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  • Latest Trends and New Tools Being Used in Strategic Management
    73-85
    Views:
    1000

    In today’s rapidly changing world, there is an increased need for excellent strategic planning. A firm’s survival may indeed hinge on the firm’s planning process being exemplary. Various aspects of the strategic planning process are under review today as organizations wrestle to compete more effectively in an ever-changing world. This paper reveals and describes five new trends or tools being utilized today by firms to more effectively engage in strategic planning. Specifically, the new trends and tools to be discussed in this paper are as follows: increased need to follow a strategic planning model; increased need to develop quality vision and mission statements; a new improved method for incorporating SWOT analysis into practice. Utilizing two matrices one internal and one external to provide a less biased way to access the current strategy fit with conditions facing the firm. Explain the use of a decision matrix commonly called the QSPM (Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix) for assessing the relative attractiveness of various strategies being considered for implementation. The purpose of this paper is to familiarize readers with basic new tools and techniques being used by organizations to effectively develop an improved strategic plan for the firm.

  • Artificial Intelligence Possibilities in Vehicle Industry
    148-154
    Views:
    411

    There have been several attempts during the last decades to extend the ranges of application of artificial intelligence. The aim of the development for AI is to replace human intelligence and experience. The ultimate aim for machines and vehicles is to run much more efficiently and with higher reliability than ever before. The Artificial Techniques (AI) used a wide range of expert systems to optimize problems. Hybrid intelligent management systems have become increasingly influential in artificial intelligence during the last decades. As a result, maintenance and fleet management systems have undergone significant development. By choosing adequate maintenance or operating strategy and taking user behaviour into consideration, these systems can not only increase the reliability and efficiency of vehicles but can also result in financial savings. The paper tries to discusses the applications of AI techniques in predictive maintenance and vehicle industry.

  • Case Study of Unilever's Zero-Emission Target Realization
    16-36
    Views:
    603

    This paper presents a detailed case study of Unilever’s strategy and progress toward achieving zero carbon emissions, focusing on Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. The study analyzes a 10-year time series of both financial and non-financial data to assess the relationship between sustainability indicators, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, total and renewable energy use, and the company’s operating profit. Forecasting techniques were applied to project future emission levels based on historical data, while correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between key variables. The results show a strong positive correlation between total energy use and CO₂ emissions, highlighting the importance of energy efficiency in emission reduction efforts. However, no significant correlation was found between operating profit and CO₂ emissions or energy use, suggesting that sustainability initiatives have not yet had a measurable direct impact on profitability. Despite this, Unilever has demonstrated substantial progress toward its climate targets, including a 91% reduction in CO₂ emissions per ton of production (compared to a 2008 baseline) and the transition to 100% renewable electricity in many of its facilities. The study concludes that while sustainability measures may not immediately influence profit margins, they are essential for long-term competitiveness and corporate responsibility. This case provides valuable insights for firms aiming to integrate environmental performance into strategic decision-making.

  • Maintenance Strategies and Life Cycle Costs of Renewable Energy Systems
    106-116
    Views:
    215

    Life cycle costs are important factors in decisions on renewable energy investments. Since maintenance costs generally constitute a high portion of the life cycle costs, the maintenance strategy applied in a project can affect the bottom line significantly. The effective maintenance tools used in the production industry (e.g., diagnostics, condition monitoring, data management, integrated information systems, machine learning, and automated decision making) can be involved in planning and maintenance of renewable energy systems to gain the benefits of these approaches. In this paper the effects of maintenance strategies on life cycle costs are investigated and the benefits of up-to-date condition monitoring techniques are presented through case studies.

  • Improving the Work Breakdown Structure of the Plant Installation - Case: Asphalt Plant
    174-187
    Views:
    510

    The improvement of the project management forced the industrial organizations to focus on using the project management techniques in their industry, to plan and control the workflow to achieve their targets, further to increase the satisfaction of their customers. One of the most common project management tools are used is the work breakdown structure (WBS), which provide a framework for the implementation of the project scope including project planning, scheduling, monitoring, control, and estimation. Depending on the top-down approach the project activities will be broken into smaller parts that can be measured and controlled during the project implementation. The well-defined construction of the structure contributes to making the project more realistic and visual. However, the misunderstanding of the project WBS among the project team creates deflection and misinterpretation of the project scope. The main issue of this research is to improve the WBS of the installation plan and develop a standard WBS for plant installation. The research was limited to Asphalt plant installation WBS as a case study to identify the weaknesses of the current WBS at the case company which leads to extra installation time and cost. The research is offering a template WBS based on the company logic, defining the frequent risks that affect the plant installation based on the WBS and suggesting a suitable response strategy by recommending a control framework to monitor and control the WBS schedule throughout all installation phases.