Uffe Thorsteinsson

A Situational Maintenance Model

The role that effective maintenance management plays in contributing to overall organizational productivity has received increased attention. Presents the development of a situational maintenance model that may be used to analyse and design the elements of a maintenance system. The situational approach to maintenance builds on contingency theory and considers both internal and external corporate dynamics. Using ideas from total productive maintenance (TPM), discusses how this model may be used to link corporate goals with maintenance policies. Defines design variables for maintenance systems that include the perspectives of individual behaviour, decision support systems, management systems and organizational structure, and corporate culture.

Trends and perspectives in industrial maintenance management

Abstract With increased global competition for manufacturing, many companies are seeking ways to gain competitive advantages with respect to cost, service, quality, and on-time deliveries. The role that effective maintenance management plays in contributing to overall organizational productivity has received increased attention. This paper presents an overview of trends and perspectives in industrial maintenance. The results of benchmarking studies from Scandinavia and the United States are presented and compared. Implications of the trends and perspectives for the management of maintenance are highlighted. Case studies that examine maintenance methods, knowledge, organization, and information systems in three Danish manufacturing firms are used to motivate the discussion.

Computer Games versus Experiments

Several questions are asked about the actual use of games. The need for development of realistic games is discussed, and some specific criteria for making games realistic are presented. Three examples are described. They are all based upon use of information technology and some new facilities offered by this technology. The three examples are hybrids between games and experiments, offering players important possibilities and freedom for >design=of the game or experiment they want to make. So, the examples all illustrate some new waves for games in industrial management.

The role of games in a model company

Professional engineers should be capable of developing innovative and holistic solutions. This constitutes an important challenge to the future engineering education. In a joint project between engineering schools in Denmark a Model Company is being developed to be available on the internet.

Project management aided by microcomputer

Abstract Through project MIKSTYR, a number of project management software packages for use with microcomputers have been tested. In order to assess them in tandem with the needs of project management in general and with the specific needs of particular projects, a method has been developed whereby radar-type profiles, both of the projects need for project management and control, and of the characteristics of the software, are drawn and compared.

A Virtual Company for Educational Purpose

The paper presents an overview of a proposed project with the goal to develop an educational system to be used for education of industrial engineer students at European universities. The system is based on Internet and multimedia applications and consists of following elements: A virtual company producing beer brewing automates, a Modelbank with an operational industrial engineer knowledge base, ‘a company history book’, and several hybrid simulation games. The games are used for bringing the company in an operational state, and by that generate information to a company history. The players are in a role playing position and have to make decision about company operation, development systems and re-engineering of business processes.

The LOGI - Game - a Dynamic Modular Logistic Game

The paper presents an interactive, modular logistic game in which the materiale and information flows in a distribution channel can be simulated. The game is based on a modelbank with a number of prebuild spreadsheet models for forecasting, inventory and production management as well as administration