International Journal of Operations & Production Management: Volume 22 Issue 10

Mapping product usability

Sunil Babbar, Ravi Behara, Edna White

It is not sufficient for firms to deliver products that have technical excellence. Products should be easy to use and fit in with the work practices, activities and context of the…

The complexities of the manufacturing strategy formation process in practice

David Barnes

This paper describes case study research undertaken in six small manufacturing companies aimed at advancing the understanding of the manufacturing strategy formation process…

Operations strategy: genealogy, classification and anatomy

Robert H. Lowson

This paper seeks to offer some unity in a new and evolving discipline. The aim is to provide clear and unambiguous foundations to aid development of operations strategy as a field…

Is “lean” a universal production system?: Batch production in the automotive industry

Richard Cooney

This paper sets out to test the claim made in the lean production literature that the lean production system is universally applicable. The proponents of the lean production model…

E‐commerce: the challenge for UK SMEs in the twenty‐first century

Michael Quayle

This article explores the awareness and level of implementation of e‐commerce in UK small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Results of a survey of 298 small firms suggest that…

Modelling and evaluating service quality measurement using neural networks

Ravi S. Behara, Warren W. Fisher, Jos G.A.M. Lemmink

Effective measurement and analysis of service quality are an essential first step in its improvement. This paper discusses the development of neural network models for this…