精益项目研发过程中的非增值活动分析

本文对精益项目研发过程中的非增值活动进行了研究,建立了层次化的浪费金字塔模型,在对6种浪费要素分析的基础上,提出了项目研发过程浪费因果链,分析了产生10种浪费的原因及其具体表现形式.以卫星研发流程再造问题为例,采用解释结构模型法进一步分析了各种浪费之间的关系,并提出了其流程再造的基本途径.     

Antecedents of implementation success in closed-loop supply chain: an empirical investigation

Implementation of closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) has gained increased consideration in the last few years owing to an increase in environmental concerns, product returns and scarcity of natural resources. It aids in improving environmental, economic and social performances. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of CLSC critical success factors (CSFs) on performance outcomes. Firstly, CSFs and performance outcomes are extracted by conducting exploratory factor analysis using SPSS software. Then, the relationships between CLSC CSFs and performance outcomes are empirically tested by Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach, using the data collected from 138 professionals working in remanufacturing, refurbishing and recycling operations in North American manufacturing organisations. Empirical analysis demonstrates that CSFs, ‘environmental concerns’, ‘sustainable production’ and ‘product design and collection’ have a significant positive effect on environmental performance. Results also validate the significant positive effect of CSFs, ‘demand and inventory management’ and ‘raw material prices’ on economic performance. In our knowledge, this is the first study that examines the impact of CLSC CSFs on performance outcomes. The results provide managers in manufacturing organisations with insights on most important CSFs that improve performance.     

The antecedents and consequences of product and process innovation strategy implementation in Australian manufacturing firms

Manufacturing firms employ different strategies to improve the performance of their products. In this study, we investigate the roles of environmental dynamism and competitive intensity as antecedents of product and process innovation strategy implementation. Furthermore, we investigate the effect of these initiatives on product innovation performance and product quality performance in manufacturing firms. Based on an analysis of a sample of 207 firms in Australia, the results reveal that environmental dynamism positively relates to both product and process innovation strategy implementation while competitive intensity positively relates to only process innovation strategy implementation. Moreover, product innovation strategy implementation positively relates to product innovation performance while process innovation strategy implementation positively affects product quality performance. Both product innovation performance and product quality performance are found to positively affect business performance. The theoretical and practical implications of the study in the context of Australian manufacturing are discussed.     

Agile supply chain strategy and supply chain performance: complementary roles of supply chain practices and information systems capability for agility

The paper examines the mediating effect of supply chain (SC) practices on the relationship between agile supply chain (ASC) strategy and SC performance. It further examines the moderating effect of information systems (IS) capability for agility on this mediated relationship. Using the theoretical lenses of complementarity and the information processing view of the supply chain, we hypothesise that strategic supplier partnership, customer relationship, postponement and lean practices, mediate the relationship between ASC strategy and SC performance. We further hypothesise that IS capability for agility moderates each of these mediated relationships. We empirically test the hypotheses using survey data from members of senior and executive management in the logistics/supply chain functions of 205 firms. The paper contributes to the literature on ASCs by theoretically explaining and empirically demonstrating how SC practices and IS capability for agility act together to effect a positive relationship between ASC strategy and supply chain performance.     

一种通用网络通信系统的设计与实现

在TCP／IP协议的基础上，采用合理的软件结构、算法以及对同一主机的多网卡支持，设计了一种可应用于大型分布式处理（如分布式仿真）的多机通信系统，目标是屏蔽诸如IP地址、端口号、套接字等网络通信概念，实现一种通用的进行网络通信实时可靠传输的机制，避免类似程序的重复开发，使网络通信的实现更加容易。应用结果表明，系统使用容易、通用性强，实现了对通信服务的实时传输和可靠传输的支持。     

Renovation of the cutting stock process

In this paper a new approach to the cutting stock (CS) problem as one of the activities in the CS process is proposed. A thorough critical review of the literature is conducted in order to identify the main limitations of the current state of research. The main finding is that the CS problem is treated too narrowly and that the connection of the CS process with other processes in a company, along with a better transfer of information, should be studied further. The paper presents a methodology for evaluating CS process renovation benefits. A process flowchart technique is used to compare as-was and as-is states, and simulations are conducted to provide an estimate of the benefits and to compare the costs of trim loss with other production costs. A case study of a company involved in non-ferrous metal and iron retail activities is used to analyse the effects of renovation of the whole CS process, which led to a considerable reduction in cutting costs and lead times. A decrease in the variability of the CS process lead time is also noted, which can lead to a more standardised fulfilment of customers’ orders. The measurement and reduction of costs can improve the competitiveness of companies that undertake cutting or similar (e.g. packing) operations in production.     

流程管理原理及卓越流程建模方法研究

BPR的提出为企业树立流程的观念开拓了思路，但在实际实施中BPR也存在不少问题。本文提出了超越BPR的流程管理的管理理念，介绍了它的原理，井归纳出一套切实可行的BEP方法论模型。     

Relative effectiveness of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award categories

This study fills a critical research gap by assessing the effectiveness of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) model within a government organisation and by comparing the effectiveness of the categories within the MBNQA model in government to the effectiveness of the categories of the MBNQA model in different industries. This study examines the relative effectiveness of each Baldrige category in the MBNQA 2013–2014 framework to results using data from a municipal government. We tested the hypothesised research model employing partial least squares (structural equation modelling). The results validate the effectiveness of the Baldrige categories and quantitatively support the theoretical foundations of the Baldrige model. Drawing on contingency theory, we explore the commonalities and differences of the effectiveness of Baldrige categories across different industries. The comparisons provide evidence that the Baldrige model has experienced the appropriate adaptations over years. This work discusses theoretical and managerial implications, and suggests future research directions.     

Intelligent process-aware information systems to support agility in disaster relief operations: a survey of emerging approaches

Agility is a key characteristic in disaster relief operations. Intelligent process-aware information systems (IPAISs) can support agility in disaster relief operations through providing information and process reach and richness to manage dynamic inter-operations. In this research, based on relevant reference architectures, a conceptual overview of an IPAIS to support agility in disaster relief operations is described. This conceptual overview includes the dynamic partnering, the collaborative process composition, the collaborative ontology management, the global workflow engine, the run-time coordination, the dynamic rule management, the run-time process proposer, and the dynamic interoperability adaptor components. Based on this conceptual overview, a systematic literature review is conducted to explore emerging approaches that can be applied to realise intelligent process-centred collaborative inter-operations to respond disasters. The findings of the conducted review show the applicability of the emerging multi-agent service-oriented modelling and analysis approaches, optimal control theory based methodologies, social network analysis techniques, data-driven inductive methods, resilient-centred approaches for robustness and agility, self-organisation mechanisms based on cyber physical systems and systems of systems perspectives, simulation methods, and trust management procedures to support the realisation of the components of an IPAIS in the context of disaster relief operations.     

Design and implementation of an information system for performance assessment of management and organization in a gas refinary

Abstract

The objective of this study is to present an information system for assessment of management and organization in a gas refinery. To achieve the objective of this study, Balanced Score Card (BSC) methodology was utilized to categorize management and organization indicators into four categories. The data related to a five year period was then collected to provide a benchmark for the refinery. Furthermore, the data from 19 developed and developing countries were collected for the purpose of benchmarking. A t‐test was then introduced to benchmark the refinery's management and organization indicators. Moreover, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used to analyze and further assess the violated indicators. Finally, an integrated information system was designed in .Net environment by C#. It was introduced to facilitate the assessment of management and organization indicators. This is the first study that introduces an information system for performance assessment of management and organization in a gas refinery by integration of BSC, DEA and t‐test.     

Social insect colony as a biological regulatory system: modelling information flow in dominance networks

Social insects provide an excellent platform to investigate flow of information in regulatory systems since their successful social organization is essentially achieved by effective information transfer through complex connectivity patterns among the colony members. Network representation of such behavioural interactions offers a powerful tool for structural as well as dynamical analysis of the underlying regulatory systems. In this paper, we focus on the dominance interaction networks in the tropical social wasp Ropalidia marginata—a species where behavioural observations indicate that such interactions are principally responsible for the transfer of information between individuals about their colony needs, resulting in a regulation of their own activities. Our research reveals that the dominance networks of R. marginata are structurally similar to a class of naturally evolved information processing networks, a fact confirmed also by the predominance of a specific substructure—the ‘feed-forward loop’—a key functional component in many other information transfer networks. The dynamical analysis through Boolean modelling confirms that the networks are sufficiently stable under small fluctuations and yet capable of more efficient information transfer compared to their randomized counterparts. Our results suggest the involvement of a common structural design principle in different biological regulatory systems and a possible similarity with respect to the effect of selection on the organization levels of such systems. The findings are also consistent with the hypothesis that dominance behaviour has been shaped by natural selection to co-opt the information transfer process in such social insect species, in addition to its primal function of mediation of reproductive competition in the colony.     

Proactive environmental strategy in a supply chain context: the mediating role of investments

There is a growing body of knowledge on the link between environmental management and supply chain management, but there is contradicting evidence on the impact of a proactive environmental strategy on environmental performance. Therefore, this paper investigates the impact of proactive environmental strategy on environmental performance as mediated by environmental investments. We also consider the antecedents of the adoption of proactive environmental strategy. We develop and test hypotheses, using data collected from 96 Turkish manufacturers through an online questionnaire. The model was tested using partial least squares (PLS), a structural equation modelling method. The results show that a proactive environmental strategy leads to higher environmental investments; both internally and externally in collaboration with suppliers. Our findings support our hypothesis that environmental investments act as a mediating variable between proactive environmental strategy and environmental performance. The results also show that customer pressure and, particularly, organisational commitment positively impact the extent to which firms adopt a proactive environmental strategy.     

The influence of process-oriented organisational design on operational performance and innovation: a quantitative analysis in the financial services industry

Market competition requires that organisations excel at both operational performance and innovation. Though process orientation is intended to benefit operations in general, the impact of specific elements remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to identify the specific organisational design components of process orientation that simultaneously influence operational performance and innovation. We survey employees in the financial services sector (N = 1069) regarding the influence of six process-oriented organisation design components on operational performance and innovation using PLS-SEM. The results indicate that organisational structure and process improvement encourage both operational performance and innovation. Personal autonomy is partially beneficial, while the others have no joint influence on operational performance and innovation. This study is first in providing evidence regarding the influence of a broad variety of organisational design components of process orientation on operational performance and innovation. The study contributes to theory on how process orientation improves operational performance and innovation. The findings can serve as a guideline for managers and organisations as to which organisational design components should be implemented to improve operations.     

Developing performance measurement system for Internet of Things and smart factory environment

To cope with large fluctuations in the demand of a commodity, it is necessary for the manufacturing system to have rapid reactive ability. This requirement may be secured by performance measurement. Although manufacturing companies have used information systems to manage performance, there has been the difficulty of capturing real-time data to depict real situations. The recent development and application of the Internet of Things (IoT) has enabled the resolution of this problem. In demonstration of the functionality of IoT, we developed an IoT-based performance model consistent with the ISA-95 and ISO-22400 standards, which define manufacturing processes and performance indicator formulas. The development comprised three steps: (1) Selection of the Key Performance Indicators of the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and the development of an IoT-based production performance model, (2) Implementation of the IoT-based architecture and performance measurement process using Business Process Modelling and (3) Validation of the proposed model through virtual factory simulation. We investigated the effect of the IoT-workability on the OEE, based on the final results of the simulation, both for the planned and actual productions. The simulation results showed that the proposed model represented the timestamp data acquired by IoT and captured the entire production process, thus enabling the determination of real-time performance indicators.     

Determinants of mobile supply chain management system diffusion: a structural equation analysis of manufacturing firms

Mobile supply chain management (SCM) is gaining recognition as a major source of cost reduction and supply chain performance improvement. The current literature related to mobile SCM needs to be extended further in order to provide insights into how manufacturing firms can implement mobile SCM successfully. Specifically, there is a need to provide empirical and systematic analysis of the variables that can explain the various stages of mobile SCM diffusion. A review of recent literature suggests that existing e-supply chain technology adoption literature is not strongly grounded in theory. A theoretical model with six hypotheses was proposed based on the technology–organisation–environment (TOE) framework and innovation diffusion theory (IDT). This study draws its survey responses from a group of manufacturing firms in order to investigate the factors that affect the diffusion of mobile SCM. The results show that the variables derived from TOE and IDT can explain mobile SCM diffusion well. However, interorganisational relationships (IORs) play a crucial role in determining the success of mobile SCM routinisation. This is one of the first known empirical studies on the factors influencing the diffusion of mobile SCM. The results of this study will help decision makers better understand the implementation process of mobile SCM and formulate strategies for successful diffusion of mobile SCM.     

Investigating the role of business processes and knowledge management systems on performance: A multi-case study approach

In the ever-changing and competitive market place, organisations continuously need to improve their competitive advantage. One method to accomplish this is to form collaborative networks. Both knowledge management (KM) and KM systems play a pivotal role in the success of collaborative networks since information sharing and knowledge assets are so critical to the network. There has been a vast amount of research on KM systems but very little is known about how it affects individual and organisational performance. Drawing on the task–technology fit theory, in this study, we explore the fit or alignment between business process (task) and KM systems (technology) and its impact on KM systems utilisation based on multiple case studies. Subsequently, we investigate the impacts of both the task–technology fit and KM systems utilisation on individual and business performance. This paper contributes to the collaborative network/KM literature in several ways. First, it extends the task–technology fit theory to an important context of collaborative network/KM. Second, it replaces task with business process, which has the potential to help explain KM systems’ success on business performance. Third, the paper explores the positive impact of task–technology fit on KM system utilisation and business performance. Fourth and finally, the study provides insight into the future development of KM systems and how to better align them with managerial purposes.     

IT investments and business performance improvement: the mediating role of lean manufacturing implementation

The main purpose of this study is to examine whether the application of current information technology (IT) and different principles of lean manufacturing (LM) are interdependent and complimentary or they are mutually exclusive. This study draws on the so-called IT-enabled organisational capabilities perspective to study the relationships between IT, LM and business performance improvement. Using a questionnaire-based survey, the data come from 231 leading Iranian and Malaysian auto-part manufacturers. The findings suggest that LM and IT are mutually interdependent and value of IT investments can be effectively transformed into business performance improvement for auto-part manufacturers through the higher levels of lean manufacturing system (LMS) implementation. Advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) competency is a valuable intermediate capability which links IT investments into LMS implementation. It was found that IT investment is one of the minimum requirements of LMS implementation for surveyed business, and the value of IT investment is truly transformed to LMS implementation when IT investments offer competent administrative AMTs to effectively manage all production processes. Findings also recommend that managers should avoid isolating the performance metrics only on areas such as net financial measures, while assessing the business value of IT and LM.     

A quantitative investigation of the technological innovation in large construction companies

The construction industry is considered as backwards and lack of innovation. The main driving power of technological innovation in the construction industry is large construction companies. However, the driving process of technological innovation in them has not been fully investigated in previous studies. This study constructs a quantitative model to explore the technological innovation driving process of large construction companies considering the key influencing factors for technological innovation. The sample data are the 57 large construction companies selected from the world's largest construction market – China. The results show significant positive correlation between innovation input and innovation output, and between innovation output and performance. The operational capacity of the companies is positively correlated with innovation input, whilst the capital structure is negatively correlated with innovation input. The technical employees have a positive impact on the performance. The underlying reasons are discussed and suggestions are given for the construction industry to improve the technological innovation capacity of construction companies. This research contributes to the literature of construction innovation and benefits practitioners by providing a quantitative approach to demonstrate the driving power of large construction companies for technological innovation.     

A structured approach to evaluating the impact of implementing a component-based system in the automotive engine manufacturing domain

Component-based (CB) technology applied to the control system of production machinery is one of the new research developments in the automotive manufacturing sector. Although it is important to evaluate the technical aspects of this new paradigm, an appreciation of the impact from the business and human aspects is equally important to the stakeholders in the industry. Current evaluation approaches do not offer a method to capture and analyse the impact of CB technology that is simple to use and produces results that are readily understood by all the interested parties. The definition of an approach for evaluating the business and human aspects of implementing a CB system in the automotive sector is discussed. An evaluation strategy has been formulated comprising (1) knowledge elicitation, (2) investigation of future implementation scenarios, (3) data representation and analysis using enterprise modelling approaches, and (4) simulation and model analysis using proprietary software toolkits.     

Development of a human information processing model for cognitive task analysis and design

High costs and long cycle times of software development are factors hindering the analysis and design of the complete cognitive aspects related to task performances. Reusable software has been proposed as a solution to the problem of high software development and maintenance costs. One of the paradigms for reusable software, object-oriented modelling, has emerged as an important method for specifying, creating and reusing software modules. Using Unified Modelling Language, this paper develops an object-oriented cognitive task analysis and design (OOCTAD) model based on human information-processing theory. First, human task performance-related cognitive aspects are classified into modules and logically linked together; secondly, cognitive aspects within these modules were further decomposed into packages and classes based on object-oriented technology. Finally, one case study was presented to compare and contrast different cognitive analysis models to illustrate the advantages of the OOCTAD model developed in the current research over the other five cognitive task analysis models. These reusable classes in the OOCATD model were shown to be reused to reduce software development costs and cycle times for cognitive task analysis and design. The current research should be of use to both developers and users of cognitively based tasks, systems and tools and researchers and practitioners in the broader discipline of cognitive tasks design and analysis.