Understanding the effects of e-business on business processes, a simulation approach

This thesis defines a new approach to the analysis of the effect of e-business on business processes, utilising simulation as evaluation tool. This research was focused on answering five research questions about the suitability of simulation in this context, the role of static modelling and generic business processes, the identification of patterns for e-business activities and how to operationalise these patterns into components in simulation software, as well as how to use these components. Requirements for modelling of e-business processes were identified and documented. Pilot cases studies proved the potential of simulation for studying e-business processes (Feasibility). Generic e-business activities were derived and classified from the literature and case studies in order to fill gaps identified in existent process models. Re-usable simulation components are proposed as a result of the unique combination of simulation and e-activities in order to make simulation modelling of e-business easier. The components were tested in industrial case studies and quasi-experiments with end users for feasibility, usability and usefulness. Results show that the components' approach is feasible, that having re-usable components promotes a better analysis, (usefulness) and that it is easy to build models using the components (usability). The theoretical novelty of this research resides in bringing together three areas of study: ebusiness, simulation and business processes to analyse e-business implementations. The research contributes to the knowledge of components and re-use theory in simulation by proposing a new approach to component development, operationalisation and analysis of the degree of granularity required for these components. From a practical point of view, this research provides companies with an easier and more complete way of analysing e-business processes, breaking the barrier for the use of simulation, speeding up model building of eprocesses and getting a better understanding of the dynamics of e-processes. Future work in the area will include extending the component approach to supply chains and inter-company transactions.This thesis defines a new approach to the analysis of the effect of e-business on business processes, utilising simulation as evaluation tool. This research was focused on answering five research questions about the suitability of simulation in this context, the role of static modelling and generic business processes, the identification of patterns for e-business activities and how to operationalise these patterns into components in simulation software, as well as how to use these components. Requirements for modelling of e-business processes were identified and documented. Pilot cases studies proved the potential of simulation for studying e-business processes (Feasibility). Generic e-business activities were derived and classified from the literature and case studies in order to fill gaps identified in existent process models. Re-usable simulation components are proposed as a result of the unique combination of simulation and e-activities in order to make simulation modelling of e-business easier. The components were tested in industrial case studies and quasi-experiments with end users for feasibility, usability and usefulness. Results show that the components' approach is feasible, that having re-usable components promotes a better analysis, (usefulness) and that it is easy to build models using the components (usability). The theoretical novelty of this research resides in bringing together three areas of study: ebusiness, simulation and business processes to analyse e-business implementations. The research contributes to the knowledge of components and re-use theory in simulation by proposing a new approach to component development, operationalisation and analysis of the degree of granularity required for these components. From a practical point of view, this research provides companies with an easier and more complete way of analysing e-business processes, breaking the barrier for the use of simulation, speeding up model building of eprocesses and getting a better understanding of the dynamics of e-processes. Future work in the area will include extending the component approach to supply chains and inter-company transactions

A Hybrid System Of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) And Informality

One of the current research trends in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) involves examining the critical factors for its successful implementation. However, there is limited beyond system implementation, focusing on flexibly of ERP to respond to changes in business. Therefore, this study explores a combination system, involving an ERP system and informality, which focus on providing a company with efficient and flexible performance simultaneously. The paper aims to understand the constraints of using a single ERP system, and to define a new system corresponding to these problems, which is achieved by studying four Chinese companies operating in different industries. The study reveals that an ERP with pre-determined business activities cannot react promptly to unanticipated changes in a business. Incorporating informality into an ERP can react to different situations by using different procedures that are based on the practical knowledge of frontline employees

ENTREPRENEURIAL FAILURE AND RESILIENCE: A CONTINUOUS INTERPLAY BETWEEN RIGIDITY AND FLEXIBILITY

Resilience studies are increasingly relevant to understand business processes. This study aimed to explore how entrepreneurs in Mexico recovered from situations of business failure. Which key factors did move en­trepreneurs to move forward with their ventures rather than desisting after a failure event? Through a qua­litative study that utilized focus groups with entrepreneurs that had faced entrepreneurial failure, discourses, and repre­sen­tations around the failure experience were analyzed. Findings suggested that entrepreneurs lied in a con­tinuum between resilience and resistance, depending on their access assets such as entrepreneurial networks, ecosystems, and pool of knowledge as antecedents of resistance and resilience. The study shed light in the understanding of the role communities surrounding entrepreneurs played in their trajectory, failure, and even­tual recovery

The application of simulation to product service systems:A review (WIP)

One innovative strategy among product manufacturers is to compete through the delivery of services to their clients. The range of advanced services provided by these manufacturers are underpinned by a system known as product-service systems (PSS). Based on a literature review, a description of a PSS with its dynamic behaviour is provided. Three PSS modelling and simulation methods (system dynamics, discrete event simulation and agent based simulation) and the nature of their application in the context of PSS are identified and discussed. Results indicate DES as the mostly used simulation approach accounting for over 50% papers reviewed due to its ability to model the dynamic behaviour of PSS over time. Previous and current research have focused on the design and in-service phase of PSS lifecycle phase. The choice of specific simulation method is dependent on the objectives intended, which include optimization of design configuration during the design and development phase and performance evaluation and optimization of resource utilization during the in-service phase of a PSS lifecycle. An area for further research is the application of simulation as a tool for cost analysis and cost estimation

Disaster preparedness in humanitarian logistics:A collaborative approach for resource management in floods

The logistical deployment of resources to provide relief to disaster victims and the appropriate planning of these activities are critical to reduce the suffering caused. Disaster management attracts many organisations working alongside each other and sharing resources to cope with an emergency. Consequently, successful operations rely heavily on the collaboration of different organisations. Despite this, there is little research considering the appropriate management of resources from multiple organisations, and none optimising the number of actors required to avoid shortages or convergence. This research introduces a disaster preparedness system based on a combination of multi-objective optimisation and geographical information systems to aid multi-organisational decision-making. A cartographic model is used to avoid the selection of floodable facilities, informing a bi-objective optimisation model used to determine the location of emergency facilities, stock prepositioning, resource allocation and relief distribution, along with the number of actors required to perform these activities. The real conditions of the flood of 2013 in Acapulco, Mexico, provided evidence of the inability of any single organisation to cope with the situation independently. Moreover, data collected showed the unavailability of enough resources to manage a disaster of that magnitude at the time. The results highlighted that the number of government organisations deployed to handle the situation was excessive, leading to high cost without achieving the best possible level of satisfaction. The system proposed showed the potential to achieve better performance in terms of cost and level of service than the approach currently employed by the authorities

Stock Prepositioning For Disasters In Mexico: A Case

Different governments are recurring to stock prepositioning to improve immediate disaster response because it can reduce procurement delays and distribution lead-time. However, it can be an expensive policy. Mexico has used this policy for several years with poor results. The purpose of this research is to integrate GIS and optimisation for the analysis of the location of warehousing facilities and prepositioning of stock at a national level. The system was tested using data obtained from Mexican disaster authorities and compared to the current policy, showing better coverage in terms of quality and a reduction of shipment time for several areas

Decision-making and operations in disasters: challenges and opportunities

Decision-making structures are commonly associated with the logistics challenges experienced during disaster operations. However, the alignment between the operational level and the decision-making structure is commonly overlooked. The purpose of this research is to provide an analysis of the fit of both levels and its impact on performance. The research is developed around a case study in Mexico. Through a review of the disaster management policy in the country, interviews, and secondary data, the article provides an analysis of the current decision-making structure, the logistics activities undertaken by authorities and the impact of the alignment between both components on logistics performance. The analysis suggests that several of the challenges commonly associated centralisation are actually rooted on its alignment with the operational level. Logistics performance is negatively affected by faulty assumptions, poorly planned procedures, inconsistent decision-making, and poorly designed structures. The case showed the need to align the operational level with a centralised perspective to increase responsiveness, flexibility and the interaction between different organisations. This article identifies the impact of the misalignment between the decision-making structure and the operational level on logistics performance, an area currently understudied. It moves from the current argument about the appropriate decision-making structure for disaster management to the identification of components to implement an efficient and effective disaster management system. Additionally, this paper provides recommendations for best practices in humanitarian logistics which are applicable to Mexico and other countries using a centralised decision-making approach

Analysis of a Train-operating Company’s Customer Service System during Disruptions:Conceptual Requirements for Gamifying Frontline Staff Development

This paper provides an account of an action research study into the systemic success factors which help frontline staff react to and recover from a rail service disruption. This study focuses on the effective use of information during a disruption to improve customer service, as this is a priority area for train-operating companies (TOCs) in Great Britain. A novel type of systems thinking, known as Process-Oriented Holonic Modelling (PrOH), has been used to investigate and model the ‘Passenger Information During Disruption’ (PIDD) system. This paper presents conceptual requirements for a gamified learning environment; it describes ‘what’; ‘how’ and ‘when’ these systemic success factors could be gamified using a popular disruption management reference framework known as the Mitigate, Prepare, React and Recover (MPRR) framework. This paper will interest managers of and researchers into customer service system disruptions, as well as those wishing to develop new gamified learning environments to improve customer service systems

Simulation in the supply chain context:matching the simulation tool to the problem

The supply chain can be a source of competitive advantage for the firm. Simulation is an effective tool for investigating supply chain problems. The three main simulation approaches in the supply chain context are System Dynamics (SD), Discrete Event Simulation (DES) and Agent Based Modelling (ABM). A sample from the literature suggests that whilst SD and ABM have been used to address strategic and planning problems, DES has mainly been used on planning and operational problems., A review of received wisdom suggests that historically, driven by custom and practice, certain simulation techniques have been focused on certain problem types. A theoretical review of the techniques, however, suggests that the scope of their application should be much wider and that supply chain practitioners could benefit from applying them in this broader way