Integrated approach for optimizing quality control in international manufacturing networks

Abstract

This article aims at providing an integrated approach for optimizing quality control in International Manufacturing Networks (IMN) which can be characterized by consisting of numerous plants acting autonomously according to an individual target system. A key challenge is to ensure the overall process quality despite distributed value creation processes and differing target systems in dynamic environments. Hence, the developed approach allows for identifying potentials in the quality control strategy using a value stream-based method to visualize quality characteristics and procedures in the production process chain. Furthermore, the approach contains a framework for identifying possible improvement measures and a simulation-based evaluation concept to evaluate the effects of different measures with respect to individual target systems. The simulation combines elements of a discrete-event simulation in order to depict the value stream with agent-based modelling for realizing different target systems by considering distinctive plant roles. The article concludes with a case study of a globally operating automotive supplier to apply the approach. A forward research agenda is proposed that evaluates the approach in multiple cases, deriving patters across companies or industries.     

A dynamic ERP critical failure factors modelling with FCM throughout project lifecycle phases

Implementation of enterprise resource planning systems (ERPs) is a complex and costly task which usually results in serious failures. Numerous factors affect these projects implementation due to their size, complexity and high chance of failure. Therefore, identifying these factors in ERP projects is a critical issue. The majority of previous publications have been conducted in identifying ERP critical success factors (CSFs) rather than critical failure factors (CFFs). In order to help practitioners, this article studies the CFFs in ERP implementation projects. The implications of interdependency among failure factors are also usually overlooked by project managers due to perceived complexity in modelling and analysing influential factors. With this in mind, we have proposed a fuzzy cognitive map (FCM)-based dynamic model of ERP failure factors through project lifecycle phases. The main advantage of FCM lies in them being capable of modelling complex phenomena based on the experts’ perceptions. This tool models uncertainty and related events, imitating human reasoning. Moreover, FCMs enable the developing of forecasting exercises through simulations. Practitioners would thus assess the joint influence of ERP implementation failure factors on project outcomes. The results make known to practitioners which problems will arise if the failure factors are not treated, and how these will impact on the outcomes of projects. Therefore, the proposed approach would help them to manage ERP implementation projects in a more effective and proactive way.     

A survey of simulation modeling techniques in production planning and control (PPC)

The manufacturing sector as a whole has undergone remarkable changes in terms of scale, complexity and technology over the past decades and this applies across most modern high-technology manufacturing such as electronics, semiconductor, aerospace and automotive industries. In order to remain competitive, manufacturers have to produce high-quality products at low cost, and at the same time retain sufficient flexibility and to meet rapidly changing customer demands. Production planning and control (PPC) is a key role which enables the manufacturer to gain visibility and control over all aspects of manufacturing activities. PPC in itself forms a subject of study, within which simulation techniques have proven themselves to be one of the most practical methodologies available to investigate and evaluate manufacturing issues. In this review paper, we focus on state-of-the art applications of simulation techniques in PPC to demonstrate their applicability to modern manufacturing issues. The review reports on academic publications on simulation applications in manufacturing from 2002 to 2014, incorporating surveys of peer-reviewed literature. The review covers three types of simulation techniques (system dynamic, discrete event simulation and agent-based simulation) and eight PPC issues (facility resource planning, capacity planning, job planning, process planning, scheduling, inventory management, production and process design, purchase and supply management). Literature survey is analysed on the basis of simulation application to PPC problems which can give a guideline for simulation technique selection and also can help for simulation modelling in PPC problemsWould you consider changing the term “modeling” to “modelling” in the title. Please check, and correct if necessary.     

Employee strain and job satisfaction related to an implementation of quality in a public service organization: a longitudinal study

To date, few studies have focused on employee reactions to the quality-related aspects of the introduction of New Public Management (NPM). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects on employee strain and satisfaction of the implementation NPM in a public service organization. The study was designed as an empirical examination of the 'context-dependent approach' ( Edwards, Collinson, & Rees, 1998 ). This approach suggests that effects of an organizational change depend on the context of the implementation, i.e. organizational aspects (implementation strategies), job content and job context dimensions. They employed a single-case longitudinal design. The case was a large municipal service unit responsible for the public housing system of a city in Austria. The sample consisted of 217 employees. Measurements were taken before the organizational change, and at two different times during the change process. While the implementation of NPM can be considered to have been an organizational success (increase in customer satisfaction), it was accompanied by increases in job strain, and, at the same time, mixed results in job satisfaction. Less qualified employees mainly responsible for the customer interface experienced the organizational change most negatively. Using structural equation modelling, the context-dependent approach was empirically confirmed. Job control, role clarity and information were found to be the most important job and organizational resources.     

Employee strain and job satisfaction related to an implementation of quality in a public service organization: A longitudinal study

To date, few studies have focused on employee reactions to the quality-related aspects of the introduction of New Public Management (NPM). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects on employee strain and satisfaction of the implementation NPM in a public service organization. The study was designed as an empirical examination of the 'context-dependent approach' ( Edwards, Collinson, & Rees, 1998 ). This approach suggests that effects of an organizational change depend on the context of the implementation, i.e. organizational aspects (implementation strategies), job content and job context dimensions. They employed a single-case longitudinal design. The case was a large municipal service unit responsible for the public housing system of a city in Austria. The sample consisted of 217 employees. Measurements were taken before the organizational change, and at two different times during the change process. While the implementation of NPM can be considered to have been an organizational success (increase in customer satisfaction), it was accompanied by increases in job strain, and, at the same time, mixed results in job satisfaction. Less qualified employees mainly responsible for the customer interface experienced the organizational change most negatively. Using structural equation modelling, the context-dependent approach was empirically confirmed. Job control, role clarity and information were found to be the most important job and organizational resources.     

Modelling and controlling product manufacturing systems using bond-graphs and state equations: Continuous systems and discrete systems which can be represented by continuous models

This paper presents an approach to the modelling and control phases involved in a cooperative process of design and management of the manufacturing systems. Modelling the evolution of the production flow, in the different sections of the system, is based upon the use of the bondgraph methodology in order to reach the state formalism which constitutes one of the modern representations of automation. The class of the systems studied ranges from continuous systems to discrete systems, which can be represented by a continuous approach according to the level of approximation required. The first part of this paper is dedicated to the development of generic models associated with the various basic entities of the manufacturing systems. Then, the bondgraph model of any system is obtained by assembling generic models in relation to the implementation of the means of the studied system, thus guaranteeing a representation which is quite close to the engineering sketches. Finally, switching to the state equation is performed systematically with the easiness provided by this formalism while taking into account the causality principle. An application, involving most of the elementary models developed, concludes the paper.     

A combined optimization and agent-based approach to supply chain modelling and performance assessment

The main objective of this paper is to give an example of how expert systems techniques for distributed decision-making can be combined with contemporary numerical optimization techniques for the purposes of supply chain optimization and to describe the resulting software implementation. In this paper, multi-agent modelling techniques are applied to simulate and control a simple demand-driven supply chain network system, with the manufacturing component being optimized through mathematical programming. The system measures supply chain performance and the effect of different parameters in the replenishment control system, and can be used to simulate the behaviour of a system that uses optimization for part of its decision-making. The objective of this supply chain network system is to reduce operating cost, while maintaining a high level of customer order fulfilment.     

Definition and aggregation of a performance measurement system in three aeronautical workshops using the ECOGRAI method

The requirement for a performance measurement system is essential in order to know the status of the production system and then to improve its control. Focused on research on the control of production systems for 20 years with the development of GRAI methodology, the LAPS/GRAI of University Bordeaux 1 worked for more than 10 years on the definition and the implementation of performance indicator systems through the development of ECOGRAI method and on the aggregation of performance. This paper presents an application of the ECOGRAI method to a workshop inside an aeronautical subcontracting company close to Bordeaux. The first part of the paper will be dedicated to a short presentation of the ECOGRAI method. In particular, we will present six phases of the structured approach and the main tools which are used in the method: the GRAI grid, the coherence panel and the specification sheet and the identity card of the indicators. In the second part, we will present a test case. First, we will present the context of the test case and the objectives that we had to meet. Then we will present the models of the control system and of the physical system through the GRAI grid and actigrams. We will show how we proposed to model the global control of the company and the detailed control of each workshop. Then, we will focus particularly on the way we have identified the performance indicators, based on the objectives and decision variables of the GRAI grid. We will also show how we solved the problem of aggregation of performance in relation to the coordination of decision-making. In the third part, we will detail how we ensured that these indicators were adapted to the control of the workshop and how we ensured their consistency. Finally, we will show to what extent the implementation of the coherent performance indicator system had an impact on the organization and the running of the workshop.     

面向ERP实施的知识转移体系研究

成功的知识转移是成功实施ERP的有效保障。本文回顾了中外理论界有关ERP实施中知识转移问题的研究成果,指出了目前研究对ERP实施中知识内容、知识转移及其特性的表述的不完整性,并进行了相应的修正。在此基础上,本文重点从四个方面构建了面向ERP实施的知识转移系统的基本框架,并应用该框架,较为深入地探讨了ERP系统实施过程中从选型阶段、安装调试阶段到系统运行阶段的知识转移和控制模式。     

A Two-Phase Exact Algorithm for MAX-SAT and Weighted MAX-SAT Problems

We describe a two-phase algorithm for MAX-SAT and weighted MAX-SAT problems. In the first phase, we use the GSAT heuristic to find a good solution to the problem. In the second phase, we use an enumeration procedure based on the Davis-Putnam-Loveland algorithm, to find a provably optimal solution. The first heuristic stage improves the performance of the algorithm by obtaining an upper bound on the minimum number of unsatisfied clauses that can be used in pruning branches of the search tree.We compare our algorithm with an integer programming branch-and-cut algorithm. Our implementation of the two-phase algorithm is faster than the integer programming approach on many problems. However, the integer programming approach is more effective than the two-phase algorithm on some classes of problems, including MAX-2-SAT problems.     

Simulation optimization through direct search for multi-objective manufacturing systems

Simulation modelling has been one of the most widely used techniques for analysing complex manufacturing systems. In this paper, we propose a direct search algorithm expanded from the Hooke-Jecves pattern search to systematically and efficiently locate satisfactory solutions for multi-objective simulation models. The user-specified goals can be precise and/or fuzzy. Heuristic rules stemming from the simulation result of resource statistics are incorporated into the Hooke-Jeeves pattern search. The proposed heuristic rules make the search procedure effective regardless of different initial points and various bounded ranges of decision variables. Experimental results show that the proposed approach is suitable for analysing complex manufacturing systems, in which multiple objectives and multiple decision variables are encountered.     

Effective eProcurement implementation process

As eProcurement is gaining popularity in business practice, researchers as well as practitioners have addressed the need of defining a proper eProcurement implementation strategy. This article aims to build an eProcurement implementation framework, which considers the main variables that have an impact on the eProcurement success and the links among them. The goal is to identify the main decisions that companies should take during the three principal phases of the eProcurement adoption (pre-implementation; implementation and post-implementation). Six case studies at different levels of eProcurement adoption have been used to identify the peculiarities of each phase of the process and to provide contingent guidelines.     

A modelling approach for production costing and continuous improvement of manufacturing processes

It is shown how production management constraints can be taken into account as early as the design stage of the product. It is then shown that the indication of physical and economic performances is a means to obtain integration and to continually improve the manufacturing processes. To perform continuous and efficient evaluation of physical and economic performances, the concept of activity is introduced, now acknowledged as a basic concept of cost management systems. A modelling approach is then proposed to allow each member of the design team, in a concurrent engineering context, to perform activity based modelling and estimations with simulation. After describing the set of possible situations in which this approach can be used, an application case is presented concerning a French firm, and the advantages and disadvantages of the approach are discussed.     

An integrated modelling approach for raw material management in a steel mill

An integrated modelling approach combining optimisation models with simulation is proposed for coordinated raw material management at steel works throughout the whole supply chain management process. The integrated model is composed of three components: ship scheduling, yard operation simulation and material blending models. The ship scheduling model determines which brands, how much and when they should be arrived, and the problem is modelled as mixed integer linear programming. The simulation model is used to simulate the whole processes from ships’ arrivals to the retrieval of the materials through the berthing and unloading the raw materials. Finally, the raw material blending model is developed for determining the brand and quantity of raw materials to be used. The proposed integrated modelling approach for raw material management has been successfully implemented and applied at steelwork to provide shipping schedules and predict future inventory levels at stock yards. By coordinating all the activities throughout the entire raw material supply chain management process, this article proposes an integrated approach to the problem and suggests a guideline by the appropriate simplification. The quantitative nature of the optimisation model and simulation facilitates an assessment of the risk factors in the supply chain, leading to an evaluation of a wide variety of scenarios and the development of multiple contingency plans. Further research is expected to supplement the ship scheduling models with heuristics for the idiosyncratic constraints of maritime transportation.     

Development and validation of a lean supply chain management measurement instrument

It is widely argued that to be competitive, a company not only needs to focus on internal aspects but on the entire supply chain. Lean supply chain management has become a means of enhancing competitiveness by improving efficiency and increasing flexibility at all stages of the supply chain. This research develops and validates a lean supply chain management measurement instrument. A two-phase approach is used for scale development and refinement. In the first phase, a literature review is conducted to identify definitions of lean supply chain management and agile supply chain management and their corresponding measurement items. In the second phase, the lean supply chain management measurement instrument is validated using survey data based on scales developed in the first phase by 59 scholars with experience in lean management and/or supply chain management. The results provide a structured and comprehensive measure of lean supply chain management indicating that there are two differentiated dimensions in the measurement instrument: one related to the operational aspects of lean supply chain strategy implementation and the second related to lean supply chain planning.     

Organizational Stages and Cultural Phases: A Critical Review and a Consolidative Model of Corporate Social Responsibility Development

Based on a stakeholder-oriented conceptualization of corporate social responsibility (CSR), this paper offers a multi-dimensional, dynamic perspective which integrates moral, cultural and strategic aspects of the CSR development process, together with its organizational implications. Therefore, the authors link existing stage models of CSR development with stakeholder culture and social responsiveness continuums and provide a consolidative model which highlights a seven-stage development process towards CSR, articulated around three cultural phases (i.e. CSR reluctance, CSR grasp and CSR embedment). In a context in which literature on CSR development and implementation tends to be overly segmented, this consolidative model integrates organizational values and culture together with management processes and operations. In its emphasis on the importance of the organizational context and characteristics in analyses of organizations' CSR development, the proposed consolidative model offers novel research perspectives and highlights the relevance of adopting a phase-dependent approach.     

AbSRiM: An Agent‐Based Security Risk Management Approach for Airport Operations

Security risk management is essential for ensuring effective airport operations. This article introduces AbSRiM, a novel agent‐based modeling and simulation approach to perform security risk management for airport operations that uses formal sociotechnical models that include temporal and spatial aspects. The approach contains four main steps: scope selection, agent‐based model definition, risk assessment, and risk mitigation. The approach is based on traditional security risk management methodologies, but uses agent‐based modeling and Monte Carlo simulation at its core. Agent‐based modeling is used to model threat scenarios, and Monte Carlo simulations are then performed with this model to estimate security risks. The use of the AbSRiM approach is demonstrated with an illustrative case study. This case study includes a threat scenario in which an adversary attacks an airport terminal with an improvised explosive device. The approach provides a promising way to include important elements, such as human aspects and spatiotemporal aspects, in the assessment of risk. More research is still needed to better identify the strengths and weaknesses of the AbSRiM approach in different case studies, but results demonstrate the feasibility of the approach and its potential.     

Behaviour Modelling: Its Record and Potential in Training and Development

Behaviour modelling training is an approach to training systems design which has a strong conceptual base in social learning theory (Bandura, 1977). In the mid 1970s, Goldstein and Sorcher produced a now well-known book which described the application of behaviour-modelling techniques to supervisory training. In the last 15 years or so the conceptual basis of behaviour modelling has progressed (Bandura, 1986) and there has been a steady stream of studies (see Decker and Nathan, 1985; Goldstein and Gessner, 1988) investigating the use and potential of the approach in organizational settings. The first half of this article provides an overview of the conceptual basis for behaviour modelling training and examines the extent to which behaviour modelling practice provides a valid operationalization of underlying theory. The remainder of the article is concerned with issues of evaluation and applicability. Research on the use of behaviour-modelling techniques has shown consistently good reaction and learning data (i.e. trainees like the material and are able to learn from it). Evidence concerning the transfer of learning back to the job (i.e. behaviour change and organization impact) is much more equivocal. The available evidence is reviewed and used to produce an account of the record and potential of behaviour modelling training.     

A reactive approach to material procurement in an SME

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a more reactive approach to material procurement in a small manufacturing enterprise (SME). The approach involves a hybrid top-down and bottom-up approach to the issue of material procurement. The implementation of the approach in the test site is discussed and we show how the company can benefit from its implementation. The approach requires that there is a good interaction and transfer of information between an SME and both its customers and suppliers. The approach also requires a manufacturing firm to have control of the shopfloor and to have access to relevant and accurate information from the shopfloor. This hybrid approach to material procurement coupled with improved production activity control has helped a local manufacturing company to increase its reactivity. A decision support software tool is available which supports this approach and is described in the paper.     

Global Crisis Management – Current Research and Future Directions

Examples of crises involving multinationals can be found in the media around the world on a regular basis. Despite the importance of this topic, the state of the literature in the area of global crisis management has yet to be explored. Incorporating a commonly used three-stage approach describing crisis management as involving three phases - the pre-crisis phase (prevention and preparation), the crisis phase (response), and the post-crisis phase (learning and revision) - we briefly review the literature in global crisis management. We then introduce three special issue articles. Finally, we suggest future areas for research on the topic of global crisis management.