Nikolaos A. Panayiotou

An e-procurement system for governmental purchasing

Abstract During the last few years, a large number of new procurement business models has been developed, mostly concerning companies operating in the private sector. Their main objective is the introduction of new technologies such as e-business for the fulfilment of the procurement process of indirect goods. Lately, such models are also developed for organisations operating in the public sector all over Europe. This paper presents a case study concerning the analysis of the Greek governmental purchasing process carried out from the General Secretariat of Commerce, part of the Ministry of Development and the functions’ definition of the new e-procurement system. The methodological approach as well as the tools used are analysed and the achieved results are presented. The objective of the analysis is the identification of potential problematic areas and the design of new processes in order to maximise the possibilities of a successful implementation of a new e-procurement system. The outcome of the new process design enabled the definition of the analytical functional specifications of the appropriate solution.

The integration of activity based costing and enterprise modeling for reengineering purposes

Abstract This paper describes an approach to integrate the Activity Based Costing (ABC) technique within the framework of GRAI Integrated Methodology (GIM) in order to assist business process reengineering justification and evaluation. The first step of integration is to have ABC adopt cost pools and lists of activities derived from GIM process modeling. Further on ABC is involved in two stages of the methodology: (a) ABC adds to the ECOGRAI method of performance modeling by supporting the determination of the right performance indicators that are responsible for business process costs. (b) ABC is a sound approach to translate operational performance indicators not found in accounting ledgers into financial terms and the companys profit bottom line. The approach has been developed during the Esprit research project REALMS and implementation results from two industrial partners are presented.

A proposed methodological framework for the evaluation of corporate social responsibility

This paper suggests a proposed methodological framework that can be followed by the companies in order to implement an effective CSR programme in all the areas of their operation. consisting of three distinct stages: Analysis, Execution and Performance Evaluation. The suggested framework permits the development of corporate CSR programmes adapted to the unique characteristics of each sector and company, emphasizing on different stages according to organisational activities, missions and the resources that can be utilised. The framework includes weighted performance indicators relating to a companys impact on different areas of activity such as the environment, the community, the human capital, the shareholders and the marketplace (customers and suppliers).

Risk management as a strategic issue for the implementation of ERP systems: a case study from the oil industry

The introduction of complicated and expensive Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP) in companies operating in the process industry has become a strategic issue. The success of Information Technology (IT) implementation projects is dependent upon technological issues (software and hardware), the design of new efficient processes and the utilisation of human resources that will participate in new processes using the new IT solution. Risk management can be an important component of strategy helping in the identification and control of project-related risks. The methodology presented in this paper proposes a structured risk management approach for the successful implementation of ERP systems. The application of the proposed methodology is demonstrated within a case study concerning a European company operating in the petroleum sector. The conclusion drawn by the study is that the risk management strategic approach is of significant importance when the best outcome from the implementation of an ERP project in industry needs to be obtained.

Greece: A Comparative Study of CSR Reports

The last few decades have witnessed an increase in the awareness on the part of corporate entities in Western democracies that they are morally obliged to give something back to the society. To demonstrate that they “care” about people and the environment they operate in, organizations have taken different courses of action. The corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports which are annually published, in addition to the traditional annual financial reports, are considered as one of the vehicles used to demonstrate how caring they have been during the financial period that has just ended and how they intend to continue to be even more proactive in the future. This study examines the adoption of CSR practices and looks at the CSR reports of many companies across different industries in Greece. The CSR disclosures are further classified and the results are analysed and interpreted in order to draw conclusions and to predict the future of CSR in Greece.

A business process modeling-enabled requirements engineering framework for ERP implementation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the benefits of the application of a requirements engineering framework to assist Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) development. This framework combines the technology-driven and the process-driven approaches for requirements analysis and implementation. Specific business process modeling methods enhance the framework and assist the formulation of the functional specifications of the ERP system and the management of requirements. Design/methodology/approach – A case study strategy was chosen as the most appropriate method to answer the research question and test the theoretical propositions. The case study’s unit of analysis is a Greek manufacturing company and its ERP implementation project. A requirements engineering framework enhanced with business process modeling methods was applied and the results were evaluated using metrics for ERP implementation success. Data were collected using multiple sources of evidences, including interviews wi...

Designing an industrial maintenance system: a proposed methodological framework

Nowadays, plant maintenance has gained significant recognition as a very important process, which can be transformed to a potential profit generator for the corporation. The development of a suitable maintenance concept enables the decision of specific maintenance strategies based on the existing situational factors that affect the organisation. A clear maintenance concept permits the design of the maintenance system that will be responsible for efficient and effective plant maintenance. This paper proposes a maintenance system design framework and presents a successful implementation of the suggested design framework in a Greek manufacturing company.

Performance Analysis Of The Greek Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting Companies – Proposal Of An Evaluation Methodology

This paper examines the adoption of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and looks at CSR reports of many companies across different industries in Greece. The CSR disclosures are further classifi ed and the results are analysed and interpreted. A proposed methodological framework is suggested, which can be followed by the companies to implement an effective CSR programme in all the areas of their operation consisting of three distinct stages: Analysis, Execution and Performance Evaluation. The suggested framework permits the development of corporate CSR programmes adapted to the unique characteristics of each sector and company, emphasising different stages according to organisational activities, missions and the resources that can be utilised. The framework includes weighted performance indicators relating to a company’s impact on different areas of activity such as environment, community, human capital, shareholders and marketplace. The application of the proposed methodological framework is demonstrated in two companies, an industrial one and a fi nancial one.

A Study On The Corporate Social ResponsibilityReports Of Greek Companies And The Use OfAlternative Evaluation Methodologies

Over the last decade there has been an apparent shift from adopting more responsible business practices. To demonstrate that they “care” about people and the environment they operate in, organisations have taken different courses of action. The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports which are annually published, in addition to the traditional annual financial reports, are considered as one of the vehicles used to demonstrate how caring they have been over the ending financial period and how they intend to continue to be even more proactive in the future. This study examines the adoption of CSR practices in Greece as these are described by companies in CSR reports. The CSR disclosures are further classified and the results are analysed and interpreted in order to draw conclusions and to predict the future of CSR in Greece.

An application of AHP in the development process of a supply chain reference model focusing on demand variability

AbstractIncreased demand variability between the discrete tiers of a supply chain is perhaps the most significant criterion for strategic supply chain decisions, for example facility location and supply chain network design, as it directly affects the efficient operation of the whole supply chain. In this paper, we describe a real-life case of pursuing remedy to the demand variability problem by elaborating a reference model focusing on supply chain processes, which encapsulate critical demand related decisions, currently ill-treated, underestimated or even worse, overlooked. The paper focuses on the basis reference model selection stage of our research and provides details of analytic hierarchy process (AHP’s) application, in an operations research/supply chain management interdisciplinary context, to support the decision of selecting the most appropriate reference model to serve as the basis for the development of a supply chain reference model, focusing on demand variability management. In doing so, a group of two academic professors and three supply-chain experts was formed under the supervision of the AHP study facilitator. The AHP process resulted in a unanimous decision to shortlist SCOR and GSCF models, as providing the best coverage of the criteria list items. Finally, the GSCF model is selected as an initial basis for the development of the supply chain reference model for managing demand variability, introduced and presented at the end of the paper.