International Journal of Advanced Operations Management (5 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• Optimal production-distribution planning in electromotor manufacturing industries: A case study  
  by Reza Babazadeh 
  Abstract: Optimal production-distribution planning prevents capital accumulation, reduces costs, unemployment of machinery, and provides a good plan to satisfying customer needs. In this paper, a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model is developed to determine optimal production-distribution planning in electromotor manufacturing industries. The proposed model is a multi-product and multi-period one in which optimal amounts of production, inventory and distribution are determined in different periods. Also, the possibility of capacity expansion of facilities in different periods are modeled to optimally determine the capacity increase if necessary. To validate the proposed model, it is applied in a company in Iran producing different electro-motors. The achieved results confirm the efficiency of the model to be used in determining the optimum production-distribution plans in electromotor industries.
  Keywords: Production planning; Optimization; Electromotor industry; MILP.
  
  
• Assessing barriers to implementation of QMPs in Indian organizations-An Empirical Investigation  
  by Jagdeep Singh, Harwinder Singh, Surjit Kumar Gandhi 
  Abstract: In the post liberalization period, many Indian organizations have taken up Quality management Programs (QMPs) in order to compete with global standards, but it has been observed that organizations frequently confront problems during implementation of such programmes. In this study, a questionnaire survey has been performed to explore the problems in the organization and tried to find the linkages of the problems with the organizational context as well as the approach adopted by management while recovering the problems. It has been observed that the organizations implementing Quality Management Programs (QMPs) often confront hurdles in the process of managing the organizational change associated with such programs. On average quality practitioners in Indian service industry indicated significantly higher perceived values of barrier than in manufacturing industry in the attributes expertise in QMPs.
  Keywords: Quality management Programs (QMPs); hurdles; and organizational change.
  
  
• SWOT Analysis of Waste Management Techniques Quantitatively  
  by Harsimran Singh Sodhi, Doordarshi Singh, Bikram Jit Singh 
  Abstract: India is among the fastest growing nations across world. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are playing significant role for the economic enhancements of the nation. Even though it has been noticed that many of the SMEs are in sick condition or shut down because of their poor performance and higher financial deficits. Prime reason for the poor show of Indian SMEs on national and international platform is the continuous increase in the rate of scrap and rise in waste causing huge financial loses. Most of the organizations are using various waste management techniques in order to deal with higher scrap rate, but the results are not found favorable. One of the main reason for the poor performance of various waste management techniques is the wrong implementation of technique or there may be individual limitations of each technique. However in many cases it has been observed that these techniques are not capable of solving all the problems of the organization. Therefore in present research work, a quantitative SWOT analysis (Strength, weakness, opportunities and Threats) of various waste management techniques has been done in order to rectify the most appropriate and structured technique for waste management out of all available techniques.
  Keywords: JIT,Operations Planning,Six Sigma; Work study; TQM; Lean Six Sigma; Waste Management; SWOT Analysis.
  
  
• A Proposed Conceptual Action Plan for Identification, Assessment and Mitigation of Supply Chain Risks  
  by Muhammad Saeed Shahbaz 
  Abstract: Any disruption can disturb many organizations and even the whole system. There are many theories and frameworks that present a solution but no study is available that theoretically development framework for supply chain risk management. The focus of this study is to develop a framework for identifying risks and assessment of their effects on supply chain performance. Additionally, evaluate the role of supply chain collaboration for Malaysia Manufacturing. This is a conceptual paper, systematic as well as content analysis have been done for the literature review. For future studies, there is a need to empirically verification of this theoretical framework. The proposed methodology to achieve this framework is; a questionnaire will be developed from a pool and will be validated by an exploratory view for risk identification. This questionnaire will be distributed among Malaysian manufacturing and data will be analysed through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) for risk assessment and mitigation. The theoretical contribution of this study is the support of the theory of swift, even flow and information processing theory.
  Keywords: Supply chain risk management; risk identification; risk assessment; risk mitigation.
  
  
• WORKFLOW ESTIMATION OF A RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENT USING MODELING AND SIMULATION  
  by FELICITAS IDIGO, VICTOR IDIGO, KENNETH AGWU, OBINNA ONWUJEKWE, MARK OKEJI, ANGEL-MARY ANAKWUE, ULOMA NWOGU 
  Abstract: This work was designed to measure, analyze and forecast the workflow process in a radiology department using modeling and simulation. A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out in a tertiary hospital radiology department on randomly selected 768 adult ambulant patients that underwent routine radiographic investigations. Arrival time, service time and waiting time were measured for each patient and MATLAB Simulink was used to model and simulate the workflow process. The probability of n arrival is inversely related to the arrival rate. System utilization increases with increase of the arrival rate and generally decreases with increase in the number of servers and mean service rate. The probability of the number of delays decreases at higher utilization rates. A software program called MATLAB Estimator was developed which showcases output parameters once the input parameters are known. rnrnKEYWORDS: Patient flow process; System utilization; Modeling and simulation; Radiology department; MATLAB Estimator.
  Keywords: Patient flow process; System utilization; Modeling and simulation; Radiology department; MATLAB Estimator.