Depth Of Maximum Of Air-shower Profiles At The Pierre Auger Observatory. I. Measurements At Energies Above 1017.8ev

901

Mini factory: a successful model for European furniture industry?

Manufacturing system based on mini factory is one of the modern pervasive production models spreading as a response to demand for customized products with low cost and fast delivery time. However, as the term is far from being uniform and unique, its application in research and industry by managers is still challenging and represents somehow a riddle. Consequently, the various meanings associated with the term mini factory in literature are critically assayed. The results depicted three main areas of the model of mini factory: "Work organisation model", "Agile Assembly Architecture" and "Distributed mini factories network". Steming out from the third model, the possibility of using the mini factory model presented by Reichwald, Stotko & Piller was explored. Indeed, due to its characteristics, this model seems to be able to respond more effectively to the challenges in the European furniture sector, in particular for SMEs

Implications for Collaborative Development of Reverse Distribution Network: A System Perspective

Part 1: Knowledge-Based SustainabilityInternational audienceOne of the recurring challenges that industries and society face is the availability of and access to resources. The scarcity of resources creates instability in the supply chains of firms and in turn affects competitiveness. In recent years, the notion of a reverse distribution network has been put forth as a possible solution to remedy not only the volatility of the supply chains but also as an indispensable approach for sustainable development. This paper examines the current state of the literature on reverse distribution networks from a system perspective. Two major findings were identified. Firstly, there are no clear grounds for decision making regarding supply network development. Secondly, collaborations offers great opportunities to develop reverse distribution networks and build robust supply chains