David J Bennett | Chalmers University of Technology (original) (raw)

Papers by David J Bennett

Global sourcing of engineering is becoming a more common way to increase a company’s competitiven... more Global sourcing of engineering is becoming a more common way to increase a company’s competitiveness and includes the nearshoring and offshoring strategies of relocating engineering services and activities across national borders.. The driving force of why nearshoring and offshoring can often lead to competitive advantage is the combination of cost reduction and the opportunity of exploiting competent resources. Several emerging countries in Europe offer high quality engineering at a lower cost than the Scandinavian market. These countries are located within an acceptable travel distance from Scandinavia and due to similar standards and eurocodes the differences between countries’ engineering procedures have decreased. The aim of this contribution is, first, to investigate a Scandinavian based consulting engineering company’s experiences using nearshoring and, second, why standards and eurocodes can open the European engineering market and consequently how consultancy companies with...

The last decade or so has witnessed the emergence of the national innovation system (NIS) phenome... more The last decade or so has witnessed the emergence of the national innovation system (NIS) phenomenon. Since then, many scholars have investigated NIS and its implementation in different countries. However, there are very few investigations into the relationship between the NIS of a country and its national innovation capacity. This paper aims to make a contribution in this area by examining the link that currently exists between these two topics. Whilst examining this relationship, we also explore internationalisation and technology transfer, being cognate areas that have been investigated during the same period. This follows our assertion that the link between NIS and national innovation capacity is the mechanism of internationalisation and technology transfer.

To best use their proprietary resources companies can extend the application of their know-how th... more To best use their proprietary resources companies can extend the application of their know-how through technology collaborations. International technology transfer provides a means whereby they can globalise their production operations to take advantage of cost or market factors. This paper examines the question of partnership arrangements for international technology transfer. Using research carried out in China it considers the forms of ownership arrangement used to transfer technology for production between industrialised and newly developing countries. It also addresses the question of how companies try to retain their competitive advantage by protecting the technology from leakage.

This paper conceptualises the enhancement of technological capability by firms, following interna... more This paper conceptualises the enhancement of technological capability by firms, following international technology transfer, as an evolutionary process. During this process, the existing technological, managerial and other complementary resources may require restructuring. Since China is in transition from central planning to market orientation, the organisational and managerial practices of Chinese firms are different from those of international technology suppliers. Resource-based and evolutionary theories of the firm, which provide insights into the evolution of structures, mechanisms, skills, experiences and technical know-how, have been applied to outline the processes of acquiring technological capability. Selected case studies have been used to illustrate the issues and the framework provides guide for further empirical work.

During the 1980s and 1990s the growing challenge for manufacturing companies has been to satisfy ... more During the 1980s and 1990s the growing challenge for manufacturing companies has been to satisfy greater customer demands within a climate of increasingly intense competition. A new philosophy towards production systems design has, therefore, been required in which the emphasis is placed on improving product quality as well as performance, and where maximizing customer service is as important as minimizing cost. This book considers the question of how companies can address this challenge by developing 'market-focused production systems'. Such a concept does not mean that production simply becomes subservient to marketing; market-focused production is a strategic perspective which requires a wholly different approach to material control, production control, quality and human resource management based on adopting proactive, market-oriented, strategies in each of these areas of management. Also, the demand for organizations to have greater flexibility and responsiveness means t...

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual analytical framework to measur... more Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual analytical framework to measure environmental performance of supply chains. Design / methods: This paper’s theoretical underpins are based upon three major areas: supply chain management, environmental management and performance measurement using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Using the literature review this paper first identifies the environmental constructs for supply chain management. Then conceptually develops a holistic green supply performance measurement framework. The proposed framework is then applied to three companies in three countries - the UK, India and Thailand in order to demonstrate its effectiveness. Findings: Our findings show the potential contribution of the proposed green supply chain performance measurement framework. The proposed framework helps the concerned stakeholders brainstorm for identifying criteria and sub-criteria that affect green supply chain performance, organizing them hi...

Research Memorandum, 1994

Symbiotic design methods aim to take into account technical, social and organizational criteria s... more Symbiotic design methods aim to take into account technical, social and organizational criteria simultaneously. Over the years, many symbiotic methods have been developed and applied in various countries. Nevertheless, the diagnosis that only technical criteria receive attention in the design of production systems, is still made repeatedly. Examples of symbiotic approaches are presented at three different levels: technical systems, organizations, and the process. From these, discussion points are generated concerning the character of the ...

18th International Conference on Management of Technology, 2009

The Symbiosis of Work and Technology. London: Taylor and Francis, Jul 11, 1995

The individual contributors to this volume have each interpreted the umbrella term'symbiotic... more The individual contributors to this volume have each interpreted the umbrella term'symbiotic approach'from their own perspective (s). Yet, the common denominator was found in the balanced combination of technical, social and organizational facets in order to design and implement properly functioning, and hence economically effective, production systems of all kinds. Compared with more traditional design approaches, this results in more attention for the interests and position of employees, not just as a goal in itself, but also, and at least ...

Since the 1950s individual researchers and research groups in many countries Have Developed So-Ca... more Since the 1950s individual researchers and research groups in many countries Have Developed So-Called Symbiotic Design Methods And Approaches, Which have tried to integrate technical, organisational and social goals in order to create economically viable production systems. If implemented Successfully," Symbiotic Systems" Offer Enhanced Worker And System performance, competitive leverage and employee benefits. Based on contributions from international authors, this text provides state-of-the-art research which ...

The modularised assembly FMS (Flexible Manufacturing System) cascade is a form of system design w... more The modularised assembly FMS (Flexible Manufacturing System) cascade is a form of system design which, the authors feel, could be viable in a variety of organisational and operational settings where high product mix manufacture and unitary batch sizing are common features. The philosophy behind the concept is that production facilities are market-driven and customers' orders place a direct demand pull on final assembly which, in turn, triggers all preceeding activities. Greater flexibility~is recognized as a necessary feature in modern manufacture and the implementation of modularised FMS in conjunction with state-of-the-art hardware and computer software systems enable conditions under which more flexible processing can take place.

... The effect of market driven business policies on the design and implementation of production ... more ... The effect of market driven business policies on the design and implementation of production systems. Bennett, David J.; Forrester, Paul L.; Rajput, S. and Hassard, J. (1988). The effect of market driven business policies on the design and implementation of production systems. ...

This paper describes the use of the DRAMA methodology for the design of advanced manufacturing sy... more This paper describes the use of the DRAMA methodology for the design of advanced manufacturing systems. A specific feature of the methodology is its ability to link corporate decision making and manufacturing strategy with specific process choices. The paper will demonstrate the methodology's applicability for both the practitioner and for the researcher wishing to analyze production systems design in a business context.

Abstract The paper presented by the authors (1988) at the Factory 2000 Conference described the d... more Abstract The paper presented by the authors (1988) at the Factory 2000 Conference described the design of a modular assembly cascade system for the assembly of mainframe and minicomputer products within ICL's Ashton-under-Lyne factory near Manchester, UK. Details were also provided of a related three year Science and Engineering Research Council project, funded under itsACME'Directorate. The present paper outlines the findings of the project and describes the basic concepts of the process design methodology which ...

Industry and Higher Education, 1997

Due to its fast growth China is rapidly becoming a focus for globalized manufacturing strategies ... more Due to its fast growth China is rapidly becoming a focus for globalized manufacturing strategies and is now one of the world's largest markets for technology. The international transfer of manufacturing technology has also contributed significantly to the recent sharp increase in the rate of China's industrial development. The Chinese machine tool industry, for example, has exhibited an annual growth of more than 12% between 1980 and 1995 and is now one of the largest markets for machine tool technology. Technology transfer agreements are not motivated only by the willingness of foreign suppliers but also by the desire of Chinese enterprises to acquire technology. One of the major problems in technology transfer is how to establish the value of the technology. In many cases partnerships between foreign companies and Chinese enterprises fail to become established because the value of technology cannot be agreed by both sides. It is therefore important to establish a method fo...

Quality, production and technological innovation management rank among the most important matters... more Quality, production and technological innovation management rank among the most important matters of concern to modern manufacturing organisations. They can provide companies with the decisive means of gaining a competitive advantage, especially within industries where there is an increasing similarity in product design and manufacturing processes. The papers in this special issue of International Journal of Technology Management have all been selected as examples of how aspects of quality, production and technological innovation can help to improve competitive performance. Most are based on presentations made at the UK Operations Management Association's Sixth International Conference held at Aston University at which the theme was 'Getting Ahead Through Technology and People'. At the conference itself over 80 papers were presented by authors from 15 countries around the world. Among the many topics addressed within the conference theme, technological innovation, quality and production management emerged as attracting the greatest concern and interest of delegates, particularly those from industry. For any new initiative to be implemented successfully, it should be led from the top of the organization. Achieving the desired level of commitment from top management can, however, be a difficulty. In the first paper of this issue, Mackness investigates this question by explaining how systems thinking can help. In the systems approach, properties such as 'emergence', 'hierarchy', 'commnication' and 'control' are used to assist top managers in preparing for change. Mackness's paper is then complemented by Iijima and Hasegawa's contribution in which they investigate the development of Quality Information Management (QIM) in Japan. They present the idea of a Design Review and demonstrate how it can be used to trace and reduce quality-related losses. The next paper on the subject of quality is by Whittle and colleagues. It relates to total quality and the process of culture change within organisations. Using the findings of investigations carried out in a number of case study companies, they describe four generic models which have been identified as characterising methods of implementing total quality within existing organisation cultures. Boaden and Dale's paper also relates to the management of quality, but looks specifically at the construction industry where it has been found there is still some confusion over the role of Quality Assurance (QA) and Total Quality Management (TQM). They describe the results of a questionnaire survey of forty companies in the industry and compare them to similar work carried out in other industries. Szakonyi's contribution then completes this group of papers which all relate specifically to the question of quality. His concern is with the two ways in which R&D or engineering managers can work on improving quality. The first is by improving it in the laboratory, while the second is by working with other functions to improve quality in the company. The next group of papers in this issue all address aspects of production management. Umeda's paper proposes a new manufacturing-oriented simulation package for production management which provides important information for both design and operation of manufacturing systems. A simulation for production strategy in a Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) environment is also discussed. This paper is then followed by a contribution by Tanaka and colleagues in which they consider loading schedules for manufacturing orders in a Material Requirements Planning (MRP) environment. They compare mathematical programming with a knowledge-based approach, and comment on their relative effectiveness for different practical situations. Engstrom and Medbo's paper then looks at a particular aspect of production system design, namely the question of devising group working arrangements for assembly with new product structures. Using the case of a Swedish vehicle assembly plant where long cycle assembly work has been adopted, they advocate the use of a generally applicable product structure which can be adapted to suit individual local conditions. In the last paper of this particular group, Tay considers how automation has affected the production efficiency in Singapore. Using data from ten major industries he identifies several factors which are positively correlated with efficiency, with capital intensity being of greatest interest to policy makers. The two following papers examine the case of electronic data interchange (EDI) as a means of improving the efficiency and quality of trading relationships. Banerjee and Banerjee consider a particular approach to material provisioning for production systems using orderless inventory replenishment. Using the example of a single supplier and multiple buyers they develop an analytical model which is applicable for the exchange of information between trading partners using EDI. They conclude that EDI-based…

Global sourcing of engineering is becoming a more common way to increase a company’s competitiven... more Global sourcing of engineering is becoming a more common way to increase a company’s competitiveness and includes the nearshoring and offshoring strategies of relocating engineering services and activities across national borders.. The driving force of why nearshoring and offshoring can often lead to competitive advantage is the combination of cost reduction and the opportunity of exploiting competent resources. Several emerging countries in Europe offer high quality engineering at a lower cost than the Scandinavian market. These countries are located within an acceptable travel distance from Scandinavia and due to similar standards and eurocodes the differences between countries’ engineering procedures have decreased. The aim of this contribution is, first, to investigate a Scandinavian based consulting engineering company’s experiences using nearshoring and, second, why standards and eurocodes can open the European engineering market and consequently how consultancy companies with...

The last decade or so has witnessed the emergence of the national innovation system (NIS) phenome... more The last decade or so has witnessed the emergence of the national innovation system (NIS) phenomenon. Since then, many scholars have investigated NIS and its implementation in different countries. However, there are very few investigations into the relationship between the NIS of a country and its national innovation capacity. This paper aims to make a contribution in this area by examining the link that currently exists between these two topics. Whilst examining this relationship, we also explore internationalisation and technology transfer, being cognate areas that have been investigated during the same period. This follows our assertion that the link between NIS and national innovation capacity is the mechanism of internationalisation and technology transfer.

To best use their proprietary resources companies can extend the application of their know-how th... more To best use their proprietary resources companies can extend the application of their know-how through technology collaborations. International technology transfer provides a means whereby they can globalise their production operations to take advantage of cost or market factors. This paper examines the question of partnership arrangements for international technology transfer. Using research carried out in China it considers the forms of ownership arrangement used to transfer technology for production between industrialised and newly developing countries. It also addresses the question of how companies try to retain their competitive advantage by protecting the technology from leakage.

This paper conceptualises the enhancement of technological capability by firms, following interna... more This paper conceptualises the enhancement of technological capability by firms, following international technology transfer, as an evolutionary process. During this process, the existing technological, managerial and other complementary resources may require restructuring. Since China is in transition from central planning to market orientation, the organisational and managerial practices of Chinese firms are different from those of international technology suppliers. Resource-based and evolutionary theories of the firm, which provide insights into the evolution of structures, mechanisms, skills, experiences and technical know-how, have been applied to outline the processes of acquiring technological capability. Selected case studies have been used to illustrate the issues and the framework provides guide for further empirical work.

During the 1980s and 1990s the growing challenge for manufacturing companies has been to satisfy ... more During the 1980s and 1990s the growing challenge for manufacturing companies has been to satisfy greater customer demands within a climate of increasingly intense competition. A new philosophy towards production systems design has, therefore, been required in which the emphasis is placed on improving product quality as well as performance, and where maximizing customer service is as important as minimizing cost. This book considers the question of how companies can address this challenge by developing 'market-focused production systems'. Such a concept does not mean that production simply becomes subservient to marketing; market-focused production is a strategic perspective which requires a wholly different approach to material control, production control, quality and human resource management based on adopting proactive, market-oriented, strategies in each of these areas of management. Also, the demand for organizations to have greater flexibility and responsiveness means t...

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual analytical framework to measur... more Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual analytical framework to measure environmental performance of supply chains. Design / methods: This paper’s theoretical underpins are based upon three major areas: supply chain management, environmental management and performance measurement using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Using the literature review this paper first identifies the environmental constructs for supply chain management. Then conceptually develops a holistic green supply performance measurement framework. The proposed framework is then applied to three companies in three countries - the UK, India and Thailand in order to demonstrate its effectiveness. Findings: Our findings show the potential contribution of the proposed green supply chain performance measurement framework. The proposed framework helps the concerned stakeholders brainstorm for identifying criteria and sub-criteria that affect green supply chain performance, organizing them hi...

Research Memorandum, 1994

Symbiotic design methods aim to take into account technical, social and organizational criteria s... more Symbiotic design methods aim to take into account technical, social and organizational criteria simultaneously. Over the years, many symbiotic methods have been developed and applied in various countries. Nevertheless, the diagnosis that only technical criteria receive attention in the design of production systems, is still made repeatedly. Examples of symbiotic approaches are presented at three different levels: technical systems, organizations, and the process. From these, discussion points are generated concerning the character of the ...

18th International Conference on Management of Technology, 2009

The Symbiosis of Work and Technology. London: Taylor and Francis, Jul 11, 1995

The individual contributors to this volume have each interpreted the umbrella term'symbiotic... more The individual contributors to this volume have each interpreted the umbrella term'symbiotic approach'from their own perspective (s). Yet, the common denominator was found in the balanced combination of technical, social and organizational facets in order to design and implement properly functioning, and hence economically effective, production systems of all kinds. Compared with more traditional design approaches, this results in more attention for the interests and position of employees, not just as a goal in itself, but also, and at least ...

Since the 1950s individual researchers and research groups in many countries Have Developed So-Ca... more Since the 1950s individual researchers and research groups in many countries Have Developed So-Called Symbiotic Design Methods And Approaches, Which have tried to integrate technical, organisational and social goals in order to create economically viable production systems. If implemented Successfully," Symbiotic Systems" Offer Enhanced Worker And System performance, competitive leverage and employee benefits. Based on contributions from international authors, this text provides state-of-the-art research which ...

The modularised assembly FMS (Flexible Manufacturing System) cascade is a form of system design w... more The modularised assembly FMS (Flexible Manufacturing System) cascade is a form of system design which, the authors feel, could be viable in a variety of organisational and operational settings where high product mix manufacture and unitary batch sizing are common features. The philosophy behind the concept is that production facilities are market-driven and customers' orders place a direct demand pull on final assembly which, in turn, triggers all preceeding activities. Greater flexibility~is recognized as a necessary feature in modern manufacture and the implementation of modularised FMS in conjunction with state-of-the-art hardware and computer software systems enable conditions under which more flexible processing can take place.

... The effect of market driven business policies on the design and implementation of production ... more ... The effect of market driven business policies on the design and implementation of production systems. Bennett, David J.; Forrester, Paul L.; Rajput, S. and Hassard, J. (1988). The effect of market driven business policies on the design and implementation of production systems. ...

This paper describes the use of the DRAMA methodology for the design of advanced manufacturing sy... more This paper describes the use of the DRAMA methodology for the design of advanced manufacturing systems. A specific feature of the methodology is its ability to link corporate decision making and manufacturing strategy with specific process choices. The paper will demonstrate the methodology's applicability for both the practitioner and for the researcher wishing to analyze production systems design in a business context.

Abstract The paper presented by the authors (1988) at the Factory 2000 Conference described the d... more Abstract The paper presented by the authors (1988) at the Factory 2000 Conference described the design of a modular assembly cascade system for the assembly of mainframe and minicomputer products within ICL's Ashton-under-Lyne factory near Manchester, UK. Details were also provided of a related three year Science and Engineering Research Council project, funded under itsACME'Directorate. The present paper outlines the findings of the project and describes the basic concepts of the process design methodology which ...

Industry and Higher Education, 1997

Due to its fast growth China is rapidly becoming a focus for globalized manufacturing strategies ... more Due to its fast growth China is rapidly becoming a focus for globalized manufacturing strategies and is now one of the world's largest markets for technology. The international transfer of manufacturing technology has also contributed significantly to the recent sharp increase in the rate of China's industrial development. The Chinese machine tool industry, for example, has exhibited an annual growth of more than 12% between 1980 and 1995 and is now one of the largest markets for machine tool technology. Technology transfer agreements are not motivated only by the willingness of foreign suppliers but also by the desire of Chinese enterprises to acquire technology. One of the major problems in technology transfer is how to establish the value of the technology. In many cases partnerships between foreign companies and Chinese enterprises fail to become established because the value of technology cannot be agreed by both sides. It is therefore important to establish a method fo...

Quality, production and technological innovation management rank among the most important matters... more Quality, production and technological innovation management rank among the most important matters of concern to modern manufacturing organisations. They can provide companies with the decisive means of gaining a competitive advantage, especially within industries where there is an increasing similarity in product design and manufacturing processes. The papers in this special issue of International Journal of Technology Management have all been selected as examples of how aspects of quality, production and technological innovation can help to improve competitive performance. Most are based on presentations made at the UK Operations Management Association's Sixth International Conference held at Aston University at which the theme was 'Getting Ahead Through Technology and People'. At the conference itself over 80 papers were presented by authors from 15 countries around the world. Among the many topics addressed within the conference theme, technological innovation, quality and production management emerged as attracting the greatest concern and interest of delegates, particularly those from industry. For any new initiative to be implemented successfully, it should be led from the top of the organization. Achieving the desired level of commitment from top management can, however, be a difficulty. In the first paper of this issue, Mackness investigates this question by explaining how systems thinking can help. In the systems approach, properties such as 'emergence', 'hierarchy', 'commnication' and 'control' are used to assist top managers in preparing for change. Mackness's paper is then complemented by Iijima and Hasegawa's contribution in which they investigate the development of Quality Information Management (QIM) in Japan. They present the idea of a Design Review and demonstrate how it can be used to trace and reduce quality-related losses. The next paper on the subject of quality is by Whittle and colleagues. It relates to total quality and the process of culture change within organisations. Using the findings of investigations carried out in a number of case study companies, they describe four generic models which have been identified as characterising methods of implementing total quality within existing organisation cultures. Boaden and Dale's paper also relates to the management of quality, but looks specifically at the construction industry where it has been found there is still some confusion over the role of Quality Assurance (QA) and Total Quality Management (TQM). They describe the results of a questionnaire survey of forty companies in the industry and compare them to similar work carried out in other industries. Szakonyi's contribution then completes this group of papers which all relate specifically to the question of quality. His concern is with the two ways in which R&D or engineering managers can work on improving quality. The first is by improving it in the laboratory, while the second is by working with other functions to improve quality in the company. The next group of papers in this issue all address aspects of production management. Umeda's paper proposes a new manufacturing-oriented simulation package for production management which provides important information for both design and operation of manufacturing systems. A simulation for production strategy in a Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) environment is also discussed. This paper is then followed by a contribution by Tanaka and colleagues in which they consider loading schedules for manufacturing orders in a Material Requirements Planning (MRP) environment. They compare mathematical programming with a knowledge-based approach, and comment on their relative effectiveness for different practical situations. Engstrom and Medbo's paper then looks at a particular aspect of production system design, namely the question of devising group working arrangements for assembly with new product structures. Using the case of a Swedish vehicle assembly plant where long cycle assembly work has been adopted, they advocate the use of a generally applicable product structure which can be adapted to suit individual local conditions. In the last paper of this particular group, Tay considers how automation has affected the production efficiency in Singapore. Using data from ten major industries he identifies several factors which are positively correlated with efficiency, with capital intensity being of greatest interest to policy makers. The two following papers examine the case of electronic data interchange (EDI) as a means of improving the efficiency and quality of trading relationships. Banerjee and Banerjee consider a particular approach to material provisioning for production systems using orderless inventory replenishment. Using the example of a single supplier and multiple buyers they develop an analytical model which is applicable for the exchange of information between trading partners using EDI. They conclude that EDI-based…