Abstract In today’s business world, the delivery of superior information technology services has become an important deliverable for successful organisations. This study focuses on the end user perception of information technology service quality in manufacturing organisations. The study focuses on one manufacturing organisation, namely Nissan South Africa, a supplier of quality vehicles to South African customers. The main research problem describes the necessity of having a tool in place that can measure users’ perception of information technology service quality. The two subproblems describe the change of perception regarding information technology service quality when measured from a functional area or designation level perspective. The functional area represents the various departments within an organisation and the designation level, the hierarchical position of the employee within an organisation. A broad literature review is conducted and a theoretical foundation is developed and relevant service quality models are reviewed and adjusted in order to construct a model to measure information technology from a service quality perspective. The information has been collected by means of a questionnaire, which was distributed to approximately 1200 users. i i The overall perception of the information technology service quality, as experienced by the Nissan user base, is rated as above average customer satisfaction. No significant differences are identified between the demographic levels and the dimensions of the service quality model. Even though the model used in this study provides a good indication of the information technology service quality, it needs to be refined on a continuous basis in order to ensure that it is aligned with the dynamic nature of information technology.

Distributed multimedia supports a symbiotic infotainment duality, i.e. the ability to transfer information to the user, yet also provide the user with a level of satisfaction. As multimedia is ultimately produced for the education and / or enjoyment of viewers, the user’s-perspective concerning the presentation quality is surely of equal importance as objective Quality of Service (QoS) technical parameters, to defining distributed multimedia quality. In order to extensively measure the user-perspective of multimedia video quality, we introduce an extended model of distributed multimedia quality that segregates quality into three discrete levels: the network-level, the media-level and content-level, using two distinct quality perspectives: the user-perspective and the technical-perspective. Since experimental questionnaires do not provide continuous monitoring of user attention, eye tracking was used in our study in order to provide a better understanding of the role that the human element plays in the reception, analysis and synthesis of multimedia data. Results showed that video content adaptation, results in disparity in user video eye-paths when: i) no single / obvious point of focus exists; or ii) when the point of attention changes dramatically. Accordingly, appropriate technical- and user-perspective parameter adaptation is implemented, for all quality abstractions of our model, i.e. network-level (via simulated delay and jitter), media-level (via a technical- and user-perspective manipulated region-of-interest attentive display) and content-level (via display-type and video clip-type). Our work has shown that user perception of distributed multimedia quality cannot be achieved by means of purely technical-perspective QoS parameter adaptation.

Abstract In today’s business world, the delivery of superior information technology services has become an important deliverable for successful organisations. This study focuses on the end user perception of information technology service quality in manufacturing organisations. The study focuses on one manufacturing organisation, namely Nissan South Africa, a supplier of quality vehicles to South African customers. The main research problem describes the necessity of having a tool in place that can measure users’ perception of information technology service quality. The two subproblems describe the change of perception regarding information technology service quality when measured from a functional area or designation level perspective. The functional area represents the various departments within an organisation and the designation level, the hierarchical position of the employee within an organisation. A broad literature review is conducted and a theoretical foundation is developed and relevant service quality models are reviewed and adjusted in order to construct a model to measure information technology from a service quality perspective. The information has been collected by means of a questionnaire, which was distributed to approximately 1200 users. i i The overall perception of the information technology service quality, as experienced by the Nissan user base, is rated as above average customer satisfaction. No significant differences are identified between the demographic levels and the dimensions of the service quality model. Even though the model used in this study provides a good indication of the information technology service quality, it needs to be refined on a continuous basis in order to ensure that it is aligned with the dynamic nature of information technology.

Despite significant technological and scientific advances in healthcare provision and treatment in past decades, economies are struggling to address increasing costs while enhancing accessibility to quality health and care services. Globally, around 8.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) is spent on healthcare, with United States spending 17.4% of its GDP. There is, therefore, a growing interest in reducing healthcare costs and improving quality of care in terms of patients outcomes and their perception. Research has found strong association between physical environments and patient outcomes and staff and patient wellbeing. The acknowledgement of this link has led to the postulation of the idea of evidence based design (EBD) of healthcare facilities, in which design decisions are based on the evidence of the impact of environment on healthcare indicators. The key challenges for integrating EBD in healthcare design are the difficulty in disaggregating past research findings (i.e. evidence) from the context and the use of these findings, often hidden behind several behavioural and demographic variables or of the form of multi-dimensional indices, in design decision-making. Another recent development in healthcare is the patient-centred approach of care, in which patients perceptions and needs take the centre-stage in the planning and delivery of their care. Local and regional healthcare authorities are, therefore, interested in incorporating patients views in all aspects of care, including the design and operation of health and care facilities. Considering the gaps in knowledge, this research was aimed at investigating: users perception of physical environment indicators that had the potential for influencing their wellbeing and care outcomes, and the integration of their perception in the design of healthcare facilities through automated space layout planning. Perceptions of physical environment indicators were investigated using structured questionnaires among three user groups: inpatients, outpatients and healthcare providers. Resulting perception indicators were then used in a prototype automated space layout planning system, developed as part of this research, to aid the optimization process. The research has identified significant differences in perception between different user groups, in particular between males and females. Analyses of scaled responses indicate that environmental design (e.g. lighting and thermal comfort) and maintenance (e.g. cleanliness) related factors are more important to users than abstract architectural design factors (e.g. aesthetics). Accommodating the variation in perception would require individual approaches for the design of constituent spaces in a healthcare facility. With regard to the integration of user perception in design, the research demonstrates that qualitative indicators such as perception can be integrated in automated design frameworks and, therefore, design decisions can be based on a mix of quantitative and qualitative evidence. The application of automated layout planning system in the design of healthcare space layouts also demonstrates that computer-mediated systems and frameworks are a promising alternative to traditional manual design, if increasing number of design factors and objectives are to be reconciled for decision making.

Video game characters must almost always be able to travel from point A to point B and this task can be solved in various ways. There exist grid maps, waypoints, mesh navigation and hierarchical techniques to solve this problem. On randomly generated terrain we make use of automatically generated waypoints to solve pathfinding queries. The waypoints are connected by edges to create a waypoint graph and the graph can be used in real time pathfinding for a single agent in a static environment. This is done by finding the vertices of the blocked triangles from the terrain and place a waypoint on each. We make use of the GPU to create the waypoint graph. The waypoints are connected by utilizing a serialized GPU quad tree to find the relevant blocked geometry to do a line-triangle intersection test. If a line between two waypoints do not intersect any blocked geometry the connection is valid and stored. We found out that it is possible to generate a waypoint graph during the startup of the game with acceptable time results, make use of such a graph for real time pathfinding and that players perceive the paths generated by the algorithm as realistic and responsive. Our conclusion is that our solution is well suited for a deterministic environment with agents of the same size.

Este trabalho propõe um método para análise de níveis de serviço em praças de pedágio brasileiras. Para atingir o objetivo proposto, foram levantados: (i) dados de tráfego característicos de rodovias e praças de pedágio brasileiras; (ii) características geométricas de praças de pedágio no Brasil; e (iii) a percepção de usuários de praças de pedágio de diferentes estados brasileiros acerca da qualidade de serviço em praças. Os dados de tráfego e características geométricas foram utilizados na elaboração de cenários microssimulados que buscaram representar situações de tráfego encontradas em praças de pedágio de todo o Brasil. Os cenários foram avaliados por usuários de praças de diferentes estados em pesquisa qualitativa. A pesquisa qualitativa também foi aplicada junto a técnicos responsáveis pela fiscalização e operação das praças de todo o país. A partir dos resultados da pesquisa qualitativa, foram realizadas modelagens e obtidas equações que relacionam a qualidade percebida pelos diferentes grupos com os fatores intervenientes na percepção de qualidade de serviço utilizados na pesquisa. Os resultados indicaram que: (i) o comprimento de filas nas cabines exerce forte influência sobre a qualidade percebida nas praças por todos os grupos; (ii) existe certa uniformidade entre as percepções de qualidade de usuários de praças de todos os estados pesquisados; e (iii) existem diferenças expressivas entre as percepções de técnicos e de usuários acerca da qualidade de serviço nas praças. Este trabalho propõe escalas de níveis de serviço relacionadas com a qualidade percebida pelos diferentes grupos, utilizando o comprimento médio de filas nas cabines como indicador de desempenho. Diferentemente do critério utilizado no HCM 2000 para avaliação de níveis de serviço em rodovias, as escalas propostas neste estudo não apresentam qualquer relação entre os níveis de serviço e a capacidade das praças. / This paper proposes a method for analyzing the level of service at Brazilian toll plazas. In order to achieve this purpose, a research was performed to identify: (i) traffic data representing the specific conditions of Brazilian highways and toll plazas; (ii) geometrical characteristics of toll plazas in Brazil; (iii) user perception about the quality of service of toll plazas across different Brazilian states. Traffic data and geometric characteristics were used to model microsimulated scenarios representing traffic situations found at toll plazas throughout Brazil. The scenarios were evaluated by toll plaza users from different Brazilian states through a qualitative research. The research was also applied to technicians from the Supervising Agencies and technicians responsible for toll plazas operation. The outcomes of the qualitative research were models relating the quality of service perceived by each group with the factors influencing their perception. The results suggest that: (i) the queue length at toll booths has a strong influence on the perceived quality in toll plazas by all groups; (ii) there is some uniformity on the quality of service of toll plazas as perceived by users from all the states surveyed; and (iii) there are significant differences between the perceptions of technicians and users about the quality of service at toll plazas. This paper proposes level of service hierarchies relating the quality perceived by the different groups to the average queue length at toll booths. Unlike the criterion used in the HCM 2000 to evaluate levels of service on highways, the hierarchies proposed in this study show no relationship between levels of service and the capacity of toll plazas.

Este trabalho propõe um método para análise de níveis de serviço em praças de pedágio brasileiras. Para atingir o objetivo proposto, foram levantados: (i) dados de tráfego característicos de rodovias e praças de pedágio brasileiras; (ii) características geométricas de praças de pedágio no Brasil; e (iii) a percepção de usuários de praças de pedágio de diferentes estados brasileiros acerca da qualidade de serviço em praças. Os dados de tráfego e características geométricas foram utilizados na elaboração de cenários microssimulados que buscaram representar situações de tráfego encontradas em praças de pedágio de todo o Brasil. Os cenários foram avaliados por usuários de praças de diferentes estados em pesquisa qualitativa. A pesquisa qualitativa também foi aplicada junto a técnicos responsáveis pela fiscalização e operação das praças de todo o país. A partir dos resultados da pesquisa qualitativa, foram realizadas modelagens e obtidas equações que relacionam a qualidade percebida pelos diferentes grupos com os fatores intervenientes na percepção de qualidade de serviço utilizados na pesquisa. Os resultados indicaram que: (i) o comprimento de filas nas cabines exerce forte influência sobre a qualidade percebida nas praças por todos os grupos; (ii) existe certa uniformidade entre as percepções de qualidade de usuários de praças de todos os estados pesquisados; e (iii) existem diferenças expressivas entre as percepções de técnicos e de usuários acerca da qualidade de serviço nas praças. Este trabalho propõe escalas de níveis de serviço relacionadas com a qualidade percebida pelos diferentes grupos, utilizando o comprimento médio de filas nas cabines como indicador de desempenho. Diferentemente do critério utilizado no HCM 2000 para avaliação de níveis de serviço em rodovias, as escalas propostas neste estudo não apresentam qualquer relação entre os níveis de serviço e a capacidade das praças. / This paper proposes a method for analyzing the level of service at Brazilian toll plazas. In order to achieve this purpose, a research was performed to identify: (i) traffic data representing the specific conditions of Brazilian highways and toll plazas; (ii) geometrical characteristics of toll plazas in Brazil; (iii) user perception about the quality of service of toll plazas across different Brazilian states. Traffic data and geometric characteristics were used to model microsimulated scenarios representing traffic situations found at toll plazas throughout Brazil. The scenarios were evaluated by toll plaza users from different Brazilian states through a qualitative research. The research was also applied to technicians from the Supervising Agencies and technicians responsible for toll plazas operation. The outcomes of the qualitative research were models relating the quality of service perceived by each group with the factors influencing their perception. The results suggest that: (i) the queue length at toll booths has a strong influence on the perceived quality in toll plazas by all groups; (ii) there is some uniformity on the quality of service of toll plazas as perceived by users from all the states surveyed; and (iii) there are significant differences between the perceptions of technicians and users about the quality of service at toll plazas. This paper proposes level of service hierarchies relating the quality perceived by the different groups to the average queue length at toll booths. Unlike the criterion used in the HCM 2000 to evaluate levels of service on highways, the hierarchies proposed in this study show no relationship between levels of service and the capacity of toll plazas.

Este trabalho propõe um método para análise de níveis de serviço em praças de pedágio brasileiras. Para atingir o objetivo proposto, foram levantados: (i) dados de tráfego característicos de rodovias e praças de pedágio brasileiras; (ii) características geométricas de praças de pedágio no Brasil; e (iii) a percepção de usuários de praças de pedágio de diferentes estados brasileiros acerca da qualidade de serviço em praças. Os dados de tráfego e características geométricas foram utilizados na elaboração de cenários microssimulados que buscaram representar situações de tráfego encontradas em praças de pedágio de todo o Brasil. Os cenários foram avaliados por usuários de praças de diferentes estados em pesquisa qualitativa. A pesquisa qualitativa também foi aplicada junto a técnicos responsáveis pela fiscalização e operação das praças de todo o país. A partir dos resultados da pesquisa qualitativa, foram realizadas modelagens e obtidas equações que relacionam a qualidade percebida pelos diferentes grupos com os fatores intervenientes na percepção de qualidade de serviço utilizados na pesquisa. Os resultados indicaram que: (i) o comprimento de filas nas cabines exerce forte influência sobre a qualidade percebida nas praças por todos os grupos; (ii) existe certa uniformidade entre as percepções de qualidade de usuários de praças de todos os estados pesquisados; e (iii) existem diferenças expressivas entre as percepções de técnicos e de usuários acerca da qualidade de serviço nas praças. Este trabalho propõe escalas de níveis de serviço relacionadas com a qualidade percebida pelos diferentes grupos, utilizando o comprimento médio de filas nas cabines como indicador de desempenho. Diferentemente do critério utilizado no HCM 2000 para avaliação de níveis de serviço em rodovias, as escalas propostas neste estudo não apresentam qualquer relação entre os níveis de serviço e a capacidade das praças. / This paper proposes a method for analyzing the level of service at Brazilian toll plazas. In order to achieve this purpose, a research was performed to identify: (i) traffic data representing the specific conditions of Brazilian highways and toll plazas; (ii) geometrical characteristics of toll plazas in Brazil; (iii) user perception about the quality of service of toll plazas across different Brazilian states. Traffic data and geometric characteristics were used to model microsimulated scenarios representing traffic situations found at toll plazas throughout Brazil. The scenarios were evaluated by toll plaza users from different Brazilian states through a qualitative research. The research was also applied to technicians from the Supervising Agencies and technicians responsible for toll plazas operation. The outcomes of the qualitative research were models relating the quality of service perceived by each group with the factors influencing their perception. The results suggest that: (i) the queue length at toll booths has a strong influence on the perceived quality in toll plazas by all groups; (ii) there is some uniformity on the quality of service of toll plazas as perceived by users from all the states surveyed; and (iii) there are significant differences between the perceptions of technicians and users about the quality of service at toll plazas. This paper proposes level of service hierarchies relating the quality perceived by the different groups to the average queue length at toll booths. Unlike the criterion used in the HCM 2000 to evaluate levels of service on highways, the hierarchies proposed in this study show no relationship between levels of service and the capacity of toll plazas.

Currently, user satisfaction is becoming one of the major concerns for the service provider in accommodating user demand. This paper evaluates the user’s perception (Quality of Experience, QoE) of the increasing and decreasing response times (Quality of Service, QoS), in particular a login to web login page by the implementation of Mean Opinion Score (MOS). By comparing the results to user perception of web login performance, we show that the users perceive web login for increasing and decreasing RTs in different ways. So, we conduct interview among specific users applying increased and decreased RTs in particular web login to rank the users satisfaction level. Study of the two results for RTs of the web login page is presented.

Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging technological revolution, a new paradigm, with the ability to improve our lives in many areas. Smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart energy management, industrial processing, healthcare, logistics, transport, agriculture & farming, are a some of the areas where IoT is expected to make a big difference. The IoT growth has been almost exponential and is expected to reach between 20 and 43 billion smart devices by 2025., However, for the technology to be widely accepted and adopted, it needs to provide the users with benefits that upweights the cost and risks. but for the technology to be widely accepted and adopted by the users, it needs to provide the users with benefits that upweights the cost and risks. While new functionality is continuously added and the cost decreases with larger volumes and technological advances, the risk is also growing the more the technology is involved in our lives. An increasing number of serious incidents where threat sources gain unauthorized access, or personal data being disclosed or misused, have a negative impact on user adoption. However, producers and service providers prioritize putting their products on the market as fast as possible, and don’t seem to be aware that users find security and privacy as important as functionality. Therefore, it is of great importance that threat sources won’t be able to gain unauthorized access and that users’ personal data aren’t disclosed. However, producers and service providers prioritize putting their products on the market as fast as possible, and don’t seem to be aware that users are willing to pay as much for security and privacy as for new functionality.  It is however not enough to solve the worst issues. Most users are not experts and can’t assess the resilience of a system. Government, producers and service providers must therefore apply a user perspective, understanding and recognizing users concerns, and work actively towards gaining the trust of the users. While the research in security technology is in rapid progress, there is still fundamental research gaps in the perception of IoT security and privacy, the creation of trust, and the barriers for IoT adoption. This paper takes on a holistic approach to examine how producers and service providers can gain user trust and facilitate home IoT adoption