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1 – 10 of 328
Article
Publication date: 13 April 2023

Sadia Samar Ali, Shahbaz Khan, Nosheen Fatma, Cenap Ozel and Aftab Hussain

Organisations and industries are often looking for technologies that can accomplish multiple tasks, providing economic benefits and an edge over their competitors. In this…

Abstract

Purpose

Organisations and industries are often looking for technologies that can accomplish multiple tasks, providing economic benefits and an edge over their competitors. In this context, drones have the potential to change many industries by making operations more efficient, safer and more economic. Therefore, this study investigates the use of drones as the next step in smart/digital warehouse management to determine their socio-economic benefits.

Design/methodology/approach

The study identifies various enablers impacting drone applications to improve inventory management, intra-logistics, inspections and surveillance in smart warehouses through a literature review, a test of concordance and the fuzzy Delphi method. Further, the graph theory matrix approach (GTMA) method was applied to ranking the enablers of drone application in smart/digital warehouses. In the subsequent phase, researchers investigated the relation between the drone application's performance and the enablers of drone adoption using logistic regression analysis under the TOE framework.

Findings

This study identifies inventory man agement, intra-logistics, inspections and surveillance are three major applications of drones in the smart warehousing. Further, nine enablers are identified for the adoption of drone in warehouse management. The findings suggest that operational effectiveness, compatibility of drone integration and quality/value offered are the most impactful enablers of drone adoption in warehouses. The logistic regression findings are useful for warehouse managers who are planning to adopt drones in a warehouse for efficient operations.

Research limitations/implications

This study identifies the enablers of drone adoption in the smart and digital warehouse through the literature review and fuzzy Delphi. Therefore, some enablers may be overlooked during the identification process. In addition to this, the analysis is based on the opinion of the expert which might be influenced by their field of expertise.

Practical implications

By considering technology-organisation-environment (TOE) framework warehousing companies identify the opportunities and challenges associated with using drones in a smart warehouse and develop strategies to integrate drones into their operations effectively.

Originality/value

This study proposes a TOE-based framework for the adoption of drones in warehouse management to improve the three prominent warehouse functions inventory management, intra-logistics, inspections and surveillance using the mixed-method.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 31 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 22 March 2024

Sheak Salman, Shah Murtoza Morshed, Md. Rezaul Karim, Rafat Rahman, Sadia Hasanat and Afia Ahsan

The imperative to conserve resources and minimize operational expenses has spurred a notable increase in the adoption of lean manufacturing within the context of the circular…

Abstract

Purpose

The imperative to conserve resources and minimize operational expenses has spurred a notable increase in the adoption of lean manufacturing within the context of the circular economy across diverse industries in recent years. However, a notable gap exists in the research landscape, particularly concerning the implementation of lean practices within the pharmaceutical industry to enhance circular economy performance. Addressing this void, this study endeavors to identify and prioritize the pivotal drivers influencing lean manufacturing within the pharmaceutical sector.

Findings

The outcome of this rigorous examination highlights that “Continuous Monitoring Process for Sustainable Lean Implementation,” “Management Involvement for Sustainable Implementation” and “Training and Education” emerge as the most consequential drivers. These factors are deemed crucial for augmenting circular economy performance, underscoring the significance of management engagement, training initiatives and a continuous monitoring process in fostering a closed-loop practice within the pharmaceutical industry.

Research limitations/implications

The findings contribute valuable insights for decision-makers aiming to adopt lean practices within a circular economy framework. Specifically, by streamlining the process of developing a robust action plan tailored to the unique needs of the pharmaceutical sector, our study provides actionable guidance for enhancing overall sustainability in the manufacturing processes.

Originality/value

This study represents one of the initial efforts to systematically identify and assess the drivers to LM implementation within the pharmaceutical industry, contributing to the emerging body of knowledge in this area.

Details

International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2690-6090

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 March 2024

Jitesh J. Thakkar, Rishabh Rathore and Chandrima Chatterjee

Despite the fact that hygiene and sanitation are becoming more critical for improving the present situation in developing nations, the factors that affect them are not well…

Abstract

Purpose

Despite the fact that hygiene and sanitation are becoming more critical for improving the present situation in developing nations, the factors that affect them are not well covered in the present research. This paper investigates the quality of the hygiene and sanitization factors and identifies the interrelations between the identified factors.

Design/methodology/approach

A graph theory-based approach is proposed to assess the factors influencing the practice, and a critical service index (CSI) is used to quantify the same.

Findings

Two Indian villages are used to illustrate the implementation of the suggested approach. This represents the validation of the suggested method, as well as assisting in the development of essential suggestions for increasing the quality of hygiene and sanitization in the Indian context. In spite of the increasing importance of hygiene and sanitation for improving the current situation in developing countries, the factors that influence them are not well-researched.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes in two ways. First, it provides an organized methodology for quantifying hygiene and sanitation factors and a critical service index that incorporates the findings. The suggested approach may also be used to evaluate and classify other sectors. Second, it shows how the methodology was used to create key recommendations for two Indian villages, which may be considered the first effort in India’s hygiene and sanitation initiatives.

Originality/value

This research discussed improvements in sanitation and hygiene habits among Indian households, which have not been achieved as expected under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 April 2024

Francesco Tajani, Francesco Sica, Pierfrancesco De Paola and Pierluigi Morano

The paper aims to provide a decision-support model to ensure a proper use of the limited resources, financial and not, for the enhancement of the cultural heritage and…

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to provide a decision-support model to ensure a proper use of the limited resources, financial and not, for the enhancement of the cultural heritage and comprehensive development of small towns from sustainable perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The assessment model is set up using a multi-criteria method that combines elements of linear planning with a performance indicators system that may represent the complexity of the territory’s cultural identity as a result of existing cultural-historical assets.

Findings

The model reliability is tested in a case study in a Municipality in southern Italy. The case study’s findings highlight the advantages for the public/private operators, who can consciously choose which preservation and restoration projects to fund while taking into account the effects those decisions will have on the economic, social and environmental context of reference.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the suggested operational approach and the selection of variables for accounting economic, social and environmental impacts by the renewal project, the research findings may not be generalizable. Therefore, it is recommended that researchers look into the suggested theories in more detail.

Practical implications

The study offers implications for designing a user-friendly tool to help decision-making processes from a private–public viewpoint in a reasonable allocation of financial resources among investments for cultural property asset enhancement.

Originality/value

The suggested operational approach provides a reliable information apparatus to depict the decision-making process under small-town development in accordance with sustainability dimensions.

Details

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6099

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 November 2023

Ahmad Ebrahimi and Sara Mojtahedi

Warranty-based big data analysis has attracted a great deal of attention because of its key capabilities and role in improving product quality while minimizing costs. Information…

Abstract

Purpose

Warranty-based big data analysis has attracted a great deal of attention because of its key capabilities and role in improving product quality while minimizing costs. Information and details about particular parts (components) repair and replacement during the warranty term, usually stored in the after-sales service database, can be used to solve problems in a variety of sectors. Due to the small number of studies related to the complete analysis of parts failure patterns in the automotive industry in the literature, this paper focuses on discovering and assessing the impact of lesser-studied factors on the failure of auto parts in the warranty period from the after-sales data of an automotive manufacturer.

Design/methodology/approach

The interconnected method used in this study for analyzing failure patterns is formed by combining association rules (AR) mining and Bayesian networks (BNs).

Findings

This research utilized AR analysis to extract valuable information from warranty data, exploring the relationship between component failure, time and location. Additionally, BNs were employed to investigate other potential factors influencing component failure, which could not be identified using Association Rules alone. This approach provided a more comprehensive evaluation of the data and valuable insights for decision-making in relevant industries.

Originality/value

This study's findings are believed to be practical in achieving a better dissection and providing a comprehensive package that can be utilized to increase component quality and overcome cross-sectional solutions. The integration of these methods allowed for a wider exploration of potential factors influencing component failure, enhancing the validity and depth of the research findings.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 41 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 December 2023

Zihan Dang and Naiming Xie

Assembly line is a common production form and has been effectively used in many industries, but the imprecise processing time of each process makes production line balancing and…

Abstract

Purpose

Assembly line is a common production form and has been effectively used in many industries, but the imprecise processing time of each process makes production line balancing and capacity forecasting the most troublesome problems for production managers. In this paper, uncertain man-hours are represented as interval grey numbers, and the optimization problem of production line balance in the case of interval grey man-hours is studied to better evaluate the production line capacity.

Design/methodology/approach

First, this paper constructs the basic model of assembly line balance optimization for the single-product scenario, and on this basis constructs an assembly line balance optimization model under the multi-product scenario with the objective function of maximizing the weighted greyscale production line balance rate, second, this paper designs a simulated annealing algorithm to solve problem. A neighborhood search strategy is proposed, based on assembly line balance optimization, an assembly line capacity evaluation method with interval grey man-hour characteristics is designed.

Findings

This paper provides a production line balance optimization scheme with uncertain processing time for multi-product scenarios and designs a capacity evaluation method to provide managers with scientific management strategies so that decision-makers can scientifically solve the problems that the company's design production line is quite different from the actual production situation.

Originality/value

There are few literary studies on combining interval grey number with assembly line balance optimization. Therefore, this paper makes an important contribution in this regard.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 December 2023

Jayesh Prakash Gupta, Hongxiu Li, Hannu Kärkkäinen and Raghava Rao Mukkamala

In this study, the authors sought to investigate how the implicit social ties of both project owners and potential backers are associated with crowdfunding project success.

Abstract

Purpose

In this study, the authors sought to investigate how the implicit social ties of both project owners and potential backers are associated with crowdfunding project success.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on social ties theory and factors that affect crowdfunding success, in this research, the authors developed a model to study how project owners' and potential backers' implicit social ties are associated with crowdfunding projects' degrees of success. The proposed model was empirically tested with crowdfunding data collected from Kickstarter and social media data collected from Twitter. The authors performed the test using an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model with fixed effects.

Findings

The authors found that project owners' implicit social ties (specifically, their social media activities, degree centrality and betweenness centrality) are significantly and positively associated with crowdfunding projects' degrees of success. Meanwhile, potential project backers' implicit social ties (their social media activities and degree centrality) are negatively associated with crowdfunding projects' degrees of success. The authors also found that project size moderates the effects of project owners' social media activities on projects' degrees of success.

Originality/value

This work contributes to the literature on crowdfunding by investigating how the implicit social ties of both potential backers and project owners on social media are associated with crowdfunding project success. This study extends the previous research on social ties' roles in explaining crowdfunding project success by including implicit social ties, while the literature explored only explicit social ties.

Details

Internet Research, vol. 34 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 June 2023

Catarina Lucas and Joana Paulo

The purpose of this study is to present a general review that provides an overview of the concept of sustainability and the effectiveness of mathematics curricula in courses where…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to present a general review that provides an overview of the concept of sustainability and the effectiveness of mathematics curricula in courses where deeper work on economic and environmental sustainability has become central.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative methodology consisting of a review based on a pre-defined systematic method was used to exhaustively search and identify the most relevant answers to the research question: What is the role of mathematics to sustainability? To facilitate answering such a broad question, several concrete questions were formulated. Answers from published and unpublished documents were analysed. The quality of the extracted data was assessed, and the results were synthesized.

Findings

It was concluded that, on the one hand, the discipline of mathematics has much to contribute to solving the problems of sustainability; on the other hand, new mathematics is appearing stimulated by new challenges.

Social implications

This work presents social implications in an innovative way. It allows for an increase in educational sustainability by bringing the academic community closer to the business world and the challenges of society and, furthermore, by having a major impact on the motivation of teachers and students to develop cooperative work within university institutions.

Originality/value

The originality is based on an a priori analysis for the construction and implementation of didactic tools for university teacher training in the area of mathematics within the framework of sustainable development, both economically and environmentally.

Details

International Journal of Innovation Science, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-2223

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 August 2023

Risolene Alves de Macena Araújo, Fabíola Kaczam, Wenner Glaucio Lopes Lucena, Wesley Vieira da Silva and Claudimar Pereira da Veiga

Sustainability at the corporate level is interpreted as the approach capable of creating prosperity over long-term horizons through targeted strategic integration, sustainable…

Abstract

Purpose

Sustainability at the corporate level is interpreted as the approach capable of creating prosperity over long-term horizons through targeted strategic integration, sustainable business system and societal transitions, beyond economic growth, along with environmental quality and social equity. In this context, this article aims to explore the interplay of the relationship between environmental innovation and corporate sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted in the Web of Science and Scopus databases for the last six decades to explore the proposed relationship. Data were selected on August 2, 2020, and the analysis period lasted until July 20, 2021. A research protocol consistent with the methodological rigor required in conducting an SLR was prepared for the mapping and analysis of relevant research.

Findings

In the last five years, there has been an evolution in research related to green innovation in supply chain management. Based on this evolution, there is a growing concern with the development of sustainable business models, taking into account the motivation to adopt green innovation practices aimed at corporate image. The purpose lies in verifying the organizational capabilities in achieving corporate sustainability practices and economic performance. The results show a greater concentration of studies exploring (1) sustainable business models, (2) the complexity of the sustainability tripod balance, in addition to (3) organizational strategies based on green and competitive practices.

Originality/value

Few works explored the context of small and medium-sized companies, especially those located in emerging and underdeveloped countries. This opens up a promising field of research. The main contributions of this article are related to (1) the presentation of a portfolio of theoretical and methodological approaches on the subject, which allows the exploration of the possibilities of empirical studies; and (2) showing the current status of research on environmental innovation and its impact on corporate sustainability. This article explores the interplay of the relationship between environmental innovation and corporate sustainability and brings state-of-the-art research about the theme.

Details

Technological Sustainability, vol. 3 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-1312

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 December 2023

Dara Sruthilaya, Aneetha Vilventhan and P.R.C. Gopal

The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the interdependence of project complexity factors (PCFs) in metro rail projects using the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the interdependence of project complexity factors (PCFs) in metro rail projects using the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL). The study provides qualitative and quantitative analysis of project complexities factors and their relationships. The results of the study facilitate effective project planning, proactive risk management and informed decision-making by stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs a case-based method for identifying PCFs and a DEMATEL method for analyzing the interdependence of complexity factors in metro rail projects. Initially, PCFs were identified through an extensive literature review. To validate and refine these factors, semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirty experienced professionals, each having 5–20 years of experience in roles such as project management, engineering, and planning. Further, elevated and underground metro rail projects were purposefully selected as cases, for identifying the similarities and differences in PCFs. A questionnaire survey was conducted with various technical experts in metro rail projects. These experts rated the impact of PCFs on a five-point Likert scale, for the evaluation of the interdependence of PCFs. The DEMATEL technique was used to analyze the interdependencies of the PCFs.

Findings

Metro rail projects are influenced by project complexity, which significantly impacts their performance. The analysis reveals that “design problems with existing structures,” “change in design or construction” and “land acquisition” are the key factors contributing to project complexity.

Originality/value

The study of project complexity in metro rail projects is limited because most of the studies have studies on examining complexity in mega projects. The existing literature lacks adequate attention in identifying project complexity and its effects on metro rail project performance. This research aims to bridge this gap by examining project complexity and interdependencies in metro rail projects.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

Keywords

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