Evaluating the efficiency change and productivity progress of the top global telecom operators since OTT's prevalence

The telecommunications industry has undergone significant evolvement from fixed to mobile substitution (FMS) to fixed mobile convergence (FMC) and now to over-the-top (OTT) services due to the huge rise in data usage. This paper explores efficiency variation during the period 2012–2017 for the top 41 global telecom operators in Forbes Global, 2000. Based on the data envelopment analysis (DEA) meta-frontier approach to reflect differences in production functions, the empirical results herein show that the number of operators achieving technical efficiency with respect to the meta-frontier fell from 13 firms in 2012 to 10 firms in 2013 to 8 firms in 2014 to 8 firms in 2015 and then to 7 firms in 2016, but then rose to 11 firms in 2017, displaying the impact from rise in OTT. For the mobile-only group, the average technical efficiency with respect to the meta-frontier is 0.841, which is superior to the fixed-mobile group's 0.774 and the fixed-only group's 0.714, and the group difference is significant among the three facilities-based groups. The meta-frontier estimation suggests that the fixed-mobile group has the highest meta-technology ratio (MTR) of 0.901 versus the mobile-only group's 0.886 and fixed-only group's 0.718. The empirical results offer policy implications for regulators to encourage telecom operators to have fixed-mobile operations. We further suggest that telecom operators cooperate with OTT service providers and invest in them in order to take advantage of people's more personalized digital life.     

The power of dimensional analysis in production systems design

Dimensional Analysis (DA) is a well-known methodology in physics, chemistry and other traditional engineering areas. In its simplest form, DA is used to check the meaningfulness of a set of equations (dimensional homogeneity). In the last century, the dimensional theory has been profoundly investigated: its highest achievement is the Buckingham theorem (or pi-theorem), which states that any equation modelling a physical problem can be rearranged in terms of dimensionless ratios, thus saving variables to be handled, and especially enriching the inner physical knowledge of the studied phenomenon.In this paper we investigate how DA can be applied to Operations Management (OM) topics and which benefits it can bring to researchers in this area. A literature review is performed to clarify the main operative issues regarding DA application (assumptions and limitations); then existing applications of DA to OM are explored, pointing out that few researchers have tried to apply this methodology in the OM research field.Stemming from this analysis, we applied the pi-theorem to the design of a Flexible Manufacturing System. A complex problem, requiring 13 dimensional quantities to be expressed, is first studied via simulation; then DA is applied, reducing the number of variables to 9 dimensionless ratios. The reduced problem has a suitable size to be analytically explored and a regression model is formulated which, compared with the simulation study, offers the same precision in analysing the FMS behaviour, being more compact and powerful. This application shows the potential of DA in OM research, and will hopefully draw the attention of researches to this powerful, but unfamiliar and therefore neglected, methodology.     

在线真人导购系统设计

本文基于FLASH多媒体和FMS流媒体互动相关的理论和技术,采用传统的“网络电子商务”购物平台为研究基础,针对网上商城存在的只能展示虚拟商品（图片）、用户无法试用商品、客户与客服人员之间沟通困难等问题,设计实现了一个基于FLASH、FMS的虚拟产品展示、试戴、真人导购的购物平台。     

ENDOGENOUS FLEXIBILITY IN THE FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM

We investigate the flexible manufacturing system (FMS) by using the spatial price discrimination framework of Pal. The degree of flexibility when producing variants can be increased by increasing the investment or production cost and is endogenously determined. Our result is that private incentives for increasing flexibility are excessive from a social welfare perspective.     

基于WITNESS的FMS物流系统仿真研究

柔性制造系统（FMS）是由加工系统、物流系统、信息流系统三个子系统组成的。其小批量、多品种生产特点决定了低的设备利用率,研究FMS的物流系统是提高企业生产效率,降低生产成本,提高设备利用率的重要手段。作者利用WITNESS仿真软件建立了某管材柔性制造车间物流系统仿真模型,模型突出了FMS物流系统的工件流、工具流和配套流：通过实验设计和仿真数据的分析。对系统的瓶颈问题进行了优化。     

服装吊挂系统在生产流水线上的应用

通过对服装生产流水线组织好坏的评价指标及其相互之间关系的阐述，说明工序细化与流水线生产效率间的联系，同时讨论吊挂系统对于多品种、小批量服装生产的快速反应性。     

柔性制造系统FMS的应用

柔性制造系统是近年来流行的先进制造技术,文中论述了实际应用时系统的总体方案设计方法,以及方案论证分析内容,详细介绍了工装夹具设计、零件工艺分析、系统初步布局、仿真和优化等具体实施过程.     

柔性制造系统(FMS)中刀具流的管理

介绍了FMS中刀具流管理系统的功能及配件硬件、软件系统的构成。论述了通用性较好的软件框架结构的优越性，并介绍了在线刀具的动态管理策略以及管理系统的工作过程。     

为企业打造适合自己的柔性制造系统

介绍了柔性制造系统的产生、组成及其具有柔性和自动化的2个特点,一个理想的柔性制造系统应具备设备柔性、工艺柔性等8种柔性。介绍了柔性制造系统的5个级别:柔性制造模块、柔性制造单元、柔性制造系统、柔性制造生产线及柔性制造工厂。企业实施柔性制造系统,必须结合本企业的实际情况,避免盲目追求。