Critical Analysis of Scalability of Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems

Due to the rapidly increasing industrial competition in the globe, it has now become fundamental of engineering firms to implement fundamental industrial approaches, which promptly and reliably focusses on sudden transformation of the design of engineered products. Emergent strategies, which might allow forms to cope up with the quickly transforming changes of product specification is centered on Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (RMSs). This research contribution discusses the significance of the presently available scalable Manufacturing Systems (MSs) that allows engineering firms to meet the demands of the market quickly. RMSs have to be designed on the outset of the futuristic scalability to allow its cost-effective and prompt expansion according to the demands of the globe. As such, this research contribution provides the principles to given manufacturing systems’ design to enhance scalability.

Impact of Project Management on Project Success at Engineering Firms in Kuwait

The aim of the study is to assess the relationship between project management (PM) practices and project success (PS) criteria in engineering firms in Kuwait. As a first step, a comprehensive literature review followed by interviews with CEOs from 10 selected firms and consultations with three experts were conducted to design the research framework. As a result, a research model that consists of PM practices measured by six dimensions (leadership, IT, teamwork, planning, governance, and communication) and PS criteria measured by three dimensions (impact on customers, impact on project team, and business success) were instilled. Based on statistical analysis on the survey responses, it was found that communication and teamwork are the strongest predictors for PS criteria, and other PM dimensions were perceived to be less important. This result is encouraging and comforting as it shows that the team-oriented factors are perceived to be important in the success of projects and implies that having a cohesive team is crucial for managing successful projects.

Industrial Cyber Physical System (ICPS) for the Control and Monitoring of Machines

The Industrial Cyber Physical System (ICPS) for industrial monitoring applying wireless technology i.e. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). WSNs are a critical concern for engineering firms. There are various techniques incorporated in wireless networks for industrial application and machining in the modern age. In this research contribution, security protocols have been considered through the incorporation of novel design techniques for wireless industrial controlling and monitoring systems and eco-friendly machines. The wireless communication approaches are restricted to modest application due to their slow communication velocity, information security and communication distance. Moreover, they are influence by bad weather and noise conditions e.g. rain, fog and snow. This paper presents a proposal of a system for controls and monitoring of applications in engineering firms using Internet of Everything (IoE) and GPRS enhanced communication, high security measures and low costs without requiring infrastructural modification in the hardware of GSM operating segments.

How Creative Destruction Functions in Corporate Entrepreneurial Process: An Empirical Investigation of Schumpeterian Concept in Engineering Firms Setting in Pakistan

Schumpeter's idea of creative destruction (CD) explains innovation functions in organisations. This paper investigates the CD concept in engineering firms by explaining how technical opportunity (TO) transforms into corporate entrepreneurship (CE) actions once opportunities have a market orientation (MO). A survey conducted using a structured questionnaire with 132 managers in engineering firms in Pakistan. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using Partial Least Square (PLS) approach has been used to analyse the data. Results reveal that MO and TO exerts a positive influence on CE. MO is the reason for the emergence of TO, which is exploited by CE's in engineering firms. CD intensifies the impact of MO on TO significantly. Opportunity recognition in engineering firms is distinguished and bounded by MO and technical viability. Engineering firms need to identify gaps in the market through naturally occurring obsolescence of products and services (CD) to create TO with appropriate MO. This study has revived a classical debate over opportunity recognition by proposing a CE model by incorporating external factors. The Schumpeterian opportunity recognition process and CD have been explained for engineering firms that are distinguished from other types of firms. Kirznerian opportunity recognition view has also been debated to dialect Schumpeterian view.

ISO-9001 implementation and critical success factors of the Jordanian consulting engineering firms

PurposeThis paper aims at studying the level of implementation of ISO 9001 in Jordanian consulting engineering firms and to what extent does the implementation effectiveness affect the success of the construction projects. Moreover, the paper seeks to identify the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) that directly influence the ISO 9001 effectiveness in Jordanian consulting engineering firms.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was constructed and distributed to a sample of 125 employees from six ISO 9001-consulting firms. After collecting the data, exploratory factor analysis was utilized to validate the latent constructs (CSFs, ISO 9001 Effectiveness, and Firm Performance).FindingsThe findings suggest that firms experience a high level of ISO 9001 effectiveness. Moreover, among the five identified CSFs; employee attributes, external environmental pressure and quality system attribute had a significant impact on the ISO 9001 effectiveness, while internal motivation and firm attributes were insignificant.Originality/valueThe significance of this study lies in exploring such topic in the developing countries, since most of current studies were focused on developed contexts such as the USA and UK. Therefore, this research acts as a response to calls in the current literature regarding considering different industries and contexts.

An Assembly Approach for Determining the Maintainability index for Engineered Products

It is challenging for maintenance of activities to be assured during products’ life cycle when poor maintenance is the case. Poor maintenance of engineered products will lead to an increment in cost and time is fundamental in the development of maintainability tasks for engineering firms. Maintenance design had played a significant role in complex designing of engineering products. This research presents a critical approach to evaluate and determine a maintainability index using the assembly principle. Normally, time is a critical indicator and parameter being utilized to measure maintenance; however, minimal efforts have been focused on assembly components and the principle of assembly. In the past literature works, customer study and survey on the effects of operators’ skills have been done. In this research, maintainability index is determined. Every assembly type is weighted with reference to features such as assembly direction, costs and disassemblability. Resultantly, this research seeks to enhance the efficiency of maintenance of engineered products.