4,318 research outputs found
Towards a Framework for Smart Manufacturing adoption in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
Smart Manufacturing (SM) paradigm adoption can scale production with demand without compromising on the time for order fulfillment. A smart manufacturing system (SMS) is vertically and horizontally connected, and thus it can minimize the chances of miscommunication. Employees in an SME are aware of the operational requirements and their responsibilities. The machine schedules are prepared based on the tasks a machine must perform. Predictive maintenance reduces the downtime of machines. Design software optimizes the product design. Production feasibility is checked with the help of simulation. The concepts of product life cycle management are considered for waste reduction. Employee safety, and ergonomics, identifying new business opportunities and markets, focus on employee education and skill enhancement are some of the other advantages of SM paradigm adoption. This dissertation develops an SM paradigm adoption framework for manufacturing SMEs by employing the instrumental research approach.
The first step in the framework identified the technical aspects of SM, and this step was followed by identifying the research gaps in the suggested methods (in literature) and managerial aspects for adopting SM paradigm. The technical and the managerial aspects were integrated into a toolkit for manufacturing SMEs. This toolkit contains seven modular toolboxes that can be installed in five levels, depending on an SME’s readiness towards SM. The framework proposed in this dissertation focuses on how an SME’s readiness can be assessed and based on its present readiness what tools and practices the SMEs need to have to realize their tailored vision of SM. The framework was validated with the help of two SMEs cases that have recently adopted SM practices
Mapping and Developing Service Design Research in the UK.
This report is the outcome of the Service Design Research UK (SDR UK) Network with Lancaster University as primary investigator and London College of Communication, UAL as co-investigator. This project was funded as part of an Arts and Humanities Research Council Network grant.
Service Design Research UK (SDR UK), funded by an AHRC Network Grant, aims to create a UK research network in an emerging field in Design that is Service Design. This field has a recent history and a growing, but still small and dispersed, research community that strongly needs support and visibility to consolidate its knowledge base and enhance its potential impact. Services represent a significant part of the UK economy and can have a transformational role in our society as they affect the way we organize, move, work, study or take care of our health and family. Design introduces a more human centred and creative approach to service innovation; this is critical to delivering more effective and novel solutions that have the potential to tackle contemporary challenges.
Service Design Research UK reviewed and consolidated the emergence of Service Design within the estalished field of Design
Towards a New Industrial Policy for Europe. EPC Issue Paper No. 78, November 2014
An ambitious rhetoric has been adopted both at the European and national level towards industrial policy. Along with rhetoric, sweeping action plans to revive our industrial base and reverse off-shoring trends have been attempted. However, concrete measures undertaken have been inconsistent and weak compared to the magnitude of the challenges faced by European manufacturing as well as the policies implemented by our competitors. At the same time the economic and financial crisis has shed light on the risks of an excessive reliance on the service and financial sector and the necessity to look for new sources of growth. As a response, this Issue Paper, by Claire Dhéret, Senior Policy Analyst and Martina Morosi, Programme Assistant, argues that fostering a more innovative, knowledge-intensive, new technology-oriented and resource-efficient manufacturing industry in Europe is the right way to go. To this end, a new EU strategic vision on industrial policy, based on the operationalisation of European cooperation, is urgently required. The paper presents a toolkit for implementing the vision and a series of policy recommendations
Industry 4.0 for SMEs
This open access book explores the concept of Industry 4.0, which presents a considerable challenge for the production and service sectors. While digitization initiatives are usually integrated into the central corporate strategy of larger companies, smaller firms often have problems putting Industry 4.0 paradigms into practice. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) possess neither the human nor financial resources to systematically investigate the potential and risks of introducing Industry 4.0. Addressing this obstacle, the international team of authors focuses on the development of smart manufacturing concepts, logistics solutions and managerial models specifically for SMEs. Aiming to provide methodological frameworks and pilot solutions for SMEs during their digital transformation, this innovative and timely book will be of great use to scholars researching technology management, digitization and small business, as well as practitioners within manufacturing companies
12 Opportunities on the Journey to Net Zero
The University of Derby has published the ‘Twelve Opportunities’ guides to help SME owners and managers navigate this wealth of support and to celebrate real-life decarbonisation interventions that include examples of carbon reduction, cost saving and clean growth. The guides signal some of the key steps along the pathway to Net Zero and describe examples of how some companies are already innovating in order to be resilient and competitive in the sustainable economy of the future. Together they otfer a route map to decarbonisation, by providing SMEs with a set of tools, resources and inspiration to accelerate their journey towards Net Zero
ERAWATCH Country Reports 2013: United Kingdom
The Analytical Country Reports analyse and assess in a structured manner the evolution of the national policy research and innovation in the perspective of the wider EU strategy and goals, with a particular focus on the performance of the national research and innovation (R&I) system, their broader policy mix and governance. The 2013 edition of the Country Reports highlight national policy and system developments occurring since late 2012 and assess, through dedicated sections:
-National progress in addressing Research and Innovation system challenges;
-National progress in addressing the 5 ERA priorities;
-The progress at Member State level towards achieving the Innovation Union;
-The status and relevant features of Regional and/or National Research and Innovation Strategies on Smart Specialisation (RIS3);
-As far relevant, country Specific Research and Innovation (R&I) Recommendations.
Detailed annexes in tabular form provide access to country information in a concise and synthetic manner.
The reports were originally produced in December 2013, focusing on policy developments occurring over the preceding twelve months.JRC.J.2-Knowledge for Growt
Eco-innovate: a guide to eco-innovation for SMEs and business coaches
This guide is a practical and comprehensive introduction to eco-innovation addressed primarily to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The booklet overviews emerging business opportunities eco-innovation has to offer to companies that reconsider business models, develop new products, technologies or services, or improve production processes
Industry 4.0 for SMEs
This open access book explores the concept of Industry 4.0, which presents a considerable challenge for the production and service sectors. While digitization initiatives are usually integrated into the central corporate strategy of larger companies, smaller firms often have problems putting Industry 4.0 paradigms into practice. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) possess neither the human nor financial resources to systematically investigate the potential and risks of introducing Industry 4.0. Addressing this obstacle, the international team of authors focuses on the development of smart manufacturing concepts, logistics solutions and managerial models specifically for SMEs. Aiming to provide methodological frameworks and pilot solutions for SMEs during their digital transformation, this innovative and timely book will be of great use to scholars researching technology management, digitization and small business, as well as practitioners within manufacturing companies
A C-LEAN Framework for Deploying Circular Economy in Manufacturing SMEs
The adoption of Circular Economy (CE) is challenging, especially for manufacturing SMEs. Without SMEs, CE’s full spectrum cannot be realised, since they contribute to around 50% of the national GDP, globally. This research proposes a novel framework (C-LEAN) to facilitate the implementation of CE in manufacturing SMEs by combining the principles of CE and Lean, as both foci on waste elimination and value creation/preservation. The framework utilises Lean tools/methods mingled with CE principles to achieve circularity, efficiency and effectiveness in manufacturing SMEs. The proposed framework was conceptually developed based on an extensive review of the existing scholarly literature and verified by a panel of field experts, through a Delphi study, from academia and industry. The model was further validated to assess its practical relevance through a case study approach in an SME manufacturing company. The results derived from the verification and validation of the proposed C-LEAN framework suggest that CE can be effectively and efficiently adopted through its amalgamation with Lean. The C-LEAN framework provides a systematic approach for manufacturing SMEs to simultaneously adopt CE and Lean practices in their existing operations. The proposed C-LEAN framework can support and guide managers in the concurrent deployment of CE and Lean for their organisations to enhance both their operational and sustainability performance. This research provides a novel framework that converges CE and Lean as no such framework exists to date. C-LEAN is attractive for manufacturing SMEs due to its dual nature of achieving operations excellence in a sustainable circular manner
Examining the factors affecting U.K. manufacturing small and medium sized enterprises’ corporate sustainability behaviour
A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of PhilosophyThis study explores the factors that affect the corporate sustainability behaviour of UK manufacturing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). To date, SMEs have been reported as being generally reluctant to engage in corporate sustainability activities. However, due to their significant negative environmental impacts, volume, and the contributions they make to economic growth and stability, no meaningful progress can be made towards corporate sustainability without SMEs’ involvement. As extant literature has focused more on the corporate sustainability activities of large or multinational companies with limited focus on SMEs, this study contributes to addressing this gap by adopting an SME perspective to exploring the factors affecting their corporate sustainability behaviour. The study was conducted as a qualitative study and data was collected through semi-structured interviews with a total of forty SME owner-managers from manufacturing companies in the South-East region of the UK and a focus group conducted with an additional twelve SME owner-managers from the same sector and region. Based on the study’s findings and an elaboration of the Responsible Environmental Behaviour (REB) framework, a framework for exploring the factors affecting SMEs’ corporate sustainability behaviour was developed. This framework suggests that SME Capacity Building in the form of information on corporate sustainability issues as they relate to SMEs, action strategies they can employ for corporate sustainability and transparency of the corporate sustainability business case, as well as Organisational Attitude, Stakeholder Influence and Resource Constraints are the main factors affecting UK manufacturing SMEs’ corporate sustainability behaviour
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