Revistas
Autores:
Martínez, I. (Autor de correspondencia); Otamendi, U.; Olaizola, I. G.; et al.
Revista:
MEASUREMENT
ISSN:
0263-2241
Año:
2022
Vol.:
190
Págs.:
110646
Accurate temperature measurements are essential for the proper monitoring and control of industrial furnaces. However, measurement uncertainty is a risk for such a critical parameter. Certain instrumental and environmental errors must be considered when using spectral-band radiation thermometry techniques, such as the uncertainty in the emissivity of the target surface, reflected radiation from surrounding objects, or atmospheric absorption and emission, to name a few. Undesired contributions to measured radiation can be isolated using measurement models, also known as error-correction models. This paper presents a methodology for budgeting significant sources of error and uncertainty during temperature measurements in a petrochemical furnace scenario. A continuous monitoring system is also presented, aided by a deep-learning-based measurement correction model, to allow domain experts to analyze the furnace's operation in real-time. To validate the proposed system's functionality, a real-world application case in a petrochemical plant is presented. The proposed solution demonstrates the viability of precise industrial furnace monitoring, thereby increasing operational security and improving the efficiency of such energy-intensive systems.
Revista:
JOURNAL OF MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT
ISSN:
1741-038X
Año:
2022
Vol.:
33
N°:
6
Págs.:
1059 - 1079
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.
Autores:
Martínez, I. (Autor de correspondencia); Bruse, J. L.; Flórez, Ane Miren; et al.
Revista:
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
ISSN:
0360-1323
Año:
2022
Vol.:
207
Págs.:
108495
Recent evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus causing a global pandemic in 2020, is predominantly transmitted via airborne aerosols in indoor environments. This calls for novel strategies when assessing and controlling a building's indoor air quality (IAQ). IAQ can generally be controlled by ventilation and/or policies to regulate human-building-interaction. However, in a building, occupants use rooms in different ways, and it may not be obvious which measure or combination of measures leads to a cost-and energy-effective solution ensuring good IAQ across the entire building. Therefore, in this article, we introduce a novel agent-based simulator, ArchABM, designed to assist in creating new or adapt existing buildings by estimating adequate room sizes, ventilation parameters and testing the effect of policies while taking into account IAQ as a result of complex human-building interaction patterns. A recently published aerosol model was adapted to calculate time-dependent carbon dioxide (CO2) and virus quanta concentrations in each room and inhaled CO2 and virus quanta for each occupant over a day as a measure of physiological response. ArchABM is flexible regarding the aerosol model and the building layout due to its modular architecture, which allows implementing further models, any number and size of rooms, agents, and actions reflecting human-building interaction patterns. We present a use case based on a real floor plan and working schedules adopted in our research center. This study demonstrates how advanced simulation tools can contribute to improving IAQ across a building, thereby ensuring a healthy indoor environment.
Revista:
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
ISSN:
2352-5509
Año:
2022
Vol.:
33
Págs.:
1043 - 1058
The concept of Sustainable Production is evolving with changes triggered by the emergence of new economic and industrial models such as Circular Economy and Industry 4.0. However, most studies that currently link these concepts are based on the principles of Sustainable Production defined 20 years ago. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to redefine the principles that should govern Sustainable Production operations in the tran-sition towards a Circular Economy and smart industry models. To this end, an initial proposal of 11 principles was shared with 11 world-class experts (academics and practitioners) and a consensus proposal was sought through a Delphi Panel. Ten principles emerged from this study, which were evaluated by experts according to criteria of significance, parsimony, semantic consistency and empirical adequacy. Additionally, to study the rela-tionships between the ten principles, the Interpretative Structural Model (ISM) technique was applied. The ISM technique identified which principles are independent of or dependent on each other and established relation-ships between the principles. The findings suggest that Principle 5 ("Prioritize employees' well-being"), Principle 6 ("Enhance management commitment to sustainability"), Principle 9 ("Measure and optimize sustainable pro-cesses") and Principle 10 ("Boost the use of sustainable technologies") help to establish an ideal context to enhance the development of the rest of the principles that characterize Sustainable Production. The presentation of the ten principles opens new possibilities for researchers while helping managers to better understand sustainability in terms of production and, therefore contribute to achieving SDG 12.
Revista:
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRODUCTION ECONOMICS
ISSN:
0925-5273
Año:
2021
Vol.:
242
Págs.:
108280
Sustaining continuous improvement activities is one of the biggest challenges that companies face. In order to foster operator participation in continuous improvement activities, this paper aims to present and validate a scale for measuring middle manager trustworthiness. Firstly, we combine the available literature with two concept mappings, one with operators and another with supervisors, and an expert panel (consisting of experienced academics, practitioners and consultants) to identify the specific middle manager behaviors that are essential to convey trustworthiness. Secondly, an empirical analysis with 211 operators from three different companies located in three different countries (i.e., Peru, Honduras and Spain) served to define, debug and test the reliability and the convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity of the scale. The validated scale presents middle manager trustworthiness as a reflective-reflective second-order construct formed by four critical dimensions: human qualities; training and development; technical and managerial competencies; team building. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to present a valid and reliable scale for measuring middle manager trustworthiness in continuous improvement activities. The proposed scale can be used as a guideline for companies which aim to foster operators' trust and participation in continuous improvement activities and for those activities to be sustainable over time.
Autores:
Martinez, I. (Autor de correspondencia); Viles, Elisabeth; Olaizola, .IG.
Revista:
BIG DATA RESEARCH
ISSN:
2214-5796
Año:
2021
Vol.:
24
Págs.:
100183
Data science has employed great research efforts in developing advanced analytics, improving data models and cultivating new algorithms. However, not many authors have come across the organizational and socio-technical challenges that arise when executing a data science project: lack of vision and clear objectives, a biased emphasis on technical issues, a low level of maturity for ad-hoc projects and the ambiguity of roles in data science are among these challenges. Few methodologies have been proposed on the literature that tackle these type of challenges, some of them date back to the mid-1990, and consequently they are not updated to the current paradigm and the latest developments in big data and machine learning technologies. In addition, fewer methodologies offer a complete guideline across team, project and data & information management. In this article we would like to explore the necessity of developing a more holistic approach for carrying out data science projects. We first review methodologies that have been presented on the literature to work on data science projects and classify them according to the their focus: project, team, data and information management Finally, we propose a conceptual framework containing general characteristics that a methodology for managing data science projects with a holistic point of view should have.This framework can be used by other researchers as a roadmap for the design of newdata science methodologies or the updating of exitin
Autores:
Antony, J. (Autor de correspondencia); Viles, Elisabeth; Torres, A. F.; et al.
Revista:
THE TQM JOURNAL
ISSN:
1754-2731
Año:
2021
Vol.:
33
N°:
5
Págs.:
987 - 1000
Purpose The purpose of this study is to critically evaluate the current status of Design of experiments (DoE) in the service industry or non-manufacturing processes in the manufacturing sector. This involves the identification of critical success factors and challenges in the use of DoE in the context of the service industry as well as the key skills needed for its successful applications. Design/methodology/approach In order to identify the critical success factors and challenges, an online survey instrument was developed and distributed across Six Sigma Black Belts (SSBB), Six Sigma Master Black Belts (SSMBB), process improvement champions, continuous improvement professionals, DoE experts and specialists as well as academics who are involved in DoE research and applications. Findings A total of 109 participants from over 20 countries responded to the study. One of the first findings of the study is that over 40% of the process improvement professionals in the service sector do not have any hands-on experience with the application of DoE. Further, this study highlights the following critical factors for successful DoE applications: dedicating adequate resources in terms of time, budget and people for the experiment; getting a clear understanding of the problem at hand; securing a reliable and validated measurement system for measuring the response or quality characteristics of interest; and identifying input independent variables, which influence the quality characteristics during the brainstorming stage. Some respondents also mention the importance of having training or education in DoE as a critical success factor. At the same time, the lack of adequate planning to experimentation, mathematical knowledge and statistical reasoning remains as challenge to be solved. Research limitations/implications As data were collected at an individual level, inter-reliability, which measures the consistency of judgements on a particular survey item, could not be gauged. Moreover, due to low sample size across some continents, an intercontinental comparative study on the extent of the application of DoE across various continents could not be performed. Originality/value To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first global survey carried out to understand the status of DoE in the service industry. The results of the global study can be used to encourage quality, continuous improvement and process improvement professionals in the service sector to drive wider acceptance of one of the most powerful tools in the Six Sigma toolkit for problem-solving scenarios. Moreover, senior managers in the service industry can take away some of the key benefits, challenges and success factors in the implementation of DoE.
Revista:
THE TQM JOURNAL
ISSN:
1754-2731
Año:
2021
Vol.:
33
N°:
4
Págs.:
823 - 840
Purpose This paper unifies previous research literature on employee participation in continuous improvement (CI) activities through the development and validation of a conceptual model. The purpose of this model is to illustrate how organizational drivers foster organizational and individual enablers which, in turn, strengthen employee participation in CI. The article also discusses the results and managerial implications. Design/methodology/approach Firstly, the article introduces the main variables affecting employee participation in CI, looking at the different possible relationships proposed in existing literature. In accordance with the Kaye and Anderson (1999) framework, these variables are categorized into organizational drivers, organizational and individual enablers and individual outcomes. Based on these categories, a model was put forward and empirically validated using data collected from three Spanish companies (n = 483) and using partial least squares structural equations modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings A model was put forward, proposing PIRK systems (power, information, rewards, knowledge) as the main organizational driver of employee participation in CI activities. PIRK impacts positively on social influence (organizational enabler), self-efficacy and job satisfaction (individual enablers). These enablers, together with employee intention of participating, help determine employee participation in CI activities. Practical implications Organizations...
Revista:
ORGANIZATION AND ENVIRONMENT
ISSN:
1086-0266
Año:
2021
Vol.:
34
N°:
1
Págs.:
145 - 170
Maturity models enhance the performance of companies by prescribing a trajectory through stages of increasing capability. However, a recent review of maturity models concludes that current maturity models hardly meet the design principles required for prescriptive use. To address this deficiency, we conducted semistructured interviews and a Group Model Building study with industrial companies in Spain in which we studied the progression toward a Leading Green Company as the highest maturity stage of environmental management. The findings from the study were tested using surveys with enterprises in Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom, semistructured interviews in the United Kingdom and case studies in Spain. Using these data sources, we develop a causal model that captures an idealized environmental management maturity dynamic progression though stages. By mapping maturity stages to feedback loops connected to actions to improve those maturity levels, system dynamics can help companies articulate policies for transitioning toward higher maturity stages.
Revista:
SUSTAINABILITY
ISSN:
2071-1050
Año:
2021
Vol.:
13
N°:
4
Págs.:
2240
Water has become a critical resource due to increased manufacturing activities. However, there is a lack of detailed information on water management and consumption by industries. In the recent bibliography, lean-green was established as a good approach for achieving sustainability in manufacturing industries, but few studies have aimed to achieve both operational and environmental improvements in water consumption. In this paper, we present a multi-case study in the agri-food industry in which water consumption in company activities is monitored, allowing them to improve their industrial processes based on lean-green practices, leading to a zero-waste strategy for this critical resource. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of having detailed knowledge regarding water consumption in order to discover, in a lean-green context, new improvement opportunities which could remain hidden by the current way of analysing consumption.
Revista:
PRODUCTION PLANNING AND CONTROL
ISSN:
0953-7287
Año:
2021
Vol.:
32
N°:
1
Págs.:
34 - 51
Many new model launches in Europe do not meet the quality, cost and production targets set by automotive companies during production ramp-up. Although increasing car complexity could be a key factor in explaining this issue, it is not sufficient to explain why production sites are not able to meet these important targets. This article analyses whether the production system used in European car manufacturing plants are suitable for achieving performance goals during the production ramp-up phase. First, the differences between serial production and the production ramp-up phase are analyzed through the conceptual framework of the European Production System in the automotive industry. Second, a case study using real data from a European automotive plant is presented, and the evidence calls into question the appropriateness of maintaining the same production system during the ramp-up phase. The study concludes that there is a need to make the production system in Europe more flexible during the ramp-up phase. In particular, changes should be more oriented towards fostering organizational improvement capability in order to reduce the stops that occur in the production line, avoid using pull systems as a constraint or limitation, and help to build a new culture of stopping to fix problems.
Revista:
SOLAR ENERGY
ISSN:
0038-092X
Año:
2021
Vol.:
220
Págs.:
914 - 926
In the operation & maintenance (O&M) of photovoltaic (PV) plants, the early identification of failures has become crucial to maintain productivity and prolong components' life. Of all defects, cell-level anomalies can lead to serious failures and may affect surrounding PV modules in the long run. These fine defects are usually captured with high spatial resolution electroluminescence (EL) imaging. The difficulty of acquiring such images has limited the availability of data. For this work, multiple data resources and augmentation techniques have been used to surpass this limitation. Current state-of-the-art detection methods extract barely low-level information from individual PV cell images, and their performance is conditioned by the available training data. In this article, we propose an end-to-end deep learning pipeline that detects, locates and segments cell-level anomalies from entire photovoltaic modules via EL images. The proposed modular pipeline combines three deep learning techniques: 1. object detection (modified Faster-RNN), 2. image classification (EfficientNet) and 3. weakly supervised segmentation (autoencoder). The modular nature of the pipeline allows to upgrade the deep learning models to the further improvements in the state-of-the-art and also extend the pipeline towards new functionalities.
Revista:
CENTRAL EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH
ISSN:
1435-246X
Año:
2021
Vol.:
29
N°:
4
Págs.:
1219 - 1230
Environmental efficiency should not be treated independently of production efficiency. Several studies have demonstrated that lean management can be a major part of the answer to improving the environmental performance of companies. In this context, this work integrates existing methodologies and approaches from lean thinking, Industry 4.0 and mathematical optimization and then presents a toolkit for integrating, measuring, controlling and improving production and environmental performance in companies. The proposed approach is the result of previous investigations and is being validated in companies in the agri-food sector.
Revista:
SUSTAINABILITY
ISSN:
2071-1050
Año:
2020
Vol.:
12
N°:
22
Págs.:
9781
In a circular economy (CE) environment, it is important to make good and efficient use of resources and consider that the waste generated in production processes can be a valuable resource. However, the tools and methodologies conventionally used to analyze and evaluate production systems are based on techniques focused on linear production management models, where the primary purpose is to reduce the treatment and management of waste as much as possible and where productive and environmental efficiency are not evaluated simultaneously. Changing the paradigm from a linear to a circular economy requires that a new strategy for production systems be defined, one that makes production processes simultaneously circular and efficient (in terms of quality and productivity). In this context, a holistic vision is needed when implementing CE strategies. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to provide evidence, through two real case studies in the use of water, that the management of this resource without considering systemic thinking may not be the most circular solution. Main results showed that improvements based on the traditional approach of reducing resource use cannot provide the best results if they are supported only by current process consumption without considering the circularity of resources.
Revista:
ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECTURAL MANAGEMENT
ISSN:
0969-9988
Año:
2020
Vol.:
27
N°:
4
Págs.:
917 - 935
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to perform a quantitative analysis of the literature in order to determine the main causes of delay in construction projects. Design/methodology/approach A set of 47 articles from the literature were analyzed, yielding 1,057 different causes of delay. In order to analyze and compare the main causes of delay, their degree of impact was studied statistically. Next, a mention count method was used to determine the primary causes of construction project delays and through the use of Pareto diagrams, the main causes of delays in construction projects were determined. Findings It was determined that the three main causes of construction project delay are problems that occur during execution, administrative problems and labor conflicts; together they account for almost 80 percent of the causes found in the literature. Moreover, it was deduced that problems during execution are based on unpredictable events, while administrative problems are rooted in poor cash flow management. In addition, seven sub-groups of delay causes were identified as being major due to the number of mentions detected. These were "Changes during construction," "Poor construction management," "Construction errors," "Economic/Financial," "Conflict/Relationship" and "Lack of experience." Social implications Identifying the factors and causes of the delays will allow mitigation actions to be taken in order to avoid delays, which will ultimately allow homes, schools, hospitals and other necessary infrastructure to be delivered on time or even before the planned date. Originality/value This study provides a unique classification method that was successfully validated. Thanks to the classification, designers may use this information as a starting point for designing future construction projects, thereby minimizing unforeseen events during construction.
Revista:
THE TQM JOURNAL
ISSN:
1754-2731
Año:
2020
Vol.:
32
N°:
6
Págs.:
1159 - 1175
Revista:
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUALITY AND SERVICE SCIENCES
ISSN:
1756-669X
Año:
2020
Vol.:
12
N°:
3
Págs.:
229 - 245
Purpose This paper aims to identify key middle manager trustworthy behaviours that encourage employees' participation in continuous improvement activities in industrial contexts. Design/methodology/approach The list of behaviours has been developed in two different phases. First, the authors conducted two concept mappings with operators and middle managers and, subsequently, the authors combined and integrated both points of view. Second, the authors developed an expert panel with researchers, consultants and experienced practitioners of industrial management for debugging and reducing the results, presenting the final list of behaviours. Findings This work presents 55 different middle manager trustworthy behaviours divided into four different categories: human qualities; training and development; technical and managerial competencies; and team building. Research limitations/implications This paper contributes to existing literature about sustainable continuous improvement systems highlighting the role of middle managers and proposes a set of specific middle manager trustworthy behaviours for increasing supervisors' influence on operator participation. Originality/value After extracting the knowledge of different stakeholders, the list of behaviours identified can serve as a useful tool for recruiting, training, evaluating and developing a supervisors' managerial style that enhances operator participation in continuous improvement activities.
Revista:
BRITISH FOOD JOURNAL
ISSN:
0007-070X
Año:
2019
Vol.:
121
N°:
5
Págs.:
1140 - 1153
Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to analyze gaps and trends, as well suggest approaches andmethodologies that should be addressed by future studies for implementing the lean and green managementin the agri-food sector.
Design/methodology/approach-Based on a sample with 117 papers, this paper presents a systematicreview on the integration of lean and green in the agri-food sector.
Findings-Key findings indicate that research on lean and greentopics has increased in recent years, an importantgapintheintegrationofleanandgreenintheagri-foodsector has been identified. Two paths that remain open forfurther research are detected: the lack of theoretical, prescriptive and quantitative research and the possibility ofintegrating the two most used tools of lean (i.e. value stream mapping) and green (i.e. life-cycle assessment).
Practical implications-This study does not only advance the theoretical knowledge of the lean and greenfield, but it is also beneficial for agri-food companies who aim to effectively deploy lean and green in theirprocesses in order to improve both operational and environmental performances.
Social implications-No other industry matches in such a complete way the agri-food industry¿s challengeof sustainability that is due to the amount of resources it consumes and its interrelatedness with thewell-being of humanity.
Originality/value-There are separate streams of established research on lean and green management inthe agri-food sector,
Revista:
THE TQM JOURNAL
ISSN:
1754-2731
Año:
2019
Vol.:
31
N°:
3
Págs.:
359 - 376
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.
Revista:
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMPUTER INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING
ISSN:
0951-192X
Año:
2019
Vol.:
32
N°:
2
Págs.:
183 - 193
Nowadays companies are trying to become 'greener', which requires integrating the environmental dimension into their traditional performance metrics. However, managers may not have the complete information and data for their environmental problems and, crucially, there is a lack of knowledge about how these environmental issues affect a company's productivity. Even though the availability of technology has increased and it is easier than ever to obtain all kinds of data, there is a lack of agreement on how to correctly measure environmental performance, and companies could suffer from an overload of environmental information. The biggest challenge, therefore, lies in how to measure and obtain the appropriate environmental data and how to interpret and relate these data to the company's productivity. In this context, this paper presents a new and innovative approach, called Plug&Glean, for diagnosing and improving productivity and environmental performance in a defined production system. The approach is applied to a case study in the north of Spain. The findings suggest that it is possible to improve productivity and environmental performance at the same time, as well as reinforce the notion that waste elimination has a positive impact on improving environmental performance.
Revista:
MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ISSN:
1477-7835
Año:
2018
Vol.:
29
N°:
1
Págs.:
49 - 62
Purpose
Environmental management (EM) is becoming increasingly important in all types of organizations. The food industry represents the top industrial sector of the Spanish economy; however, there is still little knowledge about how it is managed environmentally. The purpose of this paper is to present a descriptive analysis of the Spanish food sector.
Design/methodology/approach
This study undertook a descriptive analysis based on probabilistic sampling surveys from food companies in Spain. The survey was sent out to 900 companies obtaining 128 answers.
Findings
The results of this study show that companies with an EM standard tend to have a more developed system and a greater presence of EM tools and actions. Moreover, statistical differences were identified among the characteristics of companies and various factors that affect the evolution of their EM.
Originality/value
There are no studies that reveal a clear picture of the status of EM in the Spanish food industry. This study presents a clear starting point that might help policy makers, consultants, researchers and other parties to set new improvement routes so companies do not get stuck in their progress toward environmental excellence
Revista:
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS EXCELLENCE
ISSN:
1478-3363
Año:
2018
Vol.:
29
N°:
7-8
Págs.:
817 - 833
Continuous improvement (CI) systems still have room for improvement due to the difficulty in sustaining the system and attaining a high level of employee participation. This study looks to analyse the level of implementation in manufacturing companies of 16 CI routines, and how these routines foster CI and employee participation. Based on a general survey of CI managers from Spain which yielded 147 valid responses, a Cluster Analysis (CA) and a Factorial Analysis were performed in order to group both responses and the variables used into more comprehensive categories. Statistical tests were run to test for significant relationships. This paper introduces a new perspective on the issue of CI maturity levels by using CA to group companies into three categories based on the score of a set of 16 CI enablers, which were in turn reduced to four factors using Factor Analysis, allowing for the identification of improvement challenges depending on the maturity stage of each company. Three different maturity groups of companies were identified, named as Leaders, Followers and Laggards. Results show that companies with better scores on these factors believe to have more sustainable CI systems and a higher level of employee participation.
Revista:
THE TQM JOURNAL
ISSN:
1754-2731
Año:
2018
Vol.:
30
N°:
4
Págs.:
281 - 295
The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodology that is based on the concept of environmental comfort and can serve as a tool that can help companies and employees to implement Kaizen projects. This methodology focuses on the worker¿s participation in analyzing and developing improvements related to their workplace.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is focused on the development of a methodology that encourages worker participation in improvement activities, through the analysis of their working conditions. For this purpose, the proposed methodology was developed in accordance with the dimensions of workplace comfort proposed by Vischer. The employees start working on the analysis of problems and their solutions through the logical framework approach, as it is a tool that encourages worker participation and consensus. The developed methodology was applied in a company, with three different groups of people, which enabled the authors to test its utility.
Findings
The findings reveal that the proposed methodology is effective in initiating workers in the path of Kaizen. The employees who applied this methodology were able to propose improvement actions that addressed the problems and opportunities that they had previously detected. Moreover, the questionnaire that was used to validate the methodology and was administered to employees shows that the methodology is useful in preparing them for adopting continuous improvement (CI) programs.
Revista:
BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
ISSN:
0964-4733
Año:
2018
Vol.:
27
N°:
8
Págs.:
1525 - 1534
The circular economy has become an important issue in recent years because it makes sustainable development feasible by creating value in the economy and by closing the energy and materials loops. However, since most companies continue to operate under a linear model, it is particularly important to start providing companies with tools that facilitate their shift to the circular paradigm. The main objective of this research is to establish the key elements that are necessary for assessing the level of circular economy implementation. To that end, the Delphi method is used to validate and define the key elements of three categories: circular economy fields of action, industrial symbiosis, and environmental certifications. As a result, this study identifies the key elements that assess the degree of circular economy implementation and that allows small and medium-sized enterprises to understand where they are and what they need to do to improve their performance.
Revista:
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
ISSN:
0959-6526
Año:
2018
Vol.:
178
Págs.:
268 - 275
Manufacturers have become progressively more aware of their operations' impacts on the triple bottom line (social, environmental and financial), and they are under increased pressure to account for their resource consumption and environmental footprint. These challenges are forcing companies to implement and combine different management approaches, such as "green" and "lean", to meet the needs of the ever-changing market demand. Using semi-structured interviews in 58 different companies, this paper shows how manufacturing companies carry out manufacturing and environmental practices. This study contributes to the current debate in the literature on environmentally friendly manufacturing by arguing that companies with advanced manufacturing practices do not engage in proactive participation in environmental management with tactical and strategic practices inside their organizations. Following that, some considerations for correctly measuring the environmental efficiency in companies are presented. The findings and recommendations of this study can be used to fully utilize the potential of environmental practices to simultaneously improve manufacturing productivity and environmental performance and to identify trends in organizational development. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Revista:
MEMORIA INVESTIGACIONES EN INGENIERIA
ISSN:
2301-1092
Año:
2017
Vol.:
15
Págs.:
71 - 84
Revista:
ORGANIZATION AND ENVIRONMENT
ISSN:
1086-0266
Año:
2017
Vol.:
30
N°:
1
Págs.:
27 - 50
Environmental management has become a fundamental concern for organizations, customers, and citizens, yet there are few environmental management metrics that guide toward environmental excellence. This research presents a detailed qualitative model of the evolution of environmental management of a firm through the definition of maturity stages and causal influences. The model provides a technique for assessing maturity stages as well as steps that can assist or negate their ecological advancement. The causal-based classification helps companies to understand the need for nontechnical elements in the process, such as top management commitment. This article also contributes to the literature on integrative multimethod research, as it brings together several approaches to environmental management.
Revista:
MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ISSN:
1477-7835
Año:
2017
Vol.:
28
N°:
5
Págs.:
632 - 650
Purpose - Despite significant amounts of environmental management tools that are available for companies to use, no model guides them toward environmental excellence. As a consequence, the purpose of this paper is to develop an environmental management maturity (EMM) model that helps companies that are on the path toward environmental excellence. Design/methodology/approach - An iterative process was used to develop this model, starting with some semi-structured interviews with 19 companies within the Basque Country and two workshops with environmental experts. Following these steps, the initial version of the model was developed. Data from subsequent surveys carried out in Spanish and Italian companies, and a survey and semi-structured interviews in companies in the UK were incorporated into the model, yielding the final, more robust version of the EMM model. Findings - The EMM model proposes six maturity stages: legal requirements, responsibility assignment and training, systematization, ECO2, eco-innovative products and services, and leading green company. Each stage details a series of elements: description, agents involved, policies, tools, indicators, structure, and behavior over time graphs. This research confirms that a company's environmental management evolves through several distinctive stages, regardless of the industrial sector. Originality/value - The proposed model concludes that the defined maturity stages provide valuable guidance for industrial firms as it helps them identify their maturity stage as well as the steps they should follow to move to the next stage.
Revista:
JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT-ASCE
ISSN:
0733-9364
Año:
2017
Vol.:
143
N°:
11
Págs.:
1-7
Revista:
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS EXCELLENCE
ISSN:
1478-3363
Año:
2017
Vol.:
28
N°:
9-10
Págs.:
974 - 988
Implementing continuous improvement (CI) systems is one of the most effective ways to increase operational excellence. One pillar that determines the success of a CI strategy is a climate of commitment and participation among workers. Recent work has focused on identifying organisational factors that directly influence worker participation. However, when analysing these elements, the importance that middle managers have when creating a work environment that enhances employee involvement stands out. The aim of this paper is to identify specific middle manager trustworthy behaviours that impact the level of commitment and participation in a group of line workers in a specific CI environment. To accomplish this, we present a list of specific behaviours based on a concept mapping conducted among a representative group of industrial supervisors and operators in the north of Spain. These identified behaviours define managerial practices that could directly enhance the level of worker commitment and participation.
Revista:
MEMORIA INVESTIGACIONES EN INGENIERIA
ISSN:
2301-1092
Año:
2017
N°:
15
Págs.:
71 - 84
Several national and international studies reveal that the housing access is one of the main problems that society is facing nowadays. Housing cooperatives constructions emerge as an alternative to satisfy low income social classes housing demand. Despite being a sustainable solution over time an in-depth study of the process shows several delays in the construction stage.
Revista:
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS EXCELLENCE
ISSN:
1478-3363
Año:
2017
Vol.:
28
N°:
13-14
Págs.:
1469 - 1488
Continuous improvement (CI) is still one of the strongest ways for companies to achieve process excellence in order to survive in nowadays¿ competitive environments. Yet, it is still very difficult to implement and sustain CI systems, mainly because of the difficulty in engaging people in these activities. Based on an exhaustive literature review, followed by a three-round Delphi study with Spanish experts, this paper helps to assess what the main elements are with respect to the CI system that could motivate employees¿ intention to participate in CI activities. Main results show 44 elements grouped into 10 factors that could affect employees¿ intention to participate. These factors were structured into a more comprehensive model following an interpretive structural modelling approach.
Revista:
MEMORIA INVESTIGACIONES EN INGENIERIA
ISSN:
2301-1092
Año:
2016
N°:
14
Págs.:
23 - 34
El trabajo en equipo es una de las competencias clave para el desarrollo de muchos
profesionales, más si cabe, para el de los futuros ingenieros. Es por ello que dicha competencia se
debe definir primeramente en los planes de estudios de estas titulaciones como posteriormente
debe controlarse y asegurarse la adquisición de la misma por parte de los alumnos. El artículo
que aquí se presenta propone un modelo que sirve de referencia para entender los factores y
procesos que surgen del desarrollo del trabajo en equipo y lo completa con la definición de unas
herramientas que sirve para evaluar el grado de consecución de la competencia por parte de los
alumnos a lo largo de un grado en ingeniería industrial. El modelo se ha probado en base a datos
experimentales realizados en una escuela de ingenieros española, aunque está diseñado para que
pueda adaptarse a cualquier nivel educativo en el que el trabajo en equipo sea definido como una
competencia a desarrollar en el alumno.
Revista:
REVISTA GLOBALIZACION, COMPETITIVIDAD Y GOBERNABILIDAD
ISSN:
1988-7116
Año:
2016
Vol.:
10
N°:
1
Págs.:
66 - 81
This study focuses on how innovation capability can be developed within a company and how information
capability is integrated into the innovation process. Innovation, helped by elements that generate and share
knowledge, is generated through different practices. Thus, the present study develops an analysis of the role
of information capability in innovation through the assessment of the direct experiences of managers from
innovative companies located in Spain through grounded theory methodology. Our findings suggest that
strategy promotes the appropriate culture and values that are aligned with innovation in the company.
Strategy also establishes and acquires the resources, both internal and external, that an organization
needs in order to achieve competiveness through innovation. Moreover, the organizational culture and
resources support the information capability, and this information capability in turn supports the knowledge
management which supports and develops innovation. The contribution of this research is the proposal of
a framework that explains the elements that underlie innovation management in companies. The paper
contributes to a deeper understanding of how to use information capability and knowledge management as
potential sources of innovation.
Revista:
DYNA
ISSN:
0012-7361
Año:
2016
Vol.:
91
N°:
3
Págs.:
250
Revista:
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT
ISSN:
2013-8423
Año:
2016
Vol.:
9
N°:
5
Págs.:
1059 - 1077
Purpose: Achieving employee participation in continuous improvement (CI) systems is considered as one of the success factors for the sustainability of those systems. Yet, it is also very difficult to obtain because of the interaction of many critical factors that affect employee participation. Therefore, finding ways of measuring all these critical factors can help practitioners manage the employee participation process accordingly. Design/methodology/approach: Based upon the existing literature, this paper presents a 4-Phase (9 steps) diagnostic tool to measure the main determinants associated with the implementation of CI systems affecting employee participation in improvement activities. Findings: The tool showed its usefulness to detect the main weaknesses and improvement opportunities for improving employee participation in CI through the application in two different cases. Practical implications: This diagnostic tool could be particularly interesting for companies adopting CI and other excellence frameworks, which usually include a pillar related to people development inside the organization, but do not include tools to diagnose the state of this pillar. Originality/value: This diagnostic tool presents a user's perspective approach, ensuring that the weaknesses and improvement opportunities detected during the diagnose come directly from the users of the CI system, which in this case are the employees themselves. Given that the final objective is to identify reasons and problems hindering employee participation, adopting this user's perspective approach seem more relevant than adopting other more traditional approaches, based on gathering information from the CI system itself or from the CI managers.
Revista:
REVISTA GLOBALIZACION, COMPETITIVIDAD Y GOBERNABILIDAD
ISSN:
1988-7116
Año:
2016
Vol.:
10
N°:
1
Págs.:
66 - 81
Revista:
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT
ISSN:
2013-8423
Año:
2016
Vol.:
9
N°:
5
Págs.:
979 - 981
Revista:
THE TQM JOURNAL
ISSN:
1754-2731
Año:
2016
Vol.:
28
N°:
6
Págs.:
869-886
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe a readiness programme designed to increase employees¿ awareness of order and cleanliness as a way of building the necessary foundation for implementing and sustaining continuous improvement processes. In this paper, the authors propose a new readiness programme based on the principles of 5S, with the aim of strengthening employees¿ motivation and involvement prior to 5S being implemented.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on case study methodology, followed by a programme of four structured activities. The validity of the programme is shown through the implementation of the activities in two different organizations.
Findings
The readiness programme was applied before 5S was successfully implemented. The degree of awareness and motivation of the programme participants improved as a result of these activities. Moreover, the activities increased people¿s motivation to participate in improvement activities.
Originality/value
Applying a readiness programme before implementing 5S can help organizations to achieve and sustain improvement activities, thus increasing worker commitment and motivation.
Revista:
DYNA
ISSN:
0012-7361
Año:
2016
Vol.:
91
N°:
3
Págs.:
250
Revista:
DYNA
ISSN:
0012-7361
Año:
2015
Vol.:
3
Págs.:
1 - 16
Revista:
DYNA (ESPAÑA)
ISSN:
0012-7361
Año:
2015
Vol.:
90
N°:
2
Págs.:
219-226
An extensive literature review was carried out to detect why design of experiments (DoE) is not widely used among engineers in Europe. Once 16 main barriers were identified, a survey was carried out to obtain first-hand information about the significance of each. We obtained 101 responses from academics, consultants and practitioners interested in DoE. A statistical analysis of the survey is introduced, including: (a) a ranking of the barriers, (b) grouping of barriers using factorial analysis, (c) differences between characteristics of respondents. This exploratory analysis showed that the main barriers that hinder the widespread use of DoE are low managerial commitment and engineers¿ general weakness in statistics. Once the barriers were classified, the most important resultant group was that related to business barriers.
Revista:
TEAM PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
ISSN:
1352-7592
Año:
2015
Vol.:
21
N°:
5/6
Págs.:
274 - 292
Revista:
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
ISSN:
1535-3958
Año:
2015
Vol.:
22
N°:
3
Págs.:
169-181
This research focuses on the evolution of environmental management within firms. It is based on a survey and semi-structured interviews conducted among UK companies. Building on an evolutionary conceptual model, consisting of several maturity stages, we identify milestones', i.e. common practices companies engage in when progressing through specific maturity stages. Whilst clear commonalities can be identified, most notably linked to the order of maturity stages they progressed through and the emergence of commonly acknowledged practices linked to the individual maturity stages, the results also reveal a number of within-sample patterns regarding the companies' progression through the different maturity stages. It can be concluded that the maturity stages and practices identified in this research can provide valuable guidance for firms aiming to make progress in environmental matters, as they help them to identify in which maturity stage they are and sets out steps that they can take to move forward. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Revista:
MEMORIA INVESTIGACIONES EN INGENIERIA
ISSN:
2301-1092
Año:
2015
N°:
13
Págs.:
17-32
Las empresas de hoy en día se encuentran inmersas en una feroz competencia por
sobrevivir y sobresalir. Para ello, la clave de la excelencia está en desarrollar estrategias globales
orientadas hacia la mejora continua de los procesos en la organización. No obstante, uno de los
principales obstáculos a superar en ese camino hacia la excelencia es precisamente lograr la
participación y compromiso de todos los trabajadores de manera sostenida en el tiempo. Este
problema aparece citado en repetidas ocasiones en la literatura, pero las razones por las cuales las
personas deciden o no participar de estas iniciativas siguen sin estar del todo claras. Este artículo
busca aportar en el conocimiento de la relación entre los sistemas de mejora continua y la
intención de participar de los trabajadores. Mediante una encuesta a empresas españolas, se
detectó que aquellas empresas que puntúan alto en una serie de hábitos relacionados con el éxito
de los sistemas de mejora continua, consideran que sus sistemas son más sostenibles en el tiempo
y que sus trabajadores están más comprometidos. A la luz de estos resultados, se desarrolló un
Panel Delphi para profundizar acerca de cuáles son los elementos claves que los gerentes deben
de tener en cuenta a la hora de desplegar los sistemas de mejora continua, con el objetivo de
fomentar la participación de todos los trabajadores, obteniéndose como resultado una lista de
elementos claves.
Revista:
THE TQM JOURNAL
ISSN:
1754-2731
Año:
2015
Vol.:
27
N°:
3
Págs.:
316 - 327
Revista:
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRODUCTION RESEARCH
ISSN:
0020-7543
Año:
2014
Vol.:
52
N°:
6
Págs.:
1755-1770
One of the most important enablers of continuous improvement sustainability is ease of communication, and doing so in a way that can be understood by all employees and allows information to flow rapidly throughout the company. Visual Management (VM) provides significant benefits in communication and standardisation which boosts the effectiveness of improvement systems. This article presents an in-depth literature review about the concept of VM and its benefits, and provides results from an exploratory study carried out in the Basque Country that aims to ascertain the usage of VM in 52 companies. Based on a literature review, 20 different VM elements were identified for improving the workplace. The implementation of these elements was studied, as was the relationship of VM with employee participation systems. The results of this study show a general moderate implementation of VM tools in companies with implementation levels differing according to company size. Some of the lowest scores are detected in the areas of visual control of quality, the displaying of indicators and process visibility. Moreover, statistical differences were identified between the implementation of suggestion systems and improvement teams and the implementation level of VM tools.
Revista:
REVISTA GLOBALIZACION, COMPETITIVIDAD Y GOBERNABILIDAD
ISSN:
1988-7116
Año:
2014
Vol.:
8
N°:
3
Págs.:
33 - 44
El objetivo de este estudio es analizar si la gestión y el uso de la información es eficiente en empresas comprometidas con la gestión de la calidad y si depende del sistema de gestión de calidad adoptado por la organización. A partir de una revisión bibliográfica hemos establecido un conjunto de buenas prácticas que conducen a la gestión y el uso eficiente de la información en la organización. A continuación, usando un cuestionario, hemos recogido la percepción de los directivos sobre el nivel de adopción de las prácticas establecidas. Los directivos pertenecían a dos tipos de organizaciones: empresas que han adoptado la ISO9000 como sistema de gestión de calidad y empresas que han adoptado el modelo EFQM de calidad total. El estudio contribuye a lograr un conocimiento más profundo de la gestión y uso eficiente de la información como fuente de ventaja competitiva para la organización. El nivel de adopción de las prácticas que conducen a la gestión y uso eficiente de la información es elevado en las organizaciones comprometidas con la gestión de la calidad. Además se han detectado diferencias que dependen del sistema de calidad adoptado por la misma. Los datos se han obtenido de muestras pequeñas de empresas de diferentes regiones del mundo. Por otro lado, sólo se han tenido en cuenta dos sistemas de calidad
Revista:
REVISTA GLOBALIZACION, COMPETITIVIDAD Y GOBERNABILIDAD
ISSN:
1988-7116
Año:
2014
Vol.:
8
N°:
3
Págs.:
33 -34
Explore the development of the information capability in companies committed to quality management and explore whether the development of information capability depends on the quality management system adopted by the company. The efficient use and management of information can be considered a capability for a company. From a review of the literature we first define information capability related practices. Then, through a questionnaire, we captured the perception of managers in two types of companies regarding the existence of information practices. We contacted companies that used ISO 9000 as their quality management system and companies that were committed to the EFQM excellence model. The paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the information capability construct. According to the results, companies committed to quality management have developed the information capability. Also, this study shows the differences in its development in terms of the quality system adopted by the company.The data has been obtained from small samples of companies from different regions in the world. Also other quality management systems could be considered.
Revista:
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRODUCTION RESEARCH
ISSN:
0020-7543
Año:
2014
Vol.:
52
N°:
15
Págs.:
4574-4586
The 5S methodology is a very appropriate way to initiate and achieve the process of continuous improvement. This paper studies management practices in successful Japanese companies in order to determine what 5S principles are behind them. After visiting and conducting interviews at five different plants, a multi-case study analysis was developed to identify the key aspects of the success of the implementation of 5S in Japan. Although each of the companies studied is different, there are commonalities that provide for interesting learning. As a result, best managerial practices based on 5S principles are explained, and the most important principles associated with the success of the 5S method are described and discussed.
Revista:
INTANGIBLE CAPITAL
ISSN:
1697-9818
Año:
2013
Vol.:
9
N°:
1
Págs.:
281 - 304
Revista:
INTANGIBLE CAPITAL
ISSN:
1697-9818
Año:
2013
Vol.:
9
N°:
1
Págs.:
281 - 304
Revista:
IIE TRANSACTIONS
ISSN:
0740-817X
Año:
2013
Vol.:
45
N°:
5
Págs.:
544-553
Experimenters should be aware of the possibility that some of their observations may be unavailable for analysis. This article considers different criteria to assess the impact that missing data can have when running three-level designs to estimate a full second-order polynomial model. Designs for three to seven factors were studied and included BoxBehnken designs, face-centered composite designs, and designs due to Morris, Mee, BlockMee, DraperLin, Hoke, Katasaounis, and Notz. These designs were studied under two existing robustness criteria: (i) the maximum number of runs that can be missing and still allow the remaining runs to estimate a given model; and (ii) the loss of D-efficiency in the remaining design compared with the original design. The robustness of three-level designs was studied using a third, new criterion: the maximum number of observations that can be missing from a design and still allow the estimation of the given model with a high probability. This criterion represents a useful generalization of the first criterion, which determines the maximum number of runs that make the probability of estimating the model equal to one. The new criterion provides a better assessment of the robustness of each design than previous criteria.
Revista:
TEAM PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
ISSN:
1352-7592
Año:
2013
Vol.:
19
N°:
3/4
Págs.:
222-236
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
Revista:
IFIP ADVANCES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
ISSN:
1868-4238
Año:
2012
Vol.:
384
Págs.:
132 -139
Revista:
THE TQM JOURNAL
ISSN:
1754-2731
Año:
2012
Vol.:
24
N°:
2
Págs.:
142 -154
The purpose of this paper is twofold: to evaluate the importance of the factors reported in the literature as enablers of Continuous Improvement (CI) programmes and to determine the perception of managers of different companies in the Basque Country and Navarre (Spain) regarding the relevance of these factors to their improvement programmes. In total, 15 elements have been considered to be key issues for the sustainability of CI programmes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 companies in order to assess how the companies value the factors and how the factors are applied and measured. The findings regarding the application and evaluation of such factors have revealed that companies are focused on the agents associated with the achievement of results. Other factors, such as management commitment or the promotion of team working, are highly scored and applied, but few companies evaluate them or take actions to improve their application. This paper analyzes the application of some factors considered to be enablers or key factors for the sustainability of continuous improvement systems. Furthermore, it examines the mechanisms or indicators which are used by some companies to measure the application of those factors
Revista:
MEMORIA DE TRABAJOS DE DIFUSION CIENTIFICA Y TECNICA
ISSN:
1510-7450
Año:
2012
Vol.:
10
Págs.:
33 - 44
El trabajo en equipo es uno de los elementos más importantes para los sistemas de
Mejora Continua, ya que facilita el intercambio de información, la resolución de problemas y el
desarrollo de las personas. Esta investigación tiene como objetivo obtener conclusiones sobre los
factores críticos para conseguir el éxito del trabajo realizado por los equipos de mejora, a través
de una investigación cualitativa basada en entrevistas a empresas industriales de la Comunidad
Autónoma Vasca, en España, gestionadas según el modelo EFQM y premiadas por su gestión.
Para ello se ha adaptado el modelo IMO de efectividad de trabajo en equipo, que permite la
evaluación de los distintos factores críticos. Los resultados obtenidos indican que las
organizaciones deben prestar atención a los factores relacionados con el equipo y sus miembros,
como el reconocimiento grupal y la formación en conjunto, entre otros.
Revista:
DIRECCION Y ORGANIZACION
ISSN:
1132-175X
Año:
2012
Vol.:
46
N°:
4
Págs.:
67 - 75
Revista:
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS EXCELLENCE
ISSN:
1478-3363
Año:
2012
Vol.:
23
N°:
42463
Págs.:
449 - 465
Sectors associated with the distribution of products and goods have become more and more important in recent years. Globalisation and changing market demands are increasing competitiveness in these sectors, and as a result many companies have adopted new improvement methods to assure their survival. The adoption of improvement philosophies and a lean culture offer new opportunities to improve the quality and service of distribution networks and activities related with transport and warehousing. The application of these philosophies, widely used in industrial companies, has been little documented in distribution centres. However, these methods are difficult to implement in companies from the distribution sector due to the volatility of customer demand, the high degree of human participation and the demanding mechanical and repetitive activities in retail and storage activities. This paper presents a methodology for change management to adopt lean practices in distribution centres. The presented case study has been used to develop, test and refine the methodology. Results show that the methodology was suitable for establishing a lean culture in the company and it resulted in good outcomes in terms of productivity, employee attitudes and participation.
Revista:
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS EXCELLENCE
ISSN:
1478-3363
Año:
2012
Vol.:
23
N°:
3-4
Págs.:
277-290
By means of a case study of an automotive manufacturer, this paper aims to study the impact of a continuous improvement (CI) programme on quality defects. The analysis aims to ascertain if several independent variables such as production, CIs, and shifts are correlated to each of two dependent variables: internal quality defects and auditor quality defects (detected in the line). We gathered daily data for each shift of internal quality and auditor quality in a 12-month period. The defects considered and analysed through this study amounted to more than 68,000. This analysis could be useful as a methodology to evaluate the CI programmes of other manufacturers, since there is very little literature in terms of case studies or examples that focus on the daily struggle that manufacturers face when transforming these strategies into working practices
Revista:
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUALITY AND SERVICE SCIENCES
ISSN:
1756-669X
Año:
2012
Vol.:
4
N°:
1
Págs.:
51-60
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to see how quality management is carried out in hotels in the Basque Country, a region in the north of Spain with a long tradition in the tourist sector.
Design/methodology/approach: The objective of the study was to establish what approaches to quality management are utilised by hotels in the region. The data were collated from information gathered via a survey conducted by e-mail.
Findings : A large percentage of surveyed hotels implement a quality management system that has been designed in-house. A figure of note, is the fact that 79 per cent of participants claim their quality management system has been introduced successfully. The study also indicated that a significant number of hotels implement a policy of continuous improvement to the system, as hotels believe in the effectiveness of quality management systems and think that such systems have resulted in an increase in customers and profit.
Originality/value: This study offers an understanding on the philosophy of quality management adopted by hotels in the Basque Country. Moreover, it provides empirical evidence on the perceived results of the implementation of quality management in hotels.
Revista:
Dyna
ISSN:
0012-7361
Año:
2011
Vol.:
86
N°:
2
Págs.:
136 - 140
Revista:
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMPUTER INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING
ISSN:
0951-192X
Año:
2011
Vol.:
24
N°:
4
Págs.:
338 - 351
Equipment efficiency can be measured and improved by the availability, performance and quality rates provided by the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) metric. Because today's managers operate in a complex manufacturing scenario, measurement systems play an important role in transforming data into decisions, and this task needs to be strengthened. Although sophisticated equipment and information technology systems are available, a methodology is required for understanding and managing data in order to make timely decisions regarding improvement. Thus, improvement needs to be supported by an easy-to-understand measurement system and a cutting-edge data-collecting technique. In order to assist not only managers and operators but also students and academia, this article presents a Plug&Lean system supported by a core element, the Plug&Lean wireless device, based on total productivity maintenance (TPM) and Lean methodology for providing a reliable diagnosis of the current state of equipment, to display graphical information about the equipment performance constraints towards to direct improvements activities. The aim of the Plug and Lean wireless device is to collect accuracy data with less effort from production equipment Two case studies are discussed to illustrate the applicability of the system.
Revista:
INTANGIBLE CAPITAL
ISSN:
1697-9818
Año:
2011
Vol.:
7
N°:
1
Págs.:
143 - 169
Objeto: En los últimos 50 años las empresas industriales han adoptado sistemas de mejora continua para mejorar su competitividad. Sin embargo, el mantenimiento de estos sistemas de mejora no es fácil. Algunas organizaciones, después de un período inicial de uno a dos años, abandonan el sistema debido a distintas causas. El propósito principal de este estudio es examinar el grado de aplicación de los sistemas de mejora continua y los factores que apoyan la sostenibilidad de su gestión a lo largo del tiempo en dos regiones diferentes. Diseño/metodología: Con el fin de obtener un resultado comparativo entre dos regiones diferentes, se realizó una encuesta a dos zonas industriales, una en el norte de España y otro en México. Ambas zonas son importantes áreas industriales en España y en México. El estudio se ha realizado a través del análisis de datos obtenidos a partir de una encuesta. En concreto, la encuesta estaba dirigida a grandes empresas industriales que habían participado en las actividades de calidad y promoción de la mejora continua apoyada por fundaciones locales.
Revista:
THE TQM JOURNAL
ISSN:
1754-2731
Año:
2011
Vol.:
23
N°:
6
Págs.:
598 - 610
Purpose ¿ Since the field of healthcare was a latecomer to the quality movement, knowledge transfer has generally flowed in one direction, from industry to healthcare. However, organisations can also be enriched by healthcare. In particular, this paper aims to show industry that important lessons can be learned regarding how teamwork is generally managed within healthcare. Design/methodology/approach ¿ To identify the useful lessons that healthcare can teach industry, the authors started with a brainstorming session among the members of the research team to pin-point the lessons based on their experience with healthcare and industrial environments. Afterwards, an exhaustive review of the relevant literature from the last ten years was carried out. Findings ¿ Industrial organisations need to develop teamwork frameworks focused on involving every employee in cross-disciplinary, empowered and trained teams. Moreover, from a team perspective, special care must be shown when defining clear roles, focusing on end clients, formulating shared objectives and facilitating internal communications. Practical implications ¿ The ten lessons from healthcare teamwork best practices believed to be the most important are given in the paper. Although some of these lessons may not be completely new concepts for industrial organisations, the paper shows how healthcare develops, spreads and applies these concepts in the real world. Originality/value ¿ The paper summarises, in ten useful lessons for organisations, healthcare's best teamwork practices in the literature
Revista:
DYNA (ESPAÑA)
ISSN:
0012-7361
Año:
2011
Vol.:
86
N°:
2
Págs.:
232-240
Después de los planteamientos de Taylor y Ford, la industria japonesa, con su principal exponente Toyota, demostró que es posible tener un mayor nivel de flexibilidad y productividad a través de sus principios de Just in Time, polivalencia de la mano de obra, cero inventarios, producción en flujo continuo y mejora continua. Diversidad de conceptos, propuestas y hasta filosofías han surgido de las ideas originales de Taiichi Ohno y sus colaboradores y, en muchos casos, al querer ser implantados en la organización se pierde la esencia de lo verdaderamente importante. La finalidad de este artículo, resultado de una revisión bibliográfica sobre sistemas de mejora continua, es mostrar cómo interactúan los diferentes planteamientos desarrollados en torno al Sistema de Producción Toyota, y al mismo poner de relieve sus aspectos comunes y los puntos críticos a considerar en su implementación. Para tal fin, se ha recurrido a los conceptos originales de los principales autores como son Taiichi Ohno, Masaaki Imai, Hiroyuki Hirano, Shigeo Shingo, James Womack y Daniel Jones, todos ellos considerados gurúes de la mejora continua. Así, el artículo contribuye a una comprensión holística sobre la aplicación de los sistemas de mejora continua.Como síntesis conclusiva se extrae que, además del despilfarro considerado el centro de atención de los diferentes planteamientos, existe también un interés general por lograr la participación del personal en los programas de mejora a través del cambio de hábitos, capacitar permanente al personal en los fundamentos y técnicas sobre mejora, romper el círculo vicioso que asocia la mejora continua con la pérdida del empleo y, finalmente, generar un cambio de mentalidad como precondición al comenzar a implantar un programa de mejora continua. En este mismo sentido, la gestión de los procesos y el aprendizaje de las personas son dos aspectos que conducen, de manera interrelacionada, a que una organización mejore su productividad y competitividad.
Revista:
REVISTA VENEZOLANA DE GERENCIA
ISSN:
1315-9984
Año:
2011
Vol.:
16
N°:
55
Págs.:
375-389
In the healthcare sector, teamwork is a key issue. Although the sector promotes research on improving the quality of teamwork, it rarely focuses on evaluating this process. This paper develops a methodological proposal for assessing teamwork effectiveness. The model considers 36 factors used to measure it, by observing the existence, importance and application level of these factors in the teamwork. The model was used to assess teams working in the public hospital network in the Basque Country (Spain). Methodology was of the exploratory type and developed with data obtained from interviews carried out according to a script based on the model's structure. The assessment was conducted through interviews in order to qualitatively assess the existence, degree and level of implementation for those factors. From applying the model to the practical case, conclusions are that most of the factors analyzed in those hospitals had medium and high scores; the lowest scores were for factors related to results, recognition, training and selecting team members.
Revista:
REVISTA DE DINÁMICA DE SISTEMAS
ISSN:
0718-1884
Año:
2011
Vol.:
5
N°:
1
Págs.:
30 - 60
La mejora continua es un proceso dinámico y complejo, caracterizado por su dificultad de mantenimiento en el tiempo, ya que su implantación conlleva un cambio cultural en toda la empresa. En los programas de mejora continua, los equipos de mejora son un elemento muy importante, y el modo en que se desarrollen y evolucionen es determinante para el éxito del programa. Por este motivo, el objetivo de este trabajo de investigación es desarrollar un modelo de simulación que permita analizar el desarrollo de equipos de mejora. El modelo obtenido representa la evolución de estos equipos en distintas situaciones. Gracias al modelo se pueden entender mejor cómo funcionan los equipos de mejora y los factores más importantes que deben tenerse en cuenta a la hora de implantar nuevos proyectos; como el seguimiento de la Dirección, el reconocimiento a los equipos, la formalización del sistema, la asignación de recursos y los objetivos que se pretenden alcanzar. Al mismo tiempo, el modelo es una herramienta de formación para todos aquellos implicados en los equipos de mejora.
Revista:
DYNA
ISSN:
0012-7361
Año:
2011
Vol.:
86
N°:
2
Págs.:
232-240
After Taylor and Ford's approaches, the Japanese industry, with its main leading exponent Toyota, showed that it is possible to have a greater level of flexibility and productivity through its principles of "just in time, versatility of labor, any inventory, continuous flow production and continuous improvement. Diversity of concepts, proposals and even philosophies have arisen from the original ideas of Taiichi Ohno and his associates, however, when they are going to be implemented in a organization its key essence is lost. The purpose of this paper, result of a review of the literature on continuous improvement systems, is to show how different approaches developed around the Toyota Production System interact. At the same time to emphasize in their common and decisive points to consider in its implementation. For this task, it has to be turned to original concepts of the leading authors such as Taiichi Ohno, Masaaki Imai, Hiroyuki Hirano, Shigeo Shingo, James Womack and Daniel Jones. All of them known such as gurus in the field of continuous improvement. Thus, this article contributes to a holistic understanding on continuous improvement systems implementation. As a conclusion, besides the wasting considered the focus of attention of different approaches, there is also a general interest in engaging staff in improvement programs through the change of habits, permanent staff training in the improvement fundamentals and techniques, leaving behind the vicious circle that links continuous improvement with a condition of lacking work, and finally motivate a change of mind, create a climate of trust before starting to implement a continuous improvement program. In this sense, the management processes and the learning of employees working in harmony are two aspects that lead an organization to improve in both: productivity as competitiveness.
Revista:
QUALITY AND RELIABILITY ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL
ISSN:
0748-8017
Año:
2010
Vol.:
26
N°:
2
Págs.:
157-165
As comfort has become an important factor in the lift industry, validated lift models are currently a significant research area. In this article, we present an analysis of a lift guiding system, which transmits vibrations to the cabin and affects passengers' comfort. The project consisted of determining the most important lift guiding system factors that affect a lift's comfort. The Design of Experiments technique was chosen as the best technique available to maximize the information gathered from the experiments. in order to carry out the experiments, a lift test rig was specially constructed in order to simulate a real installation. We screened and analyzed the influence of many factors on the response with an adapted factorial fractional design. This article shows the steps carried out in planning and analyzing the experiments, putting special emphasis on the planning during every phase of the DoE application. This research project was co-developed by a research center, a university and a well-known Spanish lift company. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Revista:
INDAGATIO DIDACTICA
ISSN:
1647-3582
Año:
2010
Vol.:
2
N°:
1
Págs.:
43 - 61
Actualmente la sociedad demanda servicios y productos seguros, fiables y a un
precio competitivo. Para ello las empresas deben contar con instalaciones y procesos
altamente eficientes que sean diseñados y explotados por técnicos con formación
específica en confiabilidad y gestión de activos. En este artículo se presenta el
análisis realizado sobre dichas necesidades empresariales, la formación específica
que se está impartiendo en las escuelas técnicas en este campo y se establecen
una serie de conclusiones encaminadas a mejorar esta formación. Asimismo se
incluyen un conjunto de bloques temáticos, que en opinión de los autores, deberían formar parte de los planes de estudio de las escuelas de ingeniería, para satisfacer
las necesidades anteriormente establecidas.
Revista:
INTANGIBLE CAPITAL
ISSN:
1697-9818
Año:
2010
Vol.:
6
N°:
1
Págs.:
51-77
Este artículo analiza el grado de sostenibilidad de las empresas en la gestión de la mejora continua y los factores que apoyan la sostenibilidad en el tiempo, a través de una encuesta enviada a 350 empresas de la Comunidad Autónoma Vasca y Navarra durante el mes de junio de 2009. El estudio presenta datos sobre la evolución de los sistemas de mejora en los últimos años, y la implantación de las distintas metodologías utilizadas. A continuación realiza un análisis de los factores que las empresas asocian con el abandono de los sistemas de mejora. Dado que los sistemas de mejora se basan en la participación de las personas, el estudio caracteriza cómo es dicha participación. Finalmente se analizan los elementos que las empresas utilizan en sus sistemas de mejora, y en qué grado se han introducido indicadores y objetivos en la gestión de la mejora. Como conclusiones se apuntan las siguientes claves para la mejora sostenible: una mayor implicación del personal directo en el sistema de mejora continua, la integración del sistema de mejora continua en la organización y el establecimiento de indicadores asociados al sistema.
Revista:
JOURNAL OF APPLIED STATISTICS
ISSN:
0266-4763
Año:
2010
Vol.:
37
N°:
12
Págs.:
1961-1977
An extensive literature review was carried out to detect why design of experiments (DoE) is not widely used among engineers in Europe. Once 16 main barriers were identified, a survey was carried out to obtain first-hand information about the significance of each. We obtained 101 responses from academics, consultants and practitioners interested in DoE. A statistical analysis of the survey is introduced, including: (a) a ranking of the barriers, (b) grouping of barriers using factorial analysis, (c) differences between characteristics of respondents. This exploratory analysis showed that the main barriers that hinder the widespread use of DoE are low managerial commitment and engineers' general weakness in statistics. Once the barriers were classified, the most important resultant group was that related to business barriers.