Turnaround Process Research Articles

Continuous hypocenter and source mechanism inversion via a Green's function-based matching pursuit algorithm

The hydraulic fracturing of rock formations bearing oil and gas is a process that aims to improve well productivity. The breaking of rocks releases seismic energy that is recorded by stations usually located in nearby wells. By processing these recordings, the hypocenters of induced microseismic events are retrieved and interpreted to estimate the fractured volume. Several techniques have been developed to determine hypocenters; the most common are based in the inversion of P- and S-wave time picks from multiple stations (Pujol, 2004). There are also procedures that involve, for example, the back propagation in time of the recorded wavefields (Gajewski and Tessmer, 2005). Besides the hypocenter location of microseismic events, there is additional information embedded in the seismic recordings: the source mechanism, which is expressed via the seismic moment tensor (SMT). Not as common as the estimation of the hypocenter location, the SMT of induced microseismic events is also estimated from monitoring records (e.g., Nolen-Hoeksema and Ruff, 2001; Jechumtalova and Eisner, 2008). The SMT provides an additional source of information for understanding the fracturing process. A quasi real-time system for simultaneous event location and SMT inversion can reduce the processing and interpretation turnaround times. More notably, such a system could facilitate a realistic integration of microseismic geophysical data to significant decisions that are made during engineering operations such as fracturing.

The combined positive impact of Lean methodology and Ventana Symphony autostainer on histology lab workflow

BackgroundHistologic samples all funnel through the H&E microtomy staining area. Here manual processes intersect with semi-automated processes creating a bottleneck. We compare alternate work processes in anatomic pathology primarily in the H&E staining work cell.MethodsWe established a baseline measure of H&E process impact on personnel, information management and sample flow from historical workload and production data and direct observation. We compared this to performance after implementing initial Lean process modifications, including workstation reorganization, equipment relocation and workflow levelling, and the Ventana Symphony stainer to assess the impact on productivity in the H&E staining work cell.ResultsAverage time from gross station to assembled case decreased by 2.9 hours (12%). Total process turnaround time (TAT) exclusive of processor schedule changes decreased 48 minutes/case (4%). Mean quarterly productivity increased 8.5% with the new methods. Process redesign reduced the number of manual steps from 219 to 182, a 17% reduction. Specimen travel distance was reduced from 773 ft/case to 395 ft/case (49%) overall, and from 92 to 53 ft/case in the H&E cell (42% improvement).ConclusionsImplementation of Lean methods in the H&E work cell of histology can result in improved productivity, improved through-put and case availability parameters including TAT.

Looking to the past to understand the present: organizational change in varsity sport

Purpose – This paper aims to explore how varsity football athletes and coaches negotiate meanings when faced with the unmet expectations of a new head coach brought into lead a turnaround process. It also aims to pay particular attention to the role of history in this meaning making process.

Academic Turnarounds: Restoring Vitality to Challenged American Colleges and Universities (review)

Reviewed by: Academic Turnarounds: Restoring Vitality to Challenged American Colleges and Universities Joseph Beckham Terrence J. MacTaggart (Ed.). Academic Turnarounds: Restoring Vitality to Challenged American Colleges and Universities. Westport, CT: ACE/ Praeger Publishers, 2007. 121 pp. Cloth: $44.95; ISBN: 0-275-98806-6. American colleges and universities, striving to maintain a high level of quality while heightening efficiency, are extremely vulnerable to precarious economic conditions. Private institutions struggle to compete in an increasingly diverse marketplace. Many public institutions find that their share of state revenues is declining in a turbulent political environment characterized by regulatory complexity and demands for accountability. In this challenging environment, small private colleges, regional public universities, and historically Black colleges and universities are particularly vulnerable to enrollment declines and accelerating deficits. In Academic Turnarounds: Restoring Vitality to Challenged American Colleges and Universities, Terrence MacTaggart and his colleagues draw on the contemporary histories of 40 institutions that have achieved an academic turnaround to offer a guide that can help presidents, trustees, and faculty assess institutional financial health, address immediate financial problems, revitalize their institutional image, and shape institutional culture. MacTaggart also offers guidance to donors, accreditors, and others committed to the quality and vitality of American higher education. The book begins with a four-chapter narrative delineating three distinct stages in the process of an academic turnaround. This first section, “The Natural History of Turnarounds,” is followed by two chapters on “Special Topics” dealing with subjects of interest to presidents, financial of-ficers, trustees, and those with a particular interest in the features of academic turnarounds at state-supported colleges and universities. A final section includes two chapters offering guidance to new presidents challenged to transform their institutions and advice to trustees, donors, and ac-creditors on how to positively influence academic turnarounds. MacTaggart uses Chapter 1 to provide an overview of his three stages in an academic turnaround: restoring financial health, marketing and branding the institution, and redefining the institution’s mission and culture. A matrix accompanies the text narrative, identifying characteristics associated with each stage. For example, although a collaborative leadership style is essential, a leader may appear more autocratic in Stage 1 of a transformation, shift to a pragmatic, problem-solving role in Stage 2, and emphasize a collaborative leadership style in Stage 3. The focus of Chapter 2 is the initial stage of a turnaround: restoring financial health. MacTaggart describes three institutional exemplars of an academic turnaround and identifies critical factors that characterize successful financial transformations; including timely and accurate financial information, transparency, clear communication, and new leadership. In Chapter 3, Jerry Berberet emphasizes that branding and marketing have essential and reciprocal roles in creating institutional distinctiveness. Branding involves internal self-study intended to clarify institutional values, strengths, and aspirations. A marketing plan should link the institution’s services to potential students by communicating the quality of student experiences and learning outcomes. Finally, both branding and marketing must be aligned with institutional values and programs to ensure commitment from [End Page 417] the campus community and accelerate the turnaround process. Adrian Tinsley explores Stage 3, academic transformation, in Chapter 4. He extrapolates common threads in three abbreviated case studies and points to faculty engagement as a critical element in the long-term prospects for genuine turnaround. In Tinsley’s view, the institution’s chief academic officer can play a significant role in identifying the aspirational model that best fits the institution, encouraging faculty engagement, and promoting institutional distinctiveness and quality. In Chapter 5, Michael Townsley offers a financial management model and a strategic plan informed by a range of diagnostic and reporting tools. To illustrate the model, Townsley introduces a segmented case study of a fictitious institution at five different stages in a financial transformation. Financial indicators are aligned with each stage, and the roles of the president, chief financial of-ficer, and trustees receive particular attention. MacTaggart uses Chapter 6 to examine the unique problems of academic transformation in public institutions. Because of the highly politicized and bureaucratic environment in which these institutions must operate, he postulates that transformations can take longer but are less likely to be preoccupied with a Stage 1 financial rescue. While state support may insulate the...

Airline flight networks, cycle times, and profitability: 2004–2006

This research investigates the relationships between airline flight networks, aircraft cycle times, and carrier profitability for ten large US domestic airlines. We find that direct point-to-point flight networks and short cycle times are operational factors that airlines should exploit to improve profitability. These findings are based on the analysis of 11.9 million flight records from 2004 through 2006. The results contradict earlier research validating performance advantages of hub-and-spoke flight networks. Today, the advantages of passenger consolidation at hub airports are lost to lower aircraft utilization and productivity problems created by the extended cycle times at hubs. We also find that airline operating profit can be increased by improving the efficiency of the aircraft turnaround process and decreasing aircraft fleet complexity. This research also provides an estimate of the marginal opportunity cost of ground time. A 1-min reduction in aircraft fleet ground time increases the average sized carriers’ operating income by $12 to $18 million.

A generic environment for modelling future launch operations—GEM-FLO: a success story in generic modelling

Several NASA programs have been established to study and improve the current launch capability to meet the need for more aggressive space exploration in the future. Numerous launch systems have been proposed by different government and commercial organizations with the potential goal of replacing the Space Shuttle. NASA must evaluate new designs and technologies with the objective of improving upon today's Shuttle cost, performance, and turnaround time, before the government or commercial organizations pursue the large undertaking of a new launch system. To address this issue, the Generic Simulation Environment for Modelling Future Launch Operations (GEM-FLO) was developed to accurately predict processing turnaround times and other effectiveness criteria and support making key business and program decisions. GEM-FLO utilizes a generic modelling paradigm to provide a single platform for modelling different designs, which helped significantly cut the cost of these studies. This paper documents a success story in generic simulation modelling.

Critical chain and risk analysis applied to high-risk industry maintenance: A case study

In this case study, the Theory of Constraints and Risk Assessment are applied to the turnaround process of an IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) plant. Turnaround project has been analysed as it had always been implemented up to 2006, identifying any related problems and inconsistencies, and then to describe the reengineering of this process, assessing and emphasizing the changes involved and identifying further opportunities for improvement. The aim of the study is to develop a prioritization method for Work Packages, within the Critical Chain context, in order to minimize the risks related to accidents in the refinery plants. This study addresses the applicability and necessity of the risk analysis process to examine and evaluate the schedule and cost features of a turnaround project. A comparison between the performance obtained for the turnaround using classic project management techniques and results obtained using the new planning system showed that the proposed method allowed the company to maximize the quality and safety of work and to minimize the turnaround time and cost. We also found that while improvement is feasible for turnaround in certain areas, the development of a maintenance improvement strategy that appreciates the needs of different stakeholders (providers, manufacturing units, etc.) is indispensable. Turnaround improvement strategy relates to policy, anticipation of problems, responsiveness of people and monitoring outcomes.

Strategic transformation as the essential last step in the process of business turnaround

Just over a decade ago, the work of strategic management scholars helped to broaden the perspectives of executives caught in the throes of declining organizational performance. In addition to the traditional turnaround options that stabilized financial performance, managers were shown approaches that they could deploy to reduce the chances of a recurrence of the turnaround situation. This article updates the progress that has since been made in understanding the turnaround process. Further, we look at an ambitious approach to redirecting the strategies of a reemerging company toward a more promising competitive position, as the essential last step in the process of business turnaround. Called strategic transformation, this approach to reformulating strategy cultivates company growth in strong or emerging markets.

Change of Urinary Trans, Trans-Muconic Acid before and after Turnaround Process in a Petrochemical Plant

Change of Urinary Trans, Trans-Muconic Acid before and after Turnaround Process in a Petrochemical Plant

Turnaround in an aged persons' mental health service in crisis: a case study of organisational renewal

This case study demonstrates how leadership was harnessed to turn around a decline in the performance of an aged persons' mental health service - the Namarra Nursing Home at Caulfield General Medical Centre in Melbourne, Australia. In 2000 the nursing home faced a crisis of public confidence due to failings in the management of quality, clinical risk and human resources within the service. These problems reflected structural and operational shortcomings in the clinical directorate and wider organisation. In this article, we detail the process of turnaround from the perspective of senior executive managers with professional and operational responsibility for the service. This turnaround required attention to local clinical accountability and transformation of the mental health program from a collocated but operationally isolated service to one integrated within the governance structures of the auspicing organisation.

World-Class OR Turnaround Times: Secrets Uncovered

One of the aspects of OR service that is most important to surgeons is quick OR turnaround times. Perioperative staff members and one orthopedic surgeon at the Community Hospital, Munster, Ind, have developed an innovative approach to the OR turnaround process that considerably increases efficiency and reduces average turnaround times. By assigning specific tasks to each perioperative team member, scheduling surgical procedures in order based on type of procedure, and drawing on individual team members' traits, the orthopedic surgeon is able to perform more procedures than other orthopedic surgeons in that facility in the same amount of time, which increases revenue for the hospital.

On the Economic Role of RIS/PACS in Healthcare

The integration of electronic patient data records with digital images in PACS is the only way today to provide high-quality clinical services. Such integration enables clinicians to access both systems' data reliably and consistently, as part of their regular working environment. We present a general framework for capturing the actual tangible and intangible benefits of RIS/PACS implementation at a major hospital. Prior to the implementation, we looked at 150,000 studies in terms of charges and revenues collected, and for a sample we identified report turn-around times (TAT) and process bottlenecks. We repeated these inquiries after the RIS/PACS implementation. In addition, we used a survey instrument to measure the changes in the satisfaction levels of radiologists, technology staff, and referring physicians. We found a phenomenon 63% year-long learning rate that was observed after the systems were implemented. During that period, TAT shrunk by 80%, indicating that most of the benefits of RIS/PACS take time and added effort to be fully realized. The billing process became more authentic and reliable as all preps, procedures and exams could be captured, and lost studies rates have decreased from 10% to less that 1%. We documented a steady increase in revenue per procedure of more than $3 per procedure per month. On top of the above, the satisfaction level of both referring physicians and employees went up dramatically from around 3 to 6 in a seven-point Likert scale! We also present some operational recommendations resulting from an econometric study, and documented and elaborated on the virtual tools now available for more accurate, easy to use teaching purposes. Future paths are process bottleneck identification for continuous improvement, and improved scheduling models for both patients and staff. Our results may lead to fuller utilization of RIS/PACS functionality, to a significant return on investment (ROI), and to improved patient care and acceptance by referring physicians.

Intervensi Negara dalam Penyehatan Perusahaan Pengalaman Negara Sedang Berkembang

This paper attempts to explain in detail the role of the state, especially in developing countries, to promote corporate recovery during the economic crisis period. In so doing, first, the paper illuminates several important reasons why the state has to intervene in the case of economic crisis. It seems that the whole process of corporate turnaround has to be initiated by the state and hence it is called state-led corporate restructuring. Second, the paper intents to explain three stages of corporate turnaround: restructuring preparation, financial sector restructuring, and corporate restructuring, followed by an explanation of corporate restructuring techniques usually used by the state. Finally, the paper shows how the state should exit from the market. Key words: state, intervention, recovery, crisis.

Strategies for Public Service Turnaround

National policy makers and local service managers are striving to identify strategies to improve the performance of failing public organizations. However, little academic research on public service turnaround is available to inform their efforts. By contrast, substantial work has been conducted on the reversal of decline in the private sector. A model of the turnaround process is developed from this literature, and evidence on the effectiveness of different turn-around strategies is reviewed. The private sector evidence suggests that recovery from failure is associated with strategies of retrenchment, repositioning, and reorganization. The potential feasibility and impact of these strategies in the public sector is evaluated, and major research questions on public service turnaround are identified.

Stakeholder Influences in Organizational Survival*

abstract Although much has been written on declines and turnarounds, virtually no research has examined stakeholders' influence in an existence threatening crisis of an organization. This paper provides a theory and a historical case study that show how the most influential stakeholders can be identified and managed during an organizational survival. The proposed model demonstrates how stakeholders' influence in organizational survival consists of both direct resource dependence‐ and structure‐based forms of power. The case analysis then describes an examination of actual stakeholder influences and changes in them during the decline and turnaround process. Finally, based on the findings of the case analysis and the influence identification, propositions are developed. They relate specific types of behaviours of influential stakeholders to the probability of organizational survival, showing how stakeholder management can be operationalized in an organizational turnaround.

A Theory of Private Equity Turnarounds

This paper explores the advantage of private equity in turnaround situations. Since the analysis and recovery plan of floundering businesses is typically carried out by an external turnaround specialist, it is not clear what causes a breakdown in the ownership-management separation. The paper explores scenarios under which the transfer of ownership to private equity prior to implementing an operational turnaround can emerge as an optimal solution. Also considered is the possibility of investment syndication by which it the potential buyer can share the transaction with other private equity firms. Various alternatives are considered to approach the turnaround process, in particular, ones that allow for management replacement and others that do not.

Organizational Turnaround

For some hospitals, the complex issues associated with the current healthcare environment have resulted in progressive destabilization. In these situations, organizational turnaround is imperative to renew profitability and remain viable. As the administrator of the largest employee group, the nurse executive plays a central role in the turnaround process. The collective power and strength of the nursing service can move an organization by accomplishing needed changes and setting a tone and example for others. The author discusses the organization's turnaround.

Learning from the experience of recovery: The turnaround of poorly performing local authorities

This paper sets out the findings of a three-year research investigation into the experiences of 15 case study local authorities in turning around poor performance. The ‘poor’ rating was determined through Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA). In some authorities the CPA score itself proved a sufficient trigger for turnaround to begin. In others the picture is more complex. Turnaround is variable in terms of speed, intensity and the success of the mechanisms employed. Success, though partially determined by a combination of contextual factors, can be greatly enhanced by a combination of cognition, capacity and capability. This paper seeks to explain the approaches adopted and the successes achieved and outlines a research agenda for the next phase of the turnaround process.

An application of BPR and RCM methods to an oil refinery turnaround process

This works reports on the application of business process re-engineering (BPR) methods to a specific stage in the maintenance activities of the API refinery in Falconara Marittima (AN), i.e. the scheduled annual turnaround. The aim of the study was to analyse the process as it was always implemented up until the year 2001, identifying any related problems and inconsistencies, and then describe the re-engineering of this process, assessing and emphasising the changes involved and pinpointing further opportunities for improvement. Using the synergies provided by the simultaneous adoption of management policies and maintenance management methods enables considerable changes to be made with a view to the production of servicing plans that ensure a greater reliability at the lowest possible cost. The annual turnaround process was modelled using the AIØ WIN software, which supports the IDEFØ method.

Situational and organizational determinants of turnaround

PurposeTo test the ability of situational variables, manageable pre‐decline resources, and specific firm responses to decline to classify performance outcomes (turnaround vs non‐turnaround) in declining firms.Design/methodology/approachUsing a longitudinal methodology and a multi‐firm sample, the paper studies the relative role of situational factors concerning the environment and a firm's decline, along with various internal resources and strategies that can enable a firm to recover from decline.FindingsThe results indicate that contextual factors such as the urgency and severity of decline, firm productivity and the availability of slack resources, and firm retrenchment can determine the ability of sample firms to turnaround. Overall, factors under the control of managers contribute more to successful turnarounds than situational characteristics.Research limitations/implicationsThis study does not identify the exact cause of firm decline. The authors believe this is beyond the scope of this multi‐firm study.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing research by theoretically explicating and empirically testing the influences of multiple situational and organizational factors on turnaround outcomes. While several studies have investigated conceptually unique sets of actions applied by managers attempting to turn around declining firms, this paper integrate these actions as they can often impact each other and the eventual turnaround. The authors believe their research design affords a more holistic view to the turnaround process. In order to direct executives efforts, the findings are summarized into some practical applications.