Purpose - The purpose of this article is to provide academics and practitioners a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the benefits, barriers, and bridges to successful collaboration in strategic ...supply chains. Design methodology approach - A triangulation method consisting of a literature review, a cross-functional mail survey, and 51 in-depth case analyses was implemented. Senior managers from purchasing, manufacturing, and logistics were targeted in the mail survey. The break down by channel category interviews is as follows: 14 retailers, 13 finished goods assemblers, 12 first-tier suppliers, three lower-tier suppliers, and nine service providers. Findings - Customer satisfaction and service is perceived as more enduring than cost savings. All managers recognize technology, information, and measurement systems as major barriers to successful supply chain collaboration. However, the people issues - such as culture, trust, aversion to change, and willingness to collaborate - are more intractable. People are the key bridge to successful collaborative innovation and should therefore not be overlooked as companies invest in supply chain enablers such as technology, information, and measurement systems. Research limitations implications - The average mail-survey response rate was relatively low: 23.5 percent. The case study analyses were not consistent in frequency across channel functions. Although the majority of companies interviewed and surveyed were international, all surveys and interviews were managers based in the US. Practical implications - This study provides new insight into understanding the success and hindering factors of supply chain management. The extensive literature review, the cross-channel analysis, and case studies provide academics and managers a macro picture of the goals, challenges, and strategies for implementing supply chain management. Originality value - This paper uses triangulation methodology for examining key issues of supply chain management at multiple levels within the supply chain.
Ti alloys suffer from intensive wear. To improve these properties, a surface treatment is required (coatings, surface thermal treatment, etc.). One of the major concerns regarding these treatments is ...that the treatment temperature needs to be controlled in order to avoid microstructural modifications.
In this work, an attempt to modify a thin alloy surface layer alone has been performed by means of induction nitriding. By saturating the heating chamber with N, it is possible to produce controlled thickness nitride layers. Current (650–750 A) and cycle number (2–4 with a duration of 8 s each) were varied, and the top view and cross sections of the produced samples were characterized by means of stylus profilometery, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and visible light microscopy. The produced samples were then studied by microhardness and tensile testing to determine their mechanical properties. Fretting tests were also performed in order to evaluate the wearing behaviour of the surface layers in a corrosive media.
The results showed that Ti alloys can be induction nitrided. The process parameters have a strong influence on the formation of TiN and alpha case layers. These layers can affect the mechanical properties and fretting resistance of the samples.
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•The induction nitriding process has been performed on Ti gr.5 alloy.•The nitrided layer is strongly correlated with the nitriding parameters.•The nitriding process produces an external hard layer.•The induction-nitriding process decreased the ductility of the core material.•The induction-nitriding process increased the fretting resistance of the substrate.
ABSTRACT
Supply chain collaboration is a vital dynamic capability — one that can deliver differential performance. Yet, few managers comprehend the nuanced complexities involved in assessing ...heterogeneously dispersed resources and bringing complimentary competencies together up and down the supply chain. As a result, gains from collaborative initiatives are often disappointing. Several literature streams including systems design, competency development (e.g., resource‐based view and relational view), and change management predict these outcomes. Building on insights from the literature, we sought to enrich theory of collaboration via inductive, interview‐driven research. Specifically, we conducted approximately 50 structured interviews at each of two points in time. Rigorous analysis of the interview firms' experience with collaborative initiatives provided insight into the motivations, resistors, enablers, and outcomes of collaboration. These insights form the foundation for a theoretical model to explain collaboration successes and failures as well as to provide prescriptions for using collaboration to achieve differential firm and supply chain performance.
The present research deals with the production and characterization of geopolymers prepared by mixing metakaolin with a steel slag from the production of chromium-manganese steel, a commercial sodium ...silicate solution and a sodium hydroxide solution. Different specimens were prepared by mixing metakaolin with different proportions of steel slag (20, 40, 60, 80wt%) characterized by different maximum particle size. Specimens containing just metakaolin and steel slag alone were also prepared for comparison. All specimens have been characterized regarding their compressive strength, specific surface area, water absorption and microstructure. It has been observed that the use of fine steel slag powders leads to increases the performances and that the specimens containing 40wt% steel slag and 60wt% metakaolin revealed the best overall behaviour.
The rhetoric and reality of supply chain integration Fawcett, Stanley E.; Magnan, Gregory M.
International journal of physical distribution & logistics management,
06/2002, Letnik:
32, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The terminology "supply chain management" is used frequently in today's materials management environment and is generally associated with advanced information technologies, rapid and responsive ...logistics service, effective supplier management, and increasingly with customer relationship management. Most materials managers are familiar with the supply chain mantra of "suppliers' supplier to customers' customer". However, experience shows that few companies are actually engaged in such extensive supply chain integration. To obtain an accurate view of SCM as it is currently practiced, the experience and insight of industry managers engaged in supply chain initiatives was sought via a multi-method empirical approach involving both surveys and case study interviews. The findings reveal that supply chain practice seldom resembles the theoretical ideal. Three different levels of SCM implementation are identified and a series of limiting factors are discussed. Managers must recognize the tension that exists between SCM's competitive potential and the inherent difficulty of collaboration.
A taxonomy of segmentation bases is presented which builds a multi-disciplinary approach to the categorization of suppliers. Supplier segmentation, from a purchasing perspective, still appears to be ...in the early stages of providing a coherent strategic intent behind supplier assessment. Whilst fragmentary in nature, current portfolio models are grouped into two principal taxonomic constructs of power and dependence and relational factors. In particular, the prevalent use of transaction cost economics (TCE) in portfolio modelling provides a foundation for purchasers to appraise risks from supplier opportunism. We augment existing approaches with reference to inter-organisational theory and the resource-based view to show different modes of inter-firm value creation that act as constituents of a strategic intent for segmentation. Our resulting taxonomy draws together a holistic view of supplier segmentation covering supply market conditions, product/service characteristics, supplier characteristics, buyer characteristics, and buyer–supplier relational factors.
Background
We determine the potential of forests and the forest sector to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by changes in management practices and wood use for two regions within Canada’s ...managed forest from 2018 to 2050. Our modeling frameworks include the Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector, a framework for harvested wood products that estimates emissions based on product half-life decay times, and an account of marginal emission substitution benefits from the changes in use of wood products and bioenergy. Using a spatially explicit forest inventory with 16 ha pixels, we examine mitigation scenarios relating to forest management and wood use: increased harvesting efficiency; residue management for bioenergy; reduced harvest; reduced slashburning, and more longer-lived wood products. The primary reason for the spatially explicit approach at this coarse resolution was to estimate transportation distances associated with delivering harvest residues for heat and/or electricity production for local communities.
Results
Results demonstrated large differences among alternative scenarios, and from alternative assumptions about substitution benefits for fossil fuel-based energy and products which changed scenario rankings. Combining forest management activities with a wood-use scenario that generated more longer-lived products had the highest mitigation potential.
Conclusions
The use of harvest residues to meet local energy demands in place of burning fossil fuels was found to be an effective scenario to reduce GHG emissions, along with scenarios that increased the utilization level for harvest, and increased the longevity of wood products. Substitution benefits from avoiding fossil fuels or emissions-intensive products were dependent on local circumstances for energy demand and fuel mix, and the assumed wood use for products. As projected future demand for biomass use in national GHG mitigation strategies could exceed sustainable biomass supply, analyses such as this can help identify biomass sources that achieve the greatest mitigation benefits.
Despite the rising popularity of the corporate sustainability discourse in recent years, its role in the maritime industry, and in ports in particular, has been limited. Through an online survey, ...this study assessed the current state of corporate sustainability in ports in Canada and the US. The study ascertained the perception of port executives towards sustainability, analyzed port sustainability strategies and practices, and identified the main factors (motivations/driving factors and key challenges/barriers) influencing future adoption and implementation of corporate sustainability in ports. Results show that the majority of ports perceive sustainability as important and have adopted a number of sustainability strategies and practices, such as sustainability awareness and training programs, sustainability reporting, and sustainability initiatives and standards (e.g., Green Marine and ISO 14001 certification). Results also show that sustainability strategies have resulted in improved stakeholder relations in ports mainly with government/policy makers, customers, local communities, and industry associations. Yet, findings indicate that although corporate sustainability is regarded as important in the majority of ports, it is not fully integrated in strategic decision-making processes and operations in most ports. This study also investigated influencing factors for adoption of corporate sustainability in ports. Motivations/driving factors identified are growth, return on investment, risk management, and corporate citizenship, while main key challenges/barriers include cost associated with sustainability actions, lack of sustainability competences within the organization, limited customer interest for more sustainability services, and difficulty in implementing sustainability practices. Findings reveal that although many of the identified influencing factors for adoption and implementation of corporate sustainability in ports are similar to those identified in other studies, some are more sector specific which has allowed this study to contribute to advancing knowledge of corporate sustainability in the context of ports with novel insights.
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•Most ports perceive sustainability as important.•Ports adopted sustainability awareness/training programs, reporting, initiatives/standards, and improved stakeholder relations.•Motivations/driving factors are growth, return on investment, risk management, corporate citizenship.•Key challenges/barriers are costs, lack of sustainability competences, limited customer interest, difficulty in implementing changes.
Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare malignancy typically involving the peritoneum in young men. Whole abdominopelvic radiation therapy (WAP-RT) using conventional 2-dimensional (2D) ...radiation therapy (RT) is used to address local recurrence but has been limited by toxicity. Our objectives were to assess the benefit of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) on toxicity and to update the largest series on radiation for DSRCT.
The records of 31 patients with DSRCT treated with WAP-RT (22 with 2D-RT and 9 with IMRT) between 1992 and 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. All received multi-agent chemotherapy and maximal surgical debulking followed by 30 Gy of WAP-RT. A further focal boost of 12 to 24 Gy was used in 12 cases. Boost RT and autologous stem cell transplantation were nearly exclusive to patients treated with 2D-RT. Toxicities were assessed with the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. Dosimetric analysis compared IMRT and simulated 2D-RT dose distributions.
Of 31 patients, 30 completed WAP-RT, with a median follow-up after RT of 19 months. Acute toxicity was reduced with IMRT versus 2D-RT: P=.04 for gastrointestinal toxicity of grade 2 or higher (33% vs 77%); P=.02 for grade 4 hematologic toxicity (33% vs 86%); P=.01 for rates of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor; and P=.04 for rates of platelet transfusion. Post treatment red blood cell and platelet transfusion rates were also reduced (P=.01). IMRT improved target homogeneity (D05-D95/D05 of 21% vs 46%) and resulted in a 21% mean bone dose reduction. Small bowel obstruction was the most common late toxicity (23% overall). Updated 3-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates were 50% and 24%, respectively. Overall survival was associated with distant metastasis at diagnosis on multivariate analysis. Most failures remained intraperitoneal (88%).
IMRT for consolidative WAP-RT in DSRCT improves hematologic toxicity in particular. Although the long-term efficacy of current treatment options remains disappointing, the improved therapeutic index of IMRT may aid in generalizing its use and allowing the addition of novel approaches such as intraperitoneal immunotherapy.
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