The development of more digitalised environment is transforming the future of manufacturing. This is known as Industry 4.0. Firms do not currently fully appreciate the complex characteristics of Industry 4.0 and as a result are uncertain about what it represents for them and indeterminate as which initiatives could be beneficial to their business. In this study, an assessment model is developed to measure the level of implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies, around three dimensions "Factory of the Future", "People and Culture", "Strategy". The "Factory of the Future" is the main dimension and is composed of eight attributes: Additive Manufacturing, Cloud, Manufacturing Execution System, Internet of Things and Cyber Physical Systems, Big Data, Sensors, e-Value Chains, and Autonomous Robots. The assessment tool measures firms" maturity in these three key dimensions, which add up to produce an overall Industry 4.0 score. The study uses a defence manufacturing firm to develop, test and validate the model and report on 12 partners. We concluded that the focal firm has an Industry 4.0 maturity level of 59.35, above the sector average of 55.58. This research contributes to the field by empirically developing and testing a model and providing a clear analysis of major firms in the Defence supply network.

Purpose of this paper

a b s t r a c tThe paper examines the effects of five major socialization agents-namely parents, peers, traditional media, the Internet, and music industry-on emerging adults' attitudes and behavior toward music piracy in the form of unauthorized downloading. Based upon self-reported behavior, our study shows that these socialization agents exert differential effects on music piracy. Specifically, peers and the Internet exert direct impact on both attitudes and behavior. Parents and music industry, however, only have indirect impact on emerging adults' piracy behavior through shaping their attitudes. The research further shows that the effects of socialization agents differ across consumer segments. A factor mixture modeling technique is first applied to disentangle the behavioral heterogeneity, and more observable factors such as demographic, social, and psychological variables are then utilized to profile members in each segment. From a managerial perspective, this research provides new avenues for managers and policy makers to design targeted prevention programs to curtail music piracy.Published by Elsevier B.V.Decision Support Systems 69 (2015) 70-81 ⁎ Corresponding author.

The paper explores the implementation of the kanban system, which is a Lean technique, within the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain (PSC). The case study provides insight to the benefits and challenges arising from the application of this technique, within a group of cooperative pharmacists, in Greece. The research questions developed from the review of the literature were tested using evidence from field-based, action research within a pharmaceutical organisation. The reported case study contributes to the longer term debate on assessing the Lean maturity level within the healthcare sector. There are two primary findings: i) that the adoption of kanban system provides a strategic benefit and improves the quality of services. ii) it also provides a basis for a strategy of operational change; it gives the opportunity to the organisation to move away from the current push delivery and logistics systems toward improved logistics strategy models.

Purpose: Healthcare organisations face significant productivity pressures and are undergoing major service transformation. This paper serves to disseminate findings from a Lean healthcare project using a NHS Single Point of Access environment as the case study. It demonstrates the relevance and extent that Lean can be applied to this type of healthcare service setting.Design/methodology/approach: Action research was applied and Lean tools used to establish current state processes, identify wastes and develop service improvement opportunities based upon defined customer values.Findings: The quality of referral information was found to be the root cause of a number of process wastes and causes of failure for the service. Understanding the relationship and the nature of interaction between the service"s customer/supplier led to more effective and sustainable service improvement opportunities and the co-creation of value. It was also recognised that not all the Lean principles could be applied to this type of healthcare setting. Practical implications:The study is useful to organisations using Lean to undertake service improvement activities. The paper outlines how extending the value stream beyond the organisation to include suppliers can lead to improved co-production and generation of service value. Originality/value:The study contributes to service productivity research by demonstrating the relevance and limitations of Lean application in a new healthcare service setting. The case study demonstrates the practical challenges of implementing Lean in reciprocal service design models and adds validity to existing contextual models.