Zvonko Sajfert

Elements of the model for customer satisfaction: Serbian economy research

The objective of this paper is to present the research results in modelling the process for providing satisfaction of customer requirements – the key elements of the model which is the final result of the research. The model has been harmonised, according to its basic function and primary structure, with the requirements of the ISO 9001:2000 series of standards, as well as with relevant proposals and criteria of business excellence (BE) and marketing requirements. It has also been harmonised with the conditions in which Serbian companies (production and services) operate and was created to facilitate management of these processes with the aim of achieving BE. The survey of the companies and experts was carried out by e-mail. A methodologically adjusted questionnaire was compiled. The communicative principle was: one questionnaire– one company/expert. A total of 600 organisations (micro, small, medium sized and big companies) and about 100 experts were included in the survey. Participation in the survey was accepted by 84 companies (14% responded; which was, at that time, about 5% of all certified companies in the Republic of Serbia) and 37 experts from the field of interest. The research was conducted in the first quarter of 2008.

Determining the Width of the Optimal Space Needed to Accommodate the Drivers of Passenger Vehicles Using the Analogy of Anthropometric Measurement Dynamics and Mechanical Mechanisms

This paper discusses a new way of modelling the width of the space that accommodates the drivers of passenger vehicles. The fact that there is a more or less fixed zero point, which is the origin of the coordinates of the man-vehicle system makes it possible to determine the mechanical–mathematical co-dependence in this system more accurately. The space is determined by taking extreme pairs of the dimensions and a series of anthropometric measurements to which the vehicle needs to be adjusted as the measurement limits. These were determined by analysis which includes both the theory of mechanisms and vehicle mechanics. In this way the method of adapting the vehicle to accommodate a range from the 5th-percentile woman to the 95th-percentile man has finally been surpassed. The paper demonstrates a methodology for designing the interior space of a passenger vehicle based on the fact that, in a range of anthropometric measurements of equal total lengths, each measurement has segments of different lengths, because people with the same leg lengths have different upper-and lower-leg lengths. Therefore the interior space of the vehicle is designed to accommodate extreme measurements and to allow for limitations caused by movement and the physical laws derived from seeing the anthropometric measurement mechanism as a mechanical mechanism. The paper offers a design for the space behind the windscreen, the position of the steering wheel, and the position of the foot controls together with the total space which the driver occupies, primarily from the aspect of anthropometric limitations, concluding that the maximum width for accommodation of the driver at the lowest level of a seat along the x axis is 169 mm, and along the y axis is 1013 mm.

Determination of passenger car interior space for foot controls accommodation

Abstract This study shows that the automobile is still not well enough adapted for human beings, especially in the part of the interior where the foot controls are located. When designing passenger vehicles ergonomically, the anthropometric limitations are as important as the technical limitations. Moreover, exacting contemporary economic and ecological requirements mean that the interior of the standard passenger vehicle must be designed to reduce front surface and air resistance to a minimum. The present authors offer a new method for designing the part of the interior of standard passenger vehicles where the foot controls are located as an indivisible part of the whole interior, with interrelated functional links using anthropometric limitations. These vary according to region and country and change with time. This study uses anthropometric data for drivers from Serbia from 1976 to 2007. The objective was, taking into account vehicle interior height limitations, to accommodate the largest range of anthropometric dimensions, from the fifth-percentile woman to the 95th-percentile man, which was accomplished using a new method for model accommodation optimization. Furthermore, comfort and a safe steering position are assured. The existence of the O point is required as the origin of a coordinate system with x, y, and z axes for the man—vehicle system and this enables the mechanical and mathematical functions to be defined more accurately within the system. By applying the suggested method and processing the data acquired, an optimum space for foot controls was obtained. The space for foot control location lies horizontally along the x axis forward from the O point by 320mm and vertically along the z axis by 230mm. The space height along the z axis is 465mm. The space is determined in four segments by the anthropomeasures of the foot of the 95th-percentile man and the fifth-percentile woman, first starting from the floor line to the point (−320mm, 230mm). Also, it is determined by the height of 465mm of the 95th-percentile man to the point (50mm, 465mm), when the space as far as the lower half of the windshield glass is defined by the fifth-percentile woman. In this way, a larger space is needed for seating of the fifth-percentile woman than would be needed if only the 95th-percentile man were seated.

Customer Satisfaction and Acceptance of Relationship Marketing Concept: An Exploratory Study in QM Certified Serbian Companies

Customer Satisfaction and Acceptance of Relationship Marketing Concept: An Exploratory Study in QM Certified Serbian Companies Satisfying customers and other groups of interest is the key output of relationship marketing. This paper presents the parts of the research that had been carried out by the first quarter of 2008 which included 84 quality management (QM) certified companies and 37 experts from Republic of Serbia. The goals of the research, related to this article, were: firstly, to explain customer satisfaction from the standpoint of relationship marketing concept; secondly, to show that relationship marketing concept is/can be accepted and implemented in QM certified Serbian companies - in order to integrate customer satisfaction and realionship marketing in QM concept.

Application of fuzzy logic into process of decision making regarding selection of managers

This paper exemplifies the possibility of applying fuzzy logic into the process of decision making regarding the selection of executive managers. The decision making process related to the selection of executive managers has been conceived in such a way that human resource (HR) departments assess candidates with application of a grade system. Candidates can be assessed against defined mangers’ goals. Research concerning managers’ general goals was used for this paper and the goals which research has proved to be of the greatest relative weight were selected. The application of fuzzy logic, along with a multi-criteria analysis, is very convenient for decision making (selection of candidates, optimization of processes, choice of the optimal variant, etc) when there is vagueness, uncertainty and a great number of candidates. This paper discusses the process of making an optimal - preferential decision (choice of an optimal manager for leading positions in a company) by application of fuzzy logic and a fuzzy system.

Benchmarking of PR Function in Serbian Companies

Benchmarking of PR Function in Serbian Companies The purpose of this paper is to present methodologies for carrying out benchmarking of the PR function in Serbian companies and to test the practical application of the research results and proposed methods in real conditions. The paper begins with research on key PR function parameters in Serbian companies. Seventy PR managers were polled for this purpose. The data obtained were processed by applying factor analysis, after which five factors (parameters) which describe the attitudes of PR managers in Serbian companies were defined. Next a study was conducted of the defined parameters, or their situation, in the seven selected Serbian companies. Twenty-one managers were polled in the process providing the data for a mathematical function for comparison of the analyzed companies. The function is based on elements of quantitative and multi-criteria analysis. Among the main output data are: ranking of the analyzed benchmarking partners (aggregate and according to individual parameters), defining similarities between the partners, selection of the competent benchmarking partner, multicriteria selection of the best action and positioning the parameters of the selected action in the field of a particular portfolio matrix. It has been shown by concrete example that the proposed procedures have both theoretical and practical value. The presented procedures are not only limited to the PR process, but can also be applied to benchmarking other business processes.

Reduction of production cycle time by optimising production and non-production components of time in the metalworking industry : a case study

The production cycle (PC) time, as a very important economic indicator of freezing current assets, involves the time needed to manufacture a unit or a series of units, from putting them into production until they are put into storage; and yet it is rarely discussed in the literature, even though it should be also analysed and be made as short as possible. The goal of this article is to survey and control the methodology of reducing the PC time of components in the metalworking industry, grouped by factor analysis into the factors of production and non-production components, observed by a modified method of current observations, and viewed as a process whose effectiveness was monitored using control charts. The survey is based on data collected through 1,576 observations in a Serbian company that manufactures electrical and electronic equipment for motor vehicles. The 2012 results, when compared with those of 2011, indicate that the PC time is significantly reduced by 93 minutes, or by 28.53 per cent, and the manufacturing time by 46 minutes, or by 19.17 per cent. The results furnish empirical findings that provide insights into a number of managerial issues concerning investment decisions in product-specific cycle time improvements and reductions, together with process redesigns.

The elements of customer satisfaction model in Serbian conditions

The objective of this paper is to present the research results in modelling the process for providing satisfaction of companys customers and their requirements - the key elements of the model which is the final result of the research. This model implies a process approach and acceptable marketing research in the beginning, as well as appropriate evaluation at the end. The model is harmonised with: the quality management concept, the business excellence concept, and the relationship marketing concept. To prove the justifiability of the requirements, elements and activities in the theoretic model, postulated on the basis of researching available literature and research in this sphere, the research included an interview with 84 companies (manufacturing and services), certified according to ISO 9001:2000, registered and active in Serbia (as the primary group) and 37 experts from the relevant field of work as the control group of the research.

Competitive abilities and students' entrepreneurial behaviour:The research results from Serbia

Stimulating enterprising behaviour of the young is especially important in transitional countries faced with recession. The ambience where young people can be stimulated to start their own business is not developed enough in Serbia. Possible solutions can be education and encouragement of the young to start and perform their own business. In this study, analyses on the necessity of implementing a modern enterprise concept on the territory of the Republic of Serbia with a special attention to the role of young people and the opportunities of their involvement in enterprise activities was carried out. The results of three researches, carried out in 2008, 2009 and 2010 among Serbian students are compared and presented in this paper.

RESEARCH ON LIFE OBJECTIVE STRUCTURES OF MANAGERS AND ENTREPRENEURS IN SERBIA

Research on Life Objective Structures of Managers and Entrepreneurs in Serbia The purpose of the paper herein is to investigate the different life objective structures of managers and specialists in public enterprises. Owners of private enterprises - entrepreneurs were analyzed as control group. Considering the data obtained by using the random sampling method, one may come to conclusions concerning the characteristics of the observed population. The research revealed that successful private owners-entrepreneurs, being the capital holders, have different structure of life objectives comparing to both managers and specialists in public organizations. The basic idea is that this can be considered as inseparable part of economic growth in any organization which also reflects on the management as well. Since the entrepreneurs invested the private capital to realize their ideas, it is logical that they want to increase their capital. On the other hand, managers and specialists in public enterprises do not have such a great sense for capital increment. They rather share the capital preferring to be sociable (clubs sponsors, great humanitarians). The reason of such acting can be found in a fact that Serbia was influenced by socialism which further resulted in poor education of managers and specialists to change their way of thinking. Managers as well as specialists should become knowledge workers who shall exchange the knowledge.