The adoption/utilisation of Lean, Agile and Green (LAG) practices in both the manufacturing and service sector is rising. However, there yet remain a research gap to precisely evaluate the relationship between LAG practices and business competitiveness (e.g, achieving reduction in cost, lead time and environmental recyclable waste). This research aims to explore this relationship, specifically in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) businesses. The hypothesised relationships are tested with data collected from 96 FMCG companies. Structural Equation Modelling is applied to evaluate different channels of achieving business competitiveness through the adoption of Lean, Agile and Green. The findings suggest that competitive outcomes vary with the adoption of LAG practices in specific product life cycle stages. This implies that awareness of the product life cycle concept is essential. A combination of LAG practices for the sole purpose of reducing environmental waste is negatively related to environmental waste reduction. LAG practices are more efficiently adopted when the adopters are equipped with expert knowledge on the paradigms and their individual practices. This research has approached the attainment of competitiveness in the FMCG businesses by analysing management efforts that improve cost performance, lead time and environmental sustainability aspects of business operations. The research has also considered the product life cycle stages in analysing the impacts of management efforts. AbstractThe adoption/utilisation of Lean, Agile and Green (LAG) practices in both the manufacturing and service sector is rising. However, there yet remain a research gap to precisely evaluate the relationship between LAG practices and business competitiveness (e.g, achieving reduction in cost, lead time and environmental recyclable waste). This research aims to explore this relationship, specifically in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) businesses. The hypothesised relationships are tested with data collected from 96 FMCG companies. Structural Equation Modelling is applied to evaluate different channels of achieving business competitiveness through the adoption of Lean, Agile and Green. The findings suggest that competitive outcomes vary with the adoption of LAG practices in specific product life cycle stages. This implies that awareness of the product life cycle concept is essential. A combination of LAG practices for the sole purpose of reducing environmental waste is negatively related to environmental waste reduction. LAG practices are more efficiently adopted when the adopters are equipped with expert knowledge on the paradigms and their individual practices. This research has approached the attainment of competitiveness in the FMCG businesses by analysing management efforts that improve cost performance, lead time and environmental sustainability aspects of business operations. The research has also considered the product life cycle stages in analysing the impacts of management efforts.
The rise in e-commerce has increased last mile parcel deliveries, in turn affecting the sustainability of transport. With the worldwide efforts to minimise fossil fuel use including the UK Government's plans to end the sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035, alternative fuels need to be explored. Currently, one of the most promising solutions is the electric vehicle (EV) which produces zero tailpipe emissions. This paper aims to explore the challenges of adopting EVs in final mile parcel deliveries, and thus identify potential directions for future research. To achieve this, we developed a systematic literature review to understand the nature of these challenges better and provide a background from which to acquire more information from leading logistics companies in the form of in-depth interviews. We found that the companies encountered different challenges based on their fleet sizes, schedule and capacity to implement the required structural and infrastructural changes to support the efficient running of their last mile delivery operations on EVs.
Originally formulated in the context of biological studies, the Life cycle (LC) concept was and now has become widely adopted as a framework for the interpretation and evaluation of phenomena that are subject to, and bound by the inevitability of change. The application of the LC concept to the development of industrial products is an important element in the administration of technological innovation. On this basis, therefore, it is referred to as the product life cycle (PLC). The concept of the PLC is used to support decision making in the management of product development. It may also be used in corporate strategy development, as well as the planning of activities and can be adapted to focus on technology deployment.
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