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Managing product variety in international supply chains
No full textIn today's business environment, firms increasingly think in the context of a supply chain rather than a single factory and operate globally rather than in a single nation. At the same time, we have also witnessed increasing breadth in product ranges and accelerating rates of new product introduction in the marketplace. While there are potentially strong interrelationships between product variety and international supply chain management, the issues have been addressed separately in the research literature. Owing to this shortfall, this study investigates the issue of product variety in the context of international supply networks. More specifically, the study seeks to gain insights on different types of co-ordination and configuration of international supply network and to more deeply understand the impact of, and the interrelationships between, product variety, supply lead-time and demand uncertainty on the performance of an international supply chain. Empirical and simulation studies have been conducted to fulfil the above objectives.
The empirical study involves eleven manufacturing companies in Indonesia, belonging to both Multinational Corporations (MNC) and contract manufacturers, and one company in the UK operating internationally that owns manufacturing units as well as contracting out. The empirical study generated findings on configuration structures, co-ordination policies, and product variety impact and management. Based on their configuration and coordination strategies, MNC supply networks involved in the empirical study can be classified as supply networks that have regional autonomous subsidiaries, regional clusters of subsidiaries and purely global supply network. Contract manufacturers' configurations may change from one selling period to another. More co-ordination efforts are found to be necessary in MNC supply networks compared to contract manufacturer supply networks. Although companies face different challenges with respect to product variety and uncertainties in demand and supply, the evidence shows that product variety principally affects the procurement of materials, as various products require different materials and parts. Product variety also affects production due to the need to conduct set-up activities.
To obtain a deeper understanding of the impacts of product variety, supply lead time and demand uncertainty on supply chain performance, a simulation study has been conducted. A simulation model was developed based on the insights obtained from the empirical study. The model represents a three-stage MNC supply network producing consumer goods in discrete manufacturing processes. Product variety is represented in the model by the use of different types of material required at different stages of the production process. An extensive set of simulation experiments concentrated on flow time and inventory performance.
Results from the simulation experiments show that increases in product variety extend the average flow time due to the need to conduct set-up activities. The impact of product variety on flow time depends on the severity of set-up and the stage at which variety occurs in the production processes. Variety occurring early in the production process and generating long set-up times has a more pernicious impact on average flow time compared to variety occurring later and requiring shorter set-ups.
Supply and demand uncertainty may affect the supply chain performance as it may delay the manufacturing processes. When supply lead-time is subject to uncertainty, materials may not be available at the right time for production. Similarly, demand uncertainty may lead to a situation where the available materials may not be adequate to meet the production requirements. The simulation results show that producing high variety when material delivery time is subject to uncertainty has a damaging impact on the two supply chain performance metrics - flow time and inventory level. The supply chain performance worsens with increasing level of supply uncertainty. Producing high variety when either aggregate-level or product-level demand is subject to uncertainty results in a higher level of inventory and longer average flow time. The worst performance in terms of average flow time and average inventory is evident when the supply chain produces maximum variety and both supply and demand are subject to uncertainty. The simulation study provides a guide to the magnitude of the impact in each case.
Findings from the empirical and simulation study are synthesised into a framework for understanding and managing product variety in international supply chains. The framework can be used to understand interrelationships between key factors in managing product variety in international supply networks and to identify potential strategies to mitigate the negative impact of those factors on performance
Managing product variety in international supply chains
Get PDFIn today's business environment, firms increasingly think in the context of a supply chain rather than a single factory and operate globally rather than in a single nation. At the same time, we have also witnessed increasing breadth in product ranges and accelerating rates of new product introduction in the marketplace. While there are potentially strong interrelationships between product variety and international supply chain management, the issues have been addressed separately in the research literature. Owing to this shortfall, this study investigates the issue of product variety in the context of international supply networks. More specifically, the study seeks to gain insights on different types of co-ordination and configuration of international supply network and to more deeply understand the impact of, and the interrelationships between, product variety, supply lead-time and demand uncertainty on the performance of an international supply chain. Empirical and simulation studies have been conducted to fulfil the above objectives. The empirical study involves eleven manufacturing companies in Indonesia, belonging to both Multinational Corporations (MNC) and contract manufacturers, and one company in the UK operating internationally that owns manufacturing units as well as contracting out. The empirical study generated findings on configuration structures, co-ordination policies, and product variety impact and management. Based on their configuration and coordination strategies, MNC supply networks involved in the empirical study can be classified as supply networks that have regional autonomous subsidiaries, regional clusters of subsidiaries and purely global supply network. Contract manufacturers' configurations may change from one selling period to another. More co-ordination efforts are found to be necessary in MNC supply networks compared to contract manufacturer supply networks. Although companies face different challenges with respect to product variety and uncertainties in demand and supply, the evidence shows that product variety principally affects the procurement of materials, as various products require different materials and parts. Product variety also affects production due to the need to conduct set-up activities. To obtain a deeper understanding of the impacts of product variety, supply lead time and demand uncertainty on supply chain performance, a simulation study has been conducted. A simulation model was developed based on the insights obtained from the empirical study. The model represents a three-stage MNC supply network producing consumer goods in discrete manufacturing processes. Product variety is represented in the model by the use of different types of material required at different stages of the production process. An extensive set of simulation experiments concentrated on flow time and inventory performance. Results from the simulation experiments show that increases in product variety extend the average flow time due to the need to conduct set-up activities. The impact of product variety on flow time depends on the severity of set-up and the stage at which variety occurs in the production processes. Variety occurring early in the production process and generating long set-up times has a more pernicious impact on average flow time compared to variety occurring later and requiring shorter set-ups. Supply and demand uncertainty may affect the supply chain performance as it may delay the manufacturing processes. When supply lead-time is subject to uncertainty, materials may not be available at the right time for production. Similarly, demand uncertainty may lead to a situation where the available materials may not be adequate to meet the production requirements. The simulation results show that producing high variety when material delivery time is subject to uncertainty has a damaging impact on the two supply chain performance metrics - flow time and inventory level. The supply chain performance worsens with increasing level of supply uncertainty. Producing high variety when either aggregate-level or product-level demand is subject to uncertainty results in a higher level of inventory and longer average flow time. The worst performance in terms of average flow time and average inventory is evident when the supply chain produces maximum variety and both supply and demand are subject to uncertainty. The simulation study provides a guide to the magnitude of the impact in each case. Findings from the empirical and simulation study are synthesised into a framework for understanding and managing product variety in international supply chains. The framework can be used to understand interrelationships between key factors in managing product variety in international supply networks and to identify potential strategies to mitigate the negative impact of those factors on performance.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Analysis of the Efficiency of Vehicle Insurance Claim Business Processes Using a Process Mining Approach: A Case Study
Get PDFThe insurance claim submission process is one of the most critical components in the insurance industry, as it directly impacts both customer satisfaction and the operational efficiency of the company. A smooth and efficient claim process not only builds trust and loyalty among customers but also enhances the company’s ability to manage resources effectively. However, inefficiencies or bottlenecks in this process can lead to dissatisfaction, increased costs, and potential reputational damage. This study aims to analyze the efficiency of the vehicle insurance claim process at PT. X by leveraging the Process Mining approach, specifically utilizing the PM2 methodology to identify, evaluate, and address process inefficiencies. The research uses event logs collected from the company’s information system, providing detailed and objective data on the sequence and duration of activities involved in the claim process. By applying process mining techniques, this study uncovers key bottlenecks such as prolonged waiting times, deviations from standard operating procedures (SOPs), and unnecessary process loops that hinder optimal performance. Additionally, the research explores the root causes of these inefficiencies, including potential gaps in resource allocation, communication breakdowns, and outdated process workflows. The findings of the study offer significant insights for improving the insurance claim process. Evidence-based recommendations are proposed, such as the implementation of automated decision-making tools, improved monitoring systems for SOP compliance, and streamlining of redundant steps within the workflow. These recommendations aim to not only reduce processing time and enhance operational efficiency but also improve the overall customer experience
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
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