Search results

This paper aims to explore the level of implementation of Lean tools in companies of metalworking and automotive industry in R. Macedonia compared with the global experiences and to explore the relationship between certain dimensions that determine the leanness and the company’s success.

Based on the analysis and synthesis of the literature, the theoretical research model was developed. Structured interview was used to collect data. The analysis of the first goal was performed using benchmarking with some prior global research and the analysis of the second goal was undertaken with multiple linear regression.

The distribution of the lean tools through ISO 9001 requirements in this sample generally follows the global experiences. However, most used tools in the companies with solely domestic capital are the basic Lean tools which show certain lack of understanding of the importance of Lean management and strategic commitment to Lean management, in such companies. Dimensions like customer satisfaction, teamwork and motivation, condition and maintenance of equipment and tools, supply chain integration and commitment to quality have significant positive correlation with the company’s success.

The foreign investments can foster implementation of contemporary management approaches in developing countries. These countries have to find mechanisms to foster acceptance and implementation of Lean management.

This paper is one of the rare attempts to explore the implementation of Lean tools through ISO 9001 requirements and relationship of particular Lean dimensions and the company’s success, in metalworking companies in small developing countries, additionally exploring the differences in the Lean management acceptance considering the ownership of the companies.

The new extremely demanding environment forces the enterprises to use more sophisticated tools/methodologies. Strategy alignment and modelling and simulation are some of those tools/methodologies that are growing in their complexity in order to respond to the new challenges. Applying the principles of strategy alignment to modelling and simulation leads to creation of vertical hybrid simulation models. This paper aims to discuss these issues.

This paper shows the justification of building a hybrid simulation model for a complex scenario in a production example. In general, system dynamics (SD) is used for simulation of strategic issues and discrete event simulation (DES) is used for simulation on the operational level. Attempts to build holistic models only with SD or only with DES usually end in design of simplified models. This paper shows an approach how to combine SD with DES in order to get better models than using either modelling paradigms exclusively.

The results so far have shown that this approach is justified (meaning that it gives more accurate and reliable results with reasonable efforts) in even relatively simple cases.

This kind of modelling and simulation can generally help the (industrial) engineers in optimization of different problems like optimization of the warehousing space, batches, manpower, etc. holistically and with higher accuracy.

Although several researches on hybrid models have been reported (treating only very few industries), they very rarely tackle the justification of the implementation of such models. This paper justifies the hybrid approach through an example of optimization of the sales force in the pharmaceutical industry.