Household Appliance Industry Research Articles

The role and performance measurement of after‐sales in the durable consumer goods industries: an empirical study

PurposeTo analyse the role of after‐sales services in manufacturing contexts, and the related after‐sales performance measurement systems.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory case study research was performed in the automotive, household appliance, IT and consumer electronics industries. The sample is made up of 48 firms with after‐sales operations in Italy.FindingsThe role attributed to after‐sales activities in the IT and consumer electronics and household appliance industries shows an orientation to improve company image, customer satisfaction and retention (marketing focus). A different situation characterises the companies studied in the automotive industry. In most firms, however, measurement systems are quite simple and short‐term oriented, especially in the IT and consumer electronics and household appliance industries. The measurement of non‐financial performance emphasises effectiveness rather than efficiency, and the automotive industry, on the whole, presents more advanced measurement systems, together with more integrated strategic management of after‐sales. The household appliance industry, on the other hand, due to the significant presence of SMEs, is characterised by less sophisticated performance measurement systems.Originality/valueProvides a representation of current empirical practices in after‐sales role and performance measurement, a topic insufficiently covered by conceptual and empirical research.

Complexity management and supply chain performance assessment. A field study and a conceptual framework

This paper presents the results of an empirical research program devoted to investigate how complexity can affect a manufacturing company's performances, and those of its supply chain. In-depth industry case studies involving 14 Italian companies at different stages in the household appliances industry are here presented: more than 200 numerical data and 50 descriptive questions were asked to eight different key managers within each company, focusing on sales, inbound and outbound logistics, product and process engineering, production and organisational issues. Empirical evidence confirms that the way companies handle their operations system complexity has a deep effect on how well they perform. Relying on these first evidences, a research refinement is proposed by means of a careful classification of complexity sources on one side and of complexity control levers on the other. Then, a first interpretative and theory building attempt is done to set relationships among the operating context, the adopted managerial levers and the operating performances achieved. The model suggests that the ability to control complexity within manufacturing and logistic systems can be regarded as a core competence in order to jointly improve efficiency and effectiveness at a supply chain wide scale.

The Household Appliance Industry in Japan under the Occupation : The Case of the Refrigerator

The Household Appliance Industry in Japan under the Occupation : The Case of the Refrigerator

Mechanical properties of a recrystallized low carbon steel

A low carbon steel sheet with 0.035% Cr responded positively to continuous annealing at 800 °C with fully recrystallized grains at ∼120 s. Retardation of recrystallization was assumed to be the result of the contribution of precipitation pinning. Fully recrystallized specimens fulfilled target properties demanded by the automotive and household appliance industries.

Sourcing Implications of the North American Free Trade Agreement

This research examines the effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) from the perspective of a hypothetical firm operating in the household appliance industry. The location of the lowest cost source of components and the effects on the total systems cost to manufacture and distribute finished products are examined under different levels of economic integration. The research utilizes a network simulation to model optimum supplier sources, purchased item flows, and associated costs to meet total North American demand. The study's results, while highly dependent on the data utilized, indicate that the NAFTA could result in significant changes in supply location and total systems cost for firms with integrated North American operations.

Determinants of Product Innovation Activities

An empirical analysis is presented of the effects of selected contingency variables on the product innovation activities of firms in entertainment electronics and major household appliance industries in West Germany. The following contingency variables were analysed: the size and industry affiliation of the firm, the top management function executed either by owners or salaried managers, and the competitive pressure that a firm has to face. The empirical findings indicate that smaller enterprises, owner‐run firms and those facing comparatively less competitive pressure are especially active in product innovation, while product innovation plays a less significant role in large and manager‐run firms, as well as in enterprises facing intensive competitive pressure. Conclusions are drawn for competitor analysis and business strategies of firms with regard to the German industries considered.

The dynamics of ball bearings : C. T. Walters, JOLT, Ser. F, 93 (1) (1967) 1–10; 8 figs., 10 refs.

This investigation on the dynamic behaviour of ball bearings was motivated by the demand for silent bearings in noise-sensitive applications, especially in the household appliance and automotive industry. The present investigations are intended to provide a clear understanding of the role of the bearing in the application with respect to its design, its quality and the way in which it is mounted in the housings.

Major Household Appliances: A Lesson in Distribution

The behavior of margins over time may indicate potential friction in marketing channels. This article presents a study of margins in the major household appliance industry to illustrate the effects of structural change on middlemen.

Lubrication in Metal Cutting

The traditional position of the metal cutting process at the core of our engineering industry, is being changed by the rapid development of some of the established metal forming processes, such as die‐casting and extrusion, and in more recent years by the introduction of the novel electrical machining processes. In addition to this, the demands of the aerospace and nuclear industries for components manufactured from the rare metals and the very high strength alloys combined with the problems of economic manufacture in the mechanised automobile and household appliance industries have presented the metal cutting process with an exciting challenge. Under this stimulus of competition from other processes and the more exacting demands of modern industry, considerable effort is being directed towards the development of the metal cutting process by establishing a better understanding of the mechanics involved. In this article some thoughts are presented in an attempt to reflect the state of knowledge of an important branch of this study, namely, that of lubrication in metal cutting.