Key Functional Areas Research Articles

A unified framework of manufacturing systems design

Aims to set systems thinking into the context of manufacturing systems management (MSM), which is defined as a functional domain that involves the necessary activities such as design, implementation, operations and monitoring, needed to regulate and optimise a manufacturing system as it progresses through its life cycle. Based on a number of key principles of systems theory, results from an extensive analysis of the relevant methodologies and techniques, and data gathered through industrial practice, a conceptual MSM framework is proposed. This framework specifies the key functional areas of MSM, outlines the contents and relationships within them, and then logically integrates these into a closed loop to provide the basis for the development of a set of consistent parameters and procedures. Its aim is to help achieve understanding of the problem domain, and to provide guidance for the development of effective mechanisms and tools for future MSM activities. A number of cases to illustrate its industrial application are also presented.

Strategy analysis and system design within an overall framework of manufacturing system management

Manufacturing Systems Management (MSM) can be defined as a functional domain that involves all of the activities (such as design, implementation, operations and monitoring) needed to regulate and optimize a manufacturing system as it progresses through its life cycle. A previously proposed framework has specified the key functional areas of MSM, outlining the contents and relationships within them, and then logically integrating these into a closed-loop to provide the basis for the development of a set of consistent parameters and procedures. One importance element of this framework is a Manufacturing Strategy Analysis (MSA) to Manufacturing System Design (MSD) interface, which helps to associate manufacturing strategic concerns with the subsequent system design requirements. This paper specifies the structure of a MSA/MSD interfacing model within the context of the MSM framework. Providing a step-by-step guide through the complete MSA/MSD cycle, the model is based on the results from extensive analysis of the relevant methodologies and techniques available in the literature, and data gathered through industrial practice. Following a description of the functionality, processes and tools along its MSA/MSD cycle, various new features of this model will be discussed and a number of case studies will be presented to illustrate its practical application.

Examining America’s logistics programs via the internet

This study uses the Internet and a two phase methodology to help gain insight into the current state of America’s logistics programs. Phase I examines logistics program structure while phase II employs a modified, electronic version of the Delphi technique to help examine global logistics education practices. The results of the research indicate that, while key differences exist in America’s logistics programs, academicians of the discipline largely agree on the relative importance of key functional areas of the discipline. However, a potential gap may exist between the skills addressed in logistics and business education programs and the skills required for successful global logistics practice.

Influence in the organizational buying center and logistics automation technology adoption

Explores the structure of the buying center for logistics automation technologies. Examines the relationships between the degree of participation of key functional areas, the extent of coalescence on buying decision criteria, and the hazard rate of adoption. Analyses an event history, and suggests that adoption rates are influenced by the degree of participation of key users and extent of consensus on only two of six buying decision criteria. Discusses guidelines for enhancing logistics technology adoption.

Best Practices in the U.S. Lodging Industry

A wide-ranging, Cornell-based research study sought to uncover the U.S. lodging industry's best practices, both in specific functions (such as marketing and property management) and in overall business strategy, from the perspectives of both managers and customers. For the managers' perspective, after inviting nominations and scanning media reports, the team examined 3,528 nominations. Using a screening analysis the team selected 115 best-practice champions in eight functional areas, and 29 overall champions divided according to industry segment (e.g., economy, midscale without F&B, upscale) and key competency (e.g., employee satisfaction). Following detailed interviews, the team wrote case studies for both the functional champions and the overall champions. The customers' perspective on functional and overall best practices was assessed in phone interviews conducted with a national sample of end-users and intermediaries. Customers assessed the value created by the best industry performance on key functional areas and, for overall champions, they specified what created value at the time of purchase and during the experience. Examples of those cases and a summary of the customer research are published in this article and will be detailed in subsequent articles in the series.

Dependency of the Chinese elderly: an exploration.

The paper explores the Chinese elderly’s dependency, or need for assistance, in four key functional areas: physical, mental, social and economic, based on data from the 1992 National Survey on the Old-age Support System (NSOSS). The approximate indicators, selected on data availability, show that the dependency rates of the elderly differed markedly by functional area. Only a very small proportion of the elderly were physically dependent or partly dependent. In contrast, economic dependency was a common phenomenon. The dependency rates varied by age, sex and urban-rural residence. Older people, females and rural residents were more likely to have a higher need for assistance. These findings have major policy implications in old age support and aged care programs.

Large-scale PACS implementation.

The transition to filmless radiology is a much more formidable task than making the request for proposal to purchase a (Picture Archiving and Communications System) PACS. The Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration have been pioneers in the transformation of medical diagnostic imaging to the electronic environment. Many civilian sites are expected to implement large-scale PACS in the next five to ten years. This presentation will related the empirical insights gleaned at our institution from a large-scale PACS implementation. Our PACS integration was introduced into a fully operational department (not a new hospital) in which work flow had to continue with minimal impact. Impediments to user acceptance will be addressed. The critical components of this enormous task will be discussed. The topics covered during this session will include issues such as phased implementation, DICOM (digital imaging and communications in medicine) standard-based interaction of devices, hospital information system (HIS)/radiology information system (RIS) interface, user approval, networking, workstation deployment and backup procedures. The presentation will make specific suggestions regarding the implementation team, operating instructions, quality control (QC), training and education. The concept of identifying key functional areas is relevant to transitioning the facility to be entirely on line. Special attention must be paid to specific functional areas such as the operating rooms and trauma rooms where the clinical requirements may not match the PACS capabilities. The printing of films may be necessary for certain circumstances. The integration of teleradiology and remote clinics into a PACS is a salient topic with respect to the overall role of the radiologists providing rapid consultation. A Web-based server allows a clinician to review images and reports on a desk-top (personal) computer and thus reduce the number of dedicated PACS review workstations. This session will focus on effective strategies for a seamless transition. Critical issues involve maintaining a good working relationship with the vendor, cultivating personnel readiness and instituting well-defined support systems. Success depends on the ability to integrate the institutional directives, user expectations and available technologies. A team approach is mandatory for success.

Speculations on barriers to the transference of Japanese management accounting

The Japanisation of British industry has been much debated. This paper speculates on the role of the UK management accountant as a barrier to the adoption of Japanese management accounting techniques, highlighting professional and cultural differences which could make UK management accountants reluctant converts to Japanisation. Such a reluctance in a key functional area might, in turn, hinder the importation of closely related Japanese production techniques, adversely affecting the competitiveness of UK manufacturing.

An investigation of the factors leading to the development of marketing capabilities and organizational effectiveness

To achieve a competitive advantage, businesses are often advised to develop capabilities in key functional areas. This study investigates the factors that influence marketing capabilities development and what effect these capabilities have on organizational effectiveness. In this study of the largest strategic business units (SBUs) of Fortune 500 companies, business strategy, organizational structure and market information processing capabilities were found to influence marketing capabilities development. Of equal importance, the SBUs with the highest degree of marketing capabilities development outperformed SBUs with less-developed marketing capabilities.

Dorsal wedge osteotomy in the treatment of hallux rigidus

The results of 18 dorsal wedge osteotomies in the treatment of hallux rigidus are presented. Patients were retrospectively interviewed and examined, and an assessment was made in a number of key functional areas. Good or excellent results were obtained in 14 or 18 cases at a mean follow-up time of 4 years with only one patient requiring further surgery. Pain (p = 0.00014), activity levels (p = 0.0019), footwear difficulties (p = 0.0016), and joint range of motion (p = 0.0001) were all significantly improved; tiptoeing was the only activity assessed (p = 0.23) for which the improvement was not significant. These results compare well with other published series. We recommend dorsal wedge osteotomy as a useful alternative in the treatment of hallux rigidus.

A hierarchical adaptive distributed system-level diagnosis algorithm

Consider a system composed of N nodes that can be faulty or fault-free. The purpose of distributed system-level diagnosis is to have each fault-free node determine the state of all nodes of the system. This paper presents a Hierarchical Adaptive Distributed System-level Diagnosis (Hi-ADSD) algorithm, which is a fully distributed algorithm that allows every fault-free node to achieve diagnosis in, at most, (log/sub 2/ N)/sup 2/ testing rounds. Nodes are mapped into progressively larger logical clusters, so that tests are run in a hierarchical fashion. Each node executes its tests independently of the other nodes, i.e., tests are run asynchronously. All the information that nodes exchange is diagnostic information. The algorithm assumes no link faults, a fully-connected network and imposes no bounds on the number of faults. Both the worst-case diagnosis latency and correctness of the algorithm are formally proved. As an example application, the algorithm was implemented on a 37-node Ethernet LAN, integrated to a network management system based on SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). Experimental results of fault and repair diagnosis are presented. This implementation by itself is also a significant contribution, for, although fault management is a key functional area of network management systems, currently deployed applications often implement only rudimentary diagnosis mechanisms. Furthermore, experimental results are given through simulation of the algorithm for large systems of 64 nodes and 512 nodes.

A learning vector quantization neural network model for the classification of industrial construction projects

In several key functional areas of contemporary engineering and management science, neural networks have steadily been gaining recognition as robust and reliable tools for classification problems. This paper describes a new application of the learning vector quantization neural network: the classification of the degree of modularization appropriate for the construction of an industrial facility. This neural network uses variables related to plant location, labor issues, organizational issues, plant characteristics, project risks, and environmental issues as inputs to perform the classification. The neural network training and performance evaluation is also discussed.

Technology Development: A European Experience

Since January 1993, the Estaleiros Navais de Viana do Castelo (ENVC) Shipyard in Portugal has been engaged in a program of productivity improvement In many other shipyards, the traditional approach has been to select wide-ranging technology projects and to employ large teams of advisors and counterpart managers. The approach here has been to involve key functional areas with wide involvement of yard personnel in driving the program forward. The consultancy team has been small and has acted as a catalyst and advisor on the management of change and the specification and implementation of new technology. The central theme has been the establishment of workstation operations. The emphasis of the project has been in developing a structured approach to productivity improvement through the implementation of "best practice." The objective has not been to implement perceived latest technology, but to adapt the approach to suit local conditions and culture. To date the results have been dramatic and far-reaching. The yard is now adopting a radically new approach to planning and production engineering, to the preparation of production information, and to the organization of work on the shop floor.

The developing role of the Educational Facilitator

The National Health Service has undergone significant reforms in recent years. A consequence of these reforms has been to recast the relationship between service providers (Trusts) and educational providers (University Departments). This relationship is increasingly formalized through contractual processes and the ability of University Departments to respond promptly to identified needs within Trusts may become inhibited. As a Trust employee the Educational Facilitator can provide practice-led educational initiatives utilizing the resources found within the clinical environment. Such initiatives would be in accord with Trust objectives and be put into operation with ease. The current role of the educational facilitator is explored with key role components and functional areas identified. The paper concludes with a consideration of the role in the development of professional knowledge and strategies for knowledge development.

The Aspartic Proteinase of Equine Infectious Anaemia Virus

beginning of the pol gene. An extensive amount of knowledge is now available on the proteinases (PR) of HIV1 and HIV-2; however still very little is known about the analagous enzymes of other retroviruses such as EIAV. The sequence of EIAV PR is approximately 30% similar to that of HIV1 PR and shares strong homology around the residues surrounding the catalytic aspartic acid and in other key functional areas such as the flap region. This h g h level of conservation is shown in an alignment of the proteinases of EIAV and HIV1. As such, the virus encodes an aspartic proteinase at the

Security management for OSI networks

Security management is one of the key functional areas in open systems network management. Two key aspects of security management are managing user security services and providing security to network management systems. These are examined in turn to give the reader an overview of the state-of-the-art in security management. The ISO OSI Reference Model is used as a basis to present the security threats, security services and mechanisms which have to be managed. Telecommunications management networks are used as an example of management applications which both provide management and require the provision of security and security management services. The OSI approach to network management is examined in detail. This is followed by a survey of the categories of OSI security management activities, and a discussion of the security management needs of various common security services. The need for security for network management systems is examined.

ODP viewpoints of IBCN service management

Service management is one of the key functional areas in the future telecommunications management network (TMN) for the integrated broadband communication network (IBCN). We describe the objectives and functions of service management. An experimental service management system has been designed by NEMESYS, a project within the European RACE programme. This service management will be implemented as part of an experimental study of TMN requirements and techniques in a simulated ATM environment. The design of the experimental Service Manager is discussed using the novel viewpoint approach that has emerged from ISO's Open Distributed Processing (ODP) standardization activities. We briefly review the ODP viewpoint concepts. The design aspects of the Service Manager are analysed with respect to the different viewpoints. We also evaluate the usefulness of the ODP viewpoints for the analysis and design of a rather complex distributed system.

Artificial intelligence in flexible manufacturing systems

Abstract Recently, extensive efforts have been focused on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to problems associated with the design and control of flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs). This paper surveys the key functional areas associated with FMS and discusses the application of AI techniques to their operation. The advantages of adopting knowledge-based approaches to the design and operational control of FMS are also discussed.

EDP auditing in the 1980's or the vanishing paper trail

This paper is designed to provide an overview of (1) traditional auditing methodology and (2) the reasons why these methods must be modified and adapted in order to cope with the "vanishing paper trail" inherent in today's (and tomorrow's) increasingly on-line, data base-oriented, distributed processing, EDP environment. The three basic types off audits (general, administrative, and applications) will be discussed. Examples of flagrant, and not-so-flagrant, computer crimes will be presented. Practical and proposed solutions for the reduction of these types of DP crimes in the 1980's will be examined. The major thrust of the paper, however, will address the importance of the applications-oriented audit. The paper will discuss the concept of Computer Management Technology (CMT), and show that this is in reality a type of on-going auditing task. Alternatives will be examined for measuring, managing and controlling key functional areas that have a definite interactive effect on the availability of resources and the performance of system components (or both) in a data processing installation.

Public Relations in Practice

This work looks at the key function areas of public relations from the practitioner's point of view. Contributions come from authors from organizations such as BP Oil, Help the Aged, British Aerospace and other specialist consultants working with the city, government and marketing communications. Experts in their field give an introduction to a range of activities, including: government/local government relations; community relations; public relations for non-commercial organizations; business to business public relations; internal communications; and marketing communications. Illustrated with case studies and examples of good practice, this book provides an insight into the major public relations disciplines.