In this article, we review the research state of the bullwhip effect in supply chains with

stochastic lead times. We analyze problems arising in a supply chain when lead times are

not deterministic. Using real data from a supply chain, we confirm that lead times are

stochastic and can be modeled by a sequence of independent identically distributed random

variables. This underlines the need to further study supply chains with stochastic lead times

and model the behavior of such chains.

Spare parts are one of the important pillars in the after-sales service of automotive business.

Customers will satisfied and comfortable if the availability of spare parts is guaranteed.

Spare Part Center is one of function to support unit sales and as well as profit-oriented,

so the accuracy and speed of spare part acceptance by the customer is an important key

to winning the competition. Order Picking is one of the supply chain processes that play

a role in warehouse operations to meet customer needs. Order Picking is the most expensive

activity in warehousing and can reach 55% of the total cost of warehousing operations, so it

is considered a top priority in increasing productivity, even reaching 65% of total warehouse

operating costs. The purpose of this research is to increase productivity in the process

of picking order through reduction of processing time. Increased productivity is done by

improving the working method of the picking process. From the result the comparing, the

method by zone requires less total picking time (193.712 seconds) than by routing (249.559

seconds) decreased 55.85 second time, in other words, an increase of 22.38%. With the Visual

Stream Mapping (VSM) in this research can reduce to travel time, it means that the total

distance traveled is small than the current method. The impact from VSM approach will

eliminate time for preparation of 1.960 seconds, and take empty trolley of 200 seconds. In

this case some of traveling non-value

Technological development offers a wide range of new possibilities for implementation of

production processes. Continual production development is the main key to success and

competitiveness improvement, labour productivity and image-building for all manufacturing

companies. The article deals with designing of new workplace with implementation and

utilization of automated robot for faster and safer handling of cast stock. The new layout

of workplace is created in software Process Simulate.

The problem of sequencing jobs on a single machine to minimize total cost (earliness and

tardiness) is nowadays not just important due to traditional concerns but also due to its

importance in the context of Collaborative Networked Organizations and Virtual Enterprises,

where precision about promptly responses to customers’ requests, along with other

important requirements, assume a crucial role. In order to provide a contribution in this

direction, in this paper the authors contribute with an applied constructive heuristics that

tries to find appropriate solutions for single machine scheduling problems under different

processing times and due dates, and without preemption allowed. In this paper, two different

approaches for single-machine scheduling problems, based on external and internal

performance measures are applied to the problem and a comparative analysis is performed.

Computational results are presented for the problem under Just-in-Time and agile conditions

on which each job has a due date, and the objective is to minimize the sum of holding costs

for jobs completed before their due date and tardiness costs for jobs completed after their

due date. Additional computational tests were developed based on different customer and

enterprise oriented performance criteria, although preference is given to customer-oriented

measures, namely the total number of tardy jobs and the maximum tardiness.

In the article problems related to human labor and factors affecting the increasing use of

industrial robots are discussed. Since human factors affect the production processes stability,

robots are preferred to apply. The application of robots is characterized by higher performance

and reliability comparing to human labor. The problem is how to determine the real

difference in work efficiency between human operator and robot. The aim of the study is to

develop a method that allows clearly definition of productivity growth associated with the

replacement of human labor by industrial robots. Another aim of the paper is how to model

robotized and manual operated workstation in a computer simulation software. Analysis of

the productivity and reliability of the hydraulic press workstation operated by the human

operator or an industrial robot, are presented. Simulation models have been developed taking

into account the availability and reliability of the machine, operator and robot. We apply

OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) indicator to present how availability and reliability

parameters influence over performance of the workstation, in the longer time. Simplified

financial analysis is presented considering different labor costs in EU countries.

The purpose of the paper is to present the author’s reflections on the origin and popularity

of various approaches to maintenance and improvement of production processes, their

terminological consistency, understanding, and practical application of their principles. The

author’s reflections are based on his observations made over his many years of activity as

a lecturer and consultant in the area of production engineering and management. It was

shown that there is a need to make scientists and practitioners aware of the relatively large

degree of freedom in defining the scope and way of application of strategies of continuous

improvement. The author’s proposal is to refer to all approaches to maintenance and improvement

of production processes with the title “Strategies of Efficient Action” and all

supporting methods as “Practices of Efficient Action”.

Considerations presented in the paper can be useful in more and more efficiently applying

the power of TQM, Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing and other strategies of processes

maintenance and improvement in the daily activities of companies.

In the article problems related to human labor and factors affecting the increasing use of

industrial robots are discussed. Since human factors affect the production processes stability,

robots are preferred to apply. The application of robots is characterized by higher performance

and reliability comparing to human labor. The problem is how to determine the real

difference in work efficiency between human operator and robot. The aim of the study is to

develop a method that allows clearly definition of productivity growth associated with the

replacement of human labor by industrial robots. Another aim of the paper is how to model

robotized and manual operated workstation in a computer simulation software. Analysis of

the productivity and reliability of the hydraulic press workstation operated by the human

operator or an industrial robot, are presented. Simulation models have been developed taking

into account the availability and reliability of the machine, operator and robot. We apply

OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) indicator to present how availability and reliability

parameters influence over performance of the workstation, in the longer time. Simplified

financial analysis is presented considering different labor costs in EU countries.

This study provides a systematic review of the existing academic literature describing the

key components of eMaintenance. The current literature is reviewed by utilizing a number of

academic databases including Scopus, SpringerLink and ScienceDirect, and Google Search is

used to find relevant academic and peer-reviewed journal articles concerning eMaintenance.

The literature describes eMaintenance as an advanced maintenance strategy that takes advantage

of the Internet, information and communication technologies, wireless technologies

and cloud computing. eMaintenance systems are used to provide real time analyses based

on real time data to offer a number of solutions and to define maintenance tasks. The collection

and analysis of appropriate maintenance and process data are critical to create robust

‘maintenance intelligence’ and finally improvements in manufacturing costs, safety, environmental

impact, and equipment reliability. This paper describes how the scientific discussion

on eMaintenance has expanded significantly during the last decade, creating a need for an

up-to-date review. As a conclusion, three research gaps in the area of eMaintenance are

identified, including evaluating the benefits of eMaintenance, agreeing on a

Performance measurement system in supply chain management (SCM) has been receiving increasing

attention by business organizations as a way to evaluate efficiency in supply chain

activities. Assessing the performance of supply chain uncovers the gap between planning

and actual performance as to trace the potential problems thus ascertain necessary areas

for improvement. This research aims to investigate the application of performance measurement

system in SCM as well as exploring its relationship with organization’s performance

among Malaysian manufacturing firms. By utilizing the questionnaire method, respondents

involved were requested to indicate the extent to which they use a number of 24 selected

performance measures that are related to SCM. The results show that the majority of the

observed manufacturing firms utilize specific performance measurement tools in evaluating

the supply chain performance. The current performance measurement techniques, the Balanced

Score Card is adopted by around a quarter of the total responding firms followed

by Supply Chain Operations References Model – SCOR, which attracts total users of only

a fifth of the total respondents. In particular, performance measures under customer service

category recorded the highest number of usage followed by cost-based performance measures

and operations management. The results of this investigation also unveil few major points

that are important to be highlighted. Firstly, the obtained outcomes of this study bring to

light the significant relationships between the utilization of supply chain performance measures

under customer service, operations management and organizational performance. In

addition, this study discovered a significant correlation between the size of the organization

and the extent of use of supply chain performance measures and how these two variables

positively correlated. Lastly, the findings also suggested that the performance measures for

SCM has been playing a crucial role in enhancing the performance of the organizations and

is increasingly operated as the firms grow in size. Based on the brief highlighted points listed

above, it is not an exaggeration to say that this research contributes new information to the

body of knowledge in performance measurement system in SCM and its associations with

organizational performance.

The difficulty of innovation risk assessment makes it necessary to use a multi-criteria analysis.

Innovative projects are related to unstructured problems and the uncertainty, therefore,

the use of fuzzy logic in the innovation risk assessment is analyzed. This paper proposes

a method of determining the weights of criteria in order to innovation risk assessment. The

weights are determined by 5 general criteria and 14 detailed criteria of innovation risk assessment.

The proposed method is an extension of the fuzzy AHP method. The extension

consists in taking into consideration the group decision-making approach with experts’ psychological

conditions. The groups of experts have been chosen based on an elaborated form.

The form makes it possible to characterize the persons within the scope of different psychological

conditions. The proposed method provides objective and rational decision-making.

The paper presents also a comparison of results with the fuzzy AHP method without the

group decision making. The weights obtained by the proposed method are more diversified

and bring out the most important criteria.