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1 – 10 of over 1000
Article
Publication date: 12 June 2007

Sherry Finney and Martin Corbett

To explore the current literature base of critical success factors (CSFs) of ERP implementations, prepare a compilation, and identify any gaps that might exist.

27198

Abstract

Purpose

To explore the current literature base of critical success factors (CSFs) of ERP implementations, prepare a compilation, and identify any gaps that might exist.

Design/methodology/approach

Hundreds of journals were searched using key terms identified in a preliminary literature review. Successive rounds of article abstract reviews resulted in 45 articles being selected for the compilation. CSF constructs were then identified using content analysis methodology and an inductive coding technique. A subsequent critical analysis identified gaps in the literature base.

Findings

The most significant finding is the lack of research that has focused on the identification of CSFs from the perspectives of key stakeholders. Additionally, there appears to be much variance with respect to what exactly is encompassed by change management, one of the most widely cited CSFs, and little detail of specific implementation tactics.

Research limitations/implications

There is a need to focus future research efforts on the study of CSFs as they apply to the perspectives of key stakeholders and to ensure that this stakeholder approach is also comprehensive in its coverage of CSFs. As well, there is need to conduct more in‐depth research into the concept of change management. One key limitation of this research is the occurrence of duplication in the frequency analysis of the success factors. This is attributed to secondary research being the main methodology for a large number of the articles cited.

Originality/value

This research provides a comprehensive compilation of all previously identified ERP implementation success factors, through a clearly structured methodological approach.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2000

P. Mandal, P.E.D. Love, A.S. Sohal and B. Bhadury

Presents findings from a study that investigated the propagation of quality management practices among Indian manufacturing companies over a period of 16 years from 1980 to 1996…

1554

Abstract

Presents findings from a study that investigated the propagation of quality management practices among Indian manufacturing companies over a period of 16 years from 1980 to 1996. Reports the findings of a mail questionnaire survey conducted on 500 selected companies from 14 manufacturing sectors. The extent to which quality management practices have been implemented is reported and the obstacles to adoption are identified. The spread of quality initiatives in various functional areas is analysed and discussed. The paper will be of particular interest to practicing managers as it identifies a number of policies that governments may use to stimulate the adoption of quality management concepts in developing countries.

Details

The TQM Magazine, vol. 12 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0954-478X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 May 2018

Lingling Li, Yanfang Yang, Ming-Lang Tseng, Ching-Hsin Wang and Ming K. Lim

The purpose of this paper is to deal with the economic requirements of power system loading dispatch and reduce the fuel cost of generation units. In order to optimize the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to deal with the economic requirements of power system loading dispatch and reduce the fuel cost of generation units. In order to optimize the scheduling of power load, an improved chicken swarm optimization (ICSO) is proposed to be adopted, for solving economic load dispatch (ELD) problem.

Design/methodology/approach

The ICSO increased the self-foraging factor to the chicks whose activities were the highest. And the evolutionary operations of chicks capturing the rooster food were increased. Therefore, these helped the ICSO to jump out of the local extreme traps and obtain the global optimal solution. In this study, the generation capacity of the generation unit is regarded as a variable, and the fuel cost is regarded as the objective function. The particle swarm optimization (PSO), chicken swarm optimization (CSO), and ICSO were used to optimize the fuel cost of three different test systems.

Findings

The result showed that the convergence speed, global search ability, and total fuel cost of the ICSO were better than those of PSO and CSO under different test systems. The non-linearity of the input and output of the generating unit satisfied the equality constraints; the average ratio of the optimal solution obtained by PSO, CSO, and ICSO was 1:0.999994:0.999988. The result also presented the equality and inequality constraints; the average ratio of the optimal solution was 1:0.997200:0.996033. The third test system took the non-linearity of the input and output of the generating unit that satisfied both equality and inequality constraints; the average ratio was 1:0.995968:0.993564.

Practical implications

This study realizes the whole fuel cost minimization in which various types of intelligent algorithms have been applied to the field of load economic scheduling. With the continuous evolution of intelligent algorithms, they save a lot of fuel cost for the ELD problem.

Originality/value

The ICSO is applied to solve the ELD problem. The quality of the optimal solution and the convergence speed of ICSO are better than that of CSO and PSO. Compared with PSO and CSO, ICSO can dispatch the generator more reasonably, thus saving the fuel cost. This will help the power sector to achieve greater economic benefits. Hence, the ICSO has good performance and significant effectiveness in solving the ELD problem.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 118 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 1999

P. Mandal, K. Shah, P.E.D. Love and H. Li

Previous surveys on quality management have shown that increasingly firms in Australia are adopting and implementing quality control tools and a total quality management…

1392

Abstract

Previous surveys on quality management have shown that increasingly firms in Australia are adopting and implementing quality control tools and a total quality management philosophy. This paper attempts to determine the effectiveness of quality initiatives that have been implemented and integrated within Australian manufacturing firms. The authors used a combination of questionnaire surveys and interviews to gather information from quality professionals about the different types of quality tools being implemented by firms. The findings of this study are compared with other national and international surveys. A major finding of this study is that the trend of quality initiatives being implemented has been increasing since the early 1980s and the increase is observed in all functional areas of manufacturing. In addition, it reported that manufacturing firms are more conscious about quality and customer satisfaction than ever before. This paper attempts to establish relationships between the adoption of quality initiatives and its benefits with respect to reducing rejects and labour disputes, and increasing revenue.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 16 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 May 2013

Kala Saravanamuthu, Carole Brooke and Michael Gaffikin

The purpose of this paper is to review critical emancipatory literature to identify a discourse that could be used to successfully customise generic Enterprise Resource Planning…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review critical emancipatory literature to identify a discourse that could be used to successfully customise generic Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to particular user‐needs. The customisation exercise is posited in the context of contemporary society, which has to try to become more sustainable amidst uncertainty about the complex interrelationships between elements of the ecosystem. It raises new challenges for the customisation exercise, that of fostering the precautionary ethos and engaging realistically with complexity and uncertainty inherent in emergent knowledge about ecological resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper that draws on published research papers to tease out political constructs which are vital for facilitating sustainable decisions.

Findings

This paper argues that the critical emancipatory influence on systems design has generated attempts to formulate socio‐ethical information systems. However, these systems are limited by their inability to engage with the politics of asymmetrical distribution of power, even though these systems rely on bottom‐up participation to change the status quo. Hence, it is suggested that systems design should learn from Gandhi's experiences in mobilising social reform to instil a precautionary ethos in the context of asymmetrical power relations. The discourse used to customise ERP should facilitate social learning about ecological resilience as it affects the capacity to reform in the interest of sustainable outcomes. It is proposed that the discourse be socially constructed on the vocabulary of integrated risk because it would enable management to take advantage of lived experiences and enhance the organisation's capacity to learn about formulating sustainable business practices.

Practical implications

The recommended approach to identifying user‐needs (in customising ERP) is based on Gandhi's tried‐and‐tested approaches of mobilising bottom‐up participation in social reform.

Originality/value

This paper brings in Eastern philosophy (namely Advaitic thinking) into the predominately Western‐dominated systems design arena. Its value lies in its practical applicability to real‐world design challenges.

Details

Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-996X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2000

H. LI, P.E.D. LOVE and D.S. DREW

Delays are an endemic feature of the construction industry. Typically, when a delay occurs in a project, the project manager often expedites progress through activity‐crashing…

Abstract

Delays are an endemic feature of the construction industry. Typically, when a delay occurs in a project, the project manager often expedites progress through activity‐crashing with respect to available float and time‐cost relationships. An accelerated schedule is thus obtained either by prescribing overtime working hours or by procuring additional resources or a combination of both. However, excessively prolonged overtime work can generate quality problems, such as rework, and additional resources. With this in mind, there is a need for a model to assist project managers with understanding the complex nature of attaining a trade‐off between overtime working and the procurement of additional resources. Thus, using system dynamics modelling, the effects of prolonged overtime work on project cost and quality are examined. To overcome project delays, several options representing various combinations of prescribing over‐time work and injecting additional resources are analysed. Utility theory is then applied to determine the most appropriate solution for mitigating project delays. The modelling approach offered in this paper should be particularly useful for large projects and for projects on confined sites where potential cost savings and improved quality standards are likely to be the most significant.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 July 2021

Jieqi Guan, Yui-yip Lau, Huijun Yang and Lianping Ren

This paper aims to explore factors affecting young consumers’ purchasing of new smart products under the influence of social media.

2315

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore factors affecting young consumers’ purchasing of new smart products under the influence of social media.

Design/methodology/approach

Twenty semi-structured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with young consumers who used new media, and five extended interviews were conducted with popular smartwatch retailers in Macau.

Findings

The findings reveal that they tend to garner product information from multiple channels of communication. Social media exert the greatest influence. Reliable information, strong branding and interactions with vendors are also influential, although new product pre-announcements may be boring and difficult to understand.

Originality/value

This study presents new insights into diffusion of innovation theory and provides retailers launching smart products with a better understanding of their target young customers’ purchasing behavior.

Details

Young Consumers, vol. 23 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-3616

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2002

S. Chritamara, S.O. Ogunlana and N.L. Bach

Design and build (D/B) construction methods have gained more importance in recent years for their potential advantages in improving project performance. There are, however, a…

2366

Abstract

Design and build (D/B) construction methods have gained more importance in recent years for their potential advantages in improving project performance. There are, however, a number of problems that are commonplace in D/B procurement, which, when they interact with each other, can lead to project time and cost overrun problems. The most important among them are design changes, together with communication and coordination lapses among concerned parties. Past research has focused only on the characteristics of the traditional construction, or separate sub‐systems such as different phases or human resource input to projects. An attempt is made in this paper to improve D/B project time and cost performance. A generic system dynamics model is developed that incorporates major sub‐systems and their relationships inherent in D/B constructions projects. It is validated and calibrated for a typical large D/B infrastructure project using time and cost overrun problems experienced in Thailand. Extensive simulations with many policies, individually or in various combinations, show that improvement in time or cost can be made with proper policy combinations that reflect strong interactions between the whole design and build system and can be derived only if these interactions are accounted for. To achieve overall improvement in both time and cost, the combination of full overtime schedule, average material ordering, and fast track construction with moderate crashing of design is most appropriate. If cost is the focus, extending the construction schedule, combined with material ordering based on actual need, and design and build with traditional construction method is the best solution.

Details

Construction Innovation, vol. 2 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2000

P.E.D. LOVE, J. SMITH, G.J. TRELOAR and H. LI

Architectural and engineering firms (design firms) have eschewed implementing quality assurance (QA) and other subsequent aspects of quality such as continuous improvement. Their…

Abstract

Architectural and engineering firms (design firms) have eschewed implementing quality assurance (QA) and other subsequent aspects of quality such as continuous improvement. Their reluctance to embrace QA has been found to be a contributing factor in the production of poor quality contract documentation. Missing, conflicting and erroneous information contained within contract documentation are major sources of rework and customer dissatisfaction in construction projects. If design firms are to significantly improve the quality of the service they provide, they should implement ISO 9000 quality management and assurance standards. By implementing such standards, it is suggested that design firms will be able to contribute more effectively to the value adding process in the construction supply chain. It is argued that the service offered by design firms should be viewed as a key component of value that drives its success. Therefore, because rework is a major source of dissatisfaction in projects, a case study was used to determine how its occurrence inhibited value creation and thus the quality of service provided. From the case study findings, the need for design firms to implement ISO 9000 quality management and assurance standards so as to improve their service quality is discussed.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2000

P. Mandal and B. Baliga

This paper describes a framework in developing MIS‐user interfaces to highlight how generic management information systems can be made more useful to managerial decision making…

1833

Abstract

This paper describes a framework in developing MIS‐user interfaces to highlight how generic management information systems can be made more useful to managerial decision making. The suggested framework has been implemented in a medium‐sized job shop manufacturing company. Object‐oriented programming technology is used to provide flexible access to information stored by a generic MIS, namely ManuSoft. To improve the usefulness of the MIS, 20 interfacing programs relating to the information requirements at operational, planning and strategic levels have been developed and implemented. For purposes of illustration, three such programs have been described in this paper.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 20 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

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