The present issue covers a wide range of topics addressing some of the key areas of Operations Management. The first paper, “Modeling the Switching Behavior of Multiple-SIM GSM Subscribers in Nigeria Using Markov Chain Analysis”, by E O Oyatoye, S O Adebiyi and B B Amole, examines the analytical modeling of mobile phone subscribers’ switching behavior among four major mobile telecommunication network service providers in Nigeria. The authors have used a questionnaire survey method to model a framework of Markov chain process. The findings reveal that many subscribers still hold multiple-SIM of network providers, unlike other countries where people have embraced the Mobile Number Portability (MNP), thereby compelling the network providers to improve their quality of services to retain existing subscribers and attract potential customers who will switch from other service providers. This study is relevant to understand the long-term market standing in terms of market share of the mobile phone service providers.

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) take up most assignments as projects and strive to complete them to the satisfaction of customers in order to maintain a competitive edge. The success of a project depends on several issues including good technical design, timely response, knowledge of processes, usage of quality materials and tools, and continuous feedback. The second paper, “Analysis of Project Success Issues: The Case of a Manufacturing SME”, by Sudhakar Dasari, Nasina Jigeesh and A Prabhukumar, focuses on the criteria to complete the projects within time and budget by surveying and studying national and international projects in a manufacturing SME in Hyderabad, India.

The third paper, “The Impact of Cannibalization on Product Returns for Remanufacturing Under Different Demand Scenarios”, by Siddhartha Kushwaha and Sourabh Bhattacharya, is an effort to understand the impact of cannibalization on product return under different demand scenarios during product life cycle. The authors use a system dynamic model to estimate product return for a hypothetical product P. Based on the findings, the authors opine that product return increases with increasing product demand during growth stage under the exposure of cannibalization, and product return decreases with increase in cannibalization during maturity stage. The authors recommend that original equipment manufacturers can venture into remanufacturing during growth stage and it can lead to capital investment saving at initial product life cycle stage.

The last paper, “Electrical Transmission Line Installation Projects: A Six Sigma Approach for Project Risk Management”, by Shwetank Parihar, Chandan Bhar and Randhir Kumar, is based on designing and analyzing a methodology that improves the project risk management process by having efficient monitoring system. Six Sigma level of accuracy is conceptualized in this study for electrical transmission line installation projects. On analyzing the possibility of risk occurrence on sigma levels for each pre-decided parameter, it is found that technical parameters have got the maximum number of risks associated with them. Hence, the proposed methodology is able to provide a guideline for risk monitoring for electrical transmission line installation projects.

-- Anupam Ghosh
Consulting Editor