Process management implementation level. A case study from Cantabria.

Nowadays companies need to efficiently and quickly allocate their resources in order to be competitive and survive. Process management is one of the mechanisms that arise to meet these new needs, giving the company the flexibility to develop their business in today's competitive environment. However, despite companies are aware of the importance of process management, a high percentage of process management initiatives fail. Therefore more research should be done. In this study, the implementation level achieved by companies when implementing process management will be analysed. Results show that the Operations area is the one with most processes defined. Additionally, it may be concluded that it exists an unequal development of process management depending on the functional area

How do companies implement process management? : the case of cantabrian companies.

The constant, and sometimes radical, changes that are taking place in the business environment demand that companies develop more agile mechanisms and management systems that enable them to adapt and, above all, to be competitive. All this means that companies must be able to continuously and quickly adapt to change. In order to do this, they need to develop agile and flexible structures. Process management is a mechanism that arises to meet these new needs, giving the company the flexibility to develop their business in today's competitive environment. Despite the importance of process management techniques, several authors affirm that a high percentage of process management initiatives fail. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyse how companies implement process management. Specifically, we would like to know who the people responsible for the implementation were and which phases or steps they followed. In order to achieve this aim, a survey was conducted among companies over 20 employees from Cantabria (a region in the North of Spain) which practised process management. Results show that a high percentage of companies sought external consultancy when implementing process management, especially during the initial stages. Concerning the implementation stages, an implementation methodology is proposed. Results show that it may be considered as appropriate due to the fact that all the stages are frequently used. Overall, we consider that from a theoretical point of view this study adds value to the field as it offers, first, a review gathering together the main implementation methodologies identified along the literature; and secondly it describes the results of an empirical study based on Spain, covering an existing gap. On the other side, from the practitioners’ point of view, this study could be used as guide for them. Not only because of the literature review, but especially because of the empirical case. From the obtained result managers could learn what other companies did when implementing process management. And, specially, they can identify what other companies did wrong in order not to repeat it

Three decades of continuous improvement.

The aim of this study is to provide a literature review on continuous improvement analysing the evolution of the field by combining quantitative and qualitative analysis. More than 1,000 articles have been reviewed. The articles have been collected through the prestigious database Web of Knowledge (Thomson Scientific). The results show an increasing interest in the field of continuous improvement over the past 30 years. The most discussed topics have been “implementation of continuous improvement systems” and “methodologies”. Other findings from the study are: the existence of regional differences in research on continuous improvement, the predominance of the case study and the survey as research methodologies, and the positioning of Total Quality Management and Business Excellence as the lead scientific publication in continuous improvement areas. The present review adds value to other studies on the same topic due to number of items used (1090), the time period covered (1980-2011), the prestigious database used (Web of Knowledge) and the combination of different analysis (quantitative and qualitative)

Port System of the Spanish Mediterranean Coast Side

ABSTRACT: This study aims at doing a comparative analysis of the Mediterranean Port Authorities and their positioning based on their perception about the "innovative effort they have made". In order to achieve this aim, first, a comparative analysis has been carried out in order to obtain an overview of the Mediterranean watershed; secondly, the strengths and weaknesses of each Port Authority have been identified based on the variable "perceived innovative effort". The main results obtained have allowed us to detect the existing expertise on the Mediterranean Port Authorities. For instance, Tarragona is specialized in coal traffic, while Barcelona is specialized in natural gas and oil. Valencia holds the first position regarding traffic of goods. It also shares the first position with Barcelona in reference to container traffic. From the infrastructure analysis, it has been concluded that Tarragona is the Port Authority with a higher number of specialized facilities, followed by Barcelona, Castellón and Valencia. In addition, a detailed analysis of the specific facilities of each Port Authority has allowed us to get more information about the specialization of Port Authorities. Thus, it has been found that Tarragona is the only one that has coal facilities, Baleares is the only one with a dock for unloading butane and Barcelona is the only one with specific facilities dedicated to food (soybean, cocoa, coffee ...). Finally, the strengths and weaknesses analysis provides an overview of the situation of each Port Authority, indicating the potential lines of action and improvement that they can follow. We consider that this study may be useful for the Port Authority managers and policy makers due to it offers an overview of the situation of the Port Authority compared to its nearest competitors, helping with decision making and resource allocation

Difficulty in implementing continuous improvement : Rasch measurement analysis

ABSTRACT: Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to define a general and common construct in order to measure the level of difficulty companies experience when they implement continuous improvement (CI). Additionally, a rank of barriers is obtained together with a rank of companies. Design/methodology/approach In order to achieve the objective, first, a literature review is carried out to specify the domain of the construct; second, a sample of items is selected; third a survey is carried out in companies that have already implemented CI initiatives, the results being thus limited to this population; fourth, measures are purified by analysing the reliability and validity of the measurements, and finally results are obtained. The Rasch measurement theory will be used to provide a new perspective on a mature research topic. Findings. It can be concluded that a new valid construct has been defined together with a rank of CI barriers, being lack of time the main barrier. A rank of companies is also obtained which is a first step in the development of future research studies. Practical implications. Managers are provided with a better understanding of the barriers that can obstruct CI implementation. Thus, the rank of CI barriers guides managers through the most common and important obstacles so that they will be able to plan better CI strategies. In addition, the rank of companies allows each company to undertake a benchmarking exercise. Originality/value. This work proposes a new way of analysing the difficulty in implementing CI as a continuum, rather than as independent barriers. From a theoretical point of view, it defines a new construct and offers a rank of CI barriers together with a rank of companies based on their level of difficulty when implementing CI initiatives. This is something new, as previous studies were mainly focussed on the items side. From a practical point of view, this study offers the surveyed companies the opportunity to see how they are positioned with respect to the other companies. Moreover, this rank of companies is the foundation on which to develop further studies with a practical orientation in the future

A Theoretical Overview of the Stockout Problem in Retail: from Causes to Consequences

ABSTRACT: Due to the relevance of stockouts in the retail sector together with their significantly negative effect both on retail and the whole supply chain, this paper offers a theoretical review of the stockout definition, rates, its main causes and consequences

Cadmium in white lupin nodules: Impact on nitrogen and carbon metabolism

This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of Plant Physiology. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal of Plant Physiology, 170, 3, (2013) DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2012.10.001The aims of this work were to investigate the microlocalisation of cadmium (Cd) in Lupinus albus L. cv. Multolupa nodules, and to determine its effects on carbon and nitrogen metabolism. Nodulated white lupin plants were grown in a growth chamber with or without Cd (150μM). Energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis showed the walls of the outer nodule cortex cells to be the main area of Cd retention, helping to reduce the harmful effect Cd might have on the amount of N2 fixed by the bacteroids. Sucrose synthase activity declined by 33% in the nodules of the Cd-treated plants, and smaller reductions were recorded in glutamine synthetase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline invertase and NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase activities. The Cd treatment also sharply reduced nodule concentrations of malate, succinate and citrate, while that of starch doubled, but that of sucrose experienced no significant change. In summary, the present results show that white lupins accumulate significant amounts of Cd in their root nodules. However, the activity of some enzymes involved in ammonium assimilation did decline, promoting a reduction in the plant N content. The downregulation of sucrose synthase limits the availability of carbon to the bacteroids, which might interfere with their respiration. Carbon metabolism therefore plays a primary role in the impaired function of the white lupin root nodule caused by Cd, while N metabolism appears to have a more secondary involvementFunding was provided by the Spanish MCyT (project CTM2010-21922-C02-02) and by the Autonomous Community of Madrid (project S2009/AMB-1478

Key facilitators to continuous improvement: a Spanish insight

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to analyse the nature of the facilitators of continuous improvement (CI), proposing a classification of them and identifying the different profiles of companies based on them. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve this objective, first, a literature review was done in order to identify the main facilitators; second, some of them were included in a survey based on experts' opinions; third, a survey was conducted amongst people responsible for implementing CI; and finally factorial and cluster analysis were applied. Findings: Based on the results, three main factors were identified: "cultural facilitators", "tactical facilitators" and "human resources involvement facilitators". Additionally, five clusters were defined. Practical implications: As many companies still struggle when implementing CI, the results of this study can help all them to focus on the most important aspects in order to guarantee the sustainability of the CI system. Originality/value: From a theoretical point of view, this work contributes to the CI field by analysing the nature of the main facilitators companies can find when implementing these initiatives. Thus, not only does this study provide a hierarchy of the most important facilitators, but also classifies them. As far as authors are concerned, this is the first attempt to categorise CI facilitators