Ari-Pekka Hameri

Bridging Practice and Theory: A Design Science Approach

Despite ambitious efforts in various fields of research over multiple decades, the goal of making academic research relevant to the practitioner remains elusive: theoretical and academic research interests do not seem to coincide with the interests of managerial practice. This challenge is more fundamental than knowledge transfer, it is one of diverging knowledge interests and means of knowledge production. In this paper, we look at this fundamental challenge through the lens of design science, which is an approach aimed primarily at discovery and problem-solving as opposed to accumulation of theoretical knowledge. We explore in particular the ways in which problem-solving research and theory-oriented academic research can complement one another. In operations management (OM) research, recognizing and building on this complementarity is especially crucial, because problem-solving-oriented research produces the very artifacts (e.g., technologies) that empirical OM research subsequently evaluates in an attempt to build explanatory theory. It is indeed the practitioner - not the academic scientist - who engages in basic research in OM. This idiosyncrasy prompts the question: how can we enhance the cross-fertilization between academic research and research practice to make novel theoretical insights and practical relevance complementary? This article proposes a design science approach to bridge practice to theory, not vice versa, theory to practice.

On the relationship between inventory and financial performance in manufacturing companies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between inventory performance, both total inventory (INV) and its discrete components (raw material (RMI), work‐in‐process (WIP), and finished goods (FGI)), and financial performance in manufacturing companies.Design/methodology/approach – Statistical analysis is applied to the financial information of US‐based manufacturing firms over the 26‐year period from 1980 to 2005.Findings – The paper finds a significant positive correlation between inventory performance (total as well as the discrete components of inventory) and measures of financial performance (at both the gross and operating levels) for firms in manufacturing industries. The correlation between the performance of discrete types of inventory and financial performance varies significantly across inventory types. RMI performance has the highest correlation with all financial performance measures. Between WIP inventory and FGI performance, the former is more highly correlated with gr...

A framework of industrial knowledge spillovers in big-science centers

Abstract We employed the grounded theory method to construct a framework describing the distinctive mechanisms through which big-science centers generate industrial knowledge spillovers in the economy. Our focus is on large-scale big-science installations typically associated with experimental physics. We draw on social network, social capital, and inter-organizational learning theories to examine knowledge spillovers accruing to industrial partner companies in big-science–industry dyads. The context for the study is provided by CERN’s new particle accelerator project, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). In addition to building a grounded theory framework for the study of industrial knowledge spillovers, our study demonstrates the distinctive potential that big-science centers offer as a source of knowledge spillovers in national innovation systems.

Distributed New Product Development Project Based on Internet and World‐Wide Web: A Case Study

Abstract The deluge of hype about the wonders of the Internet, Intranets, and the World Wide Web continues unabated. At the same time, we hear numerous tales about endless streams of busy signals, broken connections, and painfully slow response times. Surveying the apparent gap between the promise and the often-painful reality, a skeptical manager might reasonably question whether this technology can satisfy the rigorous demands of business users such as product development project teams. In a case study of a large, geographically distributed product development project, Ari-Pekka Hameri and Jukka Nihtila find that Web-based applications can play an important role in new-product development (NPD) efforts. Particularly when projects involve numerous teams from various locations, such tools can provide effective media for communicating and disseminating information. The case study also suggests that these networked information technology (IT) applications can offer important benefits in terms of project and process management. The project described in this study involves a major NPD collaboration, with several independent subprojects and hundreds of team members from various research institutes and companies. The Internet and the World Wide Web provide the media for managing and disseminating project data. Using hypertext links, the Web-based system gives team members easy access to engineering drawings, 3D models, parameter lists, prototype test results, and other engineering information. The point-and-click interface also allows team members to access information about the project structure and schedules, as well as meeting notes, newsgroups, and electronic bulletin boards. Analysis of the file-transfer activities between the Web server and the project groups highlights several important points regarding networked IT applications, information sharing, and project management. First, the system used in this project serves primarily for disseminating information, rather than for fostering collaboration between different groups. Increased collaboration among networked team members probably requires more sophisticated version- and configuration-management capabilities. Second, file-transfer activities typically come in bursts around project milestones; this highlights the essential role that project milestones play in coordinating the work of distributed team members. The electronic media enhance not only the work leading up to milestones, but also the dissemination of decisions made at each milestone.

Technology transfer between basic research and industry

Abstract Pure science-driven incentives and applied industrial and technology policy have seldom produced significant synergy. The demarcation between basic and applied research is still valid, yet from the industrial and macro-economic point of view this classification has become obsolete and the pursuit towards common welfare should be prioritized. This paper studies what steps should be taken in a large-scale basic research centre to produce, in a more efficient way, both the epistemic utilities required by the scientific community and the practical utilities demanded by industrial and national institutions. The aim is to develop an approach that enables industrial companies to consolidate themselves with the technologies and other services needed to accomplish major basic research experiments. The paper provides an overview of the concepts describing the technology transfer, diffusion and innovation functions in an organization and how they should be implemented into the strategy and operational activities of a basic research centre. The paper concludes that without organized and well focused interaction with industry the gains from basic research are not exploited. It presents various scenarios of cooperation and practical suggestions to accomplish fertile communication between academic community and industry. The key factor in collaboration is in learning by interacting; thus, being part of the knowledge creation process, the prospects for both scientific inventions and industrial innovations are established. The underlying case is that of CERN and especially the 10-year accelerator project at its commencement.

A framework of motivations for industry-big science collaboration: A case study

Abstract The epistemic (knowledge creation) benefits of big science centres are obvious to everyone. During an era of tight budgetary constraints, however, it is difficult to justify the existence of these centres on the basis of their epistemic contributions alone. Although it is recognized that the contributions are not limited to epistemic types only, the picture of other types of contribution (e.g., spin-off benefits) remains blurred. The present paper proposes a framework for depicting and discussing the various contributions of big science centres in a systematic manner. The main objective of the paper is to provide policy-makers, industrialists, and academics with a framework to justify, motivate and establish systematic technological interaction between big science centres and industry. The framework comprises six basic dimensions. These dimensions are viewed both from the industrial and from the scientific perspective, and partly from the public perspective. It is argued that direct and measurable incentives constitute only a fraction of the overall benefits stemming from the industrial-scientific collaboration. The paper concludes with a framework of motivations and actions to materialize them.

Assessing the drivers of change for cross‐border supply chains

Purpose – This paper aims to systematically document drivers of change and the implications they will have on international supply chain management in the coming two decades.Design/methodology/approach – This study was commissioned by the World Customs Organization (WCO) at the end of June 2006. Because of increased trade volumes, emerging complex supply networks and heightened security concerns, the WCO saw the need to assess future trends and drivers in supply chain management. The Delphi method was applied to identify a set of foreseeable drivers of change and to assess their predicted impact on global supply chain management in the coming ten to 20 years. Based on a literature review of 150 recent publications and interviews among 33 industry, academic and customs experts, a survey was designed and conducted to collect current and potential change drivers in global supply chains. These drivers were compiled and prioritized by an eclectic team of 12 specialists.Findings – The main results of the study ...

What to be implemented at the early stage of a large-scale project

Abstract This paper addresses the importance of the actions to be taken before the project planning phases begin. The approach taken stems from the production planning paradigm, with emphasis on the product, rather than on the process. It is argued that a complete part list or product breakdown structure (PBS) is the absolute prerequisite for the design of a successful work breakdown structure (WBS) for a project. This process requires the definition of the design and configuration disciplines during the engineering phase. These critical issues of concurrent engineering and product development are also emphasized in the paper. The WBS is, in turn, needed to establish a suitable organizational breakdown structure (OBS or organigram) for the project. Finally, the assembly sequence and the related assembly breakdown structure (ABS) of the end product is required before commencing the project planning phase, which provides the schedules, resource allocation, progress control, and the like for the project management. Detailed definition of the product enables the definition of the work packages within the WBS, which combined with the installation information provide the means to structure the layout for the project organization. The result of the entire process, that begins with the product definition phase and ends with the completion of the planning phase, is called the project management plan. The procedure described in the paper will be used to design the project management plan for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a 10-year ‘ordeal’ commencing at the beginning of the 1995, at CERN.

Improved project management through improved document management

By drawing from field studies on three different types of business projects the paper outlines a improved document management approach. The three global cases, which comprise business process re-engineering (BPR), new product development (NPD) and one-of-a-kind manufacturing, enable to track a common set of document based operations which hold the vital information for the success of respective cases. This information reveals what is the true active organisation of the enterprise, what are the document usage profiles of the people and how knowledge-related creative processes are really performed by the organisation. In addition, the management is provided with new means to measure operational performance with better encompassing metrics. The approach and its partial implementation act as glue between various systems used within and between the collaborating companies.

Project management in a long-term and global one-of-a-kind project

Abstract This paper discusses the project management issues in global one-of-a-kind-projects with several years of duration along with considerable design and engineering work. The main functions related to the coordination of such projects are related to communication, product control and management itself. Exploitation of modern communication technologies provides the project with the means to tackle collaboration barriers stemming from geographically distant partners. Yet, it is argued that electronic networking must be complemented with carefully phased face-to-face milestone meetings. Product control aspect breaks down into design change, engineering work and information flow control, that is configuration management. In this way the product and its compliance with customer needs is secured with overall cost efficiency during the products whole life cycle. Apart from the traditional planning, scheduling and control functions, along with the ultimate authorization, the project management issues also cover the integrative role and, above all, the reconnaissance procedures to detect from past and present progress the prominent near-future pitfalls. Based on empirical observations of global one-of-a-kind projects the paper argues that strict management protocols combined with efficient communication infrastructure provide the best means to ensure that the project goals are met under the given budget, schedule and quality requirements.