Increase Business Efficiency Research Articles

Identifying the characteristics for achieving sustainable manufacturing companies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the qualitative characteristics that can make manufacturing small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) more robust and hence become economically sustainable in this globally competitive environment. The characteristics identified will form the foundations for defining a new manufacturing management perspective to both academics and industrialists.Design/methodology/approachThrough a comprehensive case study approach the authors initially analyse the developmental cycle of the subject company and then identify the key characteristics which enabled the company to become economically sustainable and survive in the changing environment in which it operates. The paper opens with a brief academic analysis of sustainability literature available, before developing the case study.FindingsTraditional business improvement strategies, such as Lean and Agility, which many companies initially follow in an attempt to become more robust and economically stable, allow companies to deliver bottom‐line savings in production terms although their effectiveness depends upon the volume and demand profile of their products. Through the case study outlined in this paper however, a combined approach towards the application of Lean is outlined as a primary means of reducing operating costs alongside the simultaneous implementation of product innovation strategies which allows the company to break into new markets as a means to achieving long‐term economic sustainability and making it more robust to market changes. The development of a business within a business is described as an effective mechanism towards achieving business sustainability.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper proposes a novel approach to achieving economic sustainability within a business and can be of benefit to the wider industrial and academic community. The development of work around a single company has its obvious limitations and it is crucial that further work, with a range of companies in the area of business sustainability, is key to developing a comprehensive set of sustainability characteristics.Practical implicationsThe paper proposes a set of qualitative characteristics for the development of an economically sustainable manufacturing company. The development of a comprehensive case study with a subject company also directs and enables other companies of similar size and style to apply a similar approach and to achieve economic sustainability in an efficient and effective manner, through reducing production costs, minimising company failure and increasing business efficiency and effectiveness.Originality/valueThe development of a set of sustainability characteristics aimed at tackling directly the issues of economic sustainability is proposed and is considered by the authors as one of a kind. The case study approach also provides for a framework towards the implementation of sustainable manufacturing operations within SMEs.

Casos de ensino em administração: Cooperativa Agroindustrial Bom Jesus: estratégias de crescimento

O presente caso de ensino em Administração tem o objetivo de colocar o estudante no papel de decisor à frente de uma organização cooperativa agropecuária que busca alternativas estratégicas de crescimento, por meio do acesso a mercados internacionais visando incrementar a eficiência empresarial, melhorar a oferta de serviços aos seus associados e maximizar os benefícios proporcionados. O caso da Cooperativa Agroindustrial Bom Jesus, baseado, sobretudo na coleta de dados primários, ilustra a situação experimentada pela organização em 2007, quando percebeu a necessidade de repensar suas atividades produtivas em face das oscilações verificadas no faturamento da organização em anos anteriores. A intensificação das exportações e a diversificação das atividades surgiram como alternativas estratégicas para alcançar os objetivos pretendidos. Nesse sentido, os fatos que descrevem a circunstância experimentada pelos dirigentes da Bom Jesus, complementados pelas teorias correlatas, amparam a análise e debates que possibilitarão aos estudantes identificarem e selecionarem a resposta estratégica mais adequada que definirá o quê, como e onde poderá ser comercializada sua produção, sem perder de vista os princípios do cooperativismo e a visão de crescimento da organização. O caso pode ser aplicado às disciplinas de Estratégia, Negócios Internacionais e Gestão do Agronegócio nos cursos de graduação e pós-graduação.

SPECIFIC ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY INDICATORS OF INVESTMENTS IN AGRICULTURE

Worldwide, the beginning of the millennium has been marked by an economic crisis of major proportions, with impacts in all areas of activity, comparable to that of 1929-1933 (some economists believe that the current crisis was much stronger than that of the previous century and only the ability to respond promptly minimizes the devastating effects). In this context, one of the main modality for an economic revitalization is to increase business efficiency and rational use of resources, particularly in those fields which were not directly related to the global economic crisis. Of these, the crucial place is occupied by agriculture, considered as one of the most important vectors of welfare and economic development. In the context of increasingly limited resources and constantly multiplication and diversification of the requests, efficiency evaluation issues in agriculture, especially for investment processes, is vital to overcome the current situation. The paper aims to analyze the efficiency of agriculture activities, focusing on the investment process. The authors present general indicators to assess the efficiency in agriculture, and specific indicators of investment. Finally, there is a concrete case study of the specific indicators implementation.

An XML-based modular system analysis and design for supply chain simulation

In the contemporary global market, managing the entire supply chain has become crucial for competitive advantage in different industries. However, the realization and success of supply chain management (SCM) depends significantly on the previous supply chain modeling and simulation for analyzing complex systems. This study develops a modular approach for system analysis and design of supply chain simulation, which is capable of modeling the supply chain process and the operation of related communication data and information through XML techniques and simulating them within the SIMAN simulation tool. This study performs the following tasks: (i) characterizing supply chain process and establishing data/information elements, (ii) establishing knowledge requirements for supply chain process, (iii) analyzing and designing supply chain process modules, (iv) representing and integrating specifications of supply chain process modules, and (v) generating and demonstrating modular supply chain simulation. The results of this study can be used to develop a modular system analysis and design for supply chain simulation for effectively assisting the integration of SCM and the exchange of related communication data and information in a supply chain, thus increasing business efficiency.

VR and immersive environments for oil and gas exploration

Do you know what today’s immersive environments can provide to assist data analysis and interpretation? Wim Maes and Ken Hunter of Barco Presentation & Simulation offer this guide to what you can expect. Virtual Reality (VR) technology has exploded into a range of visualization tools that can be used by geoscientists, engineers, and other asset teams to enhance and speed up oil and gas exploration, drilling, and production. New emerging VR systems can be tailored into fit-for-purpose solutions offering operational integration for all asset teams from the rig to the office, and from office to office. A reasonable expectation is that a large-scale visualization capability reduces project costs and field errors by 5-10%. Return on investment is typically agreed to be less than one year. VR and immersive environments combine advanced technology with social interaction to analyze complex problems and to take quick and accurate decisions. Very powerful, their applications range from large-scale 3D collaborative viewing rooms over relocatable and portable environments, to fully immersive spaces completely surrounding the interpreters with their data. These large-screen visual display systems show large amounts of data - typically 2.5 to over 4 Mega pixels - on large flat or curved screens at the same time. They allow multi-disciplinary teams of up to 20 viewers to effectively visualize and evaluate geophysical data for oil and gas E&P in 3D. Applications by the world’s leading oil and gas companies include real-time visualization, analysis, and decision-making of seismic data, complex reservoir models, well logs, and geologic cross sections. Most systems are tailored to meet specific needs with the screen size, the depth of the system, and number and type of projectors customized to provide the optimum display solution. As a standard they offer stereoscopic visualization and include interactive whiteboards and integrated videoconferencing systems. Large presentation environments usually carry a high price tag, but are reported to provide maximum return on investment. Many of the world’s leading oil and gas companies use them in their headquarters and in important subsidiaries all over the world. Recent new high-resolution three-chip LCD projectors deliver 1920 x 1080 pixels enabling the building of a stereoscopic large screen display using only two projectors. As most advanced network centric concepts even include a built-in powerful upgradeable display server, all information available in the company can be retrieved via the network and displayed in multiple windows on the large VR workroom screen. These windows with mono or stereo content from the network or from diverse external sources (video or data) can be freely positioned and scaled. Teleconferencing windows can be added and several locations can be visually linked for efficient collaboration.Frequently used content can be saved on the projector’s hard disk and retrieved on demand. Easy intuitive operation through the familiar Windows XP desktop interface enables all team members to access all sources and to control all content by simply using the wireless mouse and keyboard. By adding optical tracking and mouse emulation technology, the VR workroom allows direct, wireless interaction with the data. Connecting several network centric VR workrooms to an existing network enables companies to visually link multiple off- and onshore facilities, saving expensive traveling time and increasing business efficiency. All information can be shared from a remote location on one large canvas. Such direct access to all information and collaborative viewing on a large canvas makes for accurate analysis and fast decisionmaking. The networked VR workrooms themselves can be centrally managed to ensure optimal use of the investment.

From the invisible hand to the invisible handshake: marketing higher education

This article considers that the fundamentals of marketing which were developed to increase business efficiency fail to fulfil the needs of higher education. An alternative premise is proposed based on the notions of temporality, confidence and trust. The article is timely as higher education embraces a business model of competition almost without questioning the appropriateness of the tools it uses.

Changing corporate environmental philosophy: Project renewal gets companies started

AbstractProject RENEWAL is an innovative new environmental business project taking place in New Jersey. Project RENEWAL stands for Resource Efficiency Network to Eliminate Waste and Liability. The purpose of this project is to investigate and promote the linkages between ecology, technology, and business economics for the benefit of the economy and the environment. This is a collaborative effort, initially focused on equipment and inventory assets, between the business and environmental communities in order to explore new ways to increase business efficiency and profitability and also benefit the environment. Participants in the project include representatives from industry, consulting, local and state government, environmental agencies, trade groups and academia. This article will outline the background and initial framework of Project RENEWAL's initiatives. (The authors are open to comments, suggestions, criticism, and most importantly input from others who share their vision and are willing to cooperatively accelerate the change process).

Can Telecommunications Help Rural Areas Overcome Obstacles to Development

Telecommunications can help to reduce rural isolation, improue access to services, and increase business efficiency. However, metro and international competition may limit the benefits of telecommunications for rural areas and possibly widen the development gap. Still, telecommunications are essential for full nonmetro participation in the national and international economies and are an essential part of an overall rural development strategy.

Information and decision making: A search for method and understanding

AbstractDespite the emphasis during the 1980s on value for money and the need to increase business efficiency in order to face competitive world markets, exactly how managers search for information for business decisions remains a neglected topic of academic inquiry. In response to this situation, the paper has two purposes. The first is to develop an initial understanding of how information is searched and used in business contexts; the paper describes how participants searched and used accounting information in a relatively unstructured competitive tendering task. Second, it shares the experiences gained from trying to research the topic. A number of experimental design and analysis issues are raised and discussed.

PICS at BAe

MODERN technology is increasingly being used to solve communications problems and increase business efficiency. In the area of internal corporate communications television technology is now being applied to assist in disseminating information to the workforce. One company, aircraft manufacturer British Aerospace, has installed its own Private Television Network at its Prestwick facility as a key component of its internal communications strategy.