Adrien Presley

R&D project selection using the analytic network process

The analytic network process (ANP) is presented as a potentially valuable method to support the selection of projects in a research and development (R&D) environment. This paper first discusses the requirements of the R&D project selection problem, which requires the allocation of resources to a set of competing and often disparate project proposals. Among the factors complicating this task is the need to make the decision within the framework of an enterprises strategic objectives and organizational structure while considering and integrating financial and strategic benefits of each project. The paper discusses the use of the ANP, a general form of Saatys analytic hierarchy process, as a model to evaluate the value of competing R&D project proposals. A generic ANP model developed by the authors, which includes in its decision levels the actors involved in the decision, the stages of research, categories of metrics, and individual metrics, is presented. The paper concludes with a case study describing the implementation of this model at a small high-tech company, including data based on the actual use of the decision making model.

A strategic sustainability justification methodology for organizational decisions: a reverse logistics illustration

The concept of sustainability has become increasingly important for organizations and has permeated a number of managerial and organizational decisions. Sustainability, as defined by its ‘triple-bottom line’ factors of economic, environmental, and social dimensions, is the underlying framework we use to develop and apply a strategic justification tool for project evaluation with sustainability implications. An activity-based management methodological framework is used as a vehicle to frame decisions using corporate sustainability. An illustrative application of this technique demonstrates how an organization could select between two competing reverse logistics providers. This process requires that we introduce issues relevant to three major sustainability factors (and their sub factors) and how they are influenced by a reverse logistics provider decision. The dual contribution of this paper includes investigating the design and development of the strategic sustainability evaluation framework and introducing the relationships of reverse logistics to economic, environmental and social sustainability dimensions.

The theory and practice of Reverse Logistics

This paper provides a review of the literature on Reverse Logistics (RL). It provides an overview of definitions, research and research opportunities in this field. It is a timely and important concept with significant international research under completion at this time. Ample opportunities exist for the growth of this field due to its multi-functional, and interdisciplinary focus. It also is critical for organisations to consider from both an economic and environmental perspective. All these issues are discussed and summarised in this paper.

Benchmarking for sustainability: an application to the sustainable construction industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a methodology and framework to assist construction firms and contractors in incorporating sustainability measures into their benchmarking efforts.Design/methodology/approach – A methodology that incorporates both strategic and activity‐based criteria for identifying areas for benchmarking is developed by modifying an existing methodology of enterprise performance management. The benchmarking framework makes use of aspects from well‐established management practices such as activity‐based management, balanced scorecard, and multi‐attribute decision models. It allows for the integration of sustainability measures into more conventional measures of construction practice.Findings – The paper finds that activity and strategic metrics can be integrated into a framework for benchmarking. Additionally, metrics specific to sustainability can be incorporated with more traditional measures to provide a holistic analysis of construction practices.Practical implications...

An architecture for the virtual enterprise

This paper presents an architecture for the virtual enterprise based upon an object oriented business process modeling approach. The paper proposes that business processes naturally fall into three categories: 1) processes transform external constraints into an internal constraint structure that might be expressed at a system of objectives, policies, and procedures; 2) processes acquire and make ready resources used by the enterprise; and 3) processes (design, marketing, manufacturing, distribution) transform the family of inputs into the desired enterprise results or outputs (i.e. products). The business processes are in turn organized into an enterprise. The paper suggests that the virtual enterprise consists of a set of business processes from category (1) which are collectively owned by the virtual enterprise and a set of business processes from all three categories (1,2,3) which are owned by two or more individual enterprises, but used by both the individual enterprise and the agile or virtual enterprise. The agile enterprise temporarily disturbs but does not consume the individual enterprise.<<ETX>>

A soft-systems methodology approach for product and process innovation

Soft-systems methodology (SSM) has been recommended as a tool for scientifically evaluating complex environments. One such environment is the development of organizational processes and products delivered by organizations. This paper proposes a methodology for organizational product and process innovation based on SSM theory incorporating quality function deployment (QFD) and IDEF0 (integrated definition functional modelling tool) techniques. The methodology relies on a series of phases that elicit information from complex and amorphous real-world practices, processes, and information, and develops models of these systems. The paper illustrates the utility of the methodology and tools using a case example: development of an organizational decision support system used to justify strategically important technologies for the enterprise.

Engineering the Virtual Enterprise: An Architecture-Driven Modeling Approach

The managerial and organization practices required by an increasingly dynamic competitive manufacturing, business, and industrial environment include the formation of “virtual enterprises.” A major concern in the management of virtual enterprises is the integration and coordination of business processes contributed by partner enterprises. The traditional methods of process modeling currently used for the design of business processes do not fully support the needs of the virtual enterprise. The design of these virtual enterprises imposes requirements that make it more complex than conventional intraorganizational business process design. This paper first describes an architecture that assists in the design of the virtual enterprise. Then it discusses business process reengineering (BPR) as a methodology for modeling and designing virtual organizations. While BPR presents many useful tools, the approach itself and the modeling tools commonly used for redesign have fundamental shortcomings when dealing with the virtual enterprise. However, several innovative modeling approaches provide promise for this problem. The paper discusses some of these innovative modeling approaches, such as object-oriented modeling of business processes, agent modeling of organizational players, and the use of ontological modeling to capture and manipulate knowledge about the players and processes. The paper concludes with a conceptual modeling methodology that combines these approaches under the enterprise architecture for the design of virtual enterprises.

Structured models and dynamic systems analysis: the integration of the IDEF0/IDEF3 modeling methods and discrete event simulation

The role of modeling and simulation is receiving much press of late. However, the lack of practice in employing a link between the two is alarming. A static model is used to understand an enterprise or a system, and simulation is used for dynamic analysis. Generally, most models are considered static, whereas simulation is really a dynamic model. Static models are useful in achieving understanding of the enterprise. Simulations are useful in analyzing the behavior of the enterprise. Most enterprises develop and even maintain multiple types of models for different purposes. If a single model can be used to drive other modeling purposes, then model maintenance and development could be reduced. This paper describes the procedure necessary to use a static representation as the primary input for an animated simulation. It presents the additional steps necessary to annotate a static model for input to a dynamic model. Two commercial suites, WorkFlow Modeler™ to ServiceModel™ and ProSim™ to WITNESS™, are compared and contrasted based on the respective ease of conversion from the static model to the dynamic model. Any user who purchases these products can follow the steps described in this paper for either of these product suites to generate a simulation from a static model. Finally, some general observations of using an existing IDEF (0 or 3) model to create a working simulation are presented along with conclusions.

A Study of Business Student Choice to Study Abroad: A Test of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Study abroad experiences are becoming increasingly common with business students. In this study, we build upon previous research into the motivations of students to study abroad by using Ajzens Theory of Planned Behavior as a theoretical basis for indentifying the factors which might influence their intention to study abroad. A survey administered to 188 business students and subsequent analysis supported Ajzens theory that attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms all were significant predictors of intention. This study also identified gender specific differences in the various factors.

The strategic evaluation of candidate business process reengineering projects

Abstract The evolution from a focus on product design to one on process and product design in improving organizational competitiveness has included the development of a field of study called business process reengineering (BPR). BPR is an organizational development tool that requires a number of stages of analysis, design and implementation. The literature in the past few years has provided a number of tools and techniques to aid in BPR efforts. One area in this relatively new organizational change philosophy that has not received much attention is the selection or prioritization of a set of candidate business processes or projects that should undergo reengineering. Since business processes by definition are elements of a broader strategic system, the candidate evaluation and selection process must be strategically oriented. To aid in this evaluation process a strategic multiattribute evaluation and justification framework and methodology is presented. The methodology includes an activity based analysis and linkage of traditional (financial) and strategic considerations. The evaluation methodology may also have implications for post-implementation evaluation of BPR projects and other phases of BPR.