Jonathan Gabbai

Introduction

This report concentrates on the way BAE SYSTEMS (formally British Aerospace after its recent acquisition of GEC Marconi) deals with the inherently long lead times that occur between contract with customer to the actual commercial production and provision of the product/solution.

This report will describe the overall operational situation faced by BAE SYSTEMS, and then concentrate on the more challenging military market. A brief description of a typical classic aircraft design cycle will be provided, followed by a discussion as to why this is unsuitable for most current and future projects due to the unique situation that defence systems companies face. Finally, an appraisal on current practices and a look into the future concludes the report. Read the rest of this entry »

NO PART OF THIS DOCUMENT MAY BE REDISTRIBUTED, PUBLISHED, EDITED OR DUPLICATED IN ANY FORM, ELECTRONIC OR OTHERWISE, WITHOUT THE OWNER’S CONSENT

Introduction

This report begins with a background to behaviour modification, including details on the psychological mechanisms and the reasons behind the theory. These ideas are then taken further and applied within an organisational setting using published examples, followed by a general appraisal on the work done. Read the rest of this entry »

Introduction

In order qualify and appraise current human resource management practices in Britain one must initially consider the very definition of this popularised term and then compare current practices with the definition.

However, it is suggested that the very fundamental and benchmark definition of human resource management varies highly between and within academic and organisational camps. It is this ambiguity that leads to a higher-level argument as to whether a clear shift in management style has actually occurred, or whether human resource management, as practiced in industry, is simply an old idea with a new image. Read the rest of this entry »

Technological Evolution and Supply Chain Management

Around 1990, a combination of factors began to change the role of logistics in major corporations. Quality initiatives and re-engineering were forcing companies to evaluate entire processes, rather than individual components. Supply-chain management, the integrated control over goods, information, and money, became the key facilitator in this new approach.

In essence, supply-chain management represented an attempt to develop a unified process by which goods and services would be produced for customer sale and consumption. Furthermore, logistics was now being considered as more than simply an opportunity to minimise cost – it was developing into a core component of corporate profitability.

More recently, the Internet has become part of people’s daily lives, and during that time a steady progression of Internet innovations has occurred. Internet browsers and the development of the World Wide Web made the Internet accessible. Search engines were developed in response to the proliferation of Web sites. Commercialisation of the Internet, initially Business-to-Consumer, spawned online shopping. Search engines morphed into portals, adding content, shopping, and other items. Finally, e-commerce came into full fruition with the online auction leading the way, illustrating what potential the technology posed for organisations with regards to purchasing. It follows that suppliers quickly warmed up to the Internet, with the aim of fulfilling supplier expectations. Read the rest of this entry »

“For almost two decades, organisations have strategically given a high priority to continuous improvement of the quality of their products and services. Great emphasis has been placed on the management of quality. Has this been done to the detriment to the quality of management?”

Introduction

In order qualify and appraise whether the various guises of quality management have had a detrimental impact on general management quality, one must initially consider the circumstances around the necessity and evolution of quality management. With a defined historical and theoretical background, a more industrial look at quality management is presented, focusing on its implementation, practice and impact in the real world. Read the rest of this entry »

An Introduction to Teamwork

Teams are the primary vehicles through which work is done, problems solved and customers served. It is no exaggeration to say that teamwork is considered to be the heart and sole of an organisation or project.

When people work in teams, there are two quite separate issues involved. The first is the task and the problem involved in getting the job done and is frequently the only issue that is considered. The second is the process or dynamic of the teamwork itself.

The dynamics of a team is a very important aspect and is being explored more and more in a time where the ability to work in a team is seen as the primary attribute of an employee. Successful implementation of team dynamics can turn a loose and ineffective team into a tight unit that is many times the sum of the worth of its individuals. It is this synergy that makes teamwork attractive in corporate organisation despite the possible problems and time spent in team formation. Read the rest of this entry »