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India's textile industries play a vital role in the Indian economy. These industries consume the highest thermal energy (steam power). The demand of the steam in process industries is increasing rapidly, and this demand can be met by increasing the capacity utilization of steam boilers. The purpose of this paper is to present a new approach for reliability analysis by expert judgment method.

A lack of adequate life data is one of the biggest challenge in the reliability analysis of mechanical systems. This research provides an expert judgment approach for assessing the boiler's reliability characteristics. For this purpose, opinions of experts on time to failure and time to repair data were elicited in the form of statistical distributions. In this work, reliability analysis of the boiler system is carried out by expert judgment method and by using best-fit failure model. The system reliability along with preventive maintenance intervals of all components is also evaluated.

It is observed that the reliability analysis results obtained by expert judgment method and best-fit failure model method indicate that there are no significant differences. Therefore, in case when insufficient data are available, the expert judgment method can be effectively used. The analysis shows that the feedwater tank, feedwater pump, supply water temperature sensor, strainer, return water temperature sensor, condensate filter, mechanical dust collector, coal crusher and fusible plug are identified as critical components from a reliability perspective, and preventive maintenance strategy is suggested for these components.

In this research paper, a system reliability model by the expert judgment method is developed, and it can be effectively used where insufficient failure data are available. This paper is useful for the comparative evaluation of reliability characteristics of a boiler system by expert judgment method and best-fit failure model method.

This study focuses on the application of reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) to a textile industry steam boiler. The study aims to demonstrate the development and application of RCM to a steam boiler used in the textile industry.

RCM is a structured process that develops maintenance activities needed on physical resources in their operational environment to realize their inherent reliability by logically incorporating an appropriate mixture of reactive, preventive, condition-based and proactive maintenance methods. A detailed analysis of the RCM approach is presented to develop preventive maintenance (PM) program and improve the reliability and availability of the steam boiler system.

The research reveals that the identification of PM tasks is a good indicator of the PM program's efficiency and can serve as an important maintenance-related downtime source. It is also discovered that the majority of maintenance programs that claim to be proactive are, in fact, reactive. This article also shows how RCM may be successfully implemented to any system, resulting in increased system reliability.

The paper focuses on a pilot study of the development and implementation of the RCM technique to a textile industry steam boiler. It is suggested that the developed RCM model can be applied to the entire plant.

The paper presents a comprehensive RCM model framework as well as an RCM decision framework, providing maintenance managers and engineers with a step-by-step approach to RCM implementation. The proposed framework is significant in that it may be utilized for both qualitative and quantitative analysis at the same time.

The purpose of this research is to calculate and enhance the cheese cheddar manufacturing plant efficiency under actual workplace conditions by measuring reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) indices. The authors highlight how RAM analysis is important in determining periodic maintenance and in scheduling and managing the appropriate maintenance policy.

The current work is conducted using statistical approaches to evaluate failure and repair statistics. The RAM estimation was calculated on the basis of quantitative data obtained over a span of 32 months. Descriptive statistics, Pareto analysis, as well as the presumption of independence were ensured through trend and serial correlation tests. In addition, the reliability and maintainability of the cheddar cheese processing plant and its machines were calculated at various mission periods.

The primary goal of the implementation approach is to understand the fault patterns and the accurate quantitative assessment of the reliability and maintainability of the cheddar production plant. The findings revealed the essential aspects of the line, which need improvement by an appropriate maintenance program.

This study is intended to serve to highlight the RAM assessment and its impact on the performance of the real-time system. The benefit of the technique is the continual control of the manufacturing process by means of acceptable indexes, whose use corresponds to a continuous improvement process.

Using the backdrop of an (apparently) extended visit to the West Indies, analogies with key concerns of internal audit are drawn. An unusual and refreshing way of exploring the main themes ‐ a discussion between Bill and Jack on tour in the islands ‐ forms the debate. Explores the concepts of control, necessary procedures, fraud and corruption, supporting systems, creativity and chaos, and building a corporate control facility.

Using the backdrop of an (apparently) extended visit to the West Indies, analogies with key concerns of internal audit are drawn. An unusual and refreshing way of exploring the main themes ‐ a discussion between Bill and Jack on tour in the islands ‐ forms the debate. Explores the concepts of control, necessary procedures, fraud and corruption, supporting systems, creativity and chaos, and building a corporate control facility.

The Duane reliability growth model has a number of inherent limitations that make it unsuitable for monitoring reliability improvement progress. These limitations are explored and a model based on variance‐stabilizing transformation theory is explained. This model retains the ease of use while also avoiding the disadvantages of the Duane model. It represents a more useful graphical model for portraying reliability improvement at development team meetings. Computer simulations have shown that the new model provides a better fit to the data over the range of Duane slopes normally observed during a reliability growth program. The instantaneous mean time between failures (MTBF) equation for the new model is developed. Computer simulations show that its use results in higher values of instantaneous MTBF than that achieved by the Duane model. The new model also reduces the total test time for achieving a particular specified instantaneous MTBF. Finally, software failure data from an actual project illustrates the calculations and benefits of the new model.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are increasingly being adopted by organisations in developing countries. As in industrialised countries, this adoption seems beset by significant rates of failure, leading to a large waste of investment and other resources. This paper seeks to understand why such ERP failure occurs.

The paper moves beyond factor lists to make use of an overall “design‐reality gap” model. The model is applied to a case study of ERP failure in a Jordanian manufacturing firm, analysing the situation both before and during ERP implementation through a mix of interviews, observation and document analysis.

The research finds sizeable gaps between the assumptions and requirements built into ERP system design, and the actual realities of the client organisation. It is these gaps – and the failure to close them during implementation – that underlie ERP project failure.

This study shows the relevance and applicability of the design‐reality gap model to understanding ERP failure. Further research can be undertaken applying the model to other ERP cases, including case studies of success.

The paper draws conclusions about good practice in ERP implementation relating to both risk identification and risk mitigation, which must be based on closing design‐reality gaps. It offers examples of both specific and generic actions that help to achieve this. But it also notes limitations existing in some developing country contexts that may continue to constrain the effective use of enterprise resource planning systems.

The paper provides a new model for understanding ERP project success and failure, and for practical risk mitigation. The design‐reality gap model aims to be comprehensive but also contingent; sensitive to the specific conditions of any individual client organisation.

Outsourcing is recognized as one of the critical factors for efficient execution of pharmaceutical supply chain management (PSCM), and many pharmaceutical companies engage in international outsourcing of services (IOS) to survive in global highly competitive business. Since the key success factors for both domestic & international alliances are partnership characteristics and strategic fit management, but there is no empirical research on this issue in Thai pharmaceutical partnership offshore outsourcing. Therefore, this survey of Thai and foreign companies, both contract providers (CPs) and contract manufacturers (CMs), seeks to indicate significant relationships among both outsourcing strategic fit and partnership types, including outsourcing performance outcome. This research is two-fold. First, the partnership types (Type I, II, & III), the strategic fit types (low fit, moderate fit, and good fit), and their correlations are analyzed. And second, their outsourcing performance (company revenues and growth rates) are presented. The results showed that the most of the Thai pharmaceutical outsourcing manufacturing are classified as the partnership Type II, as well as the moderate strategic fit, and strongly support the relationship between the two models. Both of the companies’ revenue and growth rate could predict the companies’ performances outcome for each of partnership and strategic fit types. However, it is not necessary that the most integrative type of partnership, Type III, will be always the best, because it depends also on the strategic fit between each pair of partners as well.

Means, medians and SD for available socio‐economic status (SES) black‐white differences are here substituted for those of IQ in a between‐groups model published by the author over a decade ago. The goodness of fit of the SES variables used is compared with that for the earlier IQ data. Even when SES variables are relatively successful this can be viewed as additional evidence of the importance of IQ differences to black‐white differences in delinquency.

Load haul dumper (LHD) is one of the main ore transporting machineries used in underground mining industry. Reliability of LHD is very significant to achieve the expected targets of production. The performance of the equipment should be maintained at its highest level to fulfill the targets. This can be accomplished only by reducing the sudden breakdowns of component/subsystems in a complex system. The identification of defective component/subsystems can be possible by performing the downtime analysis. Hence, it is very important to develop the proper maintenance strategies for replacement or repair actions of the defective ones. Suitable maintenance management actions improve the performance of the equipment. This paper aims to discuss this issue.

Reliability analysis (renewal approach) has been used to analyze the performance of LHD machine. Allocations of best-fit distribution of data sets were made by the utilization of Kolmogorov–Smirnov (K–S) test. Parametric estimation of theoretical probability distributions was made by utilizing the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) method.

Independent and identical distribution (IID) assumption of data sets was validated through trend and serial correlation tests. On the basis of test results, the data sets are in accordance with IID assumption. Therefore, renewal process approach has been utilized for further investigation. Allocations of best-fit distribution of data sets were made by the utilization of Kolmogorov–Smirnov (K–S) test. Parametric estimation of theoretical probability distributions was made by utilizing the MLE method. Reliability of each individual subsystem has been computed according to the best-fit distribution. In respect of obtained reliability results, the reliability-based preventive maintenance (PM) time schedules were calculated for the expected 90 percent reliability level.

As the reliability analysis is one of the complex techniques, it requires strategic decision making knowledge for the selection of methodology to be used. As the present case study was from a public sector company, operating under financial constraints the conclusions/findings may not be universally applicable.

The present study throws light on this equipment that need a tailored maintenance schedule, partly due to the peculiar mining conditions, under which they operate. This study mainly focuses on estimating the performance of four numbers of well-mechanized LHD systems with reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) modeling. Based on the drawn results, reasons for performance drop of each machine were identified. Suitable recommendations were suggested for the enhancement of performance of capital intensive production equipment. As the maintenance management is only the means for performance improvement of the machinery, PM time intervals were estimated with respect to the expected rate of reliability level.