bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of heretics in corporate development
Authors: Lloyd Bruce , Kleiner Art
Published: July 2002

In a discussion with Bruce Lloyd, Art Kleiner, author of The Age of Heretics, defines the organizational heretic and discusses their role in continuous improvement. Argues that these counter‐cultural people should be listened to, as they are on the fulcrum of organizational learning. Discusses how to be a heretic and still be effective.
Regrounding the concept of leadership
Authors: Andrews J.P. , Field Richard H.G.
Published: July 2002

Reports the initial exploratory studies in a programme of research that aims to investigate the role of mental models in leadership. Drawing from a cognitive approach, the studies use metaphors as tools to illustrate the models of the leadership construct that are prevalent in lay psychology in an atheoretical, decontextualised manner. The findings show that lay concepts of leadership are less complex and more robust than academic concepts. Implications for both research and the transfer of knowledge to industry are discussed.
When formal ethics policies differ from informal expectations: a test of managers’ attitudes
Authors: Sims Randi L.
Published: July 2002

This study explores the relationship between conflicting ethical expectations and managerial attitudes. Using a sample of 107 managerial level employees, the findings indicate that as the perceived difference between formal and informal ethical expectations increases, intentions to turnover increase and job satisfaction, organizational satisfaction, and affective commitment decrease.
A compliance device for flexible close tolerance assembly
Authors: Edmondson N.F. , Redford A.H.
Published: July 2002

A compliance device combining passive and active compliance has been tested and developed for an anthropomorphic robot for use during assembly operations. The device has the ability to correct for angular and lateral misalignments between mating parts, resulting in no equipment or part damage. The method of control, the design features of the device and the modifications made to enable the device to be used by an anthropomorphic robot are described and future modifications which will enable the device to operate more effectively are discussed.
Robots at the heart of the welding system
Authors: Wilson Mike
Published: July 2002

Welding has been one of the leading applications for industrial robots since they were first introduced in the late 1970s. The majority of the early installations were spot welding applications in the automotive industry and by the mid “80 s it was unusual to see a car plant without a couple of hundred robots wielding spot‐weld guns.
X‐ray guided robotic radiosurgery for solid tumors
Authors: Bodduluri Mohan , McCarthy J.M.
Published: July 2002

This paper presents an overview of the x‐ray guided robotic radiosurgery system that has been developed for the ablation of solid tumors. A robot‐mounted linear accelerator is directed through a sequence of positions and orientations designed to deliver high radiation dosages focused at a specific location. Patient movement during treatment is identified by stereo x‐ray measurements and the robotic system adjusts the linear accelerator prior to the delivery of radiation at each location. The result is accurate delivery without rigid fixation of the tumor relative to the treatment system.
R&D to operations transition management
Authors: Brah Shaukat A. , Hunsucker John L.
Published: July 2002

This paper outlines some strategic considerations in the transition of an organization from essentially a research and development or design environment to an operational or production environment. We propose a transition life cycle model that is in agreement with the existing life cycle models. The building blocks of the research are the results of an extensive literature search and a series of industrial interviews. The desired expectation of this effort was to find methods for moving NASA’s space shuttle program into an era of routine, timely operations. Proposes utilizing some existing concepts of change for achieving a smooth transformation under various levels of technical, political, cultural, managerial and economic uncertainties. Recommends an initial planning stage followed by various possible courses of actions and considerations for the transition. We hope that the framework presented in this paper will serve the individuals and organizations considering a major transition, especially those from a research and development to an operational one.
Systematic approach to activity based costing of the production planning activity in the book manufacturing industry
Authors: Walker Curtis , L’abbe Wu Nesa
Published: July 2002

This paper justifies the need for moving indirect production planning costing in the book manufacturing industry toward direct production planning costing. Principles of activity based costing are utilized to accomplish this feat. This paper develops a methodology to break down the various tasks required in planning a job for production in the book manufacturing industry and to apply time measurement to these activities. These time measurements can then be used to individually cost the planning process of any book manufacturing company. The methodology is tested and justified through extensive data collection and application in a major book manufacturing firm. Thus, this industry can now effectively apply cost to activities of the planning process for each individual job as a direct cost, rather than an indirect one.
Suppliers and environmental innovation
Authors: Geffen Charlette A. , Rothenberg Sandra
Published: July 2002

Automobile assembly plants worldwide face increasing pressures in the environmental arena. How a plant responds to these issues has significant implications for the cost and quality of plant operations. This paper uses three case studies of US assembly plants to examine the role of partnerships between original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their suppliers in improving the environmental performance of manufacturing operations. We find that strong partnerships with suppliers, supported by appropriate incentive systems, were a significant element of the successful application of innovative environmental technologies. Supplier staff members were an important part of achieving environmental performance improvements while maintaining production quality and cost goals. The management factors influencing the extent and nature of supplier involvement are identified. The results of this work point to the importance of suppliers in addressing the manufacturing challenges of the future.
Management practices for environmental innovation and performance
Authors: Theyel Gregory
Published: July 2002

This paper explores whether there are discernible differences in the environmental innovation and performance of US chemical firms that can be explained by differences in the management practices and characteristics of the firms. Using data from a national survey, firm visits, and phone interviews, this research assesses the pervasiveness of the adoption of environmental management practices. It also assesses whether the adoption of these practices is related to leadership in environmental innovation and performance. This paper shows high levels of adoption of several practices for improving environmental innovation and performance. Firms are using practices such as total quality management, certification of suppliers, R&D, and the involvement of employees in innovation and training to integrate environmental management with their production systems. In addition, firms with the highest adoption levels of environmental practices have substituted cleaner materials and changed their production processes for cleaner production, and they are leaders in reducing their generation of chemical waste.
Improving operations performance in a small company: a case study
Authors: Gunasekaran A. , Forker L. , Kobu B.
Published: July 2002

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in modern economies because of their flexibility and ability to innovate. In nearly every country, SMEs play a significant role in providing employment opportunities and supporting large scale manufacturing firms. However, there are not many studies reported in the literature that deal with productivity problems in SMEs. Considering the importance of SMEs, the experiences of a small company engaged in continuous improvement and a related conceptual model are discussed here to highlight how productivity can be improved with limited resources. The case study presented in this paper was conducted at Valeo; a French company located in England that produces wiper systems for the automotive industry in the UK. The wiper systems include containers, pumps, jets and hoses. Valeo produces a wide variety of low volume parts for various customers in a job shop environment. The objective of the project was to improve productivity in two cells of the company, namely the Honda/Rover cell and the headlamp cleaning cell. Next, the aim was to identify potential areas for cost savings resulting from productivity gains. Finally, implementation issues associated with productivity improvement strategies in a small company are discussed.
MIS‐user interface design for job shop manufacturing environment
Authors: Mandal P. , Baliga B.
Published: July 2002

This paper describes a framework in developing MIS‐user interfaces to highlight how generic management information systems can be made more useful to managerial decision making. The suggested framework has been implemented in a medium‐sized job shop manufacturing company. Object‐oriented programming technology is used to provide flexible access to information stored by a generic MIS, namely ManuSoft. To improve the usefulness of the MIS, 20 interfacing programs relating to the information requirements at operational, planning and strategic levels have been developed and implemented. For purposes of illustration, three such programs have been described in this paper.
Integration of human resource management and competitive priorities of manufacturing strategy
Authors: Santos Fernando C.A.
Published: July 2002

This article investigates the relationship between the functional areas of manufacturing and human resources by analysing the practices of human resource management associated with the competitive priorities of manufacturing strategy, e.g. quality, delivery performance, flexibility and cost. Within strategic business management, both the competitive priorities of manufacturing and the practices of human resource management need to be observed by the whole organisation. In this way, this study presents how human resource management practices are aligned to business strategies based on cost reduction, quality, delivery performance and product innovation. These practices may also be arranged in different ways in a particular competitive strategy.
Experience curves in services: macro and micro level approaches
Authors: Chambers Stuart , Johnston Robert
Published: July 2002

Evaluates the benefits and problems of applying the experience curve in two very different service organisations. The first case shows how an experience curve has been calculated at a macro (organisation) level for British Airways over a 20 year period, including the time at which it was privatised. The second example shows an application over the first year of operation of a high‐volume paperwork processing operation within a financial services organisation. These studies demonstrate that experience curves can be applied to great effect in high volume service organisations, but a single measure of output needs to be established. The paper also shows how different phases and rates of learning may be linked to organisational and technological change, and discusses how an experience curve might be used to monitor improvement and establish future cost‐related performance objectives.
Lean production and sustainable competitive advantage
Authors: Lewis Michael A.
Published: July 2002

Today, “lean” may no longer be fashionable but its core principles (flow, value, pull, minimizing waste etc.) have become the paradigm for many manufacturing (and service) operations. Given this pre‐eminence, the paper seeks to establish what impact it has had on the overall competitive positions of adopter firms. Combining normative and critical theory (from lean production and resource‐based view of the firm literature) with empirical material drawn from three case studies, the paper argues that lean production can underpin competitive advantage if the firm is able to appropriate the productivity savings it creates. Similarly, the ambiguity of lean production in practice means that the implementation process can create strategic resources to underpin sustainable competitive advantage. Problematically, however, the paper also suggests that being “lean” can curtail the firm’s ability to achieve long‐term flexibility. It concludes with suggestions for further work.
Local rules: their application in a kanban system
Authors: Haslett Tim , Osborne Charles
Published: July 2002

A theory of local rules was developed using Kauffman and Holland’s work on fitness landscapes. Local rules are used by individuals to increase their chances of survival on a fitness landscape. This paper reports on results from a simulation model of the local rules used by managers in the operation of a kanban system. In this case, local rules were used to optimise chances of survival by deflecting senior management criticism of potential stockouts in the system. The local rules used by the managers were modelled and their success and unintended consequences were reported. Some tentative conclusions about the effectiveness of local rules were advanced.
An information‐theoretic methodology for measuring the operational complexity of supplier‐customer systems
Authors: Sivadasan S. , Efstathiou J. , Frizelle G. , Shirazi R. , Calinescu A.
Published: July 2002

In a dynamic environment such as the supply chain, even basic supplier‐customer systems with structurally simple information and material flow formations have a tendency to exhibit operational complexity. The operational complexity of supplier‐customer systems is primarily characterised by the uncertainty of the system. As the operational complexity of a system increases there is an associated increase in the amount of information required to monitor and manage that system. Based on this understanding, a novel information‐theoretic entropy‐based methodology for measuring and analysing the operational complexity of supplier‐customer systems has been developed. This paper makes contributions in the theoretical, conceptual and practical developments of the methodology. The methodology can quantitatively detect and prioritise operational complexity hotspots. At the interface, the framework can identify and quantify the transfer of operational complexity. Within the internal manufacturing system, the framework provides a comparative operational complexity measure across sub‐systems such as flows and products. This entropy‐based methodology provides a tool for identifying and measuring four classes of operational complexity transfer corresponding to the extent to which organisations generate, absorb, export and import operational complexity.
Mass customization origins: mass or custom manufacturing?
Authors: Duray Rebecca
Published: July 2002

Mass customization presents a paradox to traditional manufacturing practices. Historically, companies chose to produce either customized, crafted products or mass‐produced, standardized products. Thus, mass customization presents a paradox by combining customization and mass production, offering unique products in a mass‐produced, low cost, high volume production environment. If mass customization is truly a combination of mass production and craft manufacturer, how does a manufacturer become a mass customizer? Are the key principles of mass customization rooted in customized product knowledge or mass production techniques? Does the path to mass customization impact financial performances? This paper begins to answer these questions by exploring the total product mix of mass customizing plants using data gathered from 126 mass customizers. This study shows plants that choose mass customization approaches that match the non‐mass customized product line characteristics have higher financial performance than those firms without a matched product line.
Measuring the operational performance of a public transit company
Authors: Parkan Celik
Published: July 2002

This paper reports a study that was carried out to obtain comprehensive performance ratings to gauge the productive and service quality performance of a public transit company using a recent performance measurement method called operational competitiveness rating (OCRA) analysis. The computed ratings incorporate the cost and revenue efficiency of operations, quality of service experience as perceived by commuters, and the quality of service delivery in specific areas measured internally. The ratings reflect the strategic priorities the company assigns to the financial and customer service implications of its operations. We demonstrate OCRA’s use as a diagnostic tool to examine a series of scenarios to construct performance profiles corresponding to different managerial priorities.
A Make‐or‐Buy Decision Analysis Involving Imprecise Data
Authors: Paul Yoon K. , Naadimuthu G.
Published: July 2002

The make‐or‐buy decision has been performed on the assumption that cost
data are deterministic and accurate. The data available to decision
makers are often highly imprecise because of estimation inaccuracy
and/or errors in measurement. The bounded interval estimate is a common
allowance scheme to compensate for the inherent estimating error.
Applies the propagation of errors technique to evaluate make‐or‐buy
alternatives with estimate errors. The numerical examples show how the
proposed error analysis generates more discerning power when assessing
competing alternatives.
Improving Service: Managing Response Time in Hospitality Operations
Authors: Jones Peter , Dent Michael
Published: July 2002

Investigates customer attitudes to waiting times in the hotel and
restaurant industry, based broadly on Maister′s “psychology of waiting
lines”. Results of a survey of 100 customers suggest that customer
behaviour is affected by the length of time they have to wait. Also
investigates the response times found in typical hotel and restaurant
operations managed by Forte plc. Comparison is made between customer
attitudes and the firm′s ability to deliver. On the basis of this the
company developed ten key action points aimed at improving performance
with respect to response times. Explains specific examples of
developments in service systems design and delivery in both hotels and
restaurants.
Vendor Selection Using Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM)
Authors: Mandal Anukul , Deshmukh S.G.
Published: July 2002

Vendor selection is one of the most important activities of a purchasing
department. Traditionally, vendors are selected for their ability to
meet the quality requirement, delivery performance and the price
offered. However, as they are selected not only to meet the immediate
requirement but also future needs, one needs to consider many other
factors when selecting a reliable vendor. Analyses some of the most
important criteria which have been classified into four categories:
autonomous, dependent, linkage and driver depending on their driver
power and dependence. Develops an interpretive structural model (ISM) to
show the inter‐relationship of different criteria and their levels of
importance in the vendor selection process. Reveals that “attitude and
willingness for business” and “after sales service” are as important
factors as quality, delivery and practice. These criteria are dependent
on all the others. This analysis could provide a meaningful analytical
base in the vendor selection process.
Joint Optimization of Age Replacement and Continuous Review Spare
Provisioning Policy
Authors: Zohrul Kabir A.B.M. , Al‐Olayan Ahmed S.
Published: July 2002

A new policy for joint optimization of age replacement and spare
provisioning has been proposed by incorporating a continuous review
(s, S) type inventory policy, where s is the reorder level and S is the
maximum stock level. Gives cost formulations for a single operating unit
situation and outlines simulation procedure to determine optimal values
of the decision variables by minimizing total cost of replacement and
inventory. Studies the behaviour of this policy for a large number of
case problems and highlights the effects of different cost elements,
item failure characteristics and lead time characteristics. Also
determines, for all case problems, optimal (s, S) policies to support
Barlow‐Proschan age policy. Simulation results clearly indicate that the
jointly optimal policy is more cost‐effective than Barlow‐Proschan
policy.
The Organizational Side of Flexible Manufacturing Technology
Authors: Jo Maffei Mary , Meredith Jack
Published: July 2002

Presents eight guidelines to help managers better utilize their flexible
manufacturing technology (FMT). Suggests changes in the operator′s role,
the production planning system and the integration of departments. The
conclusions are based primarily on an in‐depth study of six companies
using FMT. One of the overriding findings is the importance of the human
element in the successful use of FMT.
Maintenance Scheduling: Issues, Results and Research Needs
Authors: Paz Noemi M. , Leigh William
Published: July 2002

Productivity, based on estimated and actual hours, of most maintenance workers is only 30 to 50 per cent. Given the significance of maintenance to manufacturing competitiveness, it is surprising how little research is being carried out. Scheduling is a crucial component of maintenance management and is a focus of research. Identifies the areas of concern in maintenance scheduling and surveys representative work from the academic and practitioner literature. Specific points of practice and theory which need further investigation are pinpointed.
Design for Manufacturability and Time‐to‐Market, Part 1: Theoretical Foundations
Authors: Youssef Mohamed A.
Published: July 2002

Examines design for manufacturability (DFM) which has become of a paramount interest to academicians and practitioners as well. The emergence of advanced manufacturing and information technologies and recent managerial philosophies such as JIT, TQM have made it easier for manufacturing enterprises to carry out many of their activities concurrently. This new approach to business would no doubt result in increased efficiency, as measured by cost savings, and increased effectiveness as measured by improvements in quality, flexibility, and responsiveness. This new approach to manufacturing emphasizes that simultaneous improvement in these competitive priorities rather than trade‐offs will be the norm in many manufacturing establishments. Design for manufacturability, as a time‐based strategy, has been used by the Japanese for many years, and there is no reason to think that it will not work for Western manufacturers. However, if not planned for carefully, it can hurt rather than help manufacturing companies. In the cases that have been reported in literature so far, successes outnumber failures. Sheds light on the theoretical foundation of DFM as a time‐based technology. Examines the different approaches to product and processes design and compares and contrasts the traditional and concurrent approaches to manufacturing. Examines a number of DFM definitions in an attempt to offer a more representative definition. Analyses the main pillars of DFM and explains the necessary characteristics for successful implementation of DFM. Elaborates the benefits of DFM as reported in literature. Explains some of the drawbacks of DFM and introduces the reader to Part 2 of this article.
Design for manufacturability and time‐to‐market
Authors: Youssef Mohamed A.
Published: July 2002

Examines the impact of the intensity level of design for
manufacturability (DFM) on the time‐to‐market. Hypothesizes that
companies which use the DFM technology strategically are more likely
than their counterparts to exhibit a shorter time‐to‐market, introduce
new products and processes more often, and are more responsive to their
customers needs. An index for measuring the intensity level of DFM is
developed. The analysis was based on data collected from 165
manufacturing firms in three industry groups in US – industrial
machinery equipment, electronic and electric machinery equipment, and
transportation equipment. Suggests that differences in time‐to‐market
among firms with different intensity level of DFM do exist. Shows the
existence of moderate association between DFM and time‐to‐market, and
between DFM and introducing new products and new processes.
The effect of demand characteristics on labour scheduling methods
Authors: Brusco Michael J. , Reid Johns T.
Published: July 2002

Labour scheduling heuristic methods have been applied in service
operating environments using both actual and synthetic demand patterns.
Two important characteristics of these demand patterns are (1) demand
smoothness and (2) mean demand. Investigates the effects of demand
smoothness and mean demand on the solution quality associated with four
prominent heuristic methods. Indicates that both characteristics can
affect the performance of the heuristic methods. An especially important
finding is that the two methods which use information from linear
programming solutions are far more robust to changes in the degree of
demand smoothness. Concludes that managers should consider linear
programming methods as an alternative or supplement for making their
scheduling decisions. Also recommends that labour scheduling researchers
use multiple levels of mean demand and demand smoothness when evaluating
new heuristic methods.
Customer‐driven manufacturing
Authors: Berry William L. , Hill Terry J. , Klompmaker Jay E.
Published: July 2002

The basic tasks of a business are straight‐forward – getting
and keeping customers and making profits, both set within the context of
the short and long term. Explicit in these is not only a need for
marketing and manufacturing to work well in themselves but to work well
together. Companies, however, typically fail in this provision. To move
to a more competitive response in today′s difficult markets requires
more than co‐existence, it requires a shared partnership between the
core parts of the firm. Shared understanding of marketing and
manufacturing′s approach is the starting point. The other is building on
a shared understanding of the market itself. In such a way, a move to
being customer‐driven starts to take shape.
Performance measurement as a surrogate value of organizational
human resource
Authors: Kolay M.K. , Sahu K.C.
Published: July 2002

Proposes a method to assess the relative value of organizational
human resource (HR) based on total performance. The total performance of
the man‐machine resource base of an organization includes its
profitability together with how it affects the interests of consumers,
the national economy and society (i.e. other than profitability
performance). The total performance thus achieved, judged in relation to
the plant base used, reflects the productivity of HR. Such a
productivity level achieved by the HR viewed in relation to the
man‐related cost reflects the “external value” of HR. The
impact of certain uncontrollable external factors (which may not be
attributable to HR) has been assessed on the organizational total
performance to reflect the controllable dimension of HR value, i.e. the
“internal value” of organizational HR. The proposed method
has been applied in an integrated iron and steel plant to study its HR
value over a ten‐year period.
Just‐in‐time manufacturing and logistical complexity: a contingency model
Authors: Funk Jeffrey L.
Published: July 2002

Presents a model that hypothesizes relationships between logistical complexity and both the importance of JIT manufacturing and the most appropriate organization structure for implementing JIT manufacturing. Logistical complexity can be defined in terms of the number of manufacturing steps or the number of different part numbers handled in a factory. Hypothesizes that the greater a factory′s logistical complexity, the greater the importance of JIT manufacturing and the greater the interdependences between different manufacturing steps and people and thus the greater the need for co‐ordinating mechanisms.
A review of the order release policy research
Authors: Wisner Joel D.
Published: July 2002

Reviews a critical aspect of job shop scheduling research, namely
the decision regarding release timing of orders to the manufacturing
shopfloor. Covers articles specifically addressing the order release
problem; the information should prove helpful for researchers employing
order release policies in their research. The release decision
literature is classified into three areas: descriptive studies including
case and survey research, analytical or optimization‐based research, and
simulations of theoretical and empirically derived job shops. Presents
tables describing the release rules and summarizing the characteristics
of the simulation research. Identifies a number of topics within the
order release research area in need of further investigation, including
the comparison of larger sets of release rules, the use of more
realistic simulation models such as the dual resource constrained job
shop model, the need for further empirical identification of release
policies, and the use of release policies that consider dynamic shop
conditions.
Analysis of different transport solutions in the flexible
manufacturing cell by using computer simulation
Authors: Polajnar Andrej , Buchmeister Borut , Leber Marjan
Published: July 2002

Simulation has been gaining in acceptance as a tool which enables
industrial and manufacturing engineers to perform extensive analysis of
the problems they face on a daily basis. Analyses the productivity of a
system of four flexible machining centres with regard to the transport
of workpieces. Three types of transport were studied: automated
inductively guided vehicle, automated rail‐guided vehicle and automated
conveyor system. The simulation study has shown that the highest
productivity of the system is achieved when using automatic conveyor
belts as a transport means.
The six Ps of manufacturing strategy
Authors: Keong Leong G. , Ward Peter T.
Published: July 2002

The operating definition of manufacturing strategy in published
research has often been too restrictive to accommodate the entire gamut
of approaches used in practice. In particular, the manufacturing
strategies of world class manufacturers do not fit the prevalent
planning orientation suggested by many researchers. Claims a
multifaceted view of manufacturing strategy is needed to depict
accurately the strategic efforts of all manufacturers. Describes six
distinct views of the manufacturing strategy: planning, proactiveness,
pattern of actions, portfolio of manufacturing capabilities, programmes
of improvement, and performance measurement.
A comparative examination of selected cellular manufacturing
clustering algorithms
Authors: Cheng Chun‐Hung , Kumar Ashok , Motwani Jaideep
Published: July 2002

Cellular manufacturing is a layout approach to increase
productivity in manufacturing. The basic concept of cellular
manufacturing is to exploit the similarity between parts and
manufacturing processes. Parts similar in design and manufacture are
grouped into families. Then machines are identified to process part
families. In the literature, the problem is studied using two
approaches: standard and generalized formulations. Compares the
effectiveness of cluster analysis techniques for both formulations.
An empirical examination of factors influencing JIT success
Authors: Yasin Mahmoud M. , Wafa Marwan A.
Published: July 2002

Investigates empirically the impact of the different facets of manufacturing subsystems on just‐in‐time (JIT) success. Uses a sample of 130 large US manufacturing firms to test research hypotheses derived from an extensive literature review and a field study conducted by the authors. Discusses results and implications in the context of a consideration of the role of JIT as a strategic response to the changing manufacturing environment.
Assessing changes towards lean production
Authors: Karlsson Christer , Åhlström Pär
Published: July 2002

Develops a model which operationalizes the different principles in lean production, with a focus on those that concern the work organization in the manufacturing part of a company. The model has been developed using available theory and has also been tried out in a clinical field study. The model has implications both for research and practice. For research, it can be used as a model for operationalizing lean production to be able to study change processes properly. In practice, the model can be used as a tool to assess the development taking place in an effort to become lean. Finally, it can be used as a checklist for what to aim at when trying to implement lean production. Lean should be seen as a direction, rather than as a state to be reached after a certain time and, therefore, the focus lies on the changes in the determinants, not on their actual values.
A mixed‐integer programming approach for the international facilities location problem
Authors: Canel Cem , Khumawala Basheer M.
Published: July 2002

For many years, facilities location problems have attracted a great deal of attention in the literature. As a result, there is now a variety of methods for solving these problems. However, due to the recent interest, little research is found relating to the issues concerning international facilities location problems. Furthermore, in spite of the extensive modelling work done on facilities location, little modelling research exists on location problems. Provides a capacitated multi‐period, 0‐1 mixed integer programming formulation for the international facilities location problem and discusses its applications to an actual company case. This application is carried out to demonstrate not only how the model can be applied in practice but also to show its potential benefits when compared to other methods.
Empirically assessing the impact of BPR on manufacturing firms
Authors: Guimaraes Tor , Bond Wendi
Published: July 2002

Business process re‐engineering(BPR) has been touted by many as dramatic improvements become necessary for organizations to improve competitiveness and remain strong participants in economic development. While as a concept BPR is like “motherhood and apple pie”, in practice there are many unsuccessful cases. Aims to identify and rate the importance of factors proposed as important for successfully implementing BPR projects in organizations, the extent to which various problems and benefits are being encountered, the extent to which proposed BPR objectives are being included in project plans and are actually being derived, and the impact of BPR projects on specific business processes and on the organization as a whole. Tests several basic hypotheses regarding the BPR implementation process, and makes recommendations for managers to focus attention and resources on factors important to success, and to proceed in a fashion which minimizes the risk of failure.
Concurrent ordering in JIT production systems
Authors: Takahashi Katsuhiko , Nakamura Nobuto , Izumi Masanobu
Published: July 2002

Deals with the kanban system in just‐in‐time (JIT) production as a system of production planning and inventory control for multi‐stage production inventory systems, Constructs a queueing network model of the kanban system with SLAM II. Aims to improve the kanban system by modifying the flow of information. Because the orders for all stages are released concurrently, the modified system is called the concurrent ordering system. By means of simulation experiments, investigates and compares the performances of the models.
The market, technological and industry context of business process re‐engineering in the UK
Authors: Francis Arthur , MacIntosh Robert
Published: July 2002

Attempts to contextualize the current high level of interest in business process re‐engineering (BPR) in UK business and industry. Reviews a number of surveys of UK business involvement with BPR and suggests long‐term secular trends in the business environment of Western firms that seem likely to have encouraged its use. Presents a brief history of the development of BPR to date, examining some of the seminal works on BPR and highlighting the major debates currently found in the literature. Examines the novelty of BPR in relation to other, more established, management approaches, with particular emphasis on the similarities and differences between total quality management and BPR. From case studies reported by UK businesses in the literature and popular press, concludes that: a large number of applications are found in the financial services sector; there is a notable absence of BPR case studies in SMEs; and there is a lack of information available about the failure rates of BPR projects in UK businesses. Identifies several areas where further research is required. Concludes that BPR addresses the need for established enterprises to move to a new organizational paradigm, from one focused on functions to one focused on processes. This need to change has been brought about by the advancing capabilities of information technology, increased levels of competition, the increasing sophistication of consumers and the threats posed by new entrants who have already adopted radically different modes of operation. Since these forces for change appear to be long‐run tendencies in developed economies, BPR cannot be viewed as a passing fad.
A stepped composite methodology to redesign manufacturing processes through re‐engineering and benchmarking
Authors: Kam‐Chuen Yung Winco
Published: July 2002

Describes the redesign of manufacturing processes through re‐engineering and benchmarking. Demonstrates how to redesign an existing process and make it more effective to fit the needs of existing and future customers better. A four‐step composite methodology was adopted and implementation was carried out in six phases. Considers all aspects of the implementation: the initial analysis of the process of an existing manufacturing system; process redesign; implementation; and performance measurement. Measures the performance of the resulting process system using quantitative indicators which include process cycle times and saving of overheads. A maximum 33 per cent of accumulative improvement in turnaround time and a 50 per cent saving of the supervision overhead were observed. Discusses other features, such as increased commitment from top management, increased customer satisfaction, stronger team spirit, increased worker satisfaction, and innovativeness, which cannot be measured directly, and shows them to be major factors behind the successful implementation.
Trade‐off between maximizing throughput rate and minimizing system time in kanban systems
Authors: Andijani A.
Published: July 2002

Investigates the trade‐off between the average throughput rate and the average systems time using kanban discipline. Considers a multistage serial production line system with materials in the system controlled by kanban discipline. Presents simulation results to evaluate the production system performance in terms of the average throughput rate and the average system time for a fixed total number of kanbans over a given number of serial workstations. Constructs and compares efficient allocation sets for three and four workstations that are generated by kanban discipline for two processing time distributions, namely, uniform and exponential distributions. Based on the simulation results from three and four work‐stations, develops a general design rule to maximize the average throughput rate and to minimize the average system time. Analyses five and six workstations using the general design rule. Tests the validity of the general design rule by considering five and six workstations with a different number of kanbans. The results show that most of the efficient sets generated by the design rule are identical to those generated by enumerating all combinations of kanban allocations. However, using the general design rule reduces the simulation work tremendously.
Towards the manufacturing enterprises of the future
Authors: Vinodrai Pandya K. , Karlsson Andreas , Sega Stefano , Carrie A.
Published: July 2002

Presents a table comparing business process for the future manufacturing enterprises with a set of mapping techniques and methodologies. The first section is a brief introduction about the current situation for many European manufacturing companies. After that, describes the process‐based organization and a set of generic processes. Presents two key processes which were identified for each of five enterprises of the future suggested by Puttick. Following this, gives a description of the most common techniques and methodologies currently used, together with an evaluation of them. The table obtained by matching the processes with the techniques can be used as a guide when choosing the most suitable mapping technique or methodology for a enterprise’s key processes.
Implications of business process management for operations management
Authors: Armistead Colin , Machin Simon
Published: July 2002

Addresses how organizations are approaching Business process management. Following interviews in “leading edge” organizations, qualitative analysis has revealed key themes which may help inform others at an earlier stage in developing their approach to business process management. Presents research propositions, based on these themes, and on a categorization of business processes into operational, support, direction setting and managerial processes. There are implications for operations management in both the probable order of addressing these process categories and in the applicability of techniques and concepts from operations management.
Computer‐integrated operations: the introduction of a hospital information support system
Authors: Procter Stephen , Brown Andrew D.
Published: July 2002

Study of the integration of operations through the application of computer technologies has focused on the manufacturing sector. In looking at the difficulties found in operating these technologies, increasing emphasis is being placed on their organizational aspects. These have been examined in depth by Ebers and Lieb, who concentrate on the social processes in implementation and the effects of reducing organizational slack. Applies this framework to the integration of information systems in a UK hospital. Examines the effects of integration: the new system is circumvented and organizational slack is redistributed as well as removed. Shows the importance of the cultural differences underlying the social processes between those introducing and those using the system, as well as within each of these groups. The framework of analysis provided by Ebers and Lieb thus proves to be quite robust. Concludes that our concern should not be computer‐integrated manufacturing but computer‐integrated operations.
International manufacturing and location decisions: balancing configuration and co‐ordination aspects
Authors: Meijboom Bert , Vos Bart
Published: July 2002

Questions on configuration and co‐ordination are seldom integrated in research on international manufacturing and location decisions. Suggests a way in which these two aspects can be linked by combining concepts from international business and manufacturing strategy. Elaborates the practical relevance of this integration in the experiences of Dutch investors locating plants in Thailand. Simultaneous attention to configuration and co‐ordination enhances the understanding of the functioning of foreign plants in international networks and yields some important implications for managers responsible for international location issues.
Operations management research: some reflections on evolution, models and empirical studies in OM
Authors: Filippini Roberto
Published: July 2002

Introduces the special issue and starts with an overview of the evolution of OM studies. Examines the development of OM research, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s, both as regards topics and research approaches involved. Reflects on the problems and perspectives of the OM research which has been carried out on this question. Taking into account the fact that empirical research is assuming an increasingly important role in OM, seeks to highlight the need to improve the quality of such research and, especially, that of the survey, in order to support theory development in this field.
A customer‐focus methodology for the manufacture of ready‐to‐assemble products
Authors: Sundarraj R.P. , Madan Manu S. , Bramorski Tom
Published: July 2002

Ready‐to‐assemble products such as exercise bicycles and furniture have successfully been marketed to customers as a low‐cost alternative to fully assembled ones. Due to the difficulty of assembling the newer and complex products that are currently in demand, recent surveys suggest that a low‐cost strategy alone is inadequate to satisfy, let alone exceed, customer expectations. Research has shown that assembly time could be reduced if parts are grouped appropriately. Providing a grouping methodology for simplifying the assembly process for customers, without hampering the low‐cost manufacturing objective, is the aim of the research. Methodology, which is easy to implement on a computer, is significant due to the practicality of the problem in a fast‐growing industry.
Logistics, strategy and structure
Authors: Stock Gregory N. , Greis Noel P. , Kasarda John D.
Published: July 2002

Presents a framework for explaining the relationship between strategy, structure, and logistics in the context of a changing environment. In response to new competitive pressures, a manufacturing enterprise is emerging in which resources may now be dispersed worldwide. As distances between production facilities and pressures for fast delivery increase, the coordination of these dispersed manufacturing resources becomes a critical activity. Argues that logistics is well‐positioned to assume a unique role in bridging strategy and structure in the new manufacturing environment. Develops a new model of the strategy‐structure relationship that recognizes the integral role that logistics will play in creating the “fit” necessary to achieve competitive success. The framework suggests that performance will be higher when the firm’s strategy and structure are consistent with the strengths inherent in the firm’s logistics choices.
Time‐based competitiveness in Brazil: whys and hows
Authors: Rohr Sandra S. , Corrêa Henrique L.
Published: July 2002

The objective of the paper is to report research carried out over two years aiming at developing a framework to support the management of manufacturing organizations for whom reducing throughput time is strategically important, either because they compete based on short lead times or because they choose to pursue other objectives such as cost reduction by means of reducing their manufacturing cycle times. A step‐by‐step method is proposed based on the analyses of a number of Brazilian “best practice” cases (all manufacturing companies and all part of large multi‐national corporations) and on the relevant literature.