A Systematic Review of the Implementation of Lean Six Sigma Tools to Improve the Logistics of Retail Businesses

Currently, retail businesses must be as competitive as possible, and for this, their logistics system must be efficient and optimal; however, it is known that these have various problems such as longer delivery times, product delivery errors, offering a quality of service that meets customer expectations, etc. To solve these problems, the implementation of Lean Six Sigma tools was proposed, and a systematic review of the literature was carried out to determine which Lean Six Sigma tool is the most frequent and expose the benefits provided to the logistics system of retail businesses. A combination of keywords was used in prestigious databases such as Web of Science, Scopus and Pro-Quest to search for academic articles. On the other hand, for the analysis and classification of each article, categories and subcategories were used for synthesizing the information from each research work. To determine which tool is the most frequent, the number of articles were quantified if they applied an LSS tool and met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Regarding the results, after carrying out the systematic review of the literature, the DMAIC tool was the most frequent and provided benefits such as a reduction in the number of complaints, a reduction in lead time, operations costs reduction, among others

Organizational Agility

The current competitive environment is characterized by high-intensity rivalry in a dynamic and uncertain environment. The ability to respond swiftly and effectively to these changes is a necessity that separates successful organizations from those that flounder. This paper reviews the concept of organizational agility by exploring the current understanding of the concept, relevant literature and a conceptual framework. Potential avenues for further research are explored

The Evolution of the World Motor Vehicle Production in the Period 2018-2022

The automotive industry has always represented a key sector within the economy of any country. Moreover, its significant contribution to the gross domestic product of many countries transformed this industry into one of the main pillars of the global economy. Therefore, numerous countries have built and produced various motor vehicles on different continents. The purpose of the paper is to briefly present and analyze the evolution of the world motor vehicle production on the four continents (Europe, America, Asia-Oceania, and Africa) in the period 2018-2022. The research methodology is based on a qualitative research method. The paper shows that the pre-pandemic period was a better period for the automotive industry than the pandemic period. Also, it demonstrates that AsiaOceania dominates the production hierarchy by continents

Nomura Research Institute: Gaining and sustaining long-term advantage through information technology

How have U.S. and Japanese firms organized and managed the process of becoming recognized leaders in using information technology (IT) to achieve long-term sustainable advantage? The cases support an initial research hypothesis: leading U.S. and Japanese software users are very sophisticated in the ways they have integrated software into their business strategies. They use IT to institutionalize organizational strengths and to continually capture the knowledge generated by their business operations. As an introduction to the specifics of the case presented in this paper for Nomura Research, an outline of the focus of the project and the general methodology used is presented here. In addition, there is an overview of the historical importance of customized software in Japan and how that compares to the United States

THE EVOLUTION OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY IN ROMANIA IN THE PERIOD 2019-2022

The digital economy has become a key issue for both theoreticians and practitioners worldwide, especially in the last decade. It is based on various forms of technology, such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and blockchain. The aim of the paper is to briefly present and analyse the evolution of the digital economy in Romania in the period 2019-2022. In this respect, the authors used a qualitative research method. The results show that the period 2019-2022 witnessed a slight decrease in Romania’s performance related to the Digital Economy and Society Index. The paper indicates that despite its efforts, Romania has scored well below the other EU countries. However, the adoption of several measures in favor of digitalisation proved its clear commitment to building a functional digital economy

A Dictionary of Japanese Management and Business Culture

TARTU ÜLIKOOL TÕLKEKESKUS Kätlin Põldma A Dictionary of Japanese Management and Business Culture. Jaapani ärijuhtimise ja -kultuuri seletav sõnastik. (magistritöö) 2014 Lehekülgede arv: 137 The dictionary compiled in the framework of this MA project introduces 319 terms used in English texts in connection with Japanese management and business culture. As Japanese business culture has characteristic features and cultural nuances that need to be understood by those coming into contact with Japanese companies in the business context, this dictionary aims at explaining the cultural and linguistic aspects of relevant terms, with particular emphasis placed on the use of Japanese terms in English. The MA project comprises and introductory part, in which the main characteristics of Japanese management and business culture, the role of the Japanese language in English, the compilation process and principles of the dictionary and the problems encountered are outlined. This is followed by the dictionary, in which the terms are provided with definitions in English, example sentences and, in the case of Japanese terms, with the headword in Japanese script and an explanation of its literal meaning and structure, where relevant. The dictionary is based on various books and articles on Japanese business, glossaries found online as well as some corpora

Innovation at the Global Level: An Analysis of the Global Innovation Index in the Period 2021-2023

The last decades have seen an increase in entrepreneurial development based on innovation. Having access to innovation and setting up a business in a country that can serve as an innovationenabler can increase the degree of attractiveness of that respective country. Governments around the world have adopted innovation-centered views and implemented relevant policies to serve as a driver for reaching high competitiveness and to ensure a more rapid economic and, implicitly, social progress. The aim of the paper is to present the top ten countries in the world in their evolution specific to the Global Innovation Index (GII) for the 2021-2023 period. The research methodology is based on a qualitative method. The paper shows that the top ten ranked countries in the world using this specific index remained the same for the investigated period, also maintaining a fairly constant relative position for the three years subject to analysis, Switzerland being the acknowledged leader

FROM TRADITION TO TRANSFORMATION: THE ROLE OF DIGITALIZATION IN ADVANCING BUSINESS MODEL INNOVATION

This study examines the impact of digitalization on business model innovation within the automotive industry, comparing traditional manufacturer BMW with electric vehicle pioneer Tesla. The research explores how digital technologies catalyze transformation in legacy companies and enable innovation in new entrants. Utilizing a comparative case study methodology, this paper analyzes the strategies employed by both companies to integrate digitalization into their business models. For BMW, the focus is on digital transformation initiatives and their integration with traditional automotive manufacturing. Conversely, Tesla is evaluated on its digital-native approach that disrupts the conventional market landscape. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, collecting both qualitative data from interviews with industry experts and quantitative data from market performance metrics. Findings suggest that digitalization offers diverse pathways to innovation, with BMW capitalizing on efficiency gains and incremental innovation, while Tesla leverages its digital core for radical innovation and market differentiation. The study contributes to the discourse on digital transformation by highlighting the need for a nuanced understanding of how digitalization can be harnessed for business model innovation. This is crucial for traditional companies aiming to remain competitive and for newcomers seeking to disrupt the industry. The implications of this research extend beyond the automotive sector, offering insights into the digitalization processes applicable to a wide range of industries facing similar transformative challenge