Qualitative Case Studies in Operations Management: Trends, Research Outcomes, And Future Research Implications

Our study examines the state of qualitative case studies in operations management. Five main operations management journals are included for their impact on the field. They are in alphabetical order: Decision Sciences, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Journal of Operations Management, Management Science, and Production and Operations Management. The qualitative case studies chosen were published between 1992 and 2007. With an increasing trend toward using more qualitative case studies, there have been meaningful and significant contributions to the field of operations management, especially in the area of theory building. However, in many of the qualitative case studies we reviewed, sufficient details in research design, data collection, and data analysis were missing. For instance, there are studies that do not offer sampling logic or a description of the analysis through which research out-comes are drawn. Further, research protocols for doing inductive case studies are much better developed compared to the research protocols for doing deductive case studies. Consequently, there is a lack of consistency in the way the case method has been applied. As qualitative researchers, we offer suggestions on how we can improve on what we have done and elevate the level of rigor and consistency

Дослідження системи операційного менеджменту організації, на прикладі Apple Computer, Inc

The object of investigation is the process of managing of operating activities of Apple, Inc. The aim of the work is to formulate theoretical approaches and to develop practical recommendations on directions of improvement of operating management at the organization. Research methods cover methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison, detailing, system approach. This master’s research paper analyzes the operational management of Apple, Inc. and provides recommendations for it’s improvement. In particular, the main directions of solving the problems of operational management of the company have been outlined, the proposals on improvement of expansion distribution network and organization of innovative activity of the Apple Inc. have been made.Об'єкт дослідження ‒ процес управління операційною діяльністю компанії Apple, Inc. Мета дослідження - формування теоретичних підходів та розробка практичних рекомендацій щодо напрямів вдосконалення системи операційного менеджменту компанії Apple, Inc. Методи дослідження: методи аналізу, синтезу, порівняння, деталізації, системний підхід. У роботі проведено аналіз операційного менеджменту Apple, Inc., а також викладені рекомендації щодо його вдосконалення. Зокрема, окреслено основні напрями вирішення проблем операційного менеджменту компанії, внесено пропозиції щодо розширення дистриб’юторської мережі, а також вдосконалення організації інноваційної діяльності Apple Inc.Introduction 6 CHAPTER 1 THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT 8 1.1 Meanings and definition of operational management 8 1.2 Principles and methods of operations management 12 1.3 Factors affecting the Operations activity of Apple Inc. company 21 CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS 31 2.1 Сompany introduction 31 2.2 SWOT - analysis of Apple Inc. Company 46 2.3 Analysis of operation management at Apple Inc 50 CHAPTER 3 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING OF OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT AT THE APPLE INC 63 3.1 The main directions of solving operational management problems of the company 63 3.2 Recommendations concerning improvements of Distribution in the organization 65 3.3 Recommendations concerning improvements of innovative activity at the organization 67 CHAPTER 4 SPECIAL PART 73 4.1 Current trends in the field 73 4.2 Company policy in the market 75 CHAPTER 5 RATIONALE FOR RECOMMENDATIONS 77 5.1 Statement for recommendations at Company 77 CHAPTER 6 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY AT THE ENTERPRISE 79 6.1 The aim of occupational health 79 6.2 Organization of occupational health and safety at the enterprise 86 CHAPTER 7 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 92 7.1 Environmental issues in the field 92 7.2 Еnvironmental factors 94 Conclusions 96 References 98 Appendices 10

Small-medium engineering enterprises and e-business: executive summary

A preferred methodology for handling increasing customer demands and the resulting complexity is to design common modules or subsystems. The design of all the modules required by a complex system, such as a car, aeroplane or computer, is increasingly a task beyond the organisational resources of the OEMs and their close suppliers. Therefore, a larger burden is transferred down the supply chain. As a consequence, lower tier suppliers are required to play a more proactive role and demonstrate an appropriate breadth of skills and resources in order to provide complete sub-systems. This research focuses on collaboration and e-business for a solution which will enable engineering SMEs to respond to such challenges and undertake higher value projects. In particular, the aim of this engineering doctorate is to develop and implement a mechanism that puts together combinations of SMEs with the required capability, within an e-business environment. Accounting for 99.3% of all manufacturing companies and 50.8% of the total employment, SME prosperity and `well-being' has significant impact on the national economy. Analyses, such as these provided by KPMG and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, indicate that the demand for common components could substantially reduce the number of small manufacturers and subcontractors. Statistics published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) confirm the decline of the sector, a reduction of over 22% in overall sector turnover has been reported in the past two years. Although, improved communication links through collaboration and `e' enablement could permit SMEs to move towards a more enriched business model, there is evidence that ebusiness take-up and success in Europe among engineering businesses is low. For instance, focusing on on-line sales, the eEurope 2004 benchmarking report admits that only 14% of SMEs make on-line sales and in only 7% of SMEs do on-line sales constitute more than 5% of their overall sales. The vast majority of companies still continue to rely on old trusted methods of doing business even though outsourcing to lower cost regions and countries is a major threat to many engineering SMEs in Europe. Access to specific competences drives organisations to collaborate with each other. Focusing on the organisational competence, a notion which expresses the key skills and capabilities of an organisation, an ICT based methodology has been developed and tested in this research. The `Competence Profiling Methodology' facilitates collaborative business processes. The methodology enables the discovery of appropriate collaborators for the development and manufacture of complex systems by matching complimentary competences and softer factors. These ideas were developed and tested within two SME projects in the West Midlands, Autocle@r and Autolean 3, as well as with the DTI funded Manufacturing Advisory Service - West Midlands, a one-stop shop to assist manufacturing SMEs. The results from these projects were used to develop a practical portal architecture, to help e-enable engineering SMEs. The resulting West Midlands Collaborative Commerce Marketplace, has over 2000 SME members, has had over 40,000 tenders through the system and over 100 companies are using collaborative spaces to coordinate resources. A key conclusion of this research is that traditional e-business is poorly suited to engineering SMEs being very standard product orientated. Skills and capabilities are far more generic than end products and focusing on them can support more effective eenablement of engineering companies. Results from the WMCCM (www.wmccm.co.uk) project confirm this

Business aspect

This chapter discusses the business requirements of technology to be developed in support of VEs. It first describes new business directions that have come into existence in the manufacturing industry like the automotive domain. Next, it treats new criteria that have to be met by industries to become or remain successful in new market situations. Finally, new business structures are discussed that (have to) emerge as a consequence of the new directions and criteria

e-Business challenges and directions: important themes from the first ICE-B workshop

A three-day asynchronous, interactive workshop was held at ICE-B’10 in Piraeus, Greece in July of 2010. This event captured conference themes for e-Business challenges and directions across four subject areas: a) e-Business applications and models, b) enterprise engineering, c) mobility, d) business collaboration and e-Services, and e) technology platforms. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methods were used to gather, organize and evaluate themes and their ratings. This paper summarizes the most important themes rated by participants: a) Since technology is becoming more economic and social in nature, more agile and context-based application develop methods are needed. b) Enterprise engineering approaches are needed to support the design of systems that can evolve with changing stakeholder needs. c) The digital native groundswell requires changes to business models, operations, and systems to support Prosumers. d) Intelligence and interoperability are needed to address Prosumer activity and their highly customized product purchases. e) Technology platforms must rapidly and correctly adapt, provide widespread offerings and scale appropriately, in the context of changing situational contexts

Current trends on ICT technologies for enterprise information s²ystems

The proposed paper discusses the current trends on ICT technologies for Enterprise Information Systems. The paper starts by defining four big challenges of the next generation of information systems: (1) Data Value Chain Management; (2) Context Awareness; (3) Interaction and Visualization; and (4) Human Learning. The major contributions towards the next generation of information systems are elaborated based on the work and experience of the authors and their teams. This includes: (1) Ontology based solutions for semantic interoperability; (2) Context aware infrastructures; (3) Product Avatar based interactions; and (4) Human learning. Finally the current state of research is discussed highlighting the impact of these solutions on the economic and social landscape

Enhancing competitive advantage through successful lean realisation within the Aviation Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) industry

Purpose: Lean is increasingly being applied within the aviation Maintenance and Repair (MRO) Industry to mitigate industry challenges. This Lean application is premised on its success within other industrial contexts particularly the automotive industry. Furthermore, many organisations within automotive industry have attributed their enhanced competitive positioning to the Lean application. Indeed, Toyota (a pioneer of Lean) present Lean as a key proponent to its global success. However, with literature suggesting that there cannot be a direct transference of Lean from one industry to another and with the MRO having distinct characteristics different from the automotive industry, this research seeks to present how competitive advantage can be achieved through successful Lean realisation. Design/Methodology/Approach: The status of MRO Lean engagements presented is first presented based on the syntheses of literature review and empirical study (facilitate by an industry-wide survey). The means through which the MRO realises its value proposition is established and the structural assessment of the MRO industry as it pertains to competitiveness is also defined. The role of Lean in enhancing the value delivery system to enhance competitive positioning is operationalised through a case study. Findings: Using Porter’s forces of competition, this research establishes the competitive MRO landscape revealing the distinct characteristics of the MRO industry and how Lean can be accurately appropriated to enhance competitive advantage. The MRO Value Delivery System (VDS) is also delineated providing the complete system within which Lean is to be deployed (as opposed to the prevalent limited application of Lean in operational context alone). The case exemplar successfully validates and operationalises the approach to Lean application within MRO to enhance competitive advantage. Research Limitations: A case study example was used for this research, and whilst the outcomes were consistent with the research proposal, it still requires wider validation. Practical and Social Implications: This research demystifies and helps MRO organisations in assessing their Lean engagements but also in provide a roadmap and informs their strategy in improving their competitive status through Lean realisation