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Authorities have set up numerous security checkpoints during times of armed conflict to control the flow of commercial and humanitarian trucks into and out of areas of conflict. These security checkpoints have become highly utilized because of the complex security procedures and increased truck traffic, which significantly slow the delivery of relief aid. This paper aims to improve the process at security checkpoints by redesigning the current process to reduce processing time and relieve congestion at checkpoint entrance gates.

A decision-support tool (clearing function distribution model [CFDM]) is used to minimize the effects of security checkpoint congestion on the entire humanitarian supply network using a hybrid simulation-optimization approach. By using a business process simulation, the current and reengineered processes are both simulated, and the simulation output was used to estimate the clearing function (capacity as a function of the workload). For both the AS-IS and TO-BE models, key performance indicators such as distribution costs, backordering and process cycle time were used to compare the results of the CFDM tool. For this, the Kerem Abu Salem security checkpoint south of Gaza was used as a case study.

The comparison results demonstrate that the CFDM tool performs better when the output of the TO-BE clearing function is used.

The efforts will contribute to improving the planning of any humanitarian network experiencing congestion at security checkpoints by minimizing the impact of congestion on the delivery lead time of relief aid to the final destination.

The accuracy of budgeting is important to fulfilling its various roles. The aim of this study is to examine perceptions of budgeting accuracy in UK universities and to identify and understand the factors that influence them.

A mixed methods research design comprising a questionnaire survey (84 responses, = 51.5%) and 42 semi-structured, qualitative interviews is employed.

The findings reveal that universities tend to be conservative in their budgeting, although previous financial difficulties, the attitude of the governing body and the need to convince lenders that finances are being managed competently might lead to a greater emphasis on a “realistic” rather than cautious budget. Stepwise multiple regression identified four significantly negative influences on perceived budgeting accuracy: the difficulty of forecasting student numbers; difficulties associated with allowing unspent balances to be carried forward; taking a relatively long time to prepare the budget; and the institution’s level of financial surplus. The interviews are drawn upon to both explain and elaborate on the statistical findings. Forecasting student numbers and associated fee income emerges as a particularly challenging and complex issue.

Our regression analysis is cross-sectional and therefore based on correlations. Furthermore, the research could be developed by investigating the views of other parties as well as repeating the study in both the UK and overseas.

Implications for university management follow from the four factors identified as significant influences upon budget accuracy. These include involving the finance department in estimating student numbers, removing or controlling the carry forward of unspent funds, and reducing the length of the budget cycle.

The first study to examine the factors that influence the perceived accuracy of universities’ budgeting, this paper also advances understanding of budgeting accuracy more generally.

Total productive maintenance consists of strategies and procedures that aim to guarantee the entire functioning of machines in a production process so that production is not interrupted and no loss of quality in the final product occurs. Planned maintenance is one of the eight pillars of total productive maintenance, a set of tools considered essential to ensure equipment reliability and availability, reduce unplanned stoppage and increase productivity. This study aims to analyze the influence of statistical reliability on the performance of such a pillar.

In this study, we utilized a multi-method approach to rigorously examine the impact of statistical reliability on the planned maintenance pillar within total productive maintenance. Our methodology combined a detailed statistical analysis of maintenance data with advanced reliability modeling, specifically employing Weibull distribution to analyze failure patterns. Additionally, we integrated qualitative insights gathered through semi-structured interviews with the maintenance team, enhancing the depth of our analysis. The case study, conducted in a fertilizer granulation plant, focused on a critical failure in the granulator pillow block bearing, providing a comprehensive perspective on the practical application of statistical reliability within total productive maintenance; and not presupposing statistical reliability is the solution over more effective methods for the case.

Our findings reveal that the integration of statistical reliability within the planned maintenance pillar significantly enhances predictive maintenance capabilities, leading to more accurate forecasts of equipment failure modes. The Weibull analysis of the granulator pillow block bearing indicated a mean time between failures of 191.3 days, providing support for optimizing maintenance schedules. Moreover, the qualitative insights from the maintenance team highlighted the operational benefits of our approach, such as improved resource allocation and the need for specialized training. These results demonstrate the practical impact of statistical reliability in preventing unplanned downtimes and informing strategic decisions in maintenance planning, thereby emphasizing the importance of your work in the field.

In terms of the originality and practicality of this study, we emphasize the significant findings that underscore the positive influence of using statistical reliability in conjunction with the planned maintenance pillar. This approach can be instrumental in designing and enhancing component preventive maintenance plans. Furthermore, it can effectively manage equipment failure modes and monitor their useful life, providing valuable insights for professionals in total productive maintenance.

This study aims to investigate how organizations from different sectors interpret the meaning of business continuity management (BCM) in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A survey was conducted to capture the views of organizations across five different sectors. The sample consisted of ten senior managers; two from the banking sector; two from the supply chain sector (agricultural and food supply chains); two from the tourism sector; two from the services sector; and two from the higher education sector. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. One manager from each sector represented a local business/enterprise and the other represented an international business/enterprise.

It was found that different organizations/businesses understood BCM differently. Therefore, a variety of interpretations have been obtained.

This study sheds light on how different organizations understand BCM in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. By understanding the different interpretations, it becomes clearer whether or not these organizations have applicable business continuity plans in place.

This is the first study to investigate the different interpretations of the meaning of BCM across different business sectors. The majority of the existing studies on BCM discuss the process from the perspective of a single business or sector. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that witnessed prolonged and critical disruptions facing almost all businesses and organizations and which threatened the survival of some of them.

Output from the Irish Dairy Industry has grown rapidly since the abolition of quotas in 2015, with processors investing heavily in capacity expansion to deal with the extra milk volumes. Further capacity gains may be achieved by extending the processing season into the winter, a key enabler for which being the reduction of duration of the winter maintenance overhaul period. This paper aims to investigate if Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques can be used to enhance operational maintenance performance, thereby releasing additional processing capacity.

Combining the Six-Sigma Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control (DMAIC) methodology and the structured approach of Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) widely used in process industries creates a novel hybrid model that promises substantial improvement in maintenance overhaul execution. This paper presents a case study applying the DMAIC/TAM model to Ireland’s largest dairy processing site to optimise the annual maintenance shutdown. The objective was to deliver a 30% reduction in the duration of the overhaul, enabling an extension of the processing season.

Application of the DMAIC/TAM hybrid resulted in process enhancements, employee engagement and a clear roadmap for the operations team. Project goals were delivered, and original objectives exceeded, resulting in €8.9m additional value to the business and a reduction of 36% in the duration of the overhaul.

The results demonstrate that the model provides a structure that promotes systematic working and a continuous improvement focus that can have substantial benefits for wider industry. Opportunities for further model refinement were identified and will enhance performance in subsequent overhauls.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time that the structure and tools of DMAIC and TAM have been combined into a hybrid methodology and applied in an Irish industrial setting.

The development of educational models that prioritize the well-being and sustainability of educational communities has become increasingly important in recent years. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of teachers’ training in strategies for implementing a multidimensional approach to classroom well-being through the Teacher Centred Coaching Model on well-being in the classroom – teachers and students well-being.

Through a qualitative design, the authors conduct the present study to assess the perceptions of elementary teachers regarding their own competency development and that of their students during a 25-h intervention program. The study involved teachers (n = 8) and their 8–15-year-old students (n = 423). The “Teachers Perception of SWCI Impact on students” questionnaire was used to collect student data, while teacher competency data was obtained through individual interviews entitled “Strategies for Well-being in the Classroom Intervention”.

The analysis of the data showed that teachers believed that improving well-being strategies could benefit the personal development of both themselves and their students. Furthermore, the study revealed a positive impact on the personal and professional well-being of the teachers who participated in the program. After completing the program, students displayed improved abilities in attention and concentration, as well as better personal relationships, organizational skills and emotional regulation. The teachers emphasized that self-awareness and self-regulated learning had a positive influence on their own well-being, as well as on that of the educational community, by promoting empathetic communication, sharing experiences and implementing good practices aimed at enhancing well-being and sustainability.

The study involved eight participants, comprising eight females and two males. This number could be seen as a limitation, but in another way, these participants (from all the several regions in Portugal) allow us to reach a level of theoretical saturation of the contents in analysis because they complete all the several moments of training, coaching and implementation of the proposal, and their practices, reflections and actions guarantee the depth of data, as Burmeister and Aitken (2012) and Fusch and Ness (2015) propose.

The teachers emphasized that self-awareness and self-regulated learning had a positive influence on their own well-being, as well as on that of the educational community, by promoting empathetic communication, sharing experiences and implementing good practices aimed at enhancing well-being and sustainability.

After completing the program, students displayed improved abilities in attention and concentration, as well as better personal relationships, organizational skills and emotional regulation.

This study adds to both theoretical and practical development of continuing teacher training about social and emotional learning and executive functioning and its possible role in promote the personal development of teachers and students.

This article details the process used at the Florida Gulf Coast University library to plan and implement a collection deaccessioning project as part of a larger building master plan.

The authors conducted a brief literature review, a historic usage analysis of the collection and the multi-phase deaccessioning project. The phases included a standard inclusion query, manual list inspection and department feedback. Discard rate was measured at each phase.

Different challenges were found at each phase. Although teaching faculty were skeptical, the authors involved them early to their benefit. Each collection presented interesting challenges; notable was that although the reference collection was almost completely deaccessioned, the retained items presented unique accessibility challenges. The main stacks required a new deaccessioning workflow due to the volume of materials. The findings include final retention rates per call number range. Although the authors were able to meet the plan’s goal, they discovered the need for further collection curation: there is no substitute for traversing the stacks in person.

We present a successful methodology with a high efficacy, high community engagement and low controversy, which can function as a model at other regional academic institutions.

This paper is a comprehensive review of one successful rightsizing effort set in the context of a new strategic plan and can function as a model at other regional academic institutions.

This paper aims to describe the product development process (PDP) of companies in the textile industry, seeking to understand the dynamics of their management from different actors along the production chain.

Qualitative empirical research adopted a multiple case studies design in five large Brazilian organizations, each representing a link in the production chain.

Textile PDP follows structured steps. However, it is still an informal process. The use of methodologies and tools for decision-making and control gates throughout the process is limited. Performance indicators do not cover all dimensions of the PDP since sales and profit are the main parameters for assessing projects. The predevelopment macro phase varies according to the product type and the company's business model, whereas the postdevelopment macro phase is nonexistent. PDP projects are executed through collective efforts of multiple departments in cross-functional teams, except for the commodities firms.

The study allows managers of Brazilian textile companies to understand the best practices in the PDP and those that require more attention, taking into account different business models and sectors of the production chain.

Our results contribute to the literature and practitioners by providing an overview of PDP management in the textile industry, covering its different production chain actors, types of projects and companies' characteristics.

This paper aims to present a theoretical framework and underpinning evidence to support researchers and practitioners to systematically design sport and exercise interventions.

The framework highlights the theoretical underpinnings and practical feasibility considerations that are important when designing sport and exercise interventions for children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Future research may wish to apply and evaluate the utility of this framework and research and practice and make recommendations for further refinement.

The quality and strength of conclusions from this body of research has been undermined by a lack of methodological quality and clarity in these studies. One criticism has been the lack of an evidence based, transparent and consistent approach to the design of physical activity and sport interventions and selection of outcome measures. This paper will facilitate the transparent and evidence-based decision-making to guide the design of sport/physical activity interventions for children/adolescents with ADHD.

Despite the proliferation of cyberthreats upon the supply chain (SC) at large, knowledge on SC cybersecurity is scarce and predominantly conceptual or descriptive. Addressing this gap, this research examines the effect of SC cyber risk management strategies on integration decisions for cybersecurity (with suppliers, customers, and internally) to enhance the SC’s cyber resilience and robustness.

A research model grounded in the supply chain risk management (SCRM) literature, with roots in the Dynamic Capabilities View and the Relational View, was developed. Survey responses of 388 SC managers at US manufacturers were obtained to test the model.

An impact of SC cyber risk management strategies on internal cyber integration was detected, which in turn impacted external cyber integration with both suppliers and customers. Further, a positive effect of internal and customer cyber integration on both cyber resilience and robustness was found, while cyber integration with suppliers impacted neither.

Industry practitioners may adapt certain risk management and integration strategies to enhance the cybersecurity posture of their SCs.

This research bridges between the established domain of SCRM and the emergent field of SC cybersecurity by forming and testing novel relationships between SCRM-rooted constructs tailored to an SC cyber risks context.