El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / The sector of small industrial companies has a problem with not being able to satisfy total market demand, mainly due to factories not capitalizing on their production capacity. Consequently, a method to solve downtime related problems has been proposed, which consists of applying 5S to reduce dead time stemming from disorder and uncleanliness, while simultaneously applying value stream mapping (VSM) to find the most efficient method to conduct processes. In conclusion, by implementing these tools in this manner, it was proven that businesses in this sector could operate with up to 73% efficiency.

No presenta resumen / El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / Jinling Institute of Technology

This article proposes a production method that aims to increase the manufacturing capacity of a footwear small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) to reduce backorders. Therefore, an assessment is carried out and delays in production processes, excess product transport time, defective products, and inefficient work methods are identified. This article proposes designing a Lean manufacturing method using the change management approach, whose methodology is composed of six phases. In phase 0, change management is carried out; in phase 1, the company's current situation is reviewed using the Value Stream Mapping (VSM); in phase 2, the work area is reorganized (implementing SLP and 5S); in phase 3, production is balanced (implementing Line Balancing); in phase 4, continual improvement is established using the Kaizen tool; and finally, in phase 5, the results are evaluated. Through validation, it was possible to confirm that Lean manufacturing tools along with change management increased order deliveries by 82%.

This study introduces the demand for rapid digital transformation in this changing digital era. While all companies face challenges when approaching digital transformations, SMEs are at a disadvantage in regard to their resource constraints. However, the existing academic field lacks in research about rapid digital transformation for SMEs. Therefore, this study aims to answer the research questions “How can SMEs rapidly digitally transform?” and “How is rapid defined in the context of digital transformation?”. The purpose is to understand the process of digital transformation to develop a conceptual framework on how SMEs can undergo a rapid digital transformation. We approached this with an abductive and qualitative method. Semi-structured interviews were performed with Swedish consultants, a CDO and a CEO of a SME. The gathered data was analyzed together with the frame of reference, which was structured into four categories. These are digital transformation, strategy, business model and digital culture. The findings of this study presented the definition for rapid in the context of digital transformation to be a timeframe up to twelve months. Moreover, we constructed a model that guides SMEs to achieve a rapid digital transformation. However, as the model was not tested in practice, we recommend future researchers to do so.

Growth and development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the key drivers of economic growth and development in Africa. While this has become a widely accepted idea, access to financing for growth remains a stumbling block for many enterprises in Zambia. Traditional lenders (i.e. banks) are risk averse because they may not understand the SME market and have been negatively impacted by information asymmetry that is often associated with these ventures. As a result, they tend to charge exorbitant interest rates that are unsustainable for long-term growth. The existing focus of many microfinance institutions in Zambia is typically directed towards salaried employees which crowds out lending to SMEs. Private equity financing, on the other hand, presents an alternative solution to the long-term financing dilemma faced by enterprises. The Zambian private equity market is itself in a nascent space but shows much potential. This dissertation seeks to determine what drives private equity financing in Zambia and what constrains it. The dissertation adopts a qualitative research approach relying on the interviews of various Fund Managers who are familiar with investing in Zambia. The paper finds that private equity investment in Zambia is determined and catalysed broadly by business attractiveness and the business environment. Business attractiveness is underpinned by management capacity, the business track record, exits and returns, impact potential and business scalability. The business environment is driven by political stability, GDP growth and population growth. The sector is however, constrained by a less developed private equity culture, limited opportunities to invest and currency risk.

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / The logistics processes of companies seek an adequate supply of merchandize, streamline processes, reduce costs, and distribution of their products to the customer in an efficient manner and allow them to develop corrective planning in order to be competitive in the market. However, these processes are less efficient in importing companies of the SME sector. Therefore, this article proposes the application of a change management model to improve the logistics process that generates a real transformation. This model is structured in three phases: first, pre-Implementation, which refers to participatory leadership and resistance to change; second, implementation of logistics management; and third, sustainability of the model over time. The model was validated in a Peruvian SME importer of household goods, whose satisfactory results implied an increase in available storage capacity, reduction of logistics costs, satisfaction of change, and organizational culture.

A new power conditioning system (PCS) for superconductive magnetic energy storage (SMES) is developed and its prototype test system is built and tested. The PCS uses IGBTs for high-speed PWM operation and has a multi-level chopper-VSC structure. The prototype test system has three-level that can handle up to 250-kVA with a 1800-V DC link, a 200-A maximum load current , and a switching frequency reaching 20-kHz with the help of zero-current-transition (ZCT) soft-switching. This PCS has a great number of advantages over conventional ones in terms of size, speed, and cost. Conventional PCSs use thyristors, due to the power capacity of the SMES system. The speed limit of the thyristor uses a six-pulse operation that generates a high harmonic. To reduce the harmonic, multiple PCSs are connected together with phase-matching transformers that need to be precise to be effective in reducing the harmonics. So, the system becomes large and expensive. In addition, the dynamic range of the PCSs are also limited by the six-pulse operation, because it limits the useful area of the PCS applications. By employing a high-speed PWM, the new PCS can reduce the harmonics without using the transformers reducing size and cost, and has wide dynamic range. However, the speed of a switching device is generally inversely proportional to its power handling capacity. Therefore, employing a multi-level structure is one method of extending the power-handling capability of the high-speed device. Switching loss is another factor that limits the speed of the switch, but it can be reduced by soft-switching techniques. The 20-kHz switching frequency can be obtained with the help of the ZCT soft-switching technique, which can reduce about 90% of switching losses from the IGBT during both turn-on and turn-off transients. There are two different topologies of the PCS; the current source converter (CSC) type and the chopper and voltage source converter (VSC) type. In terms of the SMES system efficiency, the chopper-VSC type shows a less volt-ampere requirement of the power device. Therefore, the new PCS system has a chopper-VSC structure. Since the chopper-VSC structure consists of multiple legs that can be modularized, a power electronics building block (PEBB) leg is a good choice; all of the system problems caused by the high frequency can be solved within the PEBB leg. The VSC is built with three of the PEBB legs. Three-phase AC is implemented with a three-level space vector modulation (SVM) that can reduce the number of switching and harmonic contents from the output current. A closed-loop control system is also implemented for the VSC, and shows 600-Hz control bandwidth. The multi-level structure used requires too many high-speed switches. However, not all of them are used at the same time during normal multi-level operation. A new multi-level topology is suggested that requires only two high-speed switches, regardless of the number of levels. Other switches can be replaced with slow-speed switches that can allow additional cost savings. / Ph. D.

Yes / The much debated relationship marketing paradigm suggests that the marketing strategy should try to develop long-term and mutually rewarding customer relationships, rather than simply focusing upon the promotion and selling of products and services and electronic CRM software, is often promoted as the ideal mechanism for implementing relationship marketing, on a company-wide basis. However, it has not been empirically demonstrated that the application of e-CRM software produces these benefits. This study develops a conceptual framework, which models the links between relationship marketing and e-CRM, and uses it to explore the outcomes of the adoption e-CRM applications by a sample of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), operating in the mail order sector. The key findings, presented in this paper, are twofold: the driver for e-CRM adoption has primarily been the need to integrate the front and back offices; when operating in an increasingly complex multi-channel environment, and consequently, e-CRM hasn¿t delivered the anticipated benefits of relationship marketing such as customer retention or ¿share of pocket¿.

Yes / This deliberately dual perspective paper seeks to deepen our understanding of the engagement of SMEs in hosted enterprise applications in the UK. The emergence and development of the ASP sector has attracted much interest and highly optimistic forecasts for revenues. The paper starts by considering ICT adoption by SMEs in general before reviewing the provision of hosted enterprise applications in the US and UK (market perspective). The study is extended by qualitative empirical data collected by semi-structured interviews with SME users of hosted enterprise applications (user perspective) and subsequent analysis in order to develop the key findings and conclusions. From an SME user perspective the key findings to emerge from the study include: i) confirmation that ICT infrastructure was no longer a barrier to adoption, ii) the pragmatic approach taken to security issues, iii) the use of both multiple information systems and multiple service providers, iv) the financial attractiveness of the rental model and v) the intention to continue or extend the use of hosted applications. It also highlights the opportunity for gaining competitive advantage by using hosted enterprise applications to reduce costs. There are very few empirical studies of hosted applications which take deliberately market and SME user perspectives - this paper makes an important contribution in this emerging field.

Yes / In the modern business era, mobile commerce (m-commerce) is changing the way the business is conducted using the Internet. However, the prominence of m-commerce among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK is minimal. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the existing literature and to extend the research surrounding the barriers that prevent the adoption of m-commerce amongst SMEs. The study uses an Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) and MICMAC approach for guiding and helping managers of SMEs. Data was collected from an expert participant group each of whom had extensive knowledge of m-commerce. The findings represent the unstable nature of variables in the context of their impact on each other, their relationships, and themselves. The listed factors in the proposed framework and the interrelationships between them highlight the multi-dimensional element of m-commerce adoption prevention. This observation proves criticality of analysing data as a collective entity rather than viewing the barriers in isolation. The findings also indicated ‘perceived risk’ being a key barrier that demonstrates how personal opinions of the concept of adoption can have a great significance on the outcome and whether other variables will come into effect.