Hongyi Sun

Total quality management, ISO 9000 certification and performance improvement

Records the research on the relationship between TQM, ISO 9000 certification and business performance improvement. The research is based on a survey conducted in Norway. Finds that the TQM criteria (or enablers) such as quality leadership, human resource development, quality information, etc. contribute to the improvement of customer satisfaction and business performance. However, none of these TQM enablers can guarantee enhanced performance. It is these enablers as a whole that contribute collectively to the improvement of performance. The study also finds that ISO 9000 standards are partially related to the implementation of TQM and the improvement of business performance. The recommendation is that ISO 9000 should be incorporated with the philosophy and methods of TQM.

Critical success factors for new product development in the Hong Kong toy industry

Abstract Hong Kong’s manufacturers have become some of the world’s most efficient toy producers, and are also the world’s biggest exporter of toys. However, the Hong Kong toy industry is mainly Original Engineering Manufacturing (OEM) and does not invest large amounts in R&D activities such as the development of new toy designs and the creation of new toys. With increasing competition from Mainland China and other Asian countries, it is important for Hong Kong companies to invest more in R&D and to develop their own design capabilities or more value-added edges which cannot be substituted easily by their competitors. Therefore, this research paper aims to explore the critical success factors (CSFs) for new product development (NPD) in the Hong Kong toy industry, and, novelly, examines both the project and functional levels. Using the Biblical Metaphor Model, this research identifies a group of critical success factors for each phase of NPD. Moreover, the research also reveals which factors have been implemented and which have not. The implications from this research, therefore, are rather obvious, and companies should be able to easily identify the areas in which improvement is needed in the future. Since the research is custom-designed for the Hong Kong toy industry, and previous research indicates that NPD is both country- and industry-specific, the specific results should not be applied to other industries in other countries. However, the actual research design and data analysis framework could be used to investigate the same problem in other industries.

The formalisation of manufacturing strategy and its influence on the relationship between competitive objectives, improvement goals, and action plans

This paper intends to contribute to a better understanding of manufacturing strategy content by describing and analysing the content and formalisation of manufacturing strategies, and by exploring the relationships between the formalisation of manufacturing strategy, business/competitive objectives, improvement goals, and action plans. The study is based on the data from the third International Manufacturing Strategy Survey, which was conducted in more than 20 countries. The analysis shows that in companies with a formal strategy competitive priorities, improvement goals and action programs are significantly better aligned in companies without such a strategy. This finding is encouraging for operations management scholars, as it suggests that after 30‐odd years Skinners missing link has been re‐discovered, and it supports OM practitioners in their ongoing battle to safeguard the position of manufacturing in the corporate debate.

The alignment between manufacturing and business strategies: its influence on business performance

Abstract This paper reports the influence of alignment between manufacturing strategy and business strategy on business performance and the contribution of manufacturing performance to business performance. The research is based on the empirical data from the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS) conducted in more than 20 countries. The results include: (1) the alignment of manufacturing strategy and business strategy positively influences the improvement of business performances; (2) the manufacturing–business alignment also positively influences the manufacturing contribution to the improvement of business performance. The conclusion is that only when the manufacturing strategy and business strategy are in alignment, can manufacturing contribute to the improvement of business performance and business objectives can be achieved. The main implication is that the production/manufacturing function should be involved in the strategic decision-making.

The trajectory of implementing ISO 9000 standards versus total quality management in Western Europe

This paper investigates the pattern or trajectory of implementing ISO 9000 standards versus TQM in Western Europe from a longitudinal perspective, using empirical data. The research is based on three large‐scale surveys conducted in 1992‐1993, 1996‐1997 and 2001‐2002 respectively, in 13 Western European countries. The results of the surveys show that European companies have put considerable effort into ISO 9000 certification. However, the results also reveal that, around 1996‐1997, European companies had also planned to implement TQM. However, the result of the planned “go beyond ISO to TQM” fell short of the anticipated extent, indicating that the adoption of TQM in Europe was slower than expected. Early in the twenty‐first century, European companies are still very keen on implementing TQM, indicating an obvious intention to shift from ISO 9000 to TQM. To ensure that the shift will occur this time however, the two approaches must be integrated properly. Although both ISO 9000 standards and the TQM/EFQM model have been recently updated or modified, how to best incorporate the two systems remains one of the major tasks of quality management in the future.

Current and future patterns of using advanced manufacturing technologies

Abstract This article records the findings from the survey about the pattern of current uses and future tendency of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (AMT). The empirical data come from the project International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS) which covers 18 countries. It was found that CAD, MRP, LAN, and CNC machines are the most popular AMTs used now. It seems that there is a sequence of adopting AMT, namely from simple to complicated. Green field and fully-integrated CIM systems seem to be rare. In three years, the uses of CAPP and shared database will significantly increase, which indicate the increase in integration level of manufacturing system. However, the main configuration of manufacturing will be stand-alone, islands of automation, and limited integration. Fully computerised integration in manufacturing system will unlikely be the main model in the near future. Regarding the relationship between AMT uses and performance improvement seems to be complicated and a couple of different patterns are identified. Practical implications, limitations and future research are also discussed finally.

Supplier integration strategy for lean manufacturing adoption in electronic‐enabled supply chains

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to formulate supplier integration strategy with the aim to eliminate Ohnos manufacturing wastes and empirically examines its influence on lean manufacturing adoption in electronic‐enabled manufacturing supply chains (EMSC).Design/methodology/approach – The proposed theoretical model is tested with the survey data obtained from 558 manufacturers in 17 countries which is stratified into two groups of small/large firms for measuring the significance of measurements.Findings – The influential factors comprising the supplier integration strategy, i.e. information sharing, e‐business systems and policy‐based supplier selection, have positive influence on the long‐term lean manufacturing adoption in small‐ and medium‐sized firms. Besides, the results reveal that manufacturers may commit ongoing use of lean manufacturing only if it has been using regularly.Research limitations/implications – The study is conducted from the stand point of a manufacturing firm. Hence, the con...

A comparison of quality management practices in Shanghai and Norwegian manufacturing companies

Records the research that investigates the differences in quality management between Shanghai and Norwegian manufacturing companies. The research is based on a survey supported by the Norwegian Association for Quality Management (NFK) and the Shanghai Association for Quality Control (SAQC). The research reveals major differences between the two parties. Compared with their Norwegian counterparts, Shanghai companies place greater emphasis on quality control and statistical methods while neglecting customer satisfaction and quality assurance. The final conclusion is that, although managers appreciate the importance of quality management, quality management in Shanghai is still focused on internal quality control, which is still far from Total Quality Management (TQM). Practical implications for future improvement in Shanghai companies and foreign joint ventures in Shanghai are discussed. Future research is also discussed.

The patterns of implementing TQM versus ISO 9000 at the beginning of the 1990s

This paper presents the results of a study which aims to review the pattern of implementing TQM versus ISO 9000 at the beginning of the 1990s, so that companies may learn from their past experiences. The research is based on an international survey of 600 companies from 20 countries. It is found that the implementation of ISO 9000 is not always in parallel with the implementation of TQM. A quality map is used to reveal four different paradigms, namely: Low paradigm, characterized by less TQM and less ISO 9000; ISO paradigm with more ISO 9000 but less TQM; TQM paradigm with more TQM but less ISO 9000; and Neo‐TQM paradigm with both more TQM and more ISO 9000. It is found that implementing ISO 9000 alone does not contribute much to quality improvement, while the combination of TQM and ISO 9000 contributes the most. Different paths to the paradigm which combines TQM and ISO 9000 are proposed.

An extension of IDT in examining the relationship between electronic-enabled supply chain integration and the adoption of lean production

Lean production is proved to be an effective tool for companies to improve continuously and is widely studied from both practical and theoretical perspectives. However, most previous studies of lean production are limited to internal operations of a company. The research in this paper aims to explain the relationship between electronic-enabled supply chain integration and the adoption of lean production. A theoretical model with six hypotheses was proposed based on the innovation diffusion theory (IDT). The model was empirically tested with data from 558 manufacturers. The results show that: (1) IDT can explain lean production adoption; and (2) electronic-enabled supply chain integration positively influences the perceived relative advantage of lean production and consequently leads to its long-term adoption. This study uses IDT to explain lean production adoption with the influence of electronic-enabled manufacturing supply chain (EMSC). The study also has a practical implication that may change the supply policy in future practices, as companies may require their suppliers to implement EMSC as part of the lean production requirements.