Implementing ERP systems - organisational implications

Success of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems depend on rigorous and disciplined approach to planning and implementation. This article presents a selection and implementation methodology that has been applied to three similar companies and highlights a wide variation in outcome. The underlying reasons for the variations in success can be specifically attributed to organisational personalities and culture. Analysis of these case studies provides key lessons and concludes by summarising these lessons in a cause and effect diagram

Developing a Start-stop Production System Concept

AbstractOur cars have known energy efficiency. We take for granted they are efficient at different speeds, some are able to reuse energy and many have start-stop engine functionality. Critically they do not consume energy when they are not moving. This paper explores the challenges of working towards a start-stop production system concept. The base load energy and other resource consumption (whether during breaks or at night) are known to be a significant proportion of total consumption and attempts to reduce consumption span behavioural aspects through to technology limitations. The impact on switching off machines and supporting utilities has a major impact on the response time to starting full production as well as confidence in the quality that can be achieved. The situation is further compounded by the fact that most production systems are configured with technology that means running at less than full production rate has a serious impact on energy efficiency; there are rarely alternative energy efficient operating speeds

The optimisation of a strategic business process

The optimisation of a Tendering Process for Warship Refit Contracts is presented. The Pre Contract Award process (PCA) involves all the activities needed to successfully win a Refit Contract, e.g. estimating, planning, tendering and negotiation. Process activities and information flows have been modelled using Integrated computer aided manufacturing DEFinition methodology (IDEF0) and a Design Structure Matrix (DSM) with optimisation performed via a Genetic Algorithm (DSM-GA) search technique [1]. The aim of the DSM-GA is to provide the user with an enhanced sequence of performing process activities. A new process was extracted from the optimised solution, showing an improved sequence with reduced iteration and planned activity concurrency based on carefully considered information requirements. This is of practical benefit to enhance understanding and to provide a guide to implementation. The approach suggests an enhanced sequence of process activities, based on information requirements, and can lead to improved business practice. This Paper discusses the potential benefits and limitations of this approach in a practical setting

Design of an expandable manufacturing simulator through the application of object-oriented principles

In analysing manufacturing systems, for either design or operational reasons, failure to account for the potentially significant dynamics could produce invalid results. There are many analysis techniques that can be used, however, simulation is unique in its ability to assess detailed, dynamic behaviour. The use of simulation to analyse manufacturing systems would therefore seem appropriate if not essential. Many simulation software products are available but their ease of use and scope of application vary greatly. This is illustrated at one extreme by simulators which offer rapid but limited application whilst at the other simulation languages which are extremely flexible but tedious to code. Given that a typical manufacturing engineer does not posses in depth programming and simulation skills then the use of simulators over simulation languages would seem a more appropriate choice. Whilst simulators offer ease of use their limited functionality may preclude their use in many applications. The construction of current simulators makes it difficult to amend or extend the functionality of the system to meet new challenges. Some simulators could even become obsolete as users, demand modelling functionality that reflects the latest manufacturing system design and operation concepts. This thesis examines the deficiencies in current simulation tools and considers whether they can be overcome by the application of object-oriented principles. Object-oriented techniques have gained in popularity in recent years and are seen as having the potential to overcome any of the problems traditionally associated with software construction. There are a number of key concepts that are exploited in the work described in this thesis: the use of object-oriented techniques to act as a framework for abstracting engineering concepts into a simulation tool and the ability to reuse and extend object-oriented software. It is argued that current object-oriented simulation tools are deficient and that in designing such tools, object -oriented techniques should be used not just for the creation of individual simulation objects but for the creation of the complete software. This results in the ability to construct an easy to use simulator that is not limited by its initial functionality. The thesis presents the design of an object-oriented data driven simulator which can be freely extended. Discussion and work is focused on discrete parts manufacture. The system developed retains the ease of use typical of data driven simulators. Whilst removing any limitation on its potential range of applications. Reference is given to additions made to the simulator by other developers not involved in the original software development. Particular emphasis is put on the requirements of the manufacturing engineer and the need for Ihe engineer to carrv out dynamic evaluations

The optimisation of the estimating and tendering process in warship refit - a case study

The optimisation of a tendering process for warship refit contracts is presented. The tendering process, also known as the pre-contract award process (PCA), involves all the activities needed to be successfully awarded a refit contract. Process activities and information flows have been modelled using Integrated Definition Language IDEF0 and a Dependency Structure Matrix (DSM) with optimisation performed via a Genetic Algorithm (DSM-GA) search technique. By utilising this approach the process activities were re-sequenced in such an order that the number and size of rework cycles were reduced. The result being a 57% reduction in a criterion indicating 're-work' cycles

An exploration of policies and practices used to showcase production facilities

Manufacturers who seek innovative ways in which to differentiate their products and services should not overlook the value of showcasing their production facilities. By careful design, visitors can be exposed to a series of experiences that can help to emphasize the value built into products. This topic has, however, received almost no attention by manufacturing researchers. Therefore, this paper describes a study of six manufacturers and, from this, proposes a set of guidelines for showcasing production facilities. Although exploratory, this work provides both a guide to manufacturers and a platform for more in-depth research. The guidelines and the case studies on which they are based are all described within the paper

Form Factors in the radiative pion decay

We perform an analysis of the form factors that rule the structure-dependent amplitude in the radiative pion decay. The resonance contributions to pion -> e nu_e gamma decays are computed through the proper construction of the vector and axial-vector form factors by setting the QCD driven asymptotic properties of the three-point Green functions VVP and VAP, and by demanding the smoothing of the form factors at high transfer of momentum. A comparison between theoretical and experimental determinations of the form factors is also carried out. We also consider and evaluate the role played by a non-standard tensor form factor. We conclude that, at present and due to the hadronic incertitudes, the search for New Physics in this process is not feasible.Comment: 14 pages, no figures. Typos corrected. Accepted for publication in The European Physical Journal

Multidimensional Conservation Laws: Overview, Problems, and Perspective

Some of recent important developments are overviewed, several longstanding open problems are discussed, and a perspective is presented for the mathematical theory of multidimensional conservation laws. Some basic features and phenomena of multidimensional hyperbolic conservation laws are revealed, and some samples of multidimensional systems/models and related important problems are presented and analyzed with emphasis on the prototypes that have been solved or may be expected to be solved rigorously at least for some cases. In particular, multidimensional steady supersonic problems and transonic problems, shock reflection-diffraction problems, and related effective nonlinear approaches are analyzed. A theory of divergence-measure vector fields and related analytical frameworks for the analysis of entropy solutions are discussed.Comment: 43 pages, 3 figure

Hadronic Mass Spectrum Analysis of D+ into K- pi+ mu+ nu Decay and Measurement of the K*(892)^0 Mass and Width

We present a Kpi mass spectrum analysis of the four-body semileptonic charm decay D+ into K- pi+ mu+ nu in the range of 0.65 GeV < mKpi < 1.5 GeV. We observe a non-resonant contribution of 5.30 +- 0.74 +0.99 -0.51 % with respect to the total D+ into K- pi+ mu+ nu decay. For the K*(892)^0 resonance, we obtain a mass of 895.41 +- 0.32 +0.35 -0.36 MeV, a width of 47.79 +- 0.86 +1.3 -1.1 MeV, and a Blatt-Weisskopf damping factor parameter of 3.96 +- 0.54 +0.72 -0.90 GeV^(-1). We also report 90 % CL upper limits of 4 % and 0.64 % for the branching ratios of D+ into K*(1680)^0 mu+ nu with respect to D+ into K- pi+ mu+ nu and D+ into K*(1430)^0 mu+ nu with respect to D+ into K- pi+ mu+ nu, respectively.Comment: 14 page

Gluon polarization in the nucleon from quasi-real photoproduction of high-pT hadron pairs

We present a determination of the gluon polarization Delta G/G in the nucleon, based on the helicity asymmetry of quasi-real photoproduction events, Q^2<1(GeV/c)^2, with a pair of large transverse-momentum hadrons in the final state. The data were obtained by the COMPASS experiment at CERN using a 160 GeV polarized muon beam scattered on a polarized 6-LiD target. The helicity asymmetry for the selected events is = 0.002 +- 0.019(stat.) +- 0.003(syst.). From this value, we obtain in a leading-order QCD analysis Delta G/G=0.024 +- 0.089(stat.) +- 0.057(syst.) at x_g = 0.095 and mu^2 =~ 3 (GeV}/c)^2.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure