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The aims of this paper is to investigate simulation‐based optimisation and stochastic dominance testing while employing kanban‐like production control strategies (PCS) operating dedicated and, where applicable, shared kanban card allocation policies in a multi‐product system with negligible set‐up times and with consideration for robustness to uncertainty.

Discrete event simulation and a genetic algorithm were utilised to optimise the control parameters for dedicated kanban control strategy (KCS), CONWIP and base stock control strategy (BSCS), extended kanban control strategy (EKCS) and generalised kanban control strategy (GKCS) as well as the shared versions of EKCS and GKCS. All‐pairwise comparisons and a ranking and selection technique were employed to compare the performances of the strategies and select the best strategy without consideration of robustness to uncertainty. A latin hypercube sampling experimental design and stochastic dominance testing were utilised to determine the preferred strategy when robustness to uncertainty is considered.

The findings of this work show that shared GKCS outperforms other strategies when robustness is not considered. However, when robustness of the strategies to uncertainty in the production environment is considered, the results of our research show that the dedicated EKCS is preferred. The effect of system bottleneck location on the inventory accumulation behaviour of different strategies is reported and this was also observed to have a relationship to the nature of a PCS's kanban information transmission.

The findings of this study are directly relevant to industry where increasing market pressures for product diversity require operating multi‐product production lines with negligible set‐up times. The optimization and robustness test approaches employed in this work can be extended to the analysis of more complicated system configurations and higher number of product types.

This work involves further investigation into the performance of multi‐product kanban‐like PCS by examining their robustness to common sources of uncertainties after they have been initially optimized for base scenarios. The results of the robustness tests also provide new insights into how dedicated kanban card allocation policies might offer higher flexibility and robustness over shared policies under conditions of uncertainty.

Assembly systems require uninterrupted components' availability to feed workstations. This paper aims to propose a methodology to help managers in evaluating and selecting the most suitable policy for materials delivery to the shop floor. The analysis focuses on three basic policies, namely kitting, just in time kanban‐based continuous supply and line storage, even including class‐based hybrid policies.

Descriptive models are developed to design components' delivery systems and to compute their performances. Empirical criteria are utilized to associate specific policies to components classes in order to implement customized hybrid line feeding policies. A case study is then included to exemplify the method application and to show its capabilities as a decision making tool.

Hybrid feeding policies may be preferable to a single feeding policy common to all components. This is shown in a representative case study. However, in general there is a priori superior method and only a comparison of alternative feeding policies based on objective performance measures can determine the best approach in specific industrial applications.

The methodology is aimed at preliminary sizing and selection of alternative line feeding systems in deterministic environments. It is not intended for detailed performance analysis of assembly systems.

Production managers are given quantitative decision tools to properly select the components' delivery method at an early decision stage. This allows trade‐offs between alternatives to be explored in order to deploy customized feeding policies differentiated on components basis to better fit specific company requirements.

The paper extends previous descriptive models for line feeding systems and includes the possibility of hybrid policies.

The purpose of this paper is to present a literature review on parts feeding policies and to provide the components of parts feeding systems via a classification structure.

This paper determines the scope and components of parts feeding systems via a classification structure under three main components such as the storage of parts, transport of parts and feeding policy. Afterward, it is focused on parts feeding policies and the related papers are reviewed and analyzed according to their feeding policy types, objectives, solution methodologies and the application types.

A classification structure showing the components and scope of parts feeding systems is provided. Parts feeding policies are handled in detail and feeding policy types, objectives, solution methodologies and application types in the existing studies are presented in this paper. However, the paper highlights the open research areas and advances for academics and presents applied solution methodologies and case studies for practitioners.

This paper reveals the scope of parts feeding systems by presenting a classification structure including three main components and related subcomponents and provides a comprehensive literature review on parts feeding policies.

The purpose of this paper is to develop an optimization model allowing the choice of parts feeding policy to assembly lines in order to minimize total cost.

An integer linear programming mathematical model is developed to assign the optimal material feeding policy to each part type. The model allows choice between kitting, line stocking and just in time delivery policies.

The choice of assembly lines feeding policy is not trivial and requires a thorough economic comparison of alternatives. It is found that a proper mix of parts feeding policies may be better that adopting a single material delivery policy for all parts.

The model is aimed at single-model assembly lines operating in a deterministic environment, but can be extended to the multi-model line case. While relevant quantitative cost drivers are included, some context-related qualitative factors are not included yet. The model assumes that information about product structure and part requirements are known and that a preliminary design of the assembly system has been carried out.

Production managers are given a quantitative-decision tool to determine the optimal mix of material supply policies at an early decision stage.

Respect previous simplified literature models, this approach allows to quantify a number of additional factors which are critical for successful implementation of cost-effective parts feeding systems, allowing comparison of alternative policies on a consistent basis.

The commercialization of non-profit organization (NPOs) has become a trend. Nonetheless, during the process of providing services and manufacturing products, NPOs frequently encounter obstacles, such as distinctive organizational characteristics and social loafing, which hinder development. These obstacles impede effective production management process, especially in responding to market competitive logic and associated demands. The purpose of this paper is to assist NPOs in resolving the unique challenges posed by commercialization.

This study first examined related literature on the social loafing and Lean-Kanban model. Subsequently, existing service procedures of the Assistive Technology Resource Center were introduced, and the loafing situation and operational management issues within the organization were analyzed. Based on observed experiences in the case study, this study investigated the social loafing situation that NPOs are likely to encounter during the commercialization process. Adaptive strategies were then proposed to mitigate this situation. Finally, this study presents a summary and analysis of the study results, and offers recommendations regarding future research directions.

The findings of this study provide valuable information regarding NPOs commercialization, indicating that an understanding of the non-profit concept in relation to internal and external customers must be incorporated into the commercialization process. Social loafing is a sensitive topic in organizational research, particularly for NPOs without HR professionals. This study recommends that NPOs use Lean-management tools to reduce operational management issues caused by various social loafing situations. Further interdisciplinary, integrated research on the commercialization of NPOs of various types should be conducted to clarify concerns regarding the overall NPO commercialization environment.

This study examined a social welfare foundation and applied the Lean thinking model to investigate whether Lean-management tools alleviate and eliminate social loafing. The solution depends on interdisciplinary integrated research for improving NPO management practice. These management tools can be used to adjust the division of labor and reduce operational management problems caused by social loafing. These tools can provide NPOs with a reference for establishing a fair and equitable internal work environment and developing strategies that respond to market pressure and efficiency during commercialization.

Sets out to determine whether or not JIT methods are applicable to Australian manufacturers and if so, how they can be implemented successfully. Presents a brief review of the literature and highlights various definitions of JIT. Summarizes the aims and conclusions of 1980s research in Australian manufacturing. Examines the JIT experiences of 30 manufacturers, documenting programme details and the factors which contributed to their success. Offers recommendations for step‐by‐step JIT implementation in an Australian context.

Overview All organisations are, in one sense or another, involved in operations; an activity implying transformation or transfer. The major portion of the body of knowledge concerning operations relates to production in manufacturing industry but, increasingly, similar problems are to be found confronting managers in service industry. It is only in the last decade or so that new technology, involving, in particular, the computer, has encouraged an integrated view to be taken of the total business. This has led to greater recognition being given to the strategic potential of the operations function. In order to provide greater insight into operations a number of classifications have been proposed. One of these, which places operations into categories termed factory, job shop, mass service and professional service, is examined. The elements of operations management are introduced under the headings of product, plant, process, procedures and people.

The ideas expressed in this work are based on those put into practice at the Okuma Corporation of Japan, one of the world′s leading machine tool manufacturers. In common with many other large organizations, Okuma Corporation has to meet the new challenges posed by globalization, keener domestic and international competition, shorter business cycles and an increasingly volatile environment. Intelligent corporate strategy (ICS), as practised at Okuma, is a unified theory of strategic corporate management based on five levels of win‐win relationships for profit/market share, namely: ,1. Loyalty from customers (value for money) – right focus., 2. Commitment from workers (meeting hierarchy of needs) – right attitude., 3. Co‐operation from suppliers (expanding and reliable business) – right connections., 4. Co‐operation from distributors (expanding and reliable business) – right channels., 5. Respect from competitors (setting standards for business excellence) – right strategies. The aim is to create values for all stakeholders. This holistic people‐oriented approach recognizes that, although the world is increasingly driven by high technology, it continues to be influenced and managed by people (customers, workers, suppliers, distributors, competitors). The philosophical core of ICS is action learning and teamwork based on principle‐centred relationships of sincerity, trust and integrity. In the real world, these are the roots of success in relationships and in the bottom‐line results of business. ICS is, in essence, relationship management for synergy. It is based on the premiss that domestic and international commerce is a positive sum game: in the long run everyone wins. Finally, ICS is a paradigm for manufacturing companies coping with change and uncertainty in their search for profit/market share. Time‐honoured values give definition to corporate character; circumstances change, values remain. Poor business operations generally result from human frailty. ICS is predicated on the belief that the quality of human relationships determines the bottom‐line results. ICS attempts to make manifest and explicit the intangible psychological factors for value‐added partnerships. ICS is a dynamic, living, and heuristic‐learning model. There is intelligence in the corporate strategy because it applies commonsense, wisdom, creative systems thinking and synergy to ensure longevity in its corporate life for sustainable competitive advantage.

Organisations either keep spares for their own use, or‐for‐sale to other organisations. In either case, the ultimate need is to be able to replace worn or defective parts in operational machinery or equipment. In an economic sense, spares are kept to meet the needs of the situation in the cheapest way.

Agile methods are increasingly being applied in the contexts of innovation beyond traditional information technology (IT) and physical product development projects, such as when process improvements are being implemented. Nevertheless, this phenomenon is still recent and little addressed in the literature, with few descriptions of empirical cases. This study aims to address this gap.

This multiple case study aims to present and discuss the application of Agile practices embedded in large companies’ innovation value chains, focusing on improvements of business processes. The following research question is pursued: How are large companies applying elements of Agile methods to their innovation processes when implementing incremental improvements in their operational processes? Based on the idea that the Agile-Stage-Gate model is an alternative to this challenge, this study investigates the application of this hybrid model in two large Brazilian companies by presenting their idiosyncrasies, lessons learned, adaptations, challenges and benefits.

Overall, it was observed that the experience with the application of the Agile-Stage-Gate model is positive for these companies, with better customer engagement, easier project control and increased productivity of the project team.

For those aiming to implement the Agile-Stage-Gate model, this paper identifies the main adaptations made in order to combine the purist approaches and critical success factors for its implementation.