Roger M. Kerr

The relationship between total quality management practices and organisational performance in service organisations

Quality is an effective strategic weapon for improving productivity in the organization. A quality management framework based on the attribute theory of service quality was used to show how the organisational performance is affected by various quality dimensions. Using a questionnaire survey and subsequent data analysis, an empirically valid and reliable measurement instrument of quality dimensions was developed. Several multiple regression models were developed which indicated that the dimensions “role of top management” and “customer satisfaction” are among the most important in terms of their effect on organisational performance.

Exploring deeper structures in manufacturing strategy formation processes: a qualitative inquiry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explicate deeper structures in manufacturing strategy (MS) formation processes, in order to advance process understanding. This would be useful in identifying and nurturing appropriate forms of MS formation within specific organisational settings.Design/methodology/approach – Nine case studies in the Australian metal products, machinery and equipment manufacturing sectors, guided by the grounded theory approach.Findings – Deeper structures in MS processes represent linear and parallel, convergent and divergent, sequential and iterative progression of strategic initiatives across four broad phases identified as: initiation, consolidation, commitment and realization. The multiple progressions are explained by the nature of strategic initiatives, the causal relationships between the phases or modes and the influence of internal and external organisational contextual factors. The aggregate patterns are presented in the form of a conceptual model.Research limitations/i...

Expert systems in production scheduling: lessons from a failed implementation

Abstract This article describes an attempt to implement an expert system for production scheduling in a small manufacturing company. The approach adopted was to attempt to capture the heuristics and constraints used by the human scheduler in the form of a set of production rules that would be capable of imitating the human schedulers behavior and eventually replace him. The implementation was eventually abandoned in favor of the introduction of a highly simplified version of the system to be used only in the decision support role, which was also unsuccessful. The reasons behind the failure are identified and discussed, and are found to relate to the following: underestimation of the complexity of the knowledge acquisition problem and the rate of change of the knowledge base; failure to adequately conceptualize the relationship between the human scheduler and the system; inadequate representation of uncertainty in scheduling parameters; the difficulty of the scheduler in adapting to an unfamiliar representation of the problem space, and lack of attention to deliberately simplifying the manufacturing operation before the introduction of the system.

Co-Operating Scheduling Systems Communicating Through Fuzzy Sets

Abstract A communication procedure for communicating scheduling expert systems based on fuzzy set theory is proposed. Fuzzy sets are used to express and to exchange constraints and their possible relaxations with other scheduling systems that can interpret these constraints. The procedure is intended to optimize the global evaluation among the communicating systems. An example from steel industry is taken to illustrate the approach. Here, a scheduling system of the steel making shop and that of the rolling mill try to optimize the global costs by optimizing their own schedules under the observation of the other systems constraints.

A KNOWLEDGE BASED, INTEGRATED PROCESS PLANNING AND SCHEDULING SYSTEM FOR DOCUMENT PREPARATION

This paper describes an integrated process planning and scheduling system suitable for use in large print shops in which fast turn-around of orders is essential and schedules are opportunistically varied in the light of contingencies. A system of ‘time zone based’ scheduling is used in which a “process graph” for an order is elaborated and partial schedules produced, to a level of detail commensurate to the distance into the future at which processing is expected to occur. This allows both greater scheduling flexibility and greatly reduces the amount of rescheduling required.

Interactive Reactive Scheduling by Human Learning and Machine Induction

Abstract This paper reports experiments performed to demonstrate the feasibility of applying machine induction to reactive scheduling of a telephone production line. A simulation model of the plant is used to log the scheduling decisions of an experienced human. Machine learned decision rules designed to achieve must then schedule and control the production line thereby entirely taking over the task of the human scheduler. Desired target buffer levels and volume throughput by the end of a shift.

An Inspection Model with Minimal and Major Maintenance for a Flexible Manufacturing Cell using Generalized Stochastic Petri Nets

This paper provides an inspection maintenance model for a production system which is subjected to deterioration and random failures. A Markov model for preventive maintenance of such a continuously operating device whose condition deteriorates with time in service has been proposed by Sim and Endrenyi (1993). This model incorporates deterioration and so-called Poisson failures, minimal repair, periodic minimal maintenances, and major maintenance after a given number of minimal maintenance. In this study, the Sim and Endrenyi model is represented by Generalized Stochastic Petri Net (GSPN). This model then has been developed into a condition based maintenance model aimed to develop a more comprehensive model for maintenance of Automated Manufacturing Systems such as Flexible Manufacturing Systems or Cells. In this model instead of periodic maintenance, after inspection based on the condition of the system the repairman can choose one of the following three choices: 1) performing a minimal maintenance, 2) performing a major maintenance, 3) doing no maintenance action. Taking into account the performability, rather than reliability of the system, the throughput of the manufacturing system is chosen as performance measure. By solving and analyzing GSPNs model, the obtained results indicate that the system performs better under inspection policy. A number of different policies, then are examined that illustrate how performance of the system could further be improved by making better decision between minimal, major and no maintenance action, considering the condition of the system after inspection. Further numerical analyses has been carried out to investigate the effect of varying parameters such as mean duration of minimal maintenance, major maintenance and major repair.

Use of Gaming and Simulation to Study Self-Organising Behaviour of Virtual Enterprises

This paper reports on the use of operational gaming in a simulated supply chain situation containing externally generated end product demands and basic raw materials supplies, and involving a number of companies involved at three different stages of the production process. The gaming exercise was replicated a number of time over the Internet and a major conclusion was that in the environment simulated, spontaneous “virtual enterprises” tended to form, with the characteristics of mutual trust and co-operation rather than economic rationalism. The specific gaming environment and rules under which the exercise was conducted are presented and the results and conclusions are discussed.

Maintaining Robust Schedules by Fuzzy Reasoning

Practical scheduling usually has to react to many unpredictable events and uncertainties in the production environment. Although often possible in theory, it is undesirable to reschedule from scratch in such cases. Since the supplier of raw materials and clients will be prepared for the predicted schedule it is important to change only those features of the schedule that are necessary.