Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore last mile delivery (LMD) to the bottom of the pyramid in Brazilian slums, its challenges and how practitioners overcome them. Urban logistics in precarious circumstances is central to the conceptualization. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative, grounded theory methodology is developed, gathering data from companies delivering to slums in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Field notes, documents and interviews led to conceptual categories for LMD to slums. Findings The study indicates that while some standard urban logistics practices can be effective for LMD to slums, such unusual contexts often call for unusual solutions. A model is developed using grounded theory categorization, resulting in five dimensions for LMD to slums: employing locally, giving back, acknowledging criminals, vehicle and location. Research limitations/implications The model is a qualitative proposition representing LMD to slums in two major Brazilian cities. Even though slums in different cities/countries may face similar conditions, additional studies are needed to confirm and replicate the model. Practical implications Companies that successfully engage in LMD to slums must adapt and develop idiosyncratic practices. Social implications LMD to slums enables a larger portion of bottom of the pyramid consumers to access a wider range of products and work opportunities, contributing to their social inclusion. Originality/value The study provides an understanding of LMD in a new context. The model encourages companies to question their current practices, learning from effective LMD experiences implemented by successful practitioners.
The objective of this study is to investigate a phenomenon that occurs in Brazil, specifically the spike in demand at the end of the sales period, known as the hockey stick phenomenon. This analysis will encompass the causes as well as the impacts of this phenomenon, in a way that allows alternative policies to be evaluated. Data was collected from a Brazilian branch of a large multinational in the non-durable consumer goods industry and in semi-structured interviews conducted face-to-face with executives of 26 clients. The data was used to generate a continuous simulation model based on the methods of systems dynamics. The findings showed that the phenomenon negatively impacted the manufacturer's financial performance in the long term and indicated required changes necessary to remediate the phenomenon. This is an empirical study on the hockey stick phenomenon, a problem that affects diverse companies in Brazil. The study showed that companies should not assume the hockey stick phenomenon to be an exogenous problem; it showed that there are policies able to improve financial performance; and it provided ideas regarding ways to carry out the change process.
Objetivo: A pesquisa tem dois objetivos, o primeiro é entender a dinâmica e as razões dos atrasos em um centro cirúrgico (CC) de um hospital de referência, localizado na cidade de São Paulo, e o segundo é propor novas políticas para o processo de agendamento de centros cirúrgicos, baseado na Teoria da Corrente Crítica (TCC). Método: Para alcançar tais objetivos, foram utilizados o método de Estudo de Caso (YIN, 2014) e a técnica de Simulação de Eventos Discretos. No estudo de caso, foram coletados indicadores de processos, além da realização de entrevistas com gestores de todas as áreas e serviços relacionados ao CC. Fundamentação teórica: A gestão de centros cirúrgicos é crítica em muitos hospitais, não somente pelos altos custos envolvidos, mas também pela sua complexidade. Os gestores dos CCs são desafiados a reduzirem custos e buscarem melhorias na qualidade dos serviços prestados a pacientes e cirurgiões. A gestão de um CC envolve lidar com incertezas e variabilidades relacionadas com a quantidade e com a duração de cirurgias em um hospital. O processo de agendamento das cirurgias é crucial para o sucesso desta gestão. Resultados: Os resultados da simulação mostram que o uso da TCC melhorou significativamente os indicadores do centro cirúrgico estudado. Mesmo mantendo o volume de cirurgias por dia, observou-se uma queda no número de cirurgias iniciando com atrasos, de 94,5% para 58,3%. O atraso médio caiu de 54' para 35', uma redução de 35%. Conclusões e contribuições: Este trabalho procura propor soluções para gestores hospitalares com potencial efeito na redução de desperdícios nas operações dos CCs, na melhora dos indicadores de qualidade e na satisfação dos atores dos CCs e, por consequência, no aumento dos ganhos financeiros das instituições hospitalares.
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