Catherine Da Cunha

Group multi-criteria design concept evaluation using combined rough set theory and fuzzy set theory

An interval-based relative closeness index is proposed to rank design concepts.Design concepts with respect to quantitative criteria are evaluated with rough set.Design concepts with respect to qualitative criteria are evaluated with fuzzy set.The weights of criteria are obtained using the extent analysis method on fuzzy AHP.The results of design concept evaluation for our method are compared to TOPSIS. Design concept evaluation is a critical stage in the product development which has significant impact on the downstream process in product development thus on success of new product. Design concept evaluation is widely recognized as a complex multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem involving various decision criteria and large amount of data which are usually imprecise and subjective. This paper proposes a new decision-making method to evaluate product design concepts based on the distance between interval vectors each alternative and positive and negative ideal reference vectors. Rank of design concepts is obtained by calculating interval-based relative closeness index for each alternative. In this method, to deal with uncertainty and vagueness of data in the primary phases of product design, performance of design concepts with respect to quantitative and qualitative criteria are concurrently evaluated using rough set and fuzzy set. The weights of criteria used in the evaluation are obtained using the extent analysis method on fuzzy AHP. The efficacy of the method is demonstrated with a numerical example and the results are compared to TOPSIS method. In final, the conclusions of our method are represented and some future directions are proposed to improve the model.

Tailoring performance evaluation to specific industrial contexts – application to sustainable mass customisation enterprises

This paper proposes an approach for measuring performance improvement through prioritising and aggregating performance indicators (PIs). The proposed approach helps practitioners build, in a formal way, their performance measurement systems. The novelty of the methodology lies in: (i) adapting PIs to specific industrial contexts according to companies concerns and (ii) supporting the decision-making process by providing a holistic and limited number of aggregated PIs. The context considered in the current research is sustainable mass customisation (SMC). Accordingly, a set of SMC indicators are used to illustrate the applicability of the methodology. The implementation and illustration with a real case showed some evidence of its usefulness and pointed out several improvement rooms.

Value network modelling and simulation for strategic analysis: a discrete event simulation approach

The survival of a company nowadays depends on answering to a customer-driven economy, and therefore relies on the performance of its entire network of partners. Competition is no longer among companies nor among supply chains, but rather between networks of companies which form a value network. Thus, the need has arisen to analyse the performance of a network of companies, and include the customer-perceived value in the strategic decision-making process. This paper proposes a framework and a tool to model, simulate and analyse a value network as a decision support system. The method extends the SimulValor approach and language. The discrete event simulation tool relies on a developed value network simulation library. This paper presents a case study in the shoemaking industry to validate the proposed approach.

Progress management in performance-driven systems: study of the 5Steps® roadmapping, a solution for managing organizational capabilities and their learning curves

Abstract Nowadays performance is tending towards the control of the potential of achievement of organization. The systems for performance evaluation and management are therefore focusing on the control of organizational learning processes, by identifying organizational capabilities and managing their development. To this end, a new method has appeared, the 5Steps® “roadmapping:. This paper aims at presenting and discussing its mechanisms, its impacts on organizations, and its limits.

Composition of module stock for final assembly using an enhanced genetic algorithm

The paper focuses on modelling and solving a design problem, namely the selection of a set of modules to be manufactured at one or more distant sites and shipped to a proximity site for final assembly subject to time constraints. The problem is modelled as a mathematical one, and solved by an appropriately designed genetic algorithm enhanced with a modified crossover operation, a uniform mutation with adaptive rate and a partial reshuffling procedure. The actual design problem is solved with 17 components. Larger problems may be solved without modifying the modelling steps, although they may require variation in terms of processing time, depending on the constraints that exist between the components.

Review of Trends in Production and Logistic Networks and Supply Chain Evaluation

This paper is a state of the art review of trends, theories and practices in production and logistic networks and the evaluation of supply chains. The paper outlines the progression of concepts from supply chains to the definition of production networks, summarises the trends for virtual companies and outlines recent research in logistics. The use of competence profiling is reviewed for selecting companies for a network, on the basis of core competencies. New methodologies for performance assessment of production networks are also reviewed, together with well established benchmarks arising from the lean and agile methodologies.

Differentiation and customer decoupling points: An integrated design approach for mass customization:

Mass customization draws a twofold benefit: cost reduction, inherited from mass production techniques, and good response to customer requirements, inherited from customization. Two main decisions, relevant to design and manufacturing, are required for the proper implementation of mass customization. First, product features should be split between standard and customizable ones. This will position the product differentiation points. Second, processes should be split between make-to-stock and make-to-order. This will position the customer-order decoupling point. Most often, these two decisions are made separately. In this article, the authors advocate that both decisions should be made simultaneously. They propose an integrated method for design for mass customization. It is based on simultaneously evaluating the impact of these two criteria on enterprise and customer value through the modeling and simulation of value networks. A real case study on Alpina footwear industries is simulated and analyzed. The computational results highlight the joint impact of the two decisions on the overall performance. These two levers should then be considered, simultaneously, when designing the mass customization strategy.

Conceptual model and IT system for organizational capability management

Organizational Capability Approach opens new perspectives for developing and sharing organizational competencies around the strategy of globalized companies. This paper explores this approach and aims at implementing it practically. Thus it provides a conceptual model named C-makers, which is then used in the design of IT solutions to manage organizational capabilities (mechanisms for transfer, assessment, renewal). These propositions are finally experimented on the case of an automotive supplier, Valeo Group.

Sustainable Organizational Learning in Group: A Digital Double-Loop System Based on Knowledge Maturity and Performance Assessment

This paper studies organizational learning issues in groups, which can be summarized by the inherent contradiction between « boosting and detecting local innovation » (so that group learns from its entities) and « coding, standardizing and transferring good practices and organizational capabilities » (so as group teaches its entities). This article describes some theoretical mechanisms to solve this “learner/teacher” duality. Then a digital system is proposed to manage and assess locally and globally this organizational learning, illustrated by its use in an automotive supplier group. Finally, new developments are made so as to make the learning system more sustainable.

Manufacturing Plant Layout Supported with Data Mining Techniques

The question of plant layout is central in a manufacturing process. This question becomes even more important in a mass customization context, when a large product diversity has to be managed. The manufacturing process, and specifically the plant layout, has to be designed taking into account this characteristic. When all products are similar, manufacturing plant layouts are relatively easy to design; difficulties come when all products are different and require specific manufacturing operations.