Re-engineering materials management: a case study on an Indian refinery

Materials management function is always a major concern to the management of any industrial organisation as high inventory and an inefficient procurement process affect the profitability to a great extent. Problems multiply due to a very current business environment in India. Hence, existing materials planning and procurement processes and inventory management systems require a re-look with respect to a changing business environment. This study shows a radical improvement in materials management function of an Indian petroleum refinery through business process re-engineering (BPR) by analysing current processes, identifying key issues, deriving paradigm shifts and developing re-engineered processes through customer value analysis. BPR has been carried out on existing processes of “materials planning and procurement” and “warehousing and surplus disposal”. The re-engineered processes for materials management function trigger a few improvement projects that were identified by the group of executives who took part in the re-engineering exercise. Those projects were implemented in an integrated framework with the application of the state of art information technology tools.

Integrated approach to materials management:a case study

The materials management function is always a major concern to management of any industrial organization, since high inventory and an inefficient procurement process significantly affect profitability. Problems multiply due to the current dynamic business environment in many countries. Hence, existing materials planning and procurement process and inventory management systems require a review. This article shows a radical improvement in the materials management function for an Indian petroleum refinery through business process re-engineering (BPR) by analyzing the current process, identifying key issues, deriving paradigm shifts and developing re-engineered processes through customer value analysis. BPR has been carried out on the existing processes of "material planning and procurement" and "warehousing and surplus disposal.

Reengineering helps improve materials procurement in Indian oil refinery

The materials management function is always a major concern to the management of any organisation as high inventory and inefficient procurement processes have a significant effect on profitability. The problems multiply in the face of a very dynamic business environment, as is the present case in India. Hence, the existing system of materials planning, procurement processes and inventory management require reviewing with respect to the changed business environment. This study shows a radical improvement in materials procurement function of an Indian petroleum refinery through Business Process Reengineering (BPR) by analysing current process, identifying key issues, deriving paradigm shifts and developing reengineered processes through customer value analysis. BPR has been carried out on existing processes of 'material planning and procurement' and 'warehousing and surplus disposal'. The reengineered processes for the materials management function triggered several improvement projects that were identified by the group of executives who took part in the reengineering exercise. Those projects were implemented in an integrated framework, with the application of state of the art information technology tools and building partnership alliance among all stakeholders. Considerable improvements in overall functions of the organisation are observed, along with financial benefits. Copyright © 2006 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

The microbial ecology of cow slurry in vermiculture beds

The suitability of cow slurry as a substrate for vermicomposting by Eisenia fetida was investigated. Particular attention was given to the effects of the earthworm on the decomposition and stabilisation of the slurry; and to the interactions between E. fetida and the microflora of the substrate. Assessment of the chemical and microbiological changes in cow slurry stored under forced aeration, and subsequently in shallow trays, showed that neither method was suitable for the treatment of slurry. A comparison of two methods of vermicomposting showed that top-feeding of slurry was more efficient in promoting earthworm growth and cocoon production than the mixing of slurry with solid materials. Management practices were found to have an important influence on the efficiency of the process. An investigation o:f the effect of E. fetida. on the decomposition of slurry indicated that the presence of this earthworm enhanced the stabilisation of the substrate and increased the plant-available nitrogen content. Specific nutritional interactions were observed between E. fetida and micro-organisms in sand/cellulose microcosms. The earthworms were found to be feeding directly upon the cells of certain micro-organisms. Other species were found to be toxic to E. fetida.. A technique was developed :for the production of axenic E. fetida., and the use of such earthworms in :feeding experiments confirmed the importance of some micro-organisms in earthworm nutrition. The seeding of vermiculture beds with one such micro-organism stimulated earthworm growth and consumption of the substrate. Vermicomposted mixtures of cow slurry and spent mushroom compost were shown to have potential application as casing materials in mushroom cultivation. The findings of this study indicate the suitability of vermicomposting as a method for the stabilisation of intensively-produced cow slurry, and give some indication of the importance of micro-organisms in the nutrition of E. fetida.

Operations management

Operations Management is a modern success story that plays an essential role in the success of any organisation. Andrew Greasley provides a clear and accessible introduction to this large area of study, focusing on all the key areas of operations in both manufacturing and service industries. Example boxes provide international, real–life details of operations concepts Worked Examples – step–by–step guides to the procedure to solve quantitative problems End–of–Chapter exercises covering topics for discussion and examples to help develop practical skills Further Reading and Web links – an extra resource to assist students in locating further additional materials Lecturers who adopt this text will find supporting resources on the companion website, including powerpoint slides for each chapter, suggested solutions for case studies and end of chapter exercises, and a multiple–choice test bank.

Reliability management of machine tool technology: a case study of current practice

Considerable attention has been given in the literature to identifying and describing the effective elements which positively affect the improvement of product reliability. These have been perceived by many as the 'state of the art' in the manufacturing industry. The applicability, diffusion and effectiveness of such methods and philosophies, as a means of systematically improving the reliability of a product, come in the main from case studies and single and infra-industry empirical studies. These studies have both been carried out within the wider context of quality assurance and management, and taking reliability as a discipline in its own right. However, it is somewhat of a surprise that there are no recently published findings or research studies on the adoption of these methods by the machine tool industry. This may lead one to construct several hypothesised paradigms: (a) that machine tool manufacturers compared to other industries, are slow to respond to propositions given in the literature by theorists or (b) this may indicate that a large proportion of the manufacturers make little use of the reliability improvement techniques as described in the literature, with the overall perception that they will not lead to any significant improvements? On the other hand, it is evident that hypothetical verification of the operational and engineering methods of reliability achievement and improvement adopted in the machine tool industry is less widely researched. Therefore, research into this area is needed in order to explore the 'state of the art' practice in the machine tool industry. This is in terms of the status, structure and activities of the operation of the reliability function. This paper outlines a research programme being conducted with the co-operation of a leading machine tool manufacturer, whose UK manufacturing plant produces in the main Vertical Machining Centres (VMCs) and is continuously undergoing incremental transitions in product reliability improvement.

Managing careers and managing fairness : an organisational justice theory perspective on employee evaluations of, and reactions to, organisational career management practices

This thesis presents the results of a multi-method investigation of employee perceptions of fairness in relation to their career management experiences. Organisational justice theory (OJT) was developed as a theoretical framework and data were gathered via 325 quantitative questionnaires, 20 semi-structured interviews and the analysis of a variety of company documents and materials. The results of the questionnaire survey provided strong support for the salience of employee perceptions of justice in regard to their evaluations of organisational career management (OCM) practices, with statistical support emerging for both an agent-systems and interaction model of organisational justice. The qualitative semi-structured interviews provided more detailed analysis of how fairness was experienced in practice, and confirmed the importance of the OJT constructs of fairness within this career management context. Fairness themes to emerge from this analysis included, equity, needs, voice, bias suppression, consistency, ethicality, respect and feedback drawing on many of the central tenants of distributive, procedural, interpersonal and information justice. For the career management literature there is empirical confirmation of a new theoretical framework for understanding employee evaluations of, and reactions to, OCM practices. For the justice literatures a new contextual domain is explored and confirmed, thus extending further the influence and applicability of the theory. For practitioners a new framework for developing, delivering and evaluating their own OCM policies and systems is presented.

Setting parameters in MRP for the effective management of bought-out inventory in a JIT assembly environment

In recent years, UK industry has seen an explosive growth in the number of `Computer Aided Production Management' (CAPM) system installations. Of the many CAPM systems, materials requirement planning/manufacturing resource planning (MRP/MRPII) is the most widely implemented. Despite the huge investments in MRP systems, over 80 percent are said to have failed within 3 to 5 years of installation. Many people now assume that Just-In-Time (JIT) is the best manufacturing technique. However, those who have implemented JIT have found that it also has many problems. The author argues that the success of a manufacturing company will not be due to a system which complies with a single technique; but due to the integration of many techniques and the ability to make them complement each other in a specific manufacturing environment. This dissertation examines the potential for integrating MRP with JIT and Two-Bin systems to reduce operational costs involved in managing bought-out inventory. Within this framework it shows that controlling MRP is essential to facilitate the integrating process. The behaviour of MRP systems is dependent on the complex interactions between the numerous control parameters used. Methodologies/models are developed to set these parameters. The models are based on the Pareto principle. The idea is to use business targets to set a coherent set of parameters, which not only enables those business targets to be realised, but also facilitates JIT implementation. It illustrates this approach in the context of an actual manufacturing plant - IBM Havant. (IBM Havant is a high volume electronics assembly plant with the majority of the materials bought-out). The parameter setting models are applicable to control bought-out items in a wide range of industries and are not dependent on specific MRP software. The models have produced successful results in several companies and are now being developed as commercial products.

Characterization of engineered biochar for soil management

Pyrolysis is an energy conversion technology which by heating organic materials in the absence of oxygen, produces liquid, gaseous, and solid fuel products. Biochar, the solid product, can also be used as a soil amendment and, simultaneously, enables us to sequester carbon in the soil. By controlling the pyrolysis process, it is possible to engineer biochar suitable for the remediation of specific soil management problems. This research uses a characterization method more suited to producing biochar for soil amendment purposes than the existing biochar fuel characterization standards. This is the first research to use wastewater irrigated willow as a pyrolysis feedstock. The extensive characterization of biochar produced over a range of temperatures (410-810°C) yielded data on key properties relevant to soil under management: low surface area (1.4 to 5.4 m2/g), low bulk density (0.15-0.18 g/cm3), high pH values (7.8-9.4) and high water-holding capacity (1.8 to 4.3 cm3/g). Extraction experiments demonstrated low bioavailability of char nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg). This research also studied this artificial nitrogen cycle of pyrolysis: nitrogen accumulated in the wood from the wastewater and high levels of nitrogen remained in the biochar in a stable form not directly available to plants. Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog.

Accounting students' perceptions of a Learning Management System:an international comparison

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to investigate student perceptions of the design features included in an off the shelf Learning Management System (LMS) in teaching undergraduate accounting students. Design/methodology/approach - Questionnaire responses from 846 accounting students studying in the UK, Australia and New Zealand provide international data to develop a model to explain student perception of the LMS. Findings - The final model shows student satisfaction with the use of a LMS is positively associated with three variables: usefulness of lecture notes, bulletin boards and discussion forums, and other LMS tools. Further, the comparison of cultural differences of the three countries shows all students treat the provision of notes as a desirable attribute on a LMS. Findings also suggest that although students find the provision of materials over the LMS does not enhance student engagement in class, overall a comparison of the three countries shows all students treat the provision of notes as a desirable attribute of a LMS. Research limitations/implications - Future research should collect ethnicity data to enable an analysis of cultural influence on student perceptions of the LMS. Practical implications - As increased motivation to learn is found to contribute to improved achievement of learning outcomes, the study's findings have implications for faculty contemplating the adoption of a LMS in their courses. The findings specifically confirm that usefulness of lecture notes, use of bulletin/discussion boards, and other LMS tools are positively endorsed by students and hence increase their motivation to learn. Originality/value - The current paper adds to the literature as the motivation to use and engage with LMSs by accounting students is not well understood. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Operations management

Operations Management, 3rd Edition provides a clear and accessible introduction to this important area of study, focusing on all key areas of operations in both manufacturing and service industries. Features: Focuses on the subject from a European perspective. Deals with the management of the creation of goods and the delivery of services to the customer. Covers the main areas of operations strategy, the design of operations system and the management of operations over time. Incorporates more strategic and international commentary. Includes a strategy link section consisting of a paragraph relating each chapter topic to operations strategy. Includes more end of chapter and quantitative exercises. Cases have been updated throughout and now include: Service including public sector, international, a mix of mini–cases and a longer case for each chapter. Accompanied by a comprehensive package of online learning support materials including: A robust testbank featuring 1500 questions, PowerPoint slides and a comprehensive instructor's manual An interactive e–Book is included with every new copy of this text, featuring a wealth of embedded media, including: Animated worked examples, simulations, virtual tours, videos, flashcards and practice quizzes.

Supply chain management diffusion among firms in the Republic of Ireland

The changing business environment has sharpened the focus on the need for robust approaches to supply chain management (SCM) and the improvement of supply chain capability and performance. This is particularly the case in Ireland, which has the natural disadvantage of a location peripheral to significant markets and sources of raw materials which results in relatively high transport and distribution costs. Therefore, in order to gain insights into current levels of diffusion of SCM, a survey was conducted among 776 firms in the Republic of Ireland. The empirical results suggest that there is a need for more widespread adoption of SCM among Irish firms. This is particularly the case in relation to the four main elements of SCM excellence reported in this paper. The design of supply chain solutions is a highly skilled, knowledge-intensive and complex activity, reflected in a shift from 'box moving' to the design and implementation of customised supply chain solutions. Education and training needs to be addressed by stimulating the development of industry-relevant logistics and SCM resources and skills.

Risk management in organizations:an integrated case study approach

In any organization, risk plays a huge role in the success or failure of any business endeavour. Measuring and managing risk is a difficult and often complicated task and the global financial crisis of the late noughties can be traced to a worldwide deficiency in risk management regimes. One of the problems in understanding how best to manage risk is a lack of detailed examples of real world practice. In this accessible textbook the author sets the world of risk management in the context of the broader corporate governance agenda, as well as explaining the core elements of a risk management system. Material on the differences between risk management and internal auditing is supplemented by a section on the professionalization of risk – a relatively contemporary evolution. Enterprise risk management is also fully covered. With a detailed array of risk management cases – including Tesco, RBS and the UK government – lecturers will find this a uniquely well researched resource, supplemented by materials that enable the cases to be easily integrated into the classroom. Risk managers will be delighted with the case materials made available for the first time with the publication of this book.

Performance management in the United States and France:four case studies in the retail and airline industries

The profusion of performance measurement models suggested by Management Accounting literature in the 1990’s is one illustration of the substantial changes in Management Accounting teaching materials since the publication of “Relevance Lost” in 1987. At the same time, in the general context of increasing competition and globalisation it is widely thought that national cultural differences are tending to disappear, meaning that management techniques used in large companies, including performance measurement and management instruments (PMS), tend to be the same, irrespective of the company nationality or location. North American management practice is traditionally described as a contractually based model, mainly focused on financial performance information and measures (FPMs), more shareholder-focused than French companies. Within France, literature historically defined performance as being broadly multidimensional, driven by the idea that there are no universal rules of management and that efficient management takes into account local culture and traditions. As opposed to their North American brethren, French companies are pressured more by the financial institutions that fund them rather than by capital markets. Therefore, they pay greater attention to the long-term because they are not subject to quarterly capital market objectives. Hence, management in France should rely more on long-term qualitative information, less financial, and more multidimensional data to assess performance than their North American counterparts. The objective of this research is to investigate whether large French and US companies’ practices have changed in the way the textbooks have changed with regards to performance measurement and management, or whether cultural differences are still driving differences in performance measurement and management between them. The research findings support the idea that large US and French companies share the same PMS features, influenced by ‘universal’ PM models.

Management research in India:current state and future directions

Concerned over the lack of high quality, context specific management research in India, and the predilection of Indian researchers to follow Western models of research and publication blindly, the authors take stock of Indian management research in this round table discussion and debate some of the relevant issues. Urging Indian researchers to strive for the levels of rigour of the Western models, they make a case for confident indigenous scholarship to suit the development and educational requirements of the country, following context-relevant constructs and methodologies in research and developing curricula, materials and modes of dissemination independently. These ideas were also explored at the second Indian Academy of Management Conference held at IIM Bangalore in December 2011. © 2012 Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.