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Work Processes (work + process)
Selected AbstractsEndogenous Adaptation: The Effects of Technology Position and Planning Mode on IT-Enabled Change,DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 3 2006Victoria L. Mitchell ABSTRACT The redesign of information technology (IT)-enabled work processes often necessitates fundamental design changes to the intended work process, the IT platform hosting the work process, or both. Research suggests that such design changes often can be traced to earlier decisions involving endogenous adaptation or internal organizational change. Two such decisions are a firm's technology position and planning mode. This study examines the relationship between technology position and planning mode in predicting the magnitude of design change in process redesign projects. The conceptual frame applied in examining these relationships involves a synthesis of Miles and Snow's adaptive cycle with elements central to concurrent engineering. Our results indicate that the magnitude of design change is related to differences in technology position and planning mode. To effectively implement organizational change, firms must leverage their IT platform by carefully timing IT investments in accordance with their adopted technology position. Directing the trajectory of a firm's IT platform and deploying it so as to complement the firm's technology position reduces design uncertainty, promoting reengineering success. [source] Job satisfaction or production?ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 10 2008How staff, leadership understand operating room efficiency: a qualitative study Background: How to increase efficiency in operating departments has been widely studied. However, there is no overall definition of efficiency. Supervisors urging staff to work efficiently may meet strong reactions due to staff believing that demands for efficiency means just stress at work. Differences in how efficiency is understood may constitute an obstacle to supervisors' efforts to promote it. This study aimed to explore how staff and leadership understand operating room efficiency. Methods: Twenty-one members of staff and supervisors in an operating department in a Swedish county hospital were interviewed. The analysis was performed with a phenomenographic approach that aims to discover the variations in how a phenomenon is understood by a group of people. Results: Six categories were found in the understanding of operation room efficiency: (A) having the right qualifications; (B) enjoying work; (C) planning and having good control and overview; (D) each professional performing the correct tasks; (E) completing a work assignment; and (F) producing as much as possible per time unit. The most significant finding was that most of the nurses and assistant nurses understood efficiency as individual knowledge and experience emphasizing the importance of the work process, whereas the supervisors and physicians understood efficiency in terms of production per time unit or completing an assignment. Conclusions: The concept ,operating room efficiency' is understood in different ways by leadership and staff members. Supervisors who are aware of this variation will have better prerequisites for defining the concept and for creating a common platform towards becoming efficient. [source] Emergency preparedness consultants at the local government level: the Israeli experienceDISASTERS, Issue 4 2010Moshe Maor This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Municipal Emergency Consultation project in eight Israeli local authorities. The initiative centres on the appointment of independent emergency preparedness consultants entrusted with tailoring an emergency preparedness package to suit the specific needs of each locality. Regarding emergency preparedness improvements, in all of the municipalities examined, a concept of municipal emergency operation was consolidated and the derived emergency plan tested. Emergency work processes were structured and service-level agreements reached between municipality departments. Where necessary, a-linear patterns of municipal functioning in an emergency were established. Concerning a ,spillover' of emergency preparedness improvements into routine operations, and a ,spillover' of routine management improvements into local emergency preparedness, two municipalities near Gaza, which typically function in an emergency routine, saw a significant ,spillover' of emergency preparedness into routine functioning. In other localities, local managers chose to improve a number of municipal structures and procedures in times of routine functioning, which are also related to the functioning of the municipality during an emergency. [source] How Cadforce makes quality part of the bottom line for its distributed work teamsGLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 2 2009Cliff Moser When state-of-the-art technology and explicit work processes could not assure the quality of its deliverables, a drafting outsourcing firm turned to other tools to bridge critical learning and communication gaps between project teams on opposite sides of the world, as well as making the client part of the quality equation. Cadforce eliminated a layer of onshore project management and clarified accountabilities for quality; made training a core part of the project work flow; and synchronized onshore and offshore work cycles through a results-oriented work environment that incorporates new media, supplemented with a "human touch," to enhance collaboration and expedite communication between teams. Cadforce also involved clients in trade-off decisions by making the cost of quality an explicit part of its pricing strategy. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Nonverbal Communication: How To Read What's Plain as the Nose, or Eyelid, or Chin, on Their FacesGLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 2 2001Mac Fulfer For most people, "reading" others' nonverbal messages is an intuitive, "gut" process. But learning to do it consciously and deliberately can enhance understanding and thus greatly improve interpersonal relations in a wide variety of situations. At work, it can be a useful tool to facilitate decision making and ease work processes,for example, during interviews or at meetings. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source] A comparative simulation study of work processes in autonomous production cellsHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 1 2002Christopher Schlick An approach to human-centered design and assessment of work processes in flexible manufacturing systems with the help of dynamic task networks is presented. To model and simulate the task networks, the method of timed colored Petri Nets is used. Two task networks are developed. The first task network is a model of work processes in Autonomous Production Cells (APCs). The second task network represents work processes in conventional Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC)-based manufacturing systems. The material processing technology is associated with 5-axis milling. The values of attributes of task elements were acquired empirically on a fine-grained level with reference to a sample milling order. Comparative hypotheses regarding time-on-task, supervisory control functions, levels of cognitive control, human error (HE), and labor division were then formulated. To test these hypotheses, several simulation experiments were conducted. The results from inferential statistics show that single-operator APCs have a 30% higher efficiency in relation to total time-on-task. Moreover, the level of cognitive control is significantly shifted toward rule- and knowledge-based behavior. Surprisingly, the simulation of minor HE does not demonstrate a significantly worse performance from APCs. A simulated labor division among central process planner and production operator allows an additional efficiency improvement of approximately 15%. However, the labor division has two important drawbacks: first, a sequential incompleteness of operators' task spectrum occurs; second, the operator has to cope with hierarchical task incompleteness. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to investigate the effects of varying lot sizes and number of processed orders. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source] Measuring effectiveness of TQM training: an Indian studyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2003Sasmita Palo Total Quality Management (TQM) is a never ending process of improving work processes. It operates according to the premise that organisations cannot rest comfortably without continuously improving whatever is being done. There has to be a culture of continuous improvement and everyone in the organisation must strive towards it. This could be accomplished only through continuous training. The present study seeks to examine the role of training as well as measuring its effectiveness for successful implementation of TQM. For this purpose, data have been retrieved from a public sector enterprise manufacturing crude steel in India. The findings of the study are based purely on primary survey. Pearson's Correlation Coefficient with their significance levels have been used to measure the effectiveness of TQM training and the correlation between TQM training and selected factors. The authors have found that training creates awareness, builds employees' commitment to quality policy and strategy, facilitates teamwork, enhances performance standards, and bolsters the skills and abilities of employees. However, the organisation needs to focus more upon improving communication competencies, multiple skill development and customer value training. Successful TQM training in the organisation needs more budgetary allocation and commitment, support and enthusiasm of the top management. [source] Human Factors Programs within Contra Costa CountyPROCESS SAFETY PROGRESS, Issue 3 2009Michael Dossey Abstract Starting in 1999, regulated industrial facilities in Contra Costa County, California were required to develop Human Factors Programs as part of the Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO). Human Factors Programs within the County are designed to be a thorough assessment of the interactions between equipment, work processes, procedures, practices, work environment, people, and management systems as they relate to health and safety. Committees were established at each facility to oversee the development, training, and execution of the site-specific programs. Primary areas of focus in the ongoing implementation of an effective Human Factors Program are periodic assessments and resolution of Latent Conditions, and performance of Management of Organizational Change Assessments before staffing changes. This article describes the steps that facilities in Contra Costa County have taken to develop comprehensive site specific Human Factors Programs. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2009 [source] Are we getting any better?PROJECT MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 4 2010Comparing project management in the years 2000 Abstract This paper presents a study on the progress of project management. Descriptions of projects from 2000 and 2008 are studied. The study concludes that the field of project management is moving ahead. Project team members are more knowledgeable about project work, project objectives are more clearly expressed, project organization is more appropriate, most work processes are improved, and team members experience project work as rewarding and are more motivated for future projects. However, the project results are not fully satisfactory. It is shown that stakeholders' satisfaction could be improved by better decision processes, better management and leadership, and closer cooperation with the stakeholders. [source] A journey along the 21 CFR Part 11 Life Cycle,QUALITY ASSURANCE JOURNAL, Issue 3 2005Richard M. Siconolfi Abstract The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Guidance to Industry on 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 11 attempts to explain how industry can develop work processes that allow flexibility with this regulation without compromising compliance. However, to take advantage of this flexibility, our company needed to clearly understand the impact this guidance could have on our current work processes. We focused our attention on two specific areas: (1) developing and deploying a risk assessment and management process, and (2) revising our Part 11 Life Cycle for computerized systems. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Barriers and enablers of health promotion, prevention and early intervention in primary care: Evidence to inform the Australian national dementia strategyAUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING, Issue 2 2009Catherine Travers A comprehensive literature review was undertaken to: (i) identify and summarise the research evidence regarding barriers and enablers of health promotion, prevention and early intervention (PPEI) in primary care to reduce the risk of chronic disease in the older population; and (ii) use this evidence to make recommendations to inform the Australian national dementia prevention strategy around the translation of evidence-based care into practice. PPEI activities in primary care have the potential to not only reduce the prevalence and impact of a number of chronic diseases, but may also prevent or slow the onset of dementia given the apparent overlap in risk factors. While sizeable gaps exist regarding the most effective ways to promote the adoption of these activities, limited evidence suggests that, to be effective, PPEI activities should be quick and easy to administer, have a sound rationale and be readily incorporated into existing work processes. [source] | |||||||||||||