ABSTRACT
Lean service aims at identifying and eliminating Muda or waste (non-value-added activities). The purpose of this paper is to answer the research questions: Which types of waste can be observed in supermarket stores during COVID-19 pandemic? How has it impacted the operational processes in stores? An exploratory case study based on structured direct observation has been conducted. A supermarket store in a Spanish mid-size city has been selected and observed for more than 30 weeks. Methods to gather data were document analysis, direct and participative observation and informal interviews with customers and employees. Seven types of Muda (defects, motion, over-processing, inventory, overproduction, transportation, and time) were identified and measured prior to COVID-19 pandemic and after the first weeks. The results show that all types of Muda increased significantly during the first four weeks after the pandemic outbreak, but they decrease afterwards when actions were implemented by the management. Copyright © 2023 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
ABSTRACT
The new way of working that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to all companies in the world has been a true "whirlwind” of changes to the traditional status quo of operation of each one of them. Faced with this turbulent environment, different organizations in the world have had to change their business models and traditional management practices to face the threat of COVID-19. Derived from this reality, it is preponderant to study the changes made by organizations in the context of this global pandemic. Therefore, the purpose of the research is to explore and understand how certain companies in the world have changed (or intend to) change their models of business and management practices to face the global pandemic. The methodology was qualitative in two crucial strategies, the exhaustive documentary analysis in 22 companies around the world and semi-structured in-depth interviews in the entire world, using theoretical sample. The most important findings were the identification of different clusters (4 in specific) of changes in business models and management practices characteristic of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the theoretical contribution of the article is because 84% of the management practices supported by the Mintzberg (2010) model were found in the data obtained in the research. The methodology was qualitative in two crucial strategies, the exhaustive documentary analysis in 22 companies around the world and semi-structured in-depth interviews in the entire world, using theoretical sample. The most important findings were the identification of different clusters (4 in specific) of changes in business models and management practices characteristic of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the theoretical contribution of the article is because 84% of the management practices supported by the Mintzberg (2010) model were found in the data obtained in the research. © 2023,Revista Portuguesa de Estudos Regionais. All Rights Reserved.
ABSTRACT
This work is based on the study of the quality of the application process of the vaccine via the skin against the SARS-COV-2 virus in Mexico, during the period from January to July 2021, through the application of associated statistical methods statistical quality control and process capacity studies. The vaccination process is described as a random variable with binomial distribution, analyzing its behavior on the application of these vaccines through an np control chart, to quantify the number of wasted doses with respect to the total of applied and a capacity study of binomial processes to determine the quality of this specific activity through sigma levels as established in the 6-sigma methodology. The study included the application period from January 19 to July 11, 2021, following up on the Official Reports and Reports of the Secretary of Health and obtaining the database from their respective portals. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.