Lean manufacturing in small and medium-sized food processing enterprises : practice, performance and its determining factors

Why do only a few food processing SMEs take advantage of lean manufacturing? Is there anything inherent to food processing SMEs with respect to plant, product, process and organizational behavior influencing the applicability and effectiveness of lean manufacturing? In other words: What are the determining factors that contribute to the variations in operational performance in food processing SMEs and most importantly, how? This doctoral research provides some interesting insights into this topic. Firstly, food processing SMEs are mainly focusing on quality assurance (food safety) and less on quality improvement. Secondly, lean manufacturing implementation improves the operational performance, especially in relation to productivity and quality. Thirdly, variations in the use of lean manufacturing practices are substantial and some practices are yet to be fully used in the food sector. Fourthly, the size of the company is positively correlated with the degree of use of lean practices. Fifthly, the commitment of the top management, training, change agent, product and process characteristics of the food sector are critical for the success of lean manufacturing implementation. Food processing SMEs that manage these determining factors effectively have a higher probability of implementation success. Finally, a framework - house of lean for food SMEs - that takes into consideration the needs and characteristics of food processing SMEs has been proposed in order to assist managers in lean practices implementation

Research Productivity and Research Trends in the Library and Information Science Subject: A Study with reference to SCOPUS

The current study attempts to find out the research productivity and trends in Library and Information Science (LIS)subject in India during 1944 to 2017 by using bibliometric and content analysis methods. The publication data for the study was extracted from the Scopus database which consists of 1944 publications published by Indian authors.Thebibliographic data were analyzedby different bibliometric indicators which include most preferred journals, most prolific author, author collaboration trends, most prolific institutions and highly cited papers. The study reveals many important facets of LIS research in India. Gupta, B. M. the as recognized as the most prolific author with57papers; whereina context toa totalnumber of citations received Garg, K. C. topped in term of 406 citations. DESIDOC Journal of Library and Information Technolgy was identified as the most preferred journal with highest publications followed by Scientometrics Journal. The content analysis of the publications shows three major clusters in LIS research includes “Use and User study,”“Bibliometric/Scientometrics” and “Digital Library Research.

Circular economy and digital capabilities of SMEs for providing value to customers: Combined Resource-Based View and ambidexterity perspective

Some small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are involved in recycling plastic waste to produce innovative products. These SMEs have adopted digital technologies, such as 3D printing and blockchain, to gain competitive advantage from their circular economy (CE)-based business models. However, the specific capabilities needed to create value for customers and to generate a competitive advantage for such SMEs are not known. In this study, we conducted in-depth interviews with four SMEs engaged in the CE to identify the specific resources and capabilities needed to provide value to customers. Our findings reveal that SMEs focusing on circular economy initiatives demonstrate exploitation and adaptive capabilities in utilising their CE resources followed by exploration and adaptive capabilities while implementing digital technologies. Our study extends the resource-based view by combining it with ambidexterity to explain the role of specific circular and digital resources and capabilities that SMEs need to provide value to their customers

Value stream mapping: food supply chains in India and Bangladesh

Working across South Asia, the CGIAR research initiative ‘Transforming Agrifood System in South Asia (TAFSSA)’ aims to deliver a coordinated program of research and engagement across the food production–to–consumption continuum to support equitable access to sustainable healthy diets, improve farmer livelihoods and resilience, and conserve land, air and groundwater resources. This transdisciplinary research seeks to map the impact of food waste across the different stakeholders in the food supply chains in India and Bangladesh using ‘lean thinking’ principles. In so doing, a sustainability performance matrix will be developed for encapsulating the economic, social, and environmental indicators as well as key performance indicators (KPIs) for identifying, assessing and benchmarking food waste across the food supply chains. The holistic sustainability performance matrix will help guide industry and policymakers to better understand the external costs of food waste and enable different stakeholders along the value chain to manage food waste more effectively. The new sustainability dimension of mapping the impact of food waste will contribute to both academic knowledge and improving industrial performance

Performance perceptions among supply chain members: A triadic assessment of the influence of supply chain relationship quality on supply chain performance

Purpose: A good supply chain relationship quality (RQ) is a crucial precursor for any stable exchange relationship which ensures relationship continuity. Although empirical research suggests that strengthening RQ improves supply chain performance (SCP), most studies have focused on dyadic business relationships. To fully understand the relational behaviour of a firm embedded in a supply chain, we need to look beyond the dyad into triads. This paper investigates how SCP is influenced by RQ in a triadic agribusiness supply chain.Design/methodology/approach: Evidence is drawn from a quantitative survey of 150 agribusiness firms in the maize supply chain in Uganda. Data was collected in triadic context from 50 direct supply chains each composing of a supplier, focal firm and customer. Multi-group structural equations modelling (SEM) was used to assess the differences in perception on the influence of RQ on SCP amongst the supply chain members. Findings: Results provides empirical support for the positive influence of RQ on SCP. SEM reveals differences in perception between the upstream and downstream and amongst the supply chains members. While focal firms considered conflict, coercive power, commitment and trust to be important; suppliers considered trust, dependency and non-coercive power; and customers considered trust, dependency and coercive power to be important RQ factors affecting supply chain performance. Practical implications: For agribusiness managers to enhance business performance there is need to cultivate strong and mutual relationship with supply chain members. It is also important to know how to handle conflicts and use of power so as to realise the benefits of supply chain relationships. Originality/value: Our paper is novel in that it assesses SCP in a triadic context in an agribusiness sector from a developing country context. We used novel approaches including analysis of a triad, and multiple groups SEM to assess perceptions of each supply chain member’s

Knowledge management for food supply chain synergies – A maturity level analysis of SME companies

Despite the considerable number of papers addressing knowledge management (KM) aspects in supply chains, many research issues in the area are still neglected. One of the main research gaps in this field concerns the maturity level of KM practices adoption by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This paper addresses this research gap by developing a framework to support the analysis of the maturity level of KM adoption in an SME context. The framework is applied in a multiple case study developed to investigate the extent to which SMEs operating in the food sector are deploying KM practices to support more sustainable initiatives. By relating KM maturity levels, perspectives and processes to sustainable practices concerning food waste and by-product synergies, the paper makes an original contribution to advance theory and practice in the area. The paper also points out potential barriers that companies face to implement sustainability related KM practices

A Tool for the Selection of Food Waste Management Approaches for the Hospitality and Food Service Sector in the UK

The UK government has been calling for action in tackling food waste (FW) generation, to which the Hospitality and Food Services (HaFS) sector contributes substantially. Decision-making tools that inform the selection of appropriate FW management (FWM) processes in the HaFS sector are lacking. This study fills this gap by offering a conceptual decision-making tool that supports selecting appropriate and commercially available FW processing techniques for the HaFS sector. The study initially conducted an exploratory analysis of on-site and off-site FWM options commercially available in the UK to inform the development of a two-tier decision-making framework. A set of steering criteria was developed and refined via stakeholder consultations to create flowcharts that guide the selection of FWM options, i.e., Tier 1 of the framework. Tier 2 refines the FWM process selection using a comparative sustainability scorecard of FWM options performance developed through a rapid systematic evidence mapping. The main outcome of this study is a flexible decision-making tool that allows stakeholders to participate in the decision-making process and facilitate the selection of tailored-based FWM processes that better suit their circumstances and needs. This approach to decision-making is more likely to enable solutions that facilitate the sustainable management of wasted resources and promote circularity

Importance of sustainable operations in food loss: evidence from the Belgian food processing industry

There are numerous studies on food loss on the demand side examining consumer behavior towards food choice and food waste generation at the household level. In this paper, we target food loss on the supply side, with a focus on the industrial food processing environment. More specifically, we map food loss in each processing stage, that is sustainable operations. Primary data were conducted through a survey (complemented with observations and documentary analysis) in 47 food processing companies in Belgium to identify hotspots and quantify food loss. The findings show that processing is by far the most important food loss hotspot. While transportation, changeover, interrupted production, human errors and product effects at this stage often lead to substantial or excessive losses, causes of food loss during packaging and before or after production have a smaller impact. At subsector level, however, there are substantial differences with respect to the most important causes. The originality of this research can be evaluated in three ways: one, identifying hotspots of food loss in the industrial processing environment; two, measuring the magnitude of losses across different product categories and causes and three, how sustainable operations plays a significant role in food loss prevention