Agnieszka Stachowiak

Decision Making Model in Integrated Assessment of Business-Environment System: a Case Study

The goal of the chapter is to present a business model developed to confront efficiency of processes and their influence on natural environment, combining economic reasons for process reengineering and environmental aspects of business activity. The economic reasons presented are based on the assumption that processes should be cost-efficient to be competitive. Environmental aspects on the other hand assume that limitation of negative influence on natural environment should not result in decreasing enterprises’ competitiveness. The assumptions introduced are integrated in the model developed thanks to analyzing complex relations between assortment, lot size, releases, set ups, energy use, waste, quality providing costs and related processes.

Maintenance Process Strategic Analysis

The performance and competitiveness of manufacturing companies is dependent on the availability, reliability and productivity of their production facilities. Low productivity, downtime, and poor machine performance is often linked to inadequate plant maintenance, which in turn can lead to reduced production levels, increasing costs, lost market opportunities, and lower profits. These pressures have given firms worldwide the motivation to explore and embrace proactive maintenance strategies over the traditional reactive firefighting methods. The traditional view of maintenance has shifted into one of an overall view that encompasses Overall Equipment Efficiency, Stakeholders Management and Life Cycle assessment. From practical point of view it requires changes in approach to maintenance represented by managers and changes in actions performed within maintenance area. Managers have to understand that maintenance is not only about repairs and conservations of machines and devices, but also actions striving for more efficient resources management and care for safety and health of employees. The purpose of the work is to present strategic analysis based on SWOT analysis to identify the opportunities and strengths of maintenance process, to benefit from them as much as possible, as well as to identify weaknesses and threats, so that they could be eliminated or minimized.

Manufacturing Processes Design with UML and ERP Standard: A Case Study

The following paper is to introduce an approach to production process design based on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) standard and benefiting from UML (Unified Modeling Language) standard. The goal of the paper is to present methodology and tools for designing, optimization and implementation of manufacturing and service processes with unified language UML and ERP standards. The paper is organized in two main sections. In the first one MRP/ERP standard is briefly described and OMG-UML/RUP (Object Management Group-Unified Modeling Language/Rational Unified Process) is introduced. In the second a case study on company representing food industry is developed to present some examples of object-oriented modeling based on UML standard. The case study object is a company representing food industry, which makes manufacturing processes it performs really sensitive for health, safety and hygiene issues on one hand and cost efficiency on the other, resulting in necessity of holistic and multi criteria approach, provided by ERP standard application, necessary.

Potential Benefits of Applying e-Markets to Waste Management

Contemporary enterprises should take the fact that their activity influences environment into consideration. Except from monitoring their competitors they should be involved in environment protection and remember that final products and wastes as well are results of processes they perform. The following paper is to prove that numerous companies in Poland take advantage of waste management, including waste selling, re-using and benefiting from cheaper material sources. To provide some theoretical background, authors introduce the idea of sustainable development, wastes definition and present possible solutions that can be applied in wastes management area. The solutions presented include electronic wastes market operating in Poland. Short description of some of the wastes markets is to be presented, as well as benefits emerging from enterprises’ cooperation with wastes markets.

The Framework of Logistics 4.0 Maturity Model

The term Industry 4.0 is widely recognized, not only among academics, but also among business. The term that has not gained that popularity and publicity yet is Logistics 4.0. As industry needs material flows, and in global economy they are of high complexity, authors believe that Logistics 4.0 will be the field of research and solutions within it will be sought for and implemented by companies. The paper presents the framework of Logistics 4.0 Maturity Model, developed to provide companies with opportunity to assess current status with respect to Logistics 4.0 and develop a road map for improvement process. The model is developed basing on the literature research on Logistics 4.0 and maturity models and design to offer measures that can be translated into set of guidelines or recommended solutions towards Logistics 4.0. The research is at the modeling stage, however the pilot research among business to recognize their awareness of Logistics 4.0 as a source of competitive advantage and tools and methods within Logistics 4.0 was already conducted and is to be the basis for further research stages.

The Framework of IT Tool Supporting Layout Redesign in a Selected Industrial Company

Facility layout is a problem that has been discussed in the literature for a long time, and together with growing complexity of products and advance it manufacturing process it has been gaining its importance, however in the same time becoming more and more difficult to solve. The goal of the research is to develop a tool supporting the process of designing the facility layout. In their study, the authors used the method of observation and interview. These methods allowed for a more detailed analysis of the company as well as the processes occurring in it and thoroughly analyze its needs and requirements, and model it at proper level of detail. Hence, the first step is the analysis of the literature on facility layout models. The next part presents the subject of the research. Presentation of the company is to bring the specificity of production process which is crucial for the design process and subsequent reorganization of the facility. In the last part, the authors present the concept of a computer tool that is to support the process of the facility layout. This concept is modeled using UML diagrams. The work ends with a summary and directions of further research.

Availability of material streams in hybrid push/pull shop floor control system

Abstract The paper presents practical aspects and example of integration of hybrid system controlling production system inputs including raw materials and components based on analytical and managerial expert system. The research is based on demand analysis of a large industrial company providing a wide range of assortment of about 150 final products manufactured according to made-to-order and make-to-stock strategy. The goal of the research was increasing availability of material in production system for multi-assortment production cells fed with hybrid pull/push strategy.

Framework of Optimization Methodology with Use of an Intelligent Hybrid Transport Management System Based on Hopfield Network and Travelling Salesman Problem

A medium size (and bigger) company has to have a good (i.e. adjusted to the companies profile and its environment for example economic situation or seasonality of the demand) informatics system. The reason for it is that large amount of date has to be collected on time, transformed and transmitted to allow managers to make adequate and made on time decision. Time factor in this situation is very important and without a good logistic system it is difficult or even impossible to deal with contemporary market. In this paper a framework of a hybrid intelligent system is presented, which will optimize the lead time needed to the transport goods from the company to the receiver. Consequently the time, when the final product will appear on the market will be optimized and thus the product can be both due the client. Transport is often associated with the Travelling Salesman Problem and the method of its approximated solution will be considered.

The Use of Computer Simulation in Warehouse Automation

The aim of this paper is to present results of the project conducted in the manufacturing company in the furniture industry. The main objective was to automate the warehouse operation as much as possible and to minimize the number of staff in the store. The process was modeled using software FlexSim Simulation Software. The proposed solution reduces the number of used forklift trucks and warehouse workers through automatic insertion and retrieval pallet racking with stacker cranes. In addition, the range of the production hall to the storage area are transported by feeder roller (like the storage to the point of completion). All facilities have a chance for long-term use of their stock in the draft. They also allow for maximum cost savings by manufacturing company while maintaining full and accurate customer service and their satisfaction with the delivery of the warehouse. In the future authors want to develop a simulation model with respect to safety stock optimization and optimization of product location.

Framework of Optimization of Transport Process with Use of Intelligent Hybrid System

Many definitions of logistic management exist, but some of them are connected with the transport-warehouse chain, that includes obtaining raw materials, their processing, and selling. The environment, in which the company exists is also important. This is the reason why the optimization in a company should be made having in mind those aspects. The modification and optimization process in a company should include changes in its environment. The question is how long it takes for the company to adapt. Changes can be not significant in certain moment, but with the time they can have large influence on the company. It is not easy to recognize the size of the impact while consequences can be serious for the company. If the changes are recognized quickly, the company can conquer the difficulties by adaptation or can make changes in their processes. Sometimes the situation is not so simple, for example when the changes are detected too late or they require changes in management system. Improvement of the system can take a lot of time, i.e., year or more. This time would be shorter, if the system would change from itself, then the improvement of the system could be not so tedious and so consumptive of time. This is possible by implementation of elements of artificial intelligence in the system. Therefore the authors suggest a new concept of transport management, with use of an intelligent hybrid system, which adjusts to the current economic situation without updating or changing the management system and thanks to it the company can quickly replay with no outlay. The hybrid system consists of a neural network and three expert systems. It will influence the transport time by optimization of loading processes. In this manner the time and money will be spared. The loading surface and the number of trucks needed to transport the goods will be also optimized by continuous adaptation to the current economic situation.