Cornelius S. L. Schutte

Knowledge creation processes as critical enablers for innovation

Abstract Knowledge conversion is a prominent theme within the knowledge management field and the question arises how knowledge creation processes can grow innovation capability maturity. This notion provides the platform for aligning knowledge creation processes to the requirements for innovation capability growth from one maturity level to the next. In order to achieve this alignment, the authors identified a knowledge creation path as a key enabler for maturity growth in each innovation capability area. Knowledge management tools and organisational facilitating conditions that support the specific knowledge processes highlighted in the identified path were identified through a literature study and subsequently synthesised to form a framework. This framework provides guidelines for the use of knowledge creation processes as a vehicle to improve innovation. The amount of time needed to practically test the framework does not allow for the practical implementation of the framework and the impact of the framework was demonstrated by discussing a practical organisational scenario.

Lean management in indirect business areas: modeling, analysis, and evaluation of waste

Because of the rising complexity of indirect business areas, processes become less transparent and it is therefore more difficult to distinguish between value-adding activities and waste. As an essential requirement for purposeful optimization, all existing types of waste in a process must be identified and quantified in terms of their negative impacts on the process productivity and the customer’s wishes. Hence, this article proposes an approach that increases the transparency and ensures objectivity by concentrating on the value stream, revealing weaknesses, detecting their causes, and evaluating the impact on the process according to the philosophy of Lean Management. The methodology is separated into three main steps: process modeling, analysis, and the evaluation of waste in indirect business areas. This results in an effect-orientated classification of potential waste in the process and yields a priority list of fields of action. The basis for the implementation of process optimization is thus developed.

Mobilising intellectual capital to improve European universities’ competitiveness: The technology transfer offices’ role

Purpose Universities concerned with third mission activities are engines that increase regional competitiveness since their primary role in the knowledge-based economy is to stimulate innovation by transferring new knowledge and technologies to industry and society. The purpose of this paper is to show how IC can be mobilized by university technology transfer offices (TTOs) due to the correlation between efficient university technology transfer and intellectual capital (IC), thus contributing to the third stage of IC research. Design/methodology/approach The application of the Maturity Model developed by Secundo et al. (2016) is expanded by collecting data from 18 universities in the European countries to illustrate how IC can be used as a strategy and solution to the barriers faced by TTOs. Findings TTOs with increased access to and utilization of IC tend to have higher maturity levels. This new application of the Maturity Model, proves that IC can be utilized to manage and improve the efficiency of TTOs. Research limitations/implications An indication of the level of access that TTOs have to university IC is given leading to recommendations to improve university technology transfer. Future research should include a wider sample of universities to increase the validation of the Maturity Model and to prove it as a suitable and strategic approach for IC management at TTOs. Practical implications Knowing which IC components are essential for the efficiency of TTOs, and which IC needs greater utilization, will provide insights into policy and practical interventions to improve their efficiency, resulting in increasing universities’ competitiveness. Originality/value A new approach and perspective on utilizing IC to improve university technology transfer to contribute to the third stage of IC research calling for more practice-oriented research.

Utilizing formal innovation models to support and guide industry innovation projects

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The high failure rate of innovation projects indicates that many companies are not getting the full benefit from their innovation projects [1], [2]. A research project was carried out during 2005 that explored and compared the existing formal models for supporting innovation, in order to address the identified problem. It proposed guidelines for improving and refining innovation projects. A case study that focused on the front-end of product innovation in the wine industry and the applicability of the formal W-model [3] to innovation activities was used to evaluate how formal innovation models can indeed effectively support industry innovation projects. The innovation life cycle was used to categorize a number of innovation frameworks for product, process, and enterprise innovation. Further research should focus on extending the case study to other industries, such as the automotive sector. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die groot aantal onsuksesvolle innovasie projekte dui daarop dat maatskappye nie die volle voordele uit hul innovasie projekte kry nie [1], [2]. n Navorsingsprojek is gedurende 2005 uitgevoer om bestaande formele innovasie modelle te evalueer, ondersoek, en vergelyk, met die doel om bogenoemde probleem aan te spreek en riglyne voor te stel wat innovasie sal bevorder en verfyn. n Gevallestudie, wat fokus op produkinnovasie in die wyn-industrie, is uitgevoer om die toepaslikheid en effektiewe ondersteuning van die formele W-model [3] op spesifieke innovasie aktiwiteite te evalueer. Die innovasie-lewensiklus is ook gebruik om n aantal innovasie-raamwerke te kategoriseer in afdelings vir produk-, onderneming- en proses-innovasie. Toekomstige navorsing behoort te fokus op n uitbreiding van die gevallestudie na ander industrisoos die motorindustrie.

DEVELOPMENT OF A MATURITY MODEL FOR TELEMEDICINE

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: For more than a decade, the South African National Department of Health (DoH) has recognised the potential benefit of information and communication technology (ICT) in the delivery of health care to rural areas. Despite generous funding and proven technology, not many telemedicine systems have proved sustainable after the pilot phase. The purpose of this paper is to develop a maturity model that can be implemented to measure and manage the capability of a health system, for use in the delivery of sustainable health care after the pilot phase of a telemedicine project. The validity of the telemedicine maturity model (TMMM) is tested within the context of the South African public health sector. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid Afrikaanse Nasionale Departement van Gesondheid het reeds meer as n dekade gelede die voordeel besef wat inligtings- en kommunikasietegnologie kan bied ten opsigte van die lewering van gesondheidsorg in afgele gebiede. Ten spyte van ruim befondsing en bewese tegnologie, is daar egter min volgehoue telegeneeskundedienste in die publieke gesondheidstelsel van Suid Afrika. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om n volwassenheids-model te ontwikkel wat gebruik kan word om die vermovan n gesondheidstelsel te bepaal en bestuur, ten einde telegeneeskunde loodsprojekte vol te hou. Die geldigheid van hierdie telegeneeskunde volwassenheidsmodel (TMMM) is getoets binne konteks van die publieke gesondheidsektor van Suid Afrika.

A mechanism for sharing best practices between university technology transfer offices

Research has shown that university technology transfer offices (TTOs) learn through experimentation and failure, and by sharing these experiences with others. There are many barriers to successfully sharing the best practice between TTOs. The Maturity Model (MM) created by Secundo et al. (Meas Bus Excell, 20:42–54, 2016) provides a means by which the performance of a TTO can be better understood to allow for effective sharing of best practices. The aim of this study is to improve and validate the MM to formalize a mechanism through which best practices can be identified and shared between TTOs. This was accomplished by testing the MM in 54 TTOs across Europe and the United Kingdom. Findings regard several improvements of the intangible indicators and the maturity levels of the MM. This research improves the rigor of the MM and formalizes its application as a mechanism for sharing best practices through the Improved MM.

A strategic framework to utilise venture capital funding to develop manufacturing SMEs in South Africa

SMEs contribute considerably to the national GDP and to private sector employment, but they struggle to gain access to the funding needed to support business sustainability and growth. Venture capital provides the necessary funding, but SMEs lack understanding of the business value curve utilised by financiers to gauge the risk-reward characteristics of an investment. Strategies need to convey how the business model will evolve in order to deliver on the strategic intent. A framework is proposed through which SMEs can develop a strategy aligned with investor requirements. As a case study, the framework is applied to the local tooling sector.

The status and challenges of industrial engineering in South Africa

The industrial engineering discipline in South Africa is examined by introducing the context of the discipline and by revisiting its history. The drivers influencing the context and future of industrial engineering in South Africa are also considered, and the discipline is analysed in terms of the following aspects: university qualifications, employment in industry sectors, race and gender profiles, use and competence in industry, and income profiles. The analysis is based on a recent survey sent to practising industrial engineers, on membership data from the Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering (SAIIE), and on two internal SAIIE investigations. The study concludes that the success of transformation, particularly in terms of race, has been limited. The results also indicate that there are an almost equal number of black and white industrial engineers, yet the majority of black industrial engineers have technical qualifications, while the majority of white industrial engineers have academic qualifications. The results indicate that this limits the use of black industrial engineers in industry and, consequently, the success of their careers. This in turn means that there are fewer black role models to attract young black students to the discipline. Some preliminary opportunities to unlock the increased transformation of the profession are identified.

An engineering approach to an integrated value proposition design framework

Numerous problems with product quality and time-to-market launches can be traced back to how the product lifecycle process is managed within the organisation. This article provides insight into how an integrated value proposition design framework shifts product lifecycle management from a product-centric view to a customer-centric view, through the use of good engineering practices as found in the systems engineering discipline. Combining this with methods and tools such as the Refined Kano model, Blue Ocean strategy, and the Generalised Bass model enables the organisation to enhance product and service quality while reducing the time-to-market for new value proposition launches.

A production planning system to continuously integrate the characteristics of reconfigurable manufacturing systems

Operation in a dynamic environment requires companies to constantly adapt their manufacturing systems to stay competitive. One approach to manufacturing is the use of reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS). Current production planning approaches cannot model and realize the production-side adaptions available in RMS. In this article a novel planning system for modeling that continuously integrates the key characteristics of RMS in production planning and control (PPC) is presented. First, the challenges for production planning using RMS are defined. A feasible planning system is then presented, based on modeling and specification approaches, followed by a planning method to realize capacity scalability and functionality changes in planning processes. Finally, a prototypical application is outlined and the planning system is evaluated with the help of different production scenarios. The application results demonstrate the feasibility of the planning system as well as the potential improvement of typical key performance indicators in manufacturing.