Innovative Research Award
Yan Zhou
Zhejiang Wanli University, China
Yan Zhou is a researcher affiliated with Zhejiang Wanli University whose documented research profile includes work in supply chain innovation and after-sales service decision-making. The research topic “Selecting after-sales provider of complex product based on game and matching framework” addresses an important managerial and analytical problem: how firms can select an appropriate after-sales service provider for complex products by considering strategic interactions and compatibility between service requirements and provider capabilities. Such research is relevant to modern supply chains in which product value increasingly depends on service continuity, technical support, maintenance, and lifecycle management. [1]
Abstract
The research topic “Selecting after-sales provider of complex product based on game and matching framework” examines the selection of service providers for complex products from a strategic supply chain perspective. Complex products typically require specialized maintenance, technical expertise, spare-parts coordination, information exchange, and long-term service relationships. Provider selection therefore extends beyond conventional cost-based procurement and may require consideration of strategic behavior, service compatibility, capability matching, and relationship outcomes. A game-theoretic perspective can provide a structured means of examining interactions among supply chain participants, while a matching framework can support systematic comparison between product-service requirements and provider characteristics. These approaches are consistent with broader research showing that industrial service provision and servitization can alter value creation, organizational capabilities, and supply chain relationships. [2] [3]
Keywords
Keywords: supply chain innovation; after-sales service; complex products; provider selection; game theory; matching framework; service capability; supplier evaluation; lifecycle management; industrial services.
Introduction
After-sales service has become an important component of industrial competitiveness because customers frequently evaluate complex products according to both their initial performance and the availability of maintenance, support, repair, upgrades, and other lifecycle services. The increasing integration of products and services has contributed to the development of servitization-oriented business models, in which service capabilities become an important part of value creation. [2]
Selecting an after-sales provider for a complex product is consequently a multidimensional decision. A suitable provider may need to demonstrate technical competence, geographical coverage, responsiveness, reliability, information-processing capability, and compatibility with the focal firm’s operational objectives. Service quality research likewise indicates that customer assessments can involve multiple dimensions rather than a single price or performance variable. [3]
The use of game theory adds a strategic dimension to provider selection by recognizing that supply chain participants may have different objectives and may respond to one another’s decisions. Game-theoretic approaches have been widely applied to supply chain coordination and contracting, providing analytical tools for examining strategic relationships between firms. [4]
Research Profile
Yan Zhou’s supplied research profile identifies Zhejiang Wanli University as the institutional affiliation and supply chain innovation as the principal subject area represented on this page. The supplied Scopus record reports 10 documents, 51 citations, and an h-index of 4. These bibliometric indicators provide a quantitative description of the indexed publication record but should be interpreted together with the substantive contribution, methodological quality, and relevance of individual studies. [1]
Research Contributions
The supplied article topic contributes to the study of after-sales service provider selection by combining strategic analysis with a matching perspective. Rather than treating provider selection as a purely transactional procurement exercise, the framework considers how the characteristics of the product, service requirements, and providers may interact. This is particularly relevant for complex products for which service failures can influence operational continuity and customer value.
- It frames after-sales provider selection as a structured decision problem involving multiple service and organizational characteristics.
- It introduces a strategic perspective in which decisions by one supply chain participant may influence the incentives or responses of another.
- It uses matching logic to connect complex-product requirements with the capabilities and characteristics of potential service providers.
- It provides a conceptual basis for improving provider-selection decisions in lifecycle-oriented supply chain management.
The combination of strategic and matching perspectives is relevant to contemporary supply chains because service relationships often involve interdependence, information asymmetry, and differing objectives. Research on supply chain coordination demonstrates the importance of considering strategic behavior when designing and evaluating inter-organizational decisions. [4]
Publications
The publication information supplied for this recognition page identifies the following research article. Complete bibliographic information such as journal title, volume, issue, pages, publication year, and DOI was not provided in the source data and is therefore not inferred here.
The broader research context is connected with established scholarship on service-oriented business models and supply chain decision-making. Studies of servitization emphasize the organizational and strategic implications of integrating services with products, while supply chain research demonstrates how strategic interactions can affect coordination and performance. [2] [4]
Research Impact
The reported Scopus record of 10 documents, 51 citations, and an h-index of 4 indicates an indexed research output with measurable scholarly visibility. [1] Bibliometric indicators, however, represent only one dimension of research impact. The practical significance of research on after-sales provider selection can also be considered through its potential relevance to manufacturers, service organizations, procurement teams, and supply chain managers responsible for complex-product lifecycle performance.
A structured provider-selection framework may support organizations in comparing alternative service providers according to strategic fit and service capability. Such an approach is particularly relevant when after-sales activities involve specialized knowledge, long-term contracts, technical coordination, and customer-facing service responsibilities. The research therefore sits at the intersection of supply chain management, service operations, strategic decision-making, and industrial innovation.
Award Suitability
The research topic demonstrates characteristics relevant to an Innovative Research Award because it addresses a contemporary supply chain decision problem through a combined analytical perspective. Its focus on complex-product after-sales service reflects the increasing importance of lifecycle management and service-based value creation. The integration of game-theoretic reasoning with a matching framework provides a structured approach to understanding provider-selection decisions rather than relying solely on conventional supplier evaluation.
For award assessment, the work can be considered in relation to methodological clarity, originality of the proposed framework, relevance to supply chain innovation, analytical rigor, applicability to complex-product service environments, and potential contribution to academic and managerial decision-making. The supplied bibliometric profile may provide supporting evidence of scholarly visibility, while the substantive contribution of the research should remain the principal basis for academic evaluation.
- Innovation: integration of game and matching perspectives in after-sales provider selection.
- Relevance: direct connection with supply chain innovation and complex-product lifecycle services.
- Analytical value: consideration of strategic interactions among supply chain participants.
- Practical value: potential support for structured service-provider evaluation and selection.
- Scholarly visibility: reported Scopus-indexed output of 10 documents, 51 citations, and an h-index of 4.
Conclusion
Yan Zhou’s research in supply chain innovation, represented here by the study “Selecting after-sales provider of complex product based on game and matching framework,” addresses an important decision problem in the management of complex-product services. The combination of strategic game analysis and matching logic provides a relevant framework for considering provider selection as a multidimensional supply chain decision. The topic has potential academic and practical relevance to organizations seeking to improve after-sales service relationships, lifecycle support, and provider compatibility.
Based on the information supplied for this page, the research profile includes 10 Scopus-indexed documents, 51 citations, and an h-index of 4. These indicators, together with the subject focus on supply chain innovation and the stated research contribution, provide supporting context for consideration under the Innovative Research Award at the International Academic Achievements & Awards.
External Links
References
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- Elsevier. (n.d.). Scopus author details: Yan Zhou, Author ID 57221261492. Scopus.https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57221261492
- Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12–40.https://doi.org/10.1177/002224298805200304
- Cachon, G. P., & Lariviere, M. A. (2005). Supply chain coordination with revenue-sharing contracts: Strengths and limitations. Management Science, 51(1), 30–44.https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1040.0215