AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURERS SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE IN CHINA

The research develops a framework for the evaluation of automotive supply chain performance in China. In addition, the research presents indications from a study of Chinese automotive companies with regards to their evaluation and attempts to propose some alternatives for future improvement

A Decision Tool for Supplier Selection That Takes into Account Power and Performance

Companies select their suppliers to provide required performance while being successful partners. An important aspect of collaboration is the power relationship between the company and its suppliers. Although the significance of power in supplier selection is acknowledged, published work rarely includes assessment of power. An empirical study on selecting suppliers for new product developments in a major European diesel engine manufacturing company, supported by three smaller studies with electronic engineering companies, frames overall questions regarding the importance of incorporating power into supplier selection and how this might be achieved. This research proposes an approach that assesses both performance and power and integrates the assessment results by modelling the relative effects of power and performance. It positions the suppliers into six scenarios (ideal, satisfying, tolerable, unfavourable, risky and tough) which depict to what extent a supplier is ‘suitable’ to work with. A reverse analysis reviews the relationship when several suppliers appear suitable. An assessment method is developed incorporating both subjective and objective data for qualitative and quantitative criteria. It combines two decision making methods, AHP and TOPSIS, with triangular fuzzy numbers. Multiple judgements from several decision makers are synthesised. This method is adapted for performance assessment of single, group and cross-group suppliers. Weights are calculated for the criteria, and combined with calculations of supplier performance against each criterion to provide an overall assessment and supplier profile. Power is quantified against a set of power determinants and power relations (supplier dominance, buyer dominance and balanced) are determined. The effects of supplier perceptions (objective, optimistic and pessimistic) are estimated in the calculation. The proposed approach involves complex calculations and a prototype software tool is developed with graphical interfaces. The tool includes performance criteria and power determinants collected from literature and allows users to define new ones. Application to an agriculture case enables the sustainable performance of suppliers (farmers) to be evaluated and compared

Supply chain resilience and risk management strategies and methods

Abstract. The changing global market due to Industry 4.0 and the recent pandemic effect has created a need for more responsiveness in an organization’s supply chain. Supply chain resilience offers the firm not only to avoid disruptions but also to withstand the losses due to a disruption. The objective of this research is to find out how resilience is defined so far in other literature and find out the strategies available to gain the resilience fit for an organization. First, in the literature review, the previous studies on resilience were studied to understand what supply chain resilience means. Then, the key results and findings are discussed and conclusions are presented. The research found some interesting strategies for gaining the resilience fit. The benefits and the stakeholders for each strategy are also pointed out. These strategies can be used according to the organization’s business strategy. These strategies aligned with the business strategy can make a huge difference to withstand potential disruption and gaining a competitive advantage against the market competitors

The role of the social and technical factors in creating business value from big data analytics: A meta-analysis

Big data analytics (BDA) has recently gained importance as an emerging technology for handling big data. The use of advanced techniques with differing levels of intelligence, such as descriptive, predictive, prescriptive, and autonomous analytics, is expected to create value for firms. By viewing BDA as a sociotechnical system, we conduct a meta-analysis of 107 individual studies to integrate prior evidence on the role of the technical and social factors of BDA in creating BDA business value. The findings underline the predominant role of the social components in enhancing firm performance, such as the BDA system’s human factors and a nurturing organizational structure, in contrast to the minor role of the technological factors. However, both the technical and social factors are found to be strong determinants of BDA business value. Through the combined lens of sociotechnical theory and the IS business value framework, we contribute to research and practice by enhancing the understanding of the main technical and social determinants of BDA business value at the firm level

An Empirical Analysis to Control Product Counterfeiting in the Automotive Industry\u27s Supply Chains in Pakistan

The counterfeits pose significant health and safety threat to consumers. The quality image of firms is vulnerable to the damage caused by the expanding flow of counterfeit products in today’s global supply chains. The counterfeiting markets are swelling due to globalization and customers’ willingness to buy counterfeits, fueling illicit activities to explode further. Buyers look for the original parts are deceived by the false (deceptive) signals’ communication. The counterfeiting market has become a multi-billion industry but lacks detailed insights into the supply side of counterfeiting (deceptive side). The study aims to investigate and assess the relationship between the anti-counterfeiting strategies and improvement in the firm’s supply performance within the internal and external supply chain quality management context in the auto-parts industry’s supply chains in Pakistan

Results-based monitoring and evaluation for organizations working in agricultural development: a guide for practitioners

The purpose of this guide for practitioners is to contribute to the development of RBM&E capacity and to facilitate its institutionalization in organizations dealing with agricultural development. The target audiences of the guide include the staff in planning, monitoring and evaluation departments/units of public organizations and non-governmental organizations dealing with agricultural development at federal, regional, zonal or district levels. Staff of the agricultural research and higher learning institutes may also find the guide useful. It is assumed that users of the guide would have some basic knowledge of project/program/policy planning and implementation. The guide is based on an extensive review of M&E literature and the experiences of the RBM&E activities of the IPMS (Improving Productivity and Market Success) of Ethiopian farmers project.1 As part of its overall approach to market-oriented agricultural development, the IPMS project is working to facilitate the use and institutionalization of RBM&E system. The guide is organized as follows. Section two deals with basic concepts of RBM&E. Section three presents the relationships between the concepts and practices of M&E. Section four deals with the concepts and applications of participatory monitoring and evaluation. Sections five and six present the practices and processes of the selection of results to monitor and evaluate, and the selection of key performance indicators, respectively. Section seven discusses the methods of setting baseline data and targets, and section eight deals with data collection and analysis. While section nine deals with reporting and using M&E information, section ten discusses issues, approaches and requirements for institutionalizing and sustaining the RBM&E system

Proceedings of the 2nd Conference on Production Systems and Logistics (CPSL 2021)

Proceedings of the CPSL 202

Smart Manufacturing

This book is a collection of 11 articles that are published in the corresponding Machines Special Issue “Smart Manufacturing”. It represents the quality, breadth and depth of the most updated study in smart manufacturing (SM); in particular, digital technologies are deployed to enhance system smartness by (1) empowering physical resources in production, (2) utilizing virtual and dynamic assets over the Internet to expand system capabilities, (3) supporting data-driven decision-making activities at various domains and levels of businesses, or (4) reconfiguring systems to adapt to changes and uncertainties. System smartness can be evaluated by one or a combination of performance metrics such as degree of automation, cost-effectiveness, leanness, robustness, flexibility, adaptability, sustainability, and resilience. This book features, firstly, the concepts digital triad (DT-II) and Internet of digital triad things (IoDTT), proposed to deal with the complexity, dynamics, and scalability of complex systems simultaneously. This book also features a comprehensive survey of the applications of digital technologies in space instruments; a systematic literature search method is used to investigate the impact of product design and innovation on the development of space instruments. In addition, the survey provides important information and critical considerations for using cutting edge digital technologies in designing and manufacturing space instruments

The Future of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) after COVID19 Pandemic

Industrial IoT (IIoT) devices obtain, analyse, and use data from connected equipment, Operational Technology (OT), locations, and people. IIoT helps to regulate and monitor industrial systems. Also, the same implementation can be carried out for automated record updates of asset placement in industrial storage units. IIoT can realize the seamless integration of various manufacturing devices equipped with sensing, identification, processing, communication, actuation, and networking capabilities. Based on such a highly integrated smart cyber-physical space, it opens the door to create whole new business and market opportunities for manufacturing. Network control and management of manufacturing equipment, asset and situation management, or manufacturing process control bring the IIoT within the realm of industrial applications and smart manufacturing as well. IIoT in manufacturing could generate so much business value that it will eventually lead to the Fifth Industrial Revolution, also referred to as Industry 5.0. Though IIoT is getting widely explored and used by many global organizations, especially with the current COVID19 Pandemic situation. The global industry moves to address these concerns have begun including the development of international standards. This study examines the prospects of Industrial IoT and its application in the global business sectors for doing their businesses more effectively and efficiently. This study would assess the most suitable IIoT models of various IIoT services offerings industries will likely use. The study will also analyse risks and challenges for the global business entities, while adopting IIoT technologies and service offerings along with their actual needs, wants, desires, suitability, requirements, and expectations