Supply Organizations Research Articles

The reliability and efficiency of power companies

One of the key indicators of heat supply organizations is the reliability of energy facilities. The index of reliability of heat supply organization is of interest to potential investors, to assess the risks of investing projects. We propose a method of determining the reliability of heat supply organizations with the use of SAW (simple additive weighting method). We are developing a versatile program and the analysis of heat supply organizations on the example of the Republic of Tatarstan. This criterion is of significant interest for potential investors to assess the risks of investing projects. All values for the calculation of the reliability of heat supply organization founded and are publicly available. The method of determining the reliability of heat supply organizations with the use of SAW. Developed a versatile program allows you to analyze the performance reliability of any heat supply organizations.

Application of SAW method for multiple-criteria comparative analysis of the reliability of heat supply organizations

Heat supply is the most energy-consuming sector of the economy. Approximately 30% of all used primary fuel-and-energy resources is spent on municipal heat-supply needs. One of the key indicators of activity of heat-supply organizations is the reliability of an energy facility. The reliability index of a heat supply organization is of interest to potential investors for assessing risks when investing in projects. The reliability indices established by the federal legislation are actually reduced to a single numerical factor, which depends on the number of heat-supply outages in connection with disturbances in operation of heat networks and the volume of their resource recovery in the calculation year. This factor is rather subjective and may change in a wide range during several years. A technique is proposed for evaluating the reliability of heat-supply organizations with the use of the simple additive weighting (SAW) method. The technique for integrated-index determination satisfies the following conditions: the reliability level of the evaluated heat-supply system is represented maximum fully and objectively; the information used for the reliability-index evaluation is easily available (is located on the Internet in accordance with demands of data-disclosure standards). For reliability estimation of heat-supply organizations, the following indicators were selected: the wear of equipment of thermal energy sources, the wear of heat networks, the number of outages of supply of thermal energy (heat carrier due to technological disturbances on heat networks per 1 km of heat networks), the number of outages of supply of thermal energy (heat carrier due to technologic disturbances on thermal energy sources per 1 Gcal/h of installed power), the share of expenditures in the cost of thermal energy aimed at recovery of the resource (renewal of fixed assets), coefficient of renewal of fixed assets, and a coefficient of fixed asset retirement. A versatile program is developed and the analysis of heat-supply organizations is performed by the example of the Republic of Tatarstan. The assessment system is based on construction of comparative ratings of heat-supply organizations. A rating is the assessment of reliability of the organization, is characterized by a numerical value, and makes it possible to compare organizations engaged in the same kind of activity between each other.

The politics of water conservation: identifying and overcoming barriers to successful policies

Policies that increase the reliance of a water-supply organization (WSO) on water conservation have economic and environmental benefits, but some cities and WSOs have been reluctant to pursue such policies to their full extent. Previous research has identified barriers such as WSOs’ concerns with revenue loss and consumers’ concerns with changes in lifestyle. Based on interviews in four US cities with representatives of local business, government, water supply, environmental and other organizations, our research shows how the reluctance to pursue water conservation policies (WCPs) to their fullest extent is also related to more general political factors. We bring together growth coalition theory and sociotechnical transition theory to show how opposition varies by type of water conservation policy, including the distinction between mandates and flexible policies and between end-use policies and infrastructure policies. This approach shows how the transition to higher levels of water conservation is a political process, and we argue that understanding both the political process and the political meanings of different WCPs provides insights into strategies and their potential efficacy.

How internal integration, information sharing, and training affect supply chain risk management capabilities

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine if internal integration, information sharing, and training constitute direct antecedents to organizations’ warning and recovery capabilities. Assuming that organizations periodically face various supply chain risks, the authors intend to show that managers can develop these antecedent competencies in ways that bolster their supply chain risk management (SCRM) capabilities.Design/methodology/approachTo understand the relationships between the antecedents and SCRM capabilities, the authors used Q-sorts and confirmatory factor analysis to develop new warning and recovery measures. The authors then collected survey data from 231 hospital supply managers and analyzed these records using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results indicate that internal integration and training positively affect organizations’ warning and recovery capabilities, in both a direct and indirect manner. The authors also illustrate how managers can leverage their SCRM capabilities to affect operational performance.Research limitations/implicationsThese results suggest that by developing antecedent competencies like internal integration and training, firms may bolster their warning and recovery capabilities, and ultimately operational performance of the organization.Originality/valueThe findings provide hospital supply organizations and other inventory management teams with a novel approach to managing an evolving array of supply chain risks. Rather than investing in costly risk management techniques, like inventory stocks, organizations can use internal integration and training to improve their SCRM capabilities.

The Influence of Psychological Distance and Personal Relationship of Channel Members on Conflict, Satisfaction and Performance

This study aims to find out the influence of psychological distance and personal relationship of channel members on conflict, satisfaction and performance. And we also study the connection between psychological distance and personal relationship and the influence of personal relationship on organizational trust. Besides, we discuss the substitution effect of personal relationship to organizational relationship, in the specific business environment of China, especially in the cooperation between small distributors and large suppliers. The trust on the salesmen of suppliers from the dealers may have more influence on their decision and behaviors than the trust on the supply organization. So the influence of organizational trust may not be very significant in our study. Our data are from 200 gas stations of Sinopec. And we design panel data regressions of several dimensions for every research variable, to study it objectively and comprehensively. Based on the results of regressions, this study try to explain the effect of psychological distance and personal relationship on the factors of channel, and put forward some advice to company operation. The conclusion of our study may be different from many traditional theories, because we find that the organizational trust doesn’t affect conflict, satisfaction and performance significantly.

A processual analysis of the purchasing and supply organization in transition: the impact of offshoring

Many companies have resorted to offshoring in order to reduce costs and grow their global market presence. Yet it remains unclear what impact the offshoring strategy has on the purchasing and supply organization (PSO) of these companies. In this paper the nature and type of changes offshoring organizations make within the PSO are examined, i.e. how new purchasing and supply management (PSM) structures and practices emerge, are maintained or are discarded as production operations are relocated. The processual perspective is used to analyze empirical data from a rich, in-depth case study within a global engineering company. Results suggest that in line with the law of requisite variety the PSO changes thoroughly when the company relocates its production activities through the captive offshoring mode, but does so in a more disjointed and non-linear manner than the current stage models would suggest. The offshoring process provides momentum for PSO change and influences where and how the change happens. We present five propositions for further research and conclude that offshoring provides managers with opportunities to: (i) change and influence the strategic direction of PSM in their organizations, and (ii) build viable strategies of retaining and managing knowledge and PSM competencies in global operations.

An empirical investigation of the antecedents of value co-creation in B2B IT services outsourcing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conduct empirical investigation of value co-creation phenomena in IT services outsourcing. This survey based research enabled to identify antecedents of value co-creation and their impact on value outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – This empirical study identifies 25 drivers of value co-creation in IT outsourcing services. These drivers were identified from reported literature and by studying IT project reports. The data were collected from client and supplier organizations followed by verification of the drivers (using PCA and CFA methodologies) that contribute significantly to value co-creation in the IT services outsourcing domain. Furthermore, using SEM and linear regression, the authors have verified the strength of their relationships with value co-creation. Findings – This research is subjected to exploratory factor analysis, which resulted in six antecedents of value co-creation in IT services outsourcing. These antecedents include alliance relationship, strategic intent, service actualization, intrapreneurship, collective capabilities, and resource management. The alliance relationship, strategic intent, service actualization, and intrapreneurship are found to be significant for value co-creation. While collective capabilities as a standalone was not significant, the relationship of collective capabilities to value co-creation has achieved significance under the influence of alliance relationship, strategic intent, and other antecedents – when tested and hypothesized through the SEM path model. Research limitations/implications – The research has the following limitations. The antecedents identified are contextual. The potential illustrative, but not exhaustive reasons, for the change of the context may be due to contract duration, age of the project, relationship maturity, expected value outcome from both the parties, etc. The drivers identified in this research are applicable only to IT services (IT and ITES outsourcing). They cannot be generalized to other B2B outsourcing relationship. The authors propose the conducting of separate research to identify the priorities of these antecedents for different types of outsourcing as well different types of value outcomes. Practical implications – This study has added to the knowledge on value co-creation in IT services outsourcing relationships through empirical modeling. From the perspective practitioners of IT industry, this work brings rich information of what are the drivers to value co-creation and their significance on value outcomes in IT services outsourcing. It can provide guidelines to both clients and service providers of similar industry to assess their current practices for value co-creation and re-prioritize their activities and budgets based on the significance of value based benefits. Moreover, practitioners in the IT services industry can use these value drivers and understand the antecedents for value co-creation. As this work is from a dual perspective, both clients and suppliers can assess the applicability of these drivers and antecedents and adopt them to realize mutual value. Originality/value – In the past, researchers have focussed on value after it was created and shared among the respective relationship partners, and very few emphasized the need for proactive identification of the antecedents of value co-creation. Researchers have emphasized on the need for an empirical approach, because most of the published studies are theoretical and conceptual in nature. Hence, the significant contribution of this empirical study is to validate the value co-creation drivers identified from literature and qualitative study (case studies) with IT industry practitioners (no. 256) across the globe and the relevance of antecedents to B2B IT services outsourcing body of knowledge.

Customer involvement in new product development in B2B: The role of sales

Developing new products, and customer involvement in the process, have been frequent topics in the management literature. Focusing on the benefits and risks of customer involvement, prior research mostly black-boxed the process through which customers are involved. Little has been reported on the activities and timing related to customer involvement in new product development (NPD), and the literature provides limited guidance for how to orchestrate customers' involvement. Building on a longitudinal case study of the development of a new product over five years, we offer a comprehensive model of customer involvement in the NPD process, and elaborate on the role of sales in customer involvement. The contribution of this paper is threefold: first, we develop the concept of customer involvement as a pattern of interactions at the interface of the customer and supplier organizations. Second, we posit that NPD in a B2B context is an iterative process consisting of various parallel sub-processes. Third, we demonstrate that in a B2B context, sales function plays a central part in interfacing the supplier and customer organizations. Based on our findings we identify organizational capabilities critical for developing an effective customer-supplier interface.

THE PROBLEMS OF HOUSING AND COMMUNAL SERVICES OF RUSSIAN REGIONS AND WAYS OF THEIR SOLUTIONS

Goal. To perform some problems of the housing sector of the Russian Federation and ways of their solutions. The analysis of relations of resource supply organizations and management companies of housing and communal services. The analysis of the problems associated with citizens along the line of the housing. The decision to investment in housing, as well as the issue of delimitation of operational responsibilities. Methods. We used methods of descriptive statistics, comparative analysis. Results. The paper examines the relevance of studying the problems of housing, considered the question of investment in housing, as well as additional information about the contradictions in the housing sector, and arising in consequence of the circumstances. Conclusion. Analyzed the question of delimitation of operational responsibilities for a typical resident of an apartment building. Formed response to the actual question, the proposed solution to this problem. The problems associated with citizens through the Ministry of housing and communal services, as well as problems of relations of resource supply organizations and management companies of housing and communal services. Considered one of the variants of the problem. Made a little explanation. Given the consequences of hasty decisions of the management of UK. Proposed the corresponding output. Summarized the main problems associated with citizens along the line of the housing.

Lessons from Dutch IT-outsourcing success and failure

We present the findings from a Dutch field study of a representative sample of 30 outsourcing deals totalling to more than 100 million Euro, where both customers, corresponding IT-outsourcing providers and their intermediaries (if present) participated. Of the 30 deals, 18 were successful. As the sample is representative for the 700 Dutch IT-outsourcing deals between 2007–2010, the Dutch success rate was about 60% at that time. The main objective of the study was to examine what made some a success and some a failure and how to influence the outcome if possible. For a number of well-known factors we investigated whether they discriminate between IT-outsourcing success and failure in the early phase of service delivery and determined their impact on the chance on a successful deal. We investigated controllable factors to increase the odds during sourcing and rigid factors as a warning sign before closing a deal.Based on 253 interviews with 516 different questions we collected 28 thousand data points (which took several FTEs). From the data and the perceived failure or success of the closed deals we investigated the discriminative power of the determinants (ex post). We found three statistically significant controllable factors that discriminated in an early phase between failure and success. They are: working according to the transition plan, demand management and, to our surprise, communication within the supplier organisation (so not between client and supplier). These factors also turned out to be the only significant factors for a (logistic) model predicting the chance of a successful IT-outsourcing. Improving demand management and internal communication at the supplier increases the odds the most, sticking to the transition plan only modestly. Other controllable factors were not significant in our study. They are: managing the business case, transfer of staff or assets, retention of expertise and communication within the client organisation. Of the rigid factors, the motive to outsource, cultural differences, and the type of work were insignificant. The motive of the supplier was significant: short-term motivations like increasing profit margins or business volume decreased the chance of success while long-term motivations like increasing market share or becoming a player increased the success rate. From the data we inferred that the degree of experience with sourcing did not show to be a convincing factor of success. Hiring sourcing consultants (intermediaries) worked contra-productive: it lowered chances of success. This illustrates that you better not outsource outsourcing.

Drivers for performance improvement originating from the Dutch drinking water benchmark

The Dutch drinking water sector has been benchmarked every 3 years since 1997, and the sector has significantly improved performance since then. Based on interviews with CEOs and financial managers of drinking water companies five drivers for improvement as a result of this benchmark are identified: ‘learning effect’, ‘enhanced transparency’, ‘managed competition’, ‘avoidance of negative consequences' and ‘personal honour of director’. Different developments have caused stagnation of further improvement: the variation on the benchmarked performance indicators has decreased, participation in the benchmark became mandatory for all Dutch drinking water supply organizations, it lacks a focus on the future, and participating organizations experience high financial pressure. These developments decrease the influence of the drivers. Four possible new impulses for the benchmark are identified and their influence on the effect of the drivers is analysed. The two most promising new impulses are to make the benchmark adaptive and to involve consumers in the process of benchmarking, both have a positive influence on the effect of almost all drivers. This study contributes to the understanding of how benchmarking leads to improvement and to the analysis of the impact of design choices, leading to well-founded decisions for re-design of the Dutch drinking water benchmark.

LOGISTICS OF EXPORT SHIPMENTS FROM ECUADOR

[For the English abstract and full text of the article please see the attached PDF-File (English version follows Russian version)].ABSTRACT The development of economic relations with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and improving the efficiency of logistics contacts is one of the most promising directions of trade relations for Russia. Among its trading partners in the Asia-Pacific region Ecuador occupies an important place. The authors’ analysis gives a fairly clear picture of transport channels (sea and air) and costly mechanisms in the supply chain used by shippers and transiters of Ecuadorian products. It is proposed to use the concept of «logistics laws» to search for options to reduce costs in the supply chain of goods exported to Russia from this Latin American country. Keywords: transport, logistics, foreign trade relations, Ecuador, supply organization, exports, logistics costs, reduction of losses. REFERENCES 1.Kurganov, V.M.«Golden» rules, principles and laws of logistics [«Zolotye» pravila, principy i zakony logistiki].Logistics: modern trends / VIII International scientific-practical conference. Abstracts.St.Petersburg, GIEU publ., 2009, pp.158-160. 2.Kurganov, V. M.Reducing costs in supply chains on the basis of logistics laws [Sokrashhenie izderzhek v cepjah postavok na osnove zakonov logistiki].Logistics and Supply Chain Management: Perspectives in Russia and Germany: Collection of papers from conference on logistics DR-LOG 2010.Ed.by D. A.Ivanov, V. S.Lukinsky, B. V.Sokolov, Y.Keshel.St.Petersburg, Publishing house of Polytechnic University Press, 2010, pp.527-529. 3.Kurganov, V. M.The hierarchy of logistics laws [Ierarhija zakonov logistiki].Dynamics and Sustainability in International Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Proceedings of the 6th German-Russian Logistics and SCM Workschop DR-LOG 2011 in Bremen.Cuvillier Verlag, Goettingen, 2011, pp.451-461. 4.Marketing research and analysis of the Russian market of fresh flowers.MA Step by Step [Marketingovoe issledovanie i analiz rossijskogo rynka zhivyh cvetov. MA Step by Step].[Electronic resource]: http: // step-by-step.ru’upload / iblock / 415 / DEMO_fresh … Last accessed 13.01.2015. The article is based on the papers, presented by the authors at the International scientific and practical conference «International Logistics: science, practice and education», held on March 3, 2015 at the Institute of Management and Information Technologies of Moscow State University of Railway Engineering (MIIT).

Quality Function Deployment in India: A Review

The term Quality Function Deployment (QFD) plays a very crucial and important role in the manufacturing sector not only from theoretical perspective but also from managerial perspective. QFD is a system for designing a product or service based on customer demands that involves all members of the producer or supplier organization. In the present scenario, automobiles are the most effective medium of transportation. QFD is a four phase model, which includes the house of quality (HOQ), parts deployment,, process planning and production planning. Among the various stages, the HOQ is most commonly used stage and its aim is to reflect customer desires (E.I.). For this, the organization conducts surveys, the research, trend research; Planning of the product also involves study of different territorial and climatic condition and other such factors. Through this, the organization will get an idea about the views and choices of their customers, opinions about the various components of the product, common complaints, etc. It is through these set of activities that the organization is able to identify specific product quality features. Apart from these error identifying techniques, a method known as Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is developed for preventing both part and process type failures. This research work shows how Quality Function Deployment is helpful in improving the development process with a special focus on needs of customer i.e. what features are needed by customer while using and expectations.

Condition assessment of the electrical insulation in a high voltage current transformer using an oil/sand mix

A reliable, uninterrupted power supply that can cope with the rapid increase of electrical energy consumption by today’s electricity consumers and other industry stakeholders is a priority for any power supply organization. Modern power systems within this industry consist of many components, among them instrument transformers (current and voltage transformers and metering units). These play crucial roles in the control, protection and monitoring of a power transmission system. Typically, the number of installed instrument transformers in any network is more than tenfold that of installed power transformers.

Organization of Medical Care and Drug Supply for Patients with Osteogenesis Imperfecta in the Republic of Bashkortostan

научный биометрический журнал, который знакомит читателя с клиническими рекомендациями и особенностями применения лекарственных и вакцинных средств у детей, предоставляет исчерпывающую информацию о воздействии лекарственных средств на плод, о проводимых в

The perceptions of supplier-buyer relations and its affect on the corporate brand

The corporate brand is receiving increased attention as its wider relevance becomes more apparent in academic and practitioner circles. There are also multiple influences to the corporate brand, and one of these is the organisation–supplier relationship. The purpose of this study is to understand the effect of supplier relationships on a corporate brand using Woolworths (South Africa) and its supplier base as a case study. A qualitative study was followed, using in-depth interviews of thirty respondents selected on a convenience basis from both Woolworths and its suppliers. The data was content-analysed to develop themes, which were then drawn into appropriate conclusions. The results reveal that supplier views on ethical standards and candid relationships are relevant to the corporate brand; however this level of relevance is affected by the supplier’s level of strategic integration. Trust-driven relationships, through shared value systems centred on innovation, are also relevant when it comes to the corporate brand. However, a critical consideration is the level of consistency in relationships between the organisation and supplier. The article develops a conceptual framework for supporting supplier relationship strategy and the corporate brand, expanding the pillars of corporate personality, corporate strategy and corporate identity, to include issues related to the supplier–organisation relationship.

Combined Energy and Process Simulation to Foster Efficiency in Non-automated Material Handling System Design

Energy and resource efficiency are becoming more and more important objectives in industrial companies, so that it has also become relevant to material handling as part of the lean strategy in supply chain management. The design of sustainable, energy efficient material handling systems and processes depends on methods and tools that analyse and evaluate the composition of the technologies and processes of the system. Therefore analysis on detailed data on energy consumption, energy supply and process organisation is required to improve overall system efficiency. This study proposes a novel approach to energy data generation based on Standardised Energy Consuming Activities (SECA). Simulating process energy consumption and consumption behaviour based on process function investigations increases knowledge about the sequence and characteristics of energy consumption and its process allocation. Executing the research project Usable Battery Energy of the material handling equipment was identified to be gradable by 25% to 43% in order to increase equipment availability and thus system efficiency. In the performed case study a system range extension of 19% to 33% was reached by the implementation of a fast engaging charging system using process related idle times. Generally applicable data is required for the design of a scalable simulation to enable the identification of requirements to the design of non-automated material handling system components. The proposed framework forms the basis necessary for the derivation and evaluation of technical and organisational improvement of system efficiency with respect to energy, ecological and economic objectives.

Project Management for Supplier Organizations: Harmonising the Project Owner to Supplier Relationship

Project Management JournalVolume 46, Issue 6 p. e2-e2 Cover to Cover-Book Review Project Management for Supplier Organizations: Harmonising the Project Owner to Supplier Relationship Kenneth H. Rose PMP, Kenneth H. Rose PMPSearch for more papers by this author Kenneth H. Rose PMP, Kenneth H. Rose PMPSearch for more papers by this author First published: 02 November 2015 https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.21551Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume46, Issue6Special Issue: Project Stakeholder ManagementDecember 2015/January 2016Pages e2-e2 RelatedInformation

Leveraging Supply Chain Integration through Planning Comprehensiveness: An Organizational Information Processing Theory Perspective

ABSTRACTThis study extends prior research on supply chain planning and integration by examining the underlying capabilities by which firms exploit the information they gain from integration activities. We use organizational information processing theory (OIPT) to develop hypotheses that identify the comprehensiveness of an organization's supply chain planning capabilities as an important mediator in the relationship between its supply chain integration activities and its operational performance. Further, our interpretation of OIPT suggests that an organization's usage of technology‐enabled supply chain management systems (SCMS) moderates these effects. Using survey data from 445 global firms, we estimate the corresponding moderated‐mediation structural model. The results indicate that usage of SCMS enables organizations to better utilize the information they gain from external integration efforts (relationships with customers and suppliers), thus improving the comprehensiveness of their supply chain planning capabilities. In contrast, the use of SCMS appears to be a partial substitute for internal integration as a driver of planning comprehensiveness. Most importantly, the results suggest that planning comprehensiveness is a significant generative means by which integration and technology investments produce superior operational performance. These findings provide a richer and more theoretically grounded explanation of relationships between supply chain integration, supply chain planning, and operational performance.

Benefits; drawbacks and boundaries to deliver JIT

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to carry out case study research to analyse the current situation at a world class vehicle manufacturer (VM), the main case organisation. This paper aims to conclude whether there is scope for further inbound JIT supply focus to the case study organisations within this research.Design/methodology/approach– The data and vision for this paper comes from a literature review and practitioner papers and case studies to survey inbound supply of JIT theory and practice in a UK automotive supply network. Primary data are collected through case study research and site visits.Findings– This paper presents the findings of recent research into a UK automotive industry supply network and identifies the benefits, drawbacks and boundaries of delivering JIT. The sub-element of this paper identifies whether there is scope to make a more focus inbound supply JIT into the main VM case study organisation.Research limitations/implications– This research looks at one network over three tiers of a supply chain. However this research creates a case study hub and looks at whether there is potential to increase the level on inbound and outbound JIT supply to and from the main case organisation.Practical implications– This case study research directly gains primary research form operational supply organisations working in a supply hub network in the UK automotive industry.Social implications– Social implications here allow an improved understanding of efficient JIT and supply chain issues.Originality/value– This research considers the enhanced relationship amongst automotive supply chain members to ensure a clear understanding and position the importance of a JIT; lean and agile approach in practice.