Search results

1 – 10 of 179
Article
Publication date: 3 April 2018

Ahmed Attia and Ingy Salama

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of knowledge management capabilities (KMCs) on supply chain management practices (SCMP) and organizational performance (OP) in…

1722

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of knowledge management capabilities (KMCs) on supply chain management practices (SCMP) and organizational performance (OP) in firms, in addition to examining the effect of supply chain management on OP.

Design/methodology/approach

To demonstrate the effect of KMCs on SCMP, and OP, different techniques such as factor analysis, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling were used to verify the validity of the proposed conceptual model and to test the suggested hypotheses, using data collected from 165 companies in the Saudi food industry (representing a response rate of 74.9 percent).

Findings

According to the study’s findings, SCMP are positively affected by KMCs. Moreover, OP is directly affected by KMCs and SCMP.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the specific nature of the sample, the findings of the current research are applicable only to the food industry.

Originality/value

The current research introduced a conceptual model, which has been tested and verified in the Saudi food industry. The findings recommend that both KMCs as well as SCMP will contribute to improving the OP. In addition, KMCs will improve the SCMP.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 24 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 May 2018

Ahmed Attia and Ingy Essam Eldin

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of knowledge management capabilities (KMCs) on organizational learning (OL) and supply chain management practices (SCMPs). In…

2552

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of knowledge management capabilities (KMCs) on organizational learning (OL) and supply chain management practices (SCMPs). In addition, to study the effect of OL, KMC and supply chain management on organizational performance (OP).

Design/methodology/approach

To study the relationships between KMC, OL, SCMP and OP, different techniques such as factor analysis, correlation analysis and structural equation modeling were used to verify the validity of the proposed conceptual model, and to test the suggested hypotheses, data collected from 165 companies in the Saudi food industry (representing a response rate of 64.9 per cent) were used.

Findings

According to the study’s findings, SCMP and OL are positively affected by KMC. Moreover, OP is directly affected by KMC, OL and SCMP.

Research limitations/implications

Owing to the specific nature of the sample, the findings of the current research are applicable only to the food industry.

Originality/value

The current research introduced a conceptual model, which has been tested and verified in the Saudi food industry. The findings recommend that both KMC and OL as well as SCMP will contribute to improving the OP. In addition, KMC will improve the SCMP and OL.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 22 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 October 2022

Tarek Hadji and Ahmed Attia

The purpose of this work is to discuss high-strength concrete mix proportioning optimization. In this study, the three parameters (W/B ratio), coarse aggregate maximum size (Dmax

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this work is to discuss high-strength concrete mix proportioning optimization. In this study, the three parameters (W/B ratio), coarse aggregate maximum size (Dmax) and superplasticizer dosage (Sp%) were considered.

Design/methodology/approach

A full factorial design with three factors and two levels was carried out. The statistical analysis and analysis of variance of statistical models were made easier with the aid of JMP7 software. The generated models explain how each parameter affects the mechanical compressive strength at 28 days (Cs28) and slump, and they have an excellent determination coefficient (R2 = 0.99). For each high-strength concrete (HSC) mixture, the slump was measured four times: at 0 min, 20 min, 40 min and 60 min.

Findings

The results show that HSC6 (0.35(W/B), 12.5(Dmax), 1.4(Sp%)) is the best HSC mixture, with a (Cs28) of 71.84 MPa, a slump of 22 cm, and slump loss of 3.5 cm in 60 min.

Originality/value

Quantifying the impact of high-strength concrete mix components from a small number of experiments is made achievable by combining two methods: the Dreux-Gorisse method and the full factorial design approach. It's possible to tune the mix proportioning of the high-strength concrete for the desired slump and compressive mechanical strength thanks to the created statistical models.

Details

Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, vol. 18 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1573-6105

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 July 2021

Taha Hocine Douara, Salim Guettala, Tarek Hadji and Ahmed Attia

The purpose of this study is to contribute with experimental study of the effects of binary and ternary combinations of river sand (RS), crushed sand (CS) and dune sand (DS) on…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to contribute with experimental study of the effects of binary and ternary combinations of river sand (RS), crushed sand (CS) and dune sand (DS) on the physical and mechanical performances of self-compacting concrete (SCC) subjected to acidic curing environments, HCl and H2SO4 solutions.

Design/methodology/approach

Five SCCs were prepared with the combinations 100% RS, 0.8RS + 0.2CS, 0.6RS + 0.2CS + 0.2DS, 0.6RS + 0.4DS and 0.6CS + 0.4DS. The porosity of sand, fluidity, deformability, stability, compressive strength and sorptivity coefficient were tested. SCCs cubic specimens with a side length of 10 cm were submerged in HCl and H2SO4 acids, wherein the concentration was 5%, for periods of 28, 90 and 180 days. The resistance to acid attack was evaluated by visual examination, mass loss and compressive strength loss.

Findings

The results showed that it is possible to partially substitute the RS with CS and DS in the SCC, without strongly affecting the fluidity, deformability, stability, compressive strength and durability against HCl and H2SO4 attack. The two combinations, 0.8RS + 0.2CS and 0.6RS + 0.2CS + 0.2DS, improved the compactness and the resistance to acid attacks of SCC. Consequently, the improvement in SCC compactness, by the combination of RS, CS and DS, decreased the sorptivity coefficient of SCC and increased its resistance to acid attacks, in comparison with that made only by RS.

Originality/value

The use of RS is experiencing a considerable increase in line with the development of the country. To satisfy this demand, it is necessary to substitute this sand with other materials more abundant. The use of locally available materials is a very effective way to protect the environment, improve the physico-mechanical properties and durability of SCC and it can be a beneficial economical alternative. Few studies have addressed the effect of the binary and ternary combination of RS, CS and DS on the resistance to acid attacks of SCC.

Details

World Journal of Engineering, vol. 19 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1708-5284

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 May 2018

Ahmed Attia

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of supply logistics integration (SLI) on inbound supply performance (ISP) and competitive performance (CP) in firms, in addition…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of supply logistics integration (SLI) on inbound supply performance (ISP) and competitive performance (CP) in firms, in addition to examining the effect of ISP on CP.

Design/methodology/approach

To demonstrate the effect of SLI on ISP and CP, different techniques such as factor analysis, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling were used to verify the validity of the proposed conceptual model and to test the suggested hypotheses. This was accomplished by using data collected from 192 companies in the Saudi food industry (representing a response rate of 75.6 percent).

Findings

According to the study’s findings, ISP is positively affected by SLI. Moreover, CP is directly affected by SLI and ISP.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the specific nature of the sample, the findings of the current research are applicable only to the food industry.

Originality/value

The current research introduced a conceptual model, which has been tested and verified in the Saudi food industry. The findings recommend that both SLI as well as ISP will contribute to improving the CP. In addition, SLI will improve the ISP.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 24 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 January 2021

Ahmed Attia, Salim Guettala and Rebih Zaitri

The purpose of this paper is to implement the mathematical models to predict concretes physico-mechanical characteristics made with binary and ternary sands using a mixture design…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to implement the mathematical models to predict concretes physico-mechanical characteristics made with binary and ternary sands using a mixture design method. It is a new technique that optimizes mixtures without being obliged to do a lot of experiments. The goal is to find the law governing the responses depending on mixture composition and capable of taking into account the effect of each parameter separately and in interaction between several parameters on the characteristics studied.

Design/methodology/approach

Mixture design method was used for optimizing concretes characteristics and studying the effects of river sand (RS), dune sand (DS) and crushed sand (CS) in combinations of binary system and ternary on workability, the compressive and flexural strengths of concretes at 7 and 28 days. A total of 21 mixtures of concrete were prepared for this investigation. The modeling was carried out by using JMP7 statistical software.

Findings

Mixture design method made it possible to obtain, with good precision, the statistical models and the prediction curves of studied responses. The models have relatively good correlation coefficients (R2 = 0.70) for all studied responses. The use of binary and ternary mixtures sands improves the workability and their mechanical strengths. The obtained results proved that concrete, based on binary mixture C15, presents the maximum compressive strength (MCS) on 28 day with an improvement of around 20%, compared to reference concrete (C21). For ternary mixtures, MCS on 28 day was obtained for the mixture C10 with an improvement of around 15% compared to C21. Increase in compressive strength during the progress of hydration reactions was accompanied by an increase in the flexural strength, but in different proportions.

Originality/value

The partial incorporation of DS (= 40%) in the concrete formulation can provide a solution for some work in the southern regions of country. In addition, the CS is an interesting alternative source for replacing 60% of RS. The concrete formulation based on local materials is really capable of solving the economic and technical problems encountered in the building field, as well as environmental problems. Local resources therefore constitute an economic, technological and environmental alternative.

Details

World Journal of Engineering, vol. 18 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1708-5284

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 December 2023

Ahmed M. Attia, Ahmad O. Alatwi, Ahmad Al Hanbali and Omar G. Alsawafy

This research integrates maintenance planning and production scheduling from a green perspective to reduce the carbon footprint.

Abstract

Purpose

This research integrates maintenance planning and production scheduling from a green perspective to reduce the carbon footprint.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model is developed to study the relation between production makespan, energy consumption, maintenance actions and footprint, i.e. service level and sustainability measures. The speed scaling technique is used to control energy consumption, the capping policy is used to control CO2 footprint and preventive maintenance (PM) is used to keep the machine working in healthy conditions.

Findings

It was found that ignoring maintenance activities increases the schedule makespan by more than 21.80%, the total maintenance time required to keep the machine healthy by up to 75.33% and the CO2 footprint by 15%.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed optimization model can simultaneously be used for maintenance planning, job scheduling and footprint minimization. Furthermore, it can be extended to consider other maintenance activities and production configurations, e.g. flow shop or job shop scheduling.

Practical implications

Maintenance planning, production scheduling and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are intertwined in the industry. The proposed model enhances the performance of the maintenance and production systems. Furthermore, it shows the value of conducting maintenance activities on the machine's availability and CO2 footprint.

Originality/value

This work contributes to the literature by combining maintenance planning, single-machine scheduling and environmental aspects in an integrated MINLP model. In addition, the model considers several practical features, such as machine-aging rate, speed scaling technique to control emissions, minimal repair (MR) and PM.

Details

Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, vol. 30 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2511

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 July 2015

Ahmed Attia

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of triple-A supply chain and marketing strategy alignment on the performance by collecting and analyzing data from the textile…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of triple-A supply chain and marketing strategy alignment on the performance by collecting and analyzing data from the textile industry in Egypt.

Design/methodology/approach

A research model is proposed which describes the impact marketing strategy alignment, triple-A supply chain on supply chain performance and organizational performance. The proposed research model and hypotheses were tested using correlation analysis and structural equation modeling based on data collected from 153 companies working in the Egyptian textile industry.

Findings

The results of the study support that organizational performance is positively associated supply chain performance. Also supply chain performance is directly affected by triple-A supply chain and marketing strategy alignment.

Research limitations/implications

The data used in this study were collected from 153 companies working in the Egyptian textile industry. The generalization of the study results may be limited by the size of the sample.

Originality/value

This study provides a useful working model in the textile industry. The results suggest successful implementation of triple-A supply chain and marketing strategy alignment will help in improving the supply chain performance, which in turn improves organizational performance.

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. 10 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2022

Sanjay Kumar and Kushal Sharma

The present study aims to investigate the effect of radiation on the unsteady magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of a viscous, electrically conducting Newtonian fluid over rotating…

Abstract

Purpose

The present study aims to investigate the effect of radiation on the unsteady magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of a viscous, electrically conducting Newtonian fluid over rotating disk moving upward/downward immersed in a porous medium, considering the Hall effect. The study is motivated by the various applications in the context of solar power technology, electric power generation, Hall accelerators, MHDs generators and other industrial areas when the fluid flow is subjected to the previously mentioned effects such as MHD, Hall effect and thermal radiation.

Design/methodology/approach

Suitable similarity transformations are employed to reduce the governing nonlinear partial differential equations into the nonlinear ordinary ones. The solutions of the reduced system are numerically obtained using the boundary value problem (BVP) Midrich scheme in Maple. The results are presented graphically for vertical disk movement, magnetic parameter, Hall current, Darcy parameter, thermal radiation and Schmidt number. Skin frictions, mass and heat transfer rates are numerically tabulated.

Findings

It is revealed that the vertical motion of the disk significantly boosts the radial and annular flows. Moreover, the Hall parameter has contrasting effects on velocity profiles for the range of magnetic field but temperature field is oblivious of this behavior. It is observed that heat and mass transfer considerably enhance along vertical disk movement. Also magnetic field, temperature ratio and radiation parameter significantly enhance the temperature field, while reaction rate parameter and Schmidt number decrease the concentration profile. The current model is calibrated in its reduced form to an already published literature with good correlation to ensure the numerical scheme's validity.

Originality/value

This work is original within the best efforts of the authors.

Details

Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, vol. 18 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1573-6105

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 July 2021

Abdulsamed Tabak

The purpose of this paper is to improve transient response and dynamic performance of automatic voltage regulator (AVR).

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to improve transient response and dynamic performance of automatic voltage regulator (AVR).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes a novel fractional order proportional–integral–derivative plus derivative (PIλDµDµ2) controller called FOPIDD for AVR system. The FOPIDD controller has seven optimization parameters and the equilibrium optimizer algorithm is used for tuning of controller parameters. The utilized objective function is widely preferred in AVR systems and consists of transient response characteristics.

Findings

In this study, results of AVR system controlled by FOPIDD is compared with results of proportional–integral–derivative (PID), proportional–integral–derivative acceleration, PID plus second order derivative and fractional order PID controllers. FOPIDD outperforms compared controllers in terms of transient response criteria such as settling time, rise time and overshoot. Then, the frequency domain analysis is performed for the AVR system with FOPIDD controller, and the results are found satisfactory. In addition, robustness test is realized for evaluating performance of FOPIDD controller in perturbed system parameters. In robustness test, FOPIDD controller shows superior control performance.

Originality/value

The FOPIDD controller is introduced for the first time to improve the control performance of the AVR system. The proposed FOPIDD controller has shown superior performance on AVR systems because of having seven optimization parameters and being fractional order based.

Details

COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering , vol. 40 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0332-1649

Keywords

1 – 10 of 179