<p dir="ltr">Engineering Technology (ET) programs are pivotal in preparing graduates for the demands of the modern workforce, particularly in quality management systems (QMS). This study examines the alignment between QMS knowledge and experience gained by graduates in ABET-accredited ET programs and the expectations of industry. Through a dual-survey approach, targeting both industry leaders and academic educators, the research elucidates current QMS practices in industry, the scope of QMS education, and the resulting preparedness of graduates for professional roles. Findings indicate a discernible gap between industry expectations and current academic offerings in QMS education. While industry professionals rely on established QMS frameworks such as ISO 9001 and Lean Six Sigma, academic programs often limit their coverage to theoretical underpinnings rather than hands-on, practical applications. This discrepancy highlights the need for a more robust, application-oriented curriculum that bridges theoretical knowledge with real-world practice. Recommendations include a call for greater integration of practical QMS training within academic programs and stronger partnerships between academia and industry to foster educational content that aligns with professional QMS applications.</p>

Following Toyota's dramatic rise to prominence within the automotive industry in the late 1980's, firms around the globe have widely sought to adopt Lean Six Sigma (LSS) as a means of reducing costs, improving quality, and gaining an overall competitive advantage. While the operational benefits of LSS are largely undisputed, there are criticisms of the movement with regards to its effect on firm innovation capability. Prior academic studies investigating the relationship between LSS and innovation are largely conceptual in nature, rely heavily on qualitative data, and display a high degree of variability in results. The objective of this work was to empirically confirm whether LSS adoption had a positive, negative, or neutral impact on firm innovation performance.Financial data was collected for 151 publicly traded firms over the period from 1985 to 2018. The year of company-wide adoption of LSS was identified for each sample firm. Firms were paired with industry rivals using Coarsened Exact Matching (CEM), and statistical regressions were performed to show correlations between LSS implementation (as measured by inventory turns) and innovation performance (as measured by Total Factor Productivity, Research Quotient, and Tobin's Quotient). Regression results indicated that LSS implementation had a positive correlation with firm process innovation performance and the overall market perception of firm innovation and value, and a negative-to-neutral correlation with firm product innovation performance. Additional regressions performed at the industry-sector level revealed that the LSS-innovation relationship varies greatly by industry environment and is subject to unique industry effects and management implementation decisions.

Submitted by DANIEL AUGUSTO RAINHA ROLANDO null (danielrolando@gmail.com) on 2018-04-05T16:00:00Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Rolando-DAR.pdf: 3156622 bytes, checksum: ac92904a2c656de7add0c53bd32f6e49 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Pamella Benevides Gonçalves null (pamella@feg.unesp.br) on 2018-04-06T18:54:51Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 rolando_dar_me_guara.pdf: 3156622 bytes, checksum: ac92904a2c656de7add0c53bd32f6e49 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-06T18:54:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 rolando_dar_me_guara.pdf: 3156622 bytes, checksum: ac92904a2c656de7add0c53bd32f6e49 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-16 / Para a delimitação de um processo de tomada de decisão na escolha de projetos Lean Six Sigma, é necessário definir os fatores críticos, tanto de sucesso (como por exemplo: envolvimento e comprometimento da gestão, entendimento das ferramentas e técnicas do Lean Six Sigma, ligação do projeto com a estratégia de negócios) quanto de fracasso (como por exemplo a falta do envolvimento da gestão, resistência à mudança cultural, inexistência de gestão de projetos). Desta forma, este trabalho foi conduzido por meio de modelagem com validação de dados reais, com o objetivo de propor uma adaptação de métodos de auxílio à tomada a decisão para seleção de projetos Lean Six Sigma baseado nos fatores críticos de sucesso e fracasso. Para tanto, com base na revisão da literatura, foram identificados os fatores críticos de sucesso e fracasso para seleção de projetos Lean Six Sigma. Em seguida, uma análise de dois métodos de tomada de decisão multicritério, PROMETHEE e ANP, foi realizada por meio da aplicação dos modelos em um portfólio de projetos de uma empresa multinacional de grande porte. Como resultado, houve assertividade de 95% na seleção dos melhores projetos do portfólio, comparado aos projetos executados pela empresa mostrando-se que os dois modelos são aderentes ao problema. Como resultado, é possível constatar que o PROMETHEE se mostrou mais assertivo, principalmente nas comparações quantitativas, tendo aplicabilidade tanto para decisões individuais quanto em grupos. O ANP, por fazer a análise de preferência dos critérios de forma pareada (utilizando a escala comparativa de Saaty) torna mais fácil seu em grupos grandes de decisores, porém a comparação utilizando a escala de Saaty dificulta a análise de critérios quantitativos, bem como para pequenos grupos ou em decisões individuais. / To define a decision-making process in the Lean Six Sigma projects’ choice, it is necessary to define the critical success factors (e. g., management involvement and commitment, understanding the tools and techniques of Lean Six Sigma methodologies), and critical failure factors (e. g., lack of management involvement, cultural change resistance, project management weakness, etc.). In this way, this work was conducted through the modeling method with the objective of proposing an adaptation of decision-making aid methods process to select Lean Six Sigma projects based on the critical success and critical failure factors. Therefore, based on the literature review, the critical success and critical failure factors for the selection of Lean Six Sigma projects were identified. An analysis of two multi-criteria decision-making methods, PROMETHEE and ANP, was performed through the application of the models in a project portfolio of a large multinational company, presenting 95% assertiveness in the selection of the best portfolio projects compared to the executed projects by the company, showing that the two models are adherent to the problem. In addition, PROMETHEE has been more assertive, mainly in quantitative comparisons, and the use of the method are applied for both individual and group decisions; the ANP, by doing the preference analysis of the criteria in pair-to-pair way, using the Saaty’s comparative scale, makes it easier in large groups of decision makers. However, the comparison using the Saaty scale makes it difficult to analyze quantitative criteria as well as small groups or in individual decisions

La presente investigación tiene por finalidad establecer una propuesta de mejora en el proceso productivo de pasta de ajo de una MYPE perteneciente al sector de industrias alimentarias, en razón de que su eficiencia muestra indicadores por debajo de la eficiencia media del sector. La hipótesis central que se detalla en los capítulos siguientes, sostiene que la causa de esta brecha se da por la demora entre procesos y existencia de reprocesos, originados a su vez debido a que los procedimientos empleados en la producción, son bastante manuales y elementales, sin contar con soporte de algún medio tecnológico, así como la falta de estandarización en algunos procesos críticos. En este contexto, la adecuación de un sistema de balance de línea y la implementación de un equipo de atmósfera controlada, en los procesos de limpieza y selección de materia prima y burbujeo respectivamente, prevé elevar el nivel de productividad de la empresa, pasando de un 10% a 27% de eficiencia. De la misma forma, la estandarización de procesos en la calibración de equipo en el sub proceso de envasado, disminuirá la existencia de reprocesos, disminuyendo la variabilidad y previendo elevar su capacidad de proceso de 0.21 a 0.42 aproximadamente. Por el lado del aporte de la presente investigación, y ante el gran porcentaje de emprendimientos que fracasan durante sus primeros años de vida, se plantea que esta tesis sirva de guía para orientar los esfuerzos hacia la dirección correcta, que coadyuve a generar conocimiento técnico en pos del desarrollo tecnológico de la industria peruana. / The purpose of this research, is to establish a proposal for improvement in the garlic paste production process of a SME belonging to the food industries sector, because its efficiency shows indicators below the average efficiency of the sector. The central hypothesis that is detailed in the following chapters, maintains that the cause of this gap is due to the delay between processes and the existence of reprocesses, originated in turn due to the fact that the procedures used in production are quite manual and elementary, without the support of some technological means, as well as the lack of standardization in some critical processes In this context, the adaptation of a line balance system and the implementation of a controlled atmosphere equipment, in the processes of cleaning and selection of raw material and bubbling respectively, foresees to raise the level of productivity of the company, going from a 10% to 27% efficiency. In the same way, the standardization of processes in the calibration of equipment in the packaging sub-process will reduce the existence of reprocesses, reducing variability and anticipating increasing its process capacity from 0.21 to 0.42 approximately. On the side of the contribution of this research, and given the large percentage of enterprises that fail during their first years of life, it is proposed that this thesis serves as a guide to orient efforts in the right direction, which helps to generate technical knowledge in aligned to the technological development of the Peruvian industry. / Trabajo de Suficiencia Profesional

No description available.

<p>Data Governance and Data Privacy are critical aspects of organizational management that are widely utilized across all organizational scales. However, this research focused specifically on the significance of Data Governance and Data Privacy in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). While the importance of maintaining these systems is paramount across all organizations, the challenges faced by SMEs in maintaining these systems are greater due to their limited resources. These challenges include potential errors such as data leaks, use of corrupted data, or insufficient data, as well as the difficulty in identifying clear roles and responsibilities regarding data handling. To address these challenges, this research investigated the impact of utilizing Lean Six Sigma (LSS) tools and practices to overcome the anticipated gaps and challenges in SMEs. The qualitative methodology utilized is a grounded theory design, chosen due to the limited understanding of the best LSS practices for achieving data governance and data privacy in SMEs and how LSS can improve the adoption of data governance concerning privacy in SMEs. Data were collected using semi-structured interview questions that were reviewed by an expert panel and pilot tested. The sampling method included purposive, snowballing, and theoretical sampling, resulting in 20 participants being selected for interviews. Open, axial, and selective coding were performed, resulting in the development of a grounded theory. The obtained data were imported into NVivo, a qualitative analysis software program, to compare responses, categorize them into themes and groups, and develop a conceptual framework for Data Governance and Data Privacy. An iterative data collection and analysis approach was conducted to ensure that all aspects were considered. The applied grounded theory resulted in retrieving the themes used to generate a theory from the participants’ descriptions of LSS, SMEs, data governance, and data privacy. Finally, ISM technique has been applied to identify the relationships between the concepts and factors resulted from the grounded theory. It helps arranging the levels the criteria, drawing the relationships in a flowchart, and providing valuable insights to the researcher. </p>

No description available.

Byggindustrin har problem med stora kvalitetsbristkostnader, förutom att organisationer jobbar på ett reaktivt sätt gällande kvalitet identifieras sällan rotorsaken till uppkomna kvalitetsbristkostnader. Tillverkningsindustrin har under många år jobbat med att komma till bukt med kvalitetsbrister och har utvecklat metoder för att förebygga uppkomsten av kvalitetsbrister. Förbättringsmetoder som DMAIC och PDCA anses vara generella metoder som är lämpade för alla organisationer och industrier. Trots att dessa metoder påvisats ha positiv verkan för organisationers kvalitetsarbete finns det enligt akademiska skrifter brist på systematiska arbeten mot bättre kvalitet inom byggindustrin. För att undersöka och testa systematiskt förbättringsarbete inom byggindustrin utfördes en fallstudie på ett företag inom industriellt byggande. Fallföretaget för studien producerade prefabricerade betongelement. Genom att utföra ett DMAIC-projekt på Fallföretaget undersökte studien möjligheten att applicera metodiken och dess verktyg. Studien utgick från en kategorisering av Fallföretagets kvalitetsbristkostnader för att finna områden för förbättring. Syftet med studien var således att undersöka möjligheten att använda kategorisering av kvalitetsbristkostnader som avstamp för systematiskt förbättringsarbete inom industriellt byggande. Genom kategoriseringen av kvalitetsbristkostnader kunde studien använda paretodiagram för att finna de största kostnaderna för företaget. Utifrån de mest kostsamma kvalitetsbristerna undersöktes dess härkomst genom produktionsmätningar. Från produktionsmätningarna upprättades styrdiagram och en duglighetsanalys utfördes. Genom produktionsmätningarna konstaterades att de kvalitetsbristkostnader som kategoriserats hade delvis inte sin uppkomst i produktionen. Därav misstänktes bristfälliga processer innan produktion som eventuell orsak till kvalitetsbristkostnaderna. Utifrån studien presenterades olika rekommendationer som delades upp i produktionsförbättringar och organisationsförbättringar. Organisationsförbättringarna berörde de kringliggande processerna som inte är en del av produktionen. Förslagen var att investera i teknik för kvalitetssäkring av produkterna i produktion. Studien rekommenderade även förslag på förbättringar som inte krävde investering. Så som referensmätningar och formjusteringar samt visuell styrning och planering. På organisationsförbättringar rekommenderades att utveckla och strukturera projektledningsprocessen och konstruktionsprocessen, vilket var de processer som identifierats som potentiella källor till kvalitetsbristkostnaderna. Studien kunde genom insamlade data i form av intervjuer och observationer tillsammans med en litteraturstudie konstatera att byggindustrin idag arbetar på ett reaktivt sätt med kvalitet. Därav förespråkar studien att byggindustrin arbetar med ett mer förbyggande arbetssätt för att nå kvalitet. Studien kunde även konstatera att ett DMAIC-projekt med utgångspunkt att kategorisera kvalitetsbristkostnader bidrar till att finna förbättringsområden för en organisation inom industriellt byggande. Arbetet i sin helhet bidrar även till att skapa en bättre förståelse för hur kvalitetsarbete kan appliceras inom industriellt byggande.

Anecdotal data affirms that companies applying Lean Six Sigma in their operations not only deliver higher quality products and services, but also obtain superior financial results. The goal of this research was to empirically verify anecdotal data. The study proposed to analyze a group of publicly traded manufacturing companies with the intent of verifying if a correlation exists between companies being lean and the attainment of superior returns on investments. The researcher performed a series of statistical tests comparing key Financial Performance Indicators (FPI) extracted from annual reports (10-K) from a large pool of companies. The outcome of this study showed that superior financial rewards result from a systematic application of lean and quality tools. At the conclusion of this thesis we verified that companies having a business model that stimulates a high level of communication between them and their markets - because they are lean - obtained substantially higher financial advantages when compared to companies that still followed a more traditional mode of production. The results also revealed that lean companies obtained on average Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) 10% higher than mass producers. Therefore, companies wanting to strategically invest their capital should consider Lean Six Sigma as a source of competitive advantage. Another strategic insight derived from this study was the recognition of signs of a smart business. Potential investors should look for the presence of lean and quality improvement programs as one sign that capital is being wisely invested to generate value. Another sign is how well historically ROIC have performed against Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC). The research revealed that, on average, lean companies had ROIC of 16%. Assuming that the hurdle rate (WACC) for most companies is near 10%, having ROIC of 16% is an incentive to become lean, thus allowing such companies to create value for their shareholders. Finally, we learned that many factors affect ROIC, namely, brand equity, market positioning, patents, core competency, innovation, leadership, etc. However, the presence of a Lean Six Sigma program in a manufacturing business was a strong positive factor impacting ROIC.

The productivity advances generated from lean manufacturing are self-evident. Plants that adopt lean are more capable of achieving high levels of quality, shorter lead times, and less waste in the system. While it seems logical that higher levels of productivity and quality, as is common in lean companies, should result in positive financial performance, the research community has failed to establish the financial profitability of lean. Those researchers who have studied the financial returns issue report varying results. The goal of this research was to determine if a connection exists between lean and financial success and to discover why so many researchers are finding mixed results. Information Velocity (IV) was theorized to provide the solidifying link between lean and financial performance. Measured by combining the environmental volatility with a company's leanness, IV measures how fast a company can transmit information from the market into a customer-satisfying product in the hands of the consumer. This study analyzed over 530 publicly-traded manufacturing companies to validate the following hypotheses: 1) there is a positive relationship between leanness and financial returns, 2) there is a negative relationship between environmental volatility and financial returns, and 3) there is a positive relationship between IV and financial returns. Regression models were run in various combinations to determine the effect of lean, environmental instability, environmental unpredictability, and IV on financial performance indicators such as return on sales (ROS), return on assets (ROA), and quarter-closing stock price. The outcome of this study showed that financial rewards do result from lean, which positively affected financial performance in almost all scenarios. Environmental instability always negatively correlated with financial returns, and IV mostly shows a positive effect, but with mixed results. Lastly, IV does not explain why researchers find mixed results on the profitability measures of lean. The results of this thesis highlight the significance of implementing lean manufacturing, especially in a dynamic environment. As the instability in the environment increases, profitability decreases. Therefore, an increase in leanness by boosting inventory turns can compensate for the volatility and create enhanced productivity measures and financial results.