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The purpose of this paper is to address the issue of supply management coordination among a prominent contact lens company (customer), its carton supplier (first tier), and paperboard supplier (second tier). Adopting concepts within the theory of swift and even flow, the authors integrate the physical (material) and information flow among these supply partners to ensure higher productivity through timely production and distribution of the cartons, which reduced the lead-times and inventory levels at the three companies in this supply chain.

This study uses a longitudinal case study (action research (AR)), which combines qualitative and quantitative analyses. Observations over time, documents such as contracts, joint agreements, meeting agendas and minutes, personal conversations, and in-depth interviews were mainly used, with quantitative measurement of operational performance.

The complete solution to eliminate waste and improve the existing system is provided, as well as the ordering process solution in the form of service level models. The results of the study proved supply management coordination to be a pioneering approach in reducing inventory, reducing the safety stock at the buyer’s facility, improving the forecasts, lowering the product delivery lead-times, and establishing an information system throughout the three tiers of the supply chain.

The paper draws upon real-life data from a three echelon supply chain in the manufacturing industry. Combining this triadic focus with action-based research makes it a unique opportunity to reveal insights into the issue of coordination among supply chain members and consequent performance outcomes.

The current state of theory-building in the field of operations and supply chain management (OSCM) is in a strong need of rigorous, empirically based theories that enhance understanding of the causal relationships between the structural elements and properties of the business processes. In this research note the authors propose the critical realism (CR) philosophy of science as a particularly suitable philosophical position (not to the exclusion of others) to review the mechanisms of OSCM knowledge generation and to provide philosophical grounding and methodological guidance for both OSCM theory building and testing.

To demonstrate potential benefits of CR-based structured approach to knowledge generation in OSCM research, this conceptual paper uses a case study that illustrates the adoption of one of the OSCM theories – i.e. the theory of swift, even flow.

CR interprets the accumulated empirical information about OSCM phenomena as observable manifestations of the underlying causal mechanisms that cannot be perceived otherwise. CR can provide epistemological support to the choice of performance measures that manifest the underlying causal mechanisms of interest. Extensive accumulation of empirical data from multiple innovative sources will not dramatically add to understanding of the system under investigation, unless and until the underlying causal mechanisms that trigger the observed behaviour are identified and tested. The CR abductive mode of reasoning emphasises the role of uncertainty in complex process behaviours and can facilitate enrichment and refutation of OSCM theories.

CR has a clear potential to contribute to OSCM research by enabling better understanding of causal relationships underlying complex behaviours of different elements of business process by providing robust and relevant mechanisms of generating knowledge about business processes that explicitly link empirical and causal aspects of theory building and testing.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between investments in quality and lean practices, and their impact on factory fitness. Using concepts originating in the theory of swift even flow, this study asserts that manufacturers, in order to improve their production swiftness and evenness, must leverage the potential synergetic effects between quality and lean practices.

This research uses data from the Global Manufacturing Research Group (GMRG) survey project (with data collected from 922 manufacturing plants, across 18 countries). The constructs and measurement model were assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the hypotheses were tested using ordinary least square (OLS) models.

This study highlights that both investments in quality and lean practices have direct impact factory fitness. The results provide insights into the efficacy of the investments in manufacturing practices and their role in augmenting the operational performance. The investments in quality practices were found to enhance the efficacy of investments in lean practices, which in turn impact the factory fitness.

From a practical perspective, the study informs managers on how to leverage investment in quality practices to enhance the impact of lean practice on performance. The results provide empirical evidence to support management decision-making concerning the development of competences in quality and lean practices, which may create competitive advantage.

This study contributes to the quality and lean literature and provides empirical evidence of the synergetic effects between investments in quality and lean practices. The analysis offers a greater understanding of the mechanisms that can be used to maximise the impact of investments in lean practices, from a global perspective. The findings are important to the advancement of theory in operations management, as it integrates three research streams: quality practices, lean practices and swift even flow research.

Effective operations management systems (OMS) measurement remains a critical issue for theorists and practising managers (Neely, 2005; Bititci et al., 2012). Traditional labor efficiency measures sufficed when all that was made could be sold or when mass production systems filled warehouses with stock and the OMS had little relationship with “the consumer.” Modern manufacturing systems require a different form of flow optimization (beyond labor efficiency) measurement (Schmenner, 2015). The essential unit of measure for all OMS designs is the optimal use of time for process value adding and the flow of materials into and from the conversion process. Timely flow, therefore, satisfies the needs of multiple organizational stakeholders including cash flow (accounting), consumer reaction times (marketing) and the general steady state flow of materials (sales and supply chain). The purpose of this paper is to present the results of testing a new performance measure of operations flow effectiveness (OFE) with ten purposively selected cases.

The paper is theory building using ten, purposively selected, longitudinal case studies drawn from the UK high-value manufacturing (HVM) sector using a pluralist methodology of interviews, observation and secondary data.

The OFE measure provides a holistic view of material flow through the input-process-output cycles of a firm. The measure highlights OMS design weaknesses and flow inhibitors that reduce cash flow using a time-based approach to measuring OMS performance. The study validates the OFE measure and has identified six key design elements that enable high flow performance.

The paper tests a new process-focused flow performance measure. The measure supports a holistic approach to the manufacturing enterprise and allows different OMS designs to be evaluated so that organizational learning may be enacted to support performance improvement.

Using the assumptions of the resource-based view, relational view and swift, even flow theories and the overarching principles of supply chain management, the study aims to test the role of information technology (IT) capability (cross-functional application, supply chain application and data consistency) in enabling supply chain integration (SCI; internal, customer and supplier integration) and the impact of SCI on firm's operational performance in terms of quality, delivery, production cost, inventory level, customer service and product-mix flexibility.

The structural equation modeling approach is used to test theoretical predictions underlying the relationship among dimensions of IT capability, SCI and operational performance based on data obtained from senior executives of 108 large manufacturing firms listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

The results suggest that IT capability has positive impact on SCI, except for data consistency, which is found to have negative impact on internal integration. The results further indicate that SCI, especially customer integration, has positive and significant impact on all operational performance indicators.

The findings inform future initiatives associated with the SCI improvement via specific IT capabilities. When undertaking such initiatives, managers are advised to consider the differential impact of the following IT capabilities on SCI: cross-functional applications, supply chain applications, and data consistency capability.

The study makes an empirical contribution to the body of knowledge by demonstrating the value of the multidimensional representation and analysis of IT capability, SCI, and operational performance given a differential and even opposed influence by some of the dimensions in specific business contexts.

The purpose of this work is to empirically demonstrate the synergistic implications of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and emerging intra‐organizational technologies.

Using established operational theory as a foundation, the article analyzes the history of ERP use and its impact on gains from business‐to‐business (B2B) purchasing technologies.

The findings reveal that the extent to which firms witness maintenance‐repair‐operating (MRO) savings through such procurement is dependent not only on the presence of an ERP system, but also on the length of time systems have been in use.

Although limited to the analysis of B2B “success” cases, the results provide strong implications for the importance of ERP as a key infrastructure for B2B activities.

Managers seeking to benefit from B2B economies, should ensure that they possess an adequate IT infrastructure (e.g. ERP) to realize all such potential gains.

The study is one of the first works to demonstrate the link between ERP and B2B benefits solely through the use of objective secondary data.

The purpose of this research is to test a model that incorporates investments in quality and Lean practices and production fitness constructs, originating in the theory of swift even flow (SEF), to provide insights into successful implementation of manufacturing practices.

This research uses data from the Global Manufacturing Research Group fourth round survey and empirically tests the relationships between investments in Lean practices and improvements in production fitness, using a sample of 844 plants in 17 countries.

The results highlight that the implementation of Lean practices yields better results on production evenness, when the company has higher levels of investments in quality practices. Therefore, the implementation of quality practices is a prerequisite for achieving higher production fitness.

The findings are important to the development and testing of operations management theory, as it integrates two research streams, manufacturing practices and SEF research, to gain insights into the interplay of manufacturing practices and how it influences the production fitness. For practitioners, this research assesses how better-performing plants compete. It provides operations managers with a better understanding of production fitness and how manufacturing practices foster its development.

Internet of Things (IoT) adoption is a differentiating factor in the hospitality industry which facilitates the integration of the digital and real world. This paper aims to explore academic research and practical applications of IoT in the hospitality domain to help identify opportunities and challenges with implementing the technology for creating competitive advantages and service operations process improvements.

This paper uses previous works and exemplars to demonstrate the use of IoT in hospitality. Academic indexing websites such as Google Scholar and ScienceDirect are used to search for related terms. Whitepapers, IoT project websites of service providers and media coverage are accessed to collect information. Related work is investigated by classifying into major categories of hospitality.

Hospitality is one of the leading industries that has adopted IoT to create innovative services, but this topic has not been investigated deeply. A comprehensive study is needed to give guidance to decision-makers and helps to design better services by presenting practical and potential benefits.

The IoT will usher in great opportunities in hospitality by enabling novel applications for customization and personalization of the services. Operational processes will be redefined for efficiency and speed. It will alter the expectations and servicescape; thus, its integration will be vital in terms of competitiveness and success.

This study provides a comprehensive overview of IoT research and applications in the hospitality domain. It contributes to better understanding of recent trends and potentials. A holistic approach was used instead of focusing on a single sector which enables the consideration of all aspects of the topic. Theoretical support in addition to technical aspects, challenges and concerns are offered to the reader.

The purpose of this paper is to take a critical, analytical approach to explore the growth and spread of Lean through the academic and practitioner community over the last 25 years to understand the impact of the book The Machine that Changed the World on management thinking.

A comprehensive and systematic review of the extant literature of lean was undertaken and analysed critically to observe patterns and trends that could explain the acceptance of Lean as an operations management philosophy. The review spans from 1987 to 2013. To enable us to effectively manage and understand the diffusion of this literature a database, the Lean Publications Database, was constructed. The number of publications has been adjusted to compensate for growth in the total number of articles published in the same period.

Lean has evolved to be one of the best-known, yet fiercely debated, process improvement methodologies. It emerged during a proliferation of such methodologies in the business and management literature. Lean has developed from a generic description of Toyota Production System (TPS) to a particular type of organisational and management intervention focused on best practice and process improvement methodologies.

This paper provides the first comprehensive review of the Lean literature, from the perspective of Lean as the unit of analysis. It covers both sides of the academic debate and categorises the progression of Lean from its origins as a generic description of TPS to a movement that has changed management systems in many and diverse sectors.

This paper demonstrates how Lean research, application and thinking has evolved over 25 years from its origins in Japanese auto-manufacturing to a holistic value system that is applicable to all business sectors, both private and public.

In most empirical studies on Lean, the unit of analysis is the organisation. In this study, the unit of analysis is the Lean phenomenon itself. This paper examines the impact of The Machine that Changed the World on management thinking. In addition, it presents a step to developing an underpinning theory by linking Lean to the Theory of Swift, Even Flow. As such it is of interest to academics in the field of operations management and offers a contribution to knowledge. It is also likely to be of interest to policy makers. Considerable amounts of public money have been spent, and continue to be spent, on promoting Lean. Taxpayers and policymakers are likely to be interested in whether that expenditure is justifiable. 25 years of publications have been analysed to provide clarity around this popular approach to organisational improvement.

Achieving swift and even flow of cargo through the border, the ultimate objective of cross-border logistics (CBL) requires the close coordination and collaboration of a multitude of stakeholders, as well as optimally configured systems. To achieve and sustain competitiveness in a dynamic international trade environment, CBL processes must undergo periodic analysis, improvement and optimization. This study aims to develop a modelling framework to capture CBL processes for analysis and improvement.

Relying on the extant literature, a meta-model is developed incorporating significant perspectives required to model CBL processes. Popular process modelling notations are evaluated against the meta-model and their ease of comprehension is also evaluated. The selected notation through evalution is augmented with addendums for a comprehensive depiction of CBL processes.

The capacity of role activity diagrams (RADs) to depict all perspectives, including interactions in a single diagram, makes them particularly suitable for modelling CBL processes. RADs have been complemented with physical flow diagrams and methods to capture temporal dimension, enabling a comprehensive view of CBL processes laying the foundation for insightful analysis.

The meta-model developed in this paper paves the way to develop an analysis framework which requires further research.

The lack of well-accepted modelling notations for studying CBL processes prompts researchers to search and adapt different formalisms. This study has filled this gap by proposing a comprehensive modelling framework able to capture CBL processes at different granularities in rich detail. Not only does the developed meta-model aid in selecting the notation, it is also useful in analysing the constituent elements of CBL processes.