Purpose The purpose of this paper is to use a dynamic model of optimal patent design and, in the presence of information externalities, to study the evolution of technological progress in the context of a pharmaceutical industry. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical analysis approach is...

A 42‐question survey on usage and beliefs regarding sales force automation (SFA) was collected, along with actual sales performance data, on 1,641 sales representatives of a large international pharmaceutical company in Germany, England, and the United States. The relationships between beliefs...

Purpose – Highlights new robots introduced in the fall 2004 offer various benefits such as lower prices, internal cable management for arc welding, reduced floor space requirements, environmental protection and features for quicker application design and commissioning....

Reviews the application of industrial robots in cleanroom environments. Outlines how trends in electronics design are increasing the demand for cleanroom robots. Reviews how cleanroom robots can be used in disk drive and semiconductor production. Outlines how cleanroom robots are also necessary...

Despite the increased frequency and major importance of strategic alliances in the pharmaceutical industry, little is known about the formation of these alliances, or factors by which these alliances affect the business practices. The present study centers on strategic alliances formation in the...

For many years, ABB has been setting the standard for flexible automation in a wide range of industries. Combining pace with precision, the IRB 340 FlexPicker, for example, is opening up new markets as it drastically reduces the cost of pick and place operations. A range of refinements,...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is a “Q&A interview” conducted by Joanne Pransky of Industrial Robot Journal as a method to impart the combined technological, business and personal experience of a prominent, robotic industry PhD-turned-entrepreneur regarding the evolution,...

The degree of association between sophistication in distribution management and service performance differs across industries. While there are significant associations with some of the indicators of management sophistication in all three industries used in this study, there was no consistency in...

Physical distribution management in New Zealand, is still, in many companies, subordinate to other functions in the corporate organisational hierarchy. In this study of three industries (Menswear, Foodstuffs and Pharmaceuticals) it was found that most distribution executives were responsible for...