5th Werner Kern Award for Productivity Research 2005 Kanban control systems bear a great potential to significantly improve operations. A company may reap the full benefits of kanban control only after determining an optimal or near-optimal system configuration. To do that, methods are needed to evaluate the performance and operating costs of individual system configurations. We propose an innovative construction-kit approach that enables us to build stochastic analytical models of a large class of single- and multi-product kanban systems. The presented construction-kit approach may be extended and augmented in various directions.

Gives a real world explanation of how to analyze and troubleshoot a process control system in a batch process plant • Explains how to analyze the requirements for controlling a batch process, develop the control logic to meet these requirements, and troubleshoot the process controls in batch processes • Presents three categories of batch processes (cyclical batch, multigrade facilities, and flexible batch) and examines the differences in the control requirements in each • Examines various concepts of a product recipe and what its nature must be in a flexible batch facility • Approaches the subject from the process perspective, with emphasis on the advantages of using structured logic in the automation of all but the simplest batch processes. • Discusses the flow of information starting at the plant floor and continuing through various levels of the control logic up to the corporate IT level

Taking a new product from the design stage to large-scale production in a profitable, efficient manner can challenge the processes of even the most advanced companies. Lapses in these processes drive up the cost of new products, and hinder their launch into the marketplace. Effective Transition from Design to Production provides an expeditio

Modern organisations are subject to continual change - technologies evolve, organisational structures are modified, people and underlying cultures are transformed. Yet the facilities that organisations occupy are static and can impede the changes that are essential to organisational survival. The response to change in terms of property and support services is often too little too late - leading to facilities that do not support organisational reality. The facilities management team is thus constantly challenged to bridge the gap between what an organisation has and what it needs. Facilities Change Management is a practical evaluation of the management of change for facilities managers and related professions. It considers: the forces of change affecting facilities decisions the obstacles to change at a resource level and human level the effective implementation of change the human aspect of change Each of these is considered in relation to modern facilities management issues. The discussion will enable practising facilities managers, project managers, surveyors, service providers and architects to understand, engage with and manage facilities change effectively at a strategic level. Through real-life case studies it demonstrates the complexities of change and hidden elements of change that may undermine carefully planned projects.

This working guide shows how to put concurrent engineering principles into action, using actual case examples from large and small companies. The case study approach is augmented with detailed advice and techniques for measuring and analyzing product and process development data. A must-have reference for every designer and firm that plans or contemplates this efficient and profitable method.

What’s the Deal with Biosimilars? Biosimilars are gaining momentum as new protein therapeutic candidates that can help fill a vital need in the healthcare industry. The biological drugs are produced by recombinant DNA technology that allows for large-scale production and an overall reduction time in costs and development. Part of a two-volume set that covers varying aspects of biosimilars, Biosimilars and Interchangeable Biologics: Strategic Elements explores the strategic planning side of biosimilar drugs and targets issues surrounding biosimilars that are linked to legal matters. This includes principal patents and intellectual property, regulatory pathways, and concerns about affordability on a global scale. It addresses the complexity of biosimilar products, and it discusses the utilization of biosimilars and related biological drugs in expanding world markets. Of specific interest to practitioners, researchers, and scientists in the biopharmaceutical industry, this volume examines the science, technology, finance, legality, ethics, and politics of biosimilar drugs. It considers strategic planning elements that include an overall understanding of the history and the current status of the art and science of biosimilars, and it provides detailed descriptions of the legal, regulatory, and commercial characteristics. The book also presents a global strategy on how to build, take to market, and manage the next generation of biosimilars throughout their life cycle.