Logistics outsourcing and 3PL selection: A Case study in an automotive supply chain

Outsourcing logistics functions to third-party logistics (3PL) providers has been a source of competitive advantage for most companies. Companies cite greater flexibility, operational efficiency, improved customer service levels, and a better focus on their core businesses as part of the advantages of engaging the services of 3PL providers. There are few complete and structured methodologies for selecting a 3PL provider. This paper discusses how one such methodology, namely the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), is used in an automotive supply chain for export parts to redesign the logistics operations and to select a global logistics service provider

The Global Networked Value Circle: A new model for best-in-class manufacturing

As companies face deflation, slowing production and declining prices, they will need to assess their entire value chain as they look for ways to keep costs low and improve efficiencies while continuing to innovate. To help address this challenge, this report reflects fresh research undertaken by Capgemini in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh into the ?Best-in-Class Global Manufacturing Value Chain?

Managing Quality in Aviation Projects

From aircraft manufacturing, product customization, aircraft maintenance, and aircraft launch and recovery, project management is threaded through all aspects of aviation. Given the supreme importance of quality to every aircraft manufacturer, airline, and passenger, it would be expected that quality management, within the context of project management, would be a construct that is clearly defined. The aim of this mixed-methods research seeks to understand how quality is managed and assured in aviation projects, whether or not the current quality management framework is applicable to the aviation industry, and how quality should ultimately be managed in aviation projects. The results of this study suggest that aviation project management could benefit by adopting a new lens for managing project quality and avoid a surface-level adoption of quality tools designed primarily for the mass production context

Introducing the Electronic Knowledge Framework into the Traditional Automotive Suppliers’ Industry: From Mechanical Engineering to Mechatronics

The automotive sector is undergoing radical changes. New trends such as electrification, autonomous driving, connectivity, and car-sharing—to name a few—are disturbing the carmakers, which must satisfy their clients while meeting the increasingly strict environmental regulations. This pressure also falls on automotive parts suppliers, which now are asked to manufacture high-added-value integral systems, while struggling to keep a very adjusted price. As traditional automotive components evolve into electronic systems, suppliers must gain digital mastery to remain competitive. This paper presents different ways of introducing e-skills in a company and illustrates this with some examples from the Basque automotive industry. The aim is to encourage corporations to take the step towards digitalization, providing different options for them to choose the one that best suits their current scenario. For this study we have analyzed the literature and the press releases of the component manufacturers and interviewed staff from some of them. This research seeks to provide solutions so that the automotive sector remains competitive, as it is a strategic sector for the economy and employment.This work has been partially supported by the grant ‘Ayudas para el desarrollo de proyectos de I+D mediante la contratación de personas doctoradas y la realización de doctorados industriales, programa BIKAINTEK 2019’, by the Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment of the Basque Government. Additionally, this work has been partially supported by Eusko Jaularitza-Gobierno Vasco (HAZITEK ESTRATEGICOS 2020 ZL-2020/00022-PILAR-y 2021 ZL-2021/00931-COMMUTE-), by CDTI (IDI-20201264) and FEDER funds

A framework for real-time product quality monitoring system with consideration of process-induced variations

Department of Human and Systems EngineeringAs industrial technologies develop, the manufacturing industry is globally changing in more automated and complex manners, and the prediction of real-time product quality has become an essential issue. Although many of the physical manufacturing activities are getting more automated than ever, there still exist many uncovered parameters that, either directly or indirectly, affect the product quality. In many manufacturing sites, the quality tests in their processes still rely on few skilled operators and quality experts, which requires a lot of time and human efforts to manage the product quality issues. In this thesis, thus, a real-time/in-process quality monitoring system for small and medium size manufacturing environments is proposed to provide the data-driven product quality monitoring system framework. The proposed framework consists of a product quality ontology model for complex manufacturing supply chain environments, and a real-time quality prediction tool using the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm that enables the quality monitoring system to classify the product quality patterns from the in-process production data. Additionally, we propose a framework for analysis of the quality inspection results from the monitoring system with respect to quality costs, including inspection and warranty costs. In addition, this thesis establishes a relationship between the warranty cost and the severity of customer-perceived quality. Finally, we suggest a future work that a prescriptive product quality assessment concept using the Hidden Markov Models (HMM) that analyze and forecast possible future product quality problems using production data from manufacturing processes based on data flow analysis. Also, a door trim production data in an automotive company is illustrated to verify the proposed quality monitoring/prediction model.ope

Design Performance Measurement in the Construction Sector: A Pilot Study

This paper examines the role and deployment of design performance measurements (DPMs) in the construction industry, focusing on the consulting engineering sector, the design 'heart' of construction. Compared with manufacturing, there has been very little research on the use of DPMs in construction, and firms often struggle to find appropriate performance indicators. Using results from structured questionnaires, the paper shows that the few DPMs which do exist focus mainly on cost. Other measures are needed to address quality, innovative performance and client satisfaction. In contrast to manufacturing, DPMs in construction also need to address the project-based, multi-firm and non-routine nature of construction design, as well as the separation of design from manufacturing, build and operation. Interviews and workshops with industrialists were used to identify recent DPM practices in construction and combine these with lessons from other sectors. The resulting DPM tools provide guidance on how to: (a) integrate design into wider business processes in construction; (b) identify key design indicators, at both project and firm level; and (c) use DPMs to provide a balanced scorecard for design performance.performance indicators, design integration, design indicators, construction industry

The future of software development methods

Most of the software development methods in use today are founded on concepts that emerged in the early decades of the software industry – the systems development life cycle, object orientation, agile and lean methods, open source, software product lines, software patterns – the list goes on. However there are several disruptive elements present in the current software landscape – software ecosystems, servitization, the Internet of Things, parallel processing, cognitive computing, quantum computing – that pose significant challenges in terms of the software development methods that might be appropriate. We suggest that these disruptive elements highlight the need to create new software development methods more appropriate to the needs of the current development environment

Re-shoring & Offshoring Trends: Managing Engineering Multinationals - A comparison of offshoring and outsourcing strategies in UK and German multinational corporations

UK and German headquartered engineering multinational corporations (MNCs) are compared with a focus on their outsourcing and offshoring initiatives. A novel conceptual framework is developed that uses differing varieties of capitalism (VoC) to compare and contrast a series of criteria. Underlying theory is taken from the resource based view (RBV) of the firm and global production networks (GPNs). The findings from a comparative case study were that in the UK, lower labour costs and reorganising the value chain were key reasons to outsource and offshore. The UK business was less risk adverse and seemed more flexible and agile in its sourcing policies. The German organisation was less inclined to outsource preferring to retain control of a wholly owned offshore business unit. A further difference was that management in Germany were reluctant to progress radical initiatives with the works council. There was little evidence of re-shorin

Strategic group mapping and strategy canvas analysis of the environmental consulting sector : a project-based dissertation on the German Market : a public archival data web-content analysis

Nesta dissertação na modalidade de projeto tive a oportunidade de entrar em contacto com uma Pequena Média empresa no setor de consultoria ambiental, onde me foi pedido para realizar uma análise à competição no mercado alemão, focando-me em mercados específicos em que a empresa se planeia especializar (Nanomateriais, Biocidas e Instrumentos Médicos). É possível observar que as leis ambientais mais restritivas, desenvolvimentos dentro da química e consciência ambiental estão a criar um grande potencial para crescimento e relevância deste setor. Gestão estratégica e categorização estratégica desenvolveram muitas correntes de pesquisa e no entanto, ferramentas estratégicas ainda não foram utilizadas para analisar o setor da Consultoria ambiental, que tem sido negligenciado na literatura. Através de uma análise de dados de arquivamento públicos (websites, páginas de LinkedIn, e relatórios anuais), foi possível aplicar ferramentas estratégicas (Mapeamento de grupos estratégicos e o Canvas estratégico) a uma amostra de 57 empresas de consultoria ambiental no mercado alemão assim como recolher sinais de competitividade e tamanho das empresas. Nesta análise pode-se comprovar que a revolução digital, sustentabilidade e responsabilidade corporativa já se encontram presentes nesta indústria, que várias empresas oferecem tanto apoio ambiental com foco regulatório e de gestão como um apoio ambiental com foco cientifico, procurando eficiência ambiental e redução de desperdício, e que nanomateriais parecem ser o mercado menos presente em websites, comparativamente com o mercado dos biocidas e dos instrumentos médicos. Este trabalho permitiu demonstrar o valor que ferramentas estratégicas podem ter, mesmo quando aplicado a informação publica, neste caso de websites, e também demonstrar as respetivas limitações, permitindo-nos ter uma melhor visão das nuances estratégicas e estrutura de um setor negligenciado. Para além disso, o contexto da análise estratégica também demonstra que o Brexit pode agir como um catalisador de expansão geográfica, o que é um impacto estratégico que ainda não tinha sido estudado previamente em empresas nesta indústria.In this project-based dissertation I had the chance to work with an environment consulting SME, where I was asked to do a competitor analysis of the German Market in particular sectors in which they will focus on (Nanomaterials, Biocides and Medical Devices). It is possible to observe that the increasingly stringent environmental policies, chemistry developments and environmental consciousness are creating a great potential for the growth in size and relevance of this sector. Strategic management and strategic categorization have developed into many streams of research, and however, strategic tools still haven’t been used to describe the environmental consulting sector, which has been overlooked in the literature. Through an analysis of public archival data (Company website, LinkedIn and annual reports), it was possible apply the Strategic group mapping and Strategy canvas frameworks to a sample of 57 environmental consulting companies in the German market, as well as to collect other signs of competitiveness and size. In this analysis it was found that the digital revolution, sustainability and corporate responsibility are already present in this industry, it was found that many companies are providing not only environmental regulatory and managerial support but at the same time providing scientific support, focusing on environmental efficiency and waste management, and that nanomaterials seem to be the least featured market in companies websites comparatively to biocides and medical devices. This paper allowed to demonstrate the value that strategic tools can have, even when applied to public website-content, as well as to demonstrate their limitations, allowing us to give a better overview of the strategic nuances and structure of an overlooked sector. Moreover, the context of this company’s strategic analysis also showcases that Brexit can act as a catalyst of geographical expansion, which is a strategical impact in this industry that hasn’t been studied before for companies in this industry