nt and effective supply chain management (Nitin et al., 2010).
c. Quality improvement
Harber (1990) believes JIT contribute to continuous quality improvement and promoting employee participation in planning and execution. Spencer and Guide (1995) presented a case stating that quality improvements are seen as the result of JIT and that quality is an important component of JIT.
To fully implement JIT, enterprise needs to move the materials smoothly on the basis of stable demand and able to obtain raw materials instantly; it can be solved by managing a good relationship with customers and suppliers. Damodar and Carol (1991) identified four basic aspects contributed to JIT implementation: “elimination of waste; employee involvement in decision-making; supplier participation; total quality control”.Since SMEs have little leverage to suppliers, they could first start with Just-in-Time production; once it has accomplished, SMEs could focus on Just-in-Time delivery, which requires a work culture where suppliers are interested in long term relationships (Manoochehri, 1988).
2. Simulation 模拟
2.1 Simulation
Simulation is the imitation of the real operation processes or system which predicts the outcome for different assumption without intervention on the system (Banks et al, 2001). It can provide visual and dynamic explanation of how the system works; consequently the system can be tested and improved (Detty, 2000). It has aroused increasing interest of organizational researchers. Counter to the “looking backwards” to the conventional methods, simulation enables researchers to “moving forwards” meaning that looking into the future via observation.Varieties of assumption are needed for other research methods to study the cause and effect, whereas researchers are able to deliberate the inherent characteristics and complexity of the existing system (Kevin, 2002).
According to Axelord (1997), there were seven different purpose of simulation that has been proved by various studies in the field of social science. While, in this article we mainly discussthree of them.
a. Prediction
Researchers could build the model in the basis of the real condition involving the structure and rules to ensure relative results and output. Predictions relates to thecertain changes in work in progress, productivity etc., and the impact of these certain changes on the system. By comparing with different predictions obtained under different situations, specifically in accordance with different structures and governing rules, researchers areable to seek for the optimum alternative for the system or organizations. “The validity of suchpredictions depends on the validity of the model” (Kevin, 2002). A wide array of studies was found constructing the model of job shops and assembly line (Law and Kelton, 1982). It is often used in scheduling the production process or service industry. Simulation could provide prediction without intervention on the actual system and skip the experimentation step which may be dangerous, time-consuming, expensive, and inconvenient (Kevin, 2002).
b. Theory discovery
Simulation can expose the concealedphenomena that contributed to theoreticalattention.For example, Brown and Eisenhardt (1998) havediscovered the phenomenon, edge of chaos, the one that draws much attention within the organization. Theya
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