Sequential clinical scheduling with patient no-show: The impact of pre-defined slot structures

This paper develops a sequential scheduling algorithm for consultation periods not divided into slots. Patients call a scheduler and request appointments with a specified provider. The scheduler provides the patient with an appointment time before the call terminates. In making the appointment, the scheduler cannot alter the appointments of previously scheduled patients. Service times are random and each scheduled patient has a probability of “no-showing” for the appointment. Each arriving patient generates a given amount of revenue, and costs are incurred from patient waiting and provider overtime. The scheduling method selects the calling patient's appointment time by minimizing the total expected cost. We prove that total expected cost is a convex function of appointment times and that the expected profit of the schedule is unimodal, which provides a unique stopping criterion for the scheduling algorithm. Computational studies compare this approach with no-show based sequential scheduling methods for out-patient clinics where a predefined slot structure is assumed. The new method yields higher expected profit and less overtime than when service periods are pre-divided into slots. Because slot scheduling is ingrained in healthcare, we use the model to design slot structures that account for no-show and service time variation.     

Demand chain management: an integrative approach in automotive retailing

Recent reviews of the ‘operations management’ (OM) research literature have shown a surprising little shift towards empirical methodologies from traditional modelling solution methods. In addition, there is generally a lack of empirical testing and validation of manufacturing strategies. Coupled to this fact is that empirical work is rarely carried out in an inter-disciplinary manner, with the complete combination of OM, marketing, strategy, lean thinking and accounting approaches particularly poorly researched. Fully cross-functional integrative empirical research is required to help support the understanding of the applicability of OM practices within industry. This paper explores such an integration of approaches developed within the ‘lean thinking, strategic cost management, marketing and policy deployment areas’. In order to investigate the approach a single automotive retailer is used as an instrumental case. The results of the study show that the new approach stands up well as an integrative approach that can prove highly beneficial results. However, the pilot work also identified a number of limitations that are the basis of further refinement and testing of the method.     

An assessment of the interruption level of doctors in outpatient appointment scheduling

Interruptions to the server in an outpatient clinic environment have received limited attention in the appointment scheduling literature. However, explicitly modeling interruptions on the part of the doctor may have an impact on the optimal appointment schedule and consequently, on patient waiting times. This is explored with a simulation optimization model that is based on data from time studies and interviews with medical professionals from multiple outpatient clinics. The results show a “plateau-dome” scheduling rule for practical implementation to be robust for low interruption rates and a traditional dome pattern for higher levels of interruptions. In addition, if clinic operations are such that doctors are able to adjust their behavior to complete all work during the session, then the schedule is invariant to changes in the interruption rate.     

The effect of environmental complexity and environmental dynamism on lean practices

Increasingly manufacturers implement lean practices to improve operational performance. In addition, manufacturers operate in ever more complex and volatile environments. This research investigates the effects of environmental complexity and dynamism on lean operations and lean purchasing practices. It empirically examines these relationships using archival and survey data from 126 manufacturers. The results show that environmental complexity positively moderates the effects of lean operations and lean purchasing on performance. However, environmental dynamism reduces the benefits of lean operations on performance, but enhances the benefits of lean purchasing on performance. Robustness tests further confirm the contingent effects of complexity and dynamism on lean operations and lean purchasing. This research offers a more nuanced understanding of the effect of external environmental context on lean practices, and suggests that practitioners should carefully consider the external environment when implementing different types of lean practices.     

Contingency research in operations management practices

As operations management (OM) best practices have become mature, research on practices has begun to shift its interest from the justification of the value of those practices to the understanding of the contextual conditions under which they are effective—OM practice contingency research (OM PCR). This article sets out to examine and critique the current state of OM PCR. We review OM PCR studies through the lens of the major theoretical view on contingencies, contingency theory, along a number of relevant dimensions: contingency variables, performance variables, measurement, research design and employed form of fit. In this process, we put forward a number of tasks that need to be accomplished in order to move OM PCR forward and develop more solid conceptual foundations in which to anchor rigorous research in this area. Finally, we reflect on the theoretical arguments that underlie OM PCR (which are based on the contingency approach) and identify its limitations in fully explaining the currently observed patterns of use of OM practices and associated performance outcomes. As a result, we propose that in order to increase our understanding of these patterns, OM scholars need to study in more depth the process of selection of OM best practices by organizations. Accordingly, we put forward a framework to underpin such research integrating contingency theory and other theoretical perspectives.     

Creating consumer durable retailer customer loyalty through order fulfillment service operations

Manufacturers now find themselves in the position of finding new ways to remain competitive in the era of retail power. The onus rests on the manufacturer's ability to implement operational strategies that help the retailer achieve its objectives. Specifically, manufacturers that establish successful order fulfillment service can affect retailer loyalty. The overarching goal of this research, therefore, is to examine the importance to operations managers of understanding the order fulfillment needs and expectations of their retail customers and to establish the value-added role that operations management plays in developing retailer loyalty. Empirical evidence is provided on the relationships between relational order fulfillment service, operational order fulfillment service, satisfaction, affective commitment, purchase behavior, and loyalty. Such evidence not only focuses on the strategic importance of the OM discipline in manufacturer–retailer relationships, but also extends previous OM theory by taking a more complex view of the loyalty phenomenon.     

Structure and characteristics of top management teams as antecedents of outside executive appointments: a three-country study

We examine top management team (TMT) structure and characteristics as potential endogenous antecedents of outside appointments of non-CEO senior executives, an executive category that has not yet received significant research attention despite its importance for corporate outcomes. In doing so, we draw on human capital and similarity-attraction theories, thus combining two complementary managerial decision rationales. Additionally addressing the pressing need for cross-country TMT research, this study empirically analyzes a unique sample of 880 non-CEO TMT appointments at large non-financial corporations in France, Germany and the UK between 2006 and 2010. Overall, the results show that TMT endogenous factors such as structure, new executive characteristics and incumbent TMT characteristics may hold significant explanatory power for new executives' origin. Beyond the individual explanatory factors, the comparative nature of the study reveals three distinct country profiles of the degree by which the two theoretical rationales appear to influence appointment decisions.     

Improving road transport operations through lean thinking: a case study

Traditionally, logistics and transportation problems have been addressed through mathematical modelling, operations research, and simulation, but criticism has emerged about their effectiveness to actually address real-life problems. This paper documents a case study whereby the road transport operations of a leading Mexican brewery were improved through lean thinking and waste reduction. Two lean-based principles and tools were combined: the Seven Transportation Extended Wastes and Transportation Value Stream Mapping. Three systematic steps were proposed to facilitate the implementation of improvement. Feasibility studies conducted in this research suggested that lean thinking is an effective alternative for the improvement of road transport operations. The findings of this research could be used as guidance for transport managers to improve road transport operations. This paper also expands the limited evidence of the application of lean thinking in road transport logistics and highlights the research areas where its application has been concentrated in this sector.     

试论精益生产与ERP的有效融合

ERP系统作为一个高度集成的信息系统,承载了先进的管理思想。它不仅面向供应链,体现敏捷制造和并行工程的精神,还应进一步结合精益生产消除无效浪费,保证质量,提升客户满意度,最终达到提升管理绩效的目的。因此,如何将精益生产与ERP系统有效融合是现代企业重点研究的一项课题。文中首先分析了精益生产与ERP之间的关系,然后简单阐明了ERP的精益效果,最后提出了精益生产与ERP有效融合的两个切入点。     

The integration of human resource and operation management practices and its link with performance: A longitudinal latent class study

This paper reviews the literature on the association between lean production and performance. From this, propositions on the integration and evolution of operation and human resource management practices associated with the lean production concept are developed. Using 24 years of data on the use of seven core OM and HRM practices in British manufacturing firms, the potential link between integration in the use of practices and productivity is tested. In each year, three latent clusters are identified via ordered restricted latent class models; the cluster that consistently makes a more integrated use of practices outperforms the others. Furthermore, the longitudinal nature of the data permits modeling the growth curves of each practice in the sample, recognizing any similarity in growth and investigating whether or not an early integration in adoption of practices is associated with higher final productivity. The results show that pioneers are more productive, thus suggesting that the head start in integrating core OM and HRM practices associated with the lean production concept has paid off.     

Do race and gender matter in international assignments to/from Asia Pacific? An exploratory study of attitudes among Chinese

Based on a survey of EMBA students in China and South Korea, this article examines how two sensitive but potentially salient criteria—race and gender—affect the selection of an executive to head the (a) foreign operations of a U.S. multinational in China and South Korea and (b) newly acquired U.S. operations of a Korean multinational. The results reveal a fairly complex picture of how gender, race, and the interplay of these two factors might affect these decisions. In the Korean sample, competencies mattered more than race and gender in a senior executive appointment to the U.S. operations of Korean multinationals. Also in the Korean sample, race and gender outweighed competencies in assignments to Korea. In the Chinese sample, competencies outweighed race and gender in a senior executive appointment in China. Overall, Koreans had a more positive attitude toward foreign‐born Koreans than the Chinese toward foreign‐born Chinese for senior executive appointments. Implications for international human resource management and diversity management, both theoretical and applied, are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Contextual factors: assessing their influence on flow or resource efficiency orientations in healthcare lean projects

The outcomes of lean projects have been mixed, with some being successful while many others have not. An explanation for this is a paradox that can develop depending on the focus of the project. Ironically, in projects where the focus is on maximizing the efficiency of a resource (‘resource efficiency’), this focus might lead to worsening of the resource’s efficiency, thereby generating an ‘efficiency paradox’. This paradox does not usually arise in projects where the focus is on the subject of interest being processed through the system in the most efficient manner (‘flow efficiency’). The aim of this paper is to investigate the factors that give rise to either form of efficiency. We conducted a detailed study of eight lean projects in two large hospitals. In doing so, we advance the theory of lean service operations by identifying four key contextual factors that drive the orientation of a project to resource or flow efficiency. These are: service variety, interdependency, capital resource intensity, and service uniqueness. We propose a conceptual framework and four propositions that integrate the contextual factors to determine the dominant focus in lean projects. Through this, recommendations are made as to how the efficiency paradox can be avoided.     

基于预约策略的医院CT设备使用优化研究

预约检查是对有限的医疗检查资源的一种调度优化。以攀枝花市A医院CT检查为例,通过实地调研,统计CT设备的服务能力,门诊患者,住院患者和急诊患者的平均到达率,接受患者的单位检查收益和拒绝患者的单位检查损失。通过调整预约策略使有限的资源设备产生更多的收益,并运用仿真模拟不同预约策略下的收益效果。研究结果对医院重要设备的预约使用提供了一定参考价值。     

Understanding project champions’ ability to gain intra-organizational commitment for environmental projects

A key enabler of environmental projects is the ability of the project champion to gain commitment to the project from other stakeholders in his or her organization. This paper develops a model of commitment-gaining success that is based on intra-organizational influence theory. The model also includes project payback, customer pressure, government regulation, top management support and the project champion's position in the organizational hierarchy. The model was tested using survey data from 241 environmental professionals describing their attempts to gain the buy-in of purchasing managers, operations managers, industrial engineers and others for environmental projects. The results (obtained from hierarchical regression analysis) show that intra-organizational commitment is positively associated with the project champion's influence behavior—in particular, the champion's use of three influence tactics (inspirational appeals, consultation and rational persuasion) and avoidance of a fourth tactic (ingratiation). Commitment is also positively associated with project payback and with top management support for the environment and negatively associated with environmental regulation. The paper contributes to the OM knowledge base on environmental project implementation by bringing new theory to bear on the topic, by focusing on individual-level, rather than organization-level, variables and by taking a confirmatory, large sample approach which complements extant exploratory research. In addition, the paper contributes to the OM field by evaluating various antecedents to cross-functional integration. The results also provide specific guidance to those who champion environmental projects within their companies.     

制造业的车间调度问题优化算法比较研究

目前,制造业的竞争日益激烈,在企业的日常运作过程中,会经常遇到各种各样的复杂的调度问题,车间生产调度问题解决的好坏直接影响着企业的运作效率和最终的客户满意程度,最终影响着企业对市场的反应能力和竞争力。因此,调度问题已经成为运营管理领域的一大研究热点。大量的学者研究生产调度优化问题,采用了各种优化方法。文章综述了车间生产调度问题的各种优化方法,对其发展历程、优缺点、适用性等都作了详细的说明,并对它们作以比较分析,从而找到最适合现实状况的优化方法。     

基于任人唯亲视角的组织任用分析

人是组织的核心,组织选拔、任用人才是组织发展的关键环节。任人唯亲作为组织任用的一种表现形式,在所有文化中广泛存在,但是人们一直对其持批判态度。通过观察组织任用现实可以发现,任人唯亲具有一定的合理性。领导根据"亲"的关系准则(信任准则、信任预期准则、任务绩效准则和亲缘准则)来决定任用对象,这些关系准则受领导价值准则的影响,因此要规范领导的价值准则,才能确保组织任用成效。     

Customer-centered measurement of service operations: a B2B case study

This study examines how the customer can be utilized in performance measurement and evaluation of complex engineered service operations in the business-to-business environment. The framework put forth by Ukko and Pekkola for a customer-centered approach to performance measurement in service operations is used, focusing on the special nature of service processes and the customer’s perspective. The results of this case study show that in non-interactive customer-related processes, performance evaluation can be a viable alternative to performance measurement. In addition, enabling the customer to participate in the evaluation and measurement of service operations will generate not only new measures but also new services.     

高速公路路基路面排水系统的施工质量控制分析

高速公路是我国交通系统的重要组成部分,在人们日常出行和经营贸易中起着至关重要的作用。路基路面排水系统作为高速公路工程的附属工程,其施工质量直接影响路基路面的承重性能和耐久性,进而影响高速公路的路面性能和使用寿命。为此,本研究以广州新白云国际机场第二高速公路北段路面工程为例探讨高速公路路基路面排水系统施工质量控制要点,以期为相关施工提供理论支撑和实践指导。     

History,practices, and future of earned value management in government: Perspectives from NASA

The goal of this research is to explore the history, practices, and future of the earned value management (EVM) method in government, and seek opportunities and suggestions for wider implementation of EVM for managing, measuring, and controlling project performance and progress. First, this study reviews the historical background and evolution of EVM implementation in government. Then, current practices for implementing EVM are discussed through examination of EVM adoption and implementation at NASA. The research shows that NASA receives substantial project management value from its implementation of EVM, promotes consistent practices across the agency, and provides effective training on leadership, scheduling, EVM, and data analysis. This study also provides recommendations to improve and broaden the applications of current EVM and project management practices to other government programs and projects. Findings of this research contribute to the management of performance of future projects and programs and encourage the project management community to review and advance the application of EVM.     

“The way that can be told of is not an unvarying way”: Cultural impacts on Operations Management in Asia

This special issue is dedicated to Operations Management (OM) in Asia. A requirement for the special issue articles is that they have content related to the effects of national culture on OM. Here, the OM literature is combined with work from Anthropology and Women's Studies to provide a wide view of the effects of various Asian cultures on OM. The basic premise is that OM decisions may need to take culture into account: some OM practices are altered or precluded by culture, while others are more effective in some cultures than others. Numerous examples are provided involving quality management, shift scheduling, revenue management, facility location, layout, supply chain strategies, and other areas.