An exploratory study on statistical process control in the UK food industry

Statistical Process Control (SPC) is an effective technique improving process performance in manufacturing companies; however, the literature shows its implementation in the food industry is still less evident. This research aims to assess the SPC implementation in the UK food industry and subsequently develops an SPC implementation roadmap (SPCIR) and SPC Readiness Self-assessment Tool for food companies to assess their readiness level to adopt SPC. Survey and multiple-case studies were conducted to identify the widespread of SPC, challenges of implementing SPC, Critical Success Factors and the reasons for not implementing SPC in this industry. A five-phase SPCIR was refined through the action research, while five SPC readiness factors were identified through the Delphi study. This study adds value to the current knowledge by extending organisational readiness theories through the identification of SPC readiness factors and expands the organisational learning theory by uncovering type of learning created within SPC implementation. This study is relevant, practical, and useful to both practitioners and academics by providing a holistic implementation roadmap to guide the managers to implement SPC not only at the organisational level but also at the project level. This study offers an itinerary of organisational readiness that enables the managers to confirm the organisational preparedness for the adoption of SPC. The small sample size may limit the generalisability of the findings. But this exploratory study provides critical information to the managers in this sector to develop a strategic plan for a successful SPC implementation

Statistical process control readiness in the food industry: development of a self-assessment tool

Background: The increasing pressure from the customers, governmental regulations and fierce market competition forced food companies to pursue powerful quality improvement technique. Although Statistical Process Control is widely known for its effectiveness in process control, many food companies faced difficulties to adopt such technique, where being in the state of not ready has always been the reason. There has been a debate about the importance of deciding the state of readiness of a company to initiate their CI techniques such as SPC towards the successful implementation and sustainability of such technique.Scope and approach: This paper emphasises the importance of SPC readiness towards its implementation in the food industry and determines its factors. The SPC readiness factors were identified based on the current literature review and complemented with a three-round Delphi study involving the SPC experts (academics, industry and consultants). Key findings and conclusion: The SPC readiness factors identified are top management support, sense of urgency, measurement system, employees involvement and organisational culture readiness. The developed conceptual self-assessment readiness tool enables food practitioners to identify the current state of organisational readiness and facilitate the companies to plan strategic changes and preparation activities for the adoption of SPC in their businesses

A critical assessment on SPC implementation in the UK food industry

Statistical process control (SPC) is one of the most widely applied techniques to control and improve processes in manufacturing industry, but very few studies have reported on the successful application of SPC in the food industry. This paper aims to critically assess the status of SPC in the UK food manufacturing industry and suggests avenues for future research. By surveying the UK food-manufacturing companies, forty-five percent of them were identified implemented SPC, with x-R and x-S charts found to be the most commonly applied SPC charts in this industry. Top management commitment was identified as the most critical factor, while lack of SPC training is the most significant challenge and lack of awareness of SPC as the main reason for food manufacturing companies not implementing SPC. The paper provides information to food companies in the UK on most common practiced and useful quality tools, SPC charts and critical success factors in the food industry. Furthermore, based on the process performance parameters, SPC companies were observed to achieving better results compared to non-SPC companies

Introducing a six sigma process control technique in a food production line: step-by-step guideline and critical elements of the implementation

In the era of digitalisation, the measurement, monitoring and controlling of quality processes is vital and considered the critical dimension in the Six Sigma application toward process excellence. Despite the importance of quality in the food processing, there is a dearth of systematic procedure of process control practices in this industry due to the lack of awareness and guidelines available. Therefore, the purpose of this study are to develop step-by-step guidelines to implement Statistical Process Control as one of the Six Sigma approaches for process control, determine the tools appropriate at each step of the implementation and identify the critical elements toward the success of its application in the food industry. The method used was the “action-research (AR)” approach since the researchers were actively involved in the briefing the SPC awareness and implementation. There are six steps of an implementation of an SPC pilot project, where along the implementation, specific tools are appropriate at each stage The SPC application in this paper provides insights into practical implementation experience in a food manufacturing operation, as well as lessons learned. Until now, most research addressed the case study of the application of SPC. However, this study critically develop a guideline of the implementation and determine the critical element of implementing SPC pilot project

Piloting for the multidimensional job satisfaction instrument in the offshore work setting

This article draws upon pilot study to test the developed job satisfaction questionnaire with offshore catering employees. Changing the attention from a hypothetical work setting where job satisfaction is usually studied, this study investigated employees’ satisfaction with the offshore catering job as the employees perform their job in an isolated and confined work environment. The pilot study was employed as an impetus for a scale development dissertation in validating a bespoke job satisfaction instrument in the offshore catering context. In this small-scale study, the researchers investigated job satisfaction with a purposive sample of 37 (n=37) offshore catering employees using electronic-based survey. Subsequently, an individual debriefing was conducted with four respondents to improve the questionnaire items. The objectives of the pilot study were to evaluate the quality of the items and to identify potential challenges that might occur in the main study. The study findings are not extensively discussed; however, adequate information about the study background and sample characteristics are included. The study about job satisfaction among offshore catering employees was used to demonstrate the process. The key aspects of the pilot study including the amendment of items, challenges encountered during data collection, and modifications made to the actual study are discussed

Alliances as dynamic capability to support organizational transformation: empirical findings from a state-owned enterprise

State-owned companies are typically trapped in a bureaucratic system that means they experience difficulties undertaking changes and adapting to environmental changes. Whenever these companies attempt a strategic maneuver, a series of complex bureaucratic procedures must be followed. As a result, the companies are late in responding to environmental changes. This study discusses how the state-owned companies transform their organization with the support of dynamic capabilities. XT Square, a company owned by the local government in Indonesia, is used as the subject of analysis. XT Square is engaged in property. During the course of its organizational transformation, the company found it difficult to fit with customers’ needs because of the difficulties in understanding market conditions. The company then established alliances with other firms to overcome resource shortages. The results of the analysis demonstrate that the process of building these alliances was not linear; rather, it was iterative in nature. At a certain level, XT Square is required to undertake trial and error. At the end of the paper, a suggestion for further research is provided

Achieving data saturation: evidence from a qualitative study of job satisfaction / Mohd Aliff Abdul Majid … [et al.]

The concept of saturation is deemed necessary in qualitative research; however, existing literature discussing the point of saturation is relatively scant. Previous qualitative studies tend to describe the point of saturation but fail to demonstrate how the saturation occurred. This article provides evidence on how qualitative research might report the point of data saturation. The original study consists of a mixed method approach to develop and validate an instrument for measuring offshore catering employees’ job satisfaction. Notably, this paper reports a part of the qualitative portion of a mixed-method study. Using the data from a study involving 13 in-depth, semi-structured interviews, this study documents the degree of data saturation over the course of thematic analysis and demonstrates how data saturation was operationalised. Although the study reported 13 interviews, the saturation occurred within 12 interviews. The study findings are not extensively discussed; however, adequate information about the study background, data collection and sample characteristics are included. The technique presented in this paper provides practical guidance for qualitative researchers in reporting point of saturation. However, it is recommended that the evidence of data saturation occurred after 12 interviews should be applied with caution due to several factors

Supply and Demand of the Entry-level Job Competencies in the Hotel Industry

This study aimed to discover the supply and demand of entry-level job competencies, particularly from the perceptions of human resource managers in 4- and 5-star hotels. Also, the gap between the supply and demand of the entry-level job competencies were identified. This study applied the qualitative approach through a semi-structured interview and analyzed using a thematic analysis. Findings of this study showed that human resource managers perceived the competencies of fresh graduates supplied to the hotel industry in both positive and negative views were communication skill, technical skill, cognitive skill, and interpersonal skill. In contrast, the critical competencies demanded in the hotel industry for the entry-level job were interpersonal skill, communication skill, technical skill, leadership, information management, teamwork, and cognitive skill. Out of the four competencies supplied to the industry, the employers perceived only one positive competency was supplied to them, and the other three were regarded as insufficient. It is anticipated that the findings obtained from this study may enhance the collaboration between the hospitality industry and universities to bridge the competencies gap of fresh graduates

Piloting for interviews in qualitative research: operationalization and lessons learnt

Qualitative interviews offer rich and detailed information in understanding people’s experiences. However, qualitative inquiry might be difficult for inexperience researcher to adequately perform the interview. Piloting for interview is an integral aspect and useful in the process of conducting qualitative research as it highlights the improvisation to the major study. This article discusses the importance of pilot study, the methods undertaken and the lessons learnt throughout the process. The pilot interview was conducted with two offshore catering employees, as preparation for a dissertation in developing a job satisfaction instrument for offshore catering employees in Malaysia. The useful functions of pilot study are described and in highlighting the advantageous of pilot study, this paper describes the modification made for the major study as a result of the pilot work. These comprise (1) criteria for selecting potential participants, and (2) improving the interview guide, particularly the interview questions

Total quality index of commercial oyster mushroom Pleurotus sapidus in modified atmosphere packaging

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the strain of oyster mushroom (OM) Pleurotus sapidus cultivated in a local (commercial) farm, and to generate a total quality index (TQI) on the strain using different modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) gas mixtures. Design/methodology/approach A phylogenetic tree was constructed using the MEGA software to identify the specific strain of P. sapidus grown in a local farm. The effects of MAP on fresh fruiting bodies of the identified strain were determined under three conditions: high carbon dioxide packaging (HCP: 20 per cent CO2, 15 per cent O-2), low carbon dioxide packaging (LCP: 2 per cent CO2, 30 per cent O-2) and high nitrogen packaging (HNP: 85 per cent N-2, 15 per cent O-2). All samples were stored at 4 C-o for up to ten days, and subjected to total phenolic content (TPC), colour retention (CR) and sensory analysis. Quality parameters such as chewiness and odour were used to obtain the TQI. Findings From the phylogenetic analysis, a new strain (P. sapidus strain QDR) with 99 per cent similarity to P. sapidus was identified. Among the three MAP treatments, HCP recorded the highest TPC (2.85 mg GAE/g) and CR (60.36) after ten days, although only its CR was significantly different (p lt 0.05) from the control. Feedback from 30 sensory panellists indicated that both HCP and LCP were generally more effective in retaining the colour-odour of OM. The optimum TQI for HCP was obtained based on the observed parameters, which is useful for the large-scale packaging of OM. Originality/value Scientific evidence has revealed that packaging trend for commercially grown OM affects consumer's acceptance