Business strategy driven IT systems for engineer-to-order and make-to-order manufacturing enterprises

This thesis reports research into the specification and implementation of an Information Technology (IT) Route Map. The purpose of the Route Map is to enable rapid design and deployment of IT solutions capable of semi-automating business processes in a manufacturing enterprise. The Map helps structure transition processes involved in “identification of key business strategies and design of business processes” and “choice of enterprise systems and supporting implementation techniques”. Common limitations of current Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are observed and incorporated as Route Map implications and constraints. Scope of investigation is targeted at Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) that employ Engineer-To-Order (ETO) and Make-To-Order (MTO) business processes. However, a feature of the Route Map is that it takes into account contemporary business concerns related to “globalisation”, “mergers and acquisitions” and “typical resource constraint problems of SMEs”. In the course of the research a “Business Strategy Driven IT System Concept” was conceived and examined. The main purpose of this concept is to promote the development of agile and innovative business activity in SMEs. The Road Map encourages strategy driven solutions to be (a) specified based on the use of emerging enterprise engineering theories and (b) implemented and changed using componentbased systems design and composition techniques. Part-evaluation of the applicability and capabilities of the Road Map has been carried out by conducting industrial survey and case study work. This assesses requirements of real industrial problems and solutions. The evaluation work has also been enabled by conducting a pilot implementation of the thesis concepts at the premises of a partner SME

Control Systems for Logistics Performance

This text is concerned with identifying and outlining the various aspects of logistics control and performance measurement process. The objective is to identify, based on available literature, methods and techniques which can be used to measure the performance of logistics. Logistics management is essentially a task of balancing between minimizing cost and ensuring availability objectives. Availability can be seen as the output of logistics system. On the input side, management is concerned with minimization of costs caused by holding inventories, warehousing, transportation, production and administration of logistics activities. Logistics control is normally directed toward two subjects: the control of logistics output or service level and the input of logistics system. Key objects of logistics control are: service level, inventory turnover, warehousing costs, transportation costs and administrative costs. The logistics control systems involves setting goals and standards for performance, measuring performance, and taking corrective actions. Various methods such as productivity ratios, flexible budgets, standards, control charts, and audits, can be used to measure the performance of logistics activities. The methods used to measure logistics activities usually provide a comparison to the past, not to the future. The nature of the problem in logistics is change. The focus must be to respond to change by projecting possible future system states. Control systems should assume possible future conditions in order to plan for response and to guide future decisions

Analysis of manufacturing operations using knowledge- Enriched aggregate process planning

Knowledge-Enriched Aggregate Process Planning is concerned with the problem of supporting agile design and manufacture by making process planning feedback integral to the design function. A novel Digital Enterprise Technology framework (Maropoulos 2003) provides the technical context and is the basis for the integration of the methods with existing technologies for enterprise-wide product development. The work is based upon the assertion that, to assure success when developing new products, the technical and qualitative evaluation of process plans must be carried out as early as possible. An intelligent exploration methodology is presented for the technical evaluation of the many alternative manufacturing options which are feasible during the conceptual and embodiment design phases. 'Data resistant' aggregate product, process and resource models are the foundation of these planning methods. From the low-level attributes of these models, aggregate methods to generate suitable alternative process plans and estimate Quality, Cost and Delivery (QCD) have been created. The reliance on QCD metrics in process planning neglects the importance of tacit knowledge that people use to make everyday decisions and express their professional judgement in design. Hence, the research also advances the core aggregate planning theories by developing knowledge-enrichment methods for measuring and analysing qualitative factors as an additional indicator of manufacturing performance, which can be used to compute the potential of a process plan. The application of these methods allows the designer to make a comparative estimation of manufacturability for design alternatives. Ultimately, this research should translate into significant reductions in both design costs and product development time and create synergy between the product design and the manufacturing system that will be used to make it. The efficacy of the methodology was proved through the development of an experimental computer system (called CAPABLE Space) which used real industrial data, from a leading UK satellite manufacturer to validate the industrial benefits and promote the commercial exploitation of the research

Dynamic enterprise modelling: a methodology for animating dynamic social networks

PhD ThesisSince the introduction of the Internet and the realisation of its potential companies have either transformed their operation or are in the process of doing so. It has been observed, that developments in I.T., telecommunications and the Internet have boosted the number of enterprises engaging into e-commerce, e-business and virtual enterprising. These trends are accompanied by re-shaping, transformation and changes in an enterprise's boundaries. The thesis gives an account of the research into the area of dynamic enterprise modelling and provides a modelling methodology that allows different roles and business models to be tested and evaluated without the risk associated with committing to a change

Supply chain management tools and methods

In today's business environment, manufacturers need to manage their enterprises as an inseparable part of a supply chain. Key to achieving this is the creation of an extended and integrated information system. In an attempt to find out what needs to be done to improve current supply chain methods and tools, the current research project 1) reviewed the literature to establish current approaches to Supply Chain Management (SCM); 2) identified what tools and methods are available; 3) categorised the current approaches to supply chain management and established a current practice SCM model; 4) identified the requirements for improved SCM; 5) produced an outline requirements specification for improved SCM. The research has made a number of contributions to knowledge. A literature survey on the subject of what SCM involves and what a SCM system is was carried out and was followed by the conclusions that existing software systems have not been classified and tested against the criteria of a true SCM system. A survey of existing SCM software solutions provided data for an analysis of what typical SCM applications include and concluded that a comprehensive SCM solution currently does not exist. That conclusion was verified by a survey based on SCM expert interviews. Three case studies were carried out that looked into different parts of the supply chain and demonstrated the significance of advanced SCM functionality for each one of them. The case studies also involved the design and implementation of a supply chain mapping tool and a supplier relationship management tool. Finally, a conceptual specification of an improved SCM system was developed. The research will be of interest to practitioners in the area of SCM that are looking for ideas to improve SCM procedures and namely, are looking into implementing or developing an already existing software system for SCM. It also suggests ideas for further research, which may be of interest to research students who are interested in the area of SCM.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

A reference model for extended enterprise

In today's highly competitive, volatile and increasingly global manufacturing environment, manufacturing companies are increasingly aware of the need for agility and effectiveness at the supply-chain level, rather than simply at company level. Business Process Re-engineering and the resulting emphasis on core competence has influenced a move towards de-centralisation, flatter organisation structures and increased use of "outsourcing". It has been said that it is now supply-chain versus supply-chain and that this poses both opportunity and threat for SMEs. While some work has been done in relation to developing the concept of integrated supply-chains, relatively little has been published with respect to the concept of "Extended Enterprise (EE)", the "highest' 'level of inter-enterprise integration. This thesis provides a thorough review of literature with respect to supply-chain integration and Extended Enterprise. Current practice is evaluated on the basis of the literature review and an analysis of a questionnaire and some Case Study companies. A detailed description of Extended Enterprise is provided and a conceptual reference model is developed, with the aim of providing a strategic planning tool, which will help organisations to identify the extent to which they operate as part of an EE. The model is intended also to help organisations in their evolution towards more effective operation within EE. One of the key characteristics/enablers of EE is stated as the existence of an organisational structure, which supports the effective identification, rationalisation and deployment of core competence within an EE. An approach based upon the concept of a "Process Breakdown Structure" is introduced and is evaluated in the context of a Case Study Company