Business Commons^™

A Sugar Movement Planning System For Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation, Nirmala Hindupur

IIMB Management Review

Public distribution of essential commodities is a vital sector of the Indian
economy. This sector, with its diverse activities, has tremendous scope for
efficiency improvement and cost control through the implementation of
Computer-Aided Management (CAM) Systems. Because of its vital importance,
this area is one of the thrust areas selected by CAM Centre, ASCI, Hyderabad
for the development of CAM systems.
The Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd. (KSCSC) is one of the
organizations identified for the development of CAM systems.
This paper describes the Sugar Movement Planning System designed
and developed under the GAM project by the author at …

Computerized Location And Distribution Of Fertilizer, V B Kaujalgi, A K Rao

IIMB Management Review

Distribution of manufactured products to the places of consumption is a well known management problem, and a complex one on account of the size of
the problem, the variety of modes of transportation available, Government regulations and management conditions. It is very difficult even for an expert
manager to work out an acceptable plan of distribution of the commodity in a reasonable time. Day to day management of the distribution is almost
impossible by the manual method for even a medium size distribution problem. Computers are now playing an important role in management decision
making. Such applications are becoming attractive …

The Benefits Of Weaning Cattle In The Kimberley, David Pratchett, Stuart Young

Animal production and livestock research reports

The Kimberley region was populated with Shorthorn cattle from Queensland and New Sonth Wales in the 1880's. The descendants of these cattle known as Kimberley Shorthorn are still the predominant breed in the region. The relatively poor performance of these cattle under the harsh Kimberley conditions and the fact that changing the genotype can improve productivity was recently published (Pratchett D. WADA Journal No. 4 1988)

While the adoption of Bos indicus breeds is the correct move, improved husbandry can also increase the productivity of the Kimberley Shorthorn cow. The majority of cattle in the Kimberley are not weaned. Sometimes …

Liner Shipping And The U.S. International Trades, Frederick M. Collison

Journal of Transportation Management

No abstract provided.

The Truck Driver Shortage: An Overview And Some Recommendations, Stephen A. Lemay, Stephen Taylor

Journal of Transportation Management

No abstract provided.

Airline Merger Policy And Entry Barriers: A Lesson Erom The Past, Matthew V. Scocozza

Journal of Transportation Management

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Airline Size Upon Efficiency And Profitability, H Barry Spraggins

Journal of Transportation Management

No abstract provided.

The Time Dimension In Railroad Operating Schedules: Fact Of Semantic Smog, Jerry R. Foster, Sandra Strasser

Journal of Transportation Management

No abstract provided.

Flexibility: The Next Competitive Battle: The Manufacturing Futures Survey, Arnoud De Meyer, Jinichiro Nakane, Jeffrey M. Miller, Kasra Ferdows

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Over the past 4 years research teams from INSEAD (Fontainebleau), Boston University and Waseda University (Tokyo) have administered a yearly survey on the manufacturing strategy of the large manufacturers of the three industrialized regions of the world. In this paper the results for the 1986 survey are compared. One of the most striking results of that year’s survey is the emphasis some of the more advanced manufacturers put on their efforts to overcome the trade-off between flexibility and cost efficiency. In particular for the Japanese respondents these attempts become clear. Europeans and North Americans are not yet seizing the opportunity …

Enhancing Manufacturing Planning And Control Systems Through Artificial Intelligence Techniques, Ronald S. Dattero, John J. Kanet, Edna M. White

MIS/OM/DS Faculty Publications

Manufacturing planning and control systems are currently dominated by systems based upon Material Requirements Planning (MRP). MRP systems have a number of fundamental flaws. A potential alternative to MRP systems is suggested after research into the economic batch scheduling problem.

Based on the ideas of economic batch scheduling, and enhanced through artificial intelligence techniques, an alternative approach to manufacturing planning and control is developed. A framework for future research on this alternative to MRP is presented.

Resources For Inventorying Plants In The Southeast Asian Tropics: Plans For The Future, J.S. Burley, P.F. Stevens, E.A. Wood

Biology Department Faculty Works

We aimed to cover two issues in this workshop; the third arose during the course of the discussion: 1. The need for an increased rate of collecting in the Southeast Asian tropical area (‘Malesia’ for short) if taxonomic decisions in the ‘Flora Malesiana’ and other taxonomic projects are to be soundly based and, more generally, if there are to be materials adequate for the future needs of taxonomy. 2. The likelihood that any attempt to increase collecting, or even simply to continue collecting at the present rate, without paying adequate attention to the distribution, mounting, and preservation of the specimens …

Quality Circles: Facilitator And Barriers In Three Large Industrial Organisations In India, R S Dwivedi

IIMB Management Review

No abstract provided.

Initial Test Of A Farrowing Crate With Inward-Sloping Sides, D. Fraser, P. A. Phillips, B. K. Thompson

Housing and Confinement of Farm Animals Collection

A farrowing crate was designed with sides spaced well apart (1150 mm) at the sow's standing height but angled inward near the floor to restrict the sow's lying area and to prevent the sow from dropping suddenly onto one side. Survival and body-weight data were collected for 20 farrowings in the prototype crate and for 18-20 farrowings in each of 3 other crate types. No significant differences were found in stillbirth rate, other deaths to 14 days, or average piglet weight gains, but gains were somewhat more variable in one of the conventional designs which interfered with the piglets' access …

European Manufacturers: The Dangers Of Complacency, Kasra Ferdows, Arnoud De Meyer

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Recent trends in the activities of a sample of European manufacturers are analysed in this paper. The data have been collected through annual surveys in the last five years, and in particular, the results of the 1987 survey (222 responses received in the first trimester of 1987) have been analysed in more depth. The priorities set for the development of varions types of capabilities in manufacturing (related to quality, delivery, flexibility, cost, etc.), and the specific programmes under implementation for improvement of manufacturing performance which are receiving highest attention are described. Through correlation analyses, statisically significant associations between specific improvement …

German, French And British Manufacturing Strategies Compared: A Growth Towards Each Other, Arnoud De Meyer

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Manufacturing has gained over the last years in attention as a tool to create competitive advantage. For four years now a survey has been carried out by a research team at Insead to build a database on the manufacturing strategies as they are defined and implemented by large European companies. In this paper some of the 1987 data are presented, and a comparison of manufacturing strategies of large companies in the three most important European countries is made. Though the most important conclusion is that there are only slight differences between the three countries, one can see some difference in …

Flexibility And Fms: An Empirical Analysis, Mihkel Tombak, Arnoud De Meyer

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

It is shown how the concerns of the managers of firms with flexible manufacturing system projects (FMS) differ from those of manufacturing firms without FMS projects. An economic model is developed from which two hypotheses are obtained. The first hypothesis is that firms were investing in FMS to deal with the variance in their inputs. The second proposition is that firms wished to use FMS to deal with the variance in their outputs. Through an analysis of manufacturing survey data it was found that firms planning to implement FMS were statistically more concerned about vendor quality and vendor lead times …

Preference Tests Of Ramp Designs For Young Pigs, P. A. Phillips, B. K. Thompson, D. Fraser

Housing and Confinement of Farm Animals Collection

Preference experiments were used to identify features of ramp design that influence the voluntary use of ramps by young pigs. In seven experiments, groups of pigs, aged 7-8 wk, were given free access to four different ramps simultaneously. The animals' behavior was monitored to identify the amount of time spent on the ramps and the number of pigs that failed to use specific designs. Slope, in the range of 20-32° from the horizontal, had a major influence on the pigs' behavior, with the shallower slopes attracting more use than steep ones. Pigs preferred ramps with angle-iron cleats (cross-laid on the …

Fisheries Report No 80 - Potential For The Development Of A Tuna Industry In North West Australian Waters, J. P. Robins

Fisheries Research Reports

Information available on the abundance of tuna off north west Australia, gathered on surveys by both ship and aircraft, the presented in order to identify opportunities for the sourcing of raw material for the Western Australian tuna canning industry. Identification of the constraints and potential for industry development of these resources is made focusing on the area considered most favourable, types of vessels used, fishing methods and strategies required for the development of such resources in the event that there is some identified prospect of viable commercial development.

Freight Transport Deregulation And Its Impact In New Zealand, Gagadish C Guria

IIMB Management Review

In recent years a move towards deregulation, i.e. the replacement of quantity restrictions on the number of licences, on maximum and/or minimum rates, on geographic boundaries of operation etc., by quality restriction on drivers’ qualifications and systems of operation, has become a significant development in the transport policy of many countries: Australia. Sweden, Switzerland,U.K., USA, and New Zealand. The trend was first set in Australia, in 1954 when the interstate freight transport was deregulated. Later on this trend spread to individual states: South Australia in 1968 and New South Wales in 1974. In Sweden a move towards deregulation was initiated …

The Integration Of Information Systems In Manufacturing, Arnoud De Meyer

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The large majority of modern production companies have at their disposal a multitude of computer systems. The immediate challenge for these companies consists of integrating these computer systems and databases. How will one arrive at this integration? On the basis of a questionnaire administered among a group of 174 large European manufacturers, one comes to the conclusion that this integration is one of the immediate priorities for this group of companies. They do not intend to implement turnkey systems, but instead will integrate the different databases and computer systems gradually. One can see emerging islands of integration, which will be …

Vegetable Budgeting Handbook Manjimup Region 1986-87, Peter Eckersley

Horticulture published reports

This handbook is designed as a guide

i) to help growers cost out or budget for their own or alternative enterprises, and use correct methods for calculating benefits and costs of alternative actions. production, and

ii) to help advisers and lending agencies prepare and review budgets.

WARNING - The budgets herein do not purport to represent the average profitability of each crop. It is the reader's responsibility to use the information in them correctly.

The Manjimup region here includes Pemberton, Nannup, Bridgetown and Donnybrook.

Unit production costs vary widely within any farming district. Low-cost production requires the right levels and …

European Manufacturing: A Comparative Study (1985), Arnoud De Meyer

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

One of the striking events of the eighties in the field of management is the increase in attention paid to the role of manufacturing and technology in the determination of a firm’s competitive position. Traditionally, corporate policy and strategic decisions were defined on the basis of a financial and marketing analysis of the company’s strengths, weaknesses and competitive environment. The contribution of the technology function and more in particular the production and operations function was often limited to implementation and a marginal adaptation of a course set by financial and marketing considerations. Some of the world’s excellent competitors have, however, …

Contribution To A Concept Of Behavioral Abnormality In Farm Animals Under Confinement, U. A. Luescher, J. F. Hurnik

Agribusiness Collection

Farm animals housed in close confinement often engage in activities that do not occur with animals maintained in traditional and more complex environments. Many of these activities consist of species-typical motor patterns directed towards unsuited or inappropriate objects, or performed as vacuum activities. For example, piglets fed from a trough from day 2 to day 21 after parturition display much nosing. of penmates and ear sucking (DeBoer and Hurnik 1984). Similarly, confined veal calves in crates may lick their pelage excessively, or, when housed in groups, may suck the naval area of penmates; laying hens and broilers often engage in …

Mathematical Programming Model Of Western Australian Dairy Farms, G R. Olney, D A. Falconer

Animal production and livestock research reports

A profit maximising mathematical programming dairy farm model has been developed which determines the most profitable management strategies for the full year. This model was initially an extension of the one used in the Western Australian Dairy Feed Management Service (DFMS) which determines the most profitable ration to feed for a specific period, the milk yield per cow and the number of cows to milk. The DFMS is useful for formulating a ration for a specific period, particularly during summer on non-irrigated farms in Western Australia when complete hand feeding is required, but it cannot be used to determine optimum …

The Attainment Of Humane Housing For Farm Livestock, D.G.M. Wood-Gush

Agribusiness Collection

In discussing animal welfare it is very easy for the discussion to become bogged down by misunderstandings. Commonly the first misunderstanding arises over the definition of animal welfare. In the content of this article we will take it for granted that any definition includes the physical well-being of the animal as well as ensuring that the animal can fulfill much of its genetically controlled behavioral repertoire. The second misunderstanding arises when the political and scientific assessments of the subject are meshed together. In a scientific assessment, the aim should be to examine welfare problems strictly from what we know about …

Cardiac Arrest Stunning Of Livestock And Poultry, Temple Grandin

Agribusiness Collection

A stunning method that will reliably render an animal insensible to pain and sensation prior to hoisting and bleeding is essential to prevent suffering. Cardiac arrest stunning is more effective than conventional electric stunning. In cardiac arrest stunning, an electric current is passed through both the brain and the heart to produce permanent insensibility. Since the animal is killed by the electricity it cannot revive during hoisting, bleeding, or slaughtering procedures. In contrast, conventional electrical stunning induces reversible insensibility for a short period of time.

Economics Of The Pacific Whiting, Merluccius Productus, Fishery, Eric Anderson

Economics Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) Interest in the economics of Pacific whiting, Merluccius productus, production and consumption has been simulated in recent years by expanding U.S. participation in the fishery formerly dominated by foreign fishing and processing. This has raised several questions within the U.S. fishing industry: 1) Will it be profitable for additional U.S. fisherman and processors to enter the fishery? 2) What configuration will the U.S. Pacific whiting industry take? and 3) What will be the nature of markets for Pacific whiting products? This paper summarizes the conclusions of several reports and studies which bear on these questions.

A Technological Lifecycle Approach To The Organizational-Factors Determining Gatekeeper Activities, Arnoud De Meyer

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The paper deals with the question whether gatekeepers arise spontaneously (non-hierarchical) or are created by administrative action (hierarchical). The author's approach to the problem relies on the use of a lifecycle model of an organisation devised by Utterback and Abernathy. They distinguish a product-innovation, a transitional and process- innovation (consolidation) phase in the development of an enterprise. The author's hypothesis is that gatekeepers can arise via either route depending on the phase in which enterprise is operating. In the earlier phases the author predicts that gatekeepers will either be absent or non-hierarchical (spontaneous) while in later phases they will be …

Hsus Exposes Livestock Transportation Cruelty

Close Up Reports

After a massive investigation covering nine months, twenty states, and more than 20,000 miles, The HSUS has documented that every day and every night, thousands of cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens, and other animals are being crowded, beaten, electrically shocked, trampled--or even killed--during miserable journeys that ultimately end at the slaughterhouses of this country.

Animals are injured during loading, then forced to negotiate dark truck interiors, steep ramps, narrow doorways, sharp turns, and slippery flooring. They are loaded so hurriedly that they knock down or climb onto those animals ahead of them and are crowded so tightly that they injure or …

Stereotype Behaviour In Sows And Gilts Housed In Stalls, Tethers, And Groups, Judith K. Blackshaw, J. F. Mcveigh

Agribusiness Collection

Observations of sows and gilts in tethers, stalls, and groups showed two distinct types of behaviour: pre-feed behaviour when pigs were anticipating food, and after-feed behaviour. Sows and gilts tethered for the first time do not show pre-feed excitement, but this develops in 42 days which suggests that pre-feed behaviour is not stereotype, as suggested by the literature, but is a conditioned reflex.

The question of the importance of after-feeding behaviours which are often called stereotypies is examined. The total time occupied by these behaviours over 24 hours by tethered sows is 14.5 to 29.0%, by tethered gilts 1.4 to …