Pilot study reviewing the receptivity for change of the business improvement department and the core leadership programme

Consultancy report for the Deputy Chief Constable, Warwickshire Police

Controlo Interno como factor de melhoria empresarial - estudo de caso prático Centro de Emprego e Formação Profissonal Santa Cruz

A problemática do controlo interno como factor de melhoria empresarial, foi a que orientou esta pesquisa realizada no CEFPSC (Centro de Emprego e Formação Profissional de Santa Cruz). É que, segundo Morais & Martins (2007, pág. 27) existe controlo adequado quando a gestão planeou e organizou, isto é, concebeu, de tal modo que foi assegurado uma garantia razoável que os riscos da organização foram adequadamente geridos e de que os objectivos e metas da organização serão alcançados de forma eficiente e económica. Sendo assim, é de notar a importância desta ferramenta em traçar estratégias de gestão no processo decisório, servindo assim de uma mais-valia à entidade com vista a permitir responder à questão: Em que medida o controlo interno tem sido utilizado como método de apoio à gestão do Centro de Emprego e Formação Profissional de Santa Cruz? Este trabalho tem como objectivo compreender a actuação e a contribuição do Controlo Interno na gestão eficiente do CEFPSC. As informações foram recolhidas mediante a aplicação de um questionário de controlo interno e entrevistas ao Responsável do CEFPSC, bem como ao Presidente do IEFP, enquanto órgão central. O tratamento dos dados foi realizado com auxílio informático, utilizando, para tal, o programa Excel.

Operatiivisen tehokkuuden kehittäminen ja mittaaminen logistiikkapalveluissa

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää, miten operatiivista tehokkuutta tulee kehittää ja mitata logistiikkapalveluissa. Tutkimuksen empiirinen aineisto koostui haastatteluista, joihin osallistui seitsemän logistiikkapalveluyrityksen edustajaa ja kuusi logistiikkapalveluyrityksen asiakasyritysten edustajaa. Haastatteluiden jälkeen jokaista edustajaa pyydettiin vastaamaan kyselyyn, jonka tarkoituksena oli todentaa haastatteluiden keskeisimpien tulosten paikkansapitävyys. Tutkimuksen perusteella hyötyjä voidaan saavuttaa: 1) hyödyntämällä sopivia kehitystyökaluja järjestelmällisesti, 2) kehittämällä toimipistekohtaisia mittaristoja ja hyödyntämällä niitä eri käyttötarkoituksiin, 3) suunnittelemalla kehitystoimintaa toimipistekohtaisesti, 4) raportoimalla ja dokumentoimalla kehitystoimintaa sekä toimipisteen sisällä että koko organisaation laajuudella sekä 5) kehittämällä prosesseja eri liiketoimintayksiköissä koko organisaation laajuisen kehitystyöryhmän avulla. Lisäksi tutkimuksesta kävi ilmi, minkälaisia kriteereitä asiakkaat arvostavat logistiikkapalveluyrityksen toiminnassa, mihin kehitystoimet tulisi ensisijaisesti kohdistaa sekä minkälaisia mittareita ja mittaamisen viitekehyksiä voidaan hyödyntää operatiivisen tehokkuuden mittaamisessa.

(Re)shaping the South Bank: the (post)politics of sustainable place-making

While the private sector has long been in the vanguard of shaping and managing urban environs, under the New Labour government business actors were also heralded as key agents in the delivery of sustainable places. Policy interventions, such as Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), saw business-led local partnerships positioned as key drivers in the production of economically, socially and environmentally sustainable urban communities. This research considers how one business-led body, South Bank Employer’s Group (SBEG), has inserted itself into, and influenced, local (re)development trajectories. Interview, observational and archival data are used to explore how, in a neighbourhood noted for its turbulent and conflictual development past, SBEG has led on a series of regeneration programmes that it asserts will create a “better South Bank for all”. A belief in consensual solutions underscored New Labour’s urban agenda and cast regeneration as a politically neutral process in which different stakeholders can reach mutually beneficial solutions (Southern, 2001). For authors such as Mouffe (2005), the search for consensus represents a move towards a ‘post-political’ approach to governing in which the (necessarily) antagonistic nature of the political is denied. The research utilises writings on the ‘post-political’ condition to frame an empirical exploration of regeneration at the neighbourhood level. It shows how SBEG has brokered a consensual vision of regeneration with the aim of overriding past disagreements about local development. While this may be seen as an attempt to enact what Honig (1993: 3) calls the ‘erasure of resistance from political orderings’ by assuming control of regeneration agendas (see also Baeten, 2009), the research shows that ‘resistances’ to SBEG’s activities continue to be expressed in a series of ways. These resistances suggest that, while increasingly ‘post-political’ in character, local place shaping continues to evidence what Massey (2005: 10) calls the ‘space of loose ends and missing links’ from which political activity can, at least potentially, emerge.

Análise dos benefícios do edi para a competitividade logística das organizações

The concept of EDI -Electronic Data Interchange is normally used to determine integration technologies between companies. Logistically, this implies in the integrationbetween enterprises in supply chain, involving the electronic transmission of data and thus reducing human intervention in the process, still favoring organizational performance. This study investigated the main benefits of EDI for organizational competitiveness and its possible impacton improving logistics performance of four companies comprising large national networks. Through multiple case studieswere able to identify common features that the use of EDI can favorer these companies. The results were significant and assume that the use of this tool can add value to logistics, primarily through streamlining processes, inventory optimization, cost reduction and performance improvement potential. Thus, the use of Electronic Data Interchange as a strategic tool for logistics proved, through this study, an efficient alternative for business improvement and good practice, able to leverage competitive advantages not only for individual companies, but also for the entire supply chain.

Knowledge management and strategic orientation: leveraging innovativeness and performance

Purpose - The aim of this study is to investigate whether knowledge management (KM) contributes to the development of strategic orientation and to enhance innovativeness, and whether these three factors contribute to improve business performance. Design/methodology/approach - A sample of 241 Brazilian companies was surveyed, using Web-based questionnaires with 54 questions, using ten-point scales to measure the degree of agreement on each item of each construct. Structural equation modeling techniques were applied for model assessment and analysis of the relationships among constructs. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and path analysis using the technique of structural equation modeling were applied to the data. Findings - Effective KM contributes positively to strategic orientation. Although there is no significant direct effect of KM on innovativeness, the relationship is significant when mediated by strategic orientation. Similarly effective KM has no direct effect on business performance, but this relationship becomes statistically significant when mediated by strategic orientation and innovativeness. Research limitations/implications - The findings indicate that KM permeates all relationships among the constructs, corroborating the argument that knowledge is an essential organizational resource that leverages all value-creating activities. The results indicate that both KM and innovativeness produce significant impacts on performance when they are aligned with a strategic orientation that enables the organization to anticipate and respond to changing market conditions. Originality/value - There is a substantial body of research on several types of relationships involving KM, strategic orientation, innovativeness and performance. This study offers an original contribution by analyzing all of those constructs simultaneously using established scales so that comparative studies are possible.

Servitization and enterprization in the construction industry:the case of a specialist subcontractor

The current economic climate and a continuing fall in output of the UK construction industry has led to falling prices and margins particularly affecting those lower down in the supply chain such as specialist subcontractors. Coen Ltd. is one such company based in the West Midlands. Faced with a need to up its game it has embarked on a business improvement programme concentrating on better operational efficiency, building stronger client relationships and delivering value added services. Lacking appropriate internal resources Coen has joined with Aston Business School in a 2 year ERDF sponsored project to fulfil the transformation programme. The paper will describe the evolution of product- service offerings in construction and link this with the work being carried out at Coen with Aston and outline the anticipated outcomes.

Improvement of Lipton’s business model through wholesalers and traditional supermarkets channel

Field Lab in Entrepreneurial Innovative Ventures

Personality development; a practical self-teaching course, comprising health, posture, dress, grooming, voice and speech, conversation, social and business etiquette, self-confidence, poise, living and working with others, acquiring background, improvement of mind and character, achieving success and happiness,

"Suggestions for reading" at end of some of the chapters.

Building business cases for maintenance improvement projects

Many maintenance managers find it difficult to justify investments in maintenance improvement initiatives. In part, this is due to a tendency by mine managers to regard maintenance purely as a cost centre, and not as a process able to influence productive capacity and profit. It is also hindered by a lack of alignment between commonly used maintenance performance measures and key business drivers, and the lack of formal business training amongst maintenance professionals. With this in mind, a model to assist maintenance managers in evaluating the benefits of maintenance improvement projects was recently formulated. The model considers four cost saving dimensions. These are: 1. reduction in the cost of unplanned repairs and maintenance, 2. increased or accelerated production and/or sales, 3. spares inventory reduction, and 4. reduction in over-investment in physical assets and operating costs. This paper discusses the application of this model and a number of numerical examples are given to justify investments in maintenance improvement projects having varying objectives.

Developing and evaluating a methodology for business process improvement

Purpose – There appears to be an ever-insatiable demand from markets for organisations to improve their products and services. To meet this, there is a need to provide business process improvement (BPI) methodologies that are holistic, structured and procedural. Therefore, this paper describes research that has formed and tested a generic and practical methodology termed model-based and integrated process improvement (MIPI) to support the implementation of BPI; and to validate its effectiveness in organisations. This methodology has been created as an aid for practitioners within organisations. Design/methodology/approach – The research objectives were achieved by: reviewing and analysing current methodologies, and selecting a few frameworks against key performance indicators. Using a refined Delphi approach and semi-structured interview with the “experts” in the field. Intervention, case study and process research approach to evaluating a methodology. Findings – The BPI methodology was successfully formed and applied by the researcher and directly by the companies involved against the criteria of feasibility, usability and usefulness. Research limitations/implications – The paper has demonstrated a new knowledge on how to systematically assess a BPI methodology in practice. Practical implications – Model-based and integrated process improvement methodology (MIPI) methodology offers the practitioner (experienced and novice) a set of step-by-step aids necessary to make informed, consistent and efficient changes to business processes. Originality/value – The novelty of this research work is the creation of a holistic workbook-based methodology with relevant tools and techniques. It extends the capabilities of existing methodologies.