Results from the Swedish National Registry are satisfactory and comparable to international standards. Trends over time show increasing resection rates and some improved results. Better collaboration and openness within pancreatic surgeons is an important side effect.

E mpirical studies of logistics innovations have focused on the innovation process, bypassing much the innovative artifact or solution design itself. Focusing on the artifact and solution design in a case study, we contribute to the emerging theory of logistics innovations through articulating the generative mechanisms of the adoption of logistics innovation, that is, the mechanisms through which the design of the solution enables its adoption. We study On-site Shop, a rare example from the construction industry of a logistics innovation that has successfully migrated from a limited number of pilots to common practice. The case study is based on insights from participation in the design of the solution, and on 55 interviews conducted in a relationship triad consisting of three groups: (1) construction site users, (2) the solution designers, and (3) the suppliers. We propose that standard and efficient solution set-up is the key enabler of logistics innovation's adoption at temporary construction sites. Communication and operating rules facilitate adoption in the triad, whereas internal and external integration further advance adoption by creating links between the innovative logistics solution and other activities. Finally, trilateral collaboration and congruent technological frames in the relationship triad sustain adoption over time.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to elaborate on how analytics capability develops within the PSM function. This study is an in-depth exploration of how analytics capability develops within the purchasing and supply management (PSM) function.Design/methodology/approachA multiple case study was conducted of the PSM function of six case firms, in which primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with PSM analytics stakeholders. The data were analyzed based on an analytics capability framework derived from the literature. Cases were chosen based on them having advanced PSM practices and ongoing analytics projects in the PSM area.FindingsThe findings shed light on how the firms develop their analytics capability in the PSM functional area. While we identify several commonalities in this respect, the authors also observe differences in how firms organize for analytics, bringing analytics and PSM decision-makers together. Building on the knowledge-based view of the firm, The authors offer a theoretical explanation of our observations, highlighting the user-driven side of analytics development, which has largely been unrecognized by prior literature. The authors also offer an explanation of the observed dual role that analytics takes in cross-functional initiatives.Research limitations/implicationsThe exploratory nature of our study limits the generalizability of our results. Further, our limited number of cases and interviewees indicate that there is still much to explore in the phenomenon of developing analytics capability.Practical implicationsOur findings can help firms gain a better understanding of how they could develop their analytics capability and what issues they need to consider when seeking leveraging data through analytics for PSM decisions.Originality/valueThis paper is, to the best knowledge of the authors, the first empirical study of analytics capability in PSM.

Based on a multi‐year research engagement with practice, we present a novel solution design for frontlog scheduling in aircraft line maintenance and offer theoretical insights into buffer management in operations. The field problem of the case airline was to improve departure reliability for long‐haul aircraft without increasing maintenance resources, and without using backup aircraft. Frontlog scheduling is the purposeful introduction of over‐maintenance as a buffer of maintenance tasks that can be opportunistically postponed. A detailed simulation of the solution introduced in the airline's operations indicates a performance frontier shift, concurrently improving departure reliability, and reducing maintenance cost. We position the novel practice in operations and maintenance management literature, arguing that the frontlog creates a new type of time buffer, available in contexts where capacity serves predictable as well as unpredictable demand. Further theoretical elaboration leads us to reconceptualize buffer management along time and capacity dimensions, reducing inventory to a special case of time buffering.

A chasm is growing between the advanced technologies available for improving manufacturing operations and those effectively used in practice. The vision of Industry 4.0 is to mobilize industry to seek out these possibilities for improvement and to close the gap between opportunity and reality. However, when compared with more established improvement opportunities such as lean manufacturing, the digitalization of manufacturing lacks in both paradigmatic examples and an understanding of how to achieve the benefits. This lack is a complication of concern: Without an appropriate operations strategy to capture the value of digitalization, manufacturing companies will be unable to focus on technological investments and operational changes. To address this concern, operations management academics must develop new theory through active engagement in the practice of digitalization in manufacturing. This research presents a paradigmatic example, based on engaged scholarship, focused on effectively combining novel object-interactive and conventional manufacturing syntax for benefiting from digitalization in internal operations and the wider supply chain. The contribution to literature is a novel operations strategy-hybrid digital manufacturing-for capturing the value of Industry 4.0 technologies.