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The purpose of this paper is to use a systems lens to assess the comparative performance of healthcare supply chains and provide guidance for their improvement.

A well-established and rigorous multi-method audit methodology, based on the uncertainty circle model, yields an objective assessment of value stream performance in eight Australasian public sector hospitals. Cause-effect analysis identifies the major barriers to achieving smooth, seamless flows. Potentially high-leverage remedial actions identified using systems thinking are examined with the aid of an exemplar case.

The majority of the healthcare value streams studied are underperforming compared with those in the European automotive industry. Every public hospital appears to be caught in the grip of vicious circles of system uncertainty, in large part being caused by problems of their own making. The single exception is making good progress towards seamless functional integration, which has been achieved by elevating supply chain management to a core competence; having a clearly articulated supply chain vision; adopting a systems approach; and, managing supplies with accurate information.

The small number of cases limits the generalisability of the findings at this time.

Hospital supply chain managers endeavouring to achieve smooth and seamless supply flows should attempt to elevate the status of supplies management within their organisation to that of a core competence, and should use accurate information to manage their value streams holistically as a set of interwoven processes. A four-level prism model is proposed as a useful framework for thus improving healthcare supply delivery systems.

Material flow concepts originally developed to provide objective assessments of value stream performance in commercial settings are adapted for use in a healthcare setting. The ability to identify exemplar organisations via a context-free uncertainty measure, and to use systems thinking to identify high-leverage solutions, supports the transfer of appropriate best practices even between organisations in dissimilar business and economic settings.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how decisions regarding organisational flexibility can be improved through targeted resource allocation, by focusing on the supply chain's level of uncertainty exposure. Specifically, the issue of where and in what ways flexibility has been incorporated across the organisation's supply chain is addressed.

A two-phase methodology design based on literature review and case study was used. Using 83 journal articles in the areas of uncertainty and flexibility an analytical process for assessing uncertainty-flexibility mismatches was developed. Furthermore, results from ten interviews with senior/middle managers within the Australian manufacturing sector were used to provide preliminary insights on the usefulness and importance of the analytical process and its relationship with organisational practice.

The paper emphasises the importance of having a systematic and encompassing view of uncertainty-flexibility mismatches across the supply chain, as well as the significance of socio-technical engagement. The paper both conceptually and empirically illustrates how, using a structured analytical process, flexibility requirements across the supply, process, control and demand segments of a supply chain might be assessed. A four-step analytical process was accordingly developed and, its application, usefulness and importance discussed using empirical data.

The analytical process presented in this paper can assist managers to obtain a comprehensive overview of supply chain flexibility when dealing with situations involving uncertainty. This can facilitate and improve their decision-making with respect to prioritising attention on identified flexibility gaps in order to ensure stability of their performance.

The paper presents a supply chain-wide discussion on the difficulties that uncertainty brings to organisations, and how organisational flexibility might serve to moderate those challenges for supply chain management. It discusses how to identify the flexibility gap and proposes an original analytical process for systematic assessment of uncertainty-flexibility mismatches.

The uncertainty evaluation for coordinate measuring machine metrology is problematic due to the diversity of the parameters that can influence the measurement result. From discrete coordinate data taken on curve (or surface) the software of these machines proceeds to an identification of the measured feature, the parameters of the substitute feature serve in the phase of calculation to estimate the form error of form, and the decisions made based on the result measurement may be outliers when the uncertainty associated to the measurement result is not taken into account. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The authors relied on the orthogonal distance regression (ODR) algorithm to estimate the parameters of the substitute geometrical elements and their uncertainties. The solution of the problem is resolved by an iterative calculation according to the Levenberg Marquard optimization method. The authors have also presented in this paper the propagation model of uncertainties to the circularity error. This model is based on the law of propagation of the uncertainties defined in the GUM.

This work proposes a model based on ODR to estimates parameters of the substitute geometrical elements and their uncertainties. This contribution allows us to estimate the uncertaintof the form error by applying the law of propagation of uncertainties. An example of calculating the circularity error and the associated uncertainty is explained. This method can be applied to others geometry type: line, plan, sphere, cylinder and cone.

This work interested manufacturing firms by allowing them: to meet the normative, which requires that each measurement must be accompanied by its uncertainty-in conformity assessment, the decision-making must take account of this uncertainty to avoid the aberrant decisions. Informing the operators on the capability of their measurement process

This work proposes a model based on ODR to estimates parameters of the substitute geometrical elements and its uncertainties. without the hypothesis of small displacements torsor, this method integrates the uncertainty on the coordinates of points and can be applied in any reference placemark. This contribution allows us also to estimate the uncertainty of the form error by applying the law of propagation of uncertainties.

The purpose of this paper is to present an empirical evidence of the impacts of supply chain uncertainty and risk on the logistics performance in the Australian courier industry. This study examines the impacts of supply chain and risk on the logistics performance in the Australian courier industry.

This study provides an in-depth analysis of supply chain uncertainty and risk’s impacts on the logistics performance. The structure equation modelling approach is applied to examine the relationship between supply chain uncertainty and risk and logistics performance. Company-side uncertainty and risk, customer-side uncertainty and risk, and environment uncertainty and risk are used to measure the impacts of supply chain uncertainty and risk on the industry. This paper gives attention to the supply chain uncertainty and risk in the industry.

The results indicate that supply chain uncertainty and risk have negative impacts on logistics performance. Moreover, the greatest impact of supply chain uncertainty and risk was from outside company in the Australian courier industry.

The study focuses on the Australian courier industry, this may limit the implications of findings in different industries. However, the research models may be examined and validated in the different context.

The results may provide directions in the implementation of strategies to manage supply chain uncertainty and risk and improve logistics performance. The findings may enlighten both academics and practitioners to understand and pay attention to the supply chain uncertainty and risk in the courier industry.

There is an argument whether the impacts of supply chain uncertainty and risk are positive or negative in previous studies. In addition, there are very few studies on courier industry. This study clarifies the impacts of supply chain uncertainty and risk on the logistics performance in the courier industry.

Improving competitive advantage to the first‐tier echelon of automotive supply chains is enabled via the requirement for transparent information flows in both the order‐generating and order fulfilment channels. However, four generic areas are identified which are barriers to improving performance. These are cultural (is it in our interests?); organisational (does the supply chain have the right structure?); technological (what common format and standards are required?); and financial (who pays the bill?). How these barriers may be overcome to the benefit of all “players” in the chain is discussed, plus benchmarking of current best practice. Exemplar supply chains are identified as noteworthy for the emergence of supply chain “product champions”. These have the vision, authority, and drive to implement new systems and set in place mechanisms to minimise regression to old working practices.

Modular integrated construction (MiC) reengineers the traditional construction process. By introducing factory production and onsite assembly (OA) of modules, MiC reinvents construction projects' uncertainties and risk profiles. The OA stage constitutes the highest end of the MiC delivery and supply chains, where several inherited and symbiotic errors and risk events become realities, negatively impacting the MiC project's success. This study explored the severities of OA risk factors for MiC projects.

A comprehensive literature review, consultation of experts and a questionnaire survey of domain experts were conducted to assess the severity of fifteen OA risk factors for MiC projects. The risk severity index was used to compute and rank the severities of critical OA risk factors for MiC projects, followed by proposed mitigation strategies.

The study revealed that the top five OA risk factors with the severest impact on MiC projects include modules installation discrepancies and errors, poor cooperation among critical onsite stakeholders, a mismatch between production schedules and site conditions, improper lifting equipment selection for onsite installation and site-fit rework due to discrepancies in drawings.

This study is the first to offer some important insights into the uncertainties that could compromise the OA objectives of MiC projects. It discussed risk management strategies for known and unknown OA risks and made a unique contribution to the theory, practice, and praxis of MiC supply chain risk management.

In this paper, we show that reducing supply chain uncertainty increases responsiveness and thereby benefits bottom line performance as assessed via total cycle time reduction. We term this effect as the uncertainty reduction principle. To enable uncertainty reduction we use the uncertainty circle to focus on the sources to be eliminated. We also show that these sources of uncertainty can react and magnify in a flywheel effect caused by poor supply chain management. A supply chain audit methodology is described for identifying and codifying uncertainty. The proposition advanced herein is that smooth material flow leads to and statistically correlates with uncertainty reduction. Examples are given of good real‐world supply chain practices thus identified and subsequently improved. Transferability of the uncertainty reduction principle is assured by establishing readily assimilated “best practice” guidelines via the study of “exemplar” operating characteristics.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the differences and similarities between the manufacturing and services sectors in order to develop a methodology that can provide the opportunity for the transfer of best practice between the two sectors. This paper aims to describe an audit methodology capable of yielding objective comparisons of supply chain integration performance that can assist practitioners and academics to transfer learned solutions.

A robust, site-based, multi-method supply chain diagnostic for detecting manufacturing supply chain system uncertainty was amended for the service sector in order to yield objective comparisons of the (normalised) supply chain integration performances of 119 organisations.

The research confirms the value of using a lens enabled by the uncertainty circle model (UCM) for generating meaningful comparative supply chain performances. The research found that services do not always exhibit unique attributes which effectively bar manufacturing-based supply chain best practice from being adopted within the service sector.

Combining the UCM and Quick Scan Audit Methodology approach has the potential to assist the spread of proven good practice across both sectors. The framework provides realistic and repeatable performance vectors, capable of aligning estimates of value stream health status even when comparing supply chains with differing objectives, configurations, and performance goals.

Real world supply chains differ not only in their current standard of performance, but also in the most effective actions required to move each towards world class supply. A generic approach for the identification of the appropriate re‐engineering programmes based on the uncertainty circle principle is presented. A total of 20 European automotive supply chains have been analysed via a “quick scan” audit procedure. The output is a clear portrayal of the present “health status” of those supply chains. Some 10 per cent of these are performing at the present day level of “best practice”, with a further 20 per cent within sight of this goal. Specific re‐engineering requirements are identified for the remaining 70 per cent dependent on present maturity levels.

This paper constructs the uncertainty analysis model of prefabricated building supply chain risk. The model is designed to study the formation path of prefabricated building supply chain risk and is expected to be used by industry stakeholders for supply chain risk management.

Based on the uncertainty circle model, construct a configuration analysis framework for supply chain risks in prefabricated buildings. The fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is used to study the configuration influence of five uncertain factors, including environment, plan-control, demand-supply, manufacturing and assembly-transportation, on the risk of the prefabricated building supply chain.

There are three paths to promote the high-risk generation of the prefabricated building supply chain: assembly-transportation-oriented, plan-control-oriented and manufacturing-oriented. There is a specific equivalent substitution relationship among the five causal conditions. Under specific conditions, different combinations of conditions have the same effect on promoting supply chain high-risk generation through equivalent substitution.

The multiple concurrent causal relationships of risk conditions in the assembly construction supply chain are studied under the grouping perspective, which helps to expand the research perspective of assembly construction supply chain risk and provides theoretical guidance for supply chain risk management of construction enterprises.