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1 – 10 of over 2000Elisa Verna and Domenico Augusto Maisano
Nowadays, companies are increasingly adopting additive manufacturing (AM) technologies due to their flexibility and product customization, combined with non-dramatic increases in…
Abstract
Purpose
Nowadays, companies are increasingly adopting additive manufacturing (AM) technologies due to their flexibility and product customization, combined with non-dramatic increases in per unit cost. Moreover, many companies deploy a plurality of distributed AM centers to enhance flexibility and customer proximity. Although AM centers are characterized by similar equipment and working methods, their production mix and volumes may be variable. The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel methodology to (1) monitor the quality of the production of individual AM centers and (2) perform a benchmarking of different AM centers.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper analyzes the quality of the production output of AM centers in terms of compliance with specifications. Quality is assessed through a multivariate statistical analysis of measurement data concerning several geometric quality characteristics. A novel operational methodology is suggested to estimate the fraction nonconforming of each AM center at three different levels: (1) overall production, (2) individual product typologies in the production mix and (3) individual quality characteristics.
Findings
The proposed methodology allows performing a benchmark analysis on the quality performance of distributed AM centers during regular production, without requiring any ad hoc experimental test.
Originality/value
This research assesses the capability of distributed AM centers to meet crucial quality requirements. The results can guide production managers toward improving the quality of the production of AM centers, in order to meet customer expectations and enhance business performance.
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Viktorija Knapić, Borut Rusjan and Katerina Božič
Existing research evidence shows a fragmented understanding of the roles of first-line employees (FLEs) as essential factors for successful lean implementation in small- and…
Abstract
Purpose
Existing research evidence shows a fragmented understanding of the roles of first-line employees (FLEs) as essential factors for successful lean implementation in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), provoking recent calls for additional research on the identification of enablers and barriers for lean acceptance among workers. Therefore, this paper aims to identify related enablers and barriers to lean implementation among FLEs and determine future research avenues for improving the understanding of lean methodology implementation in SMEs.
Design/methodology/approach
Relying on a systematic literature review methodology, the authors aimed to synthesize and evaluate available peer-reviewed papers on the role of FLEs in lean implementation in SMEs. General descriptive and thematic analysis comprehensively depicted the selected research topic and identified the main themes within collected papers and potential future research questions.
Findings
The authors identified four main themes related to FLEs’ role in lean implementation: cultural change factors, employee characteristics, management involvement and lean job design. Within each theme, the authors present a comprehensive overview of FLE-related factors and associated enablers and barriers that should be considered for a successful lean implementation in SMEs.
Practical implications
The research outcomes are important to practicing managers in SMEs, helping them facilitate lean acceptance and enhance the likelihood of successful lean implementation.
Originality/value
The insights from this study present building blocks in developing a lean implementation model for SMEs that considers the FLEs’ role more comprehensively.
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Alex Fischer and Yong Liu
This is the first data-driven pilot study that is focused on the micro-scaled but burgeoning Bruneian screen industry. The scope of the study includes employment modes, frequency…
Abstract
This is the first data-driven pilot study that is focused on the micro-scaled but burgeoning Bruneian screen industry. The scope of the study includes employment modes, frequency of productions, payment codes of practice and exhibition platforms, based on the data collected by both online surveys and semi-structured, face-to-face interviews between January to June 2021. The aim of this paper is to investigate the possible creation of a temporarily closed system of interaction between the local screen industry and other Bruneian businesses. It is hypothesised that the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent action taken by the Bruneian Government to restrict international travel and border crossings resulted in a new and rare interchange of production-based activity. The study targets a wide variety of parties, from industry professionals, e.g., production house managers, senior producers, freelancers, and the so-called gig-lancers, to governmental policymakers, i.e., representatives from Authority Info-communications Technology Industry (AITI) in Brunei.
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Michael J. Ryan, Daniel R. Eyers, Andrew T. Potter, Laura Purvis and Jonathan Gosling
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the existing scenarios for 3D printing (3DP) in order to identify the “white space” where future opportunities have not been proposed or…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the existing scenarios for 3D printing (3DP) in order to identify the “white space” where future opportunities have not been proposed or developed to date. Based around aspects of order penetration points, geographical scope and type of manufacturing, these gaps are identified.
Design/methodology/approach
A structured literature review has been carried out on both academic and trade publications. As of the end of May 2016, this identified 128 relevant articles containing 201 future scenarios. Coding these against aspects of existing manufacturing and supply chain theory has led to the development of a framework to identify “white space” in the existing thinking.
Findings
The coding shows that existing future scenarios are particularly concentrated on job shop applications and pull-based supply chain processes, although there are fewer constraints on geographical scope. Five distinct areas of “white space” are proposed, reflecting various opportunities for future 3DP supply chain development.
Research limitations/implications
Being a structured literature review, there are potentially articles not identified through the search criteria used. The nature of the findings is also dependent upon the coding criteria selected. However, these are theoretically derived and reflect important aspect of strategic supply chain management.
Practical implications
Practitioners may wish to explore the development of business models within the “white space” areas.
Originality/value
Currently, existing future 3DP scenarios are scattered over a wide, multi-disciplinary literature base. By providing a consolidated view of these scenarios, it is possible to identify gaps in current thinking. These gaps are multi-disciplinary in nature and represent opportunities for both academics and practitioners to exploit.
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Adriana Ito, Torbjörn Ylipää, Per Gullander, Jon Bokrantz, Victor Centerholt and Anders Skoogh
Resistance is expected to emerge with the implementation and use of new technologies in production systems. This work focuses on identifying sources of resistance to the use of…
Abstract
Purpose
Resistance is expected to emerge with the implementation and use of new technologies in production systems. This work focuses on identifying sources of resistance to the use of Industry 4.0 technologies when managing production disturbances and suitable managerial approaches to deal with them.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach was chosen in this research. The authors conducted a literature review and a series of interviews. Thirty-one papers from the literature review were analysed, and 16 people from five different companies were interviewed.
Findings
The authors identified five different sources of resistance and three managerial approaches to dealing with them. The sources of resistance were based on (1) feelings of over-supervision, (2) unclear values, (3) feelings of inadequacy, (4) concerns about loss of power and jobs and (5) work overload. The three approaches to dealing with resistance are (1) communication, (2) participation and (3) training.
Originality/value
This work identifies the sources and strategies to deal with resistance to the use of Industry 4.0 technologies in the management of production disturbances. The managerial literature in this area is limited, and to the authors's knowledge, the specific sources for resistance and strategies to deal with that in this topic have not been systematically investigated before.
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Alessandro Tufano, Riccardo Accorsi and Riccardo Manzini
This paper addresses the trade-off between asset investment and food safety in the design of a food catering production plant. It analyses the relationship between the quality…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper addresses the trade-off between asset investment and food safety in the design of a food catering production plant. It analyses the relationship between the quality decay of cook-warm products, the logistics of the processes and the economic investment in production machines.
Design/methodology/approach
A weekly cook-warm production plan has been monitored on-field using temperature sensors to estimate the quality decay profile of each product. A multi-objective optimisation model is proposed to (1) minimise the number of resources necessary to perform cooking and packing operations or (2) to maximise the food quality of the products. A metaheuristic simulated annealing algorithm is introduced to solve the model and to identify the Pareto frontier of the problem.
Findings
The packaging buffers are identified as the bottleneck of the processes. The outcome of the algorithms highlights that a small investment to design bigger buffers results in a significant increase in the quality with a smaller food loss.
Practical implications
This study models the production tasks of a food catering facility to evaluate their criticality from a food safety perspective. It investigates the tradeoff between the investment cost of resources processing critical tasks and food safety of finished products.
Social implications
The methodology applies to the design of cook-warm production. Catering companies use cook-warm production to serve school, hospitals and companies. For this reason, the application of this methodology leads to the improvement of the quality of daily meals for a large number of people.
Originality/value
The paper introduces a new multi-objective function (asset investment vs food quality) proposing an original metaheuristic to address this tradeoff in the food catering industry. Also, the methodology is applied and validated in the design of a new food production facility.
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Italo Cesidio Fantozzi, Sebastiano Di Luozzo and Massimiliano Maria Schiraldi
The purpose of the study is to identify the soft skills and abilities that are crucial to success in the fields of operations management (OM) and supply chain management (SCM)…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to identify the soft skills and abilities that are crucial to success in the fields of operations management (OM) and supply chain management (SCM), using the O*NET database and the classification of a set of professional figures integrating values for task skills and abilities needed to operate successfully in these professions.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used the O*NET database to identify the soft skills and abilities required for success in OM and SCM industries. Correlation analysis was conducted to determine the tasks required for the job roles and their characteristics in terms of abilities and soft skills. ANOVA analysis was used to validate the findings. The study aims to help companies define specific assessments and tests for OM and SCM roles to measure individual attitudes and correlate them with the job position.
Findings
As a result of the work, a set of soft skills and abilities was defined that allow, through correlation analysis, to explain a large number of activities required to work in the operations and SCM (OSCM) environment.
Research limitations/implications
The work is inherently affected by the database used for the professional figures mapped and the scores that are attributed within O*NET to the analyzed elements.
Practical implications
The information resulting from this study can help companies develop specific assessments and tests for the roles of OM and SCM to measure individual attitudes and correlate them with the requirements of the job position. The study aims to address the need to identify soft skills in the human sphere and determine which of them have the most significant impact on the OM and SCM professions.
Originality/value
The originality of this study lies in its approach to identify the set of soft skills and abilities that determine success in the OM and SCM industries. The study used the O*NET database to correlate the tasks required for specific job roles with their corresponding soft skills and abilities. Furthermore, the study used ANOVA analysis to validate the findings in other sectors mapped by the same database. The identified soft skills and abilities can help companies develop specific assessments and tests for OM and SCM roles to measure individual attitudes and correlate them with the requirements of the job position. In addressing the necessity for enhanced clarity in the domain of human factor, this study contributes to identifying key success factors. Subsequent research can further investigate their practical application within companies to formulate targeted growth strategies and make appropriate resource selections for vacant positions.
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Zafer Adiguzel and Fatma Sonmez Cakir
The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between innovative climate, strategic orientation, work motivation, business performance and job performance.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between innovative climate, strategic orientation, work motivation, business performance and job performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Within the scope of the research, a survey was conducted with 400 engineers working in organizations operating within companies producing spare parts for automobile companies. IBM SPSS 25, IBM SPSS AMOS and LISREL programs were gradually used, and the data obtained were evaluated and analyzed.
Findings
The importance of strategic orientation and work motivation for organizations can be seen in the analysis results in terms of their positive effects.
Practical implications
In the production sector, where innovation and competition activities take place, not only strategic decisions but also motivation for employees must be realized within the organizational culture in order for the organizations to be successful. Strategic orientation is effective in achieving innovation and creation to the extent that employees are motivated.
Originality/value
In terms of successful performance, it is very important to manage companies with the right strategic understanding and to involve the employees. In order to realize the innovation climate and to be successful in performance criteria, motivation is considered a key factor, in particular for the automobile sector. Automobile companies are now turning to electric vehicle production using new generation technologies. However, they also attach importance to the use of smart technologies in cars. For this reason, the effects of strategic orientation and work motivation on performance and innovation are investigated in companies producing automobile spare parts.
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Marco Bettiol, Mauro Capestro, Eleonora Di Maria and Stefano Micelli
Industry 4.0 technologies are promising to increase manufacturing companies' performance through the new knowledge that such digital technologies allow to create and manage within…
Abstract
Purpose
Industry 4.0 technologies are promising to increase manufacturing companies' performance through the new knowledge that such digital technologies allow to create and manage within the firm boundaries and through customer interactions. Despite the great attention on the Industry 4.0 adoption paths, little is known about the relationships with previous waves of digital technologies, namely, information and communication technologies (ICTs), and how different groups of both types of technologies link to knowledge and its related performances.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employed a quantitative research design using a survey method. Submitting the questionnaire to entrepreneurs, chief operation officers or managers in charge of the operational and technological processes of Italian manufacturing firms, 206 respondents stated that their firm has adopted at least one of the seven Industry 4.0 technologies investigated.
Findings
The findings of the study highlight the positive relationship between ICT and Industry 4.0 technologies in terms of both intensity and groups of technologies (Web-based, Management and Manufacturing ICT; Operation, Customization and Data-processing 4.0), and how technologies affect knowledge-related performances in terms of products and processes, job-learning, product-related services and customer involvement.
Originality/value
This study is one of the first attempts to link groups of ICT to groups of Industry 4.0 technologies and to explore the effects in terms of knowledge-related performances as a measure of technology use. The study shows strong path dependency among ICT, Industry 4.0 and knowledge performance, enriching the literature on technological innovation and knowledge management.
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Thomas Borup Kristensen, Henrik Saabye and Amy Edmondson
The purpose of this study is to empirically test how problem-solving lean practices, along with leaders as learning facilitators in an action learning approach, can be transferred…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to empirically test how problem-solving lean practices, along with leaders as learning facilitators in an action learning approach, can be transferred from a production context to a knowledge work context for the purpose of becoming a learning organization while enhancing performance. This is important to study because many organizations struggle to enhance efficiency in the short term while still trying to be long-term learning oriented (i.e. learning organization development).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors draw on theory on learning interventions to show how lean practices for problem-solving can foster learning and help an organization to become adaptive. This study’s subject is a non-production department of 100 employees at the LEGO corporation. The authors applied survey results from a natural experiment lasting 18 months between a pre-measurement survey and a post-measurement survey. The results were compared to a control department of 50 employees who were not exposed to the lean practices intervention. The authors’ focus was on the individual level as individuals have different perceptions of lean practices, performance, and learning.
Findings
Using repeated-measures tests, difference-in-difference regressions analyses, and structural equation models, the authors find that a package of contemporary lean practices for problem-solving, along with leaders who function as learning facilitators, significantly improved learning organization dimensions while also enhancing efficiency and quality and that learning organizations positively mediate the relationship between the lean intervention and quality-related performance, while efficiency is directly affected by the lean interventions. Data from LEGO's key performance indicators (KPIs), benefit trackers, on-site observations and more than 40 interviews with managers provided results that were consistent with the survey data. A detailed description of the lean practices implemented is provided to inspire future implementations in non-operations environments and to assist educators.
Research limitations/implications
The authors contribute to the learning literature by showing that a learning-to-learn approach to lean management can serve as an active and deliberate intervention in helping an organization becoming a learning organization as perceived by the individual organizational members. The authors also add to the lean literature by showing how a learning approach to lean, as used by LEGO, can positively affect short-term efficiency and quality and create a foundation for a longer-term competitive advantage (i.e. a learning organization) in a non-production context. By contrast, most of the lean literature streams treat efficiency separately from a learning organization and mainly examine lean in a production context.
Originality/value
The extant literature shows three research streams on lean, learning, and performance. The authors built on these streams by trying to emphasize both learning and efficiency. Prior research has not empirically tested whether and how the application of problem-solving lean practices combined with leaders as learning facilitators helps to create a comprehensive learning organization while enhancing performance in a non-production context.
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