Continual learning with a Bayesian approach for evolving the baselines of a leagile project portfolio

This article introduces a Bayesian learning approach for planning continuously evolving leagile project and portfolio baselines. Unlike the traditional project management approach, which uses static project baselines, the approach proposed in this study suggests learning from immediately prior experience to establish an evolving baseline for performance estimation. The principle of Pasteur’s quadrant is used to realize a highly practical solution, which extends the existing wisdom on leagile continuous planning. This study compares the accuracy of the proposed Bayesian approach with the traditional approach using real data. The results suggest that the evolving Bayesian baselines can generate a more realistic measure of performance than traditional baselines, enabling leagile projects and portfolios to be better managed in the continuously changing environments of today

Outsourcing in Healthcare Through Process Modularization - A Lean Perspective

Looking for efficiency, quality and profitability gains, healthcare organizations are adopting outsourcing solutions in the attempt of “doing more with less”. Seeking for cost reduction, risk mitigation, adapting to quick changes without compromising internal resources, these organizations also take big risks in control and flexibility variables. In order to understand how healthcare organizations find the best value equation combining internal and external resources in a modular service conception, a case study on a start‐up Long‐term Care unit with innovative format, great levels of customization and following an outsourcing strategy, was carried out. The main conclusion, among others, is that in ambitious start‐ups, having speed of entrance as the conditioning factor, a process orientation and management approach may offer a clear view of the gains related with trade‐off decisions regarding time and cost (agility) and cost and quality (Leanness) ie, decisions under the “leagile” paradigm. This study contributes for a wider understanding of the “leagile” concept associated to an outsourcing operational strategy. Additionally, it also provides new insights to the concept of modularity in services settings in a complex service as healthcare

Méthodologie de transformation leagile en développement de produits pour l'industrie du luxe

Les entreprises de l industrie du luxe sont aujourd hui soumises à une pression constante de la part des marchés pour développer et produire une plus grande variété de nouveaux produits dans des délais toujours plus courts. Néanmoins, cela doit se réaliser en répondant tout à la fois aux critères fondamentaux de l industrie tels que concevoir l unique, réaliser l extravagance et rendre le produit à son plus haut niveau de qualité. L amélioration des processus de développement de produits par les paradigmes du lean et de l agilité connus sous le terme leagility peut apporter des réponses à ces défis. Poursuivis conjointement, les objectifs du lean et de l agilité se focalisent d une part sur l élimination des gaspillages tout en créant un flux continu sur la chaîne de valeur et d autre part, se concentrent sur une réponse proactive face à la demande des marchés. Cependant, considérant la multiplicité de techniques et d outils leagiles, il n est pas simple pour une organisation de sélectionner les initiatives de transformation les plus performantes ainsi que les activités à réaliser afin de répondre efficacement aux besoins d amélioration spécifique relatifs aux objectifs stratégiques de l entreprise. Définir, déployer et piloter un plan de transformation cohérent par rapport à la vision de l organisation et considérant son niveau de maturité d adoption des bonnes pratiques en développement de produits requièrent une rigueur et une implication soutenue des membres de l organisation ainsi qu une vision claire des objectifs à atteindre lesquels s illustreront par des résultats tangibles et mesurables. Reconnaissant cette difficulté industrielle, cette thèse propose une méthodologie de transformation leagile en développement de produits permettant de conduire la transformation d une organisation sur tout son cycle de vie allant de l initialisation de la vision jusqu au pilotage des initiatives d amélioration leagiles de manière incrémentale. En d autres termes, l approche soutient les utilisateurs et les guide dans la conduite d un diagnostic de maturité, dans la sélection des leviers d amélioration appropriés, dans le choix des outils et des techniques d amélioration associés ainsi que dans la construction et dans le déploiement d un plan d intervention reposant sur une séquence détaillée d activités prenant en compte les bonnes pratiques de la conduite du changement..Luxury industry companies are subjected to constant pressure from markets to develop and produce more varieties of new products in shorter delays. Nevertheless, this must be realized without compromising fundamental criterion such as designing unique products, developing extravagance, achieving top quality level and renewing the offering while, at the same time, retaining the brand image and elitism of the product. Lean and agile concepts, known by the term leagility , offer potential answers for facing these challenges and to improve product development processes . Pursued together, lean and agile objectives focalize on waste elimination while creating a continuous flow on the value chain. However, considering the large number of leagile techniques and tools, it is not easy for an organization to select the most efficient transformation initiatives and the most adequate activities to be implemented to meet achieve their strategic objectives. Defining, deploying, and steering a consistent transformation plan in line with the organisation s vision and its level of maturity in terms of adoption of best practices calls for rigour and considerable involvement of the organisation members, as well as a clear vision of the objectives to be achieved. This thesis proposes a leagile transformation methodology for guiding industrials in a product development organisation transformation along its entire life cycle from the definition of a clear vision to the deployment of leagile improvement initiatives. The proposed approach supports users in conducting a maturity diagnostic, in selecting appropriate levers for improvement, in choosing related tools and related improvement techniques with the aim of constructing, and rolling out a transformation plan which relies on change management best practices.PARIS-Arts et Métiers (751132303) / SudocSudocFranceF

Leagile strategies for optimizing the delivery of prefabricated house building projects

Australian housing supply has not been responded at a rate commensurate with its growing demand. Residential housing sector is facing this serious shortage issue by actively developing and effectively using new construction material, processes and practices for sustaining its competitive advantage over other construction sectors in the Australian context. The Construction 2020 report confirmed prefabrication/off-site manufacturing (OSM) as a critical vision for the Australian construction industry’s future, as OSM provides opportunities for not only increased productivity and safety, but also decreased cost. It also has the capability of meeting the growing housing demand within the extant level of skilled labour. By combining lean and agile concepts, OSM’s supply responsiveness and efficiency can be intensified. The current research studies the association between demand–supply housing imbalance factors using mixed methods from literature and interviews. Literature has documented four main factors that drive this imbalance: (1) housing completion time; (2) cost of a finished house; (3) customer preferences and (4) level of skilled labour. Interviews with 13 industry professionals identified the four main leagile strategies used to deliver prefabricated building projects. Literature and interview findings supported the development and validation of multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) model comprising and incorporating these factors (and subfactors) and the four leagile strategies. The choice of the appropriate strategy to address the studied factors within the Australian context was optimized using analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The results from the AHP model show the suitability of applying each strategy at different degrees as influenced by the tested factors

Lean and agility in the healthcare sector: the case of hospital de Lamego

JEL Classification System: M11 – Production Management; I15 – Health and Economic DevelopmentHealthcare services have been subject of various research aiming at process improvement under a lean approach. Another perspective – Agility – has also been used, though in a lower scale, in order to analyse the ability of different hospital services to adapt to demand uncertainties. Both perspectives have a common denominator, the assessment of effectiveness and efficiency of the services in a healthcare setting context. The present research aims to analyse the impacts of the combination of both perspectives in the effectiveness and efficiency of an hospital service. The adopted methodology is based on a case study approach applied to the process of the ambulatory surgery service of Hospital de Lamego. Data was collected from direct observations, formal interviews and informal conversations. This process has been selected according to three criteria, which were fully met. The customer of the process was identified as well as his perception of value. The process has been mapped using a flow chart, on a process modelling perspective, as well as through the use of Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Process Activity Mapping and Spaghetti Diagram, which have enabled the identification of three types of waste and improvement suggestions. The results point out that leagility cannot be applied to the process, but the application of lean and agility would bring benefits in both efficiency and effectiveness, and contribute to value creation if improvements are introduced in hospital’s human resources and facilities management.Os serviços de saúde têm sido alvo de diversos estudos tendo em vista a melhoria de processos de acordo com uma perspetiva Lean. Outra perspetiva – Agility – tem também sido usada, embora em menor escala, de forma a analisar a habilidade de diferentes serviços hospitalares em se adaptarem às incertezas da procura. Ambas perspetivas têm um denominador comum, a avaliação da eficácia e da eficiência dos serviços dentro de um contexto de prestação de cuidados de saúde. O presente estudo destina-se a analisar os impactos da combinação das duas perspetivas, na eficácia e eficiência de um serviço hospitalar. A metodologia adotada baseia-se num caso de estudo aplicado ao processo de um serviço de cirurgia de ambulatório no Hospital de Lamego. Foram feitas observações diretas, entrevistas formais e conversas informais para a recolha de dados. Este processo foi selecionado seguindo três critérios, sendo todos eles cumpridos. O cliente do processo foi identificado bem como a sua perceção de valor. O processo foi desenhado usando um fluxograma, na ótica de modelação de processos, assim como através do uso de outras ferramentas como o Value Stream Mapping, Process Activity Mapping e Spaghetti Diagram, tendo sido possível identificar três tipos de desperdício, sendo apresentadas sugestões de melhoria. Os resultados indicam que o conceito de leagility não pode ser aplicado no processo, mas a aplicação de medidas lean e agile traria benefícios tanto na sua eficácia como na sua eficiência, contribuindo para a criação de valor para o cliente, se as melhorias forem introduzidas na gestão dos recursos humanos e instalações do hospital

Inovação e gestão da cadeia de abastecimento: estratégias, capacidades e o efeito do alinhamento sobre o desempenho das empresas

Innovation and supply chain management are two topics of great importance in the academic world and present great potential to generate sustainable competitive advantage for firms. If, on one hand, innovation allow the creation of new products and services and the improvement of business processes, helping to achieve new markets, an adequate management of the supply chain is fundamental for the improvement of the services provided to clients and for the achievement of better operational and financial performance. The relationship between innovation and supply chain management has gained importance in the last years and has been addressed in two different approaches: the importance of collaboration among supply chain partners to innovation; and the relationship between the two processes or areas within firms, which is the least explored and is the target of the present research. As a way to contribute to the development of knowledge regarding the relationship between innovation and supply chain management, the main objective of this thesis is, using the concept of fit as a basis, examine how supply chain strategies affect the relationship between innovation capabilities and business performance. The study is developed under a positivist paradigm and under the lens of the Resource-based View (RBV). To test the research hypotheses, formulated from the developed theoretical model, a survey was conduct on firms from Portugal and Brazil, with a total of 329 responses, and data were analysed by means of statistical methods, especially cluster analysis, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), linear regression, hierarchical regression and structural equation modelling. Results show differences in the antecedents of the adoption of the different supply chain strategies; confirm the impact of innovation capabilities on business performance; and indicates the moderator effect of supply chain strategies on the relationship between innovation capabilities and business performance. The study contributes in a variety of ways to theory, especially by means of the creation of a theory regarding the impact of supply chain strategies on the relationship between innovation capabilities and business performance and on the antecedents and consequences of the adoption of different supply chain strategies. The results also contribute to practice, providing references to decision making regarding the choice of the right capacities and strategies to be developed and adopted by firms according to internal and external requirements.Inovação e gestão da cadeia de abastecimento são temas de grande importância e que apresentam elevado potencial para geração de diferencial competitivo sustentável para as empresas. Se, por um lado, a inovação permite a criação de novos produtos ou serviços e o alcance de novos mercados, uma gestão adequada da cadeia de abastecimento revela-se fundamental para a entrega dos produtos e serviços prestados aos clientes e para a obtenção de melhores resultados operacionais e financeiros pelas empresas. A relação entre inovação e gestão da cadeia de abastecimento, que ganhou muita importância nos meios acadêmico e empresarial nos últimos anos, tem sido estudada com dois diferentes enfoques: a relação das empresas com os seus parceiros de cadeia de abastecimento com vista à inovação; e a relação entre os dois processos ou áreas dentro das empresas, sendo este último o menos explorado e o alvo da presente investigação. De forma a contribuir para o desenvolvimento do conhecimento relativamente à relação entre inovação e gestão das cadeias de abastecimento, esta investigação tem como principal objetivo, usando como base o conceito de fit, estudar como as estratégias de gestão das cadeias de abastecimento afetam a relação entre as capacidades de inovação e o desempenho dos negócios das empresas. O estudo segue um paradigma positivista e utiliza a visão baseada em recursos (RBV) como principal teoria de base. Para testar as hipóteses da investigação, formuladas a partir do modelo teórico desenvolvido, um questionário foi aplicado a empresas de Portugal e do Brasil, tendo sido obtidas 329 respostas, e os dados foram analisados com recurso a métodos estatísticos, com destaque para a aplicação de análise de clusters, análise de variância (ANOVA), regressão linear, regressão hierárquica e análise de equações estruturais. As análises realizadas demonstram as diferenças na aplicação e nos resultados relativamente à adoção das estratégias de gestão da cadeia de abastecimento; confirmam o impacto das capacidades de inovação sobre o desempenho das empresas; e comprovam o efeito moderador das estratégias de gestão das cadeias de abastecimento sobre esta relação. O estudo apresenta contribuições para o meio académico, por meio da criação de uma modelo teórico sobre o impacto das estratégias de gestão das cadeias de abastecimento na relação entre as capacidades de inovação e o desempenho das empresas; e para a prática, fornecendo referências para a tomada de decisão relativamente à definição de estratégias e capacidades a desenvolver.Programa Doutoral em Engenharia e Gestão Industria