INFLUENCE OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES ON THE BASIC DRIVERS OF THE EUROPEAN MANUFACTURERS PROFITABILITY

Obtaining substantial financial benefits from supply chain management initiatives is of central importance to senior management. In this study we empirically investigate the impact of the basic drivers of profitability that are influenced by supply chain initiatives (i.e., revenues, costs, fixed assets and working capital) on the profitability of more than 20,000 large and mid-size European manufacturers. The existence of correlations among the basic drivers of profitability indicates that supply chain initiatives can have multiple (sometimes unintended) consequences, and points to the importance of managing and controlling all basic drivers simultaneously. In particular, our analysis reveals that despite the growing importance of supply chain management, the surveyed companies were not able to improve their operating profit margin and cash-to-cash cycle time simultaneously, resulting in their inability to increase profitability as fast as their revenues. This suggests that top-line initiatives cannot improve profitability, without effective supply chain initiatives to manage costs and assets

Analysis of Multi-Cell Production Systems Considering Cell Size and Worker Flexibility

This simulation study investigates the performance of a number of multi-cell configurations generated by altering the cell size, worker flexibility and shop type, under a variety of experimental conditions. The experimental factors considered are product mix balance, due date tightness, and setup-to-processing-time ratio. The study is motivated by the challenges faced by an electronic manufacturer to design an efficient and effective multi-cell production system. The results demonstrate that everything else being equal, small cells perform better under low setup times and loose-to-moderate due date tightness levels, while larger cells perform better under high setup times and tight due date environments. Furthermore, the performance of larger cells is more robust with respect to due date tightness factor than that of smaller cells. It is also shown that the presence of some routing flexibility in the shop significantly enhances the performance of the small cells. However, shops with no routing flexibility need to be large to perform effectively, especially when facing constraints such as tight due dates and extreme product mix unbalance

Being parent of a child with congenital heart disease, what does it mean? A qualitative research

Abstract Background Childbirth is one of the invaluable human experiences and is associated with parental happiness. However, when a child is born with congenital heart disease, it creates emotional and mental distress. As a result, it changes the parents’ response to their child birth. Exploring parenthood experiences add to the body of knowledge and reveal new perspectives. In order to make healthcare professionals able to support these children and their families, they should first understand the meaning of this phenomenon. This study aimed to explore the meaning of parenting a child with Congenital Heart Disease in Iran. Methods A qualitative study was adopted with a conventional content analysis approach and constant comparative analysis. Participants in this study were 17 parents, including parents of children with congenital heart disease who were selected by purposeful sampling method. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection and continued to data saturation. Data were analyzed via MAXQDA 10 software. Results Four categories and twenty three subcategories emerged as meaning of parenting a child with Congenital Heart Disease. Categories include “Emotional breakdown”, “The catastrophic burden of care”, “Spiritual beliefs of parents” and “The hard road” Conclusions Fully understanding the life experience of these families will allow the implementation of targeted health interventions. Hence, by understanding the meaning of parenting a child with Congenital Heart Disease, healthcare professionals can asses parents emotional statues, information and spiritual needs, financial condition, insurance and marital status using CHD standards so that support is individualized, sensitive and time appropriate. </jats:sec

Analysis Of Scheduling Schemes In A Random Flexible Manufacturing System

The increased use of flexible manufacturing systems to efficiently provide customers with diversified products has created a significant set of operational challenges for managers. Many issues concerning procedures and policies for the day-to-day operation of these systems are still unresolved. Previous studies in this area have concentrated on various problems by isolating or simplifying the systems under study. The primary objective of this study is to extend previous research by examining the performance of scheduling rules in a more realistic flexible manufacturing system (FMS) environment. Experimental factors considered are shop load, routing flexibility, shop configuration, and system breakdowns. Results indicate that in the presence of total routing flexibility, the effects of shop load, shop configuration, system breakdowns, and scheduling rules are significantly dampened. In particular, when total routing flexibility exists, the choice of scheduling rules is not critical. Fi..