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Article
Publication date: 20 December 2018

Surajit Bag, Arnesh Telukdarie, J.H.C. Pretorius and Shivam Gupta

The evolution of technology from the most recent industrial age to the technology era better known as Industry 4.0 resulted in greater demand for horizontal, vertical and…

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Abstract

Purpose

The evolution of technology from the most recent industrial age to the technology era better known as Industry 4.0 resulted in greater demand for horizontal, vertical and end-to-end digital integration. Prior studies show that Industry 4.0 adoption majorly influences the sustainability aspects in a supply chain network. The purpose of this paper is to identify the Industry 4.0 enablers of supply chain sustainability and further attempt to propose a research framework to bridge the theoretical gaps.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research study, the authors have used a systematic literature review methodology in the field of Industry 4.0 and sustainable supply chain management. The list of papers was downloaded from Scopus (www.scopus.com) database. Through strict screening, only journal papers were selected for conducting the review of the literature.

Findings

The review brings out some interesting findings which will be helpful for the research community. There have been limited research in the area of managing supply chain network sustainability through Industry 4.0 technologies. The authors found only 10 papers out of a total of 53 papers which emphasize on smart manufacturing, smart production system, smart warehouse management system, smart logistics and sustainability. Most of the previous research studies have ignored the social aspects of supply chain sustainability. Finally, the authors identified 13 key enablers of Industry 4.0 playing an important role in driving supply chain sustainability.

Practical implications

The strategies for Industry 4.0 should be refined and detailed to develop economic and social systems that can act flexibly to sudden changes in the system. Top management must be convinced for prioritizing investment support and creating a system that can facilitate technology convergence. Managers must also act on new models of employment and frame plans to continuously improve the system. In addition, managers must focus on establishing a collaborative platform to facilitate high-tech research and developments. Finally, it is essential to develop a performance management system for monitoring all actions in the supply chain network.

Originality/value

Integrating two independent subjects is the uniqueness of the current study. Here, Industry 4.0 and supply chain sustainability have been integrated to build the research framework, and in such a process, the authors have extended the existing knowledge base.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 28 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 23 September 2022

Abdullahi Baba Ahmed, Innocent Musonda and J.H.C. Pretorius

This paper intends to investigate the empirical link between governance and energy investment in PPP. To succinctly account for biases in the fixed effects (FE) model, the authors…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper intends to investigate the empirical link between governance and energy investment in PPP. To succinctly account for biases in the fixed effects (FE) model, the authors adopted different bias-corrected techniques. The majority of these techniques provided evidence that PPP investments in energy are boosted by increasing the desire for accountability, prioritising the voice of the masses and disabusing the rule of laws. This study could not find any positive influence from the control of corruption to PPP investment in energy.

Design/methodology/approach

The acute shortage of power supply in SSA has attracted PPP investments in the energy subsector of the economy, leading to the recent debate on governance and public, private investment. The authors contributed to this argument by examining the impact of country governance on PPP investment in energy using a sample of countries in SSA.

Findings

Therefore, the authors concluded that low control of corruption is responsible for the inadequate volume of PPP investments. In the light of this, the government should redefine the anti-corruption bill of their sovereignty to accommodate severe sanctions when necessary.

Originality/value

This paper uses the fixed effects (FE) model by introducing batteries of nonlinear panel models to capture the relationship between the impacts of country governance on PPP investment in energy.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 October 2016

V. Raja Sreedharan and R. Raju

The purpose of this paper is to review Lean Six Sigma (LSS) literature and report different definitions, demographics, methodologies and industries.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review Lean Six Sigma (LSS) literature and report different definitions, demographics, methodologies and industries.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper highlights various definitions by different researchers and practitioners. A total of 235 research papers has been reviewed for the LSS theme, research methodology adopted, type of industry, author profile, country of research and year of publication.

Findings

From the review, four significant LSS classifications were identified that deal with the spread of LSS in different industries followed by observation for classification.

Practical implications

LSS is a strategy for success, but it did not examine its presence in various Industries. From this paper, readers can understand the quantum of its spread before implementing LSS. For academicians, it will be a comprehensive list of papers for research.

Originality/value

This paper reviews 235 research papers for their year, author profile, research methodology and type of industry. Various characteristics of LSS definitions and their theme are also reviewed.

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. 7 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 28 March 2022

Syed Abdul Rehman Khan, Muhammad Umar, Hafiz Muhammad Zia-ul-haq and Zhang Yu

Amid rising environmental concerns, Industry 4.0 and blockchain technology (BCT) are transforming circular economy practices and prevailing business models. Recognizing the same…

Abstract

Amid rising environmental concerns, Industry 4.0 and blockchain technology (BCT) are transforming circular economy practices and prevailing business models. Recognizing the same, the current study examines the role of advanced technology in circular practices and their impact on eco-environmental performance, which influences organizational performance. The study collects data from 185 food processing enterprises that are located in Malaysian territories. By employing CB-SEM modeling, the study provides three key findings. First, Industry 4.0 significantly improves the circular economy practices. Second, circular economy practices help to improve firms' environmental performance but did not stimulate operational performance. Third, higher eco-environmental performance significantly boosts organizational performance. This study set out the foundations for participating countries/firms that help to achieve sustainable goals through the integration of blockchain technology in circular economy practices.

Article
Publication date: 10 July 2017

Edoghogho Ogbeifun, Charles Mbohwa and Jan-Harm C. Pretorius

There are latent fears that in a Delphi exercise, the opinions of participants might be impaired due to the proximity of other participants. However, the thoughtful selection of…

Abstract

Purpose

There are latent fears that in a Delphi exercise, the opinions of participants might be impaired due to the proximity of other participants. However, the thoughtful selection of participants and effective communication during the process can guarantee the independence of the participants’ opinions. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The single site case study method was adopted and the participants for the Delphi exercise were chosen from the strategic and tactical levels of leadership. The professional, positional experience and responsibilities of the participants guaranteed the quality of their opinions.

Findings

Although some of the facilities management participants are from the same division, the data collected demonstrate the opinions of independent minds, thus guaranteeing that consensus was achieved without complicity.

Originality/value

The research shows that it is possible to achieve consensus of opinion in a Delphi exercise without complicity, even when the participants know each other. This can be achieved through the painstaking selection of appropriate participants, the skills of the research coordinator and transparent communication between the rounds and in the final report.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 66 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 August 2017

Nnedinma Umeokafor

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a study that identified and assessed the barriers to client involvement in health and safety (H&S) in the Nigerian…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a study that identified and assessed the barriers to client involvement in health and safety (H&S) in the Nigerian construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

On the basis of literature review and a pilot study, structured questionnaires were designed and administered to clients and their representatives in ongoing construction projects in Nigeria. Descriptive and inferential statistics were then adopted while analysing the data.

Findings

The research reveals that the major barriers to client involvement in H&S in Nigeria’s construction industry focus on the gaps created by lack of H&S legislation in specifying client roles and responsibilities in H&S, trust and confidence in the supply chain, low levels of awareness at various levels, procurement issues, the attitudes of the various members of the project team and resource-related issues. In total, 20 barriers to client involvement in H&S were identified and assessed.

Practical implications

Policy makers will find the study beneficial as it provides a good understanding of the issues to address while making policies that seek to involve the client in H&S in Nigeria.

Originality/value

While the findings offer insight on the barriers to client involvement in H&S in Nigeria’s construction industry, the study also contributes to the discourse in developing countries. The paper recommends transparent steps in procurement, H&S legislation that factors in economic incentives and community and financial institutions contributions to involving clients in H&S. The study is the first attempt to investigate the barriers to client involvement in construction H&S in Nigeria, contributing to the dearth of H&S literature in Nigeria.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, vol. 15 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 March 2022

Nzita Alain Lelo, P. Stephan Heyns and Johann Wannenburg

Industry decision makers often rely on a risk-based approach to perform inspection and maintenance planning. According to the Risk-Based Inspection and Maintenance Procedure…

Abstract

Purpose

Industry decision makers often rely on a risk-based approach to perform inspection and maintenance planning. According to the Risk-Based Inspection and Maintenance Procedure project for the European industry, risk has two main components: probability of failure (PoF) and consequence of failure (CoF). As one of these risk drivers, a more accurate estimation of the PoF will contribute to a more accurate risk assessment. Current methods to estimate the PoF are either time-based or founded on expert judgement. This paper suggests an approach that incorporates the proportional hazards model (PHM), which is a statistical procedure to estimate the risk of failure for a component subject to condition monitoring, into the risk-based inspection (RBI) methodology, so that the PoF estimation is enhanced to optimize inspection policies.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the overall goal of this paper, a case study applying the PHM to determine the PoF for the real-time condition data component is discussed. Due to a lack of published data for risk assessment at this stage of the research, the case study considered here uses failure data obtained from the simple but readily available Intelligent Maintenance Systems bearing data, to illustrate the methodology.

Findings

The benefit of incorporating PHM into the RBI approach is that PHM uses real-time condition data, allowing dynamic decision-making on inspection and maintenance planning. An additional advantage of the PHM is that where traditional techniques might not give an accurate estimation of the remaining useful life to plan inspection, the PHM method has the ability to consider the condition as well as the age of the component.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is proposing the development of an approach to incorporate the PHM into an RBI methodology using bearing data to illustrate the methodology. The CoF estimation is not addressed in this paper.

Originality/value

This paper presents the benefits related to the use of PHM as an approach to optimize the PoF estimation, which drives to the optimal risk assessment, in comparison to the time-based approach.

Details

Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, vol. 29 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2511

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 December 2020

Atul Kumar Sahu, Anup Kumar, Anoop Kumar Sahu and Nitin Kumar Sahu

Today, industrial revolutions demands advanced technologies, means, mediums, tactics and so forth for optimizing their operating behavior and opportunities. It is probed that the…

Abstract

Purpose

Today, industrial revolutions demands advanced technologies, means, mediums, tactics and so forth for optimizing their operating behavior and opportunities. It is probed that the effectual results can be seized into system by not only developing advance means and technologies, but also capably adapting these developed technologies, their user interface and their utilization at optimum levels. Today, industrial resources need perfect synchronization and optimization for getting elevated results. Accordingly, present study is furnished with the purpose to expose quality-driven insights to march toward excellence by optimizing existing resources by the industrial organizations. The present study evaluates quality attributes of mechanical machineries for seizing performance opportunities and maintaining competitiveness via synchronizing and reconfiguring firm's resources under quality management system.

Design/methodology/approach

In the present study, Kano’s integrated approach is implemented for supporting decision rational concerning industrial assets. The integrative Kano–analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach is used to reflect the relative importance of quality attributes. Kano and AHP tactics are integrated to define global relative weight and their computational medium is adapted along with ratio analysis, reference point theory and TOPSIS technique for understanding robust decision. The study described an interesting idea for underpinning quality attributes for benchmarking system substitutes. A machine tool selection case is discussed to disclose the significant aspect of decision-making and its virtual qualities.

Findings

The decision executives can realize massive benefits by streaming quality data, advanced information, technological advancements, optimum analysis and by identifying quality measures and disruptions for gaining performance deeds. The study determined quality measures for benchmarking machine tool substitute for industrial applications. Momentous machine alternatives are evaluated by means of technical structure, dominance theory and comparative analysis for supporting decision-making of industrial assets based on optimization and synchronization.

Research limitations/implications

The study linked financial, managerial and production resources under sole platform to present a technical structure that may assist in improving the performance of the manufacturing firms. The study provides a decision support mechanism to assist in reviewing the momentous resources to imitate a higher level of productive strength toward the manufacturing firms. The study endeavors its importance toward optimizing resources, which is an evident requirement in industries as the same not only saves money, escalates production, improves profit margins and so forth, but also gratifies the consumption of scarce natural resources.

Originality/value

The study stressed that advance information can be sought from system characteristics in the form of quality measures and attributes, which can be molded for gaining elevated outcomes from existing system characteristics. The same demands decision supports tools and frameworks to utilize data-driven information for benchmarking operations and supply chain activities. The study portrayed an approach for ease of utilizing data-driven information by the decision-makers for demonstrating superior outcomes. The study originally conceptualized multi-attributes appraisement framework associated with subjective cum objective quality measures to evaluate the most significant machine tool choice amongst preferred alternatives.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 35 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 July 2022

Ruchi Mishra, Rajesh Singh and Kannan Govindan

The purpose of this study is to systematically review the state-of-art literature on the net-zero economy in the field of supply chain management.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to systematically review the state-of-art literature on the net-zero economy in the field of supply chain management.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review of 79 articles published from 2009 to 2021 has been conducted to minimise the researchers' bias and maximise the reliability and replicability of the study.

Findings

The thematic analysis reveals that studies in the field of net-zero economy have mostly been done on decarbonisation in the supply chain, emission control and life cycle analysis and environmental and energy management. The findings highlight the strong positive association between digitalisation, circular economy and resources optimization practices with net-zero economy goals. The study also addresses the challenges linked with the net-zero economy at the firm and country levels.

Research limitations/implications

Practitioners in companies and academics might find this review valuable as this study reviews, classifies and analyses the studies, outlines the evolution of literature and offers directions for future studies using the theory, methodology and context (TMC) framework.

Originality/value

This is the first study that uses a structured approach to analyse studies done in the net-zero field by assessing publications from 2009 to 2021.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 34 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2021

Željko Stević, Çağlar Karamaşa, Ezgi Demir and Selçuk Korucuk

Forests are negatively affected from rapid world population increase and industrialization that create intense pressures on natural resources and the possibility of an achieving…

Abstract

Purpose

Forests are negatively affected from rapid world population increase and industrialization that create intense pressures on natural resources and the possibility of an achieving circular economy. Forests can be considered as essential resources for providing sustainable society and meeting the requirements of future generations and circular economy. Therefore sustainable production tools as part of circular economy can be handled as one of the basic indicators for achieving circular economy. Accordingly the main purpose of this study is developing a novel rough – fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making model (MCDM) for evaluation sustainable production for forestry firms in Eastern Black Sea Region.

Design/methodology/approach

For determining 18 criteria weights a novel Rough PIPRECIA (PIvot Pairwise RElative Criteria Importance Assessment) method is developed. Eight decision-makers (DMs) participated in the research, and to obtain group rough decision matrix, rough Dombi weighted geometric averaging (RNDWGA) operator has been applied. For evaluation forestry firms fuzzy MARCOS (Measurement of alternatives and ranking according to COmpromise solution) method was utilized.

Findings

After application developed model the fourth alternative was found as the best. Sensitivity analysis and comparison were made to present the applicability of this method.

Originality/value

Development of novel integrated Rough PIPRECIA-Fuzzy MARCOS model with emphasis on developing new Rough PIPRECIA method.

Details

Journal of Enterprise Information Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0398

Keywords

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