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1 – 10 of 164
Article
Publication date: 1 May 1980

David Ray, John Gattorna and Mike Allen

Preface The functions of business divide into several areas and the general focus of this book is on one of the most important although least understood of these—DISTRIBUTION. The…

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Abstract

Preface The functions of business divide into several areas and the general focus of this book is on one of the most important although least understood of these—DISTRIBUTION. The particular focus is on reviewing current practice in distribution costing and on attempting to push the frontiers back a little by suggesting some new approaches to overcome previously defined shortcomings.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Materials Management, vol. 10 no. 5/6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0269-8218

Article
Publication date: 17 April 2009

Kai‐Wen Zheng, Chih‐Hung Tsai, Rong‐Kwei Li, Ching‐Piao Chen and Shih‐Chieh Tsai

As the flourish of today’s supply chain, the traditional model of replenishment will cause accumulation of excessive inventory to the retailers and customers, or cause shortages…

Abstract

As the flourish of today’s supply chain, the traditional model of replenishment will cause accumulation of excessive inventory to the retailers and customers, or cause shortages and inability to meet the demands. To solve this problem, Theory of Constraints (TOC) proposed the replenishment model of demand‐pull, combined with the establishment of factory‐warehouse to achieve performance improvement. In the absence of empirical research, this study applied the Bean Game developed by Dr. Goldratt to design a supply chain system for different scenarios, in order to allow players and managers better understanding and supporting the TOC replenishment method through the operations of the game.

Details

Asian Journal on Quality, vol. 10 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1598-2688

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Article
Publication date: 1 July 1981

In these days when many suppliers to the troubled automotive industry are having to contract, it was particularly pleasing to Mr. Alex Fletcher, Scottish Office Minister for…

Abstract

In these days when many suppliers to the troubled automotive industry are having to contract, it was particularly pleasing to Mr. Alex Fletcher, Scottish Office Minister for Industry, to open a new factory, warehouse and laboratory complex for Silberline Ltd. of Banbeath, Leven, Fife, on 15th May.

Details

Pigment & Resin Technology, vol. 10 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0369-9420

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2006

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

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Abstract

Purpose

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

Almost a million industrial robots are in service worldwide, and their numbers are steadily growing. They perform a vast range of tasks in factories, warehouses and laboratories, and offer a number of advantages to industry, including high throughput and speed, generally better accuracy and improved safety conditions for staff. However, while increasingly common in industry, due to the onerous set‐up costs and complexity robots are not widely used in Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs).

Practical implications

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

Details

Strategic Direction, vol. 22 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0258-0543

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Article
Publication date: 30 August 2011

Claudia Colicchia, Marco Melacini and Sara Perotti

Given the relevance of supply chain sustainability, the aim of the present paper is threefold: first, to investigate the strategies currently undertaken by companies in the supply…

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Abstract

Purpose

Given the relevance of supply chain sustainability, the aim of the present paper is threefold: first, to investigate the strategies currently undertaken by companies in the supply chain sustainability arena, and, second, to find out which phase of the supply chain is at the forefront in the implementation of initiatives towards more sustainable supply chains. Finally, the criteria commonly used for priority‐setting amongst different initiatives within the same supply chain phase are identified.

Design/methodology/approach

A three‐pronged methodology was adopted. First, a framework was developed to identify the initiatives towards supply chain sustainability. Second, the framework was applied to a set of multinational companies by examining their environmental reporting, thus to assess the adoption of each initiative. Third, a further in‐depth investigation of three companies was finally performed in order to provide additional insights on the obtained results.

Findings

The research offers a benchmark of primary multinational companies with respect to the supply chain sustainability initiatives and their level of adoption.

Research limitations/implications

The examined set of companies, although representative (i.e. the analysed companies operate in industries in which the environmental concern is particularly critical), is limited. However, the present paper contributes to the knowledge on supply chain sustainability and captures variations in theory, paving the way for new research.

Practical implications

The paper provides an instrument to evaluate and compare companies in terms of supply chain sustainability and highlights the main challenges that companies have to confront.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper lies in the adoption of a supply chain perspective to investigate sustainable initiatives.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 18 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

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Article
Publication date: 1 August 1986

James H. Bookbinder and Timothy D. Locke

Just‐in‐time (JIT) production has been a subject of considerable research in the past few years. The Japanese were the first to actually use JIT systems rather than the…

Abstract

Just‐in‐time (JIT) production has been a subject of considerable research in the past few years. The Japanese were the first to actually use JIT systems rather than the traditional economic order quantity inventory system or the more recent method of Material Requirements Planning (MRP). Considerable savings in inventory‐holding costs, faster spotting of defective producing stations and improved quality control have been observed using just‐in‐time production.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Materials Management, vol. 17 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0269-8218

Book part
Publication date: 25 November 2014

Daniel M. Cartledge

This chapter examines issues of sustainability in regard to post-Soviet Central Asian urban centers via a case study of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. This urban center of approximately one…

Abstract

Purpose

This chapter examines issues of sustainability in regard to post-Soviet Central Asian urban centers via a case study of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. This urban center of approximately one million people is the largest in the Kyrgyz Republic, and one of the larger cities in Central Asia. Dubbed “the Tree City” during the Soviet Era, it, like other Central Asian population centers, occupies an oasis-like environment at the foot of a major mountain range, the Ala-Too Range of the Tian Shan (Mts.). This major mountain massif, which extends across the northern part of Central Asia and on into North-West China, has numerous peaks more than 4,000 m high and many glaciers. It is these snowfields that provide most of the water used by the city of Bishkek and its suburbs.

Methodology

The findings represented herein are based on ethnographic field observations and interviews conducted in 2006–2007 and 2013–2014. A variety of documentary resources were accessed as well.

Research findings

During Soviet times, Bishkek and its environs were the location of industrial complexes focused on the processing of minerals and agricultural produce, much of which was shipped to other republics within the USSR. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, many of these industrial sites have fallen into disuse and disrepair. So, while Bishkek has numerous “socialist” planned parks, long-established green spaces, and a relatively large “urban forest” along major boulevards and thoroughfares, it is also dotted with abandoned factories, warehouses, and crumbling infrastructure. In parts of the city, and especially around its perimeter, urban fruit and vegetable gardens have reappeared, as many residents had to return to subsistence gardening to provide basic food needs for their households.

In the last decade, however, the local economy has begun to diversify and grow. This has brought more cars to the streets and a substantial number of new businesses and building projects, along with increasing amounts of air, water, and noise pollution. Concomitant with this new development has been the emergence of a nascent green movement, the establishment of environmental organizations, and a small but growing “green consciousness” as witnessed by the creation of new recycling programs, increased bicycle travel, and related activities pointing toward a more sustainable future.

Implications

In this chapter, the relative sustainability (social, cultural, economic, and ecological) of this Central Asian urban center are considered as it has emerged from its Soviet past to become the focal point of new enterprises, including a small but growing ecotourism industry. Bishkek, in common with other major cities of this region, which is far from the moderating influences of the sea, must adapt to the realities of what are likely to be increasingly severe climate change impacts – increased average annual temperatures, the rapid retreat of mountain glaciers and a reduction in the essential waters that they provide, and increasingly severe and numerous periods of drought. Whether or not Bishkek can successfully adapt to these changes and emerge as a more sustainable city remains to be seen.

Details

From Sustainable to Resilient Cities: Global Concerns and Urban Efforts
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78441-058-2

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Article
Publication date: 1 December 1906

The annual report of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries for 1905, which has just been issued, is a very interesting booklet, which the Board's elder brother, the Local…

Abstract

The annual report of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries for 1905, which has just been issued, is a very interesting booklet, which the Board's elder brother, the Local Government Board, might in some respects imitate with advantage in its publications dealing with kindred topics—but in some respects only.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 8 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1987

Alan Mercer

The focus of this article is on the detailed elements of distribution. A form of checklist is developed of the key elements that need to be considered by any company, not just…

Abstract

The focus of this article is on the detailed elements of distribution. A form of checklist is developed of the key elements that need to be considered by any company, not just retailers, in setting a distribution strategy.

Details

Management Research News, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0140-9174

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2015

Heba El-Sayed and Mayada Abd El-Aziz Youssef

This paper aims to, using the concept of “modes of mediation”, examine how different roles for accountants are “made present” in an Egyptian manufacturing company. The paper…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to, using the concept of “modes of mediation”, examine how different roles for accountants are “made present” in an Egyptian manufacturing company. The paper introduces the notion of “modes of mediation” as a different perspective for the opposing popular archetypes of accountants: “bean-counter” versus “business partner”. Modes of mediation emphasise the materiality of artefacts, entities and technologies, as well as organisational space and spatial settings.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on a field study in an Egyptian manufacturing company where accountants are engaged as business partners and involved in operations planning and decision-making. The data were collected over a period of four years through participant observation, interviews and ethnographic techniques.

Findings

The paper reveals the relational nature of accountants’ calculative agency and shows how roles of accountants are intimately associated with a web of technologies and artefacts, as well as spatial working arrangements that represent particular “modes of mediation”.

Research limitations/implications

The concept of “modes of mediation”, which is still under-explored in the role change literature, is useful in studying the roles of accountants. It enriches our understanding of the wider involvement of accountants in business decision-making that goes beyond the major drivers of role change and deliberate interventions discussed in the existing literature.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the literature on role change by drawing attention to the way in which different modes of mediation, involving certain material and spatial arrangements, enact different forms of calculative agency. Minor alteration to these arrangements can result in a wider involvement of accountants in business decision-making.

Details

Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, vol. 12 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1176-6093

Keywords

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