Lean and green – a systematic review of the state of the art literature

The move towards greener operations and products has forced companies to seek alternatives to balance efficiency gains and environmental friendliness in their operations and products. The exploration of the sequential or simultaneous deployment of lean and green initiatives is the results of this balancing action. However, the lean-green topic is relatively new, and it lacks of a clear and structured research definition. Thus, this paper’s main contribution is the offering of a systematic review of the existing literature on lean and green, aimed at providing guidance on the topic, uncovering gaps and inconsistencies in the literature, and finding new paths for research. The paper identifies and structures, through a concept map, six main research streams that comprise both conceptual and empirical research conducted within the context of various organisational functions and industrial sectors. Important issues for future research are then suggested in the form of research questions. The paper’s aim is to also contribute by stimulating scholars to further study this area in depth, which will lead to a better understanding of the compatibility and impact on organisational performance of lean and green initiatives. It also holds important implications for industrialists, who can develop a deeper and richer knowledge on lean and green to help them formulate more effective strategies for their deployment

The Effect of Supply Chain Responsiveness on Competitive Advantage: A Field Study of Manufacturing Companies in Jordan

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of supply chain responsiveness on competitive advantage in Jordanian Manufacturing Companies. It surveyed 269 responses by means of a questionnaire. Statistical techniques such as descriptive statistics, correlation, multiple regressions, were employed. To confirm the suitability of data collection instrument, a Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test, Cronbach’s Alpha and factor analysis were used. The research findings supported the hypotheses that (SCR) positively impacts (CA) of companies.. The current study results showed that the main hypothesis was rejected and the alternative was accepted which states that the supply chain responsiveness variables (Operations System Responsiveness (OSR), Logistics Process Responsiveness (LPR) and Supplier Network Responsiveness (SNR) affect competitive advantage. The results also indicated that higher level of operations system responsiveness creates higher level of competitive advantage for companies, collectively based on low price, high delivery dependability, high product innovation, and low time to market. Also, it was uncovered that higher level of supplier network responsiveness creates higher level of competitive advantage for a company, collectively based low price and high delivery dependability. This study has some important implications for practitioners. This study provides suitable recommendations on the scope for improvement based on current levels of various specific impact supply chain responsiveness and its dimensions. Also the study provides suitable recommendations on the scope for improvement based on current levels of various predominant supply chain responsiveness criteria that directly impact competitive advantage of a company, so as to make the organizations more competitive. Keywords: Supply Chain Responsiveness (SCR), Competitive Advantage (CA), Jordanian Manufacturing Companies (JMC).

Data-driven supply chains, manufacturing capability and customer satisfaction

While recent conceptual research and consultancy white papers have suggested that analysing and interpreting data in the supply chain could potentially lead to the creation of competitive advantage, its exploratory nature demands empirical investigation. Drawing upon the resource-based view, this study empirically investigates the linkages between data-driven supply chains, manufacturing capability and customer satisfaction. The survey data for this study were gathered from China’s manufacturing industry and analysed using structural equation modelling. Results suggest that data-driven supply chains are positively associated with multiple manufacturing capability dimensions (i.e. quality, delivery, flexibility and cost), which in turn, lead to customer satisfaction improvement. While delivery appears to have no significant effect on customer satisfaction, quality, flexibility and cost are significantly and positively associated with customer satisfaction. This study provides insight into the connection between supply chain big data intelligence and both operational and organisational performance improvement

Effects of Supply Chain Strategy on Company Performance : The Moderating Role of Competitive Advantage

The research aims to determine and analyze the effects of Supply Chain strategy on company performance through competitive advantage. Based on the description, this research was causal associative, using primary data with 343 respondents. Data collection technique used questionnaire, the instrument measurement scale was semantic differential. Data analysis used Structural Equation Model (SEM), which was operated using AMOS program. The results show that 1) supply chain strategy has a positive effect on competitive advantage, 2) competitive advantage has a positive effect on company performance, 3) supply chain strategy has no direct effect on company performance, but it has an indirect effect on company performance through competitive advantage. The implication of an effective company policy is to give priority to agile strategies, immediately respond to changes in innovative product designs, in accordance with the wishes of customers

Uncovering the Relationship of Supply Chain Management and Firm Performance: Evidence from Textile Sector of Pakistan

The purpose of this research paper was to find the impact of the supply chain on firm performance in Textile firm of Pakistan. Data was collected through questioners in the month of March 2018, Approximately 30 questioners were distributed among the managers of the ten textile organizations in Faisalabad which are expected to have the best knowledge about the supply chain operations and its impact on the performance of the organization, all of them responded positively. It is found that dimensions associated with SCM methods as well as explain the connection amongst SCM methods, aggressive benefit, as well as firm performance. The actual study focuses on the causal associations in between SCM exercise, aggressive benefit as well as firm performance as well as ignores the actual feasible recursive associations. &nbsp

Industry 4.0: current trend and future scope for further research in High Performance Manufacturing

The fourth industrial revolution requires that personalization processes of mass productions evolve towards flexible, interconnected, cloud production with greater automation in its machines and operations, called Industry 4.0 (I4.0). However, a homogeneous I4.0 concept, infrastructure state, and other issues are still scarce, making difficult to determinate in the specialized literature, the threshold between recent manufacturing and challenges that companies had to reach competitive advantage through I4.0 inclusion. Despite becoming one of the most popular strategies for continuous improvement, many plants are struggling to turn I4.0 into a success. Therefore, this paper analyzes the current trends of Industry 4.0 in High Performance Manufacturing (HPM), aiming to consolidate the existing knowledge on both subjects, providing a starting point for academics and practitioners seeking to implement I4.0 in plants and offering suggestions for future examination. This systematic literature review aims to synthesize, organize, and structure the stock of knowledge relating to I4.0 and HPM. The results show that HPM papers do not evidence a holistic evaluation of I.40 principles and foundations. There exists in HPM literature manufacturing practices that permit evaluate technology inclusion and their performance but not their autonomy, cloud computing and network between machines, supplier, and processes. The HPM papers trends are related with issues such as adaptability, flexibility, reconfigurability, new information technologies, modularity, automation, etc. Regarding study limitations, it is necessary to study current I4.0 adoption level, technological infrastructure, and cultural factors. The practical implications are focused in the identification of manufacturing practices used in specialized literature to measure how technology inclusion increase companies’ performance, proving the technological infrastructure and I4.0 maturity level. The originality of this paper converges on the presentation of some manufacturing practices applied on HPM studies which are associated with I4.0

Achieving A Competitive Advantage Supply Chain Management Practices and Responsiveness

Today's business environment is highly competitive and globalized, characterized by shorter product life cycles and demanding customers. As a result, supply chains must be responsive to changes in the marketplace to maintain and create a competitive advantage. While previous studies have acknowledged the advantages of effective supply chain management (SCM) in gaining a competitive edge, there remains a limited understanding of the implications of adopting various SCM practices. To address this gap, this conceptual study focuses on examining the relationship between SCM practices (strategic supplier partnership, customer relationship, information sharing, and postponement) and both supply chain responsiveness and competitive advantage within the Malaysian timber industry. The study integrates the Resources Based View (RBV), Dynamic Capabilities theory, and Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV) theory

Towards Identifying and closing Gaps in Assurance of autonomous Road vehicleS - a collection of Technical Notes Part 1

This report provides an introduction and overview of the Technical Topic Notes (TTNs) produced in the Towards Identifying and closing Gaps in Assurance of autonomous Road vehicleS (Tigars) project. These notes aim to support the development and evaluation of autonomous vehicles. Part 1 addresses: Assurance-overview and issues, Resilience and Safety Requirements, Open Systems Perspective and Formal Verification and Static Analysis of ML Systems. Part 2: Simulation and Dynamic Testing, Defence in Depth and Diversity, Security-Informed Safety Analysis, Standards and Guidelines