On agile metrics for operations management: measuring and aligning agility with operational excellence

High-quality performance in Operations Management has been measured through different Excellence frameworks, with special emphasis on Operational Excellence models. By allowing to track performance indicators, identify improvement opportunities, and tackle operational limitations, such frameworks have proven their validity throughout the years. However, and despite their history of success, these frameworks remain based on almost the same principles and criteria that were defined when they were first being established, more than three decades ago. As change becomes central to the life of organizations, the ability to reconfigure operations becomes vital for success. However, the current takes on Operational Excellence do not consider the ability to change in their assessments. In a marketplace in transformation, this is perceived as a limitation and draws criticism to Excellence frameworks. In the face of this gap, we develop, deploy and analyze the results obtained by an Organizational Agility assessment framework that is aligned with Excellence in Operations Management. This paper presents this process and highlights the main results of bringing Organizational Agility together with Operational Excellence in the measurement and pursuit of superior operational performance.This work has been supported by national funds through FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia within the Project Scope: UID/CEC/00319/2019, as well as by PhD grant PD/BD/114149/2016

Technology and quality management: a review of concepts and opportunities in the digital transformation

Purpose - The Digital Transformation brings change to organizations, their processes, and their production systems. Nevertheless, most efforts observed in its context tend to be technology-driven, and it is often argued that Quality Management is inadequately integrated into the discussion. Design/methodology/approach - Surveying the literature, this work reviews, list, and organizes the different technological concepts and integration opportunities that have been explored in the scope of Quality Management in the Digital Transformation. Findings - Findings include the expanded capacity of quality tools and methods for managerial purposes; the reinforced importance of Data Quality; the increased automation and augment resources for Quality control; and the increased process optimization and integration of systems and between organizational areas. Originality/value - It is demonstrated that although scattered in the literature, there are already a number of works exploring the impacts of technology in the management of Quality in the scope of the Digital Transformation. Three main areas for integration arise: (a) Digital Quality Management (application of industry 4.0 technologies to Quality Management itself, its tools, methods, and systems), (b) the management of the Quality of digital products and services, and (c) the management of the Quality of digital product development and production processes.(undefined

Quality, excellence and culture in the pursuit of organizational agility

Operational excellence programs have proved to be valuable in helping companies improve their quality practices and their performance. However, after some time, these programs seem to stagnate and to be unable to keep pushing organizations forward. We believe that this problem is due to the lack of integration between excellence and agility, which we see as a natural goal for organizations that wish to promote a true culture of excellence in face of highly unstable business environments. This paper presents our research approach to the problem, and early results from investigating the influence of a culture of excellence in promoting an enduring capacity to change.- The Authors acknowledge the support of Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (Portugal) to this project through grant PD/BD/114149/2016

Implementing Enterprise Lean A Look at Ogden Air Logistics Center

This paper documents the enterprise-wide lean implementation effort at Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and provides lessons learned for future application. Under the banner of transformation, Ogden started their enterprise lean journey in November 2003 with the Lean Aerospace Initiative (LAI) and their industry consortium members facilitating as a strategic coach. The framework for their strategy finished in June 2004. As background, the first part of the paper is dedicated to understanding the influences (geo-political, legislative, private industry/academia) affecting transformation within the Department of Defense and specific change initiatives at Air Force Materiel Command. The latter sections describe the change process itself at Ogden

Gesundheitliche Wirkungen des Tieffluglaerms Hauptstudie

Acute effects of low-altitude flights noise (LAFN) and long-term effects by chronic LAFN exposition were investigated especially regarding effects on hearing and the cardiovascular system. Auditory acute effects in man were temporary hearing threshold shifts, the delayed development of which suggests the possibility of hearing damage under chronic exposition. In guinea pigs 50% of animals suffer permanent threshold shifts of #>=# 30 dB after single exposition with 126 dB peak level. Among extraaural acute effects, only blood pressure increases in elderly people and behavioral shock reactions with vegetative symptoms were relevant in health respect, when persons are subjected to fast level increase LAFN. In epidemiological investigations, a significant increase of mean hearing thresholds were found in areas with strong LAFN exposition. The blood pressure and the frequency of hypertension were not different between areas with and without LAFN. But cortisol and metanephrine excretion were increased in an area with very strong ALAFN exposition and there were a correlation of these values with the subjective annoyance by LAFN. At identical energy-equivalent noise level, the annoyance by LAFN was generally higher than by other noise. Limiting values of peak level and level increase speed are proposed to avoid health impairements, especially that of hearing. The restriction of minimal flight hights to 300 m for military flights implies, that these limiting values will not be furthermore exceeded. Then - in consequence of the results of this study - the possibility of acute health endanger by LAFN is not given anymore. (orig.)Akutwirkungen von Tieffluglaerm und Langzeiteffekte chronischer Tieffluglaermexposition wurden insbesondere bezueglich ihrer Wirkung auf das Gehoer und das Herz-Kreislaufsystem untersucht. Aurale Akutwirkungen bestanden beim Menschen in temporaeren Hoerschwellenverschiebungen, deren zeitlich verzoegerte Entwicklung auf die Moeglichkeit von Schaedigungen bei chronischer Exposition verweist, bei Meerschweinchen wurden bleibende Hoerverluste von #>=# 30 dB bei einmaliger Exposition mit 126 dB Maximalpegel bei 50% der Tiere gefunden. Unter den extraauralen Akutwirkungen waren nur Blutdrucksteigerungen bei alten Menschen sowie Schreckreaktionen mit vegetativen Symptomen insbesondere bei schnellem Pegelanstieg gesundheitlich relevant. Mit epidemiologischer Methodik wurde nachgewiesen, dass die mittleren Hoerschwellen in stark belasteten Tieffluggebieten signifikant ueber denen in Gebieten ohne Tieffluglaerm lagen. Unterschiede im Blutdruck und der Haeufigkeit hypertoner Blutdruckwerte waren beim Vergleich verschieden belasteter Tieffluggebiete nicht festzustellen, aber die Cortisol- und Metanephrinausscheidung waren unter sehr starker Tieffluglaermbelastung erhoeht und diese Werte korrelierten mit der subjektiven Stoerung durch Tieffluglaerm. Die Belaestigung durch Tieffluglaerm ist bei gleichem energieaequivalentem Dauerschallpegel generell hoeher als die infolge Laerm anderer Herkunft. Zur Vermeidung gesundheitlicher Beeintraechtigungen, insbesondere einer Innenohrschaedigung, werden Richtwerte fuer den Maximalpegel und die Pegelanstiegsgeschwindigkeit vorgeschlagen. Bei einer Begrenzung der Mindestflughoehe auf 300 m fuer militaerische Tieffluege werden diese Richtwerte nicht ueberschritten, so dass nach den erhobenen Befunden eine akute gesundheitliche Gefaehrdung nicht mehr gegeben ist. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: RN 8908(91-127,1) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekUmweltbundesamt, Berlin (Germany); Bundesministerium fuer Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman