Matias Escuder, Martin Tanco, Andres Muñoz-Villamizar and Javier Santos
Urban logistics presents a series of challenges, as the interests of the different stakeholders are not always aligned. The aim of this research is to explore the potential of…
Abstract
Purpose
Urban logistics presents a series of challenges, as the interests of the different stakeholders are not always aligned. The aim of this research is to explore the potential of applying Lean principles to reduce waste in urban logistics.
Design/methodology/approach
As a structure for “going to gemba,” the authors implemented the shadowing technique to better understand the perspective of companies distributing products in the city of Montevideo, Uruguay. Then, meetings were conducted to validate the observations by the people shadowed.
Findings
The results show that most of shipper's time is dedicated to waiting (59%), which is followed by driving (22%), and only a small section of time was dedicated to unloading and verification activities (19%). Although collaborative solutions are needed along with the different stakeholders, this research highlights how deploying Lean thinking can improve significantly urban logistics achieving up to 25% improvement in the number of stores served per shift.
Practical implications
From an academic point of view, this study emphasizes the importance of continue applying and evaluating the Lean practices into transportation contexts. From a company's perspective, the authors have presented a list of propositions that can be implemented for carriers in order to reduce waste and/or improve the efficiency of the urban transportation process.
Originality/value
Based on the literature review carried out, the subject study of Lean and its application to urban logistics remains mostly unexplored in the scientific literature.
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Martin Tanco, Matias Escuder, Gerardo Heckmann, Daniel Jurburg and Josue Velazquez
For the past 20 years, Latin American countries have gone from being a low-cost region to significant players in the world economy, with five of its countries ranked among the…
Abstract
Purpose
For the past 20 years, Latin American countries have gone from being a low-cost region to significant players in the world economy, with five of its countries ranked among the world’s 50th largest by gross domestic product. This paper aims to study the contribution of Latin American researchers in the field of supply chain management (SCM) to aid an understanding of the Latin American impact within global supply chains (SCs).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors present a study which includes a bibliometric analysis of the papers authored by Latin American researchers in the SCM field and which were exclusively published in journals included in the Journal Citation Reports. In addition, the authors conducted a survey to Latin American researchers and consultants to gain greater understanding of the main difficulties, which in their opinion, have negatively affected the SCM area in Latin America within the past five years, and identify possible misalignment between Latin American research and the challenges for SC in the region.
Findings
The results show that Latin American research on SCM in the past nine years is not significant for the field considering the number of papers, citations and the papers published in top journals. Another interesting finding is the lack of collaboration among researchers from different Latin American countries, as well as with corporate. Finally, survey results reveal significant differences regarding the main difficulties each country perceived as relevant.
Practical implications
Comparing results from both analyses, relevant misalignments stand out between published research and the main difficulties detected. These suggest a challenging opportunity for Latin America, emphasizing the need to increase research contribution of the scientific community, through collaboration and alignment toward overcoming the most troublesome difficulties for Latin America. Therefore, the authors suggest future regional research directions which could also help global companies to tackle the challenges faced and optimize performance of their Latin American SCs.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous research on the quality and impact of Latin American research in SCM has been conducted. Also, misalignments between researchers and practitioners in the region, which allow identifying weaknesses of Latin American SCs, have not been studied before.
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Florencia Kalemkerian, Javier Santos, Martin Tanco, Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes and Elisabeth Viles
Green Lean tools are aligned with the Circular Economy strategy as they aim at reducing waste, however, they miss the creation of value through waste. Therefore, this paper…
Abstract
Purpose
Green Lean tools are aligned with the Circular Economy strategy as they aim at reducing waste, however, they miss the creation of value through waste. Therefore, this paper investigates whether the current implementation of the Green Lean strategy promotes the introduction of the Circular philosophy to achieve sustainable management production processes. It analyses how the resources were managed by implementing the different strategies and tools presented in Green Lean case studies under the lens of Circular Economy and highlights future research paths on the Circular Lean integration.
Design/methodology/approach
An analysis of the implementation of Green Lean case studies, selected through a Systematic Literature Review, from the manufacturing sector is conducted.
Findings
The majority of Green Lean implementations were aimed at minimizing waste, which is aligned with the narrowing strategy of Circular Economy and only a few cases studies aimed at closing the production cycles. Even though the main results indicate that being eco-efficient is a good starting point to move towards sustainability, from a Circular Economy point of view, this approach could remain limited. Therefore, the current contribution of Green Lean to the implementation of circular practices is limited. It can be concluded that introducing the circular philosophy in the Green Lean methodology can be achieved through redirecting Green Lean from waste reduction towards a value creation focus.
Originality/value
The originality of this paper is that it provides a critical review of the literature on the topic of Green Lean integration and Circular Economy.
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Daniel Jurburg, Elisabeth Viles, Martin Tanco, Ricardo Mateo and Álvaro Lleó
Companies use continuous improvement (CI) as a strategy to achieve business excellence and innovation. Yet CI initiatives fail mostly due to a lack of employee engagement. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Companies use continuous improvement (CI) as a strategy to achieve business excellence and innovation. Yet CI initiatives fail mostly due to a lack of employee engagement. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the CI literature and the technology acceptance model (TAM), a comprehensive model called continuous improvement acceptance mode (CIAM) was developed to understand the main organisational antecedents that predict employee intention to participate in CI. The CIAM is based on structural equation modelling using partial least squares and it was validated in a large manufacturing plant in Europe.
Findings
Emulating the findings of the TAM, this study shows that employee intention to participate can be predicted by two variables called ease of participating and usefulness of participating. The CIAM then relates these constructs with relevant CI enablers found in the CI literature.
Practical implications
The CIAM could help academics and practitioners to better understand employee participation in CI activities, allowing CI systems to be better designed and achieve long-term sustainability.
Originality/value
The CIAM presents new variables and interactions that help to understand employee participation in CI activities. Some of these variables and interactions have received scant attention in the CI literature and thus they are worth investigating in greater depth in the future.
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Florencia Kalemkerian, Rossella Pozzi, Martin Tanco, Alessandro Creazza and Javier Santos
The purpose of this study is to propose a new mapping tool called Circular Value Stream Mapping (C-VSM) that combines Circular Economy principles with Lean tools to enhance…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to propose a new mapping tool called Circular Value Stream Mapping (C-VSM) that combines Circular Economy principles with Lean tools to enhance sustainability performance in operations.
Design/methodology/approach
To develop the C-VSM tool, the researchers conducted a literature review and a focus group. The tool was then applied to two real case studies in the agri-food sector, specifically analyzing an artichoke and olive oil producer, to assess its validity and effectiveness.
Findings
The study introduces the Circular Resource Box (CRB) as a key innovation in the C-VSM tool. This visual representation effectively captures resource circularity and how resources and wastes are managed, making it easy to identify circularity in the production process. By combining qualitative and quantitative information with this visual representation, companies can identify improvement opportunities aligned with the CE.
Research limitations/implications
The research is limited in scope as it focuses on the application of the C-VSM tool in the agri-food sector. Further research could explore its applicability in other industries and settings to understand its broader impact.
Practical implications
The C-VSM tool provides practical benefits to companies seeking to transition from linear to circular production processes. It enables practitioners to identify opportunities to reduce environmental impacts and optimize production operations in line with CE.
Originality/value
The introduction of the C-VSM tool is a novel approach that bridges the gap between Lean Manufacturing and CE concepts, advancing the understanding of how CE thinking can be effectively implemented in operations.
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Matias Escuder, Martin Tanco and Anabella Santoro
This paper aims to outline the barriers in introducing Lean in health care and to asses which of these have a greater impact in the Uruguayan health-care sector.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to outline the barriers in introducing Lean in health care and to asses which of these have a greater impact in the Uruguayan health-care sector.
Design/methodology/approach
To uncover the barriers hindering Lean health-care implementation, a literature review was undertaken. Once identified, first-hand information was obtained from managers and professionals involved in managerial activities who evaluated each of the difficulties using a Likert scale.
Findings
In total, 17 barriers to the implementation of Lean health care were identified. Survey results show that the highest scores correspond to “controllable” barriers, those which can be overcome, almost exclusively, by the organization willing to implement the program.
Practical implications
Managers need to understand and ascertain the existing barriers before implementing Lean if they want to develop strategies to mitigate them. Although the exploratory study was conducted in the Uruguayan health-care sector, it could be replicated elsewhere.
Originality/value
An exhaustive list of barriers was synthesized and was later assessed by managers in the Uruguayan context. This is an important first step that could help foresee obstacles and develop strategies prior future implementation.
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Jiju Antony, Laynes Lauterbach, Elisabeth Viles, Martin Tanco, Sandy Furterer and Ronald D. Snee
This article presents a novel case study that analyzes the applicability of DoE in the curling sport in order to improve their own performance and the performance of its athletes…
Abstract
Purpose
This article presents a novel case study that analyzes the applicability of DoE in the curling sport in order to improve their own performance and the performance of its athletes. Specifically, this study analyzes the most important factors to increase accuracy and precision in the draw game with curlers' opinions. It was decided to use the “Last Stone Draw (LSD)’ as an appropriate play situation.
Design/methodology/approach
Specifically, this study analyzes most important factors to increase accuracy and precision in the draw game with curlers opinions from the German Curling association. Three research techniques were used in this study: case study, interviews and a well-designed experiment. The analysis through the use of DoE includes a measurement system analysis, an initial variance test between two players, a screening and a characterization experiment.
Findings
The results obtained from DoE suggest that the factors routine, stress, release, balance, and the previous play situation have a substantial impact on the score of the player's draw game. However, no factor has a statistically significant impact on the average distance to the center of the target. Moreover, the DoE analysis also concludes that the accuracy and precision of the player's performance is not affected equally by all analyzed factors, but they turn into highly significant when examining their relationship to the other factors.
Practical implications
The findings of this study can be beneficial to other sports events in improving the performance. Moreover, DoE has proved to be an invaluable tool for many people in the German Curling Association in understanding the factors which influence the curlers performance and also factors which do not affect the curlers performance.
Originality/value
This research attempts to contribute to the existing sports management literature by identifying a way in which DoE can be an effective tool in non-manufacturing settings for identification of most important factors which influence the curling performance.
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Carmen Jaca, Elisabeth Viles, Martin Tanco, Ricardo Mateo and Javier Santos
Teamwork is one of the most powerful tools to ensure success across any activity. The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that actively contribute to the effectiveness…
Abstract
Purpose
Teamwork is one of the most powerful tools to ensure success across any activity. The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that actively contribute to the effectiveness of teams. This research looks at two different types of teams: care delivery teams representing healthcare and improvement teams representing the manufacturing industry. The aim is to provide greater knowledge about the application of team work factors in different environments.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative interviews about teamwork factors were conducted with 17 leaders of teams from healthcare and 22 leaders from manufacturing industries. The responses were categorized into different levels according to the application of each factor. Then, the factors were analyzed to draw conclusions about the different approaches to teamwork and their application.
Findings
Most of the factors analyzed are highly applied in both sectors. However, we found significant differences between hospitals and the manufacturing industry when it comes to factors such as strategies, feedback on results, leadership, participation and communication.
Originality/value
Measuring each factor in two different sectors (healthcare and industry) has yielded noteworthy findings and the best practices for their implementation.
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Martín Tanco, Elisabeth Viles, Laura Ilzarbe and Ma Jesus Alvarez
The purpose of this article is to provide an extensive review of the barriers faced by engineers when applying design of experiments (DoE). The aim is to help new practitioners…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to provide an extensive review of the barriers faced by engineers when applying design of experiments (DoE). The aim is to help new practitioners learn from the past and avoid possible barriers that they may encounter when applying DoE in industry.
Design/methodology/approach
An exhaustive literary review was carried out to find articles in which hindrances to the application of DoE were mentioned. The information is organised and grouped into 16 barriers with this end in mind.
Findings
The 16 barriers can be classified into three different groups: business barriers; educational barriers; and technical barriers. It is shown that DoE can be successfully applied without overcoming every barrier, although it is inconvenient to do so.
Practical implications
Although DoE is commonly found in statistics and quality literature, it is clearly underused in industry. The paper brings together ideas from those with experience in DoE to detect the reasons behind this anomaly.
Originality/value
Very little material has been published regarding the difficulty of applying DoE. Unfortunately, what is available is repetitive, unstructured and incomplete. The paper is intended to encourage discussion between practitioners and experts, in order to find a way to define, categorise and eventually overcome the most problematic barriers.
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Daniel Jurburg, Elisabeth Viles, Carmen Jaca and Martin Tanco
Continuous improvement (CI) is regarded as a powerful approach to achieve business excellence. However, the implementation is not simple as it involves managing a considerable…
Abstract
Purpose
Continuous improvement (CI) is regarded as a powerful approach to achieve business excellence. However, the implementation is not simple as it involves managing a considerable amount of tangible and intangible factors throughout the whole organization. The purpose of this paper is to fill the gap by presenting first-hand information about how companies really implement and organize their CI processes.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was based on semi-structured interviews in ten high performing companies in the Basque Country, a region in northern Spain well known for its business quality. The objective was to analyze the state of their CI processes, putting special focus on how the organizational structure integrates with the CI processes and what are the characteristics of the corresponding measurement system.
Findings
The study shows a lack of company-wide focus on CI, little written evidence of previous improvement activities, unclear improvement process owner, and poor use of adequate measurement systems to monitor CI.
Practical implications
Managers should understand that is not enough to guarantee their own commitment and provide the structure, since in order to become learning organization, a different holistic approach towards the CI process must be adopted.
Originality/value
While most previous work on this field have focused primarily on how to implement different techniques in order to achieve better productive performance, this study presents empirical research from a more holistic approach, assessing the characteristics affecting CI by considering strategy, structure, and the measurement system.