The impact of reconfigurability on the operational performance of manufacturing systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabela Maganha ◽  
Cristovao Silva ◽  
Luis Miguel D. F. Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Systems ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Reconfigurable Manufacturing ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Clustering Methods ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Core Characteristics ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current level of reconfigurability implementation and its impact on manufacturing systems’ operational performance empirically. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a questionnaire survey. Statistical analysis procedures were adopted to accomplish its objectives, namely, clustering methods based on cluster centroids. An ANOVA analysis was used to test for cluster differences among the variables. Findings The results show that the manufacturing companies surveyed can be divided into three clusters, with different levels of reconfigurability implemented. The implementation of the core characteristics of reconfigurability depends on the product’s complexity and demand variability, in terms of volume and product mix, as these have an impact on the operational performance, in terms of quality, delivery and flexibility. Research limitations/implications The data for this survey were collected from manufacturing companies based in Portugal. Therefore, the replication of this questionnaire in other countries is recommended for future research to confirm its findings. Practical implications The questionnaire developed could be used by managers to assess the level of reconfigurability of their production systems and for internal/external benchmarking. The findings may help managers to decide which core characteristics should be implemented in their manufacturing systems. Originality/value The majority of the research addressing performance issues in reconfigurable manufacturing systems has been applied to case studies. This research reports an empirical investigation using a questionnaire-based methodology to provide generalisable empirical evidence.

Assessing the implementation feasibility of intelligent production systems based on cloud computing, industrial internet of things and business social networks

Kybernetes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiabao Sun ◽  
Ting Yang ◽  
Zhiying Xu
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Internet Of Things ◽  
Resource Sharing ◽  
Manufacturing Systems ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Industrial Internet Of Things ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Internet ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe increasing demands for customized services and frequent market variations have posed challenges to managing and controlling the manufacturing processes. Despite the developments in literature in this area, less consideration has been devoted to the growth of business social networks, cloud computing, industrial Internet of things and intelligent production systems. This study recognizes the primary factors and their implications for intelligent production systems' success. In summary, the role of cloud computing, business social network and the industrial Internet of things on intelligent production systems success has been tested.Design/methodology/approachIntelligent production systems are manufacturing systems capable of integrating the abilities of humans, machines and processes to lead the desired manufacturing goals. Therefore, identifying the factors affecting the success of the implementation of these systems is necessary and vital. On the other hand, cloud computing and the industrial Internet of things have been highly investigated and employed in several domains lately. Therefore, the impact of these two factors on the success of implementing intelligent production systems is examined. The study is descriptive, original and survey-based, depending on the nature of the application, its target and the data collection method. Also, the introduced model and the information collected were analyzed using SMART PLS. Validity has been investigated through AVE and divergent validity. The reliability of the study has been checked out through Cronbach alpha and composite reliability obtained at the standard level for the variables. In addition, the hypotheses were measured by the path coefficients and R2, T-Value and GOF.FindingsThe study identified three variables and 19 sub-indicators from the literature associated that impact improved smart production systems. The results showed that the proposed model could describe 69.5% of the intelligence production systems' success variance. The results indicated that business social networks, cloud computing and the industrial Internet of things affect intelligent production systems. They can provide a novel procedure for intelligent comprehensions and connections, on-demand utilization and effective resource sharing.Research limitations/implicationsStudy limitations are as below. First, this study ignores the interrelationships among the success of cloud computing, business social networks, Internet of things and smart production systems. Future studies can consider it. Second, we only focused on three variables. Future investigations may focus on other variables subjected to the contexts. Ultimately, there are fewer experimental investigations on the impact of underlying business social networks, cloud computing and the Internet of things on intelligent production systems' success.Originality/valueThe research and analysis outcomes are considered from various perspectives on the capacity of the new elements of Industry 4.0 for the manufacturing sector. It proposes a model for the integration of these elements. Also, original and appropriate guidelines are given for intelligent production systems investigators and professionals' designers in industry domains.

scholarly journals Production competence revisited – a critique of the literature and a new measurement approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 536-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Levente Szász ◽  
Krisztina Demeter ◽  
Harry Boer
Keyword(s):  
Business Performance ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Manufacturing Strategy ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Matrix ◽  
Competitive Factor ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Way

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to seek remedy to two major flaws of the production competence literature, which concern: the way the production competence construct is operationalized and the way its effects on performance are measured. Design/methodology/approach – The paper proposes to measure production competence as the two-dimensional operational level construct it actually is, and to use Slack’s (1994) importance-performance matrix to study its business level performance effects. The three hypotheses developed are tested using a subsample of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey database, which includes 465 manufacturing companies from 21 countries. Findings – The study offers additional empirical support for production competence theory. Going beyond supporting existing theory, the results give more detailed insight by indicating that low operational performance on even one important competitive factor leads to lower business performance (order-losing effect); excessive investment in increasing operational performance on any less important competitive factor does not necessarily lead to higher business performance. Practical implications – Using a large empirical dataset, the study shows that the importance-performance matrix is a useful tool for decision makers to assess and improve their company’s manufacturing strategy: it indicates how to prioritize between improvement efforts to positively contribute to business performance. Originality/value – The paper offers a novel approach to operationalize production competence. The importance-performance analysis approach adopted in this study avoids the two major drawbacks of previous production competence studies and offers an appropriate method to assess the impact of production competence on business performance.

Industry 4.0 adoption as a moderator of the impact of lean production practices on operational performance improvement

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (6/7/8) ◽  
pp. 860-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme Luz Tortorella ◽  
Ricardo Giglio ◽  
Desirée H. van Dun
Keyword(s):  
Performance Improvement ◽  
Operations Management ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Lean Production ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating role of Industry 4.0 technologies on the relationship between lean production (LP) and operational performance improvement within Brazil, a developing economy context. Design/methodology/approach One representative from each of the 147 studied manufacturing companies filled in a survey on three internally related lean practice bundles and two Industry 4.0 technology bundles, with safety, delivery, quality, productivity and inventory as performance indicators. As this study was grounded on the contingency theory, multivariate data analyses were performed, controlling for four contingencies. Findings Industry 4.0 moderates the effect of LP practices on operational performance improvement, but in different directions. Process-related technologies negatively moderate the effect of low setup practices on performance, whereas product/service-related technologies positively moderate the effect of flow practices on performance. Originality/value With the advent of Industry 4.0, companies have been channelling their efforts to achieve superior performance by advancing levels of automation and interconnectivity. Eventually, widespread and proven manufacturing approaches, like LP, will integrate such technologies which may, in turn, impair or favour operational performance. Contrary to previous studies, the contingencies appeared to have a less extensive effect. The authors point to various options for further study across different socio-economic contexts. This study evidenced that purely technological adoption will not lead to distinguished results. LP practices help in the installation of organisational habits and mindsets that favour systemic process improvements, supporting the design and control of manufacturers’ operations management towards the fourth industrial revolution era.

Core characteristics, treatment process and retention in therapeutic communities for addictions: a summary of four studies

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilse Goethals ◽  
Wouter Vanderplasschen ◽  
Stijn Vandevelde ◽  
Eric Broekaert
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Process ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Therapeutic Communities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
Time In Treatment ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Core Characteristics ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to summarize the main findings and conclusions of four separate studies on treatment in therapeutic communities (TCs) for addictions. Design/methodology/approach – The first two studies address the core characteristics of the TC approach: a study on the workable and destructive elements of the Synanon model; and a comparative study on the essential elements of TCs for addictions in Europe and in the USA. The final two studies highlight clients’ perceptions of the TC treatment process in relation to retention: a study on clients’ first month perceptions of the TC treatment process and the influence of fixed and dynamic client factors; and a longitudinal study on changes in clients’ perception of the TC treatment process and the impact of motivation, psychological distress and cluster B personality traits. Findings – The first study showed that Synanon’s therapeutic and pedagogical methods are still highly valued despite its negative reputation. The results of the second study suggest that while traditional TCs operate as concept-based TCs in Europe, modified TCs might differ in the extent to which they apply the core principles and elements of the TC approach. The third study provides evidence that suitability for treatment is a very important predictor for clients’ first month perceptions of the community environment. The fourth study shows that with time in treatment clients develop more profound perceptions regarding the essence of TC treatment. Research limitations/implications – Finally, implications for clinical practice, general limitations and some concrete recommendations for future research are presented in this paper. Originality/value – The PhD summary study contributes to the existing literature on TC treatment.

The impact of innovation capability on the performance of manufacturing companies

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Kafetzopoulos ◽  
Evangelos Psomas
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Product Quality ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Innovation Capability ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Manufacturing Firm ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide additional evidence of the impact of innovation on three dimensions of a firm’s performance, namely product quality, operational performance and financial performance. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis includes an initial exploratory factor analysis, followed by confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling, in order to investigate the relations between the constructs of the proposed model. A sample of 233 Greek manufacturing firms is used for this purpose. Findings – According to the study findings, “innovation capability” directly contributes to product quality and operational performance. Although it has no direct impact on manufacturing firms’ financial performance, it has an indirect impact through the moderator of operational performance. Thus, innovation is an opportunity for a manufacturing firm to improve its performance. Research limitations/implications – The sample of the responding manufacturing companies is limited to small and medium-sized enterprises from one country (Greece). In addition, manufacturing firms from different sectors have different resources, capabilities and performance. Practical implications – The study offers clear implications for managers who should put additional emphasis on innovation as it is an important element for achieving improved overall firm performance and sustainable competitive power. Originality/value – Based on the multi-dimensional structure of innovation, this empirical study determines the contribution of “innovation capability” to specific performance dimensions of manufacturing companies.

Exploring the design process of reconfigurable industrial production systems

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carin Rösiö ◽  
Jessica Bruch
Keyword(s):  
System Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Production System ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Reconfigurable Manufacturing ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Market Opportunities ◽  
Production System Design

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore activities, challenges, and suggest tactics for the design of industrial reconfigurable production systems that can easily adapt to changing market opportunities. Design/methodology/approach The paper synthesizes the empirical findings of seven case studies including 47 in-depth interviews at four manufacturing companies. Findings A conceptual production system design process and including activities that enables a long-term perspective considering reconfigurability is proposed. Additionally, critical challenges indicating that reconfigurable production system design is not a trivial issue but one that requires separate control and coordination are identified and tactics to overcome the challenges described. Research limitations/implications The authors propose a process for designing reconfigurable production systems that are better suited to adjust to future needs. The knowledge of reconfigurability from the reconfigurable manufacturing system literature is applied in the general production system literature field. This study contributes to a clearer picture of managerial challenges that need to be dealt with when designing a reconfigurable production system. Practical implications By clarifying key activities facilitating a long-term perspective in the design process and highlighting challenges and tactics for improvement, the findings are particularly relevant to production engineers and plant managers interested in increasing the ability to adapt to future changes through reconfigurability and improve the efficiency of their production system design process. Originality/value Although reconfigurable production systems are critical for the success of manufacturing companies, the process of designing such systems is not clear. This paper stretches this by giving a comprehensive picture of the production system design process and the activities that need to be considered to meet these challenges.

Critical enablers of changeable and reconfigurable manufacturing and their industrial implementation

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 983-1002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann-Louise Andersen ◽  
Jesper Kranker Larsen ◽  
Thomas Ditlev Brunoe ◽  
Kjeld Nielsen ◽  
Christopher Ketelsen
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Systems ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Current Level ◽  
Production Volume ◽  
Reconfigurable Manufacturing ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Make To Stock ◽  
The Right

Purpose During design of reconfigurable manufacturing systems, manufacturing companies need to select and implement the right enablers of reconfigurability in accordance with the specific requirements being present in the manufacturing setting. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate enablers of reconfigurability in terms of their importance in industry, current level of implementation in industry, and significant differences in their implementation and criticality across different manufacturing settings. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey is conducted, in order to provide generalizable empirical evidence across various industries and manufacturing types. Findings The findings indicate that the level of implementation of the reconfigurability enablers is rudimentary, while their criticality is perceived higher than the current level of implementation. Moreover, significant differences regarding implementation and criticality of mobility, scalability, and convertibility were found for companies with varying degrees of manual work, make-to-stock production, and varying production volume, industry type and organization size. Research limitations/implications Main limitations of the research cover the relatively small sample size and non-random sampling method applied, primarily limited to one country, which could be increased to further extent the findings reported in this paper. Practical implications The findings indicate that the importance and implementation of reconfigurability enablers is contingent on the manufacturing setting. Thus, the research presented in this paper provides valuable knowledge in regard to aiding a paradigm shift in industry and help companies design manufacturing systems with the right reconfigurability enablers. Originality/value This paper expands research on manufacturing system design for changeability and reconfigurability, by explicitly considering these as capabilities that can be enabled in various ways for various purposes in different manufacturing contexts.

The impact of employees’ attributes on the quality of food products

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 500-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrios P. Kafetzopoulos ◽  
Katerina D. Gotzamani ◽  
Evangelos L. Psomas
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Product Quality ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the importance of specific, quality-related employees’ attributes to the enhancement of product quality in food companies. The main goal is to examine the synergistic relationships between specific employees’ attributes, which have been related in literature to ISO 9000 successful implementation, to continuous improvement, operational performance and product quality. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis includes an initial exploratory factor analysis, followed by confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling, in order to investigate the relations between the constructs of the proposed model. Findings – The findings reveal that although the examined quality-related “employees’ attributes” do not directly contribute to “product quality”, they influence both “continuous improvement” and “operational performance” of food firms. The results also confirm the impact of both “continuous improvement” and “operational performance” on “product quality” and also that “continuous improvement” helps explain “operational performance”. Research limitations/implications – The domain in which the model has been validated, the restricted use of moderators in the model and lack of empirical validation of the model in non-food sector companies, based on various respondents from each company, are a number of limitations associated with this study which suggest future research proposals. Practical implications – The findings of this study can motivate managers of food companies to focus on certain quality-related employees’ attributes in order to boost continuous improvement of ISO 9001 systems and operational performance of their companies, leading to product quality enhancement. Originality/value – This study finds particular relevance in emphasizing that although specific quality-related employees’ attributes, as these are detected in literature, have a significant contribution towards continuous improvement and operational performance, they are not the only critical factor leading to product quality. More complex relationships need to be considered by integrating other constructs as major antecedents of food product quality.

Examining the impact of strategic supplier partnership, customer relationship and supply chain responsiveness on operational performance: the moderating effect of demand uncertainty

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jitendra Nenavani ◽  
Rajesh K. Jain
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Demand Uncertainty ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Customer Relationship ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of strategic supplier partnership and customer relationship on supply chain responsiveness and then to analyse the influence of supply chain responsiveness on operational performance in the manufacturing industry in India. In addition to that, this study also investigates the moderating effects of demand uncertainty on the relationship between strategic supplier partnership–supply chain responsiveness and customer relationship–supply chain responsiveness. Design/methodology/approach A structured self-administered questionnaire was developed to collect data from manufacturing companies in India. This study performed the structural equation modelling and moderated regression for testing the hypotheses after ensuring the validity and reliability of identified constructs. Findings Strategic supplier partnership and customer relationship positively influence supply chain responsiveness, and supply chain responsiveness also positively impacts operational performance. In addition to that, demand uncertainty negatively moderates the relationship between strategic supplier partnership and supply chain responsiveness. However, demand uncertainty does not significantly affect the relationship between customer relationship and supply chain responsiveness. Originality/value Strategic supplier partnership and customer relationship are firstly investigated as antecedents of supply chain responsiveness. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is one of the first to examine the moderating effect of demand uncertainty on the relationship between supply chain practices (strategic supplier partnership and customer relationship) and supply chain responsiveness.

The sequence of implementation of reconfigurability core characteristics in manufacturing systems

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabela Maganha ◽  
Cristovao Silva ◽  
Luis Miguel D.F. Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Manufacturing Systems ◽  
Statistical Processing ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Sampling Frame ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
Core Characteristics

PurposeThe objective of this study is to propose a sequence of implementation of the core characteristics of reconfigurability: modularity, integrability, diagnosability, adaptability and customization. For this purpose, the relationships among the core characteristics and Industry 4.0 technologies are analyzed as well as the impacts of one core characteristic on another.Design/methodology/approachThis study presented tests and validated two hypothesized models based on the literature. This paper was based on a questionnaire survey. Portuguese manufacturing companies were the sampling frame. In total, 600 questionnaires were distributed and a total of 112 responses were eligible for statistical processing, representing a response rate of 18.7%. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to hypothesize the sequence of implementation of the core characteristics of reconfigurability.FindingsThe findings presented a roadmap to implement reconfigurability, which implies significant managerial contributions on how to make the transition from conventional to reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMSs). This highlights the importance of the sequence of implementation of the core characteristics in order to make the most of each to achieve reconfigurability.Originality/valueImplementing reconfigurability is crucial to manufacturing companies to respond to changes in production requirements and market fluctuations quickly. However, there is a gap between theory and practice in regard to achieve reconfigurability in existing manufacturing systems. This gap includes (1) understanding the type of relationships among the core characteristics of reconfigurability, (2) understanding the influence that one core characteristic has on another and (3) establishing a sequence of implementation for the core characteristics. This study makes a contribution to fill this gap in the research area.

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