Building the Integrated Company

Building the Integrated Company
Author: Malcolm A. Birkin
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 223
Release: 2017-11-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1351769596

This title was first published in 2000: Global competition is increasingly impacting on even the most isolated of companies; the only way for any company to sustain competitive advantage is by tapping into the single remaining area of great potential - the management of people. If we want to be an above-average company, we will need an above-average ratio of above-average people who perform at above-average levels. None of which will happen without above-average levels of management. Malcolm Birkin’s Building the Integrated Company offers a model for exploiting the human potential within organizations. This potential is one which, in previous decades, through an absence of focus on business basics and an adherence to mistaken ideas about sustainable competitive advantage, we have contrived to turn into all-too-limited performance. The first stage in any new learning process is to unlearn the misplaced concepts and bad habits we have developed. Section One of the book describes and contrasts the similarities and differences of American, European and Japanese management and then describes the characteristics of the Integrated Company, which has absorbed and perfected the best systems and philosophies from around the world. Anyone seeking to follow this lead needs to be able to distinguish the realities of these management systems from the myths. Section Two is built around a series of 13 detailed and scored questionnaires, containing over 240 individual questions, enabling the reader to assess every aspect of their business, from management focus to the behaviours of the workforce, against the Integrated Company model. Section Three, the largest and most important section, deals with integration, addressing the practical implementation of the systems and philosophies in a clear, logical and hands-on manner. As the name suggests, the Integrated Company is a holistic model, involving every aspect of the business. Nevertheless, managing people - the unlimited potential - remains the most complex

Integrated Construction Information

Integrated Construction Information
Author: M. Betts
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 419
Release: 2003-09-02
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1135820007

The construction industry is an information-intensive sector and low levels of productivity are often blamed on inadequate integration of information. This book shows how the different types and sources of information can be integrated to benefit individual construction projects, construction companies and in the construction industry at world-wide level.

Surviving Supply Chain Integration

Surviving Supply Chain Integration
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 162
Release: 2000-03-23
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0309173418

The managed flow of goods and information from raw material to final sale also known as a "supply chain" affects everythingâ€"from the U.S. gross domestic product to where you can buy your jeans. The nature of a company's supply chain has a significant effect on its success or failureâ€"as in the success of Dell Computer's make-to-order system and the failure of General Motor's vertical integration during the 1998 United Auto Workers strike. Supply Chain Integration looks at this crucial component of business at a time when product design, manufacture, and delivery are changing radically and globally. This book explores the benefits of continuously improving the relationship between the firm, its suppliers, and its customers to ensure the highest added value. This book identifies the state-of-the-art developments that contribute to the success of vertical tiers of suppliers and relates these developments to the capabilities that small and medium-sized manufacturers must have to be viable participants in this system. Strategies for attaining these capabilities through manufacturing extension centers and other technical assistance providers at the national, state, and local level are suggested. This book identifies action steps for small and medium-sized manufacturersâ€"the "seed corn" of business start-up and developmentâ€"to improve supply chain management. The book examines supply chain models from consultant firms, universities, manufacturers, and associations. Topics include the roles of suppliers and other supply chain participants, the rise of outsourcing, the importance of information management, the natural tension between buyer and seller, sources of assistance to small and medium-sized firms, and a host of other issues. Supply Chain Integration will be of interest to industry policymakers, economists, researchers, business leaders, and forward-thinking executives.

Reducing the Effects of Climate Change Using Building-Integrated and Building-Applied Photovoltaics in the Power Supply

Reducing the Effects of Climate Change Using Building-Integrated and Building-Applied Photovoltaics in the Power Supply
Author: Ali Sayigh
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 430
Release: 2024-01-11
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3031425847

This book looks at the success and continuing potential of photovoltaic (PV) technology in combating climate change by harnessing solar energy through building-integrated (BIPV) and building-applied photovoltaics (BAPV). With PV global capacity soaring from 940 GW in 2021 to 1100 GW in 2022 and projected to reach 1456 GW by the end of 2023, the world is witnessing an unprecedented shift towards renewable energy solutions. Today, no single country exists without some form of PV installation, driven by reduced costs and abundant free sunshine. The book’s chapters delve into the advancements in PV technology, exploring its integration as an essential building material by examining 14 countries and regions – Brazil, The Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Argentina, Iran, Germany, Malaysia, Oman, Bahrain, India, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Egypt – and providing a comprehensive overview of their successful adoption of PV for electricity generation. Whether you’re an architect, builder, engineer, or climate advocate, this vital resource offers insights, international case studies, and a path to a greener future.

Manufacturing Systems

Manufacturing Systems
Author: National Academy of Engineering
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 282
Release: 1992-02-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0309046785

Some 70 percent of U.S. manufacturing output currently faces direct foreign competition. While American firms understand the individual components of their manufacturing processes, they must begin to work with manufacturing systems to develop world-class capabilities. This new book identifies principles-termed foundations-that have proved effective in improving manufacturing systems. Authored by an expert panel, including manufacturing executives, the book provides recommendations for manufacturers, leading to specific action in three areas: Management philosophy and practice. Methods used to measure and predict the performance of systems. Organizational learning and improving system performance through technology. The volume includes in-depth studies of several key issues in manufacturing, including employee involvement and empowerment, using learning curves to improve quality, measuring performance against that of the competition, focusing on customer satisfaction, and factory modernization. It includes a unique paper on jazz music as a metaphor for participative manufacturing management. Executives, managers, engineers, researchers, faculty, and students will find this book an essential tool for guiding this nation's businesses toward developing more competitive manufacturing systems.

Building Corporate Identity, Image and Reputation in the Digital Era

Building Corporate Identity, Image and Reputation in the Digital Era
Author: T C Melewar
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 399
Release: 2021-07-29
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1000382214

Brands – corporate, products, service – today are collectively defined by their customers, deriving from personal experiences and word of mouth. This book acts as a forum for examining current and future trends in corporate branding, identity, image and reputation. Recognising the complexity and plurality at the heart of the corporate branding discipline, this book fills a gap in the literature by posing a number of original research questions on the intrinsic nature of corporate branding ideas from corporate (external) and organisation (internal) identity perspectives as they relate to brand management, corporate reputation, marketing communications, social media, smart technology, experiential and sensory marketing. It incorporates current thinking and developments by both multidisciplinary academics and practitioners, combining a comprehensive theoretical foundation with practical insights. The text will serve as an important resource for the marketing, identity and brand practitioners requiring more than anecdotal evidence on the structure and operation of stakeholders communication in different geographical areas. It determines current practices and researches in diverse areas, regions and commercial and non-commercial sectors across the world. The book provides scholars, researchers and postgraduate students in business and marketing with a comprehensive treatment of the nature of relationships between companies, brands and stakeholders in different areas and regions of the world.

Integrating Project Delivery

Integrating Project Delivery
Author: Martin Fischer
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 482
Release: 2017-03-27
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 0470587350

A revolutionary, collaborative approach to design and construction project delivery Integrating Project Delivery is the first book-length discussion of IPD, the emergent project delivery method that draws on each stakeholder's unique knowledge to address problems before they occur. Written by authors with over a decade of research and practical experience, this book provides a primer on IPD for architects, designers, and students interested in this revolutionary approach to design and construction. With a focus on IPD in everyday operation, coverage includes a detailed explanation and analysis of IPD guidelines, and case studies that show how real companies are applying these guidelines on real-world projects. End-of-chapter questions help readers quickly review what they've learned, and the online forum allows them to share their insights and ideas with others who either have or are in the process of implementing IPD themselves. Integrating Project Delivery brings together the owners, architect, engineers, and contractors early in the development stage to ensure that problems are caught early, and to address them in a collaborative way. This book describes the parameters of this new, more efficient approach, with expert insight on real-world implementation. Compare traditional procurement with IPD Understand IPD guidelines, and how they're implemented Examine case studies that illustrate everyday applications Communicate with other IPD adherents in the online forum The IPD approach revolutionizes not only the workflow, but the relationships between the stakeholders – the atmosphere turns collaborative, and the team works together toward a shared goal instead of viewing one another as obstructions to progress. Integrated Project Delivery provides a deep exploration of this approach, with practical guidance and expert insight.

Integrated Building Information Modelling

Integrated Building Information Modelling
Author: Peng Wu
Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers
Total Pages: 343
Release: 2017-07-10
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1681084570

Building information modelling (BIM) is a set of interacting policies, processes and technologies that generates a methodology to manage the essential building design and project data in digital format throughout the building's life cycle. BIM, makes explicit, the interdependency that exists between structure, architectural layout and mechanical, electrical and hydraulic services by technologically coupling project organizations together. Integrated Building Information Modelling is a handbook on BIM courses, standards and methods used in different regions (Including UK, Africa and Australia). 13 chapters outline essential information about integrated BIM practices such as the BIM in site layout plan, BIM in construction product management, building life cycle assessment, quantity surveying and BIM in hazardous gas monitoring projects while also presenting information about useful BIM tool and case studies. The book is a useful handbook for engineering management professionals and trainees involved in BIM practice.