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Article
Publication date: 1 February 2022

Premkumar P.S., Nadaraja Pillai S. and Senthil Kumar C.

Pusher configured turbo-prop aircraft receive inadequate ram air cooling due to the lack of propeller slipstream, particularly during ground operations. However, flow entrainment…

Abstract

Purpose

Pusher configured turbo-prop aircraft receive inadequate ram air cooling due to the lack of propeller slipstream, particularly during ground operations. However, flow entrainment can be exploited to a greater extent by placing the oil-cooler duct close to downstream of the propeller at a suitable radial location. But this method has a detrimental effect on the propeller thrust. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the results of numerical simulations carried out to simulate the performance of the propeller with and without oil cooler.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations are carried out to simulate the propeller in a rotating domain using an unstructured grid. A computational fluid dynamics solver is put forward to analyze the effect of thrust loss by solving 3D Navier-Stokes equations using a second-order upwind finite-volume scheme. In this study, the impact of thrust loss incurred in the propeller flow field with and without oil cooler duct for three different locations at various rotational speeds is carried out to assess the propeller performance and to identify the optimum position to get a sufficient mass flow rate.

Findings

The findings from this study are simulated thrust values of an uninstalled five-bladed propeller of light transport aircraft (LTA) match well with original equipment manufacturer propeller thrust data. The tip speed velocities simulated for different operating conditions are in good agreement with the theoretical calculations. The influence of oil-cooler effect on the propeller flow field is less in low velocity to high-velocity operating condition due to flow transition from laminar to turbulent. The presence of the oil cooler, which influences the thrust loss, is studied at propeller upstream and downstream locations in detail for 30%, 40% and 50% of propeller radius cases.

Research limitations/implications

Simulations with finer and structured hexa grids can be applied to this problem to get closer results and save solver time as future work.

Practical implications

The recommended system is installed in the production standard aircraft of LTA. After installation oil cooler performance is better compared to the previous arrangement.

Originality/value

Research work about pusher aircraft is very limited. The problem addressed in this study is unique which resolves the major issue of pusher aircraft. This work highlights the difficulty involved in LTA engine oil cooling, and solution methodologies are also provided. Numerical simulation with oil-cooler assembly is a new area of research that gave the solution for this oil-cooling issue through various oil-cooler case studies.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 94 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 August 2024

Sini Laari, Oskari Rintala, Juuso Töyli, Tomi Solakivi and Lauri Ojala

This paper aims to investigate how firms can enhance their resilience in response to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the study focuses on assessing…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate how firms can enhance their resilience in response to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the study focuses on assessing responsiveness as an antecedent and logistics outsourcing as a boundary condition to resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data collected from 286 manufacturing firms in Finland during 2021 are analysed to examine the relationships between supply chain responsiveness, logistics outsourcing and resilience.

Findings

Firm responsiveness is found to improve resilience, while an increasing level of logistics outsourcing weakens this relationship. Surprisingly, geographic dispersion does not significantly affect supply chain responsiveness.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of the study include the focus on manufacturing firms in Finland and the reliance on survey data. Future research could explore additional factors influencing resilience and consider a broader range of industries and geographical regions.

Practical implications

The findings offer valuable insights for managers seeking to enhance their firms’ resilience in the face of disruptions. By understanding the importance of responsiveness and the potential drawbacks of excessive logistics outsourcing, managers can make informed decisions to improve their firms’ ability to cope with unexpected challenges.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the understanding of resilience in supply chain disruptions by addressing fundamental questions related to efficiency, responsiveness, control and complexity. By examining the interplay between responsiveness, logistics outsourcing and resilience, the study enriches the understanding of how firms can effectively navigate unexpected challenges.

Details

Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, vol. 29 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-8546

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 November 2022

Devinder Kumar and Anupama Prashar

This study examines the effect of human and technological resource bundling on the financial and non-financial performance of third-party logistics (3PL) firms in India.

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines the effect of human and technological resource bundling on the financial and non-financial performance of third-party logistics (3PL) firms in India.

Design/methodology/approach

For achieving the research aim, 248 practitioners from India based 3PL firms were surveyed. The relationships between human and technology resources and firm performance were examined using structural equation modelling (SEM).

Findings

The results of empirical tests revealed that human and technological resources significantly enhance the performance of the 3PL firm. However, the firm's logistic capabilities related to track and trace, order management and final assembly do not mediate this relationship.

Originality/value

This study contributes by examining resource bundling in India's 3PL industry using empirical data and providing knowledge of the relationship between resources and business performance. It guides managers to consciously develop resource capabilities that influence firm performance.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 73 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 February 2021

Saket Shanker, Hritika Sharma and Akhilesh Barve

The restaurant network is reforming rapidly due to the advancements encountered so far in the restaurant–third party logistics (3PL) collaborations. These collaborations resulting…

1667

Abstract

Purpose

The restaurant network is reforming rapidly due to the advancements encountered so far in the restaurant–third party logistics (3PL) collaborations. These collaborations resulting from a strategical partnership between the restaurant and the 3PLs play a significant role in getting a good handle on the web, logistics activities, online business and many more services. Despite the collaborations, 3PL in the restaurant supply chain is associated with many risks that may hamper the supply chain's profitability. In this study, several risks related to 3PL are investigated and analysed.

Design/methodology/approach

Deciding the relative importance of different risks is an intricate errand. The predominance of one risk over the others changes from individual to individual and ?rm to ?rm. Therefore, to catch the changeability in choice, the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is an extremely valuable tool used in this research. In addition to this, fuzzy AHP is incorporated with fuzzy TOPSIS for preference ranking of 3PL risks in the restaurant supply chain and obtain risk index value, which provides an excellent approach to rank the risks. Furthermore, we performed a sensitivity analysis to analyse the stability of the results obtained in this study.

Findings

Results indicate that “macro-level risks” (i.e. the risks associated with 3PL in the restaurant supply chain due to political agitation in the district, cataclysmic events, ailments like COVID-19, bird influenza, etc.) is the most relevant first-level risk with high-risk index as well as high relative weight. As per the analysis of second-level risks, the occurrence of cataclysmic events holds the most elevated risk index value.

Practical implications

This research provides the restaurant industry and the 3PL with a generalized framework with set parameters that can be used to attain a successful 3PL in the restaurant supply chain of any developing nation.

Originality/value

This research proposes an evaluation framework for the risk assessment of third-party logistics in the restaurant supply chain. This paper explores risks for efficient implementation of 3PL in the restaurant supply chain. From a managerial perspective, the rank table is also provided with the goal that mitigation of the risks can be done quickly.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 28 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 November 2023

Martina Baglio, Claudia Colicchia, Alessandro Creazza and Fabrizio Dallari

An ever-increasing number of companies outsource logistics activities to third-party logistics (3PL) providers to beat the competition. From the buyer's (shippers') perspective…

Abstract

Purpose

An ever-increasing number of companies outsource logistics activities to third-party logistics (3PL) providers to beat the competition. From the buyer's (shippers') perspective, selecting the right 3PL provider is crucial, and from the 3PL provider's perspective, it is imperative to be attractive and to retain clients. To this aim, a potential lever can be physical assets, such as warehouses, which the literature has traditionally neglected. The objective is to benchmark the importance of warehouses for 3PL providers to attract/retain clients and for shippers to select the right 3PL provider.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors performed an empirical investigation through interviews on dyads (3PL providers/shippers) and utilized the Best-Worst Method (BWM) to rank the criteria used in the 3PL buying process and allow the warehouse's role to emerge.

Findings

Results show that the 3PL buying process consists of four phases and three evaluation steps. The selection criteria are classified into three groups: order qualifiers, order winners and retention factors. The warehouse has different levels of importance throughout the process. It appears that it can indirectly enhance the attractiveness and retention capability of 3PL providers through other selection criteria.

Originality/value

By combining the resource-based view and the customer value theory, this research extends the theory on logistics outsourcing by studying the phases of the 3PL buying process and scrutinizing the criteria used in different evaluation steps. The research adds a double perspective of analysis (3PL providers and shippers), which is missing in the literature, and focuses on the importance of warehouses.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 October 2021

Benjamin R. Tukamuhabwa, Henry Mutebi and Rebecca Kwagala

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between geographical traits consisting of institutional traits and cultural traits, and supply chain agility in…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between geographical traits consisting of institutional traits and cultural traits, and supply chain agility in third-party logistics providers.

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretical model was developed and assessed through a structured questionnaire survey using cross-sectional data from 170 third-party logistics providers registered in Uganda. To validate the suggested model, data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, correlations and regressions.

Findings

Correlation results revealed that all institutional and cultural geographical traits in the model, i.e. infrastructural frameworks, regulatory frameworks, organisational culture and national culture are positively and significantly associated with supply chain agility. However, a further analysis using regression revealed that regulatory framework and organisational culture are the only significant predictors of supply chain agility and together, all the four traits account for 28.1% variance in supply chain agility.

Research limitations/implications

This study applies the institutional theoretical framework to provide an empirical understanding of the role of institutional and cultural factors in supply chain management practice. Furthermore, it confirms and expands on the existing theories about supply chain agility.

Practical implications

The findings provide firm ground for managerial decisions regarding emphasis on external factors in building firms' supply chain agility. Managers should scan the macro-environment and make conscious firm decisions regarding institutions and culture in certain geographical locations. The host countries should also be aware of their role in building firms' supply chain agility.

Originality/value

Distinctive from the literature on antecedents of supply chain agility, which predominantly focuses on the firm and supply chain capabilities, this study utilises the paradigm of institutional fit to empirically show how managers in a developing country wishing to build supply chain agility should not only focus on their supply chains and internal operations, but go beyond and consider geographical traits when making firm location and/or operational decisions for certain geographical contexts in order to achieve fit.

Details

Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, vol. 39 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2054-6238

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 April 2022

Mauro Vivaldini

This study discusses the influence of logistical immediacy on logistics service providers' (LSPs’) business. Specifically, its role in the face of the emerging business scenario…

1272

Abstract

Purpose

This study discusses the influence of logistical immediacy on logistics service providers' (LSPs’) business. Specifically, its role in the face of the emerging business scenario (e-commerce, disruptive technologies, and new models of logistical services) is examined.

Design/methodology/approach

As logistical immediacy is a nascent topic, this study utilizes a systematic literature review focusing on academic articles from the last five years related to logistical outsourcing to understand the changes imposed by logistical immediacy on LSPs.

Findings

The impact of transformations arising from an increasingly digital virtual world (DVW) on LSPs is contextualized. A theoretical view of the factors affecting LSPs' shift towards more immediate operations is presented, and how logistical immediacy impacts LSPs is discussed. Finally, a research agenda is presented as the study's main contribution.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the timeframe chosen, the restriction to a single database (Scopus), the specific search terms used related to LSPs, and limiting the search parameters to operations management, some relevant work may have been overlooked.

Practical implications

The article help LSPs' and contracting companies' managers to understand the influence of the immediacy expected in logistics operations. Possible logistics services trends and how they may impact companies are discussed.

Originality/value

This is one of the first articles in the area of operations and supply chains that addresses the issue of logistical immediacy and its impact on LSPs.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 30 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 July 2022

Malin Song, Xiaowei Ma, Xin Zhao and Liangliang Zhang

Logistics capability is an important enabler of supply chain resilience (SCR). However, few studies have analyzed the underlying influence mechanism of logistics capability on SCR…

2921

Abstract

Purpose

Logistics capability is an important enabler of supply chain resilience (SCR). However, few studies have analyzed the underlying influence mechanism of logistics capability on SCR in extreme conditions, such as those of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to increase understanding of the role of logistics capabilities in constituting a resilient supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon the dynamic capability perspective and contingency theory, the proposed conceptual framework aims to demonstrate the relationship between a firm's logistics capabilities and SCR. Furthermore, the conceptual framework is illustrated by empirical evidence from a case study of a Chinese manufacturing company, which focuses on extracting practical lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

The findings suggest that digitalization, innovativeness, and modularization comprise potential mediating pathways for firm logistics capability to affect SCR and government policies, risk management culture, trust and cooperation moderate the effect positively. The potential associations are identified and elucidated by detecting the corresponding strategies and practices of a Chinese manufacturer that performed well amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Practical implications

This study provides specific guidelines for logistics managers to enhance SCR during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seeing SCR as a dynamic capability, the framework is also instructive for manufacturers, supply chain members, and policymakers to achieve the sustained competitive advantage of supply chains.

Originality/value

The findings expand the understanding of enhancing SCR in a logistics approach. The empirical validation of propositions in the case study reveals a new vista for research on SCR.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 33 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 20 October 2021

Tomi Solakivi, Ain Kiisler and Olli-Pekka Hilmola

This research analyzes the development of logistics outsourcing market in two countries, Estonia and Finland, with different paths as members of the single European market. The…

1682

Abstract

Purpose

This research analyzes the development of logistics outsourcing market in two countries, Estonia and Finland, with different paths as members of the single European market. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the two markets have become more similar or whether their logistics costs and logistics markets have developed differently over time.

Design/methodology/approach

The development of the logistics market is addressed through two survey-based variables. Logistics costs are used to measure the size of the logistics market, whereas logistics outsourcing is analyzed to measure the development phase as well as the market potential for logistics service provision.

Findings

Estonian logistics outsourcing market was found to be underdeveloped and small compared to the Finnish market. At the same time, the logistics costs of Finnish companies are high and rising, whereas the costs of Estonian firms are declining.

Research limitations/implications

The results imply that the level of outsourcing might explain the visibility of logistics costs, which should be taken into account when making estimates on logistics costs both at the firm as well as on country level.

Social implications

Logistics sector is an important source of national competitiveness and employment. This research identifies subareas for the two countries on how to develop competitiveness through the logistics market.

Originality/value

This research provides a unique method to estimate the size of logistics outsourcing market in these two countries. It also represents as one of the rare works to provide multiyear comparison between countries in logistics costs.

Details

Journal of Global Operations and Strategic Sourcing, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-5364

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 February 2023

Shalini Talwar, Puneet Kaur, Sushant Kumar, Michel Laroche and Amandeep Dhir

The use of over-the-top (OTT) platforms grew substantially after the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. With the pandemic receding, there is a concern that users may…

Abstract

Purpose

The use of over-the-top (OTT) platforms grew substantially after the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. With the pandemic receding, there is a concern that users may not continue with their subscriptions. To counter this, OTT service providers must strategize proactively to retain and acquire new users once the pandemic abates. Positing that understanding the consumption values that users ascribe to OTT platform usage can provide useful customer retention insights, the purpose of this paper is to use the theory of consumption value (TCV) to study the values that users derived from their use of OTT following the onset of the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The mixed-method approach is used to collect qualitative and quantitative data. Analysis of qualitative responses collected through interviews of 12 current OTT platform users helped identify two categories of OTT platform-specific values: attribute-level and benefit-based. Next, the study examined the association of values thus identified with one another, as well as with continued intentions to use OTT platforms, by analyzing data collected from 371 existing users.

Findings

The findings indicated that functional value quality and social value, representing the attribute-level values, were positively associated with two benefit-based values – functional value price and emotional value (EMV). Next, EMV was not only associated with intentions but also partially mediated the association of attribute-level values with intentions. Premium subscription purchased and increased viewing time were confirmed to have moderating effects on the association between attribute-level and benefit-based values.

Originality/value

The study is amongst the foremost research initiatives to examine consumption values derived from OTT platform usage after the onset of the pandemic. Its novelty also comes from its identifying OTT platform-specific consumption values for the first time and adding a new dimension to the TCV by examining the interplay of these values in the OTT platform context.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 37 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

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