Large Engineering Company Research Articles

FOCUS: Learning Ethical Business through Role Play

Once a company has identified its core values role play can help its leaders explore their meaning in practice. The author is now working as a freelance adviser on organisation development having worked in this area in a large engineering company. He has a general interest in the industry/church interface.

Validating an Expert Support System for Tender Enquiry Evaluation: A Case Study

An expert system was developed as a support tool for a large electro-mechanical engineering company. The system was developed to assist in tender enquiry evaluation and the bid versus no bid decision. It was developed using repertory grid techniques based on the expertise of two senior managers. The importance of the system's validation is stressed and an appropriate formal validation framework developed. The results from the validation study suggest that the system provides an appropriate model of the organization's consensual business perspective regarding the bid versus no bid decision. Furthermore, the study drew attention to some dissenting views amongst the organization's senior management which the management believed to be helpful in clarifying their understanding of the issues affecting the bid versus no bid decision.

Validating an Expert Support System for Tender Enquiry Evaluation: A Case Study

An expert system was developed as a support tool for a large electro-mechanical engineering company. The system was developed to assist in tender enquiry evaluation and the bid versus no bid decision. It was developed using repertory grid techniques based on the expertise of two senior managers. The importance of the system's validation is stressed and an appropriate formal validation framework developed. The results from the validation study suggest that the system provides an appropriate model of the organization's consensual business perspective regarding the bid versus no bid decision. Furthermore, the study drew attention to some dissenting views amongst the organization's senior management which the management believed to be helpful in clarifying their understanding of the issues affecting the bid versus no bid decision.

Hypergame analysis of the stability of relationships between computerbased logistics systems

Current inventory management literature stresses the importance of cooperation between organisations in achieving and maintaining efficient supply relationships. This is in contrast to the conflict which has underpinned orthodox competitive supply. Management writers, notably Carlisle and Parker (1989), argue that companies should move towards a reduced supplier base, longer-term contracts and cooperation on operational issues. Their justification for this assertion is based on descriptions of successful cooperative supply relationships. This paper describes research being undertaken to use hypergame theory to analyse supply relationships and modify the control systems in use to make efficient cooperative supply stable and self-policing. The paper will discuss these issues and describe their application with reference to a study of the supply relationship between a large engineering company and their vendor of forgings.

Forming the material supply structure through the choice of the production cooperation range

The problem of determining the cooperation range is connected with a number of decisions of economic and organizational character. Pertinent analyses and decisions include the organizational aspects of procurement, storage, payment, as well as economic considerations relating to the determination of the cooperation range. The present paper discusses the determination of the optimal product structure in large mechanical engineering companies with special reference to capacity restrictions. The construction of a method to facilitate this determination is based on an input-output production model. The selection criterion used is the sum of manufacturing costs, including the opportunity costs of working capital.

Managing the Introduction of Expert Systems

Considers the importance of knowledge management for competitive advantage and the contribution which expert systems may make to the process. Explains the structure and role of expert systems, and outlines the advantages they may offer. Explores different methods of introducing them into an organization and subsequently developing their potential, comparing the traditional life‐cycle approach with that of evolutionary methods including prototyping. Concludes with a description of the early stages of introducing an expert system into a large engineering company, based on an action research approach.

Reorganization of the work system for successful information systems implementation: A case study

This paper presents a case study of two attempts to implement a computer based materials management system in a large engineering company. It presents the details of the failure of the first attempt, and an analysis of the problems encountered in the first attempt. The details of the corrective action undertaken, and the successful second attempt are also presented. The analysis of the two implementation attempts suggests the important role of personnel with functional expertise and cross-functional business perspective on design teams. This should facilitate the integrated work-information system design stressed in this paper. The case study illustrates the nature of interrelationships between the work system and the information system and the dependence of the information system on the work system for successful operation. Thus, in some instances the need for reorganization of the work system for successful implementation is highlighted. The analysis also identifies the role of top management in creating the necessary organizational structures for involving users and assigning the responsibility for the success of the implementation to them. The paper also makes recommendations for the development of systems designers through appropriate recruitment, training, and job rotation programs. The paper concludes with a recommendation that systems designers should focus on the integrated work-information system design, rather than limiting the boundary of the systems design to the information processing system and information technology related tasks.

Summary of the session

This paper describes methods and tools developed and in use, in a large engineering company when process design forms part of a concurrent plant design project. One of the most important aspects is how to handle the information flow between different disciplines. The methods and tools to solve the information-sharing problems are using new ICT technologies such as the Extensible Markup Language (XML) and the Web. Also the measuring of concurrent plant design and engineering performance as for the information existence, accuracy, completeness and timing is discussed. As a case example of how the process design can be integrated with other disciplines by using new ICT technology, Jaakko Pöyry Oy's MODE concept is described.

Fracture mechanics at work in a steelmaking and engineering environment

An overview of fracture mechanics within the Research Division of a large international steel and engineering company is given. Fracture mechanics principles have been utilized to assess materials performance, structural integrity and component design. Examples are given of the applicability of these principles to steel making support activities and product usage in order to demonstrate the range and value of applications for fracture mechanics.

Practical areas for improvement as seen from a large engineering company, with a view to intensify research and development in the required industrial engineering fields

Although the Universities have contributed through R + D very much in the production area, there is still a large gap between theory and practice. This paper points out some of the major areas for development and suggests how Universities can support the Industry.

The Accountant—Overhead Burden or Service?

Both engineers and accountants working in industry are experts in measurement. The engineer expresses his quantitative data in physical units; the accountant evaluates quantitative measurements into financial terms. Planning the future and controlling the present are two principal functions of management. Accounting provides the common language of communication between the different levels of management planning and controlling all activities of the business. Cash flow, accounting for inflation, investment timing are important areas for the exercise of accountants' specialized training and outlook. The lecturer then outlines an actual comprehensive accounting information system operating in a large and successful engineering company. This illustrates his conclusion that while the engineer is the customer of the accountant providing information, they are partners in optimizing its use in running a business.

The Accountant—Overhead Burden or Service?

Both engineers and accountants working in industry are experts in measurement. The engineer expresses his quantitative data in physical units; the accountant evaluates quantitative measurements into financial terms. Planning the future and controlling the present are two principal functions of management. Accounting provides the common language of communication between the different levels of management planning and controlling all activities of the business. Cash flow, accounting for inflation, investment timing are important areas for the exercise of accountants' specialized training and outlook. The lecturer then outlines an actual comprehensive accounting information system operating in a large and successful engineering company. This illustrates his conclusion that while the engineer is the customer of the accountant providing information, they are partners in optimizing its use in running a business.

The MANAGEMENT ATTITUDE TO INFORMATION

For convenience I will limit myself to one class of enterprise, the large engineering company. By management I mean those senior employees who form and execute policy, control finance and decide the nature of the product and how it shall be sold, in short, those whose daily operations are distinguished by a degree of remoteness from the practical and mundane affairs of the great majority of the rest of the employees. By information I mean what is communicated between these senior employees.