João Reis

Smart floor: Indoor navigation based on RFID

In this paper the use of Wireless Power Transmission is employed to power up ID sensors located below a ceramic tile. The system developed with this technique allows the implementation of a very low cost indoor localization system based on RFID. This passive sensor identification is then transmitted through a SimpliciTy connection to a database, where a location algorithm is implemented. The system was built and tested in a test bed environment with satisfactory results.

Disclosing Paths for Multi-channel Service Research: A Contemporaneous Phenomenon and Guidelines for Future Investigations

The present paper reports on the findings of a systematic literature review on multi-channel services. In doing so, it uses an affinity diagram to show the results of a content analysis regarding the issues addressed by the existing literature in the field. This enables to understand areas of interest in the contemporary subject of research, find gaps in the literature and, lastly, to uncover guidelines for future research. The results suggest that future investigations should focus on the integration of traditional and virtual services, on quality issues and customer behaviour towards the use of multi-channel services. Previous research also suggests that multi-channel services are largely unaddressed, regarding issues as back-office processes, within the scope of operations management. Subsequently, since multi-channel services are multidisciplinary in nature, these guidelines represent a fruitful opportunity for future research to involve other disciplines.

New Ways to Deal with Omni-Channel Services: Opening the Door to Synergies, or Problems in the Horizon?

This article aims to investigate organizational synergies in the omni-channel service context. In doing so, it discloses new omni-channel trends and discusses its implications for managers and academics. It uses a qualitative multi-method approach, which includes more than one method of collecting data to generate comprehensiveness and rich knowledge, namely: a systematic literature review and a case study. The transition to an omni-channel service requires companies to overcome many organizational challenges and is compelling academics and practitioners to focus on its operations management. The results indicate that organizational synergies are changing the omni-channel landscape and may provide several opportunities for gaining competitive advantages by implementing new technologies (e.g. m-payments), and anticipating customer needs (e.g. multi-brand experience). It is possible that these organizational synergies are transcending the omni-channel concept, creating new trends, but to confirm this hypothesis further investigation is needed.

Digital Transformation: A Literature Review and Guidelines for Future Research

The aim of this paper is to provide insights regarding the state of the art of Digital Transformation, and to propose avenues for future research. Using a systematic literature review of 206 peer-reviewed articles, this paper provides an overview of the literature. Among other things, the findings indicate that managers should adapt their business strategy to a new digital reality. This mainly results in the adaptation of processes and operations management. Scholars, for the other side, are also facing challenges, as prior research may not have identified all the opportunities and challenges of Digital Transformation. Furthermore, while the Digital Transformation has expanded to all sectors of activity there are some areas with more prospects of being developed in the future than others.

Omni-Channel Service Architectures in a Technology-Based Business Network: An Empirical Insight

This article investigates the existing omni-channel service architectures in the front-office of technology-based business networks. It discusses the implications from the existing alignment between the network-preferred channel with other channels and clients. The methodological approach is qualitative, exploratory in nature, and employs case study research in a large private retail bank in Portugal. It includes multiple sources of data collection for corroboration purposes, including semi-structured interviews, direct observation and institutional documents. Although we have identified four types of omni-channel architectures in a business network context, the case analysis revealed that only two of them meet all the requirements, namely: the mixed services and pure virtual services. For academics this is the first attempt to discuss a growing topic in the operations management literature. Thus, this study may also help practitioners to understand the challenges they may have to deal with an omni-channel strategy in a business network context.

Omni-channel service operations: Building technology-based business networks

This article investigates how omni-channel services operations are building technology-based business networks. It uses a case study research, which includes multiple sources of data collection for triangulation purposes, to study a real-life phenomenon. The results suggest that omni-channel companies are changing their landscape to business networks, looking for competitive advantages over their rivals. But this move incorporates new challenges, as it requires a transition based on operations management to allow these firms to adapt their processes and channels, in order to be able to collaborate in a heterogeneous network of firms. Another possible solution is the integration of innovation technologies that are enabling the combination of firm capabilities to underpin collaborative relationships. Previous research also suggests that service operations management in an omni-channel services context is largely unaddressed, as this discipline is essential for the edification of technology-based business networks. Thereby, this article provides real-life statements and examples of firms that are moving their service operations into a business network paradigm. Subsequently, since omni-channel services are multidisciplinary in nature, these exploratory results represent a fruitful opportunity for future research to involve other disciplines than service operations.