Evaluating design implementation strategies using enterprise simulation

Concurrent engineering and design for manufacture and assembly strategies have become pervasive in use in a wide array of industrial settings. These strategies have generally focused on product and process design issues based on capability concerns. The strategies have been historically justified using cost savings calculations focusing on easily quantifiable costs such as raw material savings or manufacturing or assembly operations no longer required. It is argued herein that neither the focus of the strategies nor the means of justification are adequate. Product and process design strategies should include both capability and capacity concerns and justification procedures should include the financial effects that the product and process changes would have on the entire company. The authors of this paper take this more holistic view of the problem and examine an innovative new design strategy using a comprehensive enterprise simulation tool. The results indicate that both the design strategy and the simulator show promise for further industrial use. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Asthma management : implementation of short-acting beta agonist guidelines in Western Australia:a unique collaboration

Background: The Respiratory Health Network in Western Australia developed the Asthma Model of Care in 2010 which incorporates best practice guidelines. At the same time short-acting beta agonist guidelines (SABA) were developed by stakeholder consensus at University of Western Australia (UWA) and incorporated the use of an Asthma Action Plan Card. Objective: To report on the implementation of a key component of the WA Asthma Model of Care, the SABA guidelines that incorporate the Asthma Action Plan card. Methods: Implementation strategies included lectures, direct pharmacy detailing, media releases, and information packs (postal and electronic). Groups targeted included pharmacists, consumers and medical practitioners. Results: State-based (n=18) and national (n=6) professional organisations were informed about the launch of the guidelines into practice in WA. In the four-month implementation period more than 47,000 Asthma Action Plan Cards were distributed, primarily to community pharmacies. More than 500 pharmacies were provided with information packs or individual detailing. More than 10,000 consumers were provided with information about the guidelines. Conclusions and implications: The collaboration of stakeholders in this project allowed for widespread access to various portals which, in turn, resulted in a multifaceted approach in disseminating information. Ongoing maintenance programs are required to sustain and build on the momentum of the implementation program and to ultimately address patient outcomes and practice change, which would be the longer-term goals of such a project. Future research will seek to ascertain the impact of the card on patient outcomes in WA.

Strategic decision-making for technology implementation in developing countries

Researchers and managers stress the importance of long-term technology strategies to develop technological capabilities for global competitive advantage. This paper explores the relationship between technology decision-making and strategy in technology transfer (TT) in developing countries, with special reference to South Africa. Earlier research by the authors considered technology and operations integration in developing countries and identified factors that were important to managers in the management of technology. The paper proposes five decision-making levels as the basis of a framework for TT, and investigates the strategic issues pertaining to TT at these levels. Four South African cases studies are used to propose a framework that combines important items in technology transfer and levels of decision-making. The research suggests that technology plays a limited role in strategic decisions in developing countries, and that expectations from new technology are largely operational. Broader implications for managers are identified.

Managing from the inside out:drawing on 'receptivity' to explain variation in strategy implementation

With the rise of 'New Public Management' (NPM), government policy has encouraged public-sector organizations to downsize and outsource their services. There is, however, local variation in the use of outsourcing - this is 'managing from the inside out'. This paper draws on the notion of receptivity for organizational change to explain variation in strategy implementation. Four receptivity factors are identified which seem to explain the success of two contrasting English local government outsourcing strategies: ideological vision, leading change, institutional politics and implementation capacity. The organization level of change is interconnected with two other levels of change (the public service and environment levels) to illustrate the dynamic nature of change.

"High commitment" strategies:it ain't what you do; it's the way that you do it

Purpose: This paper sets out to contribute to the advancement of knowledge, particularly with regard to the processes of implementation and the role of managers engaged in such high commitment strategies and work practices. Design/methodology/approach: This study is part of a research project investigating the extent to which employee involvement predicts job performance (as well as job satisfaction, wellbeing and organisational commitment) in the NHS, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The main focus of this paper is to present evidence from four of the 20 case studies to show the barriers to implementing employee involvement as well as highlighting the techniques and practices that have proven to be most successful. Findings: Employee involvement is used successfully by management and has enabled frontline staff to contribute their knowledge to their work. Research limitations/implications: The ethical issues of confidentiality and anonymity permeated the research process throughout. Practical implications: The link between "high commitment" strategies and organisational performance is of great interest to academics and practitioners alike. One of these "high commitment" strategies, namely employee involvement, has been an important HR strategy for the NHS in the UK. Originality/value: Other organisations can learn from the findings by implementing the successful parts. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Clustering strategies for object databases

When object databases arrived on the scene some ten years ago, they provided database capabilities for previously neglected, complex applications, such as CAD, but were burdened with one inherent teething problem, poor performance. Physical database design is one tool that can provide performance improvements and it is the general area of concern for this thesis. Clustering is one fruitful design technique which can provide improvements in performance. However, clustering in object databases has not been explored in depth and so has not been truly exploited. Further, clustering, although a physical concern, can be determined from the logical model. The object model is richer than previous models, notably the relational model, and so it is anticipated that the opportunities with respect to clustering are greater. This thesis provides a thorough analysis of object clustering strategies with a view to highlighting any links between the object logical and physical model and improving performance. This is achieved by considering all possible types of object logical model construct and the implementation of those constructs in terms of theoretical clusterings strategies to produce actual clustering arrangements. This analysis results in a greater understanding of object clustering strategies, aiding designers in the development process and providing some valuable rules of thumb to support the design process.

Strategies against racism: a comparison of a social movement and case studies of anti-racist policy and practice in the local state

The thesis compares two contrasting strategies employed with the aim of combating particular forms of racism within contemporary Britain. Both are assessed as political strategies in their own right and placed within the broader context of reformist and revolutionary political traditions. The sociology of social movements is examined critically, as are Marxist and post-Marxist writings on the role of human agency within social structures and on the nature of social movements. The history of the Anti Nazi League (ANL) in the late 1970s and its opposition to the National Front is considered as an example of anti-racist social movement based on the Trotskyist model of the United Front. The degree to which the Anti Nazi League corresponded to such a model is analysed as are the potential broader applications for such a strategy. The strategy with which the ANL is compared is the development of anti-racist and equal opportunities policies within local government in the 1980s, primarily by Labour-controlled local authorities. The theory of the local state and the political phenomenon of municipal socialism are discussed, specifically the role of various groups operating in and around local authorities in the formation and implementation of anti-racist policy and practice. Following this general discussion, two case studies in each of the areas of local authority housing, education and employment are explored to consider in depth the problems of specific anti-racist policies. In summation the efficacy of the two strategies are considered as parts of wider political currents in tandem with their declared specific objectives.

Strategies for agricultural change and the UK balance of payments

The world food crisis, Britain's reliance on imported food and feedstuffs and balance of payments difficulties were some of the factors which lent weight to the call for increased self-sufficiency in Britain's agriculture in the 1970s. This project considers two main areas: an investigation of the impact of radical agricultural change, designed to increase self-sufficiency, on the balance of payments; and, an appraisal of the potential role of the food industry within a radically different food system. The study proceeded by: an examination of the principles of agricultural policy and its development in Britain; an overview of the mechanism and meaning of the balance of payments; a consideration of the debate on agricultural import saving; the construction of radical agricultural strategies; the estimation of effects of the strategies, particularly to the balance of. payments; the role of the food industry and possible innovations within the strategies; a case study of textured vegetable proteins; and, the wider implications of implementation of radical agricultural alternatives. Two strategies were considered: a vegan system, involving no livestock; and, an intermediate system, including some livestock and dairy cattle. The study concludes that although agricultural change could in principle make a contribution to the balance of payments, implementation of agricultural change cannot be justified for this purpose alone. First, balance of payments problems can be solved by more appropriate methods. Second, the UK' s balance of payments problem has disappeared for the time being owing to North Sea oil and economic recession. Third, the political and social consequences of the changes investigated would be unacceptable. Progress in UK food policy is likely to be in the form of an integrated food and health policy.

Market-driven strategies and the design of flexible production systems: evidence from the electronics industry

Links the concept of market-driven business strategies with the design of production systems. It draws upon the case of a firm which, during the last decade, changed its strategy from being “technology led” to “market driven”. The research, based on interdisciplinary fieldwork involving long-term participant observation, investigated the factors which contribute to the successful design and implementation of flexible production systems in electronics assembly. These investigations were conducted in collaboration with a major computer manufacturer, with other electronics firms being studied for comparison. The research identified a number of strategies and actions seen as crucial to the development of efficient flexible production systems, namely: effective integration of subsystems, development of appropriate controls and performance measures, compatibility between production system design and organization structure, and the development of a climate conducive to organizational change. Overall, the analysis suggests that in the electronics industry there exists an extremely high degree of environmental complexity and turbulence. This serves to shape the strategic, technical and social structures that are developed to match this complexity, examples of which are niche marketing, flexible manufacturing and employee harmonization.

An investigation into the adoption and implementation of electronic commerce in Saudi Arabian small and medium enterprises

Saudi Arabian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will face fierce competition from new entrants to local markets as a result of their accession to the Word Trade Organisation (WTO), and electronic commerce (e-commerce) technologies can reinforce SME’s competitive edge. This study investigates the state of e-commerce adoption and analyses the factors that determine the extent to which SMEs in Saudi Arabia are inclined towards deploying e-commerce technologies. This could assist future firms in designing effective implementation projects. Seven SMEs’ e-commerce adoption levels are studied as a case. The Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework was used as the major source of inspiration in our analysis of e-commerce adoption amongst Saudi SMEs. In addition to advancing research on e-commerce in Saudi Arabia, this chapter also highlights several directions for future inquiry and implications for managers and policymakers.

Hierarchized block wise image approximation by greedy pursuit strategies

An approach for effective implementation of greedy selection methodologies, to approximate an image partitioned into blocks, is proposed. The method is specially designed for approximating partitions on a transformed image. It evolves by selecting, at each iteration step, i) the elements for approximating each of the blocks partitioning the image and ii) the hierarchized sequence in which the blocks are approximated to reach the required global condition on sparsity. © 2013 IEEE.

Hierarchized block wise image approximation by greedy pursuit strategies

An approach for effective implementation of greedy selection methodologies, to approximate an image partitioned into blocks, is proposed. The method is specially designed for approximating partitions on a transformed image. It evolves by selecting, at each iteration step, i) the elements for approximating each of the blocks partitioning the image and ii) the hierarchized sequence in which the blocks are approximated to reach the required global condition on sparsity. © 2013 IEEE.

Universities Masters World Cup Soccer:integrated sports science research and implementation of an international masters soccer community

Ageing populations with greater wellness and athletic expectations require quality sports and active living experiences in order to increase and sustain participation levels. Responding to the diverse needs and circumstances of Masterslveterans players is a complex and multi-faceted process. While sports science contributions have been very effective at enhancing active living in a variety of youth and adult sports events, very little has been documented regarding their efficacy in events for Masterslveteran players. This paper draws upon action research to examine the growth and development of a unique Masters World Cup 6-0-side Soccer Tournament, involving representative teams from twelve nations. lntegrated sports science concepts and strategies were employed to develop quality soccer experiences. Longitudinal data suggest that fostering a community of practice is critical to the success of Masters soccer programs. In addition to critical leadership contributions, an eclectic range of age-appropriate and responsive soccer experiences are essential to ensure that Masters events meet the diverse needs and circumstances of the players.

The implementation of supply chain management theory in practice:an empirical investigation

Purpose: The purpose of the research described in this paper is to disentangle the rhetoric from the reality in relation to supply chain management (SCM) adoption in practice. There is significant evidence of a divergence between theory and practice in the field of SCM. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a review of extant theory, the authors posit a new definitional construct for SCM – the Four Fundamentals – and investigated four research questions (RQs) that emerged from the theoretical review. The empirical work comprised three main phases: focussed interviews, focus groups and a questionnaire survey. Each phase used the authors’ definitional construct as its basis. While the context of the paper’s empirical work is Ireland, the insights and results are generalisable to other geographical contexts. Findings: The data collected during the various stages of the empirical research supported the essence of the definitional construct and allowed it to be further developed and refined. In addition, the findings suggest that, while levels of SCM understanding are generally quite high, there is room for improvement in relation to how this understanding is translated into practice. Research limitations/implications: Expansion of the research design to incorporate case studies, grounded theory and action research has the potential to generate new SCM theory that builds on the Four Fundamentals construct, thus facilitating a deeper and richer understanding of SCM phenomena. The use of longitudinal studies would enable a barometer of progress to be developed over time. Practical implications: The authors’ definitional construct supports improvement in the cohesion of SCM practices, thereby promoting the effective implementation of supply chain strategies. A number of critical success factors and/or barriers to implementation of SCM theory in practice are identified, as are a number of practical measures that could be implemented at policy/supply chain/firm level to improve the level of effective SCM adoption. Originality/value: The authors’ robust definitional construct supports a more cohesive approach to the development of a unified theory of SCM. In addition to a profile of SCM understanding and adoption by firms in Ireland, the related critical success factors and/or inhibitors to success, as well as possible interventions, are identified.

Gene therapy strategies for the treatment of spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury is a complex pathology often resulting in functional impairment and paralysis. Gene therapy has emerged as a possible solution to the problems of limited neural tissue regeneration through the administration of factors promoting axonal growth, while also offering long-term local delivery of therapeutic molecules at the injury site. Of note, gene therapy is our response to the requirements of neural and glial cells following spinal cord injury, providing, in a time-dependent manner, growth substances for axonal regeneration and eliminating axonal growth inhibitors. Herein, we explore different gene therapy strategies, including targeting gene expression to modulate the presence of neurotrophic growth or survival factors and increase neural tissue plasticity. Special attention is given to describing advances in viral and non-viral gene delivery systems, as well as the available routes of gene delivery. Finally, we discuss the future of combinatorial gene therapies and give consideration to the implementation of gene therapy in humans. © 2014 Future Science Ltd.