Aleš Groznik

Process Approach to Supply Chain Integration

Purpose: Business renovation, the effective utilisation of information technology and the role of business process modelling and simulation are all vital in supply chain integration projects. The main idea is to show through a combination of these methods how the performance of the supply chain can be improved with the renovation and integration of processes at various tiers in the chain and by the sharing of information between companies.Methodology/Approach: Simulation-based methodology for measuring the benefits of the creation and renovation of business process models combines the methodology of developing process models and its simulation with the simulation of supply and demand. A procurement process in the oil/retail petrol industry is examined in a case study.Findings: Using the proposed methodology, different business process models can be investigated and simulated. The benefits for each company involved in the presented case are substantial and can be estimated through a simulation. Substantial benefits in costs, quality and lead times were identified, however, their distribution is not symmetric. Inter-organisational IS and applied technology were enablers for supply chain integration. However, organisational changes and new business models were prerequisites for obtaining those benefits.Practical implications: The process approach to supply chain integration presents a mechanism that can be applied to any industry. It represents a systematic methodological business renovation approach involving cost cuts, quality improvements and lead time improvements. The costs of supply chain integration projects were not studied. The benefits should be measured against the cost of testing the economic feasibility of such projects.Originality/value of paper: The effective utilisation of business process modelling and a simulation of the necessary business renovation is shown. The novel combination of business process and demand/supply simulation enables an estimation of changes in lead-times, process execution costs, quality of the process and inventory costs. Although the methodology is presented through a case study of the oil/retail petrol industry, it can also be used to estimate the benefits and monitor supply chain integration projects in other industries.

Measurement of Supply Chain Integration Benefits

The paper deals with business renovation, effective utilization of information technology and the role of business process modeling in supply chain integration projects. The main idea is to show how the performance of the supply chain can be improved with the integration of various tiers in the chain. Integration is prerequisite for effective sharing and utilization of information between different companies in the chain. Simulation-based methodology for measuring the benefits combines the simulation of business processes with the simulation of supply and demand. The theoretical findings are illustrated with the case study of procurement process in a petrol company. Old and renewed business process models are shown. The changes in lead-times, process execution costs, quality of the process and inventory costs are estimated.

A business model approach to supply chain management

Purpose – This paper aims to extend the topics from a 2007 paper to stimulate debate on strategic issues vital for the long-term success of supply chains (SCs). The authors upgraded from SC process modelling towards SC business model management; from information to knowledge transfer and from the maturity of SC to dynamic capabilities. The paper attempts to identify and connect the elements of SC business model and the key issues for development of dynamic capabilities to enable future redesign of business models. Design/methodology/approach – The paper develops two frameworks showing the elements of an SC business model and the interconnection of those elements and dynamic capabilities. The use of these frameworks is demonstrated in a case study of Post of Slovenia. The case uses both primary and secondary data gathered from interviews, publicly accessible articles and internal reports. Findings – An SC should develop the elements of its business model in such a way that it will be able to continually ch...

The business rule-transformation approach

The main goal is to present the business process renovation as the key element of e-business orientation and the highest level of strategy for managing change that commonly cannot be handled by continuous improvement and reengineering methods or organizational restructuring. We introduce a business rule-transformation approach to business renovation. Its motivation is to help establish an environment and approach in which business rules can be traced from their origin in the business environment through to their implementation in information systems

Business renovation: from business process modelling to information system modelling

The main objective of this paper is to present the characteristics of business renovation efforts and the research on some aspects of the business process and information modelling. The paper also introduces different business rule categories and discusses the relationships that exist between business rules and other business-related concepts, addressed in business modelling.

Comparative study of SISP practices in Slovenia and Singapore

The paper presents the results of the survey on the strategic IS planning practices of large Slovenian organizations. The survey was based on the questionnaire previously developed in Singapore, and the results of both countries, one developed and the other in transition, are compared. It highlights the participation, critical success factors, initiators and the main benefits of the strategic IS planning. The results compared to similar studies show a moderate number of Slovenian organizations which perform strategic IS planning. It is also interesting that top management plays the role of a leading initiator in Slovenian organizations whereas the role of IS management is surprisingly modest. The main benefits of the strategic IS planning from the Slovenian business perspective are: improved internal coordination, efficient and effective management of IS resources and improved productivity.

New Bias-Controlled Three-Color Detectors using Stacked a-SiC:H/a-Si:H Heterostructures

A novel family of three-terminal three-color (blue, green, red) detectors based on stacked a-SiC:H/a-Si:H heterostructures is presented: TCO/PIN/TCO/PINIP/TCO/metal and TCO/PINIP/TCO/PIN/TCO/metal structure. The analysis of stacked photodetectors and the optimization of their geometrical dimensions is performed using the adopted ASPIN simulation program. Both structures are mutually compared with regard to calculated current-voltage characteristics and spectral responsivity. They both exhibit linear photocurrent/generation-rate relationship for all three colors at peak wavelengths 430, 530, 630 nm, applying ±1 V or more. This linearity allows that all three colors can be detected with high rejection ratio using simple system electronics.

A process approach to distribution channel re‐engineering

Purpose – The aim of the paper is to propose a methodology for distribution network reengineering since for the last few decades there has been growing interest in making more integrated business decisions across larger segments of the logistics and distribution networks.Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, a methodology to assist distribution networks reengineering by integrating logistic processes within the distribution supply chain is developed. The emphasis of methodology is on business processes modeling and reengineering in distribution network.Findings – The results confirm that distribution network reengineering needs to be a balanced, methodological process that integrates business process reengineering in combination with information technology. Case study findings presented illustrate that the recommended methodology has resulted in considerable cost savings and enhancing effectiveness of distribution networks.Originality/value – The paper has extended reengineering theory and informat...

Investigating The Impact Of Information Sharing In A Two-Level Supply Chain Using Business Process Modeling And Simulations: A Case Study.

This paper reports on an oil/retail petrol supply chain which was undergoing a Business Process Reengineering (BPR) exercise. The paper models and analyses the effect of information sharing on the performance parameters (inventory costs and bullwhip effect) of an actual Serbian oil industry supply chain. The main idea is to show through business process modelling how the BPR of existing processes needs to follow the introduction of the EDI system into organisations to improve information sharing between the supply chain echelons. Also, a simulation is employed to show how different levels of information sharing impact on inventory costs and the bullwhip effect. The model itself was has developed for a twolevel supply chain structure, and it and its associated simulations highlight the significant benefits that are achievable through the use of improved information sharing and business process re-engineering on the observed supply chain performance parameters.

A case study of supply chain management in oil industry

The paper deals with business renovation, the effective utilisation of information technology and the role of business process modelling in supply chain integration project in oil industry. The main idea is to show how the performance of the supply chain can be improved with the integration of various tiers in the chain. Integration is a prerequisite for the effective sharing and utilisation of information between different companies in the chain. Simulation-based methodology for measuring the benefits combines the simulation of business processes with the simulation of supply and demand. A case study of the procurement process in a petrol company is shown with old and renewed business process models and changes in lead-times, process execution costs, quality of the process and inventory costs are estimated