It is shown that a realistic controlled bidirectional remote state preparation is possible using a large class of entangled quantum states having a particular structure. Existing protocols of probabilistic, deterministic and joint remote state preparation are generalized to obtain the corresponding protocols of controlled bidirectional remote state preparation (CBRSP). A general way of incorporating the effects of two wellknown noise processes, the amplitude-damping and phase-damping noise, on the probabilistic CBRSP process is studied in detail by considering that noise only affects the travel qubits of the quantum channel used for the probabilistic CBRSP process. Also indicated is how to account for the effect of these noise channels on deterministic and joint remote state CBRSP protocols.

The effect of noise on various protocols of secure quantum communication has been studied. Specifically, we have investigated the effect of amplitude damping, phase damping, squeezed generalized amplitude damping, Pauli type as well as various collective noise models on the protocols of quantum key distribution, quantum key agreement, quantum secure direct quantum communication and quantum dialogue. From each type of protocol of secure quantum communication, we have chosen two protocols for our comparative study; one based on single qubit states and the other one on entangled states. The comparative study reported here has revealed that single-qubit-based schemes are generally found to perform better in the presence of amplitude damping, phase damping, squeezed generalized amplitude damping noises, while entanglement-based protocols turn out to be preferable in the presence of collective noises. It is also observed that the effect of noise entirely depends upon the number of rounds of quantum communication involved in a scheme of quantum communication. Further, it is observed that squeezing, a completely quantum mechanical resource present in the squeezed generalized amplitude channel, can be used in a beneficial way as it may yield higher fidelity compared to the corresponding zero squeezing case.

PurposeHealthcare systems are very costly and the inpatient treatment in hospitals is a major part of these costs. The question is, how can greater efficiency be effected without influencing the core business of a hospital – the cure of patients. Through improving the process flow of facility management (FM) processes, savings within these processes and less disturbance of primary processes should be accomplishable.Design/methodology/approachIn order to help introducing professional FM methods in hospitals the OPIK research project has designed standard processes for typical FM services. Processes have been field tested and evaluated in terms of interference with the core process as well as cost and quality factors have been determined.FindingsThe research has shown that standard processes can be defined and the performance can be improved through restructuring the process flow by having detailed knowledge of the process characteristics. The analysis of data through linear regression shows a significant correlation between product costs and possible clearing units. These results encourage to look for reasonable methods of cost allocation.Research limitations/implicationsIn terms of statistical significance the good results can be up valued through increasing the amount of data by applying the method in other hospitals. Future activities should concentrate on this room for improvement.Originality/valueFor the first time a reasonable basis for comparing FM processes in hospitals has been defined.

PurposeThe increasing percentage of aging population (longer life expectancy) and the changing financial policies in the healthcare systems put governments under pressure to optimize its healthcare expenditures without compromising quality. One way to cut down the costs is through improving and optimizing the facility management processes. This paper aims to focus on the issues surrounding this.Design/methodology/approachTo demonstrate the application of the research, service management (SM) process which deals with the building services related requests from the customer, one of the facility management (FM) processes, is taken as the focus of this paper. The study applies the lean principles to the SM process to identify the value added and non‐value added activities in the process. Process logistics flow is modified to comply with the lean theory. The collected data from six participating hospitals in Germany for the two months of the year 2002 are also used as inputs for the simulation model.FindingsSimulation is used to quantify the impact of the lean principles proposed changes on the system performance. The simulation analysis has proved to be an effective tool in the selection of optimum resources for the SM process in hospitals. The implementation of lean and simulation will assist the facility manager in the selection of the optimum crew size in various sub processes, thus eliminating the trial and error approach.Research limitations/implicationsTo develop a generic model for all categories of hospitals, substantial data are needed for the simulation model. In this paper, the SM process results from one category of hospitals are presented.Practical implicationsThe methodology can be extended to the other FM processes in different hospitals, with proper modification.Originality/valueThe simulated process model was useful to analyze “what if” scenarios for the decision‐making regarding optimum resource allocation.

The German health care system is in dire straits financially. The costs of stationary patient care in hospitals are prohibitive. Currently, 30 per cent of hospital costs are a result of facility related processes, a percentage representing the equivalent of more than €14bn annually. Optimising facility‐related processes in hospitals has the potential to incur major savings and improve medical processes at the same time ‐ meeting the strategic need to reduce health care costs without having a negative impact on the quality of the core competencies and processes of hospitals. This paper presents the findings of the OPIK research project, which analysed the interaction between primary (medical) and secondary (facility management) business processes in six hospitals, with a view to identifying a holistic approach and comprehensive framework for evaluating business processes to ensure their optimisation.