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Article
Publication date: 6 November 2019

Jeffrey Feghaly, Mounir El Asmar, Samuel Ariaratnam and Wylie Bearup

The purpose of this paper is to identify key project delivery method selection factors to assist water industry decision-makers in selecting the most appropriate delivery method…

488

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify key project delivery method selection factors to assist water industry decision-makers in selecting the most appropriate delivery method for their water treatment plant projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The selection factors were identified by compiling and validating key project delivery selection factors across various industries through an extensive literature review and two industry expert workshops. This resulted in the development of a web-based decision-support tool to facilitate project delivery method selection within the water industry.

Findings

The research effort led to the identification of 13 key project delivery method selection factors (seven primary factors and six secondary factors) for water treatment plant projects. These factors were utilized to develop EXPRSS-TP, a pioneering web-based project delivery method decision-support tool for the water industry.

Practical implications

A project delivery method selection process is typically an informal process that may range from days to weeks at a time. Based on this work, the assessment can now be completed in about one hour and provides decision-makers with the most favorable delivery method for their project. And with the new tool that encompasses the new knowledge, not only is the decision reached at an accelerated pace, EXPRSS-TP also documents the entire selection process, allowing for a written and retained record of this key decision and its procedure.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the exisiting body of knowledge by identifying key project delivery selection factors across numerous industries, assessing and combining them, and finally incorporating them into one comprehensive process. EXPRSS-TP improves the traditional project delivery method selection process and provides evidence-based project delivery method selection recommendations.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 27 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 May 2023

Gu-Hong Lin, Cheng-An Chuang, Cheng Ling Tan, Sook Fern Yeo and Fan-Yi Wu

Refractory materials are now used in all major industries that demand high-temperature resistance, including petrochemicals, steel, cement and aviation. Businesses must decrease…

Abstract

Purpose

Refractory materials are now used in all major industries that demand high-temperature resistance, including petrochemicals, steel, cement and aviation. Businesses must decrease operating costs, enhance product technology, sell well and manage corporate risks in decision-making, notably supplier selection, to be more competitive. The study aims to determine the key criteria and factors of supplier selection and to evaluate the importance of the key factor of the supplier selection criteria for the refractory materials manufacturers in Taiwan.

Design/methodology/approach

Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is used to rank these factors for the decision maker. The AHP method is suitable for verifying refractory supplier selection criteria and providing references. The weighted loss scores for each supplier are then determined using the relative importance as the weights. Supplier selection criteria are ranked using their aggregate weighted loss scores. The provider with the lowest loss score should be chosen.

Findings

Product quality is the most significant of the five criteria: product quality, production technology, logistics capacity, service capability and supplier background. Professionalism is the most significant aspect of product quality, whereas equipment and capacity are vital in manufacturing techniques. The studies also show that the delivery rate is essential for logistics and service capabilities.

Practical implications

This research has important implications for refractory suppliers in promptly fine-tuning the production and service to enhance customer satisfaction, which is key to business sustainability.

Originality/value

The application of an AHP technique to a real-world industrial issue is what makes this research unique. This research addressed one of the most critical topics in supply chain operations by offering better judgement for supplier selection via the use of suitable quantitative methodologies.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 123 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 August 2014

Anayo D. Nkamnebe, Steve Ukenna, Carol Anionwu and Victoria Chibuike

– The purpose of this paper is to identify and ranks factors that influence bank selection by undergrads in South East Nigeria.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and ranks factors that influence bank selection by undergrads in South East Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

Totally, 300 undergrads were sampled from two universities. Five-point Likert-type question containing 49 bank selection items was designed to collect primary data. Cronbach's α was used to test the reliability of the instrument while factor analysis with principal component extraction was used to identify the underlying factors.

Findings

Six principal factors were identified and ranked in order of importance. These factors are: bank's financial stability, available and functional ATMs, professional bank staff, family and friends influence, proximity of bank branch to university campus, and internal and external aesthetics of bank.

Practical implications

This study provides insight on the factors that influence the selection of a bank in the emerging and growing undergrads segment of bank market in Nigeria, which has obvious management and theory implications.

Originality/value

Reports bank selection criteria from apparently under-researched and under-reported undergrad segment in a typical sub-Saharan African context.

Details

African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, vol. 5 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-0705

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 August 2018

Dang Luo, Haitao Li and Qicun Qian

The purpose of this paper is to construct a key factors selection approach for a class of small-sample multi-factor cross-sectional data analysis (SMCDA) problem, which is very…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to construct a key factors selection approach for a class of small-sample multi-factor cross-sectional data analysis (SMCDA) problem, which is very common in productive practice and scientific research, such as coal-bed methane (CBM) content analysis, civil aircraft cost analysis, etc. Key factors selection is an important basic work for SMCDA problem; the proposed method is constructed to improve the accuracy and explanatory of the selected key factors.

Design/methodology/approach

Using grey system theory to solve SMCDA problem is more reasonable under few data and poor information. Therefore, this paper constructs a grey incidence analysis (GIA) model with rate of change to select the key factors of an SMCDA problem. The basic idea of the proposed method is to simulate time series by randomly sorting the selected samples, and to calculate the degree of grey incidence with rate of change by loop iterative algorithm, then to construct the degree matrix of grey incidence with rate of change, and finally by which, to utilise quantitative and qualitative analysis methods to select the key factors.

Findings

The experimental analysis of application cases demonstrates that the key factors of system’s characteristic can be successfully screened out by the proposed method, the results are consistent with actual conditions, and they have a clearer meaning and a better interpretability.

Practical implications

The method proposed in this paper could be utilised to select key factors for such a class of SMCDA problem, which has fewer observation samples (small-sample), which is influenced by a number of factors (multi-factor) and whose observation samples are placed randomly rather than by time (cross-sectional data). Taking the key influence factors of CBM content and the key driving factors of the vulnerability of agricultural drought in Henan as examples, the results proved the feasibility and superiority of this proposed method.

Originality/value

Most of the existing GIA models mainly focus on these classes of issues with time series data or panel data. However, few GIA models take SMCDA problem as the research object. In this paper, the authors develop the GIA model with rate of change according to the characteristics of SMCDA problem, and present some properties and application suggestions of the proposed method.

Article
Publication date: 5 May 2015

Rajesh Katiyar, Mukesh Kumar Barua and Purushottam L. Meena

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the interactions among the key factors of supply chain (SC) in the Indian automotive industry. These key factors are helpful to measure…

1856

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the interactions among the key factors of supply chain (SC) in the Indian automotive industry. These key factors are helpful to measure supply chain performance (SCP) and to improve the firm’s effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, an interpretive structural modeling with a fuzzy cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification-based approach is used to examine the interactions among the key factors of SCP measurement.

Findings

The authors have identified the most dominant key factors used for measuring the performance in automotive SC. The results exhibit that the order lead-time and order entry method are the most significant key factors. These key factors have high driving power to measure SCP whereas the post-transaction measure of customer service and customer query time are highly dependent on other factors. Such relationships among the key factors can help a firm’s top management to make essential judgments in order to solve the overall SC problems and provide a better approach to proactively deal with problems.

Originality/value

In this paper, the authors have explored the interactions among the key factors of the SCP in the Indian automotive industry.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 22 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 28 September 2023

Min-Seop Sim, Sung-Ho Kim, Yul-Seong Kim and Young-Joon Seo

Competition among seaports is rapidly increasing due to various factors such as the global recession, resurgence of COVID-19, tight environmental regulations of IMO, sharp rise in…

Abstract

Purpose

Competition among seaports is rapidly increasing due to various factors such as the global recession, resurgence of COVID-19, tight environmental regulations of IMO, sharp rise in ocean freight charges, increasing global uncertainties and growth in ship sizes. It is essential to have precise knowledge of shipping companies' port selection factors to secure the competitive advantage of seaports. This study aims to empirically analyze recent changes in the importance of port selection factors.

Design/methodology/approach

By employing a longitudinal study, this study conducted the t-test analysis. The first survey was conducted from January 2005 to April 2005. Then, the second survey was conducted in May 2021.

Findings

First, the importance of port facilities (berth length and the number of berths, shed and terminal areas, possession of adequate equipment and maximum berth size) increased significantly. Second, while ship and cargo safety were the critical port service factors in previous studies, speed, flexibility and reliability for handling cargo and berthing schedule were found to be crucial in this study. Third, the importance of ship arrival/departure frequency, route diversity and ship arrival/departure information systems increased when shipping companies selected the port.

Originality/value

This study has academic significance in that it reveals the changing importance of port selection factors in the 2020s and has taken the form of a longitudinal study on the importance of port selection factors from 2005 to 2021, moving beyond the cross-sectional approach. This study can provide valuable insights into and implications for port policymakers and managers when developing and formulating port policies and strategies.

Details

Maritime Business Review, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2397-3757

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 January 2016

Bang-Ning Hwang, Tsai-Ti Chen and James T. Lin

The purpose of this study was to identify the key third-party logistics (3PL) selection criteria for the integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing industry in Taiwan. The IC…

3049

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify the key third-party logistics (3PL) selection criteria for the integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing industry in Taiwan. The IC manufacturing industry seeks global sourcing, and is facing increasing pressure due to fierce market competition. More than a cost reduction strategy, 3PL is a strategic tool for IC manufacturers to gain a competitive advantage in a global supply chain complex.

Design/methodology/approach

The triangulation method that combines qualitative and quantitative approaches was used in the study. The qualitative approach of focus group discussions was adopted to establish the decision framework, and the quantitative approach of the analytic hierarchy process was used to explore the relative importance of the 3PL selection criteria. Finally, an in-depth proof-by-example interview was undertaken to provide an insightful interpretation of the research results.

Findings

The research shows that performance is the most important criterion group, followed by cost, service, quality assurance, intangible and information technology. At the detailed sub-criteria level, document accuracy, problem-solving capability, continuous cost reduction, value-added services and associated cost control capability are the top five criteria.

Research limitations/implications

This study focused on the IC manufacturing sector in Taiwan. Multi-country and multi-industry studies are recommended to help further validate and generalise the research findings.

Originality/value

Due to its application of triangulation, this study is a pioneering work on the 3PL selection criteria in a high-tech manufacturing industry. Furthermore, the value of this research is that it enhances the body of knowledge of 3PL selection by identifying certain emerging selection criteria, it could serve as a guideline for IC manufacturers in planning logistics outsourcing actions and it could significantly contribute to the efforts of 3PL providers in evaluating whether they comply with customer needs and adhere to core competency development.

Details

Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, vol. 21 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-8546

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 April 2023

Lalit Sharma

The purpose of the study is to review and understand firm selection mechanism involved in government venture capital (GVC) funding and identify key factors influencing selection

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to review and understand firm selection mechanism involved in government venture capital (GVC) funding and identify key factors influencing selection of tech-based firms for GVC funding.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on real-time methodology. The data was generated from interviews of 60 young applicants, who applied for startup funding, and analyzed using statistical techniques to draw the results.

Findings

This review identifies financial viability, market viability and technological innovation to have the strongest predictive ability in firm selection process of the GVC funding program for tech-based youth-owned startups in the first round of interview. This review also highlighted that social impact is not a statistically significant variable in firm selection process in GVC funding.

Originality/value

This study tests the validity of the theory of GVC based on quantitative analysis of field data and identifies key factors with strong predictive abilities for GVC funding, more particularly for the youth-owned tech-based startups. This study brings to light the mechanism adopted for GVC funding and addresses gaps in the literature relevant to firm selection mechanism in GVC programs. This study would help GVC Fund Managers to review their own GVC programs in terms of selection mechanism and help them in appropriate designing of such programs.

Details

Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, vol. 26 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-5201

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 December 2023

Vikas Swarnakar, Olivia McDermott, Michael Sony, Shreeranga Bhat and Jiju Antony

This study investigates the challenges and opportunities that organisations face in implementing Quality 4.0 as an approach to quality management and investigate the current state…

75

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigates the challenges and opportunities that organisations face in implementing Quality 4.0 as an approach to quality management and investigate the current state of Quality 4.0 implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a qualitative research methodology to interview senior managers from globally based manufacturing and service industries.

Findings

The study explicates that most organisations implemented Quality 4.0 to improve their flexibility, efficiency, transparency and productivity while focusing on improving service quality, customer satisfaction and reducing cost. In terms of sustainability of Quality 4.0 the key factors found were a consistent effort from the top management, continuous training to employees, building leadership quality and creating a habit of using Quality 4.0.

Practical implications

The findings of this study offer useful guidance to organisations desirous of implementing Quality 4.0. In addition, the findings have identified key sustainability factors, helping organisations ensure a successful implementation and long-term returns from Quality 4.0.

Originality/value

The findings of this study contribute to the body of knowledge related to Quality 4.0 and help organisations in their digital transformation journey. In addition, it is one of the first studies to investigate the key factors for Quality 4.0 sustainability.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 1996

Denis Graham and Vipul K. Gupta

How do managers, in their role as decision makers, design and implement systems for management of quality? Proposes that there is no one, definitive answer to this question, given…

1219

Abstract

How do managers, in their role as decision makers, design and implement systems for management of quality? Proposes that there is no one, definitive answer to this question, given various industrial environments and their operating constraints, diverse market conditions and numerous management philosophies. Attempts to address quality management issues in the business‐to‐business industrial service industry by presenting a case study on the quality management approach taken by Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. ‐ one of the largest offshore oil‐drilling companies in the world. States that the business‐to‐business industrial service markets are characterized by the sale of industrial services to business customers, who often then use these services to produce goods or services for consumers or other businesses. A wide variety of services are provided by the companies operating in this industry, such as offshore oil‐drilling and exploration, warehousing and public utilities. The case study follows the backdrop, initiation and complete implementation of Diamond Offshore’s Global Excellence in Management Systems (GEMS) programme. GEMS can be characterized as a system deeply rooted in the basics of quality management ‐ customer‐defined requirements and quality through customer satisfaction. Also discusses post‐implementation customer feedback results to illustrate the success of the programme. Based on the GEMS framework and relevant literature, proposes a generalized framework for implementing quality management in firms operating in business‐to‐business industrial service markets.

Details

International Journal of Quality Science, vol. 1 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-8538

Keywords

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