Logistics improvement through packaging rationalization: a practical experience

Companies working in the current competitive environment must deal with strategies for cost minimization and differentiation. Both strategies must be adopted in order to maintain, or ideally to improve, their position in the market. This includes logistics costs and, of course, packaging costs. Projects to rationalize packaging contribute to the realization of such strategies because of their implications for logistics and sales. This paper attempts to justify this statement from a logistics viewpoint, presenting the methodology and actions used for packaging innovation at the Spanish frozen food company Pescanova. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Patterns of nanotechnology innovation and governance within a metropolitan area

The present study employs a real-time, practice-oriented, and place-based approach to dissect the process of nanotechnology innovation in support of novel governance schemes. The research question is: What are actors specifically doing in the process of nanotechnology innovation in a metropolitan area, and what are enabling and constraining drivers that could be leveraged for novel governance approaches? The study presents results from 45 interviews and a synthesis workshop with actors from academia, industry, government, and the civil society in Phoenix. Results show that actors follow preconceived mental models of innovation with the primary objective to deploy profitable commercial or military products. The dominant network actors are academics, industry, and government funding agencies. The network is divided along product-based sectors with few cross-sector linkages. Considerable governmental support for entrepreneurs and for academic research via the National Nanotechnology Initiative enables nanotechnology innovation in the early stages. Market failures and corporate barriers, however, constrain the value proposition in later phases. There is novelty in the nanotechnology products; yet, little attention is paid to consumer input, adverse effects, or broader public value generation.     

Evolution of competitive priorities towards performance improvement: a meta-analysis

Competitive priorities are critical operational dimensions that a business process must possess to satisfy its internal and external customers. The process of defining competitive priorities is evolving and changing over time according to a new business paradigm. Therefore, it is the right time to revisit the critical dimensions of competitive priority. The purpose of this study is threefold: (1) to identify and revise the critical dimensions of competitive priority; (2) to assess the quality of competitive priority measures across studies based on different criteria; (3) to confirm the relationship between several competitive priorities and organisational performance. The results show the different effects that competitive priorities have on organisational performance. Cost and quality priorities show evidence of strong effect size compared to the others.     

Technology alignment and business strategy: a performance measurement and Dynamic Capability perspective

Rapid changes in market structures and technology lead to misalignment between strategy and operations. Whist this phenomenon is most prevalent in technology-based manufacturing industries, utility organisations (e.g. electricity and telecoms) provide a useful context to explore the Performance measurement (PM) and technology alignment challenges from a Dynamic Capabilities Theory perspective where there is a progressive shift towards deregulated markets. The aim of this paper is twofold: first, to explore the role of Dynamic Capabilities Theory and PM approaches in improving the alignment between business strategy and technology strategy (Level 1 alignment); second, to explore the role of Dynamic Capabilities Theory and PM approaches in aligning technology strategy with operational technology routines and practices (Level 2 alignment). In the absence of overarching theory, an inductive approach draws upon Dynamic Capabilities theory. Four longitudinal case studies are used leading to the development of a conceptual framework and propositions for multilevel technology alignment. Data from 38 interviews and 8 separate focus groups, documentation and participant observations (over a three-year period) are used. The theory-building process shows the need to identify and develop PM-based technology alignment Dynamic Capabilities (PM-DCs) which help in improving and maintaining alignment between business strategy and technology strategy (Level 1 alignment) and between technology strategy and technology practices (Level 2 alignment). This approach requires critically reflective action-learning approaches to identify and nurture these PM-DCs.     

Manufacturing planning and control approaches: market alignment and performance

The design of manufacturing planning and control (MPC) systems is a strategic decision for manufacturing operations. In this paper we analyze the interrelationships between the choice of MPC approaches at different hierarchical levels with market requirements and operational performance. These relationships are explored through an extensive survey comprising responses from 128 manufacturing firms. The results show that the choice of MPC approaches, primarily at the sales and operations planning and master scheduling levels, has a significant mediating role in improving performance. The alignment between market requirements and the choice of MPC approaches is significant and has a significant impact on performance. In a dynamic environment, the choice of MPC approaches is shown to have a positive mediating effect on operational performance.     

HY-CHANGE: a hybrid methodology for continuous performance improvement of manufacturing processes

A hybrid methodology for continuous performance improvement (CPI) is presented, based on the joint recourse to business process re-engineering (BPR) and continuous quality improvement (CQI) principles and tools. The methodology (named HY-CHANGE) is conceived as a logical and technical support to the decision maker. It results in a number of recursive phases, where the rational and synchronous use of several tools and techniques, borrowed from the two methodologies mentioned above, is structured into a unique approach. HY-CHANGE thus offers a structured guide for performance improvement processes more suited to the enterprise reality and its dynamical evolution. The value of the methodology is to provide a structured frame to use several methodologies and tools (here referred to as ‘decisional tool-kit’) with the scope of effectively managing change processes at any level within the enterprise. The practical implications of the idea are discussed based on a case study conducted in an Italian SME producing sofas.     

Clinical performance improvement series. Classic CQI integrated with comprehensive disease management as a model for performance improvement.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, health and disease management has emerged as an effective means of delivering, integrating, and improving care through a population-based approach. Since 1997 the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) has utilized the key principles and components of continuous quality improvement (CQI) and disease management to form a model for health care improvement that focuses on designing best practices, using best practices to influence clinical decision making, changing processes and systems to deploy and deliver best practices, and measuring outcomes to improve the process. Experience with 28 programs and more than 14,000 patients indicates significant improvement in outcomes, including high physician satisfaction, increased patient satisfaction, reduced costs, and improved clinical process and outcome measures across multiple diseases. DIABETES DISEASE MANAGEMENT: In three months a UPHS multidisciplinary diabetes disease management team developed a best practice approach for the treatment of all patients with diabetes in the UPHS. After the program was pilot tested in three primary care physician sites, it was then introduced progressively to additional practice sites throughout the health system. The establishment of the role of the diabetes nurse care managers (certified diabetes educators) was central to successful program deployment. Office-based coordinators ensure incorporation of the best practice protocols into routine flow processes. A disease management intranet disseminates programs electronically. Outcomes of the UPHS health and disease management programs so far demonstrate success across multiple dimensions of performance-service, clinical quality, access, and value. DISCUSSION: The task of health care leadership today is to remove barriers and enable effective implementation of key strategies, such as health and disease management. Substantial effort and resources must be dedicated to gain physician buy-in and achieve compliance. The challenge is to provide leadership support, to reward and recognize best practice performers, and to emphasize the use of data for feedback and improvement. As these processes are implemented successfully, and evidence of improved outcomes is documented, it is likely that this approach will be more widely embraced and that organizationwide performance improvement will increase significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Health care has traditionally invested extraordinary resources in developing best practice approaches, including guidelines, education programs, or other tangible products and services. Comparatively little time, effort, and resources have been targeted to implementation and use, the stage at which most efforts fail. CQI's emphasis on data, rapid diffusion of innovative programs, and rapid cycle improvements enhance the implementation and effectiveness of disease management.     

On measuring company performance within a supply chain

Emerging research strengthens the connection between supply chain performance and a company's financial performance (D’Avanzo, R., Von Lewinski, H. and Van Wassenhove, L. N., 2003. The link between supply chain and financial performance. Supply Chain Management Review, November/December, 40–47). The focus on integrating functional internal processes has expanded to include the need for integrating these with external processes of business partners (Edwards, P., Peters, M. and Sharman, G., 2001. The effectiveness of information systems in supporting the extended supply chain. Journal of Business Logistics, 22(1), 1–27). This need for enterprise efficiency is compelling companies to review, to identify, and to adopt supply chain initiatives. This research investigates the use of common measurement metrics in an attempt to determine which one(s) are most useful for measuring performance as companies implement SCM practices. For firms that were engaged in SCM we found inventory and cycle time to be the most significant metrics.     

错位微缝板吸声性能研究

目前,微穿孔板和微缝板吸声理论成熟、应用广泛。一般,薄板确保了其具备良好的吸声性能,却限制了其工程应用范围。错位微缝板融合了微穿孔板和微缝板,由双层板错位交叠而成,每层板由一系列微缝组成,上下两层微缝交错处形成微孔。交错后的微缝只在交汇的微孔处是通透的,交错形成的微孔仅是一个微孔截面,几何厚度为零。对错位微缝板进行黏热声学仿真,得到结构的相对声阻抗和吸声系数与实验数据一致性较好。仿真分析表明,结构的微孔截面处声压梯度和空气粒子振动速度最大,其黏热声能耗散主要集中在微孔截面的边界处,错位微缝板的厚度对吸声性能的影响远小于微穿孔板和微缝板,可以在厚板上实现较好的吸声性能。     

Turbulence at the top: a new perspective on governance structure changes and strategic change.

Organizational theorists have traditionally focused attention on the relationship between chief executive officer (CEO) succession and strategic change. This study extends that perspective and explores the effects of changes in an organization's management, ownership, and board of directors on the process of strategic change. The results of this research suggest that changes in ownership and board have significant independent and interactive effects on strategic change.     

高分子粉末烧结件的增强后处理的研究

以高分子粉末为在底材料的烧结件机械性能较差，质脆，其可作为原型测试件，但作为功能测试件则较难达到使用要求。本文在具体研究原型件性能差别的基础上，对其进行树脂增强后处理，以扫描电镜（SEM）为手段，对材料断裂面的形态结构进行了研究，并对体系的形态结构与拉伸性能、冲击之间的关系进行了探讨，优化了后处理条件，得到机械性能为原型烧结件3－4倍的增强烧结件。     

The impact of implementing continuous improvement upon stress within a Lean production framework

The purpose of this research is to understand the impact of implementing continuous improvement upon the occupational stress of employees within the framework of Lean management. The outcomes of empirical research mobilising a mixed methodology prove that continuous improvement can help attenuate stress levels, whilst achieving or surpassing economic performance objectives, if its implementation means an effective and satisfactory participation by both employees as well as by management. Conversely, when there is no continuous improvement or it is ill-suited, Lean results in greater stress. These findings confirm the interest in furthering insight into Lean management by moving from a global approach to an approach integrating the effects of its various pillars, especially continuous improvement.     

A Hierarchical structure of key performance indicators for operation management and continuous improvement in production systems

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are critical for manufacturing operation management and continuous improvement (CI). In modern manufacturing systems, KPIs are defined as a set of metrics to reflect operation performance, such as efficiency, throughput, availability, from productivity, quality and maintenance perspectives. Through continuous monitoring and measurement of KPIs, meaningful quantification and identification of different aspects of operation activities can be obtained, which enable and direct CI efforts. A set of 34 KPIs has been introduced in ISO 22400. However, the KPIs in a manufacturing system are not independent, and they may have intrinsic mutual relationships. The goal of this paper is to introduce a multi-level structure for identification and analysis of KPIs and their intrinsic relationships in production systems. Specifically, through such a hierarchical structure, we define and layer KPIs into levels of basic KPIs, comprehensive KPIs and their supporting metrics, and use it to investigate the relationships and dependencies between KPIs. Such a study can provide a useful tool for manufacturing engineers and managers to measure and utilize KPIs for CI.     

Integrating clinical performance improvement across physician organizations: the PhyCor experience

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of literature describing the implementation of clinical performance improvement (CPI) efforts across geographically dispersed multispecialty group practices and independent practice associations. PhyCor, a physician management company based in Nashville, Tennessee, has integrated CPI initiatives into its operating infrastructure. PhyCor CPI INITIATIVES: The strategic framework guiding PhyCor's CPI initiatives is built around a physician-driven, patient-centered model. Physician/administrator leadership teams develop and implement a clinical and financial strategic plan for performance improvement; adopt local clinical and operational performance indicators; and agree on and gain consensus with local physician champions to engage in CPI initiatives. The area/regional leadership councils integrate and coordinate regional medical management and CPI initiatives among local groups and independent practice associations. In addition to these councils and a national leadership council, condition-specific care management councils have also been established. These councils develop condition-specific protocols and outcome measures and lead the implementation of CPI initiatives at their own clinics. RESOURCES: Key resources supporting CPI initiatives include information/knowledge management, education and training, and patient education and consumer decision support. PRELIMINARY RESULTS AND OBSERVATIONS: Localized efforts in both the asthma care and diabetes management initiatives have led to some preliminary improvements in quality of care indicators. CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS AND CHALLENGES: Physician leadership and strategic vision, CPI-oriented organizational infrastructure, broad-based physician involvement in CPI, providing access to performance data, parallel incentives, and creating a sense of urgency for accelerated change are all critical success factors to the implementation of CPI strategies at the local, regional, and national levels.     

一种无目录的共享高速缓存一致性协议

针对使用目录记录各共享缓存块在各核心的私有备份信息的多核和众核并行系统共享高速缓存一致性协议因使用目录造成性能下降的问题进行了研究。研究发现,实际应用的多核和众核系统可以不存储共享缓存块的共享信息,因为多核和众核系统大都采用弱一致性协议,根据这种协议,某个核心的写操作不需要立即被其他核心观察到,可以延迟到下一个同步点观察到。基于这一发现,提出了一种不用记录共享信息的无目录的(DirectoryLess)共享高速缓存(Shared cache)一致性协议,简称DLS协议。该协议通过在同步点对不确定是否被其他核心更改的缓存块主动无效的方法,在不需要存储共享信息的目录的情况下来保证多核系统符合弱一致性。用并行程序测试集SPLASH-2对一个16核处理器进行了试验,试验结果表明,相比基于目录的MESI协议,DLS不仅可以完全消除目录及其电路面积,而且可平均提高11.08%的程序性能,减少28.83%的片上网络通讯,以及减少15.65%的功耗。而这一切,只需要改变处理器的设计,并不需要改变编程语言和编译器,因此,该协议无需更改或重新编译即可以兼容现有的代码。     

Tunnelling effect through a thin insulating metal-insulator-metal structure

An analytical expression of the current-voltage characteristics of a tunnel metal-insulator-metal structure is obtained by simulating the potential in the insulator by a periodic series of rectangular barriers. This expression is comparable with that proposed by Stratton. The insulator potential is determined by comparing the experimental current-voltage characteristics of aluminium-SiO-aluminium and aluminium-Al₂O₃-aluminium structures.     

Implementing ISO 9000: performance improvement by first or second movers

When an organization implements a new managerial practice how should timing affect its decision? Should it be among the organizations that implement the new management practices early, i.e. first movers, or wait for others to implement and implement it a later time, i.e. second movers. The literature's findings with regard to many management practices, especially those that deal with quality, such as total quality management, suggest that while first movers implement a new management practice because of real needs and a high fit between what the practice suggests and their needs (technical efficiency), second movers implement the new management practice because of customer pressure and the fear of falling behind the competition (external pressure). Second movers just mimic first movers, and the new practice does not really fit with their operations. Thus, the new management practice achieves more for the first movers than the second movers. In this paper we ask whether this premise holds for the ISO 9000 quality standard, one which was specified in considerable detail by outside forces but was implemented in many different ways by organizations. Our results are based on a survey of 1150 quality managers who implemented ISO 9000. We find that learning is a more important factor than timing in explaining ISO 9000 performance. First movers achieve a high level of performance because they learn from their own experience, and second movers achieve a high level of performance because they learn from the experience of others. Whether an organization is a first mover or second, the ones that benefit from ISO 9000 are those who learn.     

竖向不规则结构的抗震性能评估

摘要：本文基于模态Pushover方法和等强度延性需求谱理论,给出了竖向不规则结构评估的方法和步骤。通过模态Pushover方法,以考虑竖向不规则结构在地震作用下高振型的影响,利用等强度延性需求谱对等效单自由度体系进行计算,得到其延性和位移需求,并转化为多自由度体系的位移需求。利用上述方法对典型的竖向不规则结构算例进行了分析计算,结果表明该方法能够有效应用于竖向不规则结构的计算。