Realizing IT Value at Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

How can senior IS executives successfully shepherd IT initiatives through complex organizations? This paper prescribes an integrated IT investment management process incorporating four recommended activities: *strategic planning, *quality function deployment, *activity analysis, and *responsibility assignment. The process, tools, methods, and organizational learning were drawn from two projects at Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. The integrated process for IT investment management can help senior IS executives prioritize projects and align responsibility and accountability for IT initiatives that require complementary organizational changes to activities across the entire value chain to realize full benefits

Manufacturing Managers’ Strategies to Implement Successful Change

Approximately 70% of successful reengineering implementations and process design change initiatives within organizations fail to achieve expected results. Business leaders in manufacturing organizations are concerned that the low success rate hurts process improvement, business growth, and survival. Grounded in Lewin’s three-step model of change, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies manufacturing managers use to implement and maintain reengineering and design change initiatives. Participants were four managers who successfully implemented and maintained reengineering and process design change initiatives in the south region of the United States. Data were collected from face-to-face semistructured interviews and various organizational documents. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Proper planning, clear communication, leadership, and employee engagement were identified as themes. A key recommendation is that business leaders use open and effective communications that allow employees to input the change initiatives. Implications for positive social change include the potential to continue growing businesses and increasing employment opportunities for citizens of the south region of the United States

Paradigm Shift from Current Manufacturing to Social Manufacturing

The emergent phenomenon of social manufacturing is disrupting industries all over the world. Social manufacturing represents a new collaborative manufacturing paradigm. The shift from the current manufacturing paradigm to social manufacturing is facilitated by rapid development of mobile technologies, new digital manufacturing, and online social networks. There are already successful businesses that build upon the social manufacturing paradigm, e.g., in finance, hospitality, and transportation: new banks are born without physical offices (ING Direct), the world’s greatest hotel chain does not own a single room (AirBnB), and a taxi company neither owns cars nor employs drivers (Uber). The objective of this study is to construct a model concerning the paradigm shift from current manufacturing to social manufacturing. The model for the paradigm shift incorporates various topics that are central in the transition process, such as 3D printing, customization, value chains, and social networks. The model is divided into two phases. First, there is an intermediary phase of social manufacturing where customers will co-create with manufacturers. However, here manufacturers still control the manufacturing platform. This phase represents an incremental dimension of social manufacturing. Second, there is the fully-fledged social manufacturing phase that I call it the ultimate phase of social manufacturing. In this phase of social manufacturing, customers can become entrepreneurs, pursuing their ideas throughout the manufacturing value chain by using support from a public manufacturing platform. This phase represents the disruptive dimension of social manufacturing. To demonstrate the practicality of this study, the proposed model is then applied in the apparel industry for creating insights both to the intermediary and ultimate phases of social manufacturing within this field. Finally, opportunities and risks related to social manufacturing are discussed, the limitations of the study are presented, and future avenues of study are outlined

Developing an integrated enterprise resource planning framework for South African clothing and textile industries

Abstract: This research recommends development of an integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) framework for South African clothing and textile industries, mainly is Small Medium Enterprise (SME). The study and framework will cover ERP Critical Success Factors (CSF), namely: Vision and planning of Project, Choice of an ERP system, Support from Top Management, Project Management, Project Champion, Business Process Re-engineering, Communication, User Training and Education, and Organizational Resistance); ERP implementation process, challenges and benefits of implementing an ERP system. The framework will be used as a plan of implementing an ERP system in Clothing and Textile industries. The study used Mixed Method approach to identify benefits, critical success factors, and challenges in the ERP industries. Two slightly different questionnaires were designed, of which 18 were sent to clothing and textile industries, and 101 were sent to ERP specialists around South Africa. The majority of the respondents were from Gauteng. More than six companies using different ERP system were part of the respondents. The target populations were: directors, managers, supervisors, and also employees. Descriptive statistics, reliability indices, factor analysis, and gap analysis were used to analyse the data. The use of questionnaires was an advantage because while data collection and analysis was time consuming, the data were analysed using SPSS. Majority of the respondents were aware and understood ERP systems and implementation that is why the feedback was remarkable.D.Phil. (Engineering Management

Inventory management as a determinant for improvement of customer service

No abstract available CopyrightDissertation (MCom (Business Management))--University of Pretoria, 2007.Business Managementunrestricte

The determination of critical success factors that impact on the performance of SMEs in e-commerce

The research problem addressed in this study is the determination of the critical success factors for SMEs in e-commerce. To achieve the objective, an integrated list of critical success factors, gathered from practitioner- and academic literature, had to be identified. The integrated list was developed through the following sub-processes: · The first consisted of a literature survey of the sources and the identification of critical success factors, which lead to insights into the role of critical success factors in strategic management and the objectivity of the CSF identification process. The second comprised surveying the literature dealing specifically with the unique characteristics of SMEs, to identify factors that are critical to the survival and growth of SMEs. · The third consisted of a survey of the academic and practitioner literature dealing with critical success factors in e-commerce, in order to develop an integrated list of critical success factors for SMEs in ecommerce. The integrated list that emerged from the literature study consisted of the following seventeen critical success factors: 1. Target the right customers 2. Involve all stakeholders 3. Provide access to all customer information 4. User-friendly web design 5. Let customers help themselves 6. Offer online and offline assistance to customer enquiries 7. Deliver personalized service 8. Foster online community 9. Top management support 10. Technical infrastructure 11. Security and control of the e-commerce system 12. Promotion of site 13. Financial planning and control of project 14. Loyalty 15. Development of a business plan 16. Branding of the site 17. Shipping and fulfilment The integrated list was used as the basis for the compilation of a survey questionnaire to identify the eight most critical success factors for SMEs in ecommerce. The survey questionnaire was sent to SMEs that are members of the Port Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have a website and comply with the criteria for SMEs. The empirical study identified the eight most critical success factors for SMEs in e-commerce and indicated strong concurrence with the unique characteristics of SMEs

A framework for modelling embodied product energy to support energy efficient manufacturing

This thesis reports on the research undertaken to minimise energy consumption within the production phase of a product lifecycle through modelling, monitoring and improved control of energy use within manufacturing facilities. The principle objective of this research is to develop a framework which integrates energy data at plant and process levels within a manufacturing system so as to establish how much energy is required to manufacture a unit product. The research contributions are divided into four major parts. The first reviews relevant literature in energy trends, related governmental policies, and energy tools and software. The second introduces an Embodied Product Energy framework which categorises energy consumption within a production facility into direct and indirect energy required to manufacture a product. The third describes the design and implementation of a simulation model based on this framework to support manufacturing and design decisions for improved energy efficiency through the use of what-if scenario planning. The final part outlines the utilisation of this energy simulation model to support a Design for Energy Minimisation methodology which incorporates energy considerations within the design process. The applicability of the research concepts have been demonstrated via two case studies. The detailed analysis of energy consumption from a product viewpoint provides greater insight into inefficiencies of processes and associated supporting activities, thereby highlighting opportunities for optimisation of energy consumption via operational or design improvements. Although the research domain for this thesis is limited to the production phase, the flexibility offered by the energy modelling framework and associated simulation tool allow for their employment other product lifecycle phases. In summary, the research has concluded that investment in green sources of power generation alone is insufficient to deal with the rapid rise in energy demand, and has highlighted the paramount importance of energy rationalisation and optimisation within the manufacturing industry