PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Year:2014 | Volume:5 | Issue:1 (8)|Papers Count:9

The assignment of personnel to the right positions in order to increase organization’s performance is one of the most crucial tasks in human resource management. In this paper, personnel assignment problem is formulated as a multi-objective binary integer programming model in which skills, level of satisfaction and training cost of personnel are considered simultaneously in productive company. The purpose of this model is to obtain the best matching between candidates and positions. In this model, a set of methods such as a group analytic hierarchy process (GAHP), Shannon entropy, coefficient of variation (CV) and fuzzy logic are used to calculate the weights of evaluation criteria, weights of position and coefficient of objective functions. This proposed model can rationalize the subjective judgments of decision makers with mathematic models.

In this paper an uncertain multi objective closed-loop supply chain is developed. The first objective function is maximizing the total profit. The second objective function is minimizing the use of row materials. In the other word, the second objective function is maximizing the amount of remanufacturing and recycling. Genetic algorithm is used for optimization; and for finding the pareto optimal line, Epsilon-constraint method is used. Finally a numerical example is solved with proposed approach and performance of the model is evaluated in different sizes. The results show that this approach is effective and useful for managerial decisions.

It can be claimed that an organization is approaching excellence when it achieves acceptable results besides providing appropriate infrastructures and following right processes. Excellence models, such as European Foundation of Quality Management (EFQM), try to establish a tradeoff between enablers and outcomes in evaluating organizational performance. One of those enablers is Knowledge Management (KM), which is gaining increasing attentions nowadays regarding the soaring significance of knowledge resources. In order to evaluate the KM processes, a comprehensive model is required, which should be able to capture all aspects of KM. One of such models is Knowledge Management Assessment Tool (KMAT). This research is an effort to find the relationship between knowledge and business excellence through system dynamics tool. In other words, this research exploits system dynamics in order to measure the effects of KM on business excellence using a dynamic model based upon a combination of KMAT and EFQM.

This paper evaluates the decision making process for import complete manufactured pieces versus import of partial pieces to assemble in Iran, taking into account the risk factors for a manufacturing company. Since this sort of decision making confront with several risks, it is necessary to establish a process for finding the risks associated with this kind of problems in order to decrease the effects of these risks in the process. Since the problem is classified as a Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) problem, Uncertain Analytical Hierarchy Process (UAHP) was used to find the most attractive alternative. Because the alternatives were identified from the first point, a bottom-up procedure was used to organize the hierarchy. In initial stage, the attributes which distinct from the alternatives were obtained by literature review and experts’ interviews. Then the attributes were grouped to upper level to establish the criteria. Three criteria were found from this stage. The criteria were product, partners, and environment which they encompassed 12 attributes. Forming the hierarchy and doing the uncertain pairwised comparisons, which considers a range of numbers instead of one single number for declaring the preference between two factors, a Linear Programming (LP) model with two types of objective functions were formed for each individual alternative. Each single LP model can express the maximum and minimum value of each individual alternative. The research’s results indicate the most appropriate alternative is to import the final product from India. The last preferred one was to import the parts of the final product from India. This study can be a suitable framework in supply chain management and purchasing decisions and risk evaluations because the major parts of manufacturing activities is always to decide about the selection of most preferred strategies for companies.

This research paper aims to investigate the dynamic relationship between organizational learning and innovation and the impact of the relationship on performance in a Research and Development center. Transformational leadership and knowledge management were identified as two enablers of organizational learning and innovation; then causal loops were designed and finally simulated. The results reveal that leadership support from learning promotes the knowledge level in the organization that consequently improves innovation. On the other hand, leadership support from innovation elevates the organizational performance which enhancement of commitment to learning activities is its feedback in the organization.

Failure to observe ergonomic issues in workplace, leads to reduce efficiency and quality and increase costs for both employers and the employees. Several studies have been done on the role of ergonomics in reducing muscle- skeletal discomfort, increasing productivity, improving quality of work life, safety and overall efficiency of the organization, and optimizing the fitness between human ergonomics experts - machine and environment for improving the system. But today, ergonomics issues have been considered as a strategy to improve productivity and improve system efficiency and performance. In this study, a structural modelling approach has been developed to examine the various aspects of ergonomics such as physiology of work ergonomics, occupational biomechanics, psychology and engineering anthropometry that have effects on the implementation of total quality management system. The result of this study shows that occupational biomechanics factor has the most influence on the implementation of total quality management system.

Performance evaluation as a control tool was considered by managers in the organizations and manufactures. In this paper we decide to present a new model for performance evaluation and industrial companies ranking at uncertain conditions. Based on this, we implemented performance evaluation based on balance score card (BSC) method. Beside, we tried to use three parameter interval grey numbers in lieu of linguistic variables. Then evaluation and weighting of fourth indicators is done with use of Bulls-eye-Shapley combination method that is counted as new approach in this article. Reason of utilization of three parameter interval grey numbers and combination method was decreasing of environmental uncertainty on data and model. This combination weighting method can be used as a new method in decision making Science. At final of this paper case study was implemented on industrial companies (nail makers) that ranking of these companies is obtained by use of grey-TOPSIS method (that is a generalization of classic TOPSIS for three parameter interval grey numbers).

The concept of customer satisfaction and loyalty has attracted much attention in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to measure the efficiency of banks’ brand based on customer satisfaction and loyalty by DEA. In this research, the efficiency of 10 private banks of Isfahan have been measured in two cases with output oriented BCC model. In the first case, the inputs variables have been assumed the image and the perceived quality and output variable has been assumed the customer satisfaction and in the second case, the input variable has been assumed the customer satisfaction and the output variable has been assumed the customer loyalty. The findings show that in the first case, three banks were efficient and seven banks were inefficient and in the second case, three banks were efficient and other banks were inefficient. The results of the research imply that most of the banks do not work efficient.

Dynamic nature of global business makes it necessary for supply chains to be adaptable to changes. Also, complexities of the working environment and increasing competition in different industries have led to unstableness of the competitiveness factors. Creating and maintaining competitiveness need capabilities which create value for costumers based on the organization capacities. In the present study, a model of supply chain resilience is presented for competitiveness in Iranian automotive companies. It is expected that by its application, automobile firms not only have an effective method for controlling incidents, but also get to competitiveness. For this purpose, first by extensive review of the literature, a preliminary conceptual framework was extracted for supply chain resilience in order to create competitiveness. Then, using experts'' views (Delphi method), interview, and doing the survey, the research model was formed and finalized based on the conditions of Iranian automobile industry. Results of the study showed that Iranian automobile firms can create the required flexibility for encountering the most important vulnerabilities of the firms by creating or improving capabilities like flexibility in sourcing, efficiency, security, flexibility in fulfillment, adaptability, and collaboration, and then using these opportunities they create competitiveness. The vulnerabilities of the firms include things like exchange and price fluctuations, international sanctions, weakness in know-how, low quality of the products, and weak services.