Search results

This study aims to present an overview and analyze the Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB) certifications offered by institutions operating in Brazil.

This research analyzed LSSBB certification courses offered by 48 institutions in Brazil by comparing the syllabi of the classes to the reference model proposed by the American Society for Quality (ASQ) in the Six Sigma Black Belt Body of Knowledge. This study employed the content analysis technique and hierarchical cluster analysis to analyze the data.

The results revealed a lack of standardization in the content of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) training in Brazil. 100% of the LSSBB courses analyzed covered four of the 108 techniques recommended by the ASQ Body of Knowledge (i.e. data types, measurement scales, sampling, and data collection plans and methods). In contrast, more than 75% of the courses covered all techniques related to the macro areas of organization-wide planning and deployment, organizational process management and measures, measure, and improve. The major shortcoming of LSS training is related to the macro area Design for Six Sigma framework and methodologies. LSS training is offered in a highly concentrated area in Brazil, the wealthiest region, where universities play a crucial role in disseminating LSS.

The literature lacks studies that critically examine LSS certification courses. There is little research on LSS in Brazil and there are no studies on LSS training in this country.

The development of strategic supply chain mapping techniques has been slowed by four critical issues. The purpose of this paper is to answer a call to address supply chain mapping techniques and issues. It offers recommendations for more readable and useful strategic supply chain maps.

The paper utilized executive MBA, traditional MBA, and graduating logistics undergraduates' applied economic input/output data to refine mapping techniques.

The paper addresses strategic supply chain mapping issues to serve as the next step in advancing the evolution of strategic supply chain mapping techniques. It utilizes geovisualization to provide useful guidance to individuals trying to map their current supply chain and seeking potential improvements.

The paper is limited in that strategic supply chain mapping is in its infancy. Future research may consider use of the technique comparing alternative approaches to a supply chain, as well as the application of Pareto analysis and other metrics to focus on critical components for mapping.

The use of input/output analysis initiates mapping at the macro industry level as a key starting point. Geovisualization techniques allow those mapping to offer a great amount of detail in a simple, easy‐to‐read format to identify the critical components of the specific supply chain.

This paper is the critical next step to help further advance the evolution of strategic supply chain mapping techniques by both practitioner and academic.

This article introduces the Special Issue on Sustainable Management of Heritage Buildings in long-term perspective.

It starts by reviewing the gaps in knowledge and practice which led to the creation and implementation of the research project SyMBoL—Sustainable Management of Heritage Buildings in long-term perspective funded by the Norwegian Research Council over the 2018–2022 period. The SyMBoL project is the motivation at the base of this special issue.

The editorial paper briefly presents the main outcomes of SyMBoL. It then reviews the contributions to the Special Issue, focussing on the connection or differentiation with SyMBoL and on multidisciplinary findings that address some of the initial referred gaps.

The article shortly summarizes topics related to sustainable preservation of heritage buildings in time of reduced resources, energy crisis and impacts of natural hazards and global warming. Finally, it highlights future research directions targeted to overcome, or partially mitigate, the above-mentioned challenges, for example, taking advantage of no sestructive techniques interoperability, heritage building information modelling and digital twin models, and machine learning and risk assessment algorithms.

This paper aims to assess the combined effect of the Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) advanced process and of a thermal management technique (near immersion active cooling [NIAC]) on the macro and microstructure of Al wall-like preforms built by wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM). As specific objective, it sought to provide information on the effects of the electrode-positive/electrode-negative (EP/EN) parameter in the CMT advanced process fundamental characteristics.

Initially, bead-on-plate deposits were produced with different EP/EN ratios, still keeping the same deposition rate, and the outcomes on the electrical signal traces and bead formation were analyzed. In a second stage, the EP/EN parameter and the layer edge to water distance (LEWD) parameter from the NIAC technique were systematically varied and the resultant macro and microstructures compared with those formed by applying natural cooling.

Constraints of EP/EN setting range were uncovered and discussed. The use of the NIAC technique favors the formation of finer grains. For a given EP/EN value, a variation in the NIAC intensity (LEWD value) showed marginal effect on grain size. When the EP/EN parameter effect is isolated, i.e. for a given LEWD setting, it was observed that an increase in the EP/EN level favors coarser grains.

Both the EP/EN parameter and the use of an active cooling technique (NIAC) might be used, even in combination, as effective tools for achieving proper macro and microstructure in WAAM of thin wall builds.

Macro‐environmental scanning is a first step in strategic planning, which is essential in an emerging industry such as liquid biofuels. The purpose of this paper is to identify the dimensions within which the governments of Brazil, the USA and Germany have constructed the macro‐environment for liquid biofuels over time and to test for similarities between the governments’ constructs.

Documentary research was carried out on official public policies and program documents on the topic of liquid biofuels, covering a ten‐year period from 1997 to 2006. The database consisted of 624 documents from the Brazilian government, 854 from the American government and 168 documents from the German government. Text mining was used to extract information from the texts by applying a specific analysis structure that was built on macro‐environmental dimensions as expressed by their respective dimensional words “d‐words”. The “d‐words” were selected based on their usage frequency in the knowledge fields related to each dimension.

The results indicate that the macro‐environments for liquid biofuels, as configured by the governments under analysis, differ systematically and over time in their emphasis of specific macro‐environmental dimensions.

There are two primary aspects of this study which are original and valuable: the application of text‐mining techniques as a tool for strategic planning and the development of a particular tool to extract knowledge from text documents and to categorize them according to their macro‐environmental dimensions.

Passport for Windows (PFW) and OCLC Macro Language (OML) are a library software combination that is hard to beat in terms of power and flexibility. PFW provides a desktop where multiple telecommunications (usually telnet) sessions can exist simultaneously, and the OML permits programmatic control and automation of tasks in any individual session as well as data sharing between different sessions. The fact that an entire programming language is available to the OML macro writer is what gives PFW the ability to seemingly work "magic" literally at the touch of a key, especially through the use of conditional logic for automated decision‐making. Not only is OML available in OCLC’s PFW product, but slight variants are available in OCLC’s Cataloging MicroEnhancer and ILL MicroEnhancer products as well. Although the pros of OML far outnumber the cons, there exist some downside issues (documentation, networkability, differences between products) which sometimes make macro writing and use by staff more difficult than it needs to be. In the end, though, all the efforts are worth it, because, by using PFW/OML macros, automation can do what it is good at, thereby giving staff the time and opportunity to do what they are good at.

The purpose of this paper is the development and the assessment of detailed and macro-modelling methodology approaches, suitable for the analysis of composite material bolted joints.

A benchmark single-lap, single-bolt composite joint configuration is investigated, in order to demonstrate the different joint analysis approaches which are applicable in advanced riveted/bolted parts of aeronautical structures. In particular, several joint macro-models, i.e. numerical and analytical ones, as well as a detailed three-dimensional FE solid joint representation, were developed and compared in terms of stiffness prediction, while they were validated using respective experimental results. In addition, the numerical macro-model is implemented in a full scale, multi-bolt fuselage panel in order to demonstrate its capability to efficiently predict the panel’s response under compressive loads.

Good correlation was observed between the majority of the models’ predictions and the relative experimental data regarding the lap joint configuration, while the simplified numerical macro-model showed some discrepancies due to the contact instabilities, which, however, may be accepted taking into account the remarkable solution time reductions. In the same manner, the FE macro-model illustrates sufficient accuracy in the prediction of the panel’s response, while, simultaneously, it maintains a low CPU time.

The present study is part of Nikolaos Perogamvros’ doctoral thesis, an original research work. There are very limited literature papers which include the development and the assessment of different efficient and detailed composite joint analysis approaches, regarding their accuracy and efficiency in the stiffness prediction of a composite bolted joint configuration, as well as on the prediction of a multi-bolt panel’s response.

This paper discusses the use of modelling techniques to predict the reliability of an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) flip chip in a humid environment. The purpose of this modelling work is to understand the role that moisture plays in the failure of ACF flip chips.

A 3D macro‐micro finite element modelling technique was used to determine the moisture diffusion and moisture‐induced stresses inside the ACF flip chip.

The results show that the ACF layer in the flip chip can be expected to be fully saturated with moisture after 3 h at 121°C, 100%RH, 2 atm test conditions. The swelling effect of the adhesive due to this moisture absorption causes predominately tensile stress at the interface between the adhesive and the metallization, which could cause a decrease in the contact area, and therefore an increase in the contact resistance.

This paper introduces a macro‐micro modelling technique which enables more detailed 3D modelling analysis of an ACF flip chip than previously.

There is a paucity of research on the causal relationships between talent management (TM), decent work and national well-being. Hence, this study examines the nexus between macro talent management (MTM) practices, decent work and national well-being.

The authors employed longitudinal data from 77 developing countries across the globe and also utilised panel data estimators and the bootstrapping mediation method for the analyses.

The results indicated that macro-level TM strategies can have a positive impact on decent work. Decent work also significantly improves national well-being (both subjective and economic well-being) over time as it shows a significant positive impact on change in national well-being measures. Furthermore, decent work serves as a mechanism that links MTM to improved national well-being at the macro level.

TM investments by governments can empower citizens to escape the tragedy of vulnerable and low-quality employment and well-being deficit as it has the potential to improve decent work and national well-being as enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Beyond the myopic organisational and managerialist view, the authors show that TM can have a positive spillover impact on people and the general society across time by enhancing decent work opportunities to improve both subjective and economic well-being of citizens in a country. Additionally, because decent work has psychosocial and economic dimensions, this study has revealed a complex and compelling conduit for translating the gains of macro-level TM strategies to improve national well-being. Moreover, it provides original empirical evidence to expand the limited longitudinal TM literature. Lastly, it adds to knowledge in the developing countries' context.