Mohsen Attaran

Exploring the relationship between information technology and business process reengineering

This study examines a series of relationships between information technology (IT) and business process reengineering (BPR). Specifically, it argues that those aspiring to do business process reengineering must begin to apply the capabilities of information technology. This paper provides a summary of IT roles in initiating and sustaining BPR and examines several companies that have successfully applied IT to reengineering. The paper also addressees barriers to successful implementation of reengineering and identifies critical factors for its success.

RFID: an enabler of supply chain operations

Purpose – The desire to cut supply chain costs has made RFID technology one of todays most discussed retail technologies. Given the current implementation pace, the objective of this paper is to go beyond the hype and explore basic issues related to RFID technology, including its promises as well as its pitfalls.Design/methodology/approach – The author provides a conceptual discussion of the evolution of RFID, addresses its capabilities and its application in various industries, discusses implementation challenges, identifies adoption phases, and reviews RFIDs success factors.Findings – RFID is the most recent prolific technology that provides supply chain collaboration and visibility. An RFID systems solution will increase corporate ROI while at the same time improving retail supply chain communication. Handled properly, RFID technology can result in an evolutionary change incorporating legacy systems with the real‐time supply chain management of tomorrow. Its stumbling point seems only to be a variety...

Industrial Diversity and Economic Performance in U.S. Areas

It has often been suggested that economic diversity enhances economic performance, either by promoting higher levels of economic well-being or by improving the ability of regions to cushion the adverse effects of economic cycles. This is the conventional wisdom, but it has not been adequately tested. This study undertakes an investigation of the various aspects of economic diversity to determine whether support can be found for these assumptions by testing them with data from the 50 states and the District of Columbia for the ten-year period from 1972 to 1981. The results suggest that no strict assumptions should be made regarding a clear relationship between economic diversity and growth and stability of unemployment, and per capita incomebased measure of economic performance.

Collaborative supply chain management: The most promising practice for building efficient and sustainable supply chains

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of contemporary supply‐chain management systems.Design/methodology/approach – The paper highlights the examples of state‐of‐the‐art practice in supply‐chain management, and speculates about where this movement is headed. Some of the collaborative supply chain management products generating the most interest will also be examined.Findings – Collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) is the most recent prolific management initiative that provides supply chain collaboration and visibility. By following CPFR, companies can dramatically improve supply chain effectiveness with demand planning, synchronized production scheduling, logistic planning, and new product design. CPFR will force suppliers to innovate, building on strong one‐to‐one relationships that will drive smarter ways of doing things. Most companies and industries can benefit from CPFR. However, companies that experience variation in demand, buy or sell a product on a perio...

Information technology and business‐process redesign

Business‐process redesigns (BPR) and information technology (IT) are natural partners, yet this relationship has not been fully exploited. Those organizations that have used IT to reengineer processes have benefited enormously. This article argues that those aspiring to do business process redesign must begin to apply the capabilities of information technology. Process redesign is not always successful and almost always accompanied by pain or at least unpleasant side effects. Many companies have undertaken reengineering efforts only to abandon them with little or no positive result. How can you increase the odds for success? Here are a few lessons from the front.

The coming age of online procurement

Concerns about cost management have led purchasing officers of many companies to look for new solutions – an Internet‐based electronic procurement system. The promise of Web procurement has made it one of the hottest topics of business‐to‐business e‐commerce. The promise is simple: to streamline administrative routines, and help companies consolidate their purchasing practices, enabling them to receive better discounts and better service from suppliers. Web‐based procurement systems are still in their infancy, and a lot of extra costs are around the corner. This paper presents tips for IT managers for successful implementation of this technology.

Why does reengineering fail? A practical guide for successful implementation

Process redesign is not always successful and is almost always accompanied by pain or at least unpleasant side effects. Many companies have undertaken reengineering efforts only to abandon them with little or no positive results. As important as it is to understand how to reengineer, it is crucial to understand how to avoid the traps. A disciplined, step‐by‐step approach to implementing process redesign is critical to the effort. This article offers a framework for the successful design and construction of the reengineering solution.

Collaborative Computing Technology: The Hot New Managing Tool

In a few years, the Internet has gone from being the communication tool of scientists to a primary route of information exchange for everyone from fashion designers to financial analysts. The Internet and its related services create an interactive working environment for users. Through the Internet, effective collaboration becomes possible whenever, wherever, and with whomever. Recently, there has been a significant growth in collaborative products and services aimed at small and mid‐sized businesses. Discusses the evolution of the collaborative computing technology and addresses the capabilities of this new managing tool. Examines the trends in collaborative products and services and some of the collaborative computing products generating the most interest.

How to succeed at reengineering

Business process reengineering is the hottest trend in management. Done well, it delivers extraordinary gains in speed, productivity, and profitability. But process redesign is not always successful and almost always accompanied by pain or at least unpleasant side effects. Many companies have undertaken reengineering efforts only to abandon them with little or no positive results. How can you increase the odds for success? Here are a few lessons from the front.

The automated factory: Justification and implementation

T he factory of the future seems finally to be realizing the longhoped-for production wonders of customized and diversified products. This factory also provides flexible processes that optimize resources; as a result, lead times are getting shorter, inventories are dropping, machine utilization is increasing, and quality, consistency, and performance are improving. All these results have already been achieved in the U.S. by firms utilizing various forms of factory automation. However, as the automated factory advances quite rapidly in the U.S., disillusionment with automation has surfaced. One technology after another has been denounced by users after reportedly failing as the long-sought cure-all. Disaffections started with materials requirements planning (MRP) and MRP II, moved to robots, and were even expressed in a study that found that 75 percent of the firms surveyed claimed not to have realized cost improvements from their computer-aided design (CAD) systems. Even flexiblemanufacturing systems (FMS) have been criticized for not living up to expectations. These problems lead to the following questions: What does this mean to management? Is the automated factory a fad? Should manufacturers avoid investment in new process technologies? What are the internal and external effects of these new technologies? What are the adaptation obstacles? How can we ensure a successful implementation of the automated factory? The following cases present instances in which American firms capitalized on the advantages of advanced manufacturing technologies. A firm can expect both external and internal benefits from an automated factory, but it can also find certain obstacles to adaptation. Certain steps, however, can aid in implementation and help derive the maximum benefit from the FMS investment.