Trevor A Spedding

Enterprise resource planning: An integrative review

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system solutions are currently in high demand by both manufacturing and service organisations because they provide a tightly integrated solution to an organisations information system needs. During the last decade, ERP systems have received a significant amount of attention from researchers and practitioners from a variety of functional disciplines. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the research literature (1990‐2003) concerning ERP systems is presented. The literature is further classified and the major outcomes of each study are addressed and analysed. Following a comprehensive review of the literature, proposals for future research are formulated to identify topics where fruitful opportunities exist.

The evolution of lean six sigma

Purpose – Although research has been undertaken on the implementation of lean within various industries, the many tools and techniques that form the “tool box”, and its integration with Six Sigma (mainly through case studies and action research), there has been little written on the journey towards the integration of the two approaches. This paper aims to examine the integration of lean principles with Six Sigma methodology as a coherent approach to continuous improvement, and provides a conceptual model for their successful integration.Design/methodology/approach – Desk research and a literature review of each separate approach is provided, followed by a view of the literature of the integrated approach.Findings – No standard framework for lean Six Sigma or its implementation exists. A systematic approach needs to be adopted, which optimises systems as a whole, focusing the right strategies in the correct places.Originality/value – This paper contributes to knowledge by providing an insight into the evol...

An integrated multidimensional process improvement methodology for manufacturing systems

In this paper, an integrated multidimensional process improvement methodology (IMPIM) is formulated to address the yield management, process control and cost management problems of a manufacturing system. Simulation is used as a platform to implement the integrated multidimensional process methodology by incorporating the productivity, quality and cost dimension in a unified, systematic and holistic manner. Total Quality Management (TQM) addresses the quality parameters and Activity-Based Costing is used to manage the cost dimension of the system. Discrete event simulation is then used as a platform to perform process reengineering (Business Process Reengineering) and process improvement (TQM). The general implementation framework of the IMPIM is given with a step-by-step explanation. A conceptual discussion is also provided for the integrated methodology. The generic IMPIM is then formulated and the detailed implementation procedures for two case studies are compared with the generic methodology.

Modelling patient arrivals when simulating an accident and emergency unit

This paper presents a case study of a discrete event simulation model of an Accident and Emergency Unit in a hospital in the UK. The objective of the study is to create a simulation study of the A&E Unit, to evaluate alternative scenarios and hence reducing patient waiting time. The case study uses a novel approach to predict the arrival time of patients and hence results in a more realistic platform on which to base the subsequent scenario analysis. The scenario analysis illustrates that significant reductions in the waiting time of patients can be obtained by relatively minor changes in operations.

Creating a green supply chain: a simulation and modelling approach

This paper presents a case study of a supply chain which is concerned with the distribution of aluminium metal, starting from raw material from a Metal Supplier to a Casting Plant, billets from the Casting Plant to the Component Producer, and finally, die-cast components from the Component Producer to the Market. The paper creates a green supply chain by integrating the concerns of transport pollution, marketing costs, time to market, recycling of scrap metal and energy conservation. Simulation and modelling tools are introduced to aid in the decision making process of distance selections and choices of transportation in the case study. Based on a series of user input selections, the simulation results are used to determine a range of optimal plant locations that will balance economical benefits (highest scrap values, least total costs, etc.) as well as environmental stewardship (least pollution).

A Web-based Intelligent Virtual Learning Environment for Industrial Continuous Improvement

Training in an industrial context is becoming more dynamic and time consuming due to the daily emergence of new technologies and the onset of globalization. People from higher education institutions and industries have applied various heuristic teaching methods in order to inspire students to acquire knowledge in a manufacturing and industrial context. Artificial intelligence techniques has been used for many years in educational systems, however the presentation of domain knowledge is one of the most concerning issues which stems the evolvement of the industrial training systems development. In this paper we present a Web-based intelligent virtual learning environment which is designed for the training of industrial continuous improvement techniques. Emphasis is placed on neural network and multi-agent techniques to build state-of-art domain knowledge models which demonstrate realistic industrial environments.

A web-based virtual factory and simulator for industrial statistics

An educational Web-based virtual factory and simulator environment is presented in this paper. It has been developed for university students to apply various statistical quality control techniques to explore the quality problems. The architecture of the simulator and methodologies for developing the Web site are discussed. Major benefits for both the students and lecturers are demonstrated.

Minimizing total setup cost for a metal casting company

The optimizing sequence of production for a set of customer orders - in order to minimize machine set-up time and costs - is one of the typical problems found in many manufacturing systems. In this paper, we develop a simulation model to capture a practical system of a metal casting company in Queensland, Australia, and optimize the production sequence for a set of customer orders. The method addressed in the paper can be applied to ether optimization problems in manufacturing industry.

Exercising responsible leadership in a Singapore context

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the western developed notion of responsible leadership (RL) from a Singapore context. Design/methodology/approach Following the qualitative research tradition, face-to-face interviews with 20 influential Singaporean leaders were developed into case studies. Grounded theory methodology was applied to identify similarities and differences within and across cases. Findings The findings reveal that the interviewed Singaporean leaders projected traits and values consistent with western definitions of responsible and effective leadership. Findings also suggest that contextual factors such as national culture and the ethos of the nation as well as leaders’ relational intelligence influence RL. These factors also help responsible leaders to better manage the tension between responsible and effective leadership. Research limitations/implications The small and geographically bound sample size makes it difficult to generalise the findings of this study. As in other ethics studies, interviewees’ desire to present a socially desirable image of themselves could be high in this study. Finally, the methods and analytical techniques applied may be biased and be influenced by the purposive selection of the participants. Practical implications Singaporean business leaders may need to consider the importance of retaining and developing the national culture and ethos of the nation, since these are the factors that have been identified in this study as key to influencing RL. Originality/value This study identifies the factors that influence RL from a Singapore context. It extends the understanding of the mostly western-based multi-level theory of RL.

Simulation down under

This paper provides a brief literature review of the current applications of simulation in Australia. The paper identifies areas that use simulation modeling and dynamic tools for growth and improvement, while also highlighting opportunities for future applications of simulation. The simulation applications highlighted in this paper are focused on some of the most significant issues facing Australia today.