Zakaria Dakhli, Zoubeir Lafhaj and Marc Bernard
While many procurement systems govern the construction sector, Design/Bid/Build is still prominent among the French building actors. The research applies Lean thinking (via a…
Abstract
Purpose
While many procurement systems govern the construction sector, Design/Bid/Build is still prominent among the French building actors. The research applies Lean thinking (via a kaizen event) to the bidding phase of a building construction company to improve its bidding outputs.
Design/methodology/approach
The method used in this study is “Action-Research”. A two-month preparation phase was needed to prepare for the kaizen event. The results were based on an assessment conducted after 6 months of the kaizen event. Performance was measured following selected indicators related to ‘Time’, “Economical Impact”, “Quality” and “Sustainability”.
Findings
The Lean implementation had positive side-effects on the company’s organization and strategy as well.
Practical implications
The findings of this action-research project can be used to help researchers and practitioners assess the potential application of Lean in the bidding phase. It also provides insights into the importance of the cultural and existing practices for a successful Lean implementation.
Originality/value
A few research projects investigated the application of Lean thinking in bidding as it is considered as a wasteful process. However, waste can also be organized. The research proves that bidding can benefit from Lean thinking.
Details
Keywords
THE Programme of the Library Association Conference which reached us on April 22nd is one of much interest. Every year increases the difficulty of providing matter which has such…
Abstract
THE Programme of the Library Association Conference which reached us on April 22nd is one of much interest. Every year increases the difficulty of providing matter which has such appeal that members can say at the close that the time has been spent profitably. The pre‐print of the papers—a rather incomplete affair—raises the thought that Conference time could be better used than in discussions on such “Research Committee” matters as library vans and temporary buildings, excellent as we admit the enquiries and results of them to be. Yet this reflection is accompanied by the certainty that there have been few conferences which have not contributed something of material use to every participator and we still hold the view that more is learned in “a week at one than in months of hermit‐like seclusion.” That last quotation was written in the first edition of Brown's Manual and is valid to this day. Our representatives will write impressions after the event, not by way of detailed report, but as endeavouring to sum up what, if anything, material has been achieved. The report published by the Association usually gives the papers in extenso, but we wish its issue could be delayed long enough to provide more informative records of the discussions. As the best contributions occasionally come from the floor, the bare‐bones notes of the names of speakers and almost telegram‐like utterances they are supposed to have made, which have been the customary report, could be greatly improved.
The purpose of this study is to achieve a comprehensive understanding of how the intricate interconnections between oil price fluctuations, supply chain disruptions and shifting…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to achieve a comprehensive understanding of how the intricate interconnections between oil price fluctuations, supply chain disruptions and shifting demand patterns collectively shape inflation dynamics within the Chinese economy, especially during critical periods such as the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical events like the Russia–Ukraine conflict. The importance of assessing the impact of oil price volatility on China’s inflation becomes particularly pronounced amidst these challenging circumstances.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses the Markov Regime-Switching generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (MRS-GARCH) family of models under student’s t-distributions to measure the uncertainty of oil prices and the inflation rate during the period spanning from 1994 to 2023 in China.
Findings
The results indicate that the MRS-GJR-GARCH-in-mean (MRS-GARCH-M) models, when used under student’s t-distributions, exhibit superior performance in modeling the volatility of both oil prices and the inflation rate. This finding underscores the effectiveness of these models in capturing the intricacies of volatility dynamics in the context of oil prices and inflation. The study has identified compelling evidence of regime-switching behavior within the oil price market. Subsequently, the author conducted an analysis by extracting the forecastable component, which represents the expected variation, from the best-fitted models. This allowed us to isolate the time series of oil price uncertainty, representing the unforecastable component. With this unforecastable component in hand, the author proceeded to estimate the impact of oil price fluctuations on the inflation rate. To accomplish this, the author used an autoregressive distributed lag model, which enables us to explore the dynamic relationships and lags between these crucial economic variables. The study further reveals that fluctuations in oil prices exert a noteworthy and discernible influence on the inflation rate, with distinct patterns observed across different economic regimes. The findings indicate a consistent positive impact of oil prices on inflation rate uncertainty, particularly within export-oriented and import-oriented industries, under both of these economic regimes.
Originality/value
This study offers original value by analyzing the impact of crude oil price volatility on inflation in China. It provides unique insights into the relationship between energy market fluctuations and macroeconomic stability in one of the world’s largest economies. By focusing on crude oil – a critical but often overlooked component – this research enhances understanding of how energy price dynamics influence inflationary trends. The findings can inform policymakers and stakeholders about the significance of energy market stability for maintaining economic stability and guiding inflation control measures in China.
Details
Keywords
MARC RECORD SUBJECT INFORMATION SURVEY Stapled into this issue of VINE is a brief questionnaire which I have drawn up in order to try and build up a picture of the use being made…
Abstract
MARC RECORD SUBJECT INFORMATION SURVEY Stapled into this issue of VINE is a brief questionnaire which I have drawn up in order to try and build up a picture of the use being made of the subject information contained in the UK US MARC records currently‐available.
VINE is produced at least four times a year with the object of providing up‐to‐date news of work being done in the automation of library housekeeping processes, principally in the…
Abstract
VINE is produced at least four times a year with the object of providing up‐to‐date news of work being done in the automation of library housekeeping processes, principally in the UK. It is edited and substantially written by Tony McSean, Information Officer for Library Automation based in Southampton University Library and supported by a grant from the British Library Research and Development Department. Copyright for VINE articles rests with the British Library Board, but opinions expressed in VINE do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the British Library. The subscription to VINE is £10 per year and the subscription period runs from January to December.
Bernard G. Sloan and J. David Stewart
ILLINET Online (IO) is an automated library system consisting of two components: 1) the Library Computer System (LCS), which has been operational as a statewide resource sharing…
Abstract
ILLINET Online (IO) is an automated library system consisting of two components: 1) the Library Computer System (LCS), which has been operational as a statewide resource sharing network since July 1980, and 2) the Full Bibliographic Record (FBR) system, which has been operational at the University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign (UIUC) since the summer of 1984. Membership in the LCS community now stands at 29 libraries, including 14 privately supported colleges and universities, 13 state supported universities, and two publicly supported community colleges. These libraries have converted records for 10 million titles and 17.5 million volumes to machine‐readable form. The FBR database contains 1.8 million MARC records and 4.5 million authority records. The history, operation, and future of the system are discussed.
Circulation In the main library the university has installed a Plessey Satellite system for circulation control of normal loan stock, operating in batch mode and recording the…
Abstract
Circulation In the main library the university has installed a Plessey Satellite system for circulation control of normal loan stock, operating in batch mode and recording the data direct onto ½ inch magnetic tape. The transactions for the previous day are processed every morning, the library not having secure access to sufficient computer time to make online operation a feasible proposition. At the moment, for the great majority of items held by the library there is no bibliographic record available to the circulation system, though this is gradually being remedied and it is intended to use the mag. tape as part of the LOCAS service (see below) to build up automatically a short‐title file of all additions to stock.
VINE is produced at least four times a year with the object of providing up‐to‐date news of work being done in the automation of library housekeeping processes, principally in the…
Abstract
VINE is produced at least four times a year with the object of providing up‐to‐date news of work being done in the automation of library housekeeping processes, principally in the UK. It is edited and substantially written by the Information Officer for Library Automation based in Southampton University Library and supported by a grant from the British Library Research and Development Department. Copyright for VINE articles rests with the British Library Board, but opinions expressed in VINE do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the British Library. The subscription for VINE is £17 per annum and the period runs from January to December.
VINE is produced at least four times a year with the object of providing up‐to‐date news of work being done in the automation of library housekeeping processes, principally in the…
Abstract
VINE is produced at least four times a year with the object of providing up‐to‐date news of work being done in the automation of library housekeeping processes, principally in the UK. It is edited and substantially written by Tony McSean, Information Officer for Library Automation based in Southampton University Library and supported by a grant from the British Library Research and Development Department. Copyright for VINE articles rests with the British Library Board, but opinions expressed in VINE do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the British Library. The subscription to VINE is £10 per year and the subscription period runs from January to December.
VINE is produced at least four times a year with the object of providing up‐to‐date news of work being done in the automation of library housekeeping processes, principally in the…
Abstract
VINE is produced at least four times a year with the object of providing up‐to‐date news of work being done in the automation of library housekeeping processes, principally in the UK. It is edited and substantially written by Tony McSean, Information Officer for Library Automation based in Southampton University Library and supported by a grant from the British Library Research and Development Department. Copyright for VINE articles rests with the British Library Board, but opinions expressed in VINE do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the British Library. The subscription to VINE is £10 per year and the subscription period runs from January to December.