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K.L. Choy, Harry K.H. Chow, W.B. Lee and Felix T.S. Chan
To develop a performance measurement system (PMS) in the application of supplier relationship management operated under a supply chain benchmarking framework. Acting as a…
Abstract
Purpose
To develop a performance measurement system (PMS) in the application of supplier relationship management operated under a supply chain benchmarking framework. Acting as a monitoring tool for evaluating the performance of maintenance logistics providers against the defined performance levels stated in the contract, and facilitating the application of benchmarking approach in maintenance logistics activities.
Design/methodology/approach
A six tiers collaborative management model is designed in building the PMS, by which information sharing of performance history of suppliers is made possible. By following the work flow of the PMS, performance of suppliers is benchmarked with the best‐in‐class supplier, resulting in the identification of the most appropriate supplier for the particular requirement.
Findings
PMS helps a company and its suppliers to understand the performance gap between its service levels with the best‐in‐class practice. The resulting performance gap provides valuable information in the formulating of a new supply chain and strategic plan in solving problems and challenges in aviation industry. By means of PMS, a company can make decisions with the basis of a good relationship with its business partners, especially in the maintenance logistics area.
Research limitations/implications
The design of PMS must take into consideration of the data sources, the duration of taking the required data, and the focal point on collecting information. Moreover, findings from the study have to be revised every two years.
Originality/value
By applying PMS in one of the leading airlines in Hong Kong, suppliers' deficiencies in the logistics performance are identified easily. Moreover, current operational service level is effectively enhanced and the combination of the best‐in‐class supplier service package is accurately selected.
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Hamad Al‐kaabi, Andrew Potter and Mohamed Naim
This paper aims to evaluate the main business models used for airlines' maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities and determine the activities to which these relate.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to evaluate the main business models used for airlines' maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities and determine the activities to which these relate.
Design/methodology/approach
A critical literature review is used to develop a conceptual model of MRO activities. This is evaluated through a SWOT analysis before an exploratory study of eight airlines is used to confirm the applicability of the conceptual model.
Findings
Four levels of MRO outsourcing are identified; from fully outsourced to fully in‐sourced. From the exploratory study it is shown that critical MRO activities such as line maintenance are frequently in‐sourced, while activities with low demand at an airline level such as engine maintenance are often outsourced.
Practical implications
MRO represent around 10‐15 per cent of an airline's operational costs. By identifying the strength and weaknesses of different MRO models, it is possible to evaluate alternative MRO strategies.
Originality/value
Unlike other research in maintenance which was aimed mainly at the manufacturing sectors, this research provides insights into the maintenance practises in a service sector. In particular this research studies the different outsourcing levels existing in airlines' MRO. The knowledge gained by understanding the mechanism of outsourcing in airlines' MRO can be further extended to other industries and help in best configuring their maintenance units.
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Thomas Eichentopf, Michael Kleinaltenkamp and Janine van Stiphout
Customers' role in value creation has changed dramatically over the past few years. Today, many firms view customers as co‐creators of value. Until recently, however, attention to…
Abstract
Purpose
Customers' role in value creation has changed dramatically over the past few years. Today, many firms view customers as co‐creators of value. Until recently, however, attention to customer integration was mainly directed toward customers' role in a firm's given supply processes. The goal of this paper is to show that processes on the customer side are equally important for the overall success of value creation.
Design/methodology/approach
The reasoning for the role of customers is based on a theoretical discussion of customer integration, blueprints and customer scripts. Relating this work to the general problem of transaction costs from information asymmetries, the paper develops a typology of how customer scripts can be applied in various situations.
Findings
It is found that customer scripts can have a positive effect on interactive value creation because they enable companies to build a holistic process image for all process participants.
Research limitations/implications
Marketing must rethink its role as an agent of companies. Indeed, in interactive value creation, boundaries blur. However, the results lack broad empirical confirmation.
Practical implications
It is argued that firms must adopt a customer perspective and provide an approach of how to achieve this.
Originality/value
The paper reintroduces scripts in the marketing discussion. In addition, it provides a new typology of situations in interactive value creation.
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Safae Hasnaoui, Abdelkhalek Amahmid, Abdelghani Raji, Hassen Beji, Mohammed Hasnaoui, Youssef Dahani and Haykel Benhamed
The purpose of this paper is to study numerically thermosolutal natural convection within an inclined rectangular cavity in the presence of Soret effect and heat generation. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study numerically thermosolutal natural convection within an inclined rectangular cavity in the presence of Soret effect and heat generation. The enclosure is heated and salted from its long sides with constant but different temperatures and concentrations. The study focuses on the effects of three main parameters which are, the Soret parameter (Sr = 0 and –0.5), the internal to external Rayleigh numbers ratio 0 ≤ R ≤ 80 and the cavity inclination γ, varied from 0° (vertical position) to 60°. The combined effects of these parameters on fluid flow and heat and mass transfer characteristics are examined for the external Rayleigh number RaE = 105, the Prandtl number Pr = 0.71, the buoyancy ratio N = 1, the Lewis number Le = 2 and the aspect ratio of the cavity A = 2.
Design/methodology/approach
A hybrid lattice Boltzmann-finite difference method (LBM-FD) was used to tackle the problem under consideration. The LBM with the simple relaxation time was used for the fluid flow in the presence of the gravity force, while the temperature and concentration equations were solved separately using an explicit finite-difference technique at the Boltzmann scale.
Findings
The monocellular nature of the flow, obtained for R = 0 is not destroyed by varying the cavity inclination and the Soret parameter but rather by the increase of the parameter R. The Soret parameter and the cavity inclination become perceptible at high values of R. The inclination γ = 60° leads to high mean temperatures compared to the other inclinations. The effect of R on mean concentration is amplified in the presence of Soret effect but limited in the absence of the latter. The negative Soret parameter combined with high internal heat generation and a relatively high inclination is important when the objective is to maintain the fluid at a high concentration of species. The presence of bicellular flow combined with the important elevation undergone by the fluid temperature, makes both the cold and hot walls playing a cooling role with the most important exchanges taking place at the upper part of these walls. The analysis of the mean mass transfer shows that the increase of the inclination may lead to an increase or a decrease of the mass transfer depending on the range of R, in the case of Sr = 0. However, for Sr = −0.5, it is observed that the increase of γ is generally accompanied by a reduction of the mass transfer.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the hybrid LBM-FD was not used before to study such a problem. Combined effect of R and inclination may be useful in charging the fluid with species when the objective is to maintain high concentrations in the medium.
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Ke Xu, Fengge Wu and Junsuo Zhao
Recently, deep reinforcement learning is developing rapidly and shows its power to solve difficult problems such as robotics and game of GO. Meanwhile, satellite attitude control…
Abstract
Purpose
Recently, deep reinforcement learning is developing rapidly and shows its power to solve difficult problems such as robotics and game of GO. Meanwhile, satellite attitude control systems are still using classical control technics such as proportional – integral – derivative and slide mode control as major solutions, facing problems with adaptability and automation.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, an approach based on deep reinforcement learning is proposed to increase adaptability and autonomy of satellite control system. It is a model-based algorithm which could find solutions with fewer episodes of learning than model-free algorithms.
Findings
Simulation experiment shows that when classical control crashed, this approach could find solution and reach the target with hundreds times of explorations and learning.
Originality/value
This approach is a non-gradient method using heuristic search to optimize policy to avoid local optima. Compared with classical control technics, this approach does not need prior knowledge of satellite or its orbit, has the ability to adapt different kinds of situations with data learning and has the ability to adapt different kinds of satellite and different tasks through transfer learning.
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WE have recently published one or two articles in which a contributor with a considerable knowledge of the Chinese economy has described some of that country's industrial…
Abstract
WE have recently published one or two articles in which a contributor with a considerable knowledge of the Chinese economy has described some of that country's industrial activities. The articles have been scrupulously factual and impartial in revealing the ingenuity which has enabled a people desperately short of the technological resources of the industrialised nations to secure for themselves some of life's essentials.
Triana Navarro de Chollet, Bettina von Stamm and Meltem Etcheberry