Developing a business improvement strategy based on the EFQM model

The use of the EFQM model and other business excellence models (BEM’s) has been recognised as a way of improving business processes among organisations. The information gathered through self-assessments using these models show the performance of organisations against several model criteria. There is evidence that organisations find it difficult to integrate the information from self-assessments to current business improvement programs or projects. Additionally, it has been claimed that the final reports derived from the deployment of self-assessments are rarely followed up. Thus, despite good efforts and some knowledge gained through the use of BEM’s there is a lack of methods, models, and techniques that effectively integrate the self-assessments with current business improvement strategies. In this context, the effective deployments of BEM’s and follow up activities and plans can contribute to support and develop business improvement strategies. Under this perspective, this paper explores the appropriate methods and techniques than can help to integrate self-assessments outcomes based on the EFQM model into a business improvement strategy. Based on emerging issues derived from an empirical study with twelve European Organisations that have used the EFQM model for more than five years, the paper identifies some of the best practices to integrate self-assessment outcomes with business improvement strategies. It then proposes a framework that can help to accomplish this integration and to mitigate the problems mentioned earlier. The conclusion of this work emphasises the necessity to standardise this process, and to integrate it with current knowledge management projects to store and retrieve the information for future business improvements project

Aerospace industry in Queretaro, Mexico: a perspective of regional innovation system

Using the theoretical perspective of the Regional Innovation System (RIS), this paper analyzes the structure of the aerospace industry in Mexico, focusing on the region of Querétaro, Mexico. The objective of the research is to analyze the development, growth prospects , key agents and their interrelations of the aerospace industry in the Queretaro region from the perspective of the RIS. The aerospace industry in Querétaro has more than 40 companies, research centers and universities, intermediate and government agencies that focus on the aerospace industry, the region has presented rates of economic growth above the national average in the last 6 years, however to achieve the consolidation of the aerospace industry towards an RIS requires greater efforts of articulation and coordination among the agents that make up the system, it can be achieved through strategies and policies in joint collaboration for the consolidation of the industry in the region.N/

Investigating the green impact of Lean, Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma: A systematic literature review

© 2017, © Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: The academic literature and research lines exploring the effect of quality improvement methods on environmental performance still remain in early stages. The purpose of this paper is therefore to investigate, through a systematic review of the existing academic literature, the environmental (green) impact of using quality and operations improvement methods such as Lean, Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma. This includes the impact on energy saving and the usage of natural resources. Design/methodology/approach: This study follows a systematic literature review approach through which it analyses research papers published in top 16 operations and quality management journals. No specific time frame was established, but a set of keywords were used to short-list the articles. A sample of 70 articles was finally short-listed and analysed to provide a discussion on environmental concerns related to Lean, Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma. Findings: The comprehensive review of short-listed articles indicates that both Lean and Six Sigma can be considered effective methods to support the conservation of resources, combat global warming and saving energy. Various scholars provide evidence of this, and as such, organisations should not only consider these methods to manage quality and improve operational performance but also meet environmental regulations. A set of research questions that demands further investigation has also been proposed based on the findings of this research. Research limitations/implications: This study is limited to a sample of 70 articles collected from top 16 operations and quality management journals. The search of journals is also limited to a set of key words (“Lean”, “Green”, “Six Sigma”, “environment”, “sustainable” and “sustainability”) used to short-list the sample size. Practical implications: The study shows that organisations can consider the adoption of Lean, Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma to meet environmental regulations, save costs and also meet quality management standards. This will contribute in helping organisations to formulate more effective and inclusive strategies which do not only consider the quality and operational dimensions but also the environmental dimension. Originality/value: Literature exploring the environmental/green impact of quality management methods commonly used in industry is limited. There is also a lack of studies aiming to investigate the green impact of Lean and Six Sigma in top operations and quality management journals. The study focusing on investigating the green impact of Lean, Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma methods altogether is also a research first of its kind

An integrated approach of Six Sigma and QSAM methodologies for a pharmaceutical company: A shipment improvement process

This paper presents a shipment improvement project in a pharmaceutical company to reduce distribution costs of a set of products shipped to Germany. The project consisted in the diagnosis and improvement of the shipment process through the deployment of Quick Scan Audit Methodology (QSAM) as a precursor to Six Sigma implementation. The original sample-shipments process was analysed to improve it and achieve the targets based on optimised sub-processes. The results showed a set of non-value added activities in transportation, motion, waiting, defects and the sub-utilisation of people. Based on the application of quality tools such as VSM, CFD, VOC, CTQ-Three under the Six-Sigma approach, the improvements achieved a 26% reduction in cycle time, and no complaints from customers were reported since the implementation. A control plan was deployed to track shipments and maintain open and close communication with the customer. The resulting benefits had a significant impact on reducing distribution costs

Impacto de la atención ambulatoria del primer nivel de atención en la hospitalización de población asegurada con diabetes mellitus tipo 2

ObjetivoDeterminar el impacto de atención ambulatoria del primer nivel de atención en la hospitalización del diabético tipo 2 en una población con condiciones iguales de aseguramiento.DiseñoEstudio de casos y controles. Los casos son pacientes diabéticos hospitalizados por enfermedad relacionada con el padecimiento, y los controles son pacientes diabéticos sin antecedente de hospitalización en el último año.EmplazamientoCentros de atención primaria urbanos.ParticipantesLos casos fueron seleccionados consecutivamente en 4 de 5 hospitales generales urbanos (n=123). Los controles fueron elegidos al azar en la unidad de atención primaria de donde provenía el caso (n=135). Se excluyó a las mujeres con diabetes gestacional y a todos los que no contaban con expediente localizable (aproximadamente un 15%).MedicionesSe construyó un índice de atención primaria según las recomendaciones de la Asociación de Médicos Norteamericanos, la Comisión Conjunta de Acreditación de Organizaciones de Salud, el Comité Nacional de Aseguramiento para la Calidad, la Asociación Norteamericana de Diabetes y la Norma Oficial Mexicana. Se consideró que un cumplimiento menor al 60% correspondía a una atención subóptima.ResultadosLos factores de riesgo para la hospitalización fueron los siguientes: menos de 2 vistas al médico de familia en el último año (OR ajustada, 16,2; IC del 95%, 1,5–174,2), valor de glucosa (OR ajustada, 1,006; IC del 95%, 1,002–1,010) y nivel de conocimientos sobre la enfermedad (OR ajustada, 0,98; IC del 95%, 0,96–0,99), además de la práctica de ejercicio y el tiempo de diagnóstico. La atención primaria subóptima se registró en el 65,3% de los casos y el 49,1% de los controles (p=0,03) e incrementó 2,5 veces el riesgo de hospitalización (IC del 95%, 1,2–5,0; seudo R2=0,279; p < 0,001).ConclusionesLa evidencia disponible indica que la atención primaria puede ser un factor potencial para reducir la tasa de hospitalización por diabetes mellitus tipo 2. Los programas de manejo efectivos contribuirían a evitar hospitalizaciones innecesarias.ObjectiveTo determine the impact of primary care on hospitalization of type 2 diabetics with equal conditions of health insurance.DesignA case-control study. Case=diabetic hospitalized by a disease related condition. Control=diabetic without hospitalization during the last 12 months.SettingUrban primary care centers.ParticipantsCases were consecutively selected from four out of five urban hospitals (n=123). Controls were chosen at random from primary care units matched by primary care source (n=135).Women with gestational diabetes were excluded as well as individuals with missing medical charts (approximately 15%).MeasurementsA primary care index was constructed with process and outcome indicators recommended by the American Medical Association, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the American Diabetes Association and the Official Mexican Standards. Compliance to less than 60% of recommendations was considered unsatisfactory primary care.ResultsThe following were hospitalization risk factors: less than 2 visits to family physician during the last year (OR adjusted, 16,2; 95% CI, 1,5–174,2), glucose level (OR adjusted, 1,006; 95% CI, 1,002–1,010) and cognitive level (OR adjusted, 0,98; 95% CI, 0,96–0,99), in addition to exercising and year of diagnosis. Sixty-five percent of cases observed unsatisfactory primary care compared with 49,1% of controls (P=0,03). Unsatisfactory primary care increased 2,5 times the risk of hospitalization (95% CI, 1,2–5,0) (pseudo R2=0,279; P<0,001).ConclusionsPrimary care is a potential factor for reducing hospitalization of type 2 diabetics. Effective primary care programs would contribute to a better disease control and less unnecessary hospitalizations

Investigating the impact of short food supply chain on emigration: A study of Valencia community in Spain

Recent financial crisis had severe impact on many economies around the globe. In Spain, it has resulted in increasing job loss, increasing short food supply chain businesses and rise in emigration. This research investigates how direct trades between producers and consumers (short supply chain) affect decisions of those who have decided to emigrate abroad. This paper also questions whether short supply chains can be part of the solution to restrict emigration by creating employment opportunities in depressed economies such as autonomous community of Valencia in Spain. This research adopts quantitative approach and a survey strategy. The research concludes that short food supply chain (SFSC) businesses could be one of the potential solutions to address some of the issues raised by the globalization, such as the unemployment and environmental damage. In addition, data findings also show that launching an SFSC business could be a way to avoid issues associated with emigration

The Impact of Supply Chain Integration on Performance: Evidence from the UK Food Sector

© 2017 The Authors Supply chain Integration has emerged as a major field of interest over the years that involve the strategic alignment of functions and processes within an organization. However, there have been major debates regarding the true design of the kinds of integration that would lead to performance of supply chains. This study develops a conceptual framework from the literature and defines four constructs of integration (customer, supplier, internal, and information integration) to see how this would lead to improved supply chain performance (such as production flexibility, inventory turns, order fulfillment rate, total logistics costs, and operational performance)

Improving road transport operations using lean thinking

This paper documents a case study where the transport operations of a word leading provider of paper-based packaging solutions operating in Bogota, Colombia, were measured and improved using lean concepts, methods and tools. The methodology consisted of: (1) direct observations of the transport operations; (2) collection and analysis of data; (3) creation of a Transportation Value Stream Map (TVSM); (4) measurement of the Transportation Overall Vehicle Effectiveness (TOVE); and (5) proposal of improvement recommendations. The TVSM identified six wastes: waiting, resource utilisation, excess movement, over-production, over-processing and behavioural. The TOVE measure resulted in an efficiency of 54%. The study proposed improvement recommendations based on the results of the TVSM and TOVE.N/

Eficiencia técnica de la atención al paciente con diabetes en el primer nivel = Technical efficiency in primary care for patients with diabetes

Resumen Objetivo. Cuantificar en un primer nivel la eficiencia técnica de la atención al paciente con diabetes y distinguir la provisión de servicios y los resultados en salud, además de reconocer las fuentes potenciales de variación. Material y métodos. Se incluyeron insumos, actividades clínicas y resultados en salud de 47 clínicas familiares del IMSS Nuevo León. La medida de la eficiencia se realizó mediante el análisis envolvente de datos y se aplicaron modelos de regresión de Tobit. Resultados. Siete clínicas fueron eficientes en cuanto a la provisión de servicios y nueve en salud; dos coincidieron en ambos aspectos. La localización metropolitana y el total de consultas favorecieron la eficiencia en relación con la provisión de servicios, cualesquiera que fueran los atributos del paciente; y la edad del médico, la eficiencia de los resultados en salud. Conclusiones. El desempeño varió en una misma unidad y entre una y otra; algunas fueron eficientes para suministrar servicios y otras para mejorar la salud. Las fuentes de variación también difirieron. Se recomienda incluir ambos productos en el estudio de la eficiencia en diabetes en el primer nivel. Abstract Objective. To quantify the technical efficiency of diabetes care in family practice settings, characterize the provision of services and health results, and recognize potential sources of variation. Material and Methods. We used data envelopment analysis with inputs and outputs for diabetes care from 47 family units within a social security agency in Nuevo Leon. Tobit regression models were also used. Results. Seven units were technically efficient in providing services and nine in achieving health goals. Only two achieved both outcomes. The metropolitan location and the total number of consultations favored efficiency in the provision of services regardless of patient attributes; and the age of the doctor, the efficiency of health results. Conclusions. Performance varied within and among family units; some were efficient at providing services while others at accomplishing health goals. Sources of variation also differed. It is necessary to include both outputs in the study of efficiency of diabetes care in family practice settings

A lean six sigma framework for continuous and incremental improvement in the oil and gas sector

This article aims to explore synergies between Lean Production (LP) and Six Sigma principles in order to propose a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) framework for continuous and incremental improvement in the oil and gas sector. The Three-Dimensional LSS Framework seeks to provide various combinations about the integration between LP principles, DMAIC cycle and PDCA cycle to support operations management needs. Design/methodology/approach - The research method is composed of two main steps: (i) diagnostic of current problems and proposition of a conceptual framework that qualitatively integrates synergistic aspects of LP and Six Sigma; and (ii) analysis of the application of the construct through semi-structured interviews with leaders from oil and gas companies to assess and validate the proposed framework. Findings - As a result, a conceptual framework of LSS is developed contemplating the integration of LP and Six Sigma and providing a systemic and holistic approach to problemsolving through continuous and incremental improvement in the oil and gas sector. Originality/value - This research is different from previous studies because it integrates LP principles, DMAIC and PDCA cycles into a unique framework that fulfils a specific need of oil and gas sector. It presents a customized LSS framework that guides wastes and costs reduction, while enhances quality and reduces process variability to elevate efficiency in operations management of this sector. The paper type is an original research that present new and original scientific findings.N/