Rado Gazo

Methodology for determining key internal business processes based on critical success factors: A case study in furniture industry

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to develop a methodology to help manufacturers determine and rank key internal business processes based on critical success factors (CSF).Design/methodology/approach – First, company CSF and key performance measures were determined based on vision, mission and strategic objectives statements. Second, most important CSF were prioritized according to rating scores such as cost savings, necessary improvement, and own discretion using a balanced scoreboard procedure and a prioritization matrix. Third, CSF were related to internal business processes based on “strength of relationship” in order to define the most critical internal processes. Fourth, possible differences in the perception of CSF and strategic objectives among different management levels were compared. Fifth, the methodology was validated in three furniture manufacturing companies.Findings – It was found that when a firm is missing vision or mission statements, it is imperative to define them before CSF can ...

Best manufacturing practices and their linkage to top‐performing companies in the US furniture industry

Purpose – This study aims to examine the relationship between top‐performing US furniture manufacturers and industrys best manufacturing practices.Design/methodology/approach – In the past studies, best manufacturing practices were mostly determined using qualitative methods. In this paper, a quantitative evaluating method to determine best manufacturing practices was designed by taking into consideration qualitative criterions. A sample of 122 manufacturing practices was observed in six US furniture companies, two of them considered world‐class performers and the other four considered average. A logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between best manufacturing practices and top‐performing companies.Findings – Statistical analyses showed a positive relationship between top‐performing companies and use of best manufacturing practices by these companies. A database of best manufacturing practices was created and shared with the participant companies.Research limitations/implications – One...

Critical Factors Affecting Supply Chain Management: A Case Study in the US Pallet Industry

Supply chain management is applied by companies across the globe due to its demonstrated results such as delivery time reduction, improved financial performance, greater customer satisfaction, building trust among suppliers, and others. According to D’Amours, Ronnqvist, and Weintraub (2008), companies resort to supply chain practices to improve their performance. Thus, it is important to first understand how their supply chains work. Figure 1 shows a generalized supply chain in the forest products industry.

Measuring the effect of internal log defect scanning on the value of lumber produced.

In this article, we report on the effect of internal log defect scanning on the gain in lumber value recovery for five hardwood species, consisting of black cherry, hard maple, yellow poplar, red oak, and white oak logs. A total of 29 logs, 6 logs per species and 2 logs each for log Grades 1, 2, and 3, were scanned with a medical X-ray computed tomography scanner to acquire their cross-sectional images. The one exception being for red oak logs, for which we scanned two Grade 1 logs, one Grade 2 log, and two Grade 3 logs. These logs were then sawn in the sawmill to determine the actual value recovered from each log. Virtual logs constructed with the scanning images of these logs were then sawn on the computer using the TOPSAW software. Based on simple live sawing simulations, overall the average value gain for all species and grades was 46%, while the gains for black cherry, hard maple, yellow poplar, red oak, and white oak were 42, 33, 83, 24, and 60 percent, respectively. The average gains for Grades 1, ...

Implications of Branch Strength Loss in Silver Maple Trees Converted from Round-over to V-trims During Electrical Line Clearance Operations

Publisher Summary Historically, trees growing beneath powerlines were often subjected to round-over trimming where heading cuts were used to maintain conductor clearances. An extensive flush of watersprout growth typically occurs after round-overs and trees rapidly regain their original heights. Many utilities have adopted V-trimming where the center portion of the canopy is trimmed while the exterior portion remains. Trees converted from round-overs to V-trims could develop a canopy of watersprouts growing on parent stems with a high probability of decay. This chapter determines if the conversion from round-over to V-trimming predisposes trees to failure. Silver maple ( Acer saccharinum L.) watersprouts were mechanically pulled from converted trees. In more than 20% of the sampled watersprouts, the leaders broke before the watersprouts. The conversion from round-over to V-trimming appears to predispose parent stems in silver maple trees to failures. Managers should consider the long-term consequences of converting from roundover trimming to V-trimming and decide if other actions are appropriate, including the removal of trees with a history of multiple cycles of round-over trimming.