LEAN MANUFACTURING vs COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, companies coped and still must deal with uncertainty greater than ever. Due to the unpredictability of consumer demand, the incredible growth in demand for certain products, dramatic fluctuations in supply chains, and general economic instability, the future still looks uncertain. It is up to the manufacturers to determine how things will be sorted out in the new normality, i.e., which changes will be long-lasting or even permanent. Lean production has emerged in recent decades as an excellent solution to increase the economy and quality of production and meet customer needs. In the market conditions affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, producers work in a significantly changed environment, and many wonder whether lean production remains as relevant and valuable as in the past. The paper discusses lean production from different aspects as the essence of the principles of the lean concept, events during the pandemic, and expectations in the post-Covid period. We used some examples to support the analysis of factors that negatively affect the course of lean production as well as some bright examples of companies that took advantage of lean production in the new conditions. The conclusions consider answer whether lean production will survive the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bike-Sharing Fleet Allocation Optimization Based on Demand Gap and Cycle Rebalancing Strategies

In Bike-Sharing System (BSS), the initial number of bikes at station will affect the time interval and the amount of rebalancing, which is usually empirically determined and does not reflect the characteristics of consumer demand in finer time granularity, thus possibly leading to biased conclusions. In this paper, a fleet allocation method considering demand gap is first proposed to calculate the initial number of bikes at each station. Then, taking the number of demand gap periods as the decision variable, an optimization model is built to minimize the total rebalancing amount. Furthermore, the research periods are divided into multiple subcycles, the single-cycle and multicycle rebalancing strategies are presented, and the additional subcycle rebalancing method is introduced to amend the number of bikes between subcycles to decrease the rebalancing amount of the next subcycle. Finally, our methods are verified in effectively decreasing the rebalancing amount in a long-term rebalancing problem.

Prescreening of biological and biorational fungicides against common hemp pathogens using in vitro analyses

Upon reintroduction of hemp in 2014 and legalization in 2018, labeled pesticides have remained limited. Further, consumer demand has aimed the market toward organic or chemical-free production systems. In efforts to manage diseases and pests in fields and greenhouses, producers turn toward biological and biorational formulations. Efficacy of these fungicides against common aerial diseases of hemp is largely unpublished. Challenges of efficacy testing, however, further delay or discourage research. In this study, we evaluated screening methods against some common biological products. The aim was to test a screening model in order to examine products against fungal pathogens and to identify demonstrable differences under controlled conditions. Thus, in this study, we prescreen 11 biological and biorational fungicides against four common fungal leaf and flower pathogens using three bioassays. Confirmation that the major modes of action for these products have measurable activity against major pathogens of hemp serves as a first step toward more complex field studies.

The Significant Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Supply Chains

As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the world, the existence of disruptions in demand and supply have become more severe, conducted by containment measures taken by countries and affecting different sectors around the world. Although businesses and workplaces are restarting activities in some countries, with containment measures gradually being lifted, overall consumer demand is expected to remain low, also determined by the loss of jobs and income. Therefore, the scale of the impact on supply chains exceeded anything most companies had anticipated. This study aims to understand how companies were affected and identify some lessons learned about their vulnerabilities and the possible ways to address them in the long term. On the other hand, it is intended to reveal some of the impacts of COVID-19 and make some practical suggestions that can help in political and operational decisions to strengthen and build additional resilience in supply chains in the future.

Optimal recycling price strategy of clothing enterprises based on closed-loop supply chain

<p style='text-indent:20px;'>More and more garment enterprises begin to pay attention to the importance of recycling, take the corresponding recycling strategy to recycle garment products and remanufacture, forming a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC). In reality, recycling is a complex system, the recycling strategy of clothing brands will not only affect the reverse channel of closed-loop supply chain, but also affect the consumer demand of forward channel, and then affect the profit of supply chain. In order to solve this problem, we propose a CLSC composed of a manufacturer, a retailer and a collector, establish three different Stackelberg leadership models, and derive the optimal recycling strategy. Our results show that consumers' sensitivity to the recycling price will affect the optimal decision of supply chain members. The increase of the recycling market is not always beneficial to the profits of supply chain members. By comparing the profits of the three models, it is found that the retailer leadership model is the most effective scenario of CLCS. The results of this paper provide a reference for garment enterprises to formulate recycling strategies.</p>

Kompromitacja, słabość, tandeta? Kultura materialna NRD w filmie po 1990 roku na wybranych przykładach [Disgrace, Weakness, Rubbish? Material Culture of the GDR in Selected German Films After 1990]

Disgrace, Weakness, Rubbish? Material Culture of the GDR in Selected German Films After 1990The article focuses on the material culture of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) as portrayed in selected German films made after 1990 and set in the GDR. The objects that are used in the films serve as a special kind of artefacts, symbolizing the reality of the GDR and defining it as imperfect, below expectations, and inefficient in meeting consumer demand. An important point of reference in the article is the context of post-communist nostalgia, which is a source of interesting symbolic redefinitions. Kompromitacja, słabość, tandeta? Kultura materialna NRD w filmie po 1990 roku na wybranych przykładachArtykuł dotyczy problematyki rzeczy codziennego użytku przedstawionych w wybranych filmach niemieckich realizowanych po 1990 roku a rozgrywających się w realiach Niemieckiej Republiki Demokratycznej. Przedmioty, które zostają użyte w filmach, występują w roli szczególnych artefaktów, symbolizujących rzeczywistość NRD i określających ją jako niedoskonałą, niespełniającą oczekiwań, konsumpcyjnie niewydolną. Istotnym punktem odniesienia w artykule jest kontekst nostalgii postkomunistycznej, która jest źródłem interesujących znaczeniowych przewartościowań.

OPTIMASI BIAYA PENGIRIMAN TELUR AYAM MENGGUNAKAN PENDEKATAN MODEL TRANSPORTASI NWC DAN SOFTWARE LINGO

Distribution of goods from producers to the hands of consumers becomes one aspect in running a business that must be planned and taken into account in order to meet the needs of the market. Delivery of goods results in costs incurred and is one of the obstacles that are often faced. Problems in the distribution of goods include the amount of inventory, the amount of consumer demand, the distance traveled and the costs that come out during the delivery process. This study describes taking into account optimal postage with transportation methods to generate maximum efficiency costs. The problem faced in this case using the North West Corner (NWC) method, then the results of the data obtained were tested optimized using LINGO software. Before the research was conducted, the cost of postage incurred by the company is Rp.278.000. The results of the research obtained after applying the NWC is Rp.255.000 and LINGO software method is Rp.240.000. The purpose of this research is to get optimal costs on the distribution of chicken eggs to increase cost savings at Ayam Sehat.com Shop in Cimahi. Using the NWC method in this case can result in smaller distribution costs than before, then this NWC method can be applied to the Ayam Sehat.com shop

قياس أثر الأساليب الترويحية لمصانع الألبان بالتطبيق على معدلات الاستهلاك

قياس أثر الأساليب الترويحية لمصانع الألبان بالتطبيق على معدلات الاستهلاك This study aimed at analyzing the promotional efforts of some of the Dairy plants in Khartoum state to measure their effect on the consumption rate, in an effort to pursue quality and development in the field of promotion in the Sudan. To achieve such aims a number of hypothesis were tested through analysis of data collected from final consumers and retailers in Khartoum state. Different statistical methods were implemented. Several results were withdrawn of which were: 1. Strength of the promotional methods affects increasing consumer demand for Sudanese dairy products. 2. The sale’s man marketing approach affects the marketing process. 3. Weakness of the promotional methods used by the Sudanese factories engaged in manufacturing dairy products