Lean management and related ideas have had a significant impact on organizations throughout North America and the world. Despite its popularity and impact, I-O psychologists have largely neglected Lean as a research topic and few I-O psychologists engage in applied practice in the area. In this focal article, we provide a working definition of Lean and present examples of Lean’s influence. Next, we outline possible reasons to explain I-O psychologists’ indifference to Lean. Finally, we provide some topic areas that I-O psychologists can use to contribute to the Lean literature. By using I-O psychologists’ skill in measurement and evaluation, along with our considerable organizational theory, we believe that I-O psychology can improve Lean and broaden their impact. We hope this focal article will inspire I-O psychologists to reconsider a research and practice area that they have previously ignored. In addition, we hope that this article causes I-O psychologists to reflect on their role to play in addressing popular management trends.
The Photovoltaics (PV) industry has grown rapidly over 15 years. As the number of PV installation sites increases, the amount of the end-of-life PV products will subsequently increase. Therefore, an appropriate recycling process for the PV industry should be established. This paper described the current situation regarding the economic profits, the recycling policies, and the recycling infrastructure in the PV industry. In order to address the PV recycling issue, a recycling network has been developed to facilitate the PV recycling process. The network considered the facility location and the transportation route optimization, the cost and the environmental impact analysis, and the trade-off analysis. The network can assist the PV recycling process to any local areas.
Undercarriage management is a critical concern for heavy equipment owners that often can account for over half of the operating cost of a piece of machinery. Understanding the most economical time to stop a machine for undercarriage maintenance is critical in the management of the undercarriage system and for optimizing profitability for the equipment owner. There has been much laboratory research performed on steel track undercarriage system wear found on dozers and track type loaders, however there has been little formal research to determine the wear patterns based on geographic location. This research analyzed the entire population of track type heavy construction equipment within a construction equipment territory to determine if there are differences in the undercarriage wear rates based on geographic location. There are 5 sub-territories that are researched to determine if the wear rates are different between these 5 geographic locations. Two of these locations are in the coastal plains region of North Carolina and three are in what is known as piedmont area of the state. This research is important because the results will assist the machine owner in maximizing the life of the undercarriage system and will result in better machine maintenance recommendations for the equipment owners. The researchers tested two hypotheses, these are: (a) the median wear out rates are the same between all geographic store locations and, (b) the median wear out rate is the same between the regions. Both null hypotheses in this study were rejected indicating there are differences in the undercarriage wear rates.
The respective American Society for Quality (ASQ) Bodies of Knowledge (BoKs) for Certified Quality Engineers (ASQ, 2015a) and Certified Six Sigma Black Belts (ASQ, 2015b) are quite similar; yet anecdotally six sigma black belts are recognized and rewarded more highly than are quality engineers. While quality-engineering work is considered preventive in nature, work performed by six sigma black belts is in the realm of improvement, hence reactive. Thus, a dichotomy exists in that preventive actions, which are less costly, are not rewarded as well as costlier reactive actions. The intent of this research was to confirm or debunk the anecdotal evidence and determine the root causes therefrom. The results confirm the anecdotal evidence and indicate the need for further research. In addition, the results confirm the use of the Kano Model as applicable to the cause for rewarding this dichotomy.
PurposeReducing wear of undercarriage track propulsion systems used in heavy construction equipment decreases the maintenance costs and increases the equipment's life. Therefore, understanding key factors that affect the wear rate is critical. This study is an attempt to predict undercarriage wear.Design/methodology/approachThis research analyzes a sample of track-type dozers in the eastern half of North Carolina (NC), USA. Sand percentage in the soil, precipitation level, temperature, machine model, machine weight, elevation above sea level and work type code are considered as factors influencing the wear rate. Data are comprised of 353 machines. Machine model and work code data are categorical. Sand percentage, elevation, machine weight, average temperature and average precipitation are continuous. ANOVA is used to test the hypothesis.FindingsThe study found that only sand percentage has a significant impact on the wear rate. Consequently, a regression model is developed.Research limitations/implicationsThe regression model can be used to predict undercarriage wear and bushing life in soils with different sand percentages. This is demonstrated using a hypothetical scenario for a construction company.Originality/valueThis work is useful in managing maintenance intervals of undercarriage tracks and in bidding construction jobs while predicting machine operating expense for each specific job site soil makeup.
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