Business Commons^™

Driving Ohio's Prosperity (Auto Supply Chain), Edward W. Hill

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

in cooperation with The MPI Group, Inc. Prepared for Compete Columbus. Central Ohio Is the Leverage Point of a Two-Job Strategy for Growing the Value of Automotive & Advanced Manufacturing How to help manufacturers do today’s job of meeting customers’ demands and tomorrow’s job of continuing to innovate and improve.

A Long Spell Of Uncertainty, John Austin, Chris Decker, Tom Doering, Ernie Goss, Bruce Johnson, Lisa Johnson, Ken Lemke, Franz Schwarz, Scott Strain, Eric Thompson, Keith Turner

Economics Faculty Publications

We find ourselves in a period of sustained economic uncertainty. Today, like 6 months ago, the U.S. economy is on the brink of a recession. Weakness in lending activity, coupled with weakness in the housing sector and related manufacturing industries has stymied economic growth since late 2007. At times, recession seems imminent. But, the official measures, such as quarterly gross domestic product, do not clearly signal that the economy is contracting. Further, prices are rising rapidly for food and energy. That is the uncertainty. Will 2008 be remembered as a recession year, or as a period of disappointing but slow …

Similarities And Differences Of Custom Designed Erp Systems Development And Implementation In Two Cases In Services And Manufacturing, Farshad Salimi

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

In this paper we made a comparative review of two case studies in development, design, and implementation of in-house custom-designed Enterprise Resource Planning packages in manufacturing and services. For comparison, we scanned through business solutions, tangible and intangible benefits, process of implementation, implementation problems and planning, benefits of ERP implementation, business processes, business strategies, project goals, IT infrastructure, and key critical success factors (KCSFs). The KCSFs and the important key factors were the focus point in evaluation of differences. For instance, in manufacturing, the innovation strategy was identified as an important KCSF in implementation planning phase whereas in service, understanding …

Risk And Recovery, John Austin, Chris Decker, Tom Doering, Ernie Goss, Bruce Johnson, Lisa Johnson, Ken Lemke, Franz Schwarz, Scott Strain, Eric Thompson, Keith Turner

Economics Faculty Publications

The crisis in the housing and financial sectors has led to a dramatic slowdown in U.S. economic growth. Fourth quarter GDP growth and job growth are expected to be anemic and the economy may fall into recession in 2008. Indeed, several of the dozen members of the Nebraska Business Forecast Council do believe that the U.S. economy will likely slip into recession during 2008. However, the overall consensus of the Council is that the U.S. economy will avoid a recession. Economic growth will be slow in the first three quarters of 2008 before recovering in late 2008 and 2009.

A Soft Landing And A Long Layover, John Austin, Chris Decker, Tom Doering, Ernie Goss, Philip Baker, Bruce Johnson, Lisa Johnson, Ken Lemke, Franz Schwarz, Scott Strain, Eric Thompson

Economics Faculty Publications

The U.S. economy achieved a soft landing in 2006. This was a desirable outcome. The economy needed a break from its rapid, and potentially inflationary, growth in 2004 and 2005, before taking off again. But, that new flight has been delayed. The aggregate economy has remained mired in slow growth in the first half of 2007. Pockets of the economy, such as the labor market, have been strong, but a weak housing sector has limited overall growth. Further, signs point to one or two more quarters of weaker growth, before the economy is able to take off again.

An Evaluation Of American Companies That Outsource Manufacturing To China: Decision-Making And Performance, Michael Kenyon Favreau

Theses and Dissertations

The topic of outsourcing ranks at the top of business issues for a wide variety of companies (Wery, 2004; Ezrati, 2004). The majority of American companies believe that offshore-related matters rank as the most strategic decisions that management is expected to make in the next 12 months (Wery, 2004). “Outsourcing in China can help many companies save money, but it can be very frustrating if not done right" (Ting, 2004). The perceived benefits of outsourcing production to China are tremendously enticing, but a lack of understanding of the total costs involved lures many companies into outsourcing when it is not …

A Qualitative Study Of Selected Quality Knowledge And Practices In Guangdong Province, China, Tyler R. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

The manufacturing industry has become very competitive in today's global market environment. Many US companies are faced with the choice of keeping their manufacturing domestic or looking to low cost off-shore countries to take advantage of the labor costs differences. To gain an understanding of the state of manufacturing in China, a major focus in the manufacturing world today, this thesis was undertaken. This thesis presents the findings of research conducted in Guangdong Province, China in June - July, 2005. This research addressed customer focus, leadership and general manufacturing and quality knowledge and practices of small, medium and large sized …

The Conundrum Of Economic Miracle: Manufacturing Growth Without Tfp Growth, Chia-Hung Sun

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The findings of low or even negative total factor productivity (TFP) growth in Singapore's manufacturing industries by Young (1995) and many others has been a controversial issue in view of its crucial role in the future sustainability of Singaporean manufacturing. This paper applies the varying coefficients frontier model to re-examine productivity growth in Singapore's manufacturing at the 3-digit industry level over the period 1970–1997. The results indicate that Singapore's manufacturing has on average experienced a –0.8 percent TFP growth per annum although the extent of TFP growth improved slightly in the 1990s. The decomposition of TFP growth into technical efficiency …

A Soft Landing, Steady Growth, And Accelerating Farm Income, John Austin, Chris Decker, Tom Doering, Ernie Goss, Nick Hernandez, Bruce Johnson, Ken Lemke, Franz Schwarz, Scott Strain, Eric Thompson, Keith Turner

Economics Faculty Publications

After years of accelerating growth, the U.S. economy achieved a soft landing in 2006. The rate of economic growth remained positive but slowed sufficiently to reduce inflation pressures and the need for further interest rate increases. At the same time the economy remained strong enough to continue the current expansion which has been in place since late 2001. Such a soft landing is vital because it should allow the economy to continue to expand for years to come, but with moderate inflation.

Pillars Of Growth In Nebraska's Non-Metropolitan Economy, Eric Thompson, Ernie Goss, Chris Decker, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Bruce Johnson, Ben Schmitz, Julian Neira, Pavel Jeutang

Economics Faculty Publications

Agriculture is a critical part of Nebraska’s economy, and changes in the fortunes of agriculture play an important role in the success of the state’s non-metropolitan regions. Trends toward consolidation and rising productivity in agriculture, however, have raised concerns about the future of non-metropolitan Nebraska. Some citizens and policymakers have begun to wonder if the economy can create sufficient job opportunities for non-metropolitan residents. The answer to this question depends not only upon the relative strength of the agricultural sector, but also upon the presence of other industries that can join agriculture as pillars for employment growth in non-metropolitan Nebraska. …

Manufacturing Rebounds, John Austin, Chris Decker, Tom Doering, Ernie Goss, Nick Hernandez, Bruce Johnson, Ken Lemke, Donis Petersan, Franz Schwarz, Eric Thompson, Keith Turner

Economics Faculty Publications

National economic conditions will continue to favor growth over the next three years, including sustained increases in manufacturing employment. Higher energy prices, particularly for oil, gasoline, and natural gas, will impact the economy, but probably only will moderate economic growth rather than cause a significant slowdown.

After rapid growth in 2004 and 2005, growth in real gross domestic product is expected to moderate in 2006-2008, due to higher long-term interest rates as well as higher energy prices. Real gross domestic product will grow 3 percent in 2006 and fall to 2.5 percent growth in later years. The housing market will …

The Coming Age Of Rfid Revolution, Mohsen Attaran

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID, has been around for decades and is being used in manufacturing to complement established barcodes for the past 25 years. Recently, many companies are embracing RFID as a competitive weapon that can improve their efficiencies, and provide significant business benefits. Despite many useful applications, the technology's potential has yet to be fully realized. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of contemporary RFID systems, highlight its promises as well as its pitfalls, identify the implementation challenges and key business drivers, survey its application in various industries, and speculate about where this technology …

A Comprehensive Study On The Differences In Erp Implementation Between Manufacturing And Service Industry, Farshad Salimi, Ben Dankbaar, Reggie Davidrajuh

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

In the first part, this paper presents a review of current literatures on key critical success factors (KCSFs) and their inevitable relative links with ERP benefits, project (strategic) goals and objectives in ERP implementation; this literature review searches for the available KCSFs in two sectors: manufacturing and service industry. The second part of paper looks into the available literature on differences in manufacturing and service industry. From these differences we deduct that there are differences in ERP implementation between manufacturing and services.

Grey Situation Decision-Making Algorithm To Optimize Silicon Wafer Slicing, Che-Wei Chang, William Yu Chung Wang

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

The slicing of Silicon wafer is a complex manufacturing process in producing the raw materials for electronic chips and requires the efforts to effectively monitor the stability in production line and ensure the quality for the products composed of different shapes and materials. Human decision failure and other analytical errors are the most common source of management problems in such manufacturing stage. This paper presents a case regarding the silicon wafer manufacturing to examine the response to quality errors. The study has adopted the approach of grey situation decision-making algorithm for problem detection that suggests a technique to attain the …

Understanding And Improving The Inefficiencies Of An Engineering Change Management System Using The Action Research Model, Allen L. Samson

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

The change management system at a manufacturing company is a bottleneck to the new product release cycle, causing numerous product releases to be delayed resulting in lost revenue and financial impact to the business. The change management system was developed when the company was small. As the company grew, the change management system could no longer meet the demand placed on it. The action research model establishes the issues that have created the symptoms. Data collection and analyzes using value-stream mapping and questionnaires determines that the process is inefficient and does not have the capacity required to sustain new product …

Changing Manufacturing Practices: An Appraisal Of The Processual Approach, Patrick M. Dawson

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

There has been a longstanding interest in human factors and the processes of change in manufacturing organizations. This paper focuses attention on the establishment and contribution of a processual perspective to understanding change. A history of the processual approach is outlined and some of the main defining elements and ongoing developments are appraised. Field data drawn from a study of cellular work arrangements at a mirror manufacturing plant is used to highlight the interlocking and overlapping dynamics between substance, context, and politics. In advocating the benefits of a processual perspective, it is argued that during the uptake of cellular manufacturing …

Outsourcing: A Theoretical Viewpoint, Aoife O'Riordan, Edward Sweeney, Austin Smyth

Conference papers

Outsourcing or offshoring as it is now known has been around for many decades. In the
beginning, it was only very peripheral activities that were outsourced, i.e. blue-collar (lower skilled)
work but this is now all changing with the outsourcing of white-collar jobs. The digital revolution, the falling costs of transport and telecom costs and the opening up of the global economy helped the outsourcing market. For companies going down or contemplating the road of outsourcing there are both potential benefits and challenges, for example, the type of outsourcing they want to get involved in, and the country they want …

Outsourcing: A Way To Improve The Responsiveness And Agility Within The Organisation, Aoife O'Riordan, Edward Sweeney, Austin Smyth

Conference papers

Outsourcing or offshoring as it is now known has been around for many decades. In the beginning it
was only very peripheral activities that were outsourced, blue collar (lower skilled) work but this is now all changing with the outsourcing of white-collar jobs. Historically, outsourcing was used when
organisation could not perform to world-class excellence in all sectors of the organisation due to
incompetence of staff and/or management, lack of capacity, financial pressures, and/or technological
pressure. The research currently underway is initially focusing on a literature review of current outsourcing applications in the market place. From the literature review, a …

Continued Growth In Nebraska, Saeed Ahmad, John Austin, Tom Doering, Ernie Goss, Bruce Johnson, Donis Petersan, Franz Schwarz, Eric Thomson, Keith K. Turner

Economics Faculty Publications

National economic conditions will continue to favor growth over the next three years. Increased business investment will combine with rising industrial production, expanding exports, and moderate increases in consumer spending to grow the economy. The rate of inflation is expected to increase as well. The rate of real (inflation-adjusted) growth will moderate compared to strong economic growth during 2004. Real gross domestic product will grow 3 percent to 3.5 percent over the next three years. High oil prices will remain a drain on the economy, siphoning spending from domestically produced goods and services. Fuel prices are expected to remain at …

Entrepreneurial Hunger—Shall We Try Chinese?, Joseph E. Levangie

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Many entrepreneurs are able to manage their businesses within relatively contained and familiar geographical and cultural circles. With a world economy shrinking every day amid a flood of digital information, today’s entrepreneur is increasingly confronted with opportunities to consider new ways to secure vendors and recruit customers. Many unfamiliar possibilities emerge. Should the entrepreneur venture beyond “comfortable” surroundings to consider international connections? Specifically, what about China? How practical is this fetching business temptation of larger markets and lower-cost subcontractors? What are the social, trade, financial, and political issues? Should a “China strategy” be a true entrepreneurial offensive, or rather a …

A Factor Analytic Study Of The Determinants Of Success In Manufacturing Smes, Hema Wijewardena, Anura De Zoysa

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Although there has been a sizeable amount of literature on the causes of failure as well as the determinants of success in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developed countries, empirical investigation into such factors in developing countries is extremely sparse. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine, through an empirical investigation, factors that would contribute to the success or growth of SMEs in a developing country. The data for the study were obtained from a questionnaire survey conducted on a sample of manufacturing SMEs in Sri Lanka.

Sustained Growth In Nebraska, Saeed Ahmad, John Austin, Tom Doering, Ernie Goss, Bruce Johnson, Mike Lundeen, Donis Petersan, Franz Schwarz, Eric Thompson, Keith K. Turner

Economics Faculty Publications

National Macroeconomic conditions are favorable for future expansion of income, employment, and revenue in Nebraska. In particular, the U.S. economy is now in the heart of an expansion expected to persist over the three year forecast period. The principal engine of growth will be a sustained expansion in private sector investment and consumption demand. However, the rate of growth in the national economy likely will be moderate rather than rapid. At least three factors will act to moderate growth. The first is higher energy prices. Rapid growth in global demand is expected to keep prices for oil and natural gas …

The Impact Of Increasing User Expectations On Machine Replacement, Robert F. Marsh, Seong-Hyun Nam

WCBT Faculty Publications

This study explores the traditional equipment maintain or replace decision under scenarios of increasing customer expectations, loss due to process deviation, and process drift. Customer expectations are operationalized by tighter product specifications. The Taguchi loss function is employed to estimate the loss due to target deviation. In this paper we characterize the machine drift, uncertainty about future technological change, and the learn-and-break-in process by a generalized Brownian-Motion-Ito-Process. The photolithography process is analyzed in numerous scenarios varying demand, rejection levels, and quality losses.

Furniture Manufacturing And Marketing: Eight Strategic Issues For The 21st Century, Steven H. Bullard, C. D. West

Faculty Publications

“Take change by the hand, or it will take you by the throat.” Attributed to Winston Churchill, this brief sentence emphasizes the need to understand and embrace change in general. What important “changes” will impact furniture production and marketing in the 21st century? And what can furniture manufacturers and marketers do to “take change by the hand” today and in the future?

Project Report On The Impact Of Planning And Control Sophistication On Financial Performance Of Small And Medium Manufacturing Enterprises In Australia, Hema Wijewardena, Anura De Zoysa

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Although there has been a limited amount of prior research on the relationship between planning sophistication and small enterprise perfonnance, no attention has been given to the control aspect of planning and its possible impact on financial performance. This points to a major limitation of prior research on planning and perfonnance. It is common knowledge that effective control is often necessary for achieving the maximum results from a predetermined plan of action in any organisation. Even an excellent plan may not produce the results as expected due to numerous unforseen circumstances which are internal or external to the fInn. Therefore, …

Using Customer Profitability Information To Drive The Bottom Line, Mark E. Pickering

Mark E Pickering

This article utilises a case study of a textile manufacturer and distributor to demonstrate the use of customer profitability analysis to improve company profitability.

Business Plan For The Startup And Subsequent Operation Of A Truss Manufacturing Plant, Timothy M. Liescheidt

Theses

This thesis is intended to present a thorough business plan for a truss manufacturing plant. The thesis will give the reader a complete understanding of the purpose of a truss in the building industry. The thesis also presents research on existing truss manufacturing plants and determined how the companies in this field currently operate. Once the research was completed, the business plan was prepared. The completed business plan was presented to three individuals who, by their experience, can be considered subject matter experts. These three individuals were then asked to give input about the completed business plan.

The input from …

Manufacturing Upholstered Furniture In The Southeastern U.S.: A Comparative Cost Assessment, Joshua O. Idassi, Steven H. Bullard

Faculty Publications

The upholstered household furniture industry (SIC 25 12) is extremely important in the economies of Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee. This study uses a comparative cost approach to assess the differences that exist in the manufacturing and distribution of upholstered wood household furniture among southeast U.S. states. Secondary data for raw material, labor, and transportation costs were obtained from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, for 1982, 1987, and 1992. Total costs were estimated for raw material, labor, and transportation of the finished products. A simple cost index was constructed for each cost component. Analysis of …

The Role Of Supply Management In Achieving World-Class Manufacturing, Thomas Zeller

School of Business: Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

Accounting For Steam: The Accounts Of The Soho Factory, R. Williams

Faculty of Business - Accounting & Finance Working Papers

The accounting records of the Soho Foundry, an organisation set up in the late eighteenth century display a close similarity to modem accounting processes. This paper discusses the organisation of the foundry and its ledger, as a reflection of that organisation, during the early years of operation. The Soho Foundry was unique in as much as it was the first factory built to solely manufacture steam engines and as may be expected the organisation of the foundry reflected the innovation of the design of its product. The accounting system employed also reflected a high degree of sophistication.