There is a recognised trend of manufacturing companies offering not only products, but services and even complete solutions to business problems. Research has highlighted economic, market demand and competitiveness factors as responsible for the re-shaping of business strategies that this has involved. This study analyses the extent to which another factor, technology, has been a significant factor in the switch from product oriented to service oriented strategies. A case study of the aero engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce is used to analyse the impact of technology, which is found to have led manufacturers to re-shape their business strategies. The study finds that developments in one technology in particular, namely digital electronics, have been a powerful enabling factor facilitating the implementation of service strategies. This provided original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Rolls-Royce with a competitive advantage relative to conventional service providers, by enabling them to acquire new knowledge management capabilities.

The Japanese approach to manufacturing has been well documented. Many European firms have successfully adopted and adapted a variety of Japanese manufacturing techniques. This paper describes how a pharmaceutical manufacturer responded to an increased requirement for manufacturing flexibility through the introduction of a key Japanese manufacturing technique, namely machine set‐up time reduction. An unusual feature of the study is the use of action research. The strong emphasis on participation and collaboration inherent in action research, was felt to make it appropriate to tackling the company’s capacity problem. Not only were set‐up times substantially reduced, but action research demonstrated the value of all staff being involved in the problem‐solving process.

Monte Carlo simulation is one of a number of analytical techniques available to enable managers to assess the risks surrounding capital budgeting decisions. Although it is covered in most texts on financial management, surveys have for many years pointed to only limited use of the technique by practising managers making decisions about investment projects. Describes and analyses a simulation model utilizing facilities available to most managers. The model uses a macro to automate the simulation process and generate a frequency distribution of a project′s net present value. The model can be rapidly implemented, uses a large number of individual simulations to provide a reliable frequency distribution and aids managerial decision making by presenting managers with an easily understood perspective on the uncertainty surrounding an investment project.

This paper presents a critical review of the ways in which the

With nearly one-third of the UK’s total consumption of energy devoted to the domestic household sector, sustainable housing developments have an important part to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to combat climate change. This study analyses a sustainable housing development in the city of Nottingham in the United Kingdom that takes the form not merely of a sustainable housing project, but rather an experiment in developing sustainable communities. In terms of green or eco-innovation, it incorporates innovations in housing design geared to curbing the demand for energy; technological innovations in energy supply centred on a novel community energy system; and innovations in the governance models employed. The scheme is notable for the novel public–private partnership carrying out the development, which specializes in developments characterized by an emphasis on quality urban design and a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.