Pub Date : 2022-02-02DOI: 10.1108/mbe-10-2021-0126
Azemeraw Tadesse Mengistu, R. Panizzolo
Purpose The lack of suitable indicators tailored to manufacturing industries’ needs, particularly to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), has been the major challenge to measure and manage industrial sustainability performance. This paper aims to empirically analyze and select the useful and applicable indicators to measure sustainability performance in the context of SMEs. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review was carried out to identify potential sustainability indicators from the literature. A questionnaire was designed based on the identified indicators and then pretested with the selected industrial experts, scholars, and researchers to further refine the indicators before data collection from the Italian footwear SMEs. Fuzzy Delphi method with consistency aggregation method was applied to analyze and select the final indicators. Findings The study’s findings show that the selected indicators emphasized measuring progress toward achieving industrial sustainability goals in terms of increasing financial benefits, reducing costs, improving market competitiveness, improving the effectiveness of resources utilization, and promoting the well-being of employees, customers and the community. In doing so, Italian footwear SMEs can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting health and well-being, promoting sustainable economic growth, providing productive employment and decent work, and ensuring responsible consumption and production. Social implications The results of this study have significant social implications in terms of promoting the well-being of employees, customers, and the community. Originality/value By providing empirically supported indicators tailored to measure and manage sustainability performance in the context of SMEs, this paper contributes to the existing knowledge in the field of industrial sustainability performance measurement. Furthermore, it links the selected indicators to their respective SDGs to provide policy implications.
{"title":"Tailoring sustainability indicators to small and medium enterprises for measuring industrial sustainability performance","authors":"Azemeraw Tadesse Mengistu, R. Panizzolo","doi":"10.1108/mbe-10-2021-0126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/mbe-10-2021-0126","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000The lack of suitable indicators tailored to manufacturing industries’ needs, particularly to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), has been the major challenge to measure and manage industrial sustainability performance. This paper aims to empirically analyze and select the useful and applicable indicators to measure sustainability performance in the context of SMEs.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000A systematic review was carried out to identify potential sustainability indicators from the literature. A questionnaire was designed based on the identified indicators and then pretested with the selected industrial experts, scholars, and researchers to further refine the indicators before data collection from the Italian footwear SMEs. Fuzzy Delphi method with consistency aggregation method was applied to analyze and select the final indicators.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The study’s findings show that the selected indicators emphasized measuring progress toward achieving industrial sustainability goals in terms of increasing financial benefits, reducing costs, improving market competitiveness, improving the effectiveness of resources utilization, and promoting the well-being of employees, customers and the community. In doing so, Italian footwear SMEs can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting health and well-being, promoting sustainable economic growth, providing productive employment and decent work, and ensuring responsible consumption and production.\u0000\u0000\u0000Social implications\u0000The results of this study have significant social implications in terms of promoting the well-being of employees, customers, and the community.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000By providing empirically supported indicators tailored to measure and manage sustainability performance in the context of SMEs, this paper contributes to the existing knowledge in the field of industrial sustainability performance measurement. Furthermore, it links the selected indicators to their respective SDGs to provide policy implications.\u0000","PeriodicalId":18468,"journal":{"name":"Measuring Business Excellence","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2022-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44069495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-31DOI: 10.1108/mbe-06-2021-0084
V. Voipio, K. Elfvengren, J. Korpela, J. Vilko
Purpose The digital twin (DT) has become a heated topic among supply chain and information technology practitioners. While many papers in this area focus on technical tactics and learnings, this research paper aims to evaluate its business implications. According to literature, it has also been a weakly covered topic. Design/methodology/approach The research was conducted as a single case study, in which the impact of radio-frequency identification–enabled DT was quantified from the business benefits perspective. The evaluation was carried out using a framework model developed for the assessment identifying key contribution areas and the dynamics explaining how the benefits are expected to land on a business level. Findings Implementation of the DT was calculated to provide a significant supply chain performance improvement. The main contributor in the immediate benefits was the reduction in supply chain costs, in person-hours. However, the product availability improvement was conservatively considered in the evaluation, and thus, this paper estimates that it, together with higher cognition tools, constitutes the main financial return in the long run showing in the topline improvement. This paper suggests that the shift to DT can be generally limited by the cost savings perspective. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies released on the business impact of the cutting-edge technical solution area of the DT in supply chain management. In practice, businesses require an understanding of the business implications to decide on the investments in this area; thus, it is a critical part of the discussion.
{"title":"Driving competitiveness with RFID-enabled digital twin: case study from a global manufacturing firm’s supply chain","authors":"V. Voipio, K. Elfvengren, J. Korpela, J. Vilko","doi":"10.1108/mbe-06-2021-0084","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/mbe-06-2021-0084","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000The digital twin (DT) has become a heated topic among supply chain and information technology practitioners. While many papers in this area focus on technical tactics and learnings, this research paper aims to evaluate its business implications. According to literature, it has also been a weakly covered topic.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000The research was conducted as a single case study, in which the impact of radio-frequency identification–enabled DT was quantified from the business benefits perspective. The evaluation was carried out using a framework model developed for the assessment identifying key contribution areas and the dynamics explaining how the benefits are expected to land on a business level.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000Implementation of the DT was calculated to provide a significant supply chain performance improvement. The main contributor in the immediate benefits was the reduction in supply chain costs, in person-hours. However, the product availability improvement was conservatively considered in the evaluation, and thus, this paper estimates that it, together with higher cognition tools, constitutes the main financial return in the long run showing in the topline improvement. This paper suggests that the shift to DT can be generally limited by the cost savings perspective.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies released on the business impact of the cutting-edge technical solution area of the DT in supply chain management. In practice, businesses require an understanding of the business implications to decide on the investments in this area; thus, it is a critical part of the discussion.\u0000","PeriodicalId":18468,"journal":{"name":"Measuring Business Excellence","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2022-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45007470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-13DOI: 10.1108/mbe-07-2021-0085
Enrique Macias de Anda, Rupy Sawhney, G. Tortorella
Purpose The purpose of this study is to provide a robust model to bridge the influence of national culture (NC) on lean production (LP), identifying relationships among their elements and investigating the degree of influence. Design/methodology/approach The culturally sensitive lean production model (CSLPM) is used as a framework to develop a survey questionnaire that captures the information to analyze using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). A case study to validate the model is presented from a subsidiary with operations in Mexico (MX) and the USA. Findings The CSLPM provides a robust framework for the measurement of the interaction between LP and NC. Multi-group analysis facilitated the comparison among the different groups (MX and USA), highlighting the differences of culture and the corresponding LP implementation within the same company. Research limitations/implications The instrument was validated only within two countries and one organization. A higher sample of respondents, countries and organizations could validate the relationships established and the replication of the model. Practical implications The CSLPM can be used for assessment of the evolution of organizations, highlighting strengths and weaknesses of a particular culture when implementing LP, providing focal points for research and training efforts. Originality/value The CSLPM is a robust instrument to measure expectations for LP practices according to their company’s geographical context. The incorporation of higher order variables and mixed directionality within the variables presented a novel approach to PLS-SEM.
{"title":"Developing a robust measurement instrument for the influence of national culture on lean production systems","authors":"Enrique Macias de Anda, Rupy Sawhney, G. Tortorella","doi":"10.1108/mbe-07-2021-0085","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/mbe-07-2021-0085","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000The purpose of this study is to provide a robust model to bridge the influence of national culture (NC) on lean production (LP), identifying relationships among their elements and investigating the degree of influence.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000The culturally sensitive lean production model (CSLPM) is used as a framework to develop a survey questionnaire that captures the information to analyze using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). A case study to validate the model is presented from a subsidiary with operations in Mexico (MX) and the USA.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The CSLPM provides a robust framework for the measurement of the interaction between LP and NC. Multi-group analysis facilitated the comparison among the different groups (MX and USA), highlighting the differences of culture and the corresponding LP implementation within the same company.\u0000\u0000\u0000Research limitations/implications\u0000The instrument was validated only within two countries and one organization. A higher sample of respondents, countries and organizations could validate the relationships established and the replication of the model.\u0000\u0000\u0000Practical implications\u0000The CSLPM can be used for assessment of the evolution of organizations, highlighting strengths and weaknesses of a particular culture when implementing LP, providing focal points for research and training efforts.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000The CSLPM is a robust instrument to measure expectations for LP practices according to their company’s geographical context. The incorporation of higher order variables and mixed directionality within the variables presented a novel approach to PLS-SEM.\u0000","PeriodicalId":18468,"journal":{"name":"Measuring Business Excellence","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2022-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48704196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}