Managing supply networks:organizational roles in network management

This paper describes research findings on the roles that organizations can adopt in managing supply networks. Drawing on extensive empirical data, it is demonstrated that organizations may be said to be able to manage supply networks, provided a broad view of ‘managing’ is adopted. Applying role theory, supply network management interventions were clustered into sets of linked activities and goals that constituted supply network management roles. Six supply network management roles were identified – innovation facilitator, co-ordinator, supply policy maker and implementer, advisor, information broker and supply network structuring agent. The findings are positioned in the wider context of debates about the meaning of management, the contribution of role theory to our understanding of management, and whether inter-organizational networks can be managed.

Procedural justice in procurement management and inclusive interorganizational relations:An institutional perspective

This paper applies the concept of procedural justice to one of the most important focal points of interorganizational relations: the purchaser-supplier relationship. The few extant studies of the concept in the purchaser-supplier domain have overlooked an important aspect of this key relationship: that is, inclusiveness in procurement. This is despite the fact that interest in the specific empirical context of supply chain links between large purchasing organizations (LPOs) and ethnic minority suppliers (EMSs) from disadvantaged communities proceeds apace on both sides of the Atlantic. Institutional theory is used to examine the form that procedural justice takes in eight case studies of LPOs from the private and public sectors, which actively engage with inclusive procurement management initiatives in England. The guiding question is twofold: 'What may LPO approaches to installing procedural justice in procurement management entail?' and 'How are these approaches shaped?' This paper identifies specific approaches to installing procedural justice for inclusive procurement and submits theoretical propositions about how these are shaped. The study contributes to a macro-level assessment of procedural justice, i.e. interorganizational procedural justice, as a significant aspect of inclusive interorganizational relationships, which is a domain in need of theoretical development.

Cooperation in supply chains: A cooperative game theoretic analysis = Együttműködés ellátási láncokban: Egy kooperatív játékelméleti elemzés

A cikkben a kooperatív játékelmélet fogalmait alkalmazzuk egy ellátási lánc esetében. Az ostorcsapás-hatás elemeit egy beszállító-termelő ellátási láncban ragadjuk meg egy Arrow-Karlin típusú modellben lineáris készletezési és konvex termelési költség mellett. Feltételezzük, hogy mindkét vállalat minimalizálja a fontosabb költségeit. Két működési rendszert hasonlítunk össze: egy hierarchikus döntéshozatali rendszert, amikor először a termelő, majd a beszállító optimalizálja helyzetét, majd egy centralizált (kooperatív) modellt, amikor a vállalatok az együttes költségüket minimalizálják. A kérdés úgy merül fel, hogy a csökkentett ostorcsapás-hatás esetén hogyan osszák meg a részvevők ebben a transzferálható hasznosságú kooperatív játékban. = In this paper we apply cooperative game theory concepts to analyze supply chains. The bullwhip effect in a two-stage supply chain (supplier-manufacturer) in the framework of the Arrow-Karlin model with linear-convex cost functions is considered. It is assumed that both firms minimize their relevant costs, and two cases are examined: the supplier and the manufacturer minimize their relevant costs in a decentralized and in a centralized (cooperative) way. The question of how to share the savings of the decreased bullwhip effect in the centralized (cooperative) model is answered by transferable utility cooperative game theory tools.

Emberi erőforrás menedzsment és gyakorlatai a lean termelésben – a tevékenységmenedzsment irodalmának tükrében = Human resource management and practices in lean manufacturing – review of Operations Management’s literature

A lean bevezetése nem korlátozódik a termelés újraértelmezésére, hanem jellemzően a vállalati belső működés (számvitel, emberi erőforrás, beszerzés) és külső kapcsolatok (beszállítók, ellátási lánc) újszervezését is megköveteli. Ezek a kapcsolódási pontok számos, tudományterületek határán fekvő kutatási irányt nyitnak meg. Ebben a tanulmányban a lean termelés és a belső működéshez sorolt emberi erőforrás menedzsment kapcsolatára fókuszálok. Célom, hogy a tevékenységmenedzsment vonatkozó irodalmának áttekintésével bemutassam a lean termelés logikájához illeszkedő emberi erőforrás menedzsmentet, annak jellemző gyakorlatait. = Lean goes beyond manufacturing, implementing its principles usually requires companies to reorganize their companywide internal operations (accounting, human resource, purchasing) and also external relations (supplier, supply chain). This linkages offer several multidisciplinary research directions, this study focuses on the relationship between human resource management and lean production. The main aim of this working paper is to review Operations Management’s literatures on this issue and present the human resource policy and its practices that fit and support lean production.

A Knowledge Management Process-Based Approach to Support Corporate Crisis Management

In the crisis-prone and complex contemporary business environment, modern organisations and their supply chains, large and small, are challenged by crises more than ever. Knowledge management has been acknowledged as an important discipline able to support the management of complexity in times of crisis. However, the role of effective knowledge retrieval and sharing in the process of crisis prevention, management and survival has been relatively underexplored. In this paper, it is argued that organisational crises create additional challenges for knowledge management, mainly because complex, polymorphic and both structured and unstructured knowledge must be efficiently harnessed, processed and disseminated to the appropriate internal and external supply chain actors, under specific time constraints. In this perspective, a process-based approach is proposed to address the knowledge management needs of organisations during a crisis and to help management in establishing the necessary risk avoidance and recovery mechanisms. Finally, the proposed methodological approach is applied in a knowledge- intensive Greek small and medium enterprise from the pharmaceutical industry, producing empirical results, insights on knowledge pathologies during crises and relevant evaluations.

SQMS – A prototype for a supplier quality management system

Within the supply chain, the customer does not simply buy parts or services from suppliers, but also buys supplier capabilities, which results in quality products and services. Having a tool that handles the Inspection as well as the Nonconformance, Complaint, Corrective Action and Concession processes is key to successfully track the supplier performance. Taking as a case study a Supplier Quality Management (SQM) currently in operation in an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for automotive industry, this paper presents a platform to support a Supplier Quality Management System (SQMS), that fits the technical specification ISO/TS 16949 requirements. This prototype is composed by a web platform and a mobile App, having flexibility and mobility as key main characteristics.

A Performance Management Framework for Managing Sustainable Collaborative Enterprise Networks

Part 15: Performance Management Frameworks

Combination of product quality management and exports: The case of Colombian fruits companies

Quality management provides to companies a framework to improve quality in overall systems, reduction of costs, reallocation of resources efficiently, correct planning of strategies, prevent or correct errors in the right time and increase the performance of companies. In this text, we discuss the different theories in this field, their obligatory or non-obligatory compliance, the importance of quality management for exporting companies and a case study of a Colombian firm that its main objective is to manage quality. In conclusion, we find out that there is different types of quality management systems such as Juran’s trilogy, Deming 14 points, Six sigma, HACCP, and so on; also that companies have to manage suppliers and that quality has a positive influence on exports volume; in the case of Colombian small and medium enterprises, it can be mentioned that the majority has implemented tools regarding quality management but is not enough.

Analytics and Methods for Logistic System Design and Operations Management

Analytics is the technology working with the manipulation of data to produce information able to change the world we live every day. Analytics have been largely used within the last decade to cluster people’s behaviour to predict their preferences of items to buy, music to listen, movies to watch and even electoral preference. The most advanced companies succeded in controlling people’s behaviour using analytics. Despite the evidence of the super-power of analytics, they are rarely applied to the big data collected within supply chain systems (i.e. distribution network, storage systems and production plants). This PhD thesis explores the fourth research paradigm (i.e. the generation of knowledge from data) applied to supply chain system design and operations management. An ontology defining the entities and the metrics of supply chain systems is used to design data structures for data collection in supply chain systems. The consistency of this data is provided by mathematical demonstrations inspired by the factory physics theory. The availability, quantity and quality of the data within these data structures define different decision patterns. Ten decision patterns are identified, and validated on-field, to address ten different class of design and control problems in the field of supply chain systems research.

Methods and tools to foster territorial approaches for the assessment of food supply chains

The challenges of the current global food systems are often framed around feeding the world's growing population while meeting sustainable development for future generations. Globalization has brought to a fragmentation of food spaces, leading to a flexible and mutable supply chain. This poses a major challenge to food and nutrition security, affecting also rural-urban dynamics in territories. Furthermore, the recent crises have highlighted the vulnerability to shocks and disruptions of the food systems and the eco-system due to the intensive management of natural, human and economic capital. Hence, a sustainable and resilient transition of the food systems is required through a multi-faceted approach that tackles the causes of unsustainability and promotes sustainable practices at all levels of the food system. In this respect, a territorial approach becomes a relevant entry point of analysis for the food system’s multifunctionality and can support the evaluation of sustainability by quantifying impacts associated with quantitative methods and understanding the territorial responsibility of different actors with qualitative ones. Against this background the present research aims to i) investigate the environmental, costing and social indicators suitable for a scoring system able to measure the integrated sustainability performance of food initiatives within the City/Region territorial context; ii) develop a territorial assessment framework to measure sustainability impacts of agricultural systems; and iii) define an integrated methodology to match production and consumption at a territorial level to foster a long-term vision of short food supply chains. From a methodological perspective, the research proposes a mixed quantitative and qualitative research method. The outcomes provide an in-depth view into the environmental and socio-economic impacts of food systems at the territorial level, investigating possible indicators, frameworks, and business strategies to foster their future sustainable development.

Modelagem e gestão das perdas no suprimento de tomates para processamento industrial

O suprimento de tomates para processamento industrial é uma atividade relativamente complexa. Plantas industriais de larga escala necessitam de elevados volumes diários de matéria-prima. Por outro lado, há alta perecibilidade dos frutos e a colheita ainda é predominantemente manual. Um modelo matemático foi desenvolvido com o propósito de entender objetivamente o processo de suprimento de tomate e, também, vislumbrar possibilidades de sua otimização. A simulação a partir do modelo pode gerar cenários que, quando comparados com o desempenho efetivamente observado em campo, evidenciam a importância da gestão acurada, com a presença de potenciais ganhos financeiros expressivos na cadeia de suprimentos a partir da redução de tempos, perdas e custos. As perdas de produto poderiam ser reduzidas de mais de 2% para algo inferior a 1%. A menor capacidade ociosa traduzir-se-ia em um menor custo de oportunidade e aumento de receita. Para uma fábrica com um consumo de tomates de 336 mil toneladas por ano, a melhoria no suprimento de matéria-prima poderia resultar em ganhos estimados em R$ 6 milhões por ano.

Antecedentes do relacionamento e da performance em empresas da cadeia de suprimentos: estruturação e aplicação de modelos de equações estruturais

The relationship between companies is an important issue in the management of supply chains. Several aspects relating to the flow and exchange of information along the chain are considered as having a decisive influence on the success of this relationship. The main objective of this work was to structured and test models that link aspects of this nature with performance and the purchaser-supplier relationship in the supply chain. Aspects relevant to communication and the use do IT in relationships between companies were investigated. The importance of performance in this relationship was also investigated. The research were based on empirical data obtained by means of structural equation modeling. The results show that some aspects contribute in a significant way to the success of this relationship while others that, a priori, are considered important make no contribution.

An overview of APSIM, a model designed for farming systems simulation

The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) is a modular modelling framework that has been developed by the Agricultural Production Systems Research Unit in Australia. APSIM was developed to simulate biophysical process in farming systems, in particular where there is interest in the economic and ecological outcomes of management practice in the face of climatic risk. The paper outlines APSIM's structure and provides details of the concepts behind the different plant, soil and management modules. These modules include a diverse range of crops, pastures and trees, soil processes including water balance, N and P transformations, soil pH, erosion and a full range of management controls. Reports of APSIM testing in a diverse range of systems and environments are summarised. An example of model performance in a long-term cropping systems trial is provided. APSIM has been used in a broad range of applications, including support for on-farm decision making, farming systems design for production or resource management objectives, assessment of the value of seasonal climate forecasting, analysis of supply chain issues in agribusiness activities, development of waste management guidelines, risk assessment for government policy making and as a guide to research and education activity. An extensive citation list for these model testing and application studies is provided. Crown Copyright (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Produção científica brasileira em gestão de operações no período 2000-2010

Este estudo analisa temas e métodos de pesquisa trata-tes nos artigos analisados, houve convergência entre o dos por pesquisadores brasileiros da área de Gestão de que foi publicado pelos autores brasileiros no Brasil e Operações por meio de dois vetores complementares: a nos periódicos estrangeiros, com destaque para supply relevância e o rigor. Inicialmente, contemplaram-se os chain management e estratégia de operações. No que últimos 10 anos das principais revistas brasileiras da área tange ao rigor metodológico, um dos principais desafios de Administração. Complementarmente, analisaram-se presentes é atentar para as mudanças em curso acerca periódicos internacionais mais relevantes da área de de orientação metodológica dos estudos em Gestão de Gestão de Operações. Quanto aos temas mais frequen-Operações no cenário internacional.

HACCP numa indústria corticeira: implementação, identificação de pontos críticos e proposta de acções correctivas

Mestrado em Engenharia Química