Service Implementation Framework in Manufacturing Firms: A Case Study

The culture and the operational methods of service management have become a formidable competitive weapon even for manufacturing firms. The term "service factory" has been proposed for identifying that particular integration of products and services, achieved by the excellent manufacturing firm, where "service is a multidimensional concept". The creation of a service factory necessarily implies a radical change in the operational and organizational characteristics of the firm. In order to support manufacturing firms in adopting a service strategy, it is relevant on the one hand to identify the bundle of services which have to be provided for the customers and, on the other hand, to understand the implications for firm management model. As regards the first point, the paper proposes a framework which classifies the services along with two dimensions: Timedimension and target-dimension. The proposed framework is of interest for manufacturing firms because it allows a better recognition of services that are more perceptible for the customers. In the second part of the paper, authors discuss the implications of a service strategy adoption on the management model of manufacturing firms. In order to carry out this analysis, authors propose a model that combines four service dimensions with three decision-making categories (Organization, Methodologies and Technologies). In the end, the proposed framework has been applied in a sample of Italian hot water heater manufacturers and a case study analysis has been carried out

A novel framework for the use of workflow system in the integration of supply chain tiers

The global competition has imposed challenges to supply chain integration, mainly, during the process of obtain information to make demand management decisions. This paper proposes an integrated framework for data collection, analysis and results dissemination in the supply chain management (SCM), contributing to research and alternatives for \u201cThe Bullwhip Effect\u201d issue. In this sense, it is necessary to discuss the integration of supply chain management, Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) functionality and others systems, to enlarge this scope to the total supply chain players. The ERP web-based tool and Workflow Systems (WS) can contribute to solve issues related to supply chain management. Starting from a detailed analysis of the research background regarding current SCM definitions and integration problems, Information Technology and Communication (ITC) development and WS in order to map and ensure flow fluency; the paper proposes a model to increase the overall integrations and an application in a case study for supporting the decisions that are aligned with the company\u2019s strategic objectives. This paper is divided in: research background; proposed model of the SC integration; case study, conclusions and future research

on the relationship between lean practices and environmental performance

Lean production has emerged in the past decades as one of the most popular topics in business and manufacturing literature and it is the most extended production paradigm currently applied in industry. Lean production is characterized by five principles (value, map the value stream, flow, pull and continuous improvement) and by the importance of reducing waste (muda). Alongside the Lean philosophy, the so-called green strategy has also gained importance in competition between firms. Many companies are trying to develop products that reduce environmental impacts throughout their life cycle. The aim is to reduce resource consumption, to replace hazardous substances, to increase recyclability, to enhance energy efficiency and to bring down CO2 emissions. Lean and Green production paradigms are both focused on waste reduction and several authors have studied the relationship between Lean and Green practices and the synergic effects of joining these two management approaches. This research carries out a literature review in order to investigate if firms which have applied Lean principles and methods have improved their environmental measures. In particular, the work seeks to highlight which green indicators are more positively affected by Lean practices adoption. The results are synthesized in a final chart which illustrates the main green indicators cited in the literature and shows how these indicators have changed after a Lean transformation program. The research is to be understood as a work in progress and is part of a larger study that the authors are conducting on this topic

Evaluating the impact of lean practices on environmental performance: evidences from five manufacturing companies

Previous evidence suggests that both lean and green production paradigms are focused on waste reduction and that lean practices help organizations to enhance sustainability objectives, and particularly environmental performance. However, the impact of lean practices on the environment is still unclear. This study therefore aims to analyse the relationship between lean and environmental performance in manufacturing with a strong empirical focus. This research was conducted in two main stages: first, an extensive review of the relevant literature was carried out, followed by a multiple case study analysis conducted in five manufacturing companies. Onsite data were collected from the firms during a five years’ time span of research and developing semi-structured interviews. Furthermore, a cross-case analysis was carried out to map the results. Findings indicate that the environmental performance of the companies analysed is generally enhanced in the long-term after the implementation of lean. Moreover, the results from the multiple case study suggest that the environmental performance of the firms under analysis is mainly improved by using JIT and TQM practices in a lean transformation context. The research findings provide further results remarking the possible negative impact of practices such as Kanban deliveries, 5S and TPM on various environmental performance indicators.N/

A systematic literature review regarding the influence of lean manufacturing on firms’ financial performance

The lean philosophy has demonstrated its effectiveness to improve firms’ operational performance. However, the impact of lean practices on financial performance is still unclear due to the poor understanding of the link between operational and financial measures and the conflictive results obtained by previous research. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic literature review to understand whether lean companies have improved their financial performance. Moreover, this article aims to uncover research gaps in the literature and examine which time spans of research have been considered to analyse both the degree of lean implementation and the measurement of financial outcomes. A systematic literature review has been conducted to identify peer-reviewed articles that analyse the effect of the lean production paradigm on the financial performance measures of manufacturing companies. Then, the identified articles were processed using a combination of descriptive and content analyses methods to draw new conclusions, uncover gaps and find novel paths for research. Various authors indicate that lean initiatives lead to an enhancement of financial performance measures. JIT and TQM lean practice bundles are suggested as the best enablers of financial performance in terms of sales and profit. In contrast, according to some scholars, lean does not necessarily improve companies’ financial results if it is not properly implemented. Despite several studies have focused on analysing the effects of lean on performance, only a small part of the literature has addressed the study of the effects of lean practices on financial performance metrics. The originality of this study lies in the investigation of the connections between lean practices and financial performance measures found in the literature. The outcome is the identification of various possible positive impacts of some lean practices on financial metrics.N/

Assessing the inhaled dose of nanomaterials by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and its relationship with lung inflammatory biomarkers.

The widespread and increasing use of nanomaterials has resulted in a higher likelihood of exposure by inhalation for nanotechnology workers. However, tracking the internal dose of nanoparticles deposited at the airways level, is still challenging. To assess the suitability of particle number concentration determination as biomarker of internal dose, we carried out a cross sectional investigation involving 80 workers handling nanomaterials. External exposure was characterized by portable counters of particles DISCminiTM (Testo, DE), allowing to categorize 51 workers as exposed and 29 as non-exposed (NE) to nanoparticles. Each subject filled in a questionnaire reporting working practices and health status. Exhaled breath condensate was collected and analysed for the number of particles/ml as well as for inflammatory biomarkers. A clear-cut relationship between the number of airborne particles in the nano-size range determined by the particle counters and the particle concentration in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) was apparent. Moreover, inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-10, and TNF-α) measured in EBC, were significantly higher in the exposed subjects as compared to not exposed. Finally, significant correlations were found between external exposure, the number concentration of particles measured by the nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and inflammatory cytokines. As a whole, the present study, suggests that NTA can be regarded as a reliable tool to assess the inhaled dose of particles and that this dose can effectively elicit inflammatory effects