Collaborative improvement as an inspiration for supply chain collaboration

The battlefield of competition is today moving from the level of\ud individual firms to the one of the extended enterprises, that is, networks of customers and their suppliers. This paper discusses how learning and continuous improvement today take place in processes based on daily collaboration at intercompany level, i.e. Extended Manufacturing Enterprises (EMEs). The purpose of the paper is to present a preliminary theory on Collaborative Improvement (CoI), i.e. continuous improvement at the EME level. Based on a literature review on Supply Networks, and Continuous Improvement and on evidence from two explorative case studies, the paper proposes a model for Collaborative Improvement in EMEs and discusses a research approach based on Action Research and Action Learning to further develop preliminary theory and actionable knowledge on how to foster and sustain CoI in EMEs

Factors affecting the development of collaborative improvement with strategic suppliers

The research presented in this paper was aimed at increasing the current understanding of the process of developing collaborative improvement in Extended Manufacturing Enterprises (EME). Theory suggests a number of factors to affect that process, including shared sense of direction (i.e. vision), trust, power, and commitment. Based on action research of three EMEs involving a total of thirteen companies from five European countries, the present study identifies a number of additional factors. Factors exogenous to, but impacting, the collaboration are joint history and culture. Endogenous factors are approach to establishing the collaboration, project organisation, change and improvement competence, ways and modes of communicating, and political behaviour. Not only do these factors influence each other, they also strongly affect the development of collaborative improvement

Learning and improvement in product innovation processes: Enabling behaviors

Product Innovation is described as a continuous and cross-functional process involving all stages in the product life cycle. This approach gives way to study product innovation processes from a continuous improvement and learning viewpoint. The Continuous Improvement in the global product MAnagement (CIMA) model describes learning and improvement within product innovation processes in terms of a number of interrelated variables: (improvement) performances, behaviors, and levers to stimulate learning and improvement, contingencies, and learning/innovation capabilities. At the Research & Development Department of THOMSON-CSF SIGNAAL the model was used to assess its current practices with regard to learning and improvement in product innovation processes. The results validate efforts on current and past improvement actions and provide additional insight into the past, current, and future situation. Explicit use of levers that relate to the transfer of knowledge within the product innovation process, such as the formalization and explicit deployment of the emerging strategy, innovation process definition, project planning and control, and human resource management policies, will increase improvement and learning. The recommendations are used to enhance current CMM-based improvement plans and expand implementation plans

Measuring and Enabling Learning Behaviour in Product Innovation Processes

It is generally acknowledged that innovation is one of the most important predictors of firm success or failure. Successful innovation processes require creating new organizational capabilities to handle the external pressure for new products and processes (fast, good and at low costs), and the internal pressure for increased efficiency and effectiveness. Under these circumstances 'learning' is an important issue and the increased interest for topics such as knowledge management, organizational learning and continuous improvement illustrates its relevance. Within the CIMA (Continuous Improvement in Global Product Innovation Management) research project (CIMA-ESPRIT 26056) a methodology has been developed to help companies to stimulate learning behaviour of individuals and teams in product innovation processes. By studying learning behaviour in 140 product innovation projects in 70 companies in six countries, a seemingly valid and reliable scale for measuring learning behaviour has been developed. In addition, managerial activities and decisions that are predictive for improving learning behaviour have been identified