Ronald Batenburg

Sticking to standards; technical and other isomorphic pressures in deploying ERP-systems

This paper focuses on how and to what extent homogenization coincides with the deployment of ERP-systems. Using the work of DiMaggio and Powell on isomorphic pressures, we argue that the use of ERP-systems may in several ways lead to standardization within and between organizations. Competitive and institutional pressures play a role in ERP-adoption. We introduce a novel form of isomorphism, technical isomorphism. This plays a role in ERP-implementation and manifests itself in the enactment of blueprints for centralization and standard working procedures that are embedded in the ERP-software. A case study of a Dutch publishing company illustrates how coercive and technical isomorphism jointly lead to adaptation of the organization to the system, although the firm aimed to differentiate itself from its competitors. We close with managerial implications.

Surveying the critical success factors of BPM‐systems implementation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore if there is a common ground for the definition of business process management (BPM) and BPM‐systems, as well as the critical success factors (CSFs) for BPM‐system implementation. A BPM‐system implementation framework is validated that classifies the CSFs in distinctive domains that can be used for BPM project management and organization.Design/methodology/approach – A meta‐analysis of literature was performed to develop a set of statements with regard to the definition, benefits and CSFs of BPM(‐system) implementation. Then a survey was conducted among 39 Dutch consultants, developers and end‐users of BPM‐systems that vary in BPM experience. Through a web‐questionnaire, the shared view of the respondents was measured with respect to the definition, benefits and the BPM‐system implementation framework.Findings – It appears that different respondent groups share a common view on the definition and benefits of BPM and BPM‐systems, regardless their role in the...

PLM roadmap: stepwise PLM implementation based on the concepts of maturity and alignment

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is increasingly important for organisations acting in dynamic and competitive markets. In practice however, companies struggle with implementing PLM. Because PLM is rather a concept than a system, as its main premises are to improve sustainable advantage through agility and innovation. The concept implies structural, cross-functional and long-term cooperation between actors in- and outside the firm. This complexity hampers the achievement of successfully implementing PLM that truly integrates all organisational aspects and levels. The central aim of this paper is to develop a PLM framework to assess and guide PLM implementations. This framework builds upon insights from capability maturity and business/IT-alignment. The results of a first empirical assessment of 23 Dutch organisations are presented, which were used to empirically validate the framework and to provide benchmark data. Based on the framework and benchmark organisations can develop their own PLM Roadmap to increase the success of their PLM implementation.

A PACS maturity model: A systematic meta-analytic review on maturation and evolvability of PACS in the hospital enterprise

INTRODUCTION With PACS and medical imaging technology maturing, the importance of organizational maturity and effective deployment of PACS in the hospital enterprise are becoming significant. OBJECTIVE The objective of this paper is twofold. Firstly, PACS literature on maturity and evolvability in the hospital enterprise is analyzed, resulting in an overview of the relevant developments concerning maturity of PACS. Secondly, this paper looks at the development of a maturity model for PACS technology. METHODS AND RESULTS Using structured search queries, we identified 34 papers reporting relevant aspects of maturity and evolvability of PACS. From the results of a meta-analytic review on PACS maturity and evolvability, we propose a model--the PACS maturity model (PMM)--that describes five levels of PACS maturity and the corresponding process focus. CONCLUSION We argue that this model can help hospitals to gain insights into their (strategic) objectives for growth and maturity with regard to PACS, the electronic patient record (EPR) and other health information systems. Moreover, the proposed model can be applied as a valuable tool for organizational assessments, monitoring and benchmarking purposes. Hence, the PMM contributes to an integral alignment model for PACS technology.

CONTACTS AND CONTRACTS: DYADIC EMBEDDEDNESS AND THE CONTRACTUAL BEHAVIOR OF FIRMS

This chapter addresses social embeddedness effects on ex ante management of economic transactions. We focus on dyadic embeddedness, that is the history of prior transactions between business partners and the anticipation of future transactions. Ex ante management through, for example, contractual arrangements is costly but mitigates risks associated with the transaction, such as risks from strategic and opportunistic behavior. Dyadic embeddedness can reduce such risks and, hence, the need for ex ante management by, for instance, making reciprocity and conditional cooperation feasible. The chapter presents a novel theoretical model generating dyadic embeddedness effects, together with effects of transaction characteristics and management costs. We stress the interaction of the history of prior transactions and expectations of future business. Hypotheses are tested using new and primary data from an extensive survey of more than 900 purchases of information technology (IT) products (hard- and software) by almost 800 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Results support, in particular, the hypotheses on effects of dyadic embeddedness.

Bringing a European perspective to the health human resources debate: A scoping study

Healthcare systems across the world are increasingly challenged by workforce shortages and misdistribution of skills. Yet, no comprehensive European approach to health human resources (HHR) policy exists and action remains fragmented. This scoping study seeks to contribute to the debates by providing an overview of existing HHR research, and by exploring the challenges of a European approach with a focus on workforce planning. In terms of methods, we build on a scoping review comprising literature analysis and qualitative data gathered from policy experts. In our analysis we observe an overall lack of integrated HHR approaches as major obstacle of efficient HHR planning, and find that five dimensions of integration in HHR policy are needed: system, occupational, sector, gender, and socio-cultural integration. Increasing the analytical complexity of HHR planning models does not automatically bring about more reliable and efficient planning, as the added value of these models is highly context-dependent. Yet Europe is highly diverse and we therefore argue the need for a strategic HHR perspective that is capable of bridging many different HHR policies and planning systems, and combining national and European solutions efficiently.

Towards healthcare business intelligence in long-term care

This research contributes to the domain of long-term care by exploring knowledge discovery techniques based on a large dataset and guided by representative information needs to better manage both quality of care and financial spendings, as a next step towards more mature healthcare business intelligence in long-term care. We structure this exploratory research according to the steps of the CRoss Industry Standard Process for Data Mining (CRISP-DM) process. Firstly, we interview 22 experts to determine the information needs in long-term care which we, secondly, translate into 25 data mining goals. Thirdly, we perform a single case study at a Dutch long-term care institution with around 850 clients in five locations. We analyze the institutions database which contains information from April 2008 to April 2012 to identify patterns in incident information, patterns in risk assessment information, the relationship between risk assessments and incident information, patterns in the average duration of stay, and we identify and predict Care Intensity Package (ZZP) combinations. Fourth and finally, we position all data mining goals in a two-by-two matrix to visualize the relative importance of each goal in relation to both quality of care and financial state of care institutions.

Managing innovation in regional supply networks: a Dutch case of “knowledge industry clustering”

This paper presents a case study on the collaboration between Oce, a large Dutch manufacturer of copiers and printers, and several of its lead suppliers within the so‐called “knowledge industry clustering” (KIC) project. In 1993 Oce initiated this project to enable innovation by creating inter‐organizational teams and new combinations based on the knowledge and skills of different suppliers. Based on data collected from 28 interviews with respondents that were involved at both the Oce and supplier side of ten different “knowledge clusters”, it is concluded that the critical success factors primarily point at the importance of creating trust in such inter‐organizational teams.

A balanced evaluation perspective: picture archiving and communication system impacts on hospital workflow.

Around the world, hospitals are faced with both budget and regulatory pressures, forcing them to re-examine the way clinical practice is carried out. Proposed technologies that provide workflow enhancements include Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS); however, is PACS really effective in improving hospital workflow and the flow onto patient care, and how should this be evaluated? An acknowledged and successful approach for organizational evaluation is the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), providing the fundamental features for assessing organizations from various perspectives. In this research, the impact of PACS on the workflow of a large public hospital in Melbourne, Australia, is examined using an adapted version of the BSC. Empirically, this model was applied as an evaluation instrument through a series of in-depth interviews with PACS users. Results show that PACS did improve hospital workflow considerably and that the organizational alignment of PACS in hospitals is an important critical success factor.

The procurement alignment framework construction and application

Procurement has become increasingly important for organizations acting in dynamic supply chains and competitive markets. In practice however, companies struggle with adapting and improving their procurement business function. In line with the general trend in management and organization studies, both scholars and practitioners aim to define an integrated procurement policy that is truly aligned on all organizational and IT aspects. The central aim of this paper is to present a framework that supports the definition and application of such an integrative procurement approach. The framework is developed upon insights from IT business alignment (more specifically IT Procurement alignment), procurement maturity measurement and segmentation. It facilitates organizations in monitoring the maturity and alignment of their procurement on five different business/IT perspectives. In addition, the framework enables specific procurement improvements by taking the situational aspect of procurement segmentation into account. The framework was validated twice: through interview expert consulting and through a questionnaire using scale analysis. In a case study it was found suitable for assessing procurement maturity and identifying concrete procurement improvements.