This research study seeks to identify and prioritize the causes of order fulfillment delays in a small wooden furniture manufacturing company. The authors propose a 5-phase Lean Optimization model to address and reduce this problem. Post-implementation results yielded a 54.87% reduction in material search and transportation times, a 32.86% reduction in travel times between stations, and a 19.81% increase in line efficiency. In addition, order fulfillment percentages increased from 12.5% to 60%.

In recent years, the giant squid processing industry in Peru exhibited a 59% increase in exports with respect to 2018. According to estimates, this industry generates approximately 30,900 jobs per year. However, some SMEs experience low productivity, such as the PECEPE company, due to plant downtime. This represents 26% of the available time, which translates into the loss of 1760 tons every year. The most constraining external factor the sector faces is uncertainty in resource availability caused by changing weather conditions and informal fishing activities. Although there is a large number of research studies on the fishing industry and resource extraction, literature on processing plant operations is scarce. Within this context, this study seeks to promote a high impact sector in Peru, as well as fostering processing plant competitiveness and productivity. Hence, to address these issues, the authors propose a maintenance management model under the TPM approach. As part of the results from model implementation, a 39% decrease was reported in plant downtime, while maintenance costs also decreased by 16%, which, in turn, increased machine availability and production by 784 tons per year.

El presente trabajo de investigación se enfoca en desarrollar una mejora en la gestión de almacenes para las medianas empresas comercializadoras, que incluye el maximizar el tiempo del proceso de picking (selección y empaquetado) para obtener una disminución en la ratio de productos devueltos. El conocimiento y aplicación de herramientas Lean Warehousing (SLP, inventarios cíclicos y estandarización de procesos), y el ABC multicriterio como herramienta de análisis, permitirá administrar y gestionar los procesos dentro del almacén. Las exigencias de los clientes respecto de la calidad y entregas a tiempo de los productos son cada vez mayores, lo que exige ser más competitivo en las operaciones, por lo cual se analiza la distribución del almacén y la metodología empleada por los operarios, y así eliminar todo lo que no genera valor, llegar control de los inventarios y redistribuir los productos de acuerdo con su importancia. Finalmente, el sistema de gestión de almacenes propuesto permite una eficiente entrega de pedidos y correcta distribución dentro del almacén, generando un impacto positivo en la viabilidad económica tal como: VAN de S/ 96,296 y una TIR de 104.5%., adicionalmente se logró disminuir las devoluciones de un 14.1% a un 7% y se llegó a un rendimiento de 85% de los operarios. / This research work focuses on developing an improvement in warehouse management for medium-sized trading companies, which includes maximizing the time of the picking process (selection and packaging) to obtain a decrease in the ratio of returned products. The knowledge and application of Lean Warehousing tools (SLP, cyclical inventories and standardization of processes), and the ABC multi-criteria as an analysis tool, will allow to administer and manage the processes within the warehouse. The demands of customers regarding the quality and timely delivery of products are increasing, which requires being more competitive in operations, which is why the distribution of the warehouse and the methodology used by the operators are analyzed, and thus eliminate everything that does not generate value, get inventory control and redistribute products according to their importance. Finally, the proposed warehouse management system allows efficient order delivery and correct distribution within the warehouse, generating a positive impact on economic viability such as: NPV of S / 96,296 and an IRR of 104.5%. Additionally, it was possible to decrease the returns of 14.1% to 7% and a performance of 85% of the operators was reached. / Trabajo de investigación

En la actualidad, los investigadores dedican una buena cantidad de tiempo en la detección y búsqueda de artículos científicos relevantes de forma manual. El desarrollo de estas investigaciones se realiza de forma empírica sin tener en cuenta un modelo tecnológico para el cumplimiento de estándares en su proceso. Por ello, de un tema particular, el proceso rara vez es sustentado con algún procedimiento sistemático para garantizar que se revisó de manera objetiva y que todo el material pertinente está incluido. Existen procedimientos y marcos de trabajo en otras disciplinas como la medicina, pero no son ampliamente conocidas o utilizadas en las demás carreras. Este proyecto propone un Modelo de Gestión, soportado por distintas herramientas de software, con el fin de automatizar la fase de planificación de la revisión sistemática. Esta propuesta se realizó mediante la necesidad de mejorar la satisfacción del investigador al momento de realizar búsquedas de papers relacionados a sus trabajos de investigación. Se desarrolló una interfaz web como canal entre el Modelo de Gestión propuesto y el investigador, con el fin de mostrar el resultado obtenido por el modelo indicando mejoras en tiempo y calidad al momento de realizar búsquedas de papers. Además, como Plan de continuidad se propone un proyecto en base a las siguientes fases de la revisión sistemática, apoyándonos en la revisión de la literatura obtenida en la etapa de análisis del modelo propuesto. / Currently, researchers spend a good amount of time detecting and searching for relevant scientific articles manually. The development of these investigations is done empirically without taking into consideration a technological model for compliance with standards and process. Therefore, on a particular issue, the process is rarely supported by any systematic procedure to ensure that it was objectively reviewed and that all relevant material is included. There are procedures and frameworks in other disciplines such as medicine, but they are not widely known or used in other careers. This project proposes a Management Model supported by different software tools, in order to automatize the planning phase of the systematic review. This proposal was made through the need to improve the satisfaction of the researcher when searching papers related to their research work. A web interface was developed as a link between the proposed Management Model and the researcher, in order to show the result obtained by the model giving improvements in time and quality when searching papers. In addition, as a Continuity Plan, a project is proposed based on the following phases of the systematic review, based on the review of the literature obtained in the analysis stage of the proposed model. / Tesis

Customer loyalty is considered to be critically important to growth, profitability and sustainability. It has received much attention by practitioner and managers. However, some important variables about the different types of loyalty have remained unclear. While businesses look towards adopting various strategies to help them grow and succeed in the marketplace, a number of key business orientations have emerged. Each of these orientations has claimed to increase both profitability and customer loyalty for an organization. This research has examined both of these factors, as well as their inter-relationships. The research was conducted in a two part study, based on a sequential triangulation approach. The first study focused on finding out the differences between two of the highest types of loyalties, attitudinal and emotional. The study, based on 40 interviews with customers from three different companies, across two cultural settings (Asian and European), has led to the emergence of key differentiating factors. The second study focused on the relationships between business orientations and customer loyalty. This study was based on six case studies of best practice firms. The study found a positive link between business orientations and loyalty. Moreover, a set of critical success factors were identified that would enable companies to implement effective loyalty management systems. Based on both of these two studies, a loyalty management model has been presented. The model helps to improve our understanding of loyalty, and would be of use to managers who would want to develop and manage customer loyalty in an organisation. / University of East London

In Taiwan, non-point source (NPS) pollution is one of the major causes of the impairment of surface waters. NPS pollutants, which are associated with stormwater runoff from agricultural land uses can be quite diffuse and difficult to treat. The I-Liao Creek Basin, located in southern Taiwan, flows through approximately 90-km and drains towards the Kaoping River. It is one of the major sub-basin in the Kaoping River watershed, which is the largest and the most intensively used watershed in Taiwan. Field investigation results indicate that the main water pollution sources in the I-Liao Creek Basin are domestic wastewater and NPS pollutants from agricultural activities. In this study, an Integrated Watershed Management Model (IWMM) was applied for simulating the water quality in the I-Liao Creek watershed. The model includes a global atmosphere module, a land module, a human impact module, a canopy module, and a global ocean module. Those modules can be linked and managed by a graphic user-interface. The model was calibrated and verified with field data, and was used to investigate potential NPS pollution management plans. Moreover, the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) was used to verify the accuracy of the simulated results of flow and water qualities. Results from this study show that geographical information system (GIS) is an important mean for land-use identification and waste load estimation in the catchment. Linking the information of land utilization with the NPS pollution simulation model may further provide essential information of pollution potential of NPS pollution for all sub-regions in the river basin. Results and experience obtained from this study will be helpful in designing the watershed management and NPS pollution control strategies for other similar river basins.

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2015-10-28T12:52:56Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Patrícia Layne Alves - 2015.pdf: 6139087 bytes, checksum: 2d26cabd2939ffa1c0a67132b80a0490 (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2015-10-28T12:54:31Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Patrícia Layne Alves - 2015.pdf: 6139087 bytes, checksum: 2d26cabd2939ffa1c0a67132b80a0490 (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-10-28T12:54:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Patrícia Layne Alves - 2015.pdf: 6139087 bytes, checksum: 2d26cabd2939ffa1c0a67132b80a0490 (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-04-16 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás - FAPEG / Problems related to water, in the urban environment, have drawn attention in the face of the problem caused by its lack and/or excess. Among this backdrop there is the tumultuous occupation of urban space that combined with the suppression of soil coverage and vegetation leads to the urban runoff higher volume, pollution and shorter time to peak discharge. In this context, the benefits of urban afforestation are present, which besides the aesthetic value added to space, set up physical barriers to stormwater, favoring its retention, storage and infiltration into the soil. This study aims to evaluate the capacity of rainfall interception treetops the some species, reduce the volume of urban runoff, slow the flow peaks, as well as to expand the attention span of an urban watershed. The research was field experiments with recurrent arboreal species in the urban afforestation of Uruaçu, Goiás, using pluviographs, trunk collectors and water level sensor. From the use of interception parameters determined in this study, computer simulations using the Storm Water Management Model Model (SWMM) were performed, starting from the proposition of scenarios with different types of territorial installment associated with the Low Impact Development practices (LID) and urban forestry. During the data collection period 2012/2013, the rainfall events had a median of accumulated rainfall of 16.7mm. During this period, the median values of interception were Mangifera indica - 8.0mm; Pachira aquatica - 7.4mm; Licania tomentosa - 7.2mm; and Caesalpinia peltophoroides - 4.8mm. The period of data collection relating to 2013/2014, the median precipitation of rainfall events were 20.7mm, and the median values for interception and stemflow were respectively: 5.7mm and 0.1mm for Mangifera indica; 4.5mm and 0.2mm for Licania tomentosa; and 3.8mm and 0.3mm for Tabebuia ochracea. The delay at the start of average rains caused by tree species was 3min. The presence of individual trees afforded a median delay in the peak time of 3 min, a reduction of the peak flow of 0.8 mm/min and runoff of 4.7mm/min. Through simulations with the scenario where the wooded urban planning aggregated all LID techniques employed in this study, it was possible to achieve a reduction in peak flows in 3.42m³ / s, compared to conventional design; allowing storage of a volume of water in 4470.59m³ local infiltration proposed structures; and delay the peak flows of up to 6 min. This thesis confirms the interference of the individual characteristics of the species in the rain interception capability by their canopies and reducing runoff, highlighting the need for careful definition of the species that make up the urban forestry; testifies the existence of variations in interceptions in relation to rainfall events and during their occurrence; as well as quantitative data points precipitate volume reduction and drained by the tree individual presence in urban areas. Their research shows that, alone, afforestation and LID techniques cause little reduction in volume and flow and little delay in time to peak flow, while combined contribute significantly to drainage. This study differs from the use of recording rain gauges and linígrados for the measurement of precipitation and runoff directly under the canopy of individual trees in an urban environment; and adds to SWMM the insertion of arboreal benefits in hydrological simulation. / Os transtornos relacionados à água, no ambiente urbano, têm merecido destaque diante da problemática causada pela sua falta e/ou excesso. Dentre este cenário, tem-se a ocupação desordenada do espaço urbano, que aliada à supressão da cobertura natural do solo e da vegetação acarretam ao escoamento urbano maior volume, poluição e menor tempo ao pico de vazão. Neste contexto, insere-se os benefícios da arborização urbana, que além do valor estético que agrega ao espaço, oferece barreiras físicas às águas pluviais, favorecendo a sua retenção, armazenamento e infiltração no solo. Este estudo se propõe a avaliar a capacidade de algumas espécies arbóreas em interceptar as águas de chuva pelas suas copas, reduzir o volume de escoamento superficial urbano, retardar os picos de vazão, bem como de ampliar o tempo de concentração de uma bacia hidrográfica urbana. A pesquisa teve experimentos de campo com espécies arbóreas recorrentes à arborização urbana de Uruaçu, Goiás, utilizando pluviógrafos, coletores de tronco e linígrafos. A partir do emprego dos parâmetros de interceptação determinados neste estudo, foram realizadas simulações computacionais com o uso do modelo Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), partindo da proposição de cenários com diferentes tipologias de parcelamento territorial associados às práticas de Low Impact Development (LID) e à arborização urbana. Durante o período de coleta de dados de 2012/2013, os eventos chuvosos tiveram mediana de 16.7mm de precipitação acumulada. Neste período, os valores medianos de interceptação foram: Mangifera indica – 8.0mm; Pachira aquatica - 7.4mm; Licania tomentosa – 7.2mm; e, Caesalpinia peltophoroides - 4.8mm. No período de coleta dados referente a 2013/2014, as precipitações medianas dos eventos chuvosos foram de 20.7mm, e os valores medianos para interceptação e escoamento pelo tronco, foram respectivamente: 5.7mm e 0.1mm para a Mangifera indica; 4.5mm e 0.2mm para a Licania tomentosa; e, 3.8mm e 0.3mm para a Tabebuia ochracea. O retardo mediano no início das chuvas ocasionado pelas espécies arbóreas foi de 3min. A presença dos indivíduos arbóreos propiciou, um atraso mediano no tempo ao pico de 3 minutos, uma redução do pico de vazão de 0.8 mm/min e do escoamento superficial de 4.7mm/min. Através de simulações, com o cenário em que o planejamento urbano arborizado agregava todas as técnicas de LID neste estudo empregadas, conseguiu-se atingir a redução das vazões de pico em 3.42m³/s, em relação ao projeto convencional; permitindo o armazenamento de um volume de água de 4470.59m³ nas estruturas de infiltração locais propostas; e, retardar os picos de vazão em até 6 min. Esta tese, confirma a interferência das características individuais das espécies na capacidade de interceptação de chuva por suas copas e na redução do escoamento superficial, ressaltando a necessidade de definição criteriosa das espécies que comporão a arborização urbana; atesta a existência de variações nas interceptações em relação aos eventos chuvosos e durante suas ocorrências; bem como, aponta dados quantitativos de redução de volume precipitado e escoado pela presença do indivíduo arbóreo no meio urbano. A pesquisa comprovou que, isoladamente, a arborização e as técnicas de LID causam pouca redução no volume e vazão e, pouco retardo no tempo ao pico do escoamento, enquanto que somadas contribuem de forma significativa à drenagem. O presente estudo se difere pela utilização de pluviógrafos e linígrados para a aferição de precipitações e escoamento superficial diretamente sob as copas de indivíduos arbóreos em ambiente urbano; e, agrega ao SWMM a inserção dos benefícios arbóreos na simulação hidrológica.

Agriculture plays a vital role towards shaping the economy of South Africa. The role of agriculture in South Africa in ensuring a strong food supply has been greatly emphasised by the department of Agriculture in their Strategic Plan for South African agriculture. The agricultural environment in South Africa changes just as much as any other corporate environment and has forced farm owners and managers to start thinking holistically. With the many challenges facing farming businesses in South Africa, including constantly rising input costs, an unwell labour market, discouraging political talks about land reform, price fluctuations for crops and very limited help with financing, it is essential that all activities and resources of the farming business be strategically planned and prioritised. It is essential that all individuals involved in managing the farming business understand where the farm is going, how it plans to get there, and the problems and/or opportunities that lay ahead. This study focused on agricultural businesses in the North West Province of South Africa, and the main objective was to establish whether a well-research strategic plan could benefit farm owners and farm managers to produce more successful results. The research objective was, firstly, to review the literature and determine the key enablers required for successful strategy implementation in the agriculture industry and to investigate different strategy management frameworks to give a structure to allocate resources effectively in order to ensure long-term achievement of goals that are set out in the strategy. The second objective of the study was to analyse the findings of the empirical study and make recommendations on how to improve on the strategy of the farming business. The study report is concluded by making recommendations and encouraging farm owners and managers to include strategic planning into their business for farming success. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Agriculture plays a vital role towards shaping the economy of South Africa. The role of agriculture in South Africa in ensuring a strong food supply has been greatly emphasised by the department of Agriculture in their Strategic Plan for South African agriculture. The agricultural environment in South Africa changes just as much as any other corporate environment and has forced farm owners and managers to start thinking holistically. With the many challenges facing farming businesses in South Africa, including constantly rising input costs, an unwell labour market, discouraging political talks about land reform, price fluctuations for crops and very limited help with financing, it is essential that all activities and resources of the farming business be strategically planned and prioritised. It is essential that all individuals involved in managing the farming business understand where the farm is going, how it plans to get there, and the problems and/or opportunities that lay ahead. This study focused on agricultural businesses in the North West Province of South Africa, and the main objective was to establish whether a well-research strategic plan could benefit farm owners and farm managers to produce more successful results. The research objective was, firstly, to review the literature and determine the key enablers required for successful strategy implementation in the agriculture industry and to investigate different strategy management frameworks to give a structure to allocate resources effectively in order to ensure long-term achievement of goals that are set out in the strategy. The second objective of the study was to analyse the findings of the empirical study and make recommendations on how to improve on the strategy of the farming business. The study report is concluded by making recommendations and encouraging farm owners and managers to include strategic planning into their business for farming success. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

En lien avec le désir de cerner les raisons susceptibles d'expliquer l'intention de quitter, chez les infirmières, l’objectif de la présente recherche est de saisir la nature et l’intensité des interactions entre les conflits travail-famille et ladite intention, en tant qu’antécédent du roulement effectif. Dans le contexte actuel québécois de vieillissement de la population et de pénuries d’infirmières, la problématique met en lumière la nécessité de mettre en place des stratégies efficaces d’attraction et de rétention de la main d’oeuvre. L’originalité de la présente étude repose, entre autre, sur la rareté des études s’étant penché sur l’intention de quitter comme conséquence organisationnelle desdits conflits, dans un contexte canadien et par surcroit, dans le secteur de la santé. De plus, les recherches existantes demeurent caractérisées par une controverse des résultats obtenus, à savoir quel type d’interférences entre la vie professionnelle et la vie de famille, expliquerait d’avantage l’intention de quitter son organisation. Alors que le cadre théorique dit "Stress Management Model" explique l’intention de quitter en raison des conflits travail [flèche vers la droite] famille, le cadre théorique concurrent, dit "Domain Spécific Predictor-to- Outcomes", explique ladite intention en raison des conflits famille [flèche vers la droite] travail. Ainsi, dans le cadre de la présente recherche, nous nous proposons d'explorer la variance spécifique à chacune des dimensions du conflit travail-famille, sur les intentions de quitter. En lien au cadre théorique dit "Stress Management Model", nous avons postulé trois hypothèses à savoir que les conflits travail [flèche vers la droite] famille, en termes de temps et d’effort, mais pas en tenues de comportement, seront positivement associés à l’intention de quitter, alors qu’en lien au cadre théorique concurrent, nous avons également formulé trois hypothèses : les conflits famille [flèche vers la droite] travail, en termes de temps et d'effort, mais pas en termes de comportement, seront positivement associés à l’intention de quitter. La collecte des données s’est réalisée par questionnaire, auprès d’infirmières d’un centre hospitalier de grande taille de la région estrienne. Les échelles de mesure du questionnaire, opérationnalisant nos variables dépendantes et indépendantes, ainsi que de nos variables de contrôle, sont largement utilisées dans la littérature. Pour sa part, la méthode d’analyse retenue consistait en la modélisation par équations structurelles, moyennant une analyse factorielle confirmatoire. Les validités des construits ayant été démontrées, bien que nous ayons constaté des accrocs à la validité nomologique, nous avons réalisé l’analyse du modèle structurel modifié, qui s’est avéré offrir un bon ajustement aux données et a semblé explicatif de l’intention de quitter. L’analyse réalisée auprès des deux cadres théoriques susmentionnés a fait ressortir le cadre théorique dit "Stress Management Model" comme plus performant, au sens où son ajustement est supérieur, tout comme son pouvoir explicatif de l’intention de quitter, alors que deux des hypothèses inhérentes au dit cadre théorique furent corroborées, contrairement à une seule pour le modèle concurrent. À cet effet, seulement 3 hypothèses de recherche furent corroborées : La présence d’une relation entre le conflit travail [flèche vers la droite] famille en termes de temps sur l’intention de quitter et l’absence de corrélation entre les conflits travail [flèche vers la droite] famille et famille [flèche vers la droite] travail, en termes de comportement, sur ladite intention. La présence de multicolinéarité et le biais de désirabilité sociale furent proposés, afin d’expliquer le fait que certaines hypothèses aient été non-corroborées. De la sorte, nos résultats enregistrés postulent en faveur d’une conceptualisation bidirectionnelle et multidimensionnelle, qui demeure plutôt rare dans la littérature, quant à l’étude de la dynamique des conflits travail-famille, ainsi qu’à l’intégration des variables de contrôle spécifiques dans le cadre d’analyse dudit champ d’étude. De plus, reconnaissant que les interférences de la vie professionnelle dans la vie de famille, en termes de temps, constituent un déterminant important de l'intention de quitter son organisation, et ce, surtout chez les infirmières ayant un horaire inflexible et imprévisible, notre recommandation managériale est à l’effet de procéder à l’aménagement du temps de travail en agissant sur l'horaire.