Strategies for designing and developing services for manufacturing firms

Product/service-systems (PSS) are in effect an approach to designing integrated products and services with a focus on both customer and product life cycle activities. A range of service-oriented design strategies can be found in current literature, from product-oriented DfX approaches to more customer-oriented approaches, such as integrated solutions. In this article, design strategies related to different types of services are mapped. Case studies from two industrial companies are used to confront the existing literature in order to improve the understanding of how manufacturing companies may align their product and service development activities with their business strategies. © 2010.

Product scheduling for thermal energy reduction in papermaking industries

Papermaking is considered as an energy-intensive industry partly due to the fact that the machinery and procedures have been designed at the time when energy was both cheap and plentiful. A typical paper machine manufactures a variety of different products (grades) which impose variable per-unit raw material and energy costs to the mill. It is known that during a grade change operation the products are not market-worthy. Therefore, two different production regimes, i.e. steady state and grade transition can be recognised in papermaking practice. Among the costs associated with paper manufacture, the energy cost is 'more variable' due to (usually) day-to-day variations of the energy prices. Moreover, the production of a grade is often constrained by customer delivery time requirements. Given the above constraints and production modes, the product scheduling technique proposed in this paper aims at optimising the sequence of orders in a single machine so that the cost of production (mainly determined by the energy) is minimised. Simulation results obtained from a commercial board machine in the UK confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method. © 2011 IFAC.

Market-pull and technology-push in manufacturing start-ups in emerging industries

Purpose - As traditional manufacturing, previously vital to the UK economy, is increasingly outsourced to lower-cost locations, policy makers seek leadership in emerging industries by encouraging innovative start-up firms to pursue competitive opportunities. Emerging industries can either be those where a technology exists but the corresponding downstream value chain is unclear, or a new technology may subvert the existing value chain to satisfy existing customer needs. Hence, this area shows evidence of both technology-push and market-pull forces. The purpose of this paper is to focus on market-pull and technology-push orientations in manufacturing ventures, specifically examining how and why this orientation shifts during the firm's formative years. Design/methodology/approach - A multiple case study approach of 25 UK start-ups in emerging industries is used to examine this seldom explored area. The authors offer two models of dynamic business-orientation in start-ups and explain the common reasons for shifts in orientation and why these two orientations do not generally co-exist during early firm development. Findings - Separate evolution paths were found for strategic orientation in manufacturing start-ups and separate reasons for them to shift in their early development. Technology-push start-ups often changed to a market-pull orientation because of new partners, new market information or shift in management priorities. In contrast, many of the start-ups beginning with a market-pull orientation shifted to a technology-push orientation because early market experiences necessitated a focus on improving processes in order to increase productivity or meet partner specifications, or meet a demand for complementary products. Originality/value - While a significant body of work exists regarding manufacturing strategy in established firms, little work has been found that investigates how manufacturing strategy emerges in start-up companies, particularly those in emerging industries. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Making the case for inclusive design.

This paper describes the University of Cambridge, Engineering Design Centre's (EDC) case for inclusive design, based on 10 years of research, promotion and knowledge transfer. In summary, inclusive design applies an understanding of customer diversity to inform decisions throughout the development process, in order to better satisfy the needs of more people. Products that are more inclusive can reach a wider market, improve customer satisfaction and drive business success. The rapidly ageing population increases the importance of this approach. The case presented here has helped to convince BT, Nestlé and others to adopt an inclusive approach.

A systematic approach for improving the quality of official statistics: Case of Korean information and telecommunication industry

With the rapid growth of information and communication technology (ICT) in Korea, there was a need to improve the quality of official ICT statistics. In order to do this, various factors had to be considered, such as the quality of surveying, processing, and output as well as the reputation of the statistical agency. We used PLS estimation to determine how these factors might influence customer satisfaction. Furthermore, through a comparison of associated satisfaction indices, we provided feedback to the responsible statistics agency. It appears that our model can be used as a tool for improving the quality of official ICT statistics. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Product intelligence in industrial control: Theory and practice

This paper explores the evolving industrial control paradigm of product intelligence. The approach seeks to give a customer greater control over the processing of an order - by integrating technologies which allow for greater tracking of the order and methodologies which allow the customer [via the order] to dynamically influence the way the order is produced, stored or transported. The paper examines developments from four distinct perspectives: conceptual developments, theoretical issues, practical deployment and business opportunities. In each area, existing work is reviewed and open challenges for research are identified. The paper concludes by identifying four key obstacles to be overcome in order to successfully deploy product intelligence in an industrial application. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inclusive design and the bottom line: How can its value be proven to decision makers?

Designing technology products that embrace the needs and capabilities of heterogeneous users leads not only to increased customer satisfaction and enhanced corporate social responsibility, but also better market penetration. Yet, achieving inclusion in today's pressured and fast-moving markets is not straight-forward. For a time, inaccessible and unusable design was solely seen as the fault of designers and a whole line of research was dedicated to pinpointing their frailties. More recently, it has become progressively more recognised that it is not necessarily designers' lack of awareness, or unwillingness, that results in sub-optimal design, but rather there are multi-faceted organisational factors at play that seldom provide an adequate environment in which inclusive products could be designed. Through literature review, a detailed audit of inclusivity practice in a large global company and ongoing research regarding quantification of cost-effectiveness of inclusive design, this paper discusses the overarching operational problems that prevent organisations from developing optimally inclusive products and offers best-practice principles for the future. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Product intelligence in warehouse management: A case study

The need for more flexible, adaptable and customer-oriented warehouse operations has been increasingly identified as an important issue by today's warehouse companies due to the rapidly changing preferences of the customers that use their services. Motivated by manufacturing and other logistics operations, in this paper we argue on the potential application of product intelligence in warehouse operations as an approach that can help warehouse companies address these issues. We discuss the opportunities of such an approach using a real example of a third-party-logistics warehouse company and we present the benefits it can bring in their warehouse management systems. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.

A value mapping tool for sustainable business modelling

Purpose: Although business models that deliver sustainability are increasingly popular in the literature, few tools that assist in sustainable business modelling have been identified. This paper investigates how businesses might create balanced social, environmental and economic value through integrating sustainability more fully into the core of their business. A value mapping tool is developed to help firms create value propositions better suited for sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: In addition to a literature review, six sustainable companies were interviewed to understand their approaches to business modelling, using a case study approach. Building on the literature and practice, a tool was developed which was pilot tested through use in a workshop. The resulting improved tool and process was subsequently refined through use in 13 workshops. Findings: A novel value mapping tool was developed to support sustainable business modelling, which introduces three forms of value (value captured, missed/destroyed or wasted, and opportunity) and four major stakeholder groups (environment, society, customer, and network actors). Practical implications: This tool intends to support business modelling for sustainability by assisting firms in better understanding their overall value proposition, both positive and negative, for all relevant stakeholders in the value network. Originality/value: The tool adopts a multiple stakeholder view of value, a network rather than firm centric perspective, and introduces a novel way of conceptualising value that specifically introduces value destroyed or wasted/ missed, in addition to the current value proposition and new opportunities for value creation. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

The industrial emergence of commercial inkjet printing

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate how supply and demand interact during industrial emergence. Design/methodology/approach: The paper builds on previous theorising about co-evolutionary dynamics, exploring the interaction between supply and demand in a study of the industrial emergence of the commercial inkjet cluster in Cambridge, UK. Data are collected through 13 interviews with professionals working in the industry. Findings: The paper shows that as new industries emerge, asynchronies between technology supply and market demand create opportunities for entrepreneurial activity. In attempting to match innovative technologies to particular applications, entrepreneurs adapt to the system conditions and shape the environment to their own advantage. Firms that successfully operate in emerging industries demonstrate the functionality of new technologies, reducing uncertainty and increasing customer receptiveness. Research limitations/implications: The research is geographically bounded to the Cambridge commercial inkjet cluster. Further studies could consider commercial inkjet from a global perspective or test the applicability of the findings in other industries. Practical implications: Technology-based firms are often innovating during periods of industrial emergence. The insights developed in this paper help such firms recognise the emerging context in which they operate and the challenges that need to overcome. Originality/value: As an in depth study of a single industry, this research responds to calls for studies into industrial emergence, providing insights into how supply and demand interact during this phase of the industry lifecycle. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

The adoption of sustainable remediation behaviour in the US and UK: a cross country comparison and determinant analysis.

The sustainable remediation concept, aimed at maximizing the net environmental, social, and economic benefits in contaminated site remediation, is being increasingly recognized by industry, governments, and academia. However, there is limited understanding of actual sustainable behaviour being adopted and the determinants of such sustainable behaviour. The present study identified 27 sustainable practices in remediation. An online questionnaire survey was used to rank and compare them in the US (n=112) and the UK (n=54). The study also rated ten promoting factors, nine barriers, and 17 types of stakeholders' influences. Subsequently, factor analysis and general linear models were used to determine the effects of internal characteristics (i.e. country, organizational characteristics, professional role, personal experience and belief) and external forces (i.e. promoting factors, barriers, and stakeholder influences). It was found that US and UK practitioners adopted many sustainable practices to similar extents. Both US and UK practitioners perceived the most effectively adopted sustainable practices to be reducing the risk to site workers, protecting groundwater and surface water, and reducing the risk to the local community. Comparing the two countries, we found that the US adopted innovative in-situ remediation more effectively; while the UK adopted reuse, recycling, and minimizing material usage more effectively. As for the overall determinants of sustainable remediation, the country of origin was found not to be a significant determinant. Instead, organizational policy was found to be the most important internal characteristic. It had a significant positive effect on reducing distant environmental impact, sustainable resource usage, and reducing remediation cost and time (p<0.01). Customer competitive pressure was found to be the most extensively significant external force. In comparison, perceived stakeholder influence, especially that of primary stakeholders (site owner, regulator, and primary consultant), did not appear to have as extensive a correlation with the adoption of sustainability as one would expect.

自助银行集成应用系统CSBS

本文全面地论述了自助银行集成应用系统(CSBS)的研制开发及这一系统的结构、性能和软硬件特色。论文前一部分阐明了系统的开发背景，系统模型的建立，整体的系统结构（包括详细的软硬件设计）；接着从系统应用方面给出了一个使用说明；然后从系统的可靠性及系统的应用性能方面进行了总结以及介绍本人具体完成的工作；最后一部分探讨了一个解决银行业务系统安全的方案。CSBS自助银行集成应用系统是一个从事金融业务的专用系统，采用Client/Server软件结构，涉及终端通讯技术、磁卡技术、IC卡技术、打印技术，安全加密技术等许多硬件及软件技术。CSBS自助银行集成应用系统是一项完全依靠自身技术进行开发的高新技术项目，其功能超过国外同类系统，价格低于国外同类产品，使用存折、储蓄卡、信用卡、IC卡实现银行服务业务，具有明显的市场效益和应用前景。

基于契约的客户需求驱动型供应链分销协调研究

供应链协调在国际供应链管理领域备受关注，是涉及多学科高度交叉、知识广泛集成的前沿热点研究领域。它综合了经济学、管理学、营销学、现代网络及信息科学等技术，通过供应链各利益实体之间竞争、协作，实现供应链整体效益的提升。其作为我国实现产业结构优化升级的重要途径，已经成为企业继自然资源、人力资本后的第三个利润增长源泉。 本论文在深入研究供应链管理、供应链协调及契约理论的基础上，分析指出了供应链契约协调研究发展的趋势。依据该趋势本文主要研究的内容是对当前供应链契约协调理论研究的补充和扩展。本文立足于解决我国供应链管理及协调中诸多实际问题，针对现代市场环境中客户需求个性化、多样性及不确定性的特点，研究了供应链契约的统一框架，方法及技术路线，重点研究了客户需求驱动的供应链分销契约协调问题，建立了不同条件下的契约优化模型，给出基于博弈均衡解的一系列证明，并分析了契约参数对供应链整体及各成员绩效的影响，最后基于SOA架构设计并实现了契约自动协商平台。论文的主要研究内容包括以下4个方面： 1. 建立了多对一供应链、确定性客户需求、完全信息下的契约优化模型。基于多个竞争的制造商和一个独立的、共同的零售商组成的多对一供应链分销过程，在客户需求与零售价线性相关、双方掌握完全信息的情况下，针对零售商的保留利润内生给定的特点，建立了收入共享契约框架下的Stackelberg博弈模型和数量折扣契约、两部费用契约下的契约参数优化模型；分析了契约的不同提供方、契约类型的选择和契约参数的优化对供应链整体绩效及利润在各方分配的影响；证明了当制造商所提供的产品具有高度可替代性时，实际增加了零售商的内生保留利润，即增强了零售商相对于制造商的议价能力，在这种情况下，制造商将更倾向于提供批发价契约而不是较为复杂的契约形式。最后通过数值仿真实验，分析验证了上述理论研究的结果。 2．构建了两阶段供应链、短视客户需求、不对称信息、产能约束条件下的混合契约优化模型。针对由单制造商和单零售商组成的双寡头垄断供应链、基于短视客户需求的报童模型、各方需求预测信息不对称的情况，建立了由预购契约和回购契约组成的改进型回购契约优化模型。通过该契约模型同时实现了协同预测、产能优化和供应链分销协调的目的。通过数值仿真实验，验证了改进型回购契约下的供应链协调。通过风险-利润边际和信息不对称度阐述了两段供应链无效性的原因。 3．建立了三阶段供应链、策略型需求、完全信息下的契约优化模型。在由制造商、零售商和理性客户组成的三阶段供应链结构中，根据理性客户及其对产品需求具有策略性的特点，基于零售商和客户间的理性预期均衡构建了研究策略型客户行为的模型框架。分析了集中式供应链绩效与批发价契约及价格补偿契约下分散式供应链绩效的关系，得出在这些契约协调下的策略型客户需求驱动型供应链分销渠道中，分散式供应链绩效严格优于集中式供应链绩效的创新性结论。 4．构建了基于SOA的契约自动协商平台。综合上述契约优化理论研究结论和已有的研究成果，抽象、封装了包含契约类型和契约参数的契约优化服务模型库。基于面向服务的体系架构（SOA）思想，运用数据挖掘软件Weka细化客户需求类型及供应链环境，采用Web Service技术封装各种契约服务，利用企业服务总线（ESB）提供各服务组件绑定、交互和管理通道，以及通过BPEL建模工具对各种服务进行符合逻辑的编排、重组和发布。通过所构建的契约协商平台，实现了供应链分销过程中契约协商的网络化、自动化、智能化和柔性化。

基于WEB支持的市场客户管理系统的设计

本文阐述了采用Ｉｎｔｅｒｎｅｔ／Ｉｎｔｒａｎｅｔ技术和利用ＡＳＰ实现数据的动态发布技术以及基于分布网络环境下的异地设计与制造技术，设计了基于ｗｅｂ的支持机器人异地设计制造的市场客户管理系统，从而探讨了Ｂｒｏｗｓｅｒ／Ｓｅｒｖｅｒ结构的数据库发布系统的设计方法。

鞍钢冷轧厂制造执行系统研究

鞍钢新轧钢股份有限公司冷轧厂制造执行系统(MES)覆盖了从接收用户合同到产品发货的整个生产经营活动。接收用户合同后,系统自动生成优化的主生产计划、要料计划和机组作业计划,在生产过程中,系统对生产状况进行全面跟踪,对出现的异常情况进行合理调度,并且,冷轧MES与上游厂、公司ERP、过程控制系统和厂级管理系统连成一体,协同工作。该软件在实际应用中取得了令人满意的效果。