sergio cavalieri | Università degli Studi di Bergamo (University of Bergamo) (original) (raw)

Papers by sergio cavalieri

Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, 1998

This paper describes the characteristics of two hybrid genetic algorithms (GAs) for generating al... more This paper describes the characteristics of two hybrid genetic algorithms (GAs) for generating allocation and sequencing of production lots in a flow-shop environment based on a non-linear, multi-criteria objective function. Both GAs are used as search techniques: in the first model the task of the GA is to allocate and sequence the jobs; in the second model, the GA is combined with a dispatching rule (Earliest Due Date, EDD) thus limiting its task only on the allocation of the jobs. Both GAs are characterized by a dynamic population size with dynamic birth rate, as well as by multiple-operator reproduction criteria and by adaptive crossover and mutation rates. A discrete-event simulation model has been used in order to evaluate the performances of the tentative schedules. The proposed algorithms have been subsequently compared with a classical branch and bound method.

In the last years, given the high market pressure and the increased competition in several indust... more In the last years, given the high market pressure and the increased competition in several industries, the search for new business opportunity is focusing on service activities. After-Sales (AS) service has become increasingly important as a source of differentiation and market share for manufacturers and resellers, as well as a strategic driver for customer’s retention. These changes often call for a new conceptual definition of the product-service bundle marketed to the final customer and for a thorough revision of the logistical and organizational configuration of the whole service chain. It comes out the necessity to design appropriate processes and to have a general and shared definition of their structure. Aim of the paper is to suggest a model which provides a common configuration of the assistance processes according to a framework that links the different typologies of assistance with the product service strategies offered by companies. Some case studies have been considered in order to validate the proposed framework and the model.

A plethora of research and industrial contributions emphasizes the economic and strategic role of... more A plethora of research and industrial contributions emphasizes the economic and strategic role of services in adding further value to a product throughout its lifelong journey with the customer. However, there is still a limited comprehension of the dynamics underlying After-Sales (AS) processes along the whole service network - which usually encompasses a manufacturer, spare parts wholesalers/retailers and technical assistance centres - till the final user. AS can be no more considered as a mere corporate function, but rather as a series of interconnected activities involving more independent organizations, each one having different objectives and perspectives to be properly aligned. Starting from previous contributions of the same authors on this research topic, aim of the paper is to examine AS as a complex system of interlinked processes, to elaborate a proposal of the main Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which can take into account the various perspectives of the different actors involved, and, as a main result, to explore the most relevant causal relationships among these KPIs.

International Journal of Production Economics, 2004

This paper aims at illustrating the compared results of the application of two different approach... more This paper aims at illustrating the compared results of the application of two different approaches-respectively parametric and artificial neural network techniques-for the estimation of the unitary manufacturing costs of a new type of brake disks produced by an Italian manufacturing firm. The results seem to confirm the validity of the neural network theory in this application field, but not a clear superiority with respect to the more ''traditional'' parametric approach: in particular, the ANN seems to be characterised by a better trade-off between precision and cost of development, while a critical point-especially in the specific application context-is represented by the reduced possibility of interpreting output data (which is critical for the ''optimisation'' of design solutions during the new product development process). r

International Journal of Product Lifecycle Management, 2008

ABSTRACT The transition from a product manufacturer into a service provider constitutes a major m... more ABSTRACT The transition from a product manufacturer into a service provider constitutes a major managerial challenge for companies. It requires new organisational principles, structures and processes, which encompass the whole product life cycle, from its concept and design to its dismissal. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how design for X (DFX) methodologies and practices can consistently enable the achievement of the objectives of specific after-sales strategic profiles, by encompassing those distinctive features which can at best fulfil the customer's requirements and expectations throughout the product life cycle usage. A model is proposed in order to relate after-sales strategies with 'DFX' methodologies. The description of two industrial case studies provides a pragmatic insight on the opportunities coming out from a consistent relation between after-sales strategies and product development practices.

In the current competitive environment, companies need to extensively exploit the use of advanced... more In the current competitive environment, companies need to extensively exploit the use of advanced technologies in order to develop a sustainable advantage, enhance their operational efficiency and better serve customers. In this context, RFID technology has emerged as a valid support for the company progress and its value is becoming more and more apparent. In particular, the textile and clothing industry, characterised by short life-cycles , quick response production , fast distribution, erratic customer preferences and impulsive purchasing, is one of the sectors which can extensively benefit from the RFID technology. However, actual applications are still very limited, especially in the upstream side of the supply network. This chapter provides an insight into the main benefits and potentials of this technology and highlights the main issues which are currently inhibiting its large scale development in the textile and clothing industry. The experience of two industry-academia projects and the relative fallouts are reported.

Production Planning & Control, 2009

... The customer contact approach to services: theoretical bases and practical extensions. ... ex... more ... The customer contact approach to services: theoretical bases and practical extensions. ... explicitly created to map manufacturing dynamics does not appear to be a suitable approach. ... with manufacturing processes, groups of customers may contribute ideas to the design of the ...

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2007

... Aligning strategic profiles with operational metrics in after-sales service. ... customer sat... more ... Aligning strategic profiles with operational metrics in after-sales service. ... customer satisfaction, customer retention, and a continuous improvement of the product and service quality, by performing an important supporting activity for other company's internal functions (design ...

Production planning and control (PP&C) is increasingly becoming a critical activity. In particula... more Production planning and control (PP&C) is increasingly becoming a critical activity. In particular, scheduling decisions, which are the final temporal decision-making phase where industrial and supply chain managers could act for maintaining satisfactory production system performances, turn out to be more and more critical. Industrial practitioners are in trouble in understanding the best scheduling policy for their plants, also because they are not able to measure the obtained results and to compare it with other policies. In such a context, the paper illustrates the implementation of a wider performance measurement system for the evaluation of scheduling solutions (PMSESS). PMSESS is currently under development in a large initiative, the special interest group 4 on benchmarking and performance measurement of scheduling solutions, established in the context of the IMS NoE community.

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2006

The paper aims at presenting a Performance Measurement System (PMS) developed in an Italian proje... more The paper aims at presenting a Performance Measurement System (PMS) developed in an Italian project, performed by the authors within a Nonprofit Service Organization (NSO). Like profit organizations, nonprofit ones must measure their performances, in order to define possible improvements. The paper proposes a PMS, derived from the well known Balanced Scorecard approach, specifically dedicated to NSOs. In particular, a case study has been conducted within an Italian NSO, active in the construction sector, located in the Northern Italy, in the county of Bergamo.

Computers in Industry, 2004

... it is possible to reproduce and to test different decision-making alternatives upon more ... ... more ... it is possible to reproduce and to test different decision-making alternatives upon more ... in order to analyse the scope of use, the paradigms employed and the main benefits reported ... logisticsintegration (supported by ERP, DRP systems), and finally to an external integration in a ...

Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, 2003

Computers in Industry, 2007

Scheduling decisions constitute the last decision-making phase of the production planning and con... more Scheduling decisions constitute the last decision-making phase of the production planning and control process. From the industrial side, the adoption of highly reactive and efficient scheduling and control systems strongly affects the level of productivity and utilization of a manufacturing system, particularly under the pressure of shortened product cycles, reduced batch sizes and a broader variety of items to be produced. In the meanwhile, from the research side, there has been a considerable amount of works done in the area of manufacturing systems control, even if they still remain ''unheard voices'' in industry. Hence, in the scheduling world there is a risk of miscommunication between academics and industrial users.

Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, 2006

This paper presents the development—by the IMS Network of Excellence (cf. http://www. ims-noe.org... more This paper presents the development—by the IMS Network of Excellence (cf. http://www. ims-noe.org)—of a web-based benchmarking service for manufacturing control systems. The paper first discusses the rationale behind this development. Next, the architecture and usage of the benchmarking service is presented and illustrated. Finally, the paper addresses the current status of the benchmarking service.

Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, 2003

The paper reports the main research activities currently carried out for designing and developing... more The paper reports the main research activities currently carried out for designing and developing a test-bench service. This service would act as the main reference point for establishing benchmarks on which research results can be compared. These benchmarks will be made available through web technology. The paper, after a first outline of the main features of the project and its overall vision, is particularly focused both on the design principles related to the construction of good benchmark cases and on the technological issues related to the provision of a web-based simulation environment for supporting interactivity between remote scheduling and control systems and a locally resident simulation system.

Abstract: The aim of an ongoing research project carried out by six European research and educati... more Abstract: The aim of an ongoing research project carried out by six European research and educational institutions is to establish a Virtual Institute for the Modelling of Industrial Manufacturing Systems (VIMIMS). The VIMIMS virtual institute has been designed to become an international platform for teaching and research in the field of analysis, design and performance evaluation of industrial manufacturing systems. VIMIMS is implemented as an internetbased portal that offers students and researchers from around the globe ...

Computers in Industry, 2000

... The goal of this campaign is to verify the behaviour of the two control architectures under .... more ... The goal of this campaign is to verify the behaviour of the two control architectures under ... a lower number of jobs on delay (fixed sequence mix) and a lower mean delay is dispersed ... From this first experimental campaign, taking as reference the entity of delays, it is evident that a ...