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The objective of this research was to compare the behavior of two methods of managing an engineering change request (ECR) process, namely, perform changes as they occur or in a batch.

This comparison was accomplished by creating a computer model of a new product development (NPD) process and simulating ECR management. The model connects process design and process characteristics (teamwork, parallel activities) to process outcomes (development time, effort). The first method executes the ECR promptly and the rework is done as soon as the ECR is initiated. In the second method, ECRs are batched; in other words, a number of them are accumulated, and processing of the ECRs takes place when a batch of a certain size has accumulated. Thus, the change requests are grouped into a batch, and then, the section(s) of the process to effect the change(s) is (are) reworked.

Batching ECRs was found to be superior to doing them one at a time.

Future work should focus on refining the computer model and differentiating ECRs by assigning priorities to incoming ECRs.

For product development managers, processing ECRs in batches is preferable than attending to them on an individual basis. Nevertheless, in some situations ECRs require immediate attention. A mechanism will always be needed to deal with situations directly. Also, in terms of batching, ECRs could be processed in groups on a periodic basis. Periodically performing ECRs due to new design versions or prototypes in a timely manner is a good compromise between a random batch mode and doing them individually.

The paper shows that batch processing is superior to executing ECRs promptly as they are received. This result has been shown through the use of a computer model of NPD. To the authors' knowledge, no other studies have used computer modeling to study this problem.

This paper aims to present the findings of a case study conducted at ABC Structures (pseudonym), which is a small North American manufacturing company that has spent close to one year working on implementing the ISO 9000 standard. The main obstacles faced by ABC during implementation are highlighted. Although the company was not actually seeking registration, it was motivated by an internal need to improve operations, and by a vision of expanding business globally, in which case it expected that registration would be mandatory.

The case study method was used to achieve the objectives. Information obtained from the case study was collected from various data sources including interviews and informal conversations with the president, sales manager, engineering manager, operations manager, purchasing manager, manufacturing manager and technical personnel, attendance at project meetings, company documents, plant tours, and observations of the manufacturing process and product samples. These sources provided information that was useful in developing and implementing a quality system.

The case study conducted at ABC revealed a number of issues related to the implementation of a quality management system in a small company. While studies have shown that the ISO standard may not be applicable to small businesses, this study shows that the implementation of the standard's requirements benefited the company significantly. However, it should be noted that, while the company did not invest in all of the costs associated with ISO registration, it did invest in implementing as much as it could.

This study will be useful to quality managers, quality assurance and/or quality control practitioners, as well as researchers seeking to further understand quality practices and issues surrounding them. The study will also be beneficial to organizations that are planning to implement ISO 9000, are in the implementation phase, or already practising or registered with ISO 9000. While some of the findings presented in this paper are not new, they confirm the results of prior research on the organizational barriers that companies face in the process of implementing a quality management system.

The paper provides a description of steps taken by a small manufacturing company prior to implementing ISO 9000. It shows the hurdles it faced, and proposes how they could be overcome.

The purpose of this paper is to present a continuous improvement methodology developed in an aerospace company that is successfully being used by other companies in various industries.

A case study was undertaken at a medium‐sized aerospace company for over a span of one year. Data was collected through in‐depth interviews, attendance at formal and informal meetings, observation, and company documentation.

The paper provides an overview of a continuous improvement methodology known as Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE™), which aims to achieve world‐class quality in products and processes. The paper describes in detail the tools and techniques needed to implement and maintain the methodology. It was found that the company is very successful in addressing a wide range of aspects in the organization, always with the viewpoint that the customer is number one. This methodology is successful to the point that it is being used by other companies in various industries.

The approach of the ACE™ methodology can be applied to a variety of companies.

This paper presents for the first time the comprehensive Continuous Improvement methodology ACE™. The paper should be of value to practitioners of continuous improvement programs who are interested in a comprehensive approach to achieving excellence.

Presents the findings of an empirical study conducted on Canadian firms on the latest version of the ISO9000 standard, ISO9001:2000, which takes a process‐based approach to quality management systems. The study focuses on the difficulties faced by firms and attempts to determine the characteristics of firms that face difficulties. Results show that: large companies faced fewer difficulties; the number of years that companies were in operation had no effect on the difficulties they faced; companies serving markets outside of North America, mainly in Europe, faced fewer difficulties than those that serve North American markets only.

The purpose of this paper is to show how the time frame for the execution of a construction project in Algeria is rarely respected because of organizational problems and uncertainties encountered while the execution is underway.

A case study on the construction of a metro station is used as a pilot project to show the effectiveness of replacing traditional construction processes by more innovative procedures. Concurrent engineering (CE) is applied to optimize the execution time of the underground structure. A numerical simulation is integrated into the construction process in order to update design parameters with real site conditions observed during the construction process.

The results show that the implementation of CE is efficient in reducing the completion time, with an 18 per cent reduction observed in this case study. A cost reduction of 20 per cent on the steel frame support and a total cost reduction of 3 per cent were obtained.

The study demonstrates that the application of CE methods can be quite valuable in large, complex construction projects. Vulgarizing it as “the solution” to adjust time frame delay, control quality and cost, might be an issue for local construction enterprises in Algeria.

Using the concept of CE by overlapping different activities involved in a construction project and making use of simulation tools in the process at different stages of the execution have resulted in modifying the excavation method and hence reducing the completion times.

Over one million individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will be entering adulthood and attempting to cultivate fulfilling, meaningful life experiences. These young adults with ASD represent Generation A. The workplace will be a major element in cultivating fulfilling lives for Generation A. Social interaction is an integral component for functioning within most postsecondary and occupational settings. It is necessary to understand the interaction between autistic adults and organizations to understand potential social and behavioral deficits. The workplace is inherently a social place. Understanding both formal and informal social information in the workplace may be critical to successful job performance. Fit, particularly person–organization fit, is used to address this social nature of the workplace. Understanding this interaction helps provide a means for crafting both individual and organizational interventions which support autistic adults in the workplace. This chapter provides an analysis of interventions that support those with ASD in the workplace. It is proposed that these interventions will help create a more supportive work environment for those with ASD. As important, it is proposed that the accommodations for those with ASD are reasonable for any organization seeking to improve both satisfaction and performance for all its employees. By addressing these issues, organizations have the potential to create a more satisfying workplace for all workers, not just those in Generation A.

To provide an overview of the history, evolution, and existing research on continuous improvement.

Extensive review of the literature.

This paper provides an overview of continuous improvement, its inception, how it evolved into sophisticated methodologies used in organizations today, and existing research in this field in the literature.

It does not provide an exhaustive review of the existing literature, or an exhaustive list of all continuous improvement programs, only the most well known.

This paper traces how organizations have used various tools and techniques to address the need for improvement on various levels. The paper also presents research conducted in this field. It should be of value to practitioners of continuous improvement programs and to academics who are interested in how continuous improvement has evolved, and where it is today. To the authors’ knowledge, no recent papers have provided an historical perspective of continuous improvement. Furthermore, our paper also discusses the existing research in this field.

The purpose of this study is use a bibliometric analysis to explore the relational nature of knowledge creation in WFM in operations. Companies live under constant pressure to find the best ways to plan their workforce, and the workforce emangement (WFM) is one of the biggest challenges faced by managers. Relevant research on WFM in operations has been published in a several range of journals that vary in their scope and readership, and thus the academic contribution to the topic remains largely fragmented.

To address this gap, this review aims to map research on WFM in operations to understand where it comes from and where it is going and, therefore, provides opportunities for future work. This study combined two bibliometric approaches with manual document coding to examine the literature corpus of WFM in operations to draw a holistic picture of its different aspects.

Content and thematic analysis of the seminal studies resulted in the extraction of three key research themes: workforce cross-training, planning workforce mixed methods and individual workforce characteristics. The findings of this study further highlight the gaps in the WFM in operations literature and raise some research questions that warrant further academic investigation in the future.

Likewise, this study has important implications for practitioners who are likely to benefit from a holistic understanding of the different aspects of WFM in operations.