Search results for "Operation"

2016

Increasing offensive or defensive efficiency? An analysis of Italian and Spanish football☆

2009

This paper analyses technical efficiency of Italian and Spanish football during three recent seasons, to shed light on the sport performance of professional football clubs. To achieve this we have used mathematical optimisation methods, particularly DEA models, which enable the calculation of the frontiers of efficient production. Some of the most interesting results are the following. Firstly, the Spanish league is clearly more homogeneous and competitive than the Italian league. Secondly, to obtain a better classification in the Italian league, it is much more important to improve defensive, rather than offensive, efficiency. The popular maxim holds in Italy: the best attack begins with a…

On the Bullwhip Avoidance Phase: The Synchronised Supply Chain

2012

Abstract The aim of this paper is to analyse the operational response of a Synchronised Supply Chain (SSC). To do so, first a new mathematical model of a SSC is presented. An exhaustive Latin Square design of experiments is adopted in order to perform a boundary variation analysis of the main three parameters of the periodic review smoothing ( S ,  R ) order-up-to policy: i.e., lead time, demand smoothing forecasting factor, and proportional controller of the replenishment rule. The model is then evaluated under a variety of performance measures based on internal process benefits and customer benefits. The main results of the analysis are: (I) SSC responds to violent changes in demand by re…

The impact of training andad hocteams in industrial settings

2006

This paper aims to reflect the use of training via ad hoc teams to adopt lean production practices. In our research, eleven automobile manufacturer suppliers implement training interventions to achieve better results through lean production, concluding that training helps companies to develop lean production systems and to improve performance indicators.

The use of employee participation in the USA and Spanish companies

2008

Abstract This article presents a description of employee participation in Spain. The number of published papers in English about Spain regarding this subject is very low, and even lower by Spanish authors. In short, we can say that there is hardly any knowledge regarding employee participation in Spain in both the European and American settings. This paper summarized the results of a research project we carried out whose objective was to compare employee participation using samples from large American and Spanish companies following the works of Edward E. Lawler and his team. Our aim is to have professionals and researchers throughout the world better understand the actual situation in our …

The determinants affecting the internationalisation of the Italian SMEs producing sparkling wines: An empirical study on the RBV of the firms

2014

In the last few years, wine industry has been characterised by profound changes that have determined an intensification of competition on a global scale. The aim of this study is to identify the firms’ internal factors that most influence the export intensity and the ability to fit into the international market of the Italian wineries producing sparkling wines through a resource-based view (RBV) approach. Results of our study supporting the findings of previous empirical researches presented in this paper. In particular, the main factors affecting export intensity are: innovation degree and intensity of investment in advertising and promotion, among firms’ characteristics, and abroad experi…

Modelling Offices Through Discourse Analysis: A Comparison and Evaluation of SAMPO with OSSAD and ICN

1992

In a previous paper the importance of framing office communications in terms of discourse analysis was explored. 2 It also presented an approach based on speech acts and conversations to allow this framing to occur. The approach was termed SAMPO. In this paper, we continue the discussion on discourse analysis by comparing SAMPO with two prominent office modelling approaches, Information Control Nets (ICN) and OSSAD, and discuss its merits in modelling office communications.

Using store level scanner data to improve category management decisions: Developing positioning maps

2009

This paper provides evidence of the usefulness of aggregated point-of-sale scanner data to infer the positioning of competing brands, providing valuable information for category management and hence facilitating decision making. Specifically, the authors propose a methodology to study the internal market structure based on market share models with latent heterogeneity when only macro-level time series data (not individual choices) are available. The proposed approach assumes a multidimensional decomposition, latent in the preference structure that is implicit to these types of models. By empirically applying this approach, the authors (1) simultaneously identify both latent dimensions of co…

Understanding the Health Disaster: Research Design for the Response to the 2014 West African Ebola Outbreak

2015

International audience; The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the largest ever in history, affecting multiple countries and to this date, the World Health Organization has registered more than 6,500 deaths attributed to Ebola. The challenges arising from this outbreak to responders worldwide do not follow the standard characterisation or response patterns of natural sudden onset vs. conflict disasters. Rather, it is a medical emergency, which is intertwined with multiple challenges in the sectors decision-making, coordination, logistics and information management. In this paper, we present our research framework, which is based on desk research and initial interviews with responders. Th…

Operations & Maintenance Business Model Transformation—Multiple Case Studies

2014

Capital goods companies’ service offering has been mainly to provide spare parts and maintenance work. In search of growth, these companies have expanded to new areas, such as Operations & Maintenance. Instead of operating and maintaining e.g. production processes itself, a customer can outsource a wide variety of managed services based on agreed service levels. There has been a special focus on global information management know-how, governance, process know-how, physical assets, and spare and wear parts. In order to get a good coverage of case studies, we selected five large global suppliers and two customer companies in telecommunication, energy, mining, and pulp and paper business. By i…