Critical Failure Factors Research Articles

Prediction of 90day readmission in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction by interpretable machine learning.

Certain critical risk factors of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients were significantly different from those of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients, resulting in the limitations of existing predictive models in real-world situations. This study aimed to develop a machine learning model for predicting 90day readmission for HFpEF patients. Data were extracted from electronic health records from 1 August 2020 to 1 August 2021 and follow-up records of patients with HFpEF within 3months after discharge. Feature extraction was performed by univariate analysis combined with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithms. Machine learning models like eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), random forest, neural network and logistic regression were adopted to construct models. The discrimination and calibration of each model were compared, and the Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method was used to explore the interpretability of the model. The cohort included 746 patients, of whom 103 (13.8%) were readmitted within 90days. XGBoost owned the best performance [area under the curve (AUC)=0.896, precision-recall area under the curve (PR-AUC)=0.868, sensitivity=0.817, specificity=0.837, balanced accuracy=0.827]. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) statistic was 0.694 at 0.468 in the XGBoost model. SHAP identified the top 12 risk features, including activities of daily living (ADL), left atrial dimension (LAD), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVDD), shortness, nitrates, length of stay, nutritional risk, fall risk, accompanied by other symptoms, educational level, anticoagulants and edema. Our model could help medical agencies achieve the early identification of 90day readmission risk in HFpEF patients and reveal risk factors that provide valuable insights for treatments.

A study on critical failure factors for implementation of sustainable Lean Six Sigma from Indian manufacturing industries perspective using BWM technique

A study on critical failure factors for implementation of sustainable Lean Six Sigma from Indian manufacturing industries perspective using BWM technique

Failure factors of building construction projects in Ethiopia

Construction projects encounter considerable failure, and the case is worse in developing countries. Improving this situation needs an understanding of the failure factors; hence, this study is aimed at identifying critical failure factors of building construction projects in the Ethiopian construction industry. Sixty-four project failure attributes were identified through a literature review and categorized under eight groups of sources. Using a questionnaire survey, one hundred seven valid responses were collected from professionals affiliated with contractors, consultants, clients and regulatory bodies. For the analysis, factor analysis was conducted to identify the underlying dimensions of each group, and multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify critical failure factors. The findings indicate that: (i) unfavourable socio-economic and climatic conditions; (ii) owners’ incompetence, change orders and bureaucracy in public clients; (iii) political interferences and inflation; (iv) contractors’ incompetence; (v) progress payment, defective works, and staff quality challenges; and (vi) poor productivity, shortage of labour and escalation of material costs are the critical project failure factors in the context of the Ethiopian construction industry. These critical failure factors emanate from four group of sources: client, contractor, project input, and project external environment. The stakeholders need to devise appropriate strategies to mitigate these critical failure factors to ensure project success.

Towards sustainable lean success: a systematic literature review on critical failure factors

PurposeLean manufacturing (LM) is a leading philosophy used by organizations to become inevitable in the challenging market. However, prior research showed evidence that 90% failure rate of LM within 10 years of implementation, hence this study is to undertake a systematic literature review on the failure of LM implementation.Design/methodology/approachThis study was conducted with the guidance by review protocol, research questions’ formulation, systematic searching based on identification, screening and eligibility using Scopus and Web of Science databases, quality appraisal, data exclusion and analysis.FindingsDerived from 15 sub-themes, five main themes were discovered based on the thematic analysis to answer the research question on “What strategies should manufacturers do to prevent the failure of LM implementation?”, namely (1) leadership, (2) culture, (3) knowledge, (4) resources and (5) suppliers.Research limitations/implicationsWoS and Scopus were employed in this review, despite there are 14 databases with the ability to search for potential articles in them. Mixed-Method Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to evaluate the quality control process, however using various quality assessment techniques helps to search for appropriate review objectives.Practical implicationsThe primary emphasis of this study can be used as a reference by the manufacturers to ensure that LM implementation is a success story to gain a competitive advantage.Originality/valueDespite a large body of literature on LM, there has been little attempt to review this study in a systematic approach, discover trends and generate thematic potential on the failure factors of LM, making it difficult for academics to replicate and interpret.

An Assessment of the Critical Success Factors of Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in Lusaka, Zambia

This research focuses on the critical success and failure factors of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Lusaka, Zambia, addressing a vital aspect of the financial landscape that impacts small businesses and low-income individuals. Despite the positive role of MFIs in providing financial assistance to entrepreneurs, recent closures of six institutions in Zambia underscore the need to understand the factors influencing their success or failure. The problem statement highlights the potential consequences of MFI closures, such as negative impacts on women, increased poverty levels, income inequality, child labor, and barriers to sustainable local economic development. Notably, the study aims to fill a research gap by assessing factors affecting MFIs' operations in Zambia, particularly those leading to closures, which the Bank of Zambia has not yet addressed or documented. The research objectives are clear and specific, intending to assess both critical failure factors from MFIs that have closed in Lusaka and critical success factors for the functioning of MFIs in the region. Additionally, the study aims to suggest measures to enhance the application of these critical success factors. Moving into the research methodology, an exploratory research design is chosen, providing a foundation for assessing the critical success factors of MFIs in Zambia. The mixed-method approach, incorporating qualitative and quantitative strategies, enhances the comprehensiveness of the study. The target population comprises 29 registered MFIs in Lusaka, and a one-stage cluster sampling technique is applied to select 10 MFIs with 60 key informants. The use of questionnaires for data collection, both open and closed-ended, facilitates the gathering of both qualitative and quantitative information. Ethical considerations are diligently addressed, ensuring informed consent, confidentiality, justice, anonymity, and protection from harm. In the discussion of findings, a demographic analysis reveals important characteristics of the respondent base, emphasizing the predominantly male representation and the prevalence of tertiary education among participants. Objective one focuses on assessing critical failure factors, with limited access to funding, operational efficiency, and limited financial literacy emerging as primary challenges. Objective two delves into critical success factors, highlighting financial stability, marketing strategies, technology adoption, and outreach to the underserved population as significant considerations. Objective three provides insights into measures employed by MFIs, such as technology integration, capacity building, customer-centric approaches, and risk management systems. The recommendations emphasize diversification of funding sources, tailored financial literacy initiatives, operational efficiency optimization, and enhanced community engagement to address identified challenges. In summary, this study contributes valuable insights into the dynamics of MFIs in Lusaka, offering practical recommendations for their sustained success and impact on local communities.

Global perspectives on operational excellence: unveiling critical failure factors and sustainable pathways

PurposeThe purpose of this global study is to investigate the critical failure factors (CFFs) in the deployment of operational excellence (OPEX) programs as well as the key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be used to measure OPEX failures. The study also empirically analyzes various OPEX methodologies adopted by various organizations at a global level.Design/methodology/approachThis global study utilized an online survey to collect data. The questionnaire was sent to 800 senior managers, resulting in 249 useful responses.FindingsThe study results suggest that Six Sigma is the most widely utilized across the OPEX methodologies, followed by Lean Six Sigma and Lean. Agile manufacturing is the least utilized OPEX methodology. The top four CFFs were poor project selection and prioritization, poor leadership, a lack of proper communication and resistance to change issues.Research limitations/implicationsThis study extends the current body of knowledge on OPEX by first delineating the CFFs for OPEX and identifying the differing effects of these CFFs across various organizational settings. Senior managers and OPEX professionals can use the findings to take remedial actions and improve the sustainability of OPEX initiatives in their respective organizations.Originality/valueThis study uniquely identifies critical factors leading to OPEX initiative failures, providing practical insights for industry professionals and academia and fostering a deeper understanding of potential pitfalls. The research highlights a distinctive focus on social and environmental performance metrics, urging a paradigm shift for sustained OPEX success and differentiating itself in addressing broader sustainability concerns. By recognizing the interconnectedness of 12 CFFs, the study offers a pioneering foundation for future research and the development of a comprehensive management theory on OPEX failures.

Determining the Critical Failure Factors for Industry 4.0: An Exploratory Sequential Mixed Method Study

Critical failure factors (CFFs) are the key factors where “things must go wrong” for the I4.0 implementation to be a failure or that do not meet the intended objectives. CFFs provide a set of indicators or identifiable conditions so that problems can be identified and addressed before they fail. This article uses an exploratory sequential mixed method design to investigate the CFFs for I4.0. In the first explorative qualitative phase, 26 senior managers participated through a purposive sampling frame. The article finds ten CFFs: lack of I4.0 strategy, absence of well-designed smart product/service systems, lack of digital supply chains, leadership is not supportive for I4.0, poor human resource management for I4.0, absence of I4.0 technology transformation management plan, I4.0 is not implemented totally, lack of top management support for I4.0, poor change management strategies in place, and inadequate consideration of sustainability in I4.0 initiative. In the second quantitative phase, 156 senior managers participated in an online survey. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis, and ranking of CFFs were carried out. The findings on CFFs will help the practitioners and organizations to identify, monitor, and control these factors while implementing I4.0. Moreover, a good understanding of the failure factors will help organizations to avoid the failure in the implementation of I4.0.

Why do process improvement projects fail in organizations? A review and future research agenda

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the critical failure factors (CFFs) linked to various types of process improvement (PI) projects such as Kaizen, Lean, Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma and Agile. Proposing a mitigation framework accordingly is also an aim of this study.Design/methodology/approachThis research undertakes a systematic literature review of 49 papers that were relevant to the scope of the study and that were published in four prominent databases, including Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science and EBSCO.FindingsFurther analysis identifies 39 factors that contribute to the failure of PI projects. Among these factors, significant emphasis is placed on issues such as “resistance to cultural change,” “insufficient support from top management,” “inadequate training and education,” “poor communication” and “lack of resources,” as primary causes of PI project failures. To address and overcome the PI project failures, the authors propose a framework for failure mitigation based on change management models. The authors present future research directions that aim to enhance both the theoretical understanding and practical aspects of PI project failures.Practical implicationsThrough this study, researchers and project managers can benefit from well-structured guidelines and invaluable insights that will help them identify and address potential failures, leading to successful implementation and sustainable improvements within organizations.Originality/valueTo the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first study of its kind to examine the CFFs of five PI methodologies and introduces a novel approach derived from change management theory as a solution to minimize the risk associated with PI failure.

Critical failure factors for Quality 4.0: an exploratory qualitative study

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the adoption of Quality 4.0 (Q4.0) and assess the critical failure factors (CFFs) for its implementation and how its failure is measured.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative study based on in-depth interviews with quality managers and executives was conducted to establish the CFFs for Q4.0.FindingsThe significant CFFs highlighted were resistance to change and a lack of understanding of the concept of Q4.0. There was also a complete lack of access to or availability of training around Q4.0.Research limitations/implicationsThe study enhances the body of literature on Q4.0 and is one of the first research studies to provide insight into the CFFs of Q4.0.Practical implicationsBased on the discussions with experts in the area of quality in various large and small organizations, one can understand the types of Q4.0 initiatives and the CFFs of Q4.0. By identifying the CFFs, one can establish the steps for improvements for organizations worldwide if they want to implement Q4.0 in the future on the competitive global stage.Originality/valueThe concept of Q4.0 is at the very nascent stage, and thus, the CFFs have not been found in the extant literature. As a result, the article aids businesses in understanding possible problems that might derail their Q4.0 activities.

Analysis of ERP Critical Failure Factors: A Case Study in an Indonesian Mining Company

ERP is a useful application for companies to run day-to-day operations by automating business processes, but the complexity and difficulty of deploying ERP systems causes unanticipated implementation failures. Around 70% of ERP implementation fails to produce expected benefits, and three quarters of these projects fail. This study aims to uncover potential reasons that cause the failure of ERP system adoption using Company XYZ, a mining company as the case. A questionnaire was distributed to its management and employees. TOPSIS approach was used to rank the variables according to their significance in affecting failure of ERP systems implementation. The findings revealed that the two most important critical failure causes for ERP implementation are bad understanding of organization’s business processes and poor business process reengineering. The company needs to conduct a deeper analysis of the existing business processes in the business unit to be able to determine more appropriate business process reengineering for ERP implementation in the future. Companies and academics can utilize the study's findings as a helpful resource to identify the cause of ERP implementations failure

Strategies for Minimising Failure of Public-Private Partnership Infrastructure Projects in North Central Nigeria

The global adoption of the public-private partnership (PPP) concept has been driven by the growing demand for public infrastructure. However, many PPP projects have faced challenges and yielded unfavourable outcomes such as failures, delays, and concession revocations. This research paper aims to investigate the key factors influencing private investments in PPP markets in developing countries like Nigeria. The study employed an empirical questionnaire survey, collecting data from PPP experts involved in six PPP construction projects in northern Nigeria. Based on previous research, a set of 19 success factors and 21 failure factors were identified and used as the basis for quantitative data obtained. The data were analysed using the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) methodology. The findings of the study revealed that three critical failure factors (CFFs) played a role in the varying degrees of failure in the studied PPP projects. These factors include public sector corruption, lack of competition and transparency in procurement processes, and political interference during project implementation. On the other hand, six critical success factors (CSFs) contributed to the success of the PPP projects to different extents. These factors encompassed the availability of suitable financial markets, a favourable investment environment, appropriate risk allocation, competition in the procurement process, a comprehensive and realistic assessment of costs and benefits, and trust among stakeholders. The results of this study can serve as a valuable reference for PPP stakeholders seeking to minimize failure in the implementation of PPP infrastructure projects.

Revealing the critical failure factor and sub-surface damage mechanism of 316 stainless steel during fretting corrosion under the molten lead-bismuth eutectic

The critical failure factor and damage mechanism of 316 stainless steel during fretting corrosion under the molten lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) are specially investigated. Representative Fτ-D-cycle curves are shown to reflect the changing process and characteristics of different cycles for each parameter during fretting corrosion tests. The fretting operation regime is the mixed fretting regime (MFR) with minor stroke. The increase in stroke and temperature convert the fretting operation regime from MFR to the gross sliding regime (GSR). According to the dissipated energy and wear volume among all the samples, the results demonstrate more information as follows: the change of dissipated energy and wear volume is positively correlated with stroke, cycle number and temperature. The most serious damage occurred at 450 ℃− 80 µm-2 × 106 cycles. Multivariate linear regression model was established for 18 groups of data, and it was concluded that temperature was the key failure factor within the parameter range of this experiment. The first effect of temperature increase is to increase the rate of diffusion of Ni element into LBE, and the inevitable dissolution corrosion will occur. The problem is that a large number of vacancy defects are generated. The second effect of temperature increase is that the austenite substrate is transformed into ferrite, which cannot resist damage caused by fretting, due to the dissolution of large amounts of Ni.

Role of Lean Six Sigma in manufacturing setting: a systematic literature review and agenda for future research

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to present the systematic literature review (SLR) on Lean Six Sigma (LSS) by exploring the state of the art on growth of literature on LSS within the manufacturing sector, critical factors to implement LSS, the role of LSS in the manufacturing sector from an implementation and sustainability viewpoint and Industry 4.0 viewpoints while highlighting the research gaps.Design/methodology/approachAn SLR of 2,876 published articles extracted from Scopus, WoS, Emerald Insight, IEEE Xplore, Taylor & Francis, Springer and Inderscience databases was carried out following the protocol of systematic review. In total, 154 articles published in different journals over the past 10 years were selected for quantitative and qualitative analysis which revealed a number of research gaps.FindingsThe findings of the SLR revealed the growth of literature on LSS within the manufacturing sector. The review also highlighted the most cited critical success factors, critical failure factors, performance indicators and associated tools and techniques applied during LSS implementation. The review also focused on studies related to LSS and sustainability viewpoint and LSS and Industry 4.0 viewpoints.Practical implicationsThe findings of this SLR can help senior managers, practitioners and researchers to understand the current developments and future requirements to adopt LSS in manufacturing sectors from sustainability and Industry 4.0 viewpoints.Originality/valueAcademic publications in the context of the role of LSS in various research streams are sparse, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is one of the first SLRs which explore current developments and future requirements to implement LSS from sustainability and Industry 4.0 perspective.

Development of a model of critical failure factors for integrated LSS–AM practices in Indian manufacturing industries: a fuzzy TISM approach

The purpose of the present study is to identify the critical failure factors (CFFs) for implementing integrated practices of lean six sigma (LSS) and agile manufacturing (AM) in Indian manufacturing industries and develop a framework that prioritizes the CFFs. Total nine CFFs were identified through a vast review of research articles. A framework of CFFs was developed by the fuzzy-total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) approach with the help of academia and industry experts’ opinions. Fuzzy-MICMAC (Matrice d'Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliqués à un Classement) analysis was performed to categorise CFFs into four clusters. The findings of the present study suggest that there are nine CFFs to LSS–AM implementation in Indian manufacturing industries. From the fuzzy-TISM model it is revealed that top management commitment and organisational culture change CFFs are major roadblocks to LSS–AM implementation strategy in any organization. Further, this research helps LSS–AM decision-makers and practitioners to prioritize CFFs based on their driving and dependence. Accordingly, they can make strategies to mitigate these CFFs and create a smooth pathway for the LSS–AM implementation process. This in turn can enhance the performance of the organization. This study is one of the pioneer studies of the integration of LSS–AM CFFs, which analyzed the contextual relationship among the CFFs through fuzzy-TISM.

E-Government Optimization Strategy at The Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration

This paper focuses on the e-Government optimization at The Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration as eGovernment has become one of the strategic issues of Bureaucratic Reform. This study aims to identify the aspects of an organization’s environment, to analyze, and formulate strategies for e-government optimization. Evaluation tools use the design-reality gap analysis through seven dimensions of ITPOSMO to assess the level of eGovernment implementation success and identified the critical success and failure factors. Strategy formulation techniques are using three stages of the strategy formulation analytical framework. Results from this study, by measuring the design-reality gap across seven dimensions show eGovernment project is likely to partially fail unless action is taken to correct the gap. Using three stages of the strategy formulation analytical framework defines four strategy recommendations: forward integration, related diversification, backward integration, and product development. Findings from this research will serve to reduce the risks that may affect e-governance success in The Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration.

Critical Failure Factors of Flood Early Warning and Response Systems (FEWRS): A Structured Literature Review and Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) Analysis

Flood warning and response systems are essential components of risk reduction strategies with the potential to reduce loss of life and impact on personal assets. However, recent flood incidents have caused significant loss of human lives due to failures in current flood warning and response mechanisms. These failures are broadly related to policies concerning, and governance aspects within, warning generation, the behaviour of communities in responding to early warnings, and weaknesses in associated tools and technologies used in communicating early warnings and responding. Capturing critical failure factors affecting flood warning and response systems can provide opportunities for making corrective measures and for developing a more advanced and futuristic system for early flood warnings. This paper reports the findings of a structured review that was conducted to identify critical failure factors in flood early warning and response systems. This study found twenty-four critical failure factors (CFFs). The interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach conducted in this study resulted in identifying four different types of failure factors (autonomous, dependent, linkage, and independent) with varying dependence and driving powers. Analysis shows that governance, leadership, finance, standard operating procedures (SoP), and community engagement are the most dominating factors with the highest driving factor, which can overcome other dependent factors. The outcome of this review could be helpful for policymakers and practitioners in overcoming failure factors and implementing effective early warning and response systems.

Critical Failure Factors in ERP Implementation: A Systematic Literature Review

It has been more than two decades of experience adopting and implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in business. However, the success of these systems remains debatable. The failure rate of ERP systems is relatively high, despite the fact that success stories of ERPs are recorded in earlier research studies. The main purpose of this study is to identify and assess the degree of ERP implementation failure factors encountered by organisations and confirm which is significant in various countries. A systematic literature review was performed, considering research studies published between 2000 to 2022 for this purpose. This study critically reviewed 55 relevant articles published in reputable journals. The systematic literature review identified 35 failure factors categorised as the most critical based on their occurrence in past studies. The top five failure factors included lack of top management support, Inadequate education and training, the mismatch between the system and business strategies, lack of project management performers, and users unwilling to use the ERP system. According to the country-wise evaluation, "Lack of top management support" is a critical failure factor of the ERP implementation for all clusters. However, the more frequent impact for Asian countries, with a moderate impact for European countries and less for North American countries. Also, "Inadequate education and training" is a major Critical failure factor for Asian and North American countries during ERP implementation projects.This is the first comprehensive systematic review attempted to identify the Critical failure factor during the implementation of ERP systems.

An investigation towards identifying and analysing the failure factors for the implementation of scrap reduction techniques in Indian SMEs

Manufacturing organisations are implementing a number of scrap reduction (SR) techniques in their organisations for the purpose of making improvements in the processes. Some of such techniques are lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, total quality management, etc. In many cases the implementation of SR technique is found successful, whereas at the same time in many cases it found to be a failure one as well. There are a certain number of factors which are found to be responsible for the failure of SR. Present study concentrates towards the identification of critical failure factors contributing towards the failure of implementation of SR techniques in the manufacturing organisations. Total failure mode and effects analysis (TFMEA) and FMEA has also been done on the identified critical failure factors of SR techniques.

ERP failure: A systematic mapping of the literature

With the development of different technologies, the use and importance of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems continue to increase daily. In parallel with this increasing use, a lot of research is being done to successfully complete ERP implementation projects. However, despite these researches, reported case studies show that the success rates of ERP projects are meager.Based on the examples of experienced failure, researchers determine very different failure factors with varying perspectives for companies in different industry sectors, cultures, and sizes. It is becoming increasingly difficult for many practitioners and researchers to understand these failure factors correctly. Our objective is to investigate the state-of-the-art ERP Failure Factors that could benefit practitioners to utilize that information potentially.We review the body of knowledge related to ERP failure factors in the form of a systematic literature mapping (SLM). We pose four sets of research questions and systematically develop and refine a classification schema. The initial pool consisted of 353 articles. Systematic voting was conducted among the authors regarding the inclusion/exclusion criteria. As a result, there were 72 technical articles in our final pool.This SLM provides an overview of ERP critical failure factors (CFF) with different focused headings. These headings cover qualitative coding about CFF names, CFF rankings, the relation between CFF and ERP processes and failure modes, etc.The results of this study would benefit three groups of stakeholders: (i) Researchers who work on ERP Failure Factors, (ii) Solution implementers who provide consultancy services to companies that carry out ERP Implementation projects, and (iii) ERP project implementation managers. These stakeholders could utilize the results of this SLM to catch the trend of ERP implementation challenges.

Follow-Up Model to Evaluate Failure Factors of Single-Phase Distribution Transformers in High Environmental Pollution Zones

Single-phase distribution transformers are commonly installed in outdoor distribution networks to supply electricity to final users. Utilities are used to receive abnormal operating reports related to typical failures that negatively affect the reliability and security indicators. Therefore, a follow-up model is proposed in this paper to evaluate the failure factors of distribution transformers installed in high environmental pollution zones. The results show that the main factors that cause failures are overload, overvoltage, overcurrent, moisture, hot spots, manufacturing process, and lack of technical knowledge. Furthermore, all those factors are presented in a typical case using time-lines diagrams to characterize the main failures. Finally, hot spots, overloads, and unauthorized connections are the most critical failure factors identified in the research. According to the statistical analysis, those failures could occur 16 days after installing the transformer. The follow-up model presented in this research can characterize the main failures presented in outdoor distribution transformers.