Transportation performance improvement through lean thinking implementation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Berty Argiyantari ◽  
Togar Mangihut Simatupang ◽  
Mursyid Hasan Basri
Keyword(s):  
Pharmaceutical Industry ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Capacity Utilization ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Lean Thinking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pharmaceutical Distribution ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Distribution Company

Purpose The application of lean thinking in the transportation industry provides opportunities to streamline operations with a value-added orientation. Prior literature shows evidence of limited application of lean thinking in the transportation operations of the pharmaceutical industry. This study aims to close this research gap by investigating the application of lean thinking for improving pharmaceutical transportation performance. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted an action research approach at an Indonesian pharmaceutical distribution company. One cycle in one year was analyzed; empirical data were collected and analyzed through direct observations, interviews and the study of company data and documentation. Findings The application of lean thinking in waste elimination allowed the delivered project to achieve a remarkable 40% reduction in overall transportation costs, 75% reduction in total lead time, 200% improvement in truck productivity and 100% improvement in truckload capacity utilization. Practical implications This study can guide the pharmaceutical industry toward achieving excellence in transportation operations through lean thinking implementation. Originality/value There has been limited research on this topic, and this study is the first attempt to generate new and significant evidence of a real-life application of lean thinking within the field of pharmaceutical transportation.

Lean thinking and higher education management: revaluing the business school programme management

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saad Zighan ◽  
Ahmed EL-Qasem
Keyword(s):  
Business School ◽  
Value Added ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Value Stream Mapping ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
School Students ◽  
Lean Thinking ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis paper explores the applications of lean thinking in re-evaluating the business school curriculum, syllabus and intended learning objectives to enhance the employability of graduates through identifying and eliminating non–value-added activities.Design/methodology/approachThe research employed multilevel qualitative methodology, where 55 semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data from academics, students and graduates from several private and public universities in Jordan.FindingsThe study finds that the application of lean thinking in the business school is twofold – it helps the developer of the school curriculum to get rid of many superfluous and non–value-added activities and also emphasises and reinforces the value-added activities. Value stream mapping, with a consideration for internal and external outputs, has been found to be a useful tool for developing an employability-focussed curriculum that equips business school students with the required competences and skills in the labour market.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based on a qualitative research approach. The generalisability of the findings is difficult to assess, and future research would benefit from the insights obtained from the quantitative dataPractical implicationsIn practice, this study has identified different types of non–value-added and unnecessary activities in business school curriculum and has made suggestions for the development of a more employability-focussed curriculum.Originality/valueThis paper investigates the non–value-added activities of the business school curriculum, syllabus and the intended learning objectives to enhance the employability of graduates in Jordan.

Improving community disaster resilience through scorecard self-testing

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salizar Mohamed Ludin ◽  
Paul Andrew Arbon
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Community Context ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Disaster Resilience ◽  
Content Type ◽  
North East ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Self Testing ◽  
Community Disaster Resilience

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop government and community-level critical thinking, planning, and action for improving community disaster resilience by reporting a study that sought to evaluate the possibility of using the Torrens Resilience Institute Australian Community Disaster Resilience (CDR) Scorecard in the Malaysian context. Design/methodology/approach A participatory action research approach (done in 2015) encouraged key people involved in managing the 2014 Kelantan floods in Malaysia’s north-east to participate in discussions about, and self-testing of, the CDR Scorecard to measure and improve their communities’ disaster resilience. Findings The CDR Scorecard can be useful in the Malaysian community context, with some modifications. Self-testing revealed that participating communities need to strengthen their disaster resilience through better communication, cross-community cooperation, maximizing opportunities to compare their plans, actions and reactions with those reported in research publications, and aligning their community disaster management with reported best practice internationally while acknowledging the need to adapt such practice to local contexts. Research limitations/implications There is a need for a Malaysia-wide, simple-to-use, standardized disaster resilience scorecard to improve communities’ quality, self-efficacy, and capability to facilitate improved disaster resilience. Practical implications The adaptation of Australian CDR Scorecard for used in the country. Social implications Awareness of CDR level will enhance community and government preparedness, mitigation, and responses to flood disaster. Originality/value This project is the first of its kind in Malaysia. It provides an example of the possibilities of using the CDR Scorecard globally in the form of a context-specific toolkit. The engagement of key people in the community in self-testing the Scorecard provides genuine, on-the-ground, real life data, giving others an understanding of local assessment of each community’s resilience level.

Implementing an integrated ABC and TOC approach to enhance decision making in a Lean context

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 906-920 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majed Alsmadi ◽  
Ahmad Almani ◽  
Zulfiqar Khan
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Management Accounting ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Accounting System ◽  
Product Mix ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Action Research Approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to implement an integrated activity-based costing (ABC) and theory of constraints (TOC) approach to enhance decision making in a Lean company. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the literature, this paper proposes an integrated ABC and TOC approach and applies it to a Lean plastic manufacturing company to improve its product-mix decision. Findings – The results of the case study show that the current conventional product-mix decision used by the company and the proposed integrated approach can give significantly different results concerning the optimal product-mix and the associated bottlenecks. Moreover, the paper suggests that managers who implement Lean production without utilising a supportive management accounting system may experience disappointing financial results. Research limitations/implications – The validation of the suggested method is based on a single case study with an action research approach. For future research, the authors suggest the implementation of the approach in different industries. Practical implications – Overall, the integration of ABC and TOC provides managers with an accurate, timely and reliable tool that can help in making decisions about pricing, production line development, process improvements and product-mix. Originality/value – This paper contributes to Lean and management accounting literature by demonstrating the value of a method of integrating ABC and TOC. Also a case study is chosen for the empirical aspect of the study as there are no case studies available in the literature that illustrate a real life case of integrating ABC and TOC within Lean companies as an alternative to the current used cost accounting systems.

scholarly journals Strategic account management as a value co-creation selling model in the pharmaceutical industry

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 310-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francois Pilon ◽  
Elias Hadjielias
Keyword(s):  
Pharmaceutical Industry ◽  
Pharmaceutical Company ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Pharmaceutical Companies ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Account Management ◽  
A Value ◽  
Key Accounts

Purpose This study aims to explore the dynamics enabling strategic account management (SAM) to function as a value co-creation selling model in the pharmaceutical industry. Design/methodology/approach Using an inductive qualitative research design, data are collected within 11 industry customers in Canada. This work focuses on hospitals as strategic accounts of pharmaceutical companies, exploring SAM value co-creation in the “hospital-pharmaceutical company” relationship. Findings The findings suggest the presence of two key dimensions that can enable a value co-creation SAM model in the hospital-pharmaceutical relationship: “customer-tailored value-added initiatives” and “relationship enhancers”. Customer-tailored value-added initiatives explain the activities that are central to the hospital-pharmaceutical company relationship and can lead to the provision of value added that is unique to the hospital. Relationship enhancers explain the activities that can help strengthen hospital-pharmaceutical company relations in the pursuit of enhanced value-added interactions between the two parties. The research demonstrates a cyclical relationship between “customer-tailored value-added initiatives” and “relationship enhancers”, leading to value co-creation through a SAM model. Practical implications The study informs pharmaceutical industry practitioners on how to improve their value proposition through new, more sustainable selling practices. It offers information on implementing a value co-creation SAM model, which can enable pharmaceutical companies to sustain long-lasting value-added relationships with key accounts such as hospitals. Originality/value The study contributes to the field of SAM by conceptualizing SAM as a value co-creation system. It introduces new knowledge in pharmaceutical marketing by offering empirical insight on the applicability and use of SAM in the hospital-pharmaceutical company dyad.

Untangling service design routines for digital servitization: empirical insights of smart PSS in maritime industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgit Andrine Apenes Solem ◽  
Marko Kohtamäki ◽  
Vinit Parida ◽  
Thomas Brekke
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Concept Design ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Maritime Industry ◽  
Senior Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Growth Outcomes ◽  
Action Research Approach

PurposeThe present study sets out to understand how a manufacturing company in the maritime industry utilized creative design principles and developed service design routines to advance digital servitization (i.e. the transition to offering smart product-service-software systems–PSS) and realize subsequent positive growth outcomes.Design/methodology/approachWe build upon a longitudinal single case of a marine solution provider. Using an action research approach, we collected data through in-depth interviews and informal conversations involving senior managers, project members and customer representatives over a three and a half-year period. In addition, secondary data such as documentary data, service design tools and visualization were utilized.FindingsThe inductive analysis highlights the underlining role of four service-design routines that drive creativity and an innovative approach to digital servitization transformation. More specifically, we identify (a) user insights through creative customer data acquisition, (b) smart PSS collaboration through co-creation across departments, (c) smart PSS ideation through creative forms of collaboration and (d) effective smart PSS delivery and commercialization through creative concept design as the drivers of the case company digital servitization transformation.Practical implicationsWe encourage senior managers within large manufacturing companies to promote the development of service design routines as these promote the transformation process from being a product-centric to service-centric firm. The four service design routines are built on a set of service design sub-activities providing concrete actions that can be applied by senior managers to successfully develop and deliver smart PSS offerings and achieve growth outcomes.Originality/valueThis study contributes by integrating digital servitization and service design literatures. We illustrate how manufacturing firms can drive a transition to digital servitization through service design activities and routines development for smart PSS strategy implementation.

The three R’s: reading, (W)Riting, and researching through multi-genre project

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Roberts ◽  
Kristy Brugar
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Peer Interactions ◽  
Student Response ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Historical Inquiry ◽  
Social Studies Methods ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Action Research Approach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how the authors, two teacher educators, planned for and guided 23 students (teacher candidates) through a multi-genre historical inquiry experience, integrating instruction on the Inquiry Arc and writing process, during a co-taught literacy and social studies methods course. The authors describe the ways in which the students demonstrated both active and passive participation and resistance to this process/project, and the related implications. Design/methodology/approach Using an action research approach, this paper reports analysis and interpretation of lesson plans, course materials, debriefing notes, field notes, student response notebooks and intermediate and final inquiry project artifacts. Findings All students demonstrated gains in content knowledge through their products, oral presentations, group discussions, or conferences with the authors; and all gained experience with the Inquiry Arc and process writing. Many students saw the benefits of collaboration and social construction of knowledge as they moved toward more central participation. Practical implications Instructors cannot mandate full participation in any task, but can influence the conditions (i.e. pedagogy, task, scaffolding) to increase the possibility of positive peer interactions and learning. Originality/value This paper contributes to the knowledge of teaching and learning innovation in teacher preparation coursework.

scholarly journals Hand-arm vibration management: an operational health and safety strategy framework

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
David John Edwards ◽  
Igor Martek ◽  
Obuks Ejohwomu ◽  
Clinton Aigbavboa ◽  
M. Reza Hosseini
Keyword(s):  
Critical Realism ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Work Place ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Philosophical Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Action Research Approach

PurposeHuman vibration exposure from hand-operated equipment emissions can lead to irreparable and debilitating hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). While work-place health and well-being (H&WB) policies, strategies and procedures have been extensively researched and documented, little has been done to develop a specific strategic framework tailored to the management of hand-arm vibration (HAV). This study fills that gap.Design/methodology/approachA mixed philosophical approach of interpretivism and critical realism is adopted within a case study of a utilities contractor. Within this overarching epistemological design, action research approach is implemented via a three-stage investigation, namely, relevant company H&WB documents and procedures were examined, leading to the formulation of semi-structured interview questioning of the H&WB team. Their responses informed the next line of questions, delivered to middle-management responsible for overseeing H&S.FindingsThe findings are instructive in revealing that while substantial documentation management (augmented with protocols and checks) was in place, the system fell short of implementation within the workforce and thus failed to preserve worker H&WB. The investigation generated recommendations for shoring up H&WB deficiencies observed and developed a theoretical model to represent these. Though these recommendations were developed in response to a specific case, they form the core of a HAV operational H&WB strategy framework with applicability over a broader context.Originality/valueThis research provides unique insight into contemporary industry practices employed to manage HAV in the workplace and represents an invaluable opportunity to learn from prevailing practices and rectify deficiencies observed.

Rebuilding Nepal: traditional and modern approaches, building or diminishing resilience?

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 218-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Forbes
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Vernacular Architecture ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Masonry Construction ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of vernacular architecture and traditional knowledge to building resilience in Nepal and the impact of modernisation on that resilience and architectural diversity. Design/methodology/approach Using an action research approach, including field observations and discussions with local community members, artisans, architects, engineers and other international experts, the study examines the resilience of traditional building typologies to natural hazards in Nepal, including earthquake; the changes that have occurred over time leading to the failure and/or rejection of traditional construction; and a review of post-earthquake reconstruction options, both traditional and modern. Findings Although traditional approaches have been cyclically tested over time, this study found that changes in building materials, technologies, knowledge and skills, access to resources, maintenance practices, urban environments and societal aspirations have all contributed to the popular rejection of vernacular architecture following the earthquakes. Research limitations/implications The research is limited to traditional timber and masonry construction in the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding mountain areas. Practical implications To improve resilience the study identifies the need for capacity building in both traditional and modern construction technologies; adoption of approaches that use local materials, knowledge and skills, whilst addressing local timber shortages and access issues; a transparent construction certification system; good drainage; and regular maintenance. Originality/value The study critically evaluates the impact of technological, environmental, social and economic changes over time on the resilience of vernacular housing in Nepal.

Professionals harnessing experiential knowledge in Dutch mental health settings

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona Karbouniaris ◽  
Alie Weerman ◽  
Bea Dunnewind ◽  
Jean Pierre Wilken ◽  
Tineke A. Abma
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Experiential Knowledge ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Mental Health Settings ◽  
Four Levels

Purpose This study aims to explore the perspectives of mental health professionals who are in a process of integrating their own experiential knowledge in their professional role. This study considers implications for identity, dilemmas and challenges within the broader organization, when bringing experiential knowledge to practice. Design/methodology/approach As part of a participatory action research approach, qualitative methods have been used, such as in-depth interviews, discussions and observations during training and project team. Findings The actual use of experiential knowledge by mental health care professionals in their work affected four levels: their personal–professional development; the relation with service users; the relation with colleagues; and their position in the organization. Research limitations/implications Because of its limited context, this study may lack generalisability and further research with regard to psychologists and psychiatrists, as well as perceptions from users, is desirable. Social implications According to this study, social change starts from a bottom-up movement and synchronously should be facilitated by top-down policy. A dialogue with academic mental health professionals seems crucial to integrate this source of knowledge. Active collaboration with peer workers and supervisors is desired as well. Originality/value Professionals with lived experiences play an important role in working recovery-oriented, demonstrating bravery and resilience. Having dealt with mental health distress, they risked stigma and rejections when introducing this as a type of knowledge in current mental health service culture. Next to trainings to facilitate the personal–professional process, investments in the entire organization are needed to transform governance, policy and ethics.

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