In companies that produce goods and services, productivity and efficiency improvements are a constant challenge. This book reviews the differences between productivity and efficiency. It proposes a new method and makes available a computational tool for implementation that contributes to facilitating the use of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The book presents a discussion about productivity and efficiency, illustrating the potentials of use and conceptual differences. It covers the concepts and techniques for analysis of productivity and efficiency, analyzing critical benefits and limitations, explains in detail how to use DEA for analysis, provides innovative methods for using DEA, offers a free online computer tool with a direction guide, shows real empirical applications, and covers other techniques that can be used to complement the analysis performed. The book is for professionals, managers, consultants, students working and taking courses in productive systems of goods and services. Ancillary materials include a free online computer tool to operationalize the concepts and methods proposed in the book, a guide on how to use the method and the software developed for the DEA application. Solutions manual, instructor's manual, PowerPoint slides, and figure slides also will be available upon qualified adoption.

In any activity an organisation undertakes, whether strategic, operational or tactical, the activity can only be successful with the input, commitment and support of its people - stakeholders. Gaining and maintaining the support and commitment of stakeholders requires a continuous process of engaging the right stakeholders at the right time and understanding and managing their expectations. Unfortunately, most organisations have difficulty implementing such culture change, and need assistance and guidance to implement a consistent process for identification and management of stakeholders and their changing expectations. As a continuous improvement process, stakeholder management requires understanding and support from everyone in the organisation from the CEO to the short-term contractor. This requires the concepts and practices of effective stakeholder management to become embedded in the culture of the organisation: 'how we do things around here', this book provides the 'road map' to help organisations achieve these objectives. The text has two specific purposes. Firstly, it is an 'how-to' book providing the fundamental processes and practices for improving stakeholder management in endeavours such as projects, and program management offices (PMO), it also gives guidance on organisational survival during mergers and acquisitions, preparing for the tender bidding, and marketing campaigns. Secondly, Lynda Bourne's book is for organisations that have recognised the importance of stakeholder engagement to their success, it is a guidebook for assessing their current maturity regarding implementation of stakeholder relationship management with a series of guidelines and milestones for achieving the preferred level of maturity.

The last decades have seen an increasing diversity of customer expectations and growing competitive pressure for a wide variety of industries. Customer segmentation and subsequent inventory rationing provide a way to cope with those customer demands while maintaining a competitive offer. The general idea resembles the yield management practised in the airline or hotel industries: Demand fulfilment for low priority customers might be refused or delayed in order to reserve stock for more important clients. This dissertation thesis from Karin Moellering provides a comprehensive introduction to inventory rationing. It gives an overview of the different approaches studied and identifies state-of-the-art rules. In a second step, the book particularly focuses on an easy-to-implement but highly efficient rationing strategy. For this strategy, a mathematical model is developed that allows for optimization under different objectives. Potential readership includes scholars of inventory control and management science, students interested in these areas as well as practitioners involved in formulating and implementing rationing strategies.

Organizations frequently rely on the support of external parties to access necessary resources. In many cases, the resulting buyer-supplier relationships last for decades; some might even become indispensable for one or both parties in achieving its desired business goals. These dependencies between organizations are ubiquitous. This book focuses on such instances, discussing them in a cumulative manner: It begins with an introduction of previous research on the issue, before empirically explaining the emergence of dependencies, their different forms of existence and management approaches as well as its development over time. This book is of special interest for scholars focusing on dyadic partnerships within the domains of industrial marketing, supply chain management or strategic purchasing. Practitioners involved in managing long term buyer-supplier relationships in goods- as well as service-oriented industries might find it insightful as well.

Sustainable procurement is the pursuit of sustainable development objectives through the purchasing and supply process, while balancing environmental, social, and economic objectives. This book will help readers develop new contemporary knowledge about frameworks, innovative tools and techniques to achieve sustainability in public as well as private procurement practices. The book will enable scholars and practitioners working in the domain of sustainable procurement to improve the overall performance of the supply chain and further achieve UN SDGs, by making various decisions at the planning and strategic phase of the business. Features Discusses theoretical, decision making and related business management models Assists to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Provides qualitative/quantitative frameworks Covers quality innovations sustainability in sourcing Examines measurement drivers, indicators and metrics

This book explains the implementation of just in time (JIT) production in an industrial context, while also highlighting the application of various, vital lean production tools. Shifting the trade-off between productivity and quality, the book discusses the preparation stages needed before implementing a JIT system. After an introduction to lean manufacturing and JIT, it introduces readers to the fundamentals and practice of Kaizen, paying special attention to lean manufacturing tools. The book demonstrates how to use the 5S approach (with the stages of Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and Shitsuke), Standardized Work, Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) and the Kanban system. In brief, the book provides an understanding of the processes associated with the application of these tools and highlights the benefits attained by companies that have implemented JIT systems. Throughout the book, a real-world case study is used to deepen readers' understanding of how lean manufacturing tools can be implemented. The book is ideally suited for executive courses in industrial engineering and management, but can also be used for upper undergraduate and graduate courses at universities.

This book uses case studies to discuss consumer awareness of and education on sustainable fashion. It highlights how some textile brands have started using consumer awareness tags to educate consumers on the use of their products (e.g. which machine cycle and temperature they should use to wash their products, as well as the best drying conditions in terms of environmental sustainability). Consumer awareness of and knowledge on sustainable fashion is the crux of customer-centric sustainability, and several NGOs and even brands have started taking essential steps to promote this.

This book explores the legal and regulatory aspects of the complex air cargo sector, discussing in detail the general principles of the carriage of air cargo; artificial intelligence and air cargo; facilitation; carriage of hazardous goods; human remains; and animals, as well as cargo security; price fixing and anti competitive conduct in air cargo operations; liability issues; the air cargo supply chain and contract of carriage. It also discusses related achievements of the International Civil Aviation Organization; the International Air Transport Association and Airports Council International. The value of goods carried by airlines represents 7.4% of the global Gross Domestic Product. While cargo carried by air accounts for less than 1% of global cargo carriage, airlines carry 35% of the value of world trade, making this industry highly valuable and efficient, and the most reliable way to transport goods throughout the world. On average, airlines transport 52 million metric tons of goods per annum, worth an equivalent of $6.8 trillion, i.e. $18.6 billion worth of goods daily.

This book discusses the connection between fast fashion brands and customer-centric sustainability. It highlights what consumers can do with fast fashion and the important aspects that need to be addressed to make fast fashion sustainable. Fast fashion is an inevitable element in today's fashion business cycle and its adverse impacts on sustainable fashion are a major issue.

Focusing on global value chains and their importance to trade, this edited collection explores the strategic role of logistics and supply chain infrastructure in the development of Africa. Skilled authors present critical analysis of the current state of logistics in Africa, and suggest improvements to policy and practice which address the issue of poor trading relationships. This book will engage entrepreneurs, academics and policy-makers interested in international business, raising awareness of the need for better trade infrastructure in Africa in order to ensure the continent's economic development.

Grid Computing, Supercomputer, On-Demand-Technologien - Wissenschaftler und Unternehmen arbeiten heute an neuen Informationstechnologien, die unserer Gesellschaft nachhaltig ihren Stempel aufdrA1/4cken werden. Die neuen Technologien werden unsere Arbeitswelt und Gesellschaft verAndern. Das birgt Probleme, aber auch viele Chancen fA1/4r Unternehmen und jeden Einzelnen. Das Buch von Francis Kuhlen zeigt und erklArt die wichtigsten IT-Trends der nAchsten Jahre. AuAerdem wagt es eine Vorausschau, wie diese das Leben in unserer Gesellschaft verAndern werden. Mit vielen Beispielen aus Praxis und Alltag zeigt der Autor, dass sich IT-Technologie heute nicht mehr nur hinter den verschlossenen TA1/4ren eines Rechenzentrums abspielt, sondern fA1/4r jeden Einzelnen RealitAt geworden ist.

Providing a critical insight into the growth of the secondhand luxury and vintage fashion industry, this book offers a compendium of business developments from across the globe, including examples from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The 'pre-loved or pre-owned' clothing trade has grown as an economic entity, providing a living for over 100,000 people and creating a desirable and essential clothing source in under-developed economies. By debating and deliberating contemporary cases, the authors illustrate how companies can optimise key managerial activities surrounding product branding, location marketing and supply chain buying. This timely collection is an important read for anyone involved in fashion, but particularly those interested in the retail and marketing perspective of the industry, as it explores an emerging and significant retail format.

This book presents the latest tools, techniques, and solutions that decision makers use to overcome the challenges faced by their sustainable supply chains. Given the ever increasing significance of socio-economic and environmental factors, the management of sustainable supply chains has become a complex and dynamic task. Multiple and conflicting objectives of stakeholders including suppliers, manufacturers, service providers, and retailers add to the complexity of decisions that modern day managers of supply chains face. With the unprecedented technological developments and innovations at hand, sustainability can be maximized for all the activities of a supply chain including: service concept and product design, material sourcing and procurement, manufacturing processes, delivery of the final product, and end-of-life management of the product. Consequently, the sustainable supply chains' problems require a systematic and integrated approach. Modeling and simulation, in general, as well as system dynamics and agent-based modeling, in particular, have the capabilities to deal with the complexity of sustainable supply chain related problems. This book will appeal to professionals and researchers in the field.

This book provides comprehensive guidance on leveraging SAP IBP technology to connect strategic (to be understood as long term SC&O), tactical and operational planning into one coherent process framework, presenting experience shared by practitioners in workshops, customer presentations, business, and IT transformation projects. It offers use cases and a wealth of practical tips to ensure that readers understand the challenges and advantages of IBP implementation. The book starts by characterizing disconnected planning and contrasting this with key elements of a transformation project approach. It explains the functional foundations and SAP Hybris, Trade Promotion Planning, Customer Business Planning, ARIBA, and S/4 integration with SAP IBP. It then presents process for integrating finance in IBP. Annual planning and monthly planning are taken as examples of explain Long term planning (in some companies labeled as strategic). The core of the book is about sales and operations planning (S&OP) and its process steps, product demand, supply review, integrated reconciliation and management business review, illustrating all steps with use cases. It describes unconstrained and constrained optimized supply planning, inventory optimization, shelf life planning. We explain how to improve responsiveness with order-based allocation planning, sales order confirmation, and big deal / tender management coupled with simultaneous re-planning of supply. The book closes with a chapter on performance measurement, measurement of effectiveness, efficiency, and adherence.

This second volume on detox fashion covers five key aspects relevant to the topic sustainable chemistry and wet processes: Sustainable Chemicals: A Model for Practical Substitution; Sustainable Wet Processing; Coloration and Functional Finishing of Cotton with Plant Extracts; Call for an Environmental Impact Assessment of Bio-based Dyeing-an Overview; and Enzymes: Biocatalysts for Cleaning Up the Textile and Apparel Sector. The book also presents interesting solutions at the level of the supply chain with regard to sustainable chemistry and wet processes.

This book brings out the innovations in textile wet or chemical processing to alleviate the environmental impacts arising from this sector. The major challenge in the textiles and fashion sector is that it requires a massive sustainable innovation to mitigate the huge environmental impacts arising from chemical or wet processing. This book also discusses innovations in eco-friendly methods for textile wet processes and applications of enzymes in textiles.

This book highlights the environmental and economic benefits of recycling in textiles and fashion; vis-a-vis virgin textiles. Recycling plays an inevitable part when it comes to sustainable innovations in textiles and fashion sector. As basic information pertaining to the benefits, challenges of recycling in textiles are discussed to the sufficient extent in the literature, this book deals with the innovative at the same time, sustainable products made from the recycled textiles.

This book highlights the innovations in textile fibres, that is the starting point of the supply chain. There are numerous innovations made in terms of making the existing fibres sustainable and also to discover new sustainable fibres. This book deals with those innovative sustainable textile fibres in detail. It also presents an overview of various current textile fibres, their issues associated with sustainability and how new, sustainable fibres overcome those issues. Finally it discusses the challenges and implications of these sustainable fibres on technical and economic fronts.

This book highlights a number of social sustainability issues at different stages of the supply chain, and demonstrates how these issues can be addressed by adopting social sustainability practices in the manufacturing supply chain. In the wake of emerging social issues in developing countries, research on social sustainability has gained importance for academics and practitioners alike. The three distinguishable social sustainability dimensions in manufacturing that emerge as a result of this research provide insights for supply chain managers and practitioners who might otherwise be unaware of what constitutes social sustainability. A better understanding allows supply chain managers to address these issues more appropriately to increase their supply chain competitiveness in the market. The book presents a social sustainability scale that can be used by practitioners to measure supply chain social sustainability to benchmark their supply chains globally. The research also helps academicians to gain an understanding of the social issues related to the manufacturing supply chain, while the social measures developed serve as reference material for policy-makers and sustainability experts in emerging economies.

This fourth volume on detox fashion focuses on case studies, which are essential to showcase how practical applications have been accomplished, and provide an opportunity for others to (learn about and) adopt the best practices, challenges and practical implications. The book consists of three core chapters: Detoxifying the Supply Chain: Slow Production Networks in South-East European Garment Factories; Detoxifying the Luxury and Fashion Industry: The Case of Market-driving Brands; and Detox My Fashion under Mission 2020-Case Studies from Different Brands.

This book provides some regional aspects considered by manufacturing firms in their decisions to gain competitiveness and have effects on the performance of their supply chains (SC). Some of the main aspects considered are: government's policies, fixed costs, the availability and quality of infrastructure services. This book also discusses the risks for the SC; based on a perception approach, some aspects studied are: demand, suppliers and production processes and how these are related to other elements of the SC. The authors use structural modeling to analyze the evaluation of some manufacturing practices and their impact on customer service satisfaction, agility and flexibility of the SC. The context of this study is immersed in the Mexican manufacturing industry of exportation, also known as maquiladora industry of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. This borderland is among the top 10 manufacturing Mexican cities. World class industries are located in this region and have been recognized around the world for their competitiveness and high performance. Therefore, the methods and results exposed in this book may be valuable and useful for readers and researchers of the SC worldwide.

This book is the seventh volume in a series entitled "Contemporary Logistics in China," authored by researchers from the Logistics Center at Nankai University. In the spirit of the six preceding annual volumes, this book carries on the ideal of providing a systematic exposition on the logistics development in China for the English-speaking community at large. Specially, this volume captures China's logistics development at a crucial turning point. On the one hand, it reflects the new horizon advocated by the Government's One-Belt-One-Road Initiative global cooperation strategy; on the other, it explores the Internet revolution, which has had major impacts on e-commerce and urban logistics in China. Subjects covered in this volume encompass the macro-factors pertaining to logistics development, region-specific plans, industry-wide transformation, globally-oriented moves, and current hot topics. The expositions on and analyses of these subjects are based on the latest available sources and statistical data. As with the previous volumes, the ultimate aim of this book is to present a timely portrait of the rapid growth of China's logistics market and the status quo of its logistics industry. In so doing, the book offers an in-depth analysis of critical issues involved in the ongoing dynamic and multi-faceted development, and provides a valuable reference resource for interested readers in the academic and professional fields.

This book provides a detailed overview of various parameters/factors involved in inventory analysis. It especially focuses on the assessment and modeling of basic inventory parameters, namely demand, procurement cost, cycle time, ordering cost, inventory carrying cost, inventory stock, stock out level, and stock out cost. In the context of economic lot size, it provides equations related to the optimum values. It also discusses why the optimum lot size and optimum total relevant cost are considered to be key decision variables, and uses numerous examples to explain each of these inventory parameters separately. Lastly, it provides detailed information on parameter estimation for different sectors/products. Written in a simple and lucid style, it offers a valuable resource for a broad readership, especially Master of Business Administration (MBA) students.

This first volume on detox fashion discusses various interesting topics including a Toxic-Free Supply Chain for Textiles and Clothing; Environmental Issues in Textiles; Global Regulations, Restrictions & Research; Making the Change: Consumer Adoption of Sustainable Fashion; and Strategies for Detoxing Your Wardrobe. It provides an overview of the chemical-related issues confronting the fashion sector, summarizes global regulations, and discusses how to make the change by changing consumers' attitude towards adopting sustainable fashion, as well as the best strategies for detoxing our wardrobes.

This book presents high-quality original contributions on the fashion supply chain. A wide spectrum of application domains are covered, processing of big data coming from digital and social media channels, fashion new product development, fashion design, fashion marketing and communication strategy, business models and entrepreneurship, e-commerce and omni-channel management, corporate social responsibility, new materials for fashion product, wearable technologies. The contents are based on presentations delivered at IT4Fashion 2017, the 7th International Conference in Business Models and ICT Technologies for the Fashion Supply Chain, which was held in Florence, Italy, in April 2017, and at IT4Fashion 2018, the 8th edition of the same conference, which was held in Florence, Italy, in April 2018. This conference series represents a targeted response to the growing need for research that reports and debates supply chain business models and technologies applied to the fashion industry, with the aim of increasing knowledge in the area of product lifecycle management and supply chain management in that industry.