Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-76). / This thesis aims at examining CRM implementations and at obtaining theoretical and practical evidence to three questions: ** What patterns emerge in successful CRM implementations, and general factors that prevent organizations from achieving expected results in such projects; ** What business benefits and impacts (e.g., return on investment, customer value, and redesign of business processes), are typically observed in CRM initiatives; ** How companies rearrange their organizational structures to, maximize the benefits of CRM. To accomplish these goals the author conducted a review of available literature, arid then interviewed members of 3 companies that implemented CRM and 2 system integrators with comprehensive experience in implementation of CRM. This practical experience intended to confirm the findings obtained through the literature review. The 3 companies researched are market leaders in the Financial Service Industry in Latin America. Consistently, the System Integrators interviewed actively serve the same industry. The major findings of this work are the following: ** Technology components as well as vendor selection is secondary as a key success factor; ** Companies usually do not reorganize themselves due to CRM implementations. Structure models; seems to be much more dependent on intrinsic cultural aspects; ** Observed business benefits have a high degree of variation, depending much on the situation before the implementation - all researched cases were considered to be successful. Although the sample analyzed is not sufficient to establish generalizations, due to its size and to the impossibility of obtaining reliable numeric or quantitative data, we report our results and interpret as a contribution to the growing body of evidence. Most of the conclusions are consistent with the literature review findings, with the exception of the observed absence of 'business cases' in the analyzed companies. The literature claims that elaboration of detailed business cases is critical, whereas in the analyzed companies a less rigorous, but nevertheless detailed, planning was sufficient to ensure success. Apart from the limitation of the size of the researched sample, due to the relative newness of the theme, part of the literature reviewed was composed by white papers published by CRM vendors, management consulting firms, and independent research and advisory companies. The research suggests that such implementations have important and lasting effects on the business. It also indicates that the magnitude of the business impacts are intrinsically dependent of the realities of particular companies, and cannot be generalized even within the specific financial services sector. Most of conclusions are based on qualitative analysis. since the number of cases, complexity and variability of the implementations, prevent from generating statically sound analysis. It would be valuable if this research could be extended through other industry sectors, in Latin America, or alternatively to encompass financial service companies from other regions. / by José Rogério Pinto de Mendonça. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 75). / The recent progress of the 3G technology and the up-coming 3G mobile telecommunication market environment of Korea were reviewed. On the basis of this knowledge, a simple system dynamics model was constructed. From the analysis of previous Korean mobile plethora, the model found that the network effect was the most important factor for the diffusion of mobile service in Korea. To investigate the competition on of 2G and 3G businesses, a more complicated model was designed. After its results, the initial large number of service contents of 3G will be helpful for expanding its market share for a short term, and the degree of technology performance and social demand is more helpful for a long term business. The model says the success of 30 businesses is quite dependent on how to quickly and effectively switch 2G subscribers into 3G subscribers. To do that just early entree to the market is not going to make a difference from 2G services. The 3G service providers have to decide whether it is right time to start the business by considering the technology performance differentiation from existing technology and the social need for bandwidth simultaneously. / by Jae Hwang Yi. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-121). / This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. / Developed countries are increasingly using information technology to access and deliver information across all the organizations that comprise the government. Argentina is in the first stages of adopting Internet technology for the government. This thesis proposes that Argentina's e-government construction can be optimized if a good foundation for systems connectivity is put in place first. The author argues that the current time lag in the construction of Argentina's e-Government can be used in a positive way if experience from more developed countries is used. Chapter 1 provides a strategy for building e-Government in Argentina using standardization and connectivity. In Chapter 2, a theoretical analysis about the economics of systems integration is presented. In Chapter 3 the importance of standardization and specially the use of XML are outlined. Chapter 4 develops the basis of IT infrastructure and its importance to enable e- Government. Chapter 5 evaluates the current state of e-Government in three developed countries. Chapter 6 and 7 provide a potential framework for building the e-Government in Argentina based in the ideas of the previous chapters. The author has found that developed countries are defining standard connectivity based on XML and that they are in the process of becoming a full e-government by 2005. At the same time Argentina is lacking a coherent plan to enable the creation of the e-Government in the near future. Finally, the thesis proposes the standardization of systems interfaces using XML and the definition of standard XML data schemes to facilitate connectivity. At the same time the thesis encourages building an IT infrastructure and the use of standard applications to gain efficiency and lower the cost of e-Government. / by Emilio José Pellet-Lastra. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-62). / This thesis analyses the historical development and deregulation of the U.S. Electrical Power Industry and its impact on the structure of Transmission System. The results of introducing competition in generation and creating wholesale market for electricity are evaluated. The problems in the U.S. Electrical Transmission System are identified; existing pricing models and investment mechanisms are evaluated. Positive and negative outputs are described and analyzed - including existing problems in the transmission system and different pricing models and their effect on investment in transmission system. The importance of regulatory factors is evaluated, the limitations and advantages of pricing models are described and investment mechanism is chosen. Possible perspectives of the development of Transmission System are analyzed from technical and economical perspectives. Based on evaluation of existing financial tools and current problems in operating of the GRID, optimal structure and investment solutions for Transmission System are proposed. / by Alexander Okunev. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology, Management, and Policy Program, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 239-255). / Reaching saturation levels, many markets in modem industrial societies tend to fracture into smaller 'niche' markets, and create a need for greater variety. At the same time, increasing product variety in non-growing markets results in decreasing production volumes per model, which tends to increase costs. Modularity as a design concept has been suggested to be able reconciling these opposing effects. Most descriptions of modularity characterize products through idealized extremes, such as 'modular' versus 'integral.' While conceptually powerful, this notion is very difficult to operationalize. Consequently, it has been very problematic to determine the economic consequences of modularity. This thesis presents a methodology to overcome this problem. The development of the methodology is split into three parts: what is modularity, what costs are considered, and how can the link between the two be established? First, to operationalize modularity, an in-depth analysis of the phenomenon was conducted and an alternative framework developed. The multi-disciplinary analysis revealed that modularity is a bundle of product characteristics rather than an individual feature, and that different disciplines and viewpoints emphasize different elements of this bundle. Consequently, the descriptive product architecture framework developed in this thesis encompasses all dimensions identified in the analysis, but simultaneously enables one to comparatively measure those characteristics along individual dimensions. / (cont.) Second, to improve the understanding of the multitude of costs that occur over a product's life, a product life-cycle view has been used to investigate the cost effects of early design decisions with respect to product architecture. In addition, a review of the cost modeling literature identified the gap that exists between some empirical work identifying particular product features' effects on particular costs, and the more general design guidelines such as design-for-manufacturing (DFM) or design-for-assembly (DFA). Finally, the thesis constructed a link between modularity and cost by applying the product architecture framework and technical cost modeling to experimental case studies. Case study subjects were four different car door structures. The case studies demonstrate the cost consequences of individual product architecture dimensions by isolating their effects from competing explanations. Enabling the translation of business goals into focused design advice, the proposed methodology represents a tool to reconnect management and engineering worlds. / by Sebastian K. Fixson. / Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology, Management, and Policy Program, February 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 233-249). / Over the past century, materials have faced notoriously long delays between invention and commercialization. These delays make private investment very difficult, and can prevent good materials from reaching markets. A systematic exploration of the commercial histories of major commodity thermoplastics was performed, which showed that these delays were attributable to technical deficiencies in materials and obstacles in the application value chains. Contrary to popular wisdom, material costs, competitive materials, and serendipity were much smaller factors in commercialization delay. The factors that led to insertion of plastics into applications were different from the factors that led to post-insertion growth. The major plastics showed a characteristic pattern of commercialization. First, they entered simple, small applications in which they solved new problems. They then progressed to achieve insertion in a single major application, which they continue to dominate today. Having established themselves with this application, they found insertion in a wide range of large applications. The commercialization pattern can be explained in large part by the concept of switching costs. As knowledge of a material increases, switching costs are reduced; as value chain complexity increases, switching costs increase. The earliest applications required little understanding of plastics and had simple value chains, so switching costs were low, corresponding to fast commercialization. Later applications had more complex value chains and required much more detailed understanding of the failure modes and processing parameters of the material, corresponding to high switching costs and slow commercialization. Materials can be deployed into / (cont.) many markets. By strategically selecting application markets, materials producers can significantly improve the probability that new materials will be adopted and can shorten the period of commercialization. Early markets should be selected based on the ability of the material to solve unique problems and the simplicity of the application value chain. When market selection is not an option, materials producers can integrate forward in the value chain to shorten commercialization times, but capital requirements are very high. Once integrated into an application, the safest competitive position for materials is to be the lowest cost option that meets the exact needs of the application. / by Christopher Scott Musso. / Ph.D.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-75). / This thesis is an investigation of the strategic impact of Web Services on the firm. A literature review was conducted to gain a broad understanding of the research previously done on various related subjects. The core of this thesis is focused on looking at Web Services using time-tested, generally-accepted strategic management frameworks in order to better understand the true potential impact of Web Services. Utilizing in-depth interviews with industry leaders, comprehensive knowledge of Web Services technology, and seminal academic research where appropriate, the author has attempted to derive the strategic implications of Web Services over a three- to five-year horizon. / by William T. Shelton, Jr. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Technology, Management, and Policy Program, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [149]-158). / This thesis hypothesized that extensive telecommunications liberalization would not increase the penetration rate of the fixed telephone service better than other, less competition-oriented, policy alternatives. The hypothesis was validated in the case of Thailand and the Philippines. However, for the cellular mobile telephone and Internet services, extensive telecommunications liberalization could increase the penetration rates better than other, less competition-oriented, policy alternatives. Thus, the thesis demonstrates that past research has not paid sufficient attention to this issue and has assumed that the more extensive reform could lead to the faster and the better telecommunications development of all telecommunication services. The thesis suggested that less-developed countries (LDCs) should realize that they do not have to fully implement liberalization reforms, but should instead specifically tailor their telecommunications reform policies to their own pace and needs. This study found that extensive liberalization reforms or extensive opening of the market does not necessarily increase penetration rates of services better than other less competition-oriented policy alternatives under the following conditions: Assuming that the services have not yet reached their saturation levels based on the S-curve, / (cont.) 1. Users perceive the service as a necessity; and 2. the government perceives the service as a basic necessity; and 3. the government strictly commits and implements purposeful policies with the intention of increasing penetration rates of the services through the distribution of service provision authority. Or, 4. If the liberalization is implemented after the saturation level of the service is reached. The thesis results have the policy implication that liberalization can be a useful and effective alternative to lead to higher penetration rates, when and only if, the country and its people understand its goals, effects and implications and, more importantly, when the government provides the policy framework for universal service for the benefits of its people so that the liberalization can lead to self-sustainable development. / by Donyaprueth Krairit. / Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Technology, Management, and Policy Program, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 329-352). / This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. / Policies to avert the threat of dangerous climate change focus on stabilizing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations by drastically reducing anthropogenic emissions of carbon. Such reductions require limiting the use of fossil fuels-which supply the bulk of energy to economic activity, and for which substitutes are lacking-which is feared will cause large energy price increases and reductions in economic welfare. However, a key determinant of the cost of emissions limits is technological change-especially innovation induced by the price changes that stem from carbon abatement itself, about which little is understood.This thesis investigates the inducement of technological change by limits on carbon emissions, and the effects of such change on the macroeconomic cost of undertaking further reductions. The analysis is conducted using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the US economy-a numerical simulation that determines aggregate welfare based on the interaction of prices with the demands for and supplies of commodities and factors across different markets. Within the model induced technical change (ITC) is represented by the effect of emissions limits on the accumulation of the economy's stock of knowledge, and by the reallocation of the intangible services generated by the stock, which are a priced input to sectoral production functions. / (cont.) The results elucidate four key features of ITC: (1) the inducement process, i.e., the mechanism by which relative prices determine the level and the composition of aggregate R&D; (2) the effects of changes in R&D on knowledge accumulation in the long-run, and of contemporaneous substitution of knowledge services within and among industries; (3) the loci of sectoral changes in intangible investment and knowledge inputs induced by emissions limits; and (4) the ultimate impact of the accumulation and substitution of knowledge on economic welfare. / by Ian Sue Wing. / Ph.D.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-113). / The Colombian government is working on solutions to widen the coverage of higher education which is currently around 21%. One of the solutions to handle this major problem in rural and remote areas, but also in some towns and cities where there is either not enough capacity in the current traditional higher institutions, or its quality is poor, or there is little to no supply is Virtual Education. The current stage of higher distance education in Colombia is characterized by a fragmented supply with weaknesses in defining and adopting a pedagogical model, the use of technology capabilities, the organizational structure to support virtual education, and the planning and quality assurance processes. Institutions offering distance services have opportunities for improvement and innovative developments but they lack the necessary resources. Based on this diagnosis, our challenge in coverage of higher education, and the elements identified from seven international experiences studied, a Virtual University is proposed with the purpose of being an 'Open and distance learning university' with "open" meaning access to everybody and "distance" including the appropriate technologies and pedagogical models to offer distance education. The Virtual University is set up primarily to serve young students and adults from the lowest income levels who have finished their high school education. Three alternatives are described to implement the virtual university: i) a new centralized and autonomous organization, ii) a network of universities under an umbrella of a Virtual University, and iii) free competition among institutions. Finally, the role of the Ministry of Education in higher distance education is developed. The Ministry plays the roles of policy maker, accreditation / (cont.) and funding in distance higher education and a leading role in helping in the development of a market of good quality distance programs and creating the conditions for the demand to get access to the new offering. In addition, the Ministry should strengthen institutions to face properly distance education and create the mechanisms for cooperation with international governments and organizations. / Luz Stella Garcia. / S.M.M.O.T.