EMPAS 13 (1) 2021

A wide consensus exists on the role of intangible assets in both developed and developing economies, especially now, with the new generation of information and communication technologies. Emerging economies generally demonstrate lower endowment with intangibles (Dutz et al., 2012), but follow the same positive patterns for long-run development. In Russia, the contribution of intangibles to growth is still modest, and its capacity to foster productivity has not been achieved. As previous studies showed, efficiency represents one of the main channels of total factor productivity growth. This paper studies the effects of intangibles on the efficiency of Russian manufacturing firms in 2009–2018. Considering the heterogeneity of sectors and firms, the stochastic frontier model is applied. In general, the impact of intangibles is positive but small and influenced by external shocks and structural features. The paper provides evidence on different contributions of intangibles to efficiency for high-tech and low-tech firms and its change over time. It contributes to the strand of literature regarding the technical efficiency measurement on the microlevel. On the practical side, the paper suggests an analytical framework for differentiated policy mechanisms to drive investments in intangibles, which are essential for current digital transformation.

Keywords:
intangible assets  technical efficiency  manufacturing  digitalisation 

This paper mainly aims to provide in-depth research on how Croatian franchisors utilise the possibilities of the digital environment in terms of their digital presence. The main focus of digital presence analysis is set on franchisors’ official website and supporting communication channels. For research, this paper focused on creating and testing a specialised evaluation model. The proposed model is dominantly based on three applicable models (Martinez & Gauchi, 2010; Rao & Frazer, 2005; Stefanović & Stanković, 2014) and revised according to the situational factors. A redesigned model was used to evaluate websites of Croatian franchisors, mainly focusing on the provided information, website usability, communication possibilities, and promotional activities. This research paper offers two main outcomes. The first outcome is the redesigned evaluation model, which was applied and tested with several provided improvement guidelines. The second outcome is the comparative analysis of the selected Croatian franchisors in terms of their digital presence and its relationship to several market-related indicators. The paper presents a literature review on franchising e-presence worldwide. The research results presented in this paper offer a better insight into the use of websites by Croatian franchisors. Based on their use, certain conclusions can be made. Consequently, a contribution is made to theoretical research about franchising in Croatia and can serve as a framework for further research in the region. Based on the findings of this paper and the information provided by Croatian franchisors about their products and/or services to current and potential buyers, investments in websites result in wider franchising networks and greater success in the market.

Keywords:
franchising  franchisor  Internet  websites  Croatia  e-commerce 

The relational capability can create networks and build relationships to be an essential part of a company to improve business performance. This study aims to empirically prove the influence of knowledge sharing on product innovation, the effect of network capability on product innovation and business performance, the effect of relational ability on product innovation and business performance, and the effect of product innovation on business performance. The sample of this research was created from owners of batik manufacturing SMEs in Lasem, Rembang, Central Java. The study used SEM-PLS for analysis. The results found that (1) knowledge sharing had a positive and significant effect on product innovation; (2) network capability had a positive and significant impact on product innovation and business performance; (3) relational ability had a positive and significant effect on product innovation and business performance; (4) greater effect of product innovation affects business performance. The role of product innovation is to mediate between knowledge sharing and marketing performance. SMEs can improve business performance.

Keywords:
knowledge sharing  network capability  relational capability  product innovation  business performance 

The first-priority directions for modern engineering, especially for multiproduct manufacturing, include the intensification of manufacturing processes, increasing the efficiency of technological equipment, and reducing the time required to implement technological solutions. Fixture design is a complicated and time-consuming process that requires considering many parameters of the closed-loop technological system “machine tool — fixture — cutting tool — workpiece”. One machined part can have several fixture layouts corresponding to all specified parameters; however, their effectiveness differs depending on production conditions. Search for an optimal fixture for specified production conditions is an essential stage of production planning. It has been proved that the efficiency of a manufacturing process should be assessed using single economic indicator — the cost of machining, which considers the costs of time, the total costs for process realisation, and a batch of parts. The paper aims to substantiate the efficiency of manufacturing processes in machining complex parts using flexible fixtures by developing a mathematical model that considers the cost of time, the cost of implementing the manufacturing process, and the batch value of parts production. This approach estimates the efficiency of manufacturing processes for machining complex parts and choosing the flexible fixture layout that corresponds to specific production conditions. It was proved that flexible fixtures could be effectively used for machining small batches of parts with frequent readjustments to new workpieces and short-term machining. A tendency has been established that the higher number of nomenclature of parts contributes to expanding the scope of the effective use of flexible fixtures.

Keywords:
flexible manufacturing  fixture design  multiaxis machining  cost of machining 

The overarching aim was to reduce the frequency of connection failures that occur due to the connection speed and reliability, and identify, characterise and optimise the key process input variables (KPIVs). An experimental research approach with an inbuilt planned manipulation to one or more variables in the experimental data set was adopted. Key elements of the Six-Sigma methodology were applied to resolve the issue of high failures due to connection speed and reliability between two Li-Fi transceivers. KPIVs were successfully identified, characterised and optimised to implement a permanent corrective action to ensure a reduction in connection failures from 17% to 0%. The alignment between two Li-Fi transceivers along with Li-Fi cut-out was found to be critical in achieving good connection speed and reliability. The interference due to ambient visible spectrum lighting found to be statistically insignificant. This study explored the application and benefits of accessible wireless data communication technologies. Moreover, it sheds light on the probable factors that may influence Li-Fi connection speed and areas for future research. The current research provides a Six- Sigma based solution to high connection failure rates while using an infrared-based Li-Fi transceiver. Results also offer insights into the analytical tools that were found to be effective during the problem-solving process.

Keywords:
Light Fidelity (Li-Fi)  Six-Sigma  defect reduction  wireless communication 

This article highlights the need to rethink how to manage mobility in Morocco more intelligently, given that it is a major pillar of economic competitiveness. Smart mobility based on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) allows to improve and ensure the optimal use of existing infrastructure before embarking on heavy and irreversible infrastructure projects. The case regarding the separation of the urban traffic and the Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) traffic circulating between Casablanca Port and Zenata Dry Port is a relevant example where smart mobility could provide efficient solutions without building costly tunnels. A dynamic simulation was made using the Aimsun software to quantify the relevance of the proposed lane designated to HGV in the existing road. This simulation allows to visualise congestion sections and quantify the circulation of vehicles and pedestrians. The article presents defined functions and characteristics of the Advanced Traffic Management (ATM) to ensure the optimal operation and efficient setting of the simulation. All appliances, hardware, and sensors that will be set up on-site will help to improve traffic safety, traffic flow, traffic information, and reduce congestion and pollution. This case study illustrates the complexity of managing the flow of goods in cities and suggests how to solve this type of problems using smart mobility. This research proposes reserving a special lane for HGV. ITS will help this cost-optimal alternative, will promote the urban framework of the coastal road, and contribute to sustainable mobility in Casablanca.

Keywords:
sustainable mobility  smart mobility  intelligent transport systems  advanced traffic management  heavy goods vehicles 

In the unit-load warehouse (UW) design, the aisle design problem dealing with storage space layout is the first among the three main problems. Several conventional and non-conventional designs have been proposed in the literature. In general, the assessment of UW designs is commonly carried out using analytical approaches. However, such an approach may be inadequate due to assumptions or approximations, making results unrealistic. Aiming to bridge this gap, this research develops an assessment framework that employs the FlexSim software for simulating the conventional, Flying-V and Fishbone designs based on a real case from a Philippine manufacturing company. Using a computer simulation, this research investigates factors not yet tractable with present analytical methods. The factors employed for the comparative assessment are “picking run-time”, “travel distance”, and “capacity”. The results suggest that the Fishbone design provides the most advantage compared to the Flying-V and other conventional designs. With the proposed Fishbone design, the company is expected to save, on average, 52.39% of picking run-time, 32.25% travel distance, and increase storage capacity by 7.5%. The research findings are compared to previous studies based on analytical approaches.

Keywords:
warehouse design  aisle design  production layout  Flying-V design  Fishbone design