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With the emergence of surface mount technology and, more recently, advances in packaging technologies (i.e., ball grid arrays), test continues to be a complex, time‐consuming process and, in the limit, unfeasible. The adoption of IEEE 1149.1 boundary‐scan and the wide acceptance of this standard have resulted in a pragmatic test solution for densely packed SMT circuit boards. Many organisations have become extremely successful in manufacturing test through their commitment to boundary‐scan. Although boundary‐scan has alleviated many of the test engineer's problems, all but a handful of these organisations have a narrow focus of using boundary‐scan to benefit only manufacturing test. However, this same technology can be exploited in design, at the prototype debug stage, as well as at the system test level, whether it be in the factory or the field, yielding significant benefits throughout the entire product life cycle. Three case studies are reviewed to highlight the problems posed by SMT at prototype debug, manufacturing test and system level test. The impact of boundary‐scan is illustrated at each stage of a product's typical life cycle. The paper looks at some real applications and benefits of boundary‐scan at the board prototype stage, the manufacturing test stage, as well as at the system‐level stage. The data presented represent three distinct industries: computer manufacturing, telecommunications and automatic test equipment.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the empirical reality of environmental scanning (ES) practices in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) contexts. In particular it tests a conceptual framework proposed in 2011 by Fabbe-Costes et al.

The empirical data for this research were obtained from 45 semi-structured interviews with key informants, combined with a discussion of the main results with a focus group of supply chain experts. These data are compared with the literature and brought to bear on the framework.

The research finds both breadth and depth in the scope of sustainability scanning practices of the respondent group and provides evidence of multi-level scanning, with all respondents describing scanning activity at the societal level. It further demonstrates the adoption of multiple and diverse scanning targets at all levels in the conceptual framework. The articulation and ranking of scanning targets for SSCM at all levels informs the development of priorities for practice. The paper also makes some observations about the boundaries of the scanning process.

The results provide managers with concrete guidance about what to scan in sustainable supply chain contexts. The validated framework can serve as a practical tool to assist managers with the organization and prioritization of their ES activities.

The paper is among the first to address the role of ES in sustainable supply chain contexts. It highlights the need for a multi-level framework for such scanning activities and opens up a debate about their implementation.

This paper aims to present an investigation into the variation of scan vector hatch rotation strategies in selective laser melting (SLM), focussing on how it effects density, surface roughness, tensile strength and residual stress.

First the optimum angle of hatch vector rotation is proposed by analysing the effect of different increment angles on distribution of scan vectors. Sectioning methods are then used to determine the effect that the chosen strategies have on the density of the parts. The top surface roughness was analysed using optical metrology, and the tensile properties were determined using uni-axial tensile testing. Finally, a novel multi-support deflection geometry was used to quantify the effects of rotation angles on residual stress.

The results of this research showed that the hatch rotation angle had little effect on the density, top surface roughness and strength of the parts. The greatest residual stress deflection was measured parallel to unidirectional scan vectors. The use of hatch rotations other than alternating 90° showed little benefit in lowering the magnitude of residual stresses. However, the use of rotation angles with a good suitability measure distributes stresses in all directions more evenly for certain part geometries.

All samples produced in this work were made from commercially pure titanium, therefore care must be taken when applying these results to other materials.

This paper serves to increase the understanding of SLM scanning strategies and their effect on the properties of the material.

This paper aims to reveal how different types of events and top management teams' (TMTs’) cognitive frames affect the generation of breakthrough innovations.

Drawing on the event system theory and upper echelon theory, this study chose a Chinese manufacturing enterprise as the case firm and conducted an exploratory single-case study to unpack how breakthrough innovation generates over time.

By conducting the in-depth case analysis, the study revealed that firms do not produce breakthrough innovation in the catch-up stage and parallel-running stage but achieve it in the leading stage. It also indicated that when facing proactive events in the catch-up stage, TMTs often adopt a contracted lens, being manifested as consistency orientation, less elastic organizational identity and narrower competitive boundaries. In addition, they tend to adopt a contracted lens when facing reactive and proactive events in the parallel-running stage. In the face of reactive and proactive events in the leading stage, they are more inclined to adopt an expanded lens, being manifested as a coexistence orientation, more elastic organizational identity and wider competitive boundaries.

First, by untangling how TMT's cognitive frame functions in breakthrough innovations, this paper provides a micro-foundation for producing breakthrough innovations and deepens the understanding of upper echelon theory by considering the cognitive dimension of TMTs. Second, by teasing out several typical events experienced by the firm, this paper is the first attempt to reveal how events affect the generation of breakthrough innovation. Third, the work extends the application of the event system theory in technological innovation. It also provides insightful implications for promoting breakthrough innovations by considering the role of proactive and reactive events a firm experiences and TMT's perceptions.

Smart Manufacturing (SM) lies at the core of Industry 4.0. Operations management research has identified several factors influencing firms’ ability to adopt SM. However, a clear understanding of capabilities needed to progress in SM is still missing. This paper aims to investigate how absorptive capacity (AC) allows firms to advance in SM and explore how managerial antecedents support the capacity to absorb SM-related knowledge at different stages of SM adoption.

This study adopts an exploratory approach through multiple case studies. Twelve firms, operating as part of the automotive supply chain and exhibiting different stages of SM adoption, constitute the sample.

The results suggest that advancement in SM requires firms to progressively reinforce their AC. Firms’ ability to acquire and assimilate SM knowledge is supported by managerial antecedents encompassing integrative capacities to bridge old and SM technologies, managerial cognition through the clear alignment of SM technologies with strategic goals and knowledge development capabilities through practices oriented to provide senior managers with SM competences.

The findings contribute to SM research by suggesting that AC is a crucial dynamic capability for SM adoption. The results also provide evidence-grounded recommendations to firms engaged in the digital transformation on the managerial capabilities needed to support AC and to progress from lower to higher stages of SM.

This conference was the second in the National Physical Laboratory series focusing in turn on each of the non‐CFC options for de‐fluxing soldered electronics assemblies. The first conference was on Controlled Atmosphere Soldering and the third will be on New Solvents.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the forces driving organizational innovation, particularly CEO transformational leadership as it affects external and internal social capital in top management teams.

Survey questionnaires were administered to 90 Chinese top management teams. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships.

Both internal and external social capital mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational innovation.

Organizations should strengthen internal and external capital of top management teams to reap maximal innovation outcomes from transformational leadership.

The findings contribute to the transformational leadership, social capital, and innovation literature first by showing how leadership influences innovation through largely neglected mechanisms – internal and external social capital. Second, a social capital focus challenges the tacit assumption that transformational leadership has only internal influences by showing that it potentially spills over to the external domain.

The core purpose is to offer a framework that integrates key insights from the literature on knowledge creation, learning and problem solving in conjunction with mapping of customer needs into a closed loop model of knowledge processes in a manufacturing environment.

Based on review of literature on knowledge creation and synthesis of a conceptual model that connects the life‐cycle of knowledge and know‐how with core product and business processes of a manufacturing company. Specification of requirements and design of a managerial dashboard are illustrated with a case of a medium‐sized manufacturing company.

The paper presents properties of knowledge and know‐how creation processes in manufacturing environment and proposes the integrated model of those processes. Furthermore, the paper recommends a four‐stage approach that can be utilized to create a firm‐specific knowledge management system. The model is applied for design of a managerial dashboard system for manufacturing company.

Although the model conceptualized is generic, it will benefit from additional applications in different manufacturing settings. Further research has been planned.

For practising managers, the model facilitates productive thinking to integrate knowledge and know‐how generation that is a consequence of business problem solving and knowledge accumulation and dissemination infrastructure. A new integrated model of those processes is proposed and used for the design of the managerial dashboard.