Business Case for the Application of Lean Design at XYZ, Inc.

This field project is an exercise in developing change in a business where aging strategies threaten the competitiveness of the business as a whole. Research and analysis into the market, for XYZ, Inc., are used to build the case that the market has changed. Old methods of competing are no longer effective at maintaining the market lead. Recent loss of the market lead is direct evidence that the company has not been paying attention to the low-end of the market and that a new strategy is needed. The current method of Lean Design is explored as it relates to revitalizing businesses, without the higher risk of new product development. Exploring the history and expert commentary of Lean Enterprise helps the reader develop insight into the correct way to achieve positive results for a business and how to avoid common pitfalls. To help XYZ executive management understand the benefits of Lean Design, a pilot project is proposed. Two project approaches will be addressed. The first project, Project A, is the first impression method, which explores the expected question of: Why not implement the change on all Appliance-A products? The purpose of addressing Project A before jumping to the best solution is to preemptively prevent the project from starting off on a high-risk path. The second project, Project B, is the best-result method, which explores the lowest-risk with highest-gain approach. Creating a small win for the business, without risk, should pave the way for a positive improvement in the organization and allow for a strategy, which could lead to an eventual recovery in the market. Operational metrics combined with project estimates clearly shows that capital investment for these projects will be recovered quickly. Sensitivity analysis for the projects shows which elements are the most critical. Finally, an intuitive understanding of the project risks directs a clear path for the best choice. Implementation of Lean Enterprise is a complex endeavor and requires efforts that transcend this business case. The final portion of this field project points out several areas where further research and analysis could augment a fuller more complete implementation of Lean Enterprise

The challenges for sustainable skills development in the UK automotive supply sector: policy and implementation

Original paper can be found at: http://www.gerpisa.univ-evry.fr/rencontre/16.rencontre/GERPISAJune2008/home.htmlThe European Automotive industry is a key strategic player in the European Union with an estimated 10 million workers. The majority of these work in the supply chain (CLEPA 2005). As a major employer, the sector must work to maintain its competitive edge if it is to keep that workforce engaged.Final Accepted Versio

Управління міжнародним бізнесом: Agility Journey для високотехнологічних компаній

The purpose of the article is the development of recommendations for the business maturity determination and measurement in the implementation of the agile approach for high-tech companies. Methods of analysis of documents, observation, personal and in-depth interviews, case studies have been used in the research. The findings of the research: Business Agility Journey has been suggested for defining the state of the maturity of the company and conducting express diagnostics of agility. Agile Project Management Journey has been developed for the identification of weaknesses by the companies in the path to agility, as well as for the determination of events for the transition from the traditional to the agile approach. Personal Agility Checklist has been designed for testing the soft skills of employees for the presence of the agile mindset. Research limitations include the study of the maturity of companies in the IT industry. Practical implications are based on the use of suggested Agility Journeys in defining the state of maturity and main problems on the transition path. Also, Personal Agility Checklist will help to check the agility of the future employees. The originality of the article is based on the uniqueness of the Agility Journey that has been developed for the first time. Further research on this topic should be focused on the development of an agile mindset as a prerequisite for the provision of agility in the company.Метою статті є розробка рекомендацій щодо визначення та вимірювання зрілості бізнесу при впровадженні еджайл-підходу для високотехнологічних компаній. У дослідженні використовуються методи аналізу документів, спостереження, особистого та глибинного інтерв’ю та кейс-стаді. Розроблено Business Agility Journey для визначення стану зрілості компанії та проведення експрес-діагностики еджайльності. Agile Project Management Journey було розроблено для визначення компаніями своїх слабких сторін, а також заходів для переходу від традиційного до еджайльного підходу. Personal Agility Checklist був створений для перевірки «гнучких навичок» (soft skills) співробітників на наявність гнучкого мислення (agile mindset). Обмеження досліджень включають вивчення зрілості компаній ІТ-галузі. Практична значущість ґрунтується на використанні запропонованих Agility Journeys для визначення стану зрілості та основних проблем на шляху переходу. Також Personal Agility Checklist допоможе перевірити еджайльність майбутніх працівників. Оригінальність статті базується на унікальності Agility Journey, яка була розроблена вперше. Подальші дослідження на цю тему доцільно зосередити на розвитку гнучкого мислення як передумови забезпечення еджайльності в компанії

Mediation Effect of Lean: A Bidirectional Synergetic Relationship with SCM for Higher Operational Performance

Competitive plants focus their efforts on reducing manufacturing costs and waste along their production chains. Hence, manufacturing programs with important practices and methodologies such as lean, JIT, TPM, and Kaizen have been embraced. However, an empirical investigation of simultaneous use of several manufacturing programs representing multiple facets of lean is lacking in the literature. Various studies have found that some supply chain management practices are bi-directionally related to lean, but its holistic measurement in relation to supply chain management is still lacking. Thus, this paper provides an evidence of mediation effect of lean from high performance manufacturing (HPM) project perspective in relation to supply chain management

Manufacturing Management Practices in the Western Balkans

In this report, we investigate the quality of management practices in manufacturing plants in the Western Balkans. In particular, we focus on modern operations, quality of monitoring, target setting and talent management. Drawing on 385 survey responses from plant managers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia and Serbia, we find that management practices scores are similar in all four countries. Our results also show significant variation in management scores across industries and ownership types of the plants. Furthermore, the plants owned by foreign MNCs were found to be better run than domestic plants in all types of management practices in all four countries. Trying to answer the question which MNC HQ resources significantly affect the level of management practices in their subsidiary plants, we find that the average HQ country level of management practices is positively associated with the level of management practices in their subsidiary plants. This effect is even stronger when the HQ provides written procedures and trainings to subsidiary plants to help them implement the best practices from the HQ. Finally, based on the personal interviews with managers in 28 plants, we highlight external conditions that prevent the plants from improving their management practices

Lean project management during the construction phase of South African public sector projects : the perspective of construction project managers.

M. Sc. Const. Man. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg 2015.In construction, the progress of the project is driven primarily by the programme and the Construction Project Manager (CPM). The project programme sets out the basis upon which the project is monitored and controlled by the CPM. Many construction projects in the public sector are subject to late completion, cost overruns and poor quality as a result of inadequate management of the programme. Poor management of the programme stems from failure to adequately programme the work and properly execute the programme, failure to provide adequate qualified human resources to manage the programme, failure to develop an efficient programme and to effectively maintain the programme throughout the project execution, and failure to control cost changes that impact the programme throughout the execution of the project. Lean Project Management (LPM) is the inclusive adoption of other lean concepts such as lean construction, lean manufacturing and lean thinking into the project management context. During the construction phase of projects, there are many opportunities for the CPM to implement lean tools and techniques that will have a positive impact on the project from a programming perspective. This research aimed to investigate impacts of implementing LPM tools and techniques by CPM’s during the construction phase of public sector projects on the successful delivery of the programme. A comprehensive literature review was done on the concepts of LPM, the public sector, the CPM profession, the construction phase and the project programme and the relationship between these areas of concern. A survey questionnaire directed at a sample of all professionally registered CPM’s in Kwa-Zulu Natal involved in the public sector was used to: determine whether CPM’s were aware of LPM; how important LPM was to CPM’s and how often they use it during the construction phase and whether poor programme management during the construction phase impacted the successful delivery of the programme. Out of 234 registered CPM’s that were selected in the research sample, 72 registered CPM’s responded to the survey questionnaire, representing a 31 per cent response rate. The research established a link between the project programme during the construction phase of projects and the implementation of LPM by CPM’s during this phase towards overcoming the obstacles of poor delivery of the programme on public sector projects. It further presented the integration between the areas of concern in a practical way through the research findings from the literature and data collection and analysis that portrayed the relationship between the programme and LPM. It was concluded that CPM’s were aware of LPM and that poor programme management during the construction phase negatively impacted the successful delivery of the programme. In addition, LPM was important to CPM’s and its principles and techniques were being implemented during construction on public sector projects