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The purpose of this paper is to develop a new mathematical method for the reliability analysis and evaluation of multi-state system (MSS) reliability that agrees with specifics of such system. It is possible based on the application of multiple-valued logic (MVL) that is a natural extension of Boolean algebra used in reliability analysis.

Similar to Boolean algebra, MVL is used for the constriction of the structure function of the investigated system. The interpretation of the structure function of the MSS in terms of MVL allows using mathematical methods and approaches of this logic for the analysis of the structure function.

The logical differential calculus is one of mathematical approaches in MVL. The authors develop new method for MSS reliability analysis based on logical differential calculus, in particular direct partial logical derivatives, for the investigation of critical system states (CSSs). The proposed method allows providing the qualitative and quantitative analyses of MSS: the CSS can be defined for all possible changes of any system component or group of components, and probabilities of this state can also be calculated.

The proposed method permits representing the MSS in the form of a structure function that is interpreted as MVL function and provides the system analyses without special transformation into Boolean interpretation and with acceptable computational complexity.

Assembly systems require uninterrupted components' availability to feed workstations. This paper aims to propose a methodology to help managers in evaluating and selecting the most suitable policy for materials delivery to the shop floor. The analysis focuses on three basic policies, namely kitting, just in time kanban‐based continuous supply and line storage, even including class‐based hybrid policies.

Descriptive models are developed to design components' delivery systems and to compute their performances. Empirical criteria are utilized to associate specific policies to components classes in order to implement customized hybrid line feeding policies. A case study is then included to exemplify the method application and to show its capabilities as a decision making tool.

Hybrid feeding policies may be preferable to a single feeding policy common to all components. This is shown in a representative case study. However, in general there is a priori superior method and only a comparison of alternative feeding policies based on objective performance measures can determine the best approach in specific industrial applications.

The methodology is aimed at preliminary sizing and selection of alternative line feeding systems in deterministic environments. It is not intended for detailed performance analysis of assembly systems.

Production managers are given quantitative decision tools to properly select the components' delivery method at an early decision stage. This allows trade‐offs between alternatives to be explored in order to deploy customized feeding policies differentiated on components basis to better fit specific company requirements.

The paper extends previous descriptive models for line feeding systems and includes the possibility of hybrid policies.

This paper employs new methods to evaluate the availability of multistate series–parallel systems, in which a number of similar components are available in each subsystem.

In this paper, polynomial distribution function (PDF) is combined with universal generating function (UGF) and recursive algorithm (RA) methods to evaluate the availability of multistate series–parallel systems. To achieve this goal, the PDF is initially used to determine the performance rates and the probabilities corresponding to the performance states of the similar components in a subsystem. The obtained results are used to evaluate the system availability via the UGF and RA methods.

It is shown that the combined UGF and PDF (UGF-PDF) and also the combined RA and PDF (RA-PDF) methods require less computational time than did the UGF and RA methods, respectively.

In the UGF and RA methods, there is no difference in system availability evaluation time when considering similar or different components in each subsystem. But the proposed methods in this article do not have this restrictions; therefore, these methods can be used to evaluate system availability in optimal redundancy allocation problems. As a result, using these methods reduces the optimization time of those problems.

Opportunistic maintenance (OM) policy is a prospective maintenance approach that instigates for a more effective and optimized system. The purpose of this paper is to provide the steps and methods used in model development processes for the application of the OM policy.

Dubbed as opportunistic principle toward optimal maintenance system (OPTOMS) for OM policy toward optimal maintenance system, the model is devised as a decision support system model and contains five phases. The motivation and focus of the model resolve around the need for a practical framework or model of maintenance policy for the application in an industry. In this paper, the OPTOMS model was verified and validated to ensure that the model is applicable in the industry and robust as a support system in decision making for the optimal maintenance system.

From the verification steps conducted in a case study company, it was found that the developed model incorporated simple but practical tools like check sheet, failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), control chart that has been commonly used in the industry.

This paper provides the general explanations of the developed model and tools used for each phase in implementing OM to achieve an optimal maintenance system. Based on a case study conducted in a semiconductor company, the OPTOMS model can align and prepare the company in increasing machine reliability by reducing machine downtime.

The novelty of this paper is based on the in-depth discussion of all phases and steps in the model that emphasize on how the model will become practical theories in conducting an OM policy in a company. The proposed methods and tools for data collection and analysis are practical and commonly used in the industry. The framework is designed for practical application in the industry. The users would be from the Maintenance and Production Department.

While extant research does mention performance management systems as antecedent to a management accountant’s role, and that there is tension between both, there is little detailed research. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the extent to which a performance management system interacts with the role of a management accountant.

The study is a cross-sectional field study, using interviews with paired management accountants and operative managers in 16 multinational organisations in Germany. The perspectives of both management accountants and operative managers are analysed separately. The role episode model theoretically informs the study.

The findings reveal management accountants distinguish between three roles of scorekeeping, controlling and business support, similar to prior literature. By contrast, operating managers are concerned with the value-adding and non-value-adding character of activities and thus support a dichotomy of management accountants’ roles. Drawing upon the role episode model, this study elucidates the interplay between performance management systems and the roles of management accountants, which encompass both role-taking and role-making dynamics. Additionally, this study contributes to management control literature by operationalising the components of a performance management system framework and linking them to the role of management accountants, as proposed by role antecedents in previous literature. The study also uncovers factors influencing role-taking and role-making, alongside examining the repercussions of role consensus or conflict based on the interaction with the operating manager.

This paper is subject to the normal limitations of case study research and generalisation. The findings may also be influenced by the cultural context of the study.

An updated role episode model is presented, highlighting further performance management systems’ components. The study also reveals factors enabling and/or inhibiting the management accountants’ business support role and the impact of role consensus/conflict.

Transport logistics systems in companies with additional public service roles are complex and could benefit from new approaches to performance management. Existing approaches tend to be fragmented; thus, the purpose of this paper is to integrate balanced performance measures, a dynamics model, and the problem-solving method into a new model.

An integrated framework is developed by reviewing literature and synthesising attributes of performance measurement systems, system dynamics and problem-solving methods. The framework is then applied to a multiple-role company’s sea transportation system. The study uses statistical methods to identify performance indicators, management interviews with document study to develop a dynamics model, and simulation methods to formulate an improvement plan.

The performance measurement design stage allowed for the identification of balanced, aligned performance indicators, while the system dynamics model illuminated the impact of the system components’ interrelationships on performance output. The problem-solving method allowed for analysis of system performance, identification of constraints and formulation of a performance improvement plan.

This framework can help transport logistics system stakeholders in multiple-role companies avoid silo thinking, misaligned performance objectives, local optima and short-term solutions.

This study contributes to the existing body of research by introducing a novel framework integrating performance measurement, system dynamics and the problem-solving method. It also addresses a theoretical gap by showing how interconnecting components of sea transportation systems affect transport logistics performance.

Decision-making in human resources management is done at both the micro and macro level of organizations. Unfortunately, the decisions at each level are often executed without consideration of the other, and current theory reflects this issue. In response to a call for integration of micro- and macro-level processes by Huselid and Becker (2011), we review the extant literature on strategic human resources and high-performance work systems to provide recommendations for both research and practice. We aimed to contribute to the literature by proposing the incorporation of the situation awareness literature into the high-performance work systems framework to encourage the alignment of human resources efforts. In addition, we provide practical recommendations for integrating situation awareness and strategic decision-making. We discuss a process for the employment of situation awareness in organizations that might not only streamline human resources management but also result in more effective decisions. Additional considerations include implications for teams, boundary conditions (e.g., individual differences), and measurement.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new measure for criticality analysis of different components of a production plant, called cost‐effective importance measure (CEIM) that considers the component's performance, system structure and economic aspects.

In this work, an explorative literature study covering the concept of importance measure and criticality analysis has been carried out on contemporary literature. The literature study shows that the commonly used importance measures consider the probability of failure of a component and systems structure, and ignore the effect or severity of failures, which is an important factor in engineering decision making. It is not clear how to use the concept of importance measure in combination with cost parameter. Hence, a cost‐effective importance measure (CEIM) is defined and a case study is presented, to demonstrate the application of the proposed importance measure.

The paper indicates that CEIM useful for the analysis of production plants where reliability and cost of break down are of paramount importance.

The concept of CEIM is demonstrated using only a case study of a belt conveyor system in the underground mine of Singareni Coal Company Ltd. However, the concept of CEIM can be used in other area.

The concept of CEIM can be a handy and effective tool for scheduling of inspection, maintenance and fault diagnosis and these activities can be carried out as per the rank of the components to maximize the benefits in skilled manpower crunch. It also indicates that the upgradation of the production plant's performance can also be done by improving performance of components with relatively large CEIM values.

In this paper, the concept of importance measure is extended to include the effect of severity of failures and cost parameter in the criticality analysis.

Rather than organize as traditional firms, many of today’s companies organize as platforms that sit at the nexus of multiple exchange and production relationships. This chapter considers a most basic question of organization in platform contexts: the choice of boundaries. Herein, I investigate how classical economic theories of firm boundaries apply to platform-based organization and empirically study how executives made boundary choices in response to changing market and technical challenges in the early mobile computing industry (the predecessor to today’s smartphones). Rather than a strict or unavoidable tradeoff between “openness-versus-control,” most successful platform owners chose their boundaries in a way to simultaneously open-up to outside developers while maintaining coordination across the entire system.

To investigate the impact of number of components (NC) and component commonality (CC) (i.e. product structure characteristics) on the effectiveness of component reservation methods and partial order releases (i.e. order review and evaluation (ORE) procedures).

Simulation experiments were conducted using a multistage production‐inventory system with MRP for planning. The results were analyzed using analysis of variance.

The results indicate that: in the presence of component availability problems, partial order release is a more effective ORE procedure than component reservation; product structure characteristics should be considered when selecting partial order release proportions; and high levels of shop congestion (SC) mitigate the influence of ORE procedures, regardless of product structure characteristics.

This study used fixed lot sizes and two factors to characterize product structures (NC and CC). Thus, studies that investigate the impact of alternative lot sizing strategies and a wider range of product structure factors could provide additional insight into the order release process.

The results provide a useful source of information for managers to consider when addressing problem orders related to material availability.

Although the literature on order review/release (ORR) recognizes the possibility of material availability problems, very little guidance is provided on how managers should react to the situation. This paper fulfils an identified information need by integrating and extending the research streams on product structure and ORE activities.