Quality management practices and competitive performance: Empirical evidence from Japanese manufacturing companies

This paper presents the results of an empirical study on the relationship between quality management practices and competitive performance in Japanese manufacturing companies. The data was gathered from two surveys including the common sample of twenty-seven Japanese manufacturing companies in the 1990s and the 2000s. Statistical techniques are used to compare the degree of implementation of the eleven quality management practices and their impact on different dimensions of competitive performance between two periods. Findings of this study highlight the stability and consistency of the Japanese quality management, which can be used as one of the strategic weapons for maintaining competitive advantage of Japanese manufacturing companies.     

International management of R&D: The Swedish Experience

This paper summarizes the results of in-depth case studies of international R&D management in four Swedish multinational corporations. The results suggest that foreign volumes and shares of R&D expenditures are rapidly increasing. Through a rapidly increasing number of foreign acquisitions, foreign R&D laboratories have been added. As part of international rationalization of production, foreign units have been given global product mandates with responsibility both for manufacturing and R&D. In maturing foreign subsidiaries, routine technical activities have often evolved into proper R&D. Tight labour market conditions for engineers in Sweden have made it increasingly necessary to exploit existing technical capacity, regardless of location.
Concurrently, companies face new pressures for international coordination and control of R&D. Coordination is required to reduce product differentiation, to facilitate technology transfer and to ensure the technical and market compatibility of products and components developed at different locations but sold as part of total systems. Drawing on the experience in the four investigated companies, the paper discusses how systems and procedures can be developed to meet the need for coordinated international R&D management.     

Managing international supply: The balance between total costs and customer service

Many trading companies have taken a global approach to their supply markets, sourcing from low-cost foreign countries in order to achieve cost reductions. There remains, however, a lack of evidence that sourcing internationally actually leads to improved economic performance. This can be explained by two key challenges in terms of how to achieve a balance between: (1) purchasing and logistics costs, and (2) customer service. The purpose of this paper is to examine the organisation and management of international supply from a total cost perspective, taking into account both purchasing and logistics costs, as well as customer service and agility. Previous research into a number of Norwegian companies that have sourced from China has identified four configurations for managing international supply. This paper utilises the supply management literature and an example of a Norwegian retail and wholesale company to analyse and discuss these configurations and their effects on total costs and customer service. The paper's theoretical contribution is the conceptualisation of a total cost perspective on international supply management and the discussion of such costs in relation to customer service. This contribution may, in turn, aid companies that source from foreign, low-cost countries.     

Work with and implementation of new concepts for management of product development—experiences for the Swedish Manufacturing Industry

Extensive organizational changes in the management of product development work of industrial companies are currently taking place. Speediness (time-based competition) and/or 'high' quality (total quality) are emphasized and for this purpose concepts such as simultaneous, concurrent or integrated product development have been introduced. This paper describes a study of the importance of these concepts in 29 large Swedish manufacturing companies and how these companies deal with the implementation of the new product development concepts. In addition, three in-depth studies have been carried out to enable a more detailed study to be made of the effects of the product development work on time and quality variables.     

Inventory management: Is there a knock-on effect?

Over the last several years a number of independent empirical studies have shown that organizational performance is related to a portfolio of management techniques, clearly demonstrating that there is no single “silver bullet.” In fact, these studies indicate that performance is positively correlated with the number of techniques employed and the depth of their implementation. Operational outcomes in areas like product quality, on-time delivery and productivity, as well as market measures like margins and export sales are both positively related to the implementation of a variety of techniques. This paper explores the relationship between the use of effective inventory management practices (as reflected in inventory turnover) and the implementation of other manufacturing practices. The hypothesis is that effective inventory management practices have a positive knock-on effect on the implementation of other practices. Since organizational performance is related to the implementation of multiple practices, the knock-on effect should have a positive effect on performance as well. The results show that inventory turnover is significantly related to the implementation of other techniques and weakly related to an index of overall company performance. This suggests a positive knock-on effect, but that it takes more than inventory management to achieve high levels of performance. Having established the knock-on relationship adds more evidence to the notion that management excellence in one area begets management excellence in others.     

The relationship between supplier management and firm's operational performance: A multi-dimensional perspective

This paper presents an empirical study on the multidimensional relationships between supplier management practices and firm operational performance. Specifically, we focus on three supplier management practices, namely strategic long-term relationship, supplier assessment, and logistics integration, and test their effects on four operations performance measures, namely quality, delivery, flexibility, and cost. We use data collected from 232 manufacturing firms in Australia to conduct the study. Ten hypotheses were tested simultaneously using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique. The results show that different supplier management practices have different unique effects on different operations performance measures. Supplier assessment has a positive relationship with quality performance. Both strategic long-term relationship and logistics integration have positive relationships with delivery, flexibility, and cost performance. From a theoretical perspective, this study demonstrates the relative contributions of different kinds of resources (i.e., supplier management practices in our case) to different performance measures. Our research findings provide practical insights for managers to understand the effectiveness, as well as the limitations, of different supplier management practices in enhancing different operations performance measures of firms.     

Feel free to feel comfortable—An empirical analysis of ergonomics in the German automotive industry

The purpose of this paper is to examine ways to improve ergonomics on the manufacturing shop floor. In particular, the impact of certain ergonomic practices on companies' economic and social objectives is investigated empirically. In order to do so, a survey has been conducted among manufacturing managers of 55 companies in the German automotive industry. The managers have been asked about their estimations on harmful tasks within the production process and on the effectiveness of various practices in the context of ergonomics and health. Worker-oriented and work-oriented practices of ergonomics are operationalized using factor analysis. By means of a cluster analysis, companies with a high degree of implementation of ergonomic practices are identified. The analysis shows that plants with a higher implementation degree of ergonomic practices show a better performance in terms of economic and social objectives. Furthermore, the results reveal that work-oriented practices lead to better performance with respect to the investigated economic and social objectives, whereas worker-oriented practices play a supporting role only. Finally recommendations for manufacturing companies with regard to the field of ergonomics are derived from the empirical results.     

Estimating the benefits from collaboration: The case of SEMATECH

SEMATECH (SEmiconductor MAnufacturing TECHnology) was established in 1987 as a not-for-profit research consortium with an original mission to provide a pilot manufacturing facility where member companies could improve their semiconductor manufacturing process technology. Since its inception, SEMATECH's mission has become more general. This paper presents the findings from a quantitative case-based analysis of the returns to member companies from their investments in SEMATECH. The findings suggest that SEMATECH has provided an organizational structure in which important processes and technologies have been advanced which could not have been justified on economic grounds outside of a collaborative research arrangement.     

物流产业集聚对制造业劳动生产率的影响机理研究——基于空间杜宾模型

本文利用2006~2015年我国30个省份（西藏除外）的面板数据,基于空间杜宾模型分析物流产业集聚对我国制造业劳动生产率的作用及空间溢出效应。结果表明,物流产业集聚、物流劳动生产率、外商直接投资、交通基础设施、地方政府投资等影响因素的直接效应与间接效应的方向与显著性均存在差异性。从总效应来看,物流产业集聚与地方财政支出均显著为正,是制造业劳动生产率提升的重要源泉。外商直接投资显著为负,一定程度上抑制我国制造业劳动生产率的提高。     

"Managing" Learning by Doing: An Empirical Study in Semiconductor Manufacturing

This article examines the contributions of human resource and organizational practices to the development and supply chain management interface. It addresses this issue in the context of the semiconductor industry by highlighting the importance of these practices for learning‐based improvement in manufacturing. One of the most important factors for competitiveness in the semiconductor industry is the ability to manufacture new process technologies with high yields and low cycle times. The more effective management of new process technologies within the manufacturing facility aids firms in managing production costs, volumes, and inventories. Efficient management of new process development and introduction translates into enhanced internal supply chain management performance by improving the design of internal workflows, manufacturing performance, and the acquisition and installation of new manufacturing processes. Because much of the knowledge that underpins semiconductor manufacturing is idiosyncratic, however, firm‐level differences in human resource and organizational practices are likely to have consequences for performance. The article derives learning curve models of the rate of improvement in manufacturing yield (i.e., the rate of learning) and cycle time (i.e., the speed of production) following the introduction of a new process technology in a manufacturing facility. It then tests the influence of the use by semiconductor manufacturers of teams for problem solving and intrafirm knowledge transfer, the level of internal adoption of information technology (IT), and more extensive and effective workflow and production scheduling systems on manufacturing performance. It finds that the manners in which semiconductor manufacturers allocate engineering resources to problem‐solving activities, utilize information technology in the manufacturing facility, schedule production, and control the “shop floor” influence the levels and rates of improvement in both manufacturing performance measures. The article makes several contributions to the literature on product and process development and, accordingly, to research on the product development/supply chain interface. In particular, the model of organizational‐based learning provides a better understanding of the determinants of learning‐based performance improvement. In particular, better manufacturing performance results not strictly from greater cumulative volume but also from the actions of managers that affect the organization of establishment‐level problem‐solving activities and information exchange. The article also demonstrates that human resource and organizational practices in both the development and the adoption of new process technologies improve manufacturing performance by accelerating new product introduction, improving workflow, and enhancing the efficiency of manufacturing processes.     

Licensing as an Alternative to Foreign Direct Investment

This article addresses issues linked to the sales of manufacturing technology and know-how through licensing by British companies to unaffilated firms located overseas. It identifies a number of characteristics that make these companies more likely to license abroad. The authors test a model of foreign licensing on data gathered from 145 firms based in the United Kingdom. Many companies do evaluate licensing to unaffilated firms as an alternative to foreign direct investment when they consider manufacturing in foreign markets. These firms tend to be relatively large in their industry, highly diversified, spend a relatively higher proportion of their value-added on research and development, and have less foreign experience.     

Green logistics at Eroski: A case study

In today’s highly competitive environment, green logistics issues are gaining interest. This paper analyses how logistics managers could lead the initiative in this area by incorporating environmental management principles into their daily decision-making process. A case study is given to show how they can turn practices into green while simultaneously meet the efficiency objectives. We have chosen one of the leader companies of the Spanish food distribution sector to check this hypothesis. The study covers the introduction of several changes into its fleet management and the implementation of a methodology to solve vehicle routing problems with environmental criteria minimisation.     

Communication protocols for order management in collaborative manufacturing

Collaborative manufacturing requires efficient and cost effective communications among the partners. To provide efficient and reliable communications, this research modularizes the design of communication protocols for order management in collaborative manufacturing. Ten protocol modules have been defined and designed in this research.With the 10 protocol modules, companies can easily construct the protocols to regulate the interactions between partner companies. This research designs five protocols associated with order management in collaborative manufacturing. The protocols are also implemented in a distributed computing environment. The results indicate that the modularized protocols ensure the reliability and efficiency of communications, and reduce the complexity in protocol design.     

Matching salesmen to the selling job

To develop and maintain a successful salesforce, it is essential for sales managers to “match” a salesperson's characteristics with the selling job he/she has to perform and with the overall selling environment. Such a match is established in this paper as we have identified three main selling styles based on the criteria used by manufacturing companies to select salespersons. These are “missionary selling,” “trade selling,” and “technical selling.” The association between selection policies and other aspects of sales management behavior is also investigated. Results are based principally upon a mail survey of 113 U.K. manufacturing companies and a profile is presented showing the sales management practices that were found to be associated with each of the selling styles identified.     

Work organization and occupational development in CIM: the case of Swedish NC machine shops

This article reports the results of a large survey of Swedish manufacturing companies employing numerically-controlled technology, on work organization and the changing nature of operator skills. The results are assessed in the light of likely changes in organizational structures and skill composition in future forms of computer-integrated manufacturing.     

Lead time reduction through ICT application in the footwear industry: A case study

This paper analyses some relevant supply chain management issues for Italian firms operating in the footwear industry. The analysis is carried out on representative firms, located in a specialized regional district with a high density of shoe manufacturing companies. Companies were experiencing substantial problems in the management of supplier relationships, as well as in the commercial/distributive channel. Specifically, synchronization issues in the logistics pipeline were weakening firms’ lead time performances.The case study presented strives to highlight the critical points in the set up of the supply chain management programme, as well as the main results obtained. The case study also shows that the adoption of tailored Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools has the potential to save significant lead time in supplier/buyer relationships. From the case study, generalities can be drawn and transferred to the footwear industry.     

Cost Accounting and Performance Measurement in a Just-in-Time Production Environment

There are normative statements in the literature, backed up by case observations and anecdotal evidence, which indicate that manufacturing companies operating just-in-time (JIT) production management systems should also change their cost accounting systems and place greater reliance on non-financial performance indicators. This study provides empirical evidence suggesting that JIT manufacturing companies which have made some degree of modification to their costing system demonstrate higher performance than JIT companies which have not made changes. The results also suggest that greater use of non-financial performance indicators is associated with higher performance irrespective of the production management system adopted.     

集群环境下生产制造型企业与第三方物流的协同决策研究

为了解决集群环境下生产制造型企业与第三方物流之间合理的收益分配与风险共担问题,提高协同企业系统的运行效果,在探析集群环境下双方在协同模式中的收益与风险关系基础上,提出了基于Shapley值的协同收益分配与风险分摊决策模型,分别探索了以物流成本与收益分配,物流成本与风险损失两对变量之间的波动变化规律,并将之集成计算得出了协同选择的临界点与取值范围,辅助参与企业决策,通过实证研究验证了收益分配曲线与风险量化曲线的正向相关性波动规律。结果表明:集群环境中的生产制造型企业与第三方物流的协同模式具有以市场需求为中心的组织特点,影响协同选择的风险因素主要有生产制造型企业和第三方物流的地位与作用、协同各方投入与贡献度随时间推移产生的变化、外部产业政策及内部自适应等;在协同过程中,各参与企业所获得的收益与承担的风险与所投入的物流成本之间存在着正相关关系,且存在着选择临界点;模型演算出的协同选择临界点,可保障协同模型的长期性与稳定性。研究结果为物流协同选择研究提供了新思路,对企业协同选择决策具有借鉴意义。     

Development of educational program for production manager leading new perspectives on manufacturing technology

In this paper, we consider the problems associated with the development and management of an educational program for manufacturing managers in leadership roles who are making contributions towards the creation of customer delight as well as customer satisfaction using manufacturing technology. The basic concept combines an intelligent knowledge-based approach with the kaizen activity program within the framework of value creation and comparative advantage models based on a network referred to as Academia, Business, Consultancy, and Government (ABC-G). This educational program, which reflects the characteristics of manufacturing technologies and practices in the Hokuriku District of Japan, was developed in 2005–2006 and the trial education was developed in 2005 and 2006, and a trial run of this program was conducted in 2006 and 2007 in close collaboration with local manufacturing companies and their employees. The results are informative of the effects of educating manufacturing managers in Japan and the problems that will have to be overcome for the continuous improvement of the program.     

Organizing for new product development speed and the implications for organizational stress

This study examines the effects of bureaucratic structure and organizational control on new product development (NPD) speed. It also examines the effects of NPD speed on organizational stress. The empirical findings from 130 US manufacturing companies can be summarized as follows. Formalized structures and centralized structures have a negative impact on invention speed. Formal controls have a positive impact on innovation speed. Informal controls have a positive impact on both invention speed and innovation speed. Invention speed has a positive impact on organizational stress and innovation speed has a negative impact on organizational stress.