Ip-Shing Fan

A framework to review performance measurement systems

Purpose – This paper aims to describe a structured review framework for managing business performance. The framework entails the review of business performance, including the strategic relevance of the measures, as well as the efficiency and effectiveness of the performance measurement system itself.Design/methodology/approach – A range of approaches and tools are employed in the framework, which features a review card providing a high‐level view of the review process, showing the different types of review perspectives and their interactions.Findings – The performance measurement system of an organisation is a mechanism to manage and control the organisation. Maintaining the effectiveness of the organisation and the measurement systems requires a systematic review process. The process of reviewing performance is a complex task that spans the whole organisation. A good review process seeks the correct balance between organisational benefits and the effort required.Originality/value – Overall, the framework...

Supply chain ontology: Review, analysis and synthesis

In an environment where supply chains compete against supply chains, information sharing among supply chain partners using information systems is a competitive tool. Supply chain ontology has been proposed as an important medium for attaining information systems interoperability. Ontology has its origin in philosophy, and the computing community has adopted ontology in its language. This paper presents a study of state of the art research in supply chain ontology and identifies the outstanding research gaps. Six supply chain ontology models were identified from a systematic review of literature. A seven point comparison framework was developed to consider the underlying concepts as well as application of the ontology models. The comparison results were then synthesised into nine gaps to inform future supply chain ontology research. This work is a rigorous and systematic attempt to identify and synthesise the research in supply chain ontology.

A Prolog simulator for interactive flexible manufacturing systems control

A simulation model of an in-line Flexible Manufacturing System has been built using the declarative computer programming lan guage PROLOG. The model is a vehicle for the study of dynamic responses of Flexible Manufacturing System control. Animation of system status and powerful user interaction are essential for this application. A simple but effective structure has been formulated in PROLOG as a core kernel of the simulator. The decision making process is modelled as a set of functional queues. Partitioning of the de cision functions permits modeling of complex peer-to-peer co ordinated decision making in non-trivial control environments. This offers many advantages over traditional manufacturing simu lation systems. The authors describe appropriate strategies for the realization of acceptable computational performance while retaining the powerful benefits of the PROLOG environment. The result is a practical operational system which features an incremental de velopment upgrade path, quick prototyping, fast and clearly understood code changes.

Inter-organisational costing approaches - the inhibiting factors

– The purpose of this paper is to highlight the limitations of current accounting practices in an inter‐organisational context; introduce contemporary costing approaches used in inter‐organisational costing (IOC) programmes; and identify the inhibitors of successful implementation of IOC programmes., – The paper uses a structured review of empirical and theoretical literature., – Traditional accounting practices do not adequately fulfil their role in the inter‐organisational context. Contemporary accounting practices overcome only some limitations of traditional accounting practices. The paper uncovers part of the complexity surrounding the implementation of IOC programmes and suggests that we are dealing with a broad inter‐disciplinary phenomenon., – Conclusions are drawn on a conceptual level and further empirical investigation is encouraged., – The paper raises the awareness of the complexity surrounding the implementation of IOC programmes. The broad set of inhibiting factors could be effectively used by managers to assess the readiness of organisations involved in implementation of IOC programmes., – This research is the first that systematically addresses the problem of inhibitors in the implementation of IOC programmes. The broad scope of the paper sets the foundations for more focused research into specific inhibiting factors.

Towards the integrative supply chain model

Although empirical studies show that supply chain integration is associated with high levels of business and operational performance, some authors argue that there is no need to pursue total end-to-end supply chain integration and different or relationship-by-relationship approaches are needed. This paper introduces the first step in the development of the business process model, which might facilitate the building of closer relationships among businesses and therefore endorse supply chain integration. The aim of this paper is to determine whether there is some generic set of supply chain processes, which support material and information flows in a dyadic relationship. Through the literature review, two supply chain process frameworks (SCPFs), namely supply chain operations reference and global supply chain forum, have been identified together with nine evaluation criteria. Evaluation results provide evidence on the generic set of supply chain processes together with the insights into specific advantages and common shortcomings of these two widely recognised SCPFs.

Practitioner requirements for integrated Knowledge-Based Engineering in Product Lifecycle Management

The effective management of knowledge as capital is considered essential to the success of engineering product/service systems. As Knowledge Management (KM) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) practice gain industrial adoption, the question of functional overlaps between both the approaches becomes evident. This article explores the interoperability between PLM and Knowledge-Based Engineering (KBE) as a strategy for engineering KM. The opinion of key KBE/PLM practitioners are systematically captured and analysed. A set of ranked business functionalities to be fulfiled by the KBE/PLM systems integration is elicited. The article provides insights for the researchers and the practitioners playing both the user and development roles on the future needs for knowledge systems based on PLM.

International Standard Development for Knowledge Based Engineering Services for Product Lifecycle Management

In September 2005, the international information technology standard body Object Management Group (OMG) published a Request for Proposal (RFP) for an international standard for Knowledge Based Engineering (KBE) Services for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). The standard aims to facilitate the integration of KBE applications in a PLM environment. KBE has been used in key engineering industry to deliver significant business benefits and has been a catalyst for changes in engineering processes. In recent years, mainstream CAD vendors begin to incorporate KBE functionalities in their solutions. PLM is evolving from the platform to manage engineering data to the repository of complete enterprise knowledge. As CAD becomes more knowledge based, the convergence of KBE and PLM is expected to happen soon. The OMG standard RFP is an action to accelerate this convergence. The RFP is the result of an international effort with a team that includes engineering end users, software vendors and researchers. This paper presents the essence and the development process of the RFP to widen the engagement with the engineering research community.

A Work Breakdown Structure that Integrates Different Views in Aircraft Modification Projects

The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) defines the work scope of a project. The way a WBS is defined depends on the person and his/her viewpoint. The aircraft modification business carries out a great variety of projects. Although the core skills and tasks are similar, there are very few projects that are exact repetition of previous work. The reuse of information is difficult without a good structure to archive and manage project information. This paper presents an integrated WBS approach for managing the work scope in aircraft modification projects. The model is the result of an in-depth study and analysis of the working methods in an aircraft modification industrial company. This WBS is designed to incorporate the information needs and the views of the different functions involved in aircraft modification. It provides the structure for the reuse of information, such as cost and schedules, in the diverse range of aircraft modification projects. In this model, the top tiers of the WBS are configured from a pre-defined industry specific template. The lower tiers are defined with a flexible structure to support the different views of the knowledge users and providers in the project. The information need for all the life stages of the project is fully covered. The integrated WBS is being implemented in an enterprise wide computing solution that is used for cost estimating in the collaborating company. The same approach could be used to enhance knowledge reuse where there is a great diversity in project contracts.

Supplier knowledge exchange in aerospace product engineering

With the high level of outsourcing in aerospace engineering and manufacture, the effective use of knowledge across the supply chain is acknowledged to be crucial to the success of any projects. “Knowledge”, however, may have different meanings and context. Presents a view of the supplier knowledge in relation to the product engineering process. The different types of supplier knowledge in the five key stages of the aerospace product development process are explained. An existing joint supplier improvement information system is used to illustrate best practice in supply‐base management. Tools that could be used in the different modes of supplier involvement are briefly introduced. Represents part of the results of three industrial research projects that interacted with the supply bases of two large British aerospace companies.

Framework for e-government assessment in developing countries: case study from Sudan

In developing countries where resources are limited it is vital to set e-government strategies and direct investment judiciously. Current frameworks focus on risk assessments are ineffectual in developing country’s e-government planning. This study presents a framework for assessing e-government maturity in developing countries, to facilitate decision-making regarding: technical infrastructure; management; values; and strategies. The framework is applied in the situation in Sudan. The results show that while Sudan e-government is still in its early stages, the main advance has been made on technology readiness. Future investment in ‘soft’ areas will help capitalise on the technological developments and lead to socio-economic improvements in Sudan.