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Purpose: In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, technology is rewriting the way consumers shop as well as the retail operating models. In this context, investment in new technologies is a strategic imperative for retailers striving to remain relevant and profitable. Using Kahn's Retail Success Matrix as the conceptual framework, the aim of the study is to propose a classification of emerging technologies based on their potential for sustaining retailers' competitive strategies. Design/methodology/approach: Following an initial qualitative study based on in-depth interviews and focus groups with 20 retail managers, the authors collected survey data from a sample of 168 retail and technology professionals. To achieve the research objectives, content, descriptive and multiple correspondence factor analyses were carried out. Findings: The data analyses result on a map that plots the technological solutions that retail experts identify as enablers of four key competitive strategies: product superiority, enhanced customer experience, frictionless shopping experience and operational excellence. Practical implications: This research work provides valuable insight into how retail companies can capitalise on technology to create or reinforce their competitive positioning. The framework acts as a guide for retail companies to assess their technology priorities. Originality/value: This exploratory empirical study is the result of a collaboration between academic researchers and retail professionals. Thus, it addresses challenges experienced by key stakeholders. The encompassing classification enables a better understanding of the impact of technology on retailers' competitive positioning. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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Reservoir surveillance and production optimization will remain at the forefront of company strategies in the new post-COVID19 environment. We anticipate that companies will focus more on producing assets and go the route of production enhancement rather than exploration. Accordingly, production logging will remain an important surveillance method in evaluating and strategizing production-optimization schemes pertaining to flow-characterization from reservoir-to-wellbore. This work is culmination of operational and technical excellence that enabled the revival of a loaded-up well through simultaneous lifting-and-logging technique. Conventionally, wireline is the preferred mode of conveyance for production-logging;however, well must be continuously flowing throughout acquisition timeframe. Kicking-off the well using nitrogen-lift and then bringing in wireline-unit for production-logging in Well A-4 was not feasible as previous attempts confirmed well to load-up in few hours post-offloading. Therefore, success of this project was heavily dependent on initial planning stage, which accounted for all available data including production-history, well-events, intervention-details, fluid analysis and well load-up behavior. Next, a multi-domain approach was adopted while bringing-out each domain from its silos and strategize collectively to simultaneously kickoff the well with nitrogen and acquire real-time downhole production-logging data through smart-coiled-tubing (CT). This was first implementation of concurrent lifting and logging operation in Pakistan. By deploying the approach mentioned above through smart CT (using optical-telemetry-link inside the CT-string coupled with downhole-assembly), synchronized lifting-and-logging operation was carried-out successfully. Well was observed to swiftly go back to load-up conditions post-kickoff;however, continuous well dynamics monitoring downhole enabled us to log perforated interval across multiple time domains. Well was activated through CT nitrogen-injection but depicted continuous loading tendency, which was captured downhole in form of flow-transients. Real-time job optimization ensured vigilant monitoring and selection of right-time to acquire meaningful zonal-contribution data for evaluation and diagnostic solutions. Finally, operational excellence was complemented through technical data analysis and interpretation, integrating passes data with transients and stationary measurements. Ultimately, acquired data analyzed using an integrated lens involving fluid velocities, downhole density, temperature, and water hold up data. Consequently, enabling us to decipher gas and water-entries on a zonal-basis across perforated sandstone reservoir. Copyright © 2022, Society of Petroleum Engineers.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disturbances to the ways businesses operate, and has driven the entire industry to re-evaluate its operations. Although the full impact of the disruption will not be understood for some time, however, many companies are now beginning to re-examine and use lessons learned to become more resilient moving forward. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4.0) in Oil & Gas Industry creates a dynamic landscape where Operational Excellence (OE) strives for stability, quality, and efficiency while continuing to serve an increasingly demanding customer. Operational excellence is a journey, not a sole destination. Operational Excellence is a key strategic enabler to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on shape the business of tomorrow. In line with the company vision of digitalization, a number of initiatives were considered for studies and further evaluations to facilitate remote operations through digitization. Below is list of initiatives those were successfully implemented to promote remote field operations. • Critical equipment like compressors and pumps startup sequences development. • Establish communication of wells subsurface (downhole) sensors with the control room for real time data monitoring. • Development of wells start up sequences to facilities wells startup from control room. • Real time monitoring of wells annulus pressure from control room compared to traditional field monitoring. • Reset of Emergency Shutdown Valves (ESD) from control room instead of field. All of the above proposals have already been implemented. In-house field operations implementation resulted in huge Capital as well as Operating Expenditure saving. By enhancing remote operations, essential benefits are achieved including capability to faster and more effective decision-making and improved HSE measures. • Enhance production and reservoir optimization by real time data monitoring and troubleshooting. • Enhanced well integrity by real time annulus pressure monitoring. • Enhanced HSE by eliminating Confined Space Entries (CSEs) and exposure to toxic H2S. • Reduction and operating expenditure (OPEX) • Reduced dependency on human leading to less human error. • Reduction in capital expenditure (CAPEX) • Enhanced life of critical equipment Operational Excellence played its role with a value improvement objective. Rather than replacing successful practices and programs, Operational Excellence knitted them into a larger, fully integrated tapestry woven to increase value produced within the overall business strategy which is very evident in this scenario. This case study is blend of Digitalization, Operations Excellence and innovation representing Management support to employee to solve current issues during COVID-19 pandemic. Such support is always beneficial for the company and employees. Copyright © 2022, Society of Petroleum Engineers.
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Purpose>This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.Design/methodology/approach>This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.Findings>The research provides a framework for operational practices and Industry 4.0 technologies. They identify the relative importance of practices and performance metrics.Originality/value>The briefing saves busy executives, strategists, and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.
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Purpose Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and changing market demands, competition for manufacturing industries is increasing and they face numerous challenges. In such a case, it is necessary to use multiple strategies, technologies and practices to improve organizational performance and, as a result, to integrate them for ease of adoption. The purpose of this research is to identify advanced Industry 4.0 technologies, operational excellence (OPEX) strategies and reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) practices. The study also computes their weights, as well as identifies and prioritizes the performance metrics for the same. Design/methodology/approach A thorough review of relevant articles was conducted to identify 28 OPEX strategies, RMS practices and advanced technologies, as well as the 17-performance metrics. The stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis approach was used to compute the weights of the selected practices, while the WASPAS approach was used to prioritize the performance metrics. While developing the framework, the industry expert's expertise was incorporated in the form of their opinions for pairwise comparison. Findings According to the study findings, advanced Industry 4.0 technologies were the most prominent for improving organizational performance. As a result, integrating Industry 4.0 technologies with OPEX strategies can assist in improving the performance of manufacturing organizations. The prioritized performance metrics resulted in the production lead time ranking first and the use of advanced technologies ranking second. This emphasizes the significance of meeting dynamic customer needs on time while also improving quality with the help of advanced technologies. Practical implications The developed framework can help practitioners integrate OPEX strategies and advanced technologies into their organizations by adopting them in order of importance. Furthermore, the ranked performance metrics can assist managers and practitioners in evaluating the manufacturing system and, as a result, strategic planning for improvement. Originality/value According to the authors, this is a novel approach for integrating OPEX strategies with advanced Industry 4.0 technologies, and no comparable study has been found in the current literature.
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Purpose>This paper aims to explore the potential of blockchain technology (BT) to support the operational excellence in perishable food supply chain (PFSC) during outbreaks, by doing use-case analysis.Design/methodology/approach>A systematic literature review is performed to determine the dimensions of operational excellence in the food supply chain (FSC), then a single use-case analysis is conducted to explore the potential of blockchain in order to achieve operational excellence for PFSC during the pandemics by applying context, interventions, mechanism and outcomes (CIMO) logic.Findings>The findings of this study reveal that blockchain capabilities such as immutability and transparency, visibility, traceability, integration and interoperability, disintermediation and decentralisation, smart contracts and consensus mechanism provide better sustainable operational excellence outcomes for PFSCs to be more responsive, flexible, efficient and collaborative to cope with the impacts of COVID-19.Research limitations/implications>This research employs only one real case with multiple PFSC participants. Statistical generalisation is not possible at this stage of the research. However, the findings are not restricted to this single use-case.Practical implications>This study provides a research direction to explore the potential of BT to achieve operational excellence in the PFSC during outbreaks and generates prescriptive knowledge for better managerial decision-making across the PFSC during outbreaks.Originality/value>This research conducts semi-structured interviews with different participants in one blockchain ecosystem to understand multiple participants' perspectives of operational excellence within PFSC.
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A smart city incorporates information and communication technology (ICT) to achieve operational excellence, public info sharing, and the integrity of state services and citizen satisfaction. Nowadays, Bahrain has started a drive forward into smart cities, whereby urban areas can be more effective, habitable, and sustainable in the short and long term with the direct involvement of government, citizens, and enterprises. Food service providers should pay attention to consumer concerns regarding food safety since they have the ability to alter the use of their services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and state societal distancing regulations. This study intends to build and construct a Smart Restaurant Order System that provides an automated dining experience that eliminates the need for people to wait staff. When the epidemic struck, however, it became not only one of the just methods to purchase, yet indeed one of the safer, as it required little to no human interaction. As a result, both restaurants and people have embraced technology more quickly. © 2022 IEEE.
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This paper presents an investigation on operational excellence (OpX) models of sustainable supply chains (SSCs) in Sri Lankan manufacturing organizations during Covid-19 pandemic. This investigation consists of multiple case studies of Sri Lankan manufacturing organizations in following industries: rubber and plastic products, wearing apparels, paper and paper products. Based on a pre-existing OpX model, six Critical Success Factors (CSFs) were identified in terms of SSCs. This research was conducted as an exploratory case study where data is collected through in-depth interviews, company websites/reports. By using a deductive approach, findings of CSFs effecting behaviour of OpX models are displayed. Thematic and Content analysis on the behavior of OpX models in SSCs are non-generalizable beyond this research. The findings display the organization in respect to wearing apparels has a more sustainable approach to better manage their OpX model and more strategic Upper Echelons to gain better strategic outcomes before/during Covid-19 pandemic. The profile of a manager was vital in interpreting OpX models in their organizations. The study outcomes can inform organizations to prime their OpX model for a crisis of Covid-19 magnitude. The effects may be generalized further to other industries. The study describes connectivity of Upper Echelons Theory to OpX models and contributes to literature through a demonstration of CSF behaviours in OpX models of SSCs during the Covid-19 crisis. © 2022 Operations and Supply Chain Management Forum. All rights reserved.
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Purpose>This paper aims to present the results of a study carried out by the authors in the form of research interviews on the topic: “Exploring the use of operational excellence methodologies in the era of COVID-19.”Design/methodology/approach>A qualitative interview approach was utilized by interviewing a panel of leading academics and practitioners who are familiar with operation excellence methodologies.Findings>Operational excellence methodologies are proven and can be utilized in pandemic situations to improve efficiency in the healthcare system and preparedness for pandemics.Research limitations/implications>One limitation of this research was that most of the interviewees who participated in this study came from Europe, North America, South America and Asia, representing four continents. It would have been better to have different views from other continents such as Australia and Africa. Also, the interviews were short and at a high level. There is an opportunity for further study and analysis.Practical implications>Operational excellence methodologies are proven and can be utilized in pandemic situations to improve efficiency in the healthcare system and preparedness for pandemics.Originality/value>The paper provides an excellent resource for those people to get an insight into the value of the application of operations excellence methodologies in pandemic situations to aid healthcare process improvement and aid public and patient safety.
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This paper addresses the challenging situation that was faced by Maintenance Teams in Offshore Sites to maintain and ensure the optimal conditions of the plants, conducting Routine Preventative Maintenance (RPM) as planned, achieving Company and Operational Excellence KPIs in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic. A brief description of how the sites defined a new normal given the circumstances to ensure all work was met while tackling the numerous obstacles in order to keep operations running smoothly is iterated below. © Copyright 2021, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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Currently, delays are the most common cause of airline disputes. One of the factors leading to these situations is the distribution of spare parts. The efficient management of the spare parts distribution can reduce the volume of delays and the number of problems encountered and therefore maximize the consumer satisfaction levels. Moreover, airlines are under pressure due to their tight competition, a problem that is expected to grow worse due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By carrying out efficient maintenance and distribution management along the supply chain, authorities, airlines, aircraft manufacturers, and consumers can obtain various benefits. Thus, the aim of this research is to perform a design of experiments study on a spare parts distribution network simulation model for the aviation industry. Based on this model, the effect of the input parameters and their interactions can be derived. Moreover, the findings are converted to a combined methodology based on simulation and design of experiments for the design and optimization of distribution networks. This research study thereby provides an approach to identify significant factors that could lead to a better system performance. In conclusion, this proposed approach enables aircraft maintenance systems to improve their service by minimizing delays and claims, reducing processing costs, and reducing the impact of maintenance on customer unsatisfaction. © 2022, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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In recent years, the supply chain management discipline has attracted an increasing set of challenges. Supply process sustainability issue, the increasingly competitive level registered within and between industries and unexpected catastrophic events – such as COVID-19 pandemic – have generated the essential need for every kind of manufacturing enterprise to increase resilience and to rely on robust decision-making tools. The digital solutions introduced nowadays aim at making companies extremely agile facing different demand behaviours, shaping production, and warehousing policies. Unfortunately, enabling technologies are not easily accessible to every company, especially for a SME. In order to ease the access to those technologies’ potential benefits, in this article we develop a model that helps to identify the best inventory stock policy for every product, considering economic aspects, the uncertainty tied to the sell-out price trend, the production system features and parameters, focusing on SMEs afflicted by high perishability problems. After reviewing the current literature, we first classify different demand trends into specific categories, according to their singular behaviour. Thus, both unexpected and usual demand’s influencing factors are defined, such as seasonality and commercial actions in general. Simultaneously, the main stock policies are examined and set as the outcome of the model. After a concise production strategy evaluation, a series of simulations leads to the most efficient and effective stock policy. Basing on the demand class and considering the specific production approach, the model elaborates the best policy which allows the company both to minimize wastes, stockout and overstock events, and to maximize the operational efficiency and effectiveness from an economic and temporal perspective, focusing on perishability and shelf-life constraints. The model allows the company to increase its resilience facing unexpected events, constantly aiming at enhancing the company awareness about its own capability to react with the best strategy to the supply chain challenges. © 2021, AIDI - Italian Association of Industrial Operations Professors. All rights reserved.
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Purpose This paper aims to explore the potential of blockchain technology (BT) to support the operational excellence in perishable food supply chain (PFSC) during outbreaks, by doing use-case analysis. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review is performed to determine the dimensions of operational excellence in the food supply chain (FSC), then a single use-case analysis is conducted to explore the potential of blockchain in order to achieve operational excellence for PFSC during the pandemics by applying context, interventions, mechanism and outcomes (CIMO) logic. Findings The findings of this study reveal that blockchain capabilities such as immutability and transparency, visibility, traceability, integration and interoperability, disintermediation and decentralisation, smart contracts and consensus mechanism provide better sustainable operational excellence outcomes for PFSCs to be more responsive, flexible, efficient and collaborative to cope with the impacts of COVID-19. Research limitations/implications This research employs only one real case with multiple PFSC participants. Statistical generalisation is not possible at this stage of the research. However, the findings are not restricted to this single use-case. Practical implications This study provides a research direction to explore the potential of BT to achieve operational excellence in the PFSC during outbreaks and generates prescriptive knowledge for better managerial decision-making across the PFSC during outbreaks. Originality/value This research conducts semi-structured interviews with different participants in one blockchain ecosystem to understand multiple participants' perspectives of operational excellence within PFSC.
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INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 has challenged healthcare systems worldwide. Some countries collapsed under surge conditions, while others (such as Malta) showed resilience. Public health measures in Malta quickly reined in COVID-19 spread. This review summarizes pandemic preparedness measures in Malta and the impact on routine services. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using Google, Google Scholar and PubMed and by reviewing Maltese online newspapers. A comprehensive summary of internal operations conducted at Mater Dei Hospital (MDH) was made available. RESULTS: A hospital 'Incident Command Group' was set up to plan an optimal COVID-19 response strategy. A 'rapid response team' was also created to cater for the logistics and management of supplies. A 'COVID-19 Emergency Operation Centre' simulated different COVID-19 scenarios. All elective services were suspended and all staff were mandatorily trained in wearing personal protective equipment. Staff were also retrained in the care of COVID-19 patients. In preparation for potential admission surges, MDH underwent rapid expansion of normal and intensive care beds. Swabbing was ramped up to one of the highest national rates worldwide. The cost for hospital COVID-19 preparedness exceeded 100 million for Malta's half a million population. CONCLUSION: Malta and its sole acute hospital coped well with the first wave with 680 cases and 9 deaths. The increased ability to deal with COVID-19 (a principally respiratory pathogen) will serve well for the anticipated combined annual influenza and the COVID-19 second wave this coming winter.