Industry Consultants Research Articles

Big Med's Spread.

There is a growing trend of combinations among hospital systems that operate in different geographic markets known as cross-market mergers. Economists have analyzed these broader systems in terms of their anticompetitive behavior and pricing power over insurers. This paper evaluates the benefits advanced by these new hospital systems that speak to a different set of issues not usually studied: increased efficiencies, new capabilities, operating synergies, and addressing health inequities. The paper thus "looks under the hood" of these emerging, cross-market systems to assess what value they might bestow and upon whom. The paper examines recently announced cross-market mergers in terms of their supposed benefits, as expressed by the systems' executives as well as by industry consultants. These presumed benefits are then evaluated against existing evidence regarding hospital system outcomes. Advocates of cross-market hospital mergers cite a host of benefits. Research suggests these benefits are nonexistent. Additional evidence suggests other motives may be at play in the formation of cross-market mergers that have nothing to do with efficiencies, synergies, or community benefits. Instead these mergers may be self-serving efforts by system chief executive officers (CEOs) to boost their compensation. Cross-market hospital mergers may yield no benefits to the hospitals involved or the communities in which they operate. The boards of hospital systems that engage in these cross-market mergers need to exercise greater diligence over the actions of their CEOs.

Skilling the green hydrogen economy: A case study from Australia

This paper explores the skills landscape of the emerging green hydrogen industry in Australia drawing on data collected from a study that gathered insights on training gaps from a range of hydrogen industry participants. A total of 41 industry participants completed a survey and 14 of those survey respondents participated in industry consultations. The findings revealed widespread perceptions of training and skilling as being very important to the industry, but under-provisioned across the sector. Data were analysed to consider the problem of skilling the green hydrogen industry and the barriers and enablers as perceived by industry stakeholders. In this paper we argue that urgent cross-sector attention needs to be paid to hydrogen industry training and skill development systems in Australia if the promise of green hydrogen as a clean energy source is to be realised.

Organisational Elements Controlling the Labour Efficiency in Sri Lankan Road Construction Projects: Engineers’ Perspective

Labour efficiency is crucial for a construction firm’s long-term viability. According to recent studies, modernising organisational and administrative procedures is essential to improving labour efficiency in many developing countries, including Sri Lanka. The perspectives of construction engineers play a key role in strengthening organisational policies and management practices in the construction industry. As a result, based on the viewpoint of construction engineers, this study aims to identify the critical organisational elements that highly influence labour efficiency in Sri Lankan road construction projects. The elements/factors were qualitatively discovered after a thorough literature review. Then, a questionnaire survey was conducted among construction engineers employed by 31 Sri Lankan road construction contractors. The Relative Importance Index (RII) method was used to quantify each element’s level of influence on labour efficiency. Based on RII values, 33 organisational elements were determined as critical, where lack of communication and cooperation between the parties, delay in salary payment and lack of labour training facilities were determined as the top three ranking elements in the list. The validity and reliability of the results were confirmed by additional statistical tests. Using problem-based communication strategies, industry consultations were conducted among construction experts to determine the necessary future measures from relevant authorities based on the identified critical elements. These consultation outcomes suggest that the organisational policies of construction enterprises currently in place addressing financial procedures, communication strategies, resource management, performance management and training development practices must be improved in light of the new normal conditions facing the industry. The study findings might help to close the gap between management/organisational policies and workforce practices. Despite the fact that the study findings are limited to the Sri Lankan road construction industry, some of them could be used to address comparable issues in other developing nations.

Working from Home during COVID-19 and Beyond: Exploring the Perceptions of Consultants in Construction

Given the construction industry’s culture of presenteeism and long work hours, construction workforce who used to working in the company workplace were affected by the sudden shift to working from home (WFH) setting due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. Focusing on consultants in the Australian construction industry, this exploratory study examines: (i) individual perceptions of the impacts of WFH challenges on work activities and performance, and (ii) their self-reported work productivity, overall WFH satisfaction and future preference for WFH post-pandemic. The online survey results show that most respondents were new to the WFH arrangement. However, the evidence is suggestive that they were adapting well as demonstrated by their perceived positive impacts of most WFH challenges on their work activities and performance. The results also show that as the respondents’ self-reported work productivity increases, their overall satisfaction with WFH increases and they would welcome WFH arrangement post-pandemic, and vice versa. The female respondents demonstrated higher overall WFH satisfaction and preference for WFH post-pandemic compared to male respondents, signifying the relationship between gender and their perceptions. These findings have implications for employing organizations in addressing human resource management challenges to maximize the potential benefits of WFH practices post-pandemic.

ARTISTIC INTERPRETATION OF PUBLIC SPACES: INTERIOR DESIGN EXPERIENCE

This article studies examples of artistic interpretation of interior, infrastructural objects of tourist areas. The qualitative organization of tourism activities involves the design and organization of functionally comfortable and aesthetically significant objects. A professional approach to design requires the development of a unified concept of the environment, the artistic integrity of both the entire territory and individual objects. This article discusses the interior design of catering facilities. Public catering facilities are one of the main and sought-after objects in all types of tourism. The practical significance of the work lies in the fact that its materials can be used for special courses and lectures on topics related to the specifics of architectural and spatial solutions of interior design. The research results can also be used as theoretical and methodological material for the benefit of practicing architects and designers involved in the practical design of restaurants, cafes, and other food and leisure establishments, restaurant industry professionals, journalists, consultants, and PR specialists working in this area. Also, the results of this work can be used by foreign designers and architects as foreign experience in organizing public areas.

Web based resource for Statistical Consultants in the Pharmaceutical Industry.

The intention of this article is to highlight sources of web-based reference material and software that will aid consulting statisticians when designing clinical trials. The article includes websites that provide links to explanation of statistical concepts for non-statisticians, regulatory guidelines, and free statistical study design software.

Digitalization strategies and evaluation of maritime container supply chains

PurposeThis study proposes practical digitalization strategies and well-grounded evaluation criteria for maritime container supply chains.Design/methodology/approachThe authors identified the status of supply chain digitalization of the Port of Busan in South Korea and developed three digitalization strategies based on industry requirements and consultations with port experts. The authors proposed 11 evaluation criteria for examining the main digitalization strategies in the supply chain operations reference model, based on a survey among 46 experts and used multi-criteria decision-making approaches to prioritize the strategies and evaluation criteria.FindingsThe results delineate the status of the digitalization of a real-world port-focal supply chain. The model can be successfully customized to include well-grounded evaluation criteria for digitalization strategies, and presents a practical way to advance the supply chain digitalization strategies. Based on the survey and evaluation, the authors find that increasing data accessibility and improving quality are preferred to adopting a data and information sharing platform.Research limitations/implicationsAs the study is limited to the Port of Busan, future case studies could be undertaken to container supply chains driven by different regional ports.Practical implicationsStakeholders, such as truckers, terminal operators, and shipping liners, might consider the proposed strategies and evaluation criteria when digitalizing their supply chains.Originality/valueBy identifying the needs and specifications of maritime container supply chain digitalization strategies, developing evaluation criteria, and conducting a case study for proof of concept, the study proposes an operational management process with practical, real-world benefits for port-focal supply chains.

ენერგომენეჯმენტის სისტემის დანერგვის მოტივაციის, სირთულისა და სარგებლის მრავალფაქტორიანი შეფასება

The energy management system is a 50001-standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization, the introduction of which has become mandatory for industrial enterprises in accordance with the Law of Georgia on Energy Efficiency. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the connections that exist between the motives for the introduction of the 50001 Energy Management System (EnMS) standard and the difficulties of its adoption and the benefits arising from its adoption. An exploratory path analysis was performed, which is conducted through structural equation modeling (SEM). The experience of the project participants already implemented in Georgia was used, a questionnaire was drawn up and sent to the local energy efficiency expert consultants of the participating enterprises. After processing the received answers, the input information was entered into the statistical program EQS. Based on the analysis of the obtained results, it is concluded that the research gives us a first idea of the relationship between the motivations, difficulties and benefits of the implementation of ISO 50001, which is especially interesting for industrial managers, engineers, consultants, certified bodies and policy makers.

Review: Oil Spaces: Exploring the Global Petroleumscape

Review: <i>Oil Spaces: Exploring the Global Petroleumscape</i>

From the President andIFSTNews

From the President and<scp>IFST</scp>News

Pelaksanaan Praktek Kerja Lapangan Kelas Xi Jurusan Teknik Instalasi Tenaga Listrik di SMKN 2 Kota Serang di Masa Pandemi Covid-19

The purpose of this study is to describe: 1) PKL planning. 2) implementation of street vendors. 3) monitoring and evaluation. 4) Testing and Certification. and 5) The results of street vendors at SMKN 2 Serang City, Serang, Banten. This research is a qualitative descriptive study. The subjects of this research are the PKL Coordinator, Public Relations WK, Curriculum WK, Teacher Advisors, Students, and Industrial Advisors. Data collection techniques with interviews, documentation studies, and observation. Test the validity of the data using triangulation of sources and methods. Data analysis used a qualitative analysis of the Miles &amp; Huberman interactive model, namely data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results of the study show the following: 1) PKL preparation starts from the legal basis, PKL Team, Correctional, PKL Understanding, Cooperation between Vocational Schools and IDUKA, Work Programs, Curriculum Synchronization, Human Resources, Financing, 2) Implementation of PKL at SMKN 2 Serang City is in semester 3 grade 2, with a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 3 months. The implementation of street vendors at SMKN 2 Serang City has several activities, namely debriefing, student selection, compiling syllabus and activity schedules, IDUKA contracts, learning, and guidance. 3) Monitoring and Evaluation, Implementation Team, Time, Components to be monitored, Instruments, Utilization of monitoring results. 4) Testing and Certification, at SMKN 2 Serang city there is no testing, only the making of a report on the completion of street vendors and the certification here is only limited to the information that the person concerned has finished street vendors. 5) The results of street vendors, the competencies obtained by participants vary and the suitability of the curriculum, some say it is quite appropriate.&#x0D; Keywords: Implementation; Field Work Practice; Vocational School

Morning Has Broken: Employees as the Intellectual Peers of Theorists in Management Thought

Mainstream management history invariably establishes sidelined theorists as the most consequential protagonists in the quest to create a generic template for employee superintendence. According to this orthodoxy, in the wake of the Industrial Revolution, the new capitalists and their agents (the emerging management class), where theoretically ill-equipped to oversee large scale productive transformation. Hence, they turned to experts, mostly scholars who straddled the worlds of academia and the fledgling enterprise of industrial consulting. In this version of events, employees are represented in strawman terms: as either passive or predictable and unduly hostile actors. This article asserts and defends an alternative portrayal. It argues that the key influence on the modern template was not a conflict of theoretical perspectives concerning the nature of modernity being played out on the margins but rather a clash between theory itself and what employees, acting as intellectual equals, taught their employers.

The 1964 US Surgeon General's report on smoking and health.

The 1964 report of the US Surgeon General on smoking and health made an authoritative case that tobacco smoking was a cause of premature deaths from lung cancer and chronic bronchitis. It justified the practice of drawing causal inferences from epidemiological studies, specified influential criteria for doing so, and made use of an early form of meta-analysis.

Comparative life cycle assessment of heterotrophic microalgae Schizochytrium and fish oil in sustainable aquaculture feeds

Fish oil is primarily extracted from small marine pelagic fishes, reducing their availability for marine wildlife forage and artisanal fishing catches that support food security in lower income coastal nations. A primary use of fish oil is in feeds for aquaculture, the world’s fastest growing food sector. Efforts to transition fed aquaculture to sustainability includes replacing fish oil in aquafeeds with more environmentally responsible alternative ingredients. The heterotrophic marine microalga Schizochytrium sp., one of the first commercialized alternatives, lacks an open-access, systematic analysis of environmental impacts of substituting fish oil with heterotrophic microalgae from biorefineries. This study compared the “cradle to factory-gate” life cycle impacts of fish oil to whole-cell or extracted oil of Schizochytrium combined with canola oil. We conducted an attributional life cycle assessment using inventory data collected from published literature and patents and received feedback on commercial relevance of model assumptions from industry advisors. We examined sugar from a Brazilian sugarcane biorefinery and sucrose from U.S. sugar beets as feedstocks for heterotrophic cultivation of Schizochytrium; and compared life cycle impacts of extracting Schizochytrium oil using solvent-free microwave extraction to conventional solvent extraction. Results were that: cultivation processes had the largest overall effect for both products in both regions; whole-cell Schizochytrium combined with canola oil had significantly lower environmental impacts, in all assessed categories, than Schizochytrium oil blended with canola oil; and conventional solvent extraction had significantly lower environmental impacts compared to solvent-free microwave extraction except global warming potential. Schizochytrium products, compared to fish oil, had substantially lower biotic resource depletion and, in the case of whole cells combined with canola oil, had significantly lower global warming potential but higher impacts for all other categories, primarily because commercial Schizochytrium production used sugar feedstocks as carbon and energy sources. The mix of lower and higher environmental impacts of Schizochytrium products illustrates the importance of openly identifying environmental trade-offs to inform evidence-based decisions for commercial practices. Environmental impacts should also be weighed against potential human health benefits of maintaining omega-3 fatty acids and avoiding contaminants in fish flesh when considering alternatives to fish oil.

Penurunan Residu Pestisida Tebukonazol dan Trifloksistrobin pada Umbi Bawang Merah dengan Budidaya Organik Berbasis Biopestisida di Desa Bulugunung Kecamatan Plaosan Kabupaten Magetan

[REDUCTION OF PESTICIDE RESIDUES Tebukunazol AND Trifloksistrobin ON ORGANIC BULB SHALLOT CROPS WITH BIOPESTICIDE BASED IN BULUGUNUNG VILLAGE, PLAOSAN, MAGETAN REGENCY]. Shallot plants are agricultural commodities that have a high and economic value. The continuous use of pesticides to increase Shallot production will harm the environment. The active pesticides of Tebukonazol and Triflooxystrobin are one of the fungicides to overcome moler disease. Maximum Residue Limit (BMR) on shallot bulbs for active substance Tebukonazol of 0.1 mg/kg while for active substances Trifloksistrobin of 0.01 mg/kg. To reduce the pesticide residues, efforts are needed through the application of biopesticides. This research was conducted in March-May 2021 in Bulugunung Village of Plaosan District of Magetan Regency. Analysis of pesticide residues Tebukonazol and Trifloksistrobin was carried out at the Laboratory of The Industrial Research and Consulting Center (BPKI) Surabaya. The research was one factor, conducted in a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of 4 treatments with 6 replications, namely: Treatment (A): Conventional cultivation, Treatment (B): Fobio (seeds and plants), Phonska Fertilizer, P-Phosfat, SP-36, KCl, and ZA, Treatment (C): Manure to the soil and Soil sterilization with Fobio, as well as pesticide application, Treatment (D): Giving soil manure and soil sterilization with Fobio, and the application of Fobio (seeds and plants). Data analysis was conducted in analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by the the Honesty Significant Difference (HSD) at a level of 5% if the F test shows a significant effect. The results showed that the treatments (B) and (D) of Fobio applications in seeds and plants have the lowest pesticide residue values of Tebukonazol and Trifloksystrobin compared to treatments (A) and (C) that use chemical pesticides.

Hybrid Lean Practices Integrated with IR 4.0 and Sustainability in Malaysia Food and Beverages Companies: Conceptual Framework and Hypothesis Development

The growing competition within manufacturing practices has motivated organizations to upgrade their conventional production system to a smart, sophisticated systems. This study evaluates the impact of lean manufacturing practices (LMP) and industrial revolution 4.0 technologies on sustainability in the food and beverages industry. Past literature has revealed that lean practices significantly affect sustainable performance. However, the integrated effects of lean manufacturing practices and IR 4.0 technologies on sustainable performance have not been examined empirically. In order to fill the void of this gap, this study intends to have a preliminary investigation of the combined effects of LMP and IR 4.0 technologies on sustainable performance, specifically in the food and beverages industry. Furthermore, the study aims to confirm the future direction of the food industry that is recently employing new technologies in its manufacturing systems. This study is underpinned by the theories of contingency and practice-based view by highlighting the contributions of operations management practices to implement successful strategies in enhancing sustainability performance in food and beverages companies through performance variations. This study extends the current literature on IR 4.0 technologies and lean manufacturing practices as enablers of economic, environmental, and social sustainability. Also, the study provides implications and future direction for industry consultants, practitioners, and academicians.

Climate stress impacts on livestock health: Implications for farming livelihoods and animal disease in Karnataka, India

AbstractUnderstanding the impact of climate change on livestock health is critical to safeguarding global food supplies, economies, and farming livelihoods. We evidence, through exploration of secondary data informed by a rapid ethnographic assessment of farming livelihoods in Karnataka, India, that both precipitation and vapour pressure are key climate variables relating to outbreaks of haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS), anthrax (AX), and black quarter (BQ) across the Indian state of Karnataka. We then developed a risk classification tool that assesses how disease risk varies in Karnataka at present and in possible future scenarios. Temperature and maximum temperature are negatively correlated with HS, AX, and BQ, indicating that regions experiencing a cool (but still hot) climate with increasingly wetter, more humid conditions are at high risk of future outbreaks. Principal component analyses revealed the southwest India monsoon and winter periods to be the most strongly correlated with HS, AX, and BQ outbreaks. Vapour pressure, a proxy for humidity, has a positive relationship with these specific livestock diseases. Certain environmental conditions increase the incidence of some bacterial diseases and conditions that mimic their symptoms, and thus also risk driving up the use of antibiotics and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in regions under stress. This methodology can be replicated to investigate other diseases and regions, as long as the climate and epidemiological data cover similar time periods. This evidence highlights the need for greater synergies between climate change and One Health research and policy.One Health Impact StatementWe have taken a transdisciplinary approach, which expands out of One Health to include climate science and participatory research with farmers and livestock industry consultants, to investigate the relationship between factors related to climate (surface temperatures, rainfall, humidity) and outbreaks of livestock-related bacterial diseases. This is especially relevant to the One Health approach as it attempts to integrate findings between not only the science of disease but also the science of climate change as a driver of disease, and address problems that could arise within the public and private sectors (local farming, livestock health, government policy etc.). Providing spatial context to climate-associated disease risk across the Indian state of Karnataka will benefit: local farmers who may already be practising, or are transitioning to, more intensive livestock farming; policymakers; and private sector companies who are planning for future investments. Such expansion needs to be undertaken with full awareness of potentially heightened disease risk. Our transdisciplinary approach is borne from the observations of famers’ lived experiences of challenges to their livelihoods and facilitates the use of climate datasets that may not have been primarily collected for, or used by, disease-related studies to map long-term epidemiological risk. This demonstrates the pragmatic impact that such transdisciplinary projects can have, by providing interpretations of observed risks to animal health (highlighted by social scientists during engagement with practitioner communities) that Earth Scientists were then able to quantify, proving links that would otherwise not have been evidenced. The use of disease data sourced from local institutions, including the Government of India and research laboratories, can inform plans for the application of pragmatic solutions to local challenges by local farmers who are primarily impacted by the challenges highlighted in the research.

Single-site employment (multiple jobholding) in residential aged care: A response to COVID-19 with wider workforce lessons.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to capture stakeholder views and issues arising from the implementation of the innovative single‐site employment guiding principles (SSE‐GP) that the Australian Government, in consultation with the sector, introduced into hot spot residential aged care facilities (RACFs) in July 2020 in response to COVID‐19.MethodsInterviews with 74 stakeholders around Australia were conducted in October–November 2020. Provider interviews included employees and managerial and human resources staff in profit and non‐profit services who did, and did not, have COVID‐19 outbreaks. Sector interviews included representatives from peak bodies, unions, government, academics, advocates, labour hire and registered training organisations.ResultsThere was broad but not total agreement on SSE‐GP's effectiveness. Beyond specific SSE‐GP feedback, six strategic workforce issues were identified. The quality of resident care was mixed, sometimes improved and sometimes diminished. The extent of employees' multiple jobholding surprised many providers, and rostering and unplanned absenteeism are a substantial strain for both providers and employees. Innovative work practices are often difficult for smaller providers lacking employment relations specialists. Future SSE‐GP is seen by larger providers as voluntary and organisation‐ rather than facility‐specific, and unions saw only mandated SSE‐GP as appropriate for future outbreaks. Last, all staff, management and executives had additional stress that placed their well‐being at risk.ConclusionsAlthough SSE‐GP revealed new and existing weaknesses in the Australian RACF workforce, the broad industry consultation and collaboration demonstrated that the sector can meet COVID‐19's urgent and complex challenges. The experience provided lessons for further workforce challenges that remain to be addressed.

Comparative life cycle assessment of natural gas and coal-based directly reduced iron (DRI) production: A case study for India

The energy-intensive steel industry is responsible for >7% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, of which the process of ironmaking contributes a large majority. Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) manufacturing, a growing technology in ironmaking, offers the potential to reduce emissions. India, as the largest manufacturer of DRI, is characterized by technological diversity, while simultaneously dominated by coal-based DRI processes. This study develops a comprehensive cradle-to-gate (raw material to iron product) life cycle assessment of three distinct technological pathways for producing DRI: direct coal reduction in a rotary kiln (rotary kiln DRI process), coal gasifier and shaft furnace (coal gasifier DRI process), and reformed natural gas and shaft furnace (NG reformer DRI process). A hybrid life cycle inventory approach is employed, involving process modeling, literature data, and industry consultation to establish baseline process metrics, followed by a sensitivity analysis to address the impact of variabilities and uncertainties. Depending on the supply chain and process assumptions, emissions attribution approach to multi-product systems, and the specific choice of inputs and outputs, the life cycle GHG emissions associated with DRI production range from 1391.1 to 1880.0 kgCO2e/t-DRI for the rotary kiln DRI process, 1565.5 to 1969.1 kgCO2e/t-DRI for the coal gasifier DRI process, and 815.3 to 1160.1 kgCO2e/t-DRI for the NG reformer DRI process. While the research considers India as a case study, the methodology and results can be directionally and broadly applicable to other geographies and process conditions.

Policy Formulation and Advocacy towards Sustainability of Aviation Industry in Kenya: A Literature Based Review

Sustainability of the aviation sector takes a multidimensional approach including economic sustainability, environmental sustainability and social sustainability. Thus, the sustainability of the aviation industry sector presents a challenging task in enhancing the three aspects of aviation industry sustainability. The three aspects in most instances conflict for instance as economic aspect of sustainability is enhanced, the environmental aspect of sustainability deteriorates. Formulation of aviation industrial policies requires multi-agency involvement. The aviation industry sector has many other bodies and agencies that must be considered for industrial advice, engagement and consultation. A particular aviation industrial policy formulated may conflict with policy guidelines from other partners and agencies. The purpose of this study was to undertake an empirical review on policy formulation and advocacy towards sustainability of aviation industry in Kenya. Literature based review was adopted in this paper. The planning theory, Functional Process Model and Dynamic Capabilities Theory anchored this paper. From the literature review, it was identified that sustainability of the aviation industry takes a multidimensional approach that include economic sustainability, environmental sustainability and social sustainability. The unique phenomenon presents a unique challenge in promoting satisfactory sustainability in the aviation industry. As such, the study recommends for prudent aviation policies, carefully and collaboratively formulated to balance the three aspects of sustainability in the aviation industry. The policies include environmental sustainability policies that ensure that airline operators use less pollutant fuels, economic sustainability policies including polices on excellent service delivery to customers, affordable airline maintenance practices and fair competition strategies among the participants in the industry. Social responsibilities policies to be adopted include clauses that promote active participation of the airline operators in building social services/amenities and protecting employees from abuse by the employer (s). Key words: Policy formulation, sustainability, aviation industry, Kenya