Kumaraguru Mahadevan, Arun Elias and Premaratne Samaranayake
The main purpose of this research is to investigate the supply chain performance through collaborative effectiveness, from the organisations of Asia–Pacific region perspective…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this research is to investigate the supply chain performance through collaborative effectiveness, from the organisations of Asia–Pacific region perspective, compared with that of global organisations based on collaborative supply chain practices.
Design/methodology/approach
The survey research methodology was adopted, involving the collection of survey data from 223 participants across 10 different industries and 6 geographic regions. Data included 103 organisations in the Asia–Pacific region including Australia, India, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.
Findings
From a collaborative effectiveness perspective, the supply chain performance of Asia–Pacific organisations is different when compared with that of global organisations. It was also found that global organisations are driven by sales performance, while Asia–Pacific organisations are focussing mainly on the cost in terms of the number of employees, and therefore productivity. The metal industry stands out to be the best performing industry from a collaborative effectiveness perspective in the Asia–Pacific region and globally.
Practical implications
The research findings can be used as a guide by industry practitioners to develop benchmarks for collaborative supply chain practices by industry and region of operations. This research has been limited to a few industries such as manufacturing, logistics, service and retail industries.
Originality/value
This research generates new knowledge on the relationship between the collaborative effectiveness and supply chain performance, from the perspectives of both Asia–Pacific and global organisations, based on a collaborative effectiveness framework. The study proposes an innovative approach of assessing supply chain performance through collaborative effectiveness from the perspectives of geographical boundaries and industry types.
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The purpose of this paper is to present the research carried out on the development of a conceptual framework termed as the reverse collaboration framework (RCF) to provide supply…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the research carried out on the development of a conceptual framework termed as the reverse collaboration framework (RCF) to provide supply chain (SC) visibility and information sharing to practitioners in a reverse logistics (RL) operations.
Design/methodology/approach
The research methodology used in this research is a combination of concept mapping, and the extension of the work of other researchers (deductive approach) to develop a RCF that connects tools, techniques, systems and RL processes.
Findings
This research shows that by integrating tools, systems, tools and techniques with RL processes by means of the RCF will increase performance and productivity of a RL operations. This is demonstrated by applying the RCF to a consumer electronics business that proves that the time taken for the end to end RL operations is reduced by 20%.
Research limitations/implications
The RCF has been demonstrated with the data from a consumer electronics organisation. Literature points out that there are many different mathematical models for RL across a number of industries. Thus, at this stage, it is not clear if the RCF developed in this research will work in other industries, such as the newspaper, plastic bottles and online retailers industry where product returns are high. This research work can be extended in developing an IT solution by future researchers that can be linked to the main ERP system of an organisation.
Practical implications
SC managers can use the RCF in the extended form of an IT solution to manage the RL operations of their organisations.
Originality/value
There is a lack of research in the space of reverse collaboration in the broader field of SC management. This paper has fulfilled that gap.
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The purpose of this paper is to present the research carried out on a conceptual approach in business improvement termed as culture driven regeneration (CDR). The research…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the research carried out on a conceptual approach in business improvement termed as culture driven regeneration (CDR). The research positions CDR as business improvement tool that leverages organizational learning, organization culture and corporate knowledge in implementing changes. The CDR concept is positioned half way between business process re-engineering (BPR) that thrives on radical design and process changes, and total quality management (TQM) that takes the slow and incremental approach to improvement. CDR regenerates the processes in the journey to business improvement.
Design/methodology/approach
A structured and a comprehensive literature review were carried out on BPR and TQM in the context of leadership, organization learning, organizational learning and corporate knowledge. The review confirmed that TQM and BPR are connected to the four areas. This connection led to the conceptualization that organizations deploy culture and corporate knowledge to drive business improvement. Organization culture and knowledge was quantified based on previous research in this area and methods applied in other research studies relating to benchmarking. There are no empirical analyses included in this paper, however knowledge and culture were given scores in illustrating the CDR concept.
Findings
This conceptual paper has pointed out that organization culture, knowledge, organizational learning and leadership are important components of a business improvement tool such as BPR and TQM. The CDR concept leverages those components and draws on the organization’s corporate culture to enable change.
Research limitations/implications
Additional empirical studies are required on various types of industries, organization cultures, organization structures and professions to establish more robust scores for knowledge and culture applied in the CDR concept. The concept could be further expanded into a framework that could be applied across a number of industries.
Originality/value
The CDR concept is a business improvement tool that enables organizations to leverage their existing culture in driving change. The concept is built up on the existing relationship BPR and TQM has with organization learning, organization culture, corporate knowledge and the quantification of culture and knowledge.
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The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual supply chain (SC) hierarchical framework to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of the collaborative SC based on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual supply chain (SC) hierarchical framework to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of the collaborative SC based on the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and supply chain integration (SCI), supply chain visibility (SCV) and information sharing (IS).
Design/methodology/approach
Multimethods were applied. The first part of the research was undertaken using a deductive approach with rigorous and systematic analysis of the research material and the use of a survey instrument. The data collected through the survey are analysed and presented with descriptive statistics and cross-tabulations. The second part of the research is an extension of the analysis of the first part linking with the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to form the basis for development of the SCI hierarchy.
Findings
The levels of SCI, SCV and IS are significantly different for organisation dimensions such as size, industry type and region of operations. The SCI hierarchy based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs provides a number of indices to measure the effectiveness of SCI, IS, SCV in a collaborative SC.
Research limitations/implications
The research focusses only on manufacturing, 3PL, fast-moving consumer goods and retail industries.
Practical implications
The research work provides some insights for practitioners on best practices for SC collaboration and measurement of collaborative effectiveness.
Originality/value
The primary value of this paper is the development of standardized levels of SCI, IS and SCV and the proposed measurement of the collaborative effectiveness of the SC. It could be a proposed approach for empirically evaluating the levels of SCI, IS and SCV subject to organisational dimensions.
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C. Velmurugan, R. Subramanian, S.S. Ramakrishnan, S. Thirugnanam, T. Kannan and B. Anandavel
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of most predominant heat-treatment parameters on the wear behavior of Al6061 hybrid composite reinforced with 10 weight…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of most predominant heat-treatment parameters on the wear behavior of Al6061 hybrid composite reinforced with 10 weight per cent SiC and 2 weight per cent graphite particles.
Design/methodology/approach
The aluminum hybrid composite was produced using stir casting process. Wear testing of heat-treated samples was carried out using a pin-on-disc apparatus. Experiments were conducted by applying design of experiments (DOE) technique. The experimental values were used for formulation of a mathematical model. The wear surfaces of composite specimens were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM).
Findings
The volume loss of heat-treated composite initially decreased with increasing aging duration. This was followed by the attainment of a minimum and then a reversal in the trend at longer aging times. SEM micrographs of the wear surfaces of the composite show that the wear mechanisms were abrasion, delamination and adhesion.
Originality/value
In this paper, the hybrid composite was produced using stir casting route, and its wear properties after heat treatment were tested using pin-on-disc apparatus. It was found that heat treatment had a profound effect on the wear behaviour of the developed composite.
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C. Velmurugan, R. Subramanian, S. Thirugnanam and B. Anandavel
The purpose of this technical paper is to investigate the friction and wear behaviour of heat treated Al 6061 alloy and Al 6061 SiC‐graphite particulate reinforced hybrid…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this technical paper is to investigate the friction and wear behaviour of heat treated Al 6061 alloy and Al 6061 SiC‐graphite particulate reinforced hybrid composites subjected to different ageing durations.
Design/methodology/approach
The composites have been prepared by stir casting process with varying percentages of SiC and graphite particles. The cast 6061 alloy and its composites were subjected to solutionising treatment at a temperature of 803 K for 1 hr followed by quenching in water. The quenched samples were then subjected to artificial ageing for different durations of 4, 6, 8 hr at a temperature of 448 K. Tests were performed on heat treated Al 6061 alloy and its composites using pin‐on‐disc apparatus. Hardness measurements were also made on the specimens. The wear surfaces of the composites were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy.
Findings
During wear test of specimens the wear resistance of the hybrid composites was found to increase with increase in ageing durations. The microscopic examination of the wear surfaces shows that the base alloy and composites wear primarily because of abrasion and delamination. The hardness result shows that the hardness of the composites increased with decreasing weight percentage of graphite particles.
Originality/value
The content of this paper is fully research oriented and the finding from this investigation will be useful for society and also the automobile industries, especially in the making of brake drums.
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Pankaj Kumar Detwal, Rajat Agrawal, Ashutosh Samadhiya, Anil Kumar and Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes
The literature that is presently available on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) combining optimization and industry 4.0 techniques falls short in its depictions of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The literature that is presently available on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) combining optimization and industry 4.0 techniques falls short in its depictions of the recent developments, budding pertinent areas and the importance of SSCM in the growth of industrial economies around the world. This article's main objective is to analyze current trends, highlight the latest initiatives and perform a meta-analysis of the literature that is currently accessible in the SSCM area with a special focus on optimization and industry 4.0 techniques. The paper also proposes a conceptual framework that will assist in illuminating how the ideas of optimization and industry 4.0 may contribute to realizing sustainability in supply chains.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed study systematically reviews 85 research publications published between 2010 and 2022 in referenced peer-reviewed journals in diverse fields, including engineering, business and management, services and healthcare. Numerous categories are considered throughout the examination of the literature, including year-wise publications, prominent journals, type of research design, concerned industry and research technique used.
Findings
The study demonstrates a deeper comprehension of the literature in the field and its evolution throughout numerous industry sectors, which is helpful for both practitioners and academics. The results from the content analysis highlight various future research opportunities in the domain.
Originality/value
This is one of the first research articles that have attempted to establish, analyze and highlight the current trends and initiatives in the SSCM domain from an optimization and industry 4.0 techniques viewpoint. The cluster-based future research propositions also enhance the novelty of the study.