Capturing action research knowledge through Strategy and Tactic (S&T) tree

This paper aims to demonstrate the use of S&T tree, a developed body of knowledge by Theory of Constraints (TOC) practitioners, to facilitate an action research (AR) carried out in an MTO company. Simplified-Drum-Buffer-Rope (S-DBR) pull system mechanism together with Buffer Management(BM)is pre-evaluated as the appropriate production planning and control (PPC) system as an intervention to improve the operating performance of the company. In the process of introducing the proposed PPC, the assumptions made in the original S&T is challenged with new knowledge captured and added in order to meet the contextual requirement of the company

The design and implementation of a WLC system incorporating time buffer signalling: an action research study

The purpose of this paper is to explore the particular issues concerning the design and implementation of workload control (WLC) in the management of a customised high touch time MTO (Make to Order) environment involving rotary moulding. The system embraces key workload control features, including order acceptance and controlled release incorporating time buffer management for priority control. The design and implementation over a two year period has offered opportunity to determine the applicability of S-DBR based WLC. The resulting system is integrated with a Sage ERP system and specifically designed to support operational decision making whilst providing visibility to the owner manager

Human factor: the bridge to a successful intervention in MTO (Make-To-Order) manufacturing environment

This paper aims to demonstrate how human factor played an essential role in the design and implementation of a production planning and control (PPC) system to improve a company's operating performance. Although various operations management (OM) concepts, tools and techniques have been introduced by academia, the disconnection between academia and actual practice is still apparent. The importance of 'contextual knowledge' in introducing an intervention refers not only to the 'technical', but also to the 'socio' aspect of the system. Balance is achieved by considering the 'fit' between OM concepts and technology, as well as the human/social and organisational aspect in introducing a practical PPC system

The appropriation of trust for successful PPC implementation

Production planning and control (PPC) systems are deployed to enable the effective management of variation and uncertainty. In spite of the advancement in technology such as big data and artificial intelligence, the complimentary roles of human and system is becoming more apparent. This paper explores the human-PPC relationship from the perspective of trust. This is done by investigating a recent successful PPC implementation in an SME. In relation to this case the concept of trust is explored as a psychological state and it is suggested that trust appropriation is a continuous process achievable through the leveraging of the basis of trust: purpose, process and performance

Quantum State Discrimination with General Figures of Merit

We solve the problem of quantum state discrimination with "general (symmetric) figures of merit" for an even number of symmetric quantum bits with use of the no-signaling principle. It turns out that conditional probability has the same form for any figure of merit. Optimal measurement and corresponding conditional probability are the same for any monotonous figure of merit.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Semi-device-independent bounds on entanglement

Detection and quantification of entanglement in quantum resources are two key steps in the implementation of various quantum-information processing tasks. Here, we show that Bell-type inequalities are not only useful in verifying the presence of entanglement but can also be used to bound the entanglement of the underlying physical system. Our main tool consists of a family of Clauser-Horne-like Bell inequalities that cannot be violated maximally by any finite-dimensional maximally entangled state. Using these inequalities, we demonstrate the explicit construction of both lower and upper bounds on the concurrence for two-qubit states. The fact that these bounds arise from Bell-type inequalities also allows them to be obtained in a semi-device-independent manner, that is, with assumption of the dimension of the Hilbert space but without resorting to any knowledge of the actual measurements being performed on the individual subsystems.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures (published version). Note 1: Title changed to distinguish our approach from the standard device-independent scenario where no assumption on the Hilbert space dimension is made. Note 2: This paper contains explicit examples of more nonlocality with less entanglement in the simplest CH-like scenario (see also arXiv:1011.5206 by Vidick and Wehner for related results