persons. The sample period ran from April, 2013 to March, 2016. The medical payments for persons diagnosed with diabetes were calculated. The regression analysis was used to remove the effects of age and gender. The probit analysis was used to analyze the factors that led to a person having diabetes. Results: In 2.9% of cases, the person undergoing the checkup was diagnosed with diabetes, and the medical payments for these patients were 2.7 times as much as the average medical payment per person. This result did not change significantly even if age and gender were considered. The results of the probit analysis suggested that body mass index, high systolic blood pressure, low diastolic blood pressure, eating habits, physical activities, smoking, drinking alcohol and sleeping were important factors for diabetes. Conclusion: The diabetes might be a costlier disease than previously thought in Japan. By the estimation, 8% of all medical payments were made for these persons with diabetes, which is much higher than the result shown by national survey data. However, overall prevalence could be recused by efforts such as prevention of overweight and obesity.
文摘Background: Kidney (renal) diseases and dialysis are among the most costly disorders and represent a worldwide burden. In this study, we evaluate the medical costs for individuals with kidney diseases and risk factors for the diseases in Japan. Data and Methods: The dataset used contained 113,979 medical checkups and 3,172,066 medical cost records obtained from 48,022 individuals in one health insurance society. The sample period was April 2013 to March 2016. We evaluated the distribution of all medical costs, and those of kidney diseases specifically. Then the power transformation Tobit model was used to remove the effects of other variables. Finally, a probit analysis was used to analyze the risk factors. Results: In 0.25% of all cases, individuals were diagnosed with kidney diseases. An individual with kidney disease cost 14.5 times more than those without kidney disease. If the diseases progressed into chronic kidney disease (CKD), the medical costs increased substantially. Even disregarding various characteristics of individuals, this conclusion did not vary. We found important risk factors included diabetes and blood pressure problems. In particular, an individual with both factors had a high probability of developing kidney disease. Conclusion: Kidney diseases are much costlier than other diseases. Screening high-risk individuals, educating patients, and ensuring that treatment begins at an early stage are critically important to controlling medical costs. Limitations: The dataset was observatory, and the sample period was only 3 years.
文摘Research reports show that the accuracies of many explicit friction factor models, having different levels of accuracies and complexities, have been improved using genetic algorithm (GA), a global optimization approach. However, the computational cost associated with the use of GA has yet to be discussed. In this study, the parameters of sixteen explicit models for the estimation of friction factor in the turbulent flow regime were optimized using two popular global search methods namely genetic algorithm (GA) and simulated annealing (SA). Based on 1000 interval values of Reynolds number (Re) in the range of and 100 interval values of relative roughness () in the range of , corresponding friction factor (f) data were obtained by solving Colebrook-White equation using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. These data were then used to modify the parameters of the selected explicit models. Although both GA and SA led to either moderate or significant improvements in the accuracies of the existing friction factor models, SA outperforms the GA. Moreover, the SA requires far less computational time than the GA to complete the corresponding optimization process. It can therefore be concluded that SA is a better global optimizer than GA in the process of finding an improved explicit friction factor model as an alternative to the implicit Colebrook-White equation in the turbulent flow regime.
文摘Cost and time overrun are the key troubles of any improvement ventures. These troubles are inflicting the terrible end result in the development of kingdom monetary improvement and thriving. To overcome these problems, the?paper examines predominant impact on elements causing the mission postponement and cost. A poll review was led for the situation study embracing various information-gathering procedures. The discoveries from the contextual investigation uncovered that the most persuasive factors in Malaysia:?1) contractor’s inappropriate arranging, 2) poor site the board, 3) deficient contractual worker experience,?are the most powerful factors. This paper has likewise broken down the normal and least effective of the postpone variables causing task deferral and cost overrun in Malaysia. It likewise infers that there are various measures as per the idea of deferring components to decrease the effect on task postponement and cost overruns in the development industry.?There are significant factors in the control of time overrun that would be actual thought related to know and tackle in great impact to improvement rate which may additionally no capacity that be recovered. Thirty (30) massive development extensions in Malaysia were exceptional coping with time overrun at some stage in development. Out of 30 undertakings, 17 (56.67%) ventures had been introduced by using 1100 days’ time overrun, 5 (16.67%) extensions in the middle of a hundred and one to 200 days, 5 (16.67%) ventures?201 to 300 days while three (10%) ventures have been deferred for timeframe over 300 days.
文摘In the past few decades,China's foreign trade,leveraging its comprehensive industrial system,resilient supply chain,and factor cost advantages,has steadily constructed a global division of labor pattern as the“world's factory”.
