6,195 research outputs found
The changing geography of the European automobile system
Based on the research done by the European thematic network CoCKEAS (FP6), the paper analyses the recent changes in the European automobile geography. It discusses the impacts of the EU enlargement: integration of Central and Eastern European countries and new spatial competition for Southern European countries (Spain, Portugal). The study of the geographic distribution of automobile production within Europe focuses on the dynamic of specialisation of regions through collective learning processes, and the clustering of design and assembly activities (supplier parks).automobile industry, cluster, Europe, location, proximity, spatial division of labour
A Case Study Of E-Supply Chain & Business Process Reengineering Of A Semiconductor Company In Malaysia
Penglibatan e-perniagaan dalam rantaian bekalan telah mewujudkan e-rantaian bekalan yang baru (e-SC) di
firma-firma tempatan dan global.
Due to globalization and advancement in information technology (IT), companies adopt best practices in
e-business and supply chain management to be globally competitive as both are realities and prospects in 21st century
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From Supply Chains to Total Product Systems
The evolution of supply chain management and practice has had an integral and expanding role in contemporary global economic and socio-political change over the past 25 years or so. Thi srole is moving closer to centre stage with the emergence of business models equating to 'total product systems'. The impacts of advanced supply chain practice include driving fundamental changes in approach to product design, the concept of 'product', production methods, distribution, marketing, aftermarket support and end-of-life (EOL) reprocessing. Viewed in their full context, methods in supply chain management (SCM) have major influences on societal functioning and on economic development at global, national and local levels. Even the supply chains for simple products can involve several different industries and link many companies, large and small. Those for complex products may span several technological domains and economic sectors, linking hundreds or sometimes thousands of companies
Collaborative improvement as an inspiration for supply chain collaboration
The battlefield of competition is today moving from the level of\ud
individual firms to the one of the extended enterprises, that is, networks of customers and their suppliers. This paper discusses how learning and continuous improvement today take place in processes based on daily collaboration at intercompany level, i.e. Extended Manufacturing Enterprises (EMEs). The purpose of the paper is to present a preliminary theory on Collaborative Improvement (CoI), i.e. continuous improvement at the EME level. Based on a literature review on Supply Networks, and Continuous Improvement and on evidence from two explorative case studies, the paper proposes a model for Collaborative Improvement in EMEs and discusses a research approach based on Action Research and Action Learning to further develop preliminary theory and actionable knowledge on how to foster and sustain CoI in EMEs
Technological practices in the European auto industry: Exploring cases from Belgium, Germany and Portugal
The relation between work organisation and technological practices in auto industry is analysed in this article. The concept of âtechnological practiceâ in this sector is used to describe the specific ways of embedding information and communication technology applications into the organizational forms and cultural patterns. This concept was developed with the Sowing project (TSER, DG XII) and that approach included either the shop floor co-operation up to the regionally based networks of companies and supporting institutions. The authors studied different sectors in the automotive firms of different European countries (Germany, Belgium and Portugal): shopfloor and production lines, design and management and the local inter-relationships. It was underlined some evidencies of the different alternatives in terms of technological practices for the same sector. Much of the litterature try to disseminate an idea of a single (and optimum) organisational model for the same type of product. And here, even with the same type of technology, and of product (medium-high range), one can find different models, different cultures, different ways of organising the industrial structure (firms, regional institutions, R&D centres) in the same sector (auto industry).Automobile sector; technological practice; Information and Communication Technologies; work organisation; industrial structure; production models
An empirical study of future changes in the European car industry
The automotive supplier industry and the relationship between car manufacturers
and suppliers has been confronted with major changes resulting from OEMs'
strategy of stronger product integration and the building of so-called systems, sub-systems
and components and segmentation of the supplier industry. Former valid
work processes, division of work, organisational structures and also, the general
manufacturer-supplier relationship has been subject to intensive evaluation and
appropriate adaptation to the changed circumstances.
This research project aims to investigate these changes in the European car
industry in greater detail, particularly:
The OEMs' system-building strategy
What requirements OEMs must meet at the individual supplier levels
(system, sub-system, component) and
The main factors involved in the development of a more efficient
relationship between OEMs and suppliers.
To achieve this object, various activities were undertaken including the collecting
of information from previous studies, preparing standardised questionnaires and
performing investigations within the European car industry and also at a major
automotive supplier. The work is based on empirical investigations and personal
interviews conducted with key persons in automobile companies and automotive
suppliers with the aim of painting a picture of the future situation and developing a
proposal based on the information compiled. Finding answers to the above-mentioned
issues may be very important and useful in determining internal
organisational structure and resource allocation and in making strategic decisions
in respect of alliances and collaborations when preparing one's own business for
the even fiercer competition that will face automobile suppliers in the future
The Japanese model in retrospective : industrial strategies, corporate Japan and the 'hollowing out' of Japanese industry
This article provides a retrospective look at the Japanese model of industrial development. This model combined an institutional approach to production based around the Japanese Firm (Aoki's, J-mode) and strategic state intervention in industry by the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). For a long period, the alignment of state and corporate interests appeared to match the wider public interest as the Japanese economy prospered. However, since the early 1990s, the global ambitions of the corporate sector have contributed to a significant 'hollowing out' of Japan's industrial base. As the world today looks for a new direction in economic management, we suggest the Japanese model provides policy-makers with a salutary lesson in tying the wider public interest with those of the corporate sector
Buyer-supplier relationships influence on traceability implementation in the vegetable industry
The increasing importance of food safety has made traceability a crucial issue in the agri-business industry. In this article, we have analysed the factors that shape the buyer-supplier relationships, and how they influence the traceability of raw materials. In order to do so, first, we have made a literature review to develop an analytical framework. Next, we have carried out four case studies on vegetable firms with the purpose of uncovering the variables that characterise buyer-supplier relationships, and its influence on traceability in this sector. Finally, we have compared the observed links with the conceptual framework derived from the literature in order to build and improved model
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