Value enhanced collaborative working (VECW)

In recent years, the service industry has been made aware of the advantages of risk sharing and inter-firm collaborations. In the current turbulent business environment, a large proportion of Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME) firms rely on collaboration and partnering with other businesses. The value of such collaboration is highly enhanced by pooling resources to help exploit complementarities between the collaborating businesses and significantly increasing performance and management. Many studies have been conducted on the determinants of collaboration success or failures. However, authors have suggested further research to provide a framework to cover the factors responsible for enhanced value within collaborative working. In particular, the susceptibility of SMEs to successfully collaborate is significantly less than that of large organisations. Hence this was the focus of the current study. The research was focused on establishing the value enhancement of collaborative working within ServQ’s, the sponsoring organisation’s, collaborative environment. The main aim of this research project is ‘To investigate the potential of Value-Enhanced Collaborative Working (VECW) in an SME management advisory firm’. The aim was achieved with the help of the development of a VECW framework based on the issues faced by ServQ’s collaborative environment. To achieve this aim, an inductive research approach was adopted; this was facilitated by literature reviews and research methods such as semi-structured interviews, focus groups and scenario planning. This was to ensure that the project was an applied research based on the sound foundations of available theories on collaborative working. The research was initiated with a preliminary case study of the sponsoring organisation to better understand it. This period of initial investigation entailed learning more about the organisation’s management and working culture. Parallel to the initial case study, a literature review helped establish a definition of Value Enhanced Collaborative Working (VECW) as well as a conceptual VECW framework. Three key factors were identified in the conceptual VECW framework; these were considered as three separate but equally important branches that together will create a sustainable longterm collaborative working environment. The first factor identified was the People factor; the main output from this was the development of a Collaboration Charter. The Process factor developed a business process model for ServQ while the Tools factor was established through scenario planning. The output of this research was a development of a VECW framework. The research work progressed chronologically by first developing a conceptual VECW framework followed by the development of each of the People, Process and Tool factors in further detail with the help of mechanisms such as Collaboration Charter and business process models. Eventually the framework recommended how all these three factors together enhance the value of collaboration in ServQ. These outputs established the mechanisms to balance all the three factors within ServQ resulting in development of a sustainable collaboration environment. The research has contributed to knowledge by providing a VECW framework in an industrial setting that can be replicated in similar organisations with required changes. In addition, it complements the wide array of literature pertaining to Collaborative Working, SMEs, services organisations and Value

Enhanced integrated modelling approach to reconfiguring manufacturing enterprises

Dynamism and uncertainty are real challenges for present day manufacturing enterprises (MEs). Reasons include: an increasing demand for customisation, reduced time to market, shortened product life cycles and globalisation. MEs can reduce competitive pressure by becoming reconfigurable and change-capable. However, modern manufacturing philosophies, including agile and lean, must complement the application of reconfigurable manufacturing paradigms. Choosing and applying the best philosophies and techniques is very difficult as most MEs deploy complex and unique configurations of processes and resource systems, and seek economies of scope and scale in respect of changing and distinctive product flows. It follows that systematic methods of achieving model driven reconfiguration and interoperation of component based manufacturing systems are required to design, engineer and change future MEs. This thesis, titled Enhanced Integrated Modelling Approach to Reconfiguring Manufacturing Enterprises , introduces the development and prototyping a model-driven environment for the design, engineering, optimisation and control of the reconfiguration of MEs with an embedded capability to handle various types of change. The thesis describes a novel systematic approach, namely enhanced integrated modelling approach (EIMA), in which coherent sets of integrated models are created that facilitates the engineering of MEs especially their production planning and control (PPC) systems. The developed environment supports the engineering of common types of strategic, tactical and operational processes found in many MEs. The EIMA is centred on the ISO standardised CIMOSA process modelling approach. Early study led to the development of simulation models during which various CIMOSA shortcomings were observed, especially in its support for aspects of ME dynamism. A need was raised to structure and create semantically enriched models hence forming an enhanced integrated modelling environment. The thesis also presents three industrial case examples: (1) Ford Motor Company; (2) Bradgate Furniture Manufacturing Company; and (3) ACM Bearings Company. In order to understand the system prior to realisation of any PPC strategy, multiple process segments of any target organisation need to be modelled. Coherent multi-perspective case study models are presented that have facilitated process reengineering and associated resource system configuration. Such models have a capability to enable PPC decision making processes in support of the reconfiguration of MEs. During these case studies, capabilities of a number of software tools were exploited such as Arena®, Simul8®, Plant Simulation®, MS Visio®, and MS Excel®. Case study results demonstrated effectiveness of the concepts related to the EIMA. The research has resulted in new contributions to knowledge in terms of new understandings, concepts and methods in following ways: (1) a structured model driven integrated approach to the design, optimisation and control of future reconfiguration of MEs. The EIMA is an enriched and generic process modelling approach with capability to represent both static and dynamic aspects of an ME; and (2) example application cases showing benefits in terms of reduction in lead time, cost and resource load and in terms of improved responsiveness of processes and resource systems with a special focus on PPC; (3) identification and industrial application of a new key performance indicator (KPI) known as P3C the measuring and monitoring of which can aid in enhancing reconfigurability and responsiveness of MEs; and (4) an enriched modelling concept framework (E-MUNE) to capture requirements of static and dynamic aspects of MEs where the conceptual framework has the capability to be extended and modified according to the requirements. The thesis outlines key areas outlining a need for future research into integrated modelling approaches, interoperation and updating mechanisms of partial models in support of the reconfiguration of MEs

Ontoloji tabanlı çok-etmenli sanal fabrika sisteminin tasarımı ve geliştirilmesi.

Major developments in computers and information technologies, enable industrial and mechanical engineers to establish new net based, virtual collaboration platforms for enterprises. Benefiting from virtual enterprise platform enterprises will be able to combine their resources and capabilities on project based collaborations meanwhile protect their independent mainstream policies and secure their secret information. This concept is called virtual enterprise(VE). Virtual Enterprise (VE) is a collaboration model between multiple business partners in a value chain. The VE model is particularly feasible and appropriate for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) and industry parks containing multiple SMEs that have different vertical competencies. One of the main targets of this research is to create an Ontology based Multi Agent Virtual Enterprise (OMAVE) System to prepare an appropriate platform for collaboration between technology start-ups in techno-parks and SMEs in Organized Industrial Zones in order to produce high value added high-tech products. OMAVE aims to help SMEs to shift from classic trend of manufacturing part pieces towards high-tech, innovative and research based products. In this way and to reach this goal a new semantic data infrastructure to enhance Re-Configurability and Flexibility of virtual enterprise systems has been developed. In order to support flexibility in Virtual Enterprise business processes and enhance its integration to enterprises' available manufacturing systems (e.g. MRP) an ontology based domain model of VE system has been established. OWL DL semantic data structure of VE by defining concepts, axioms, rules and functions in VE system has been developed. TDB data store to keep VE data and information in form of triples developed. SPARQL semantic RDF query language is used to handle and manipulate data on developed system data store. This architecture supports structure flexibility for developed VE infrastructure and improve reusability of data and knowledge in VE life cycle. To establish a multi agent based partner selection platform different agent types have been developed. These agents collaborate and compete with each other to select the most appropriate partner for the forthcoming VE project consortium. The agent based auctioning platform is coupled with a Fuzzy-AHP-TOPSIS multi criteria decision making algorithm to evaluate incoming bids from agents and rank proposals in each iteration. It is also important to notice that here, agents interaction's semantic is provided by an agent ontology. This agent ontology provides concepts, properties and all message formats for agents to settle a common language in interactions between agents. Implementing concurrent engineering, collaborative design and Product Life Cycle Management (PLM) concepts by integrating Dassault systems web based CATIA/ENOVIA V6 design and PLM tools to OMAVE system. To test and verify these achievements a case study to produce a test product by using developed OMAVE tools is established. This test product manufactured by contributions of SMEs from OSTIM organized Industrial Zone Aviation and Defense Cluster.Ph.D. - Doctoral Progra

Sustainability transition of production systems in the digital era - a systems perspective for building resilient and sustainable production systems

Locked-in manufacturing industries with highly structured operations and path dependencies are major contributors to the sustainability challenges currently burdening our planet. The effects of the ongoing pandemic, large-scale environmental impacts due to climate change and constant economic and social downturns are just some examples of these sustainability challenges. Increased digitalisation, awareness, global initiatives and regulations are pressuring manufacturing industries to transition towards sustainable development. However, there exists a multitude of interpretations in implementing sustainability in manufacturing industries. This makes proposing tangible actions to translate global initiatives complicated, thus hindering the sustainability transition process.The purpose of this thesis is to support the advancement of resilient production systems which can overcome sustainability challenges in the Industry 4.0 era. Hence, the thesis aims to investigate: (i) the systemic challenges of manufacturing companies which hinder their sustainability transition process and (ii) the mechanisms by which a systems perspective may be applied to support the transition. A mixed-methods approach was used to carry out the research, using qualitative and quantitative data from three (empirical and theoretical) studies. Applying a systems perspective helped reveal the challenges which hinder the sustainability transition of production systems. Understanding the production ‘system’ as a whole (and the underlying web of intricate dependencies and challenges in production operations) required this holistic perspective. Regarding the challenges, it was observed that manufacturing industries across different domains face three main types of challenge: internal (such as organisational routines, strategies and cultural mindset), external (such as regulations and collaboration with stakeholders) and technological (such as maturity levels and data). Three different enabling mechanisms were explored which may help overcome the above sustainability challenges and support the sustainability transition of manufacturing industries: (1) Industry 4.0 technologies, (2) dynamic capabilities and (3) resilience engineering. It was observed that Industry 4.0 technologies (such as artificial intelligence/machine learning, virtual development tools and sensors) are largely implemented to enable sustainable manufacturing in the form of resource efficiency and waste reduction. The results also revealed five microfoundations of dynamic capabilities – communication, organisation, resources, collaboration and technology. Based on Industry 4.0 opportunities to promote sustainability transitions, the results revealed five industrial resilience factors – robustness, agility, resourcefulness, adaptability and flexibility.This research contributes to theory by studying the convergence of emergent research topics, such as Industry 4.0, dynamic capabilities and resilience engineering in the context of sustainability transitions. In terms of a practical contribution, the sustainability transitions model developed in this thesis may support industrial practitioners in gaining a holistic understanding of the systemic challenges to sustainability, plus corresponding mechanisms to promote the sustainability transition of industries and the building of resilient production systems