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In the realms of operations management (OM) and supply chain management (SCM), the significance of the human factor (HF) is increasingly recognised as a pivotal determinant of corporate performance. This burgeoning interest aligns with the recognition that individual characteristics—spanning personality traits, attitudes, and soft skills—play a critical role in enhancing organisational outcomes. Despite growing scrutiny, the discourse is hampered by terminological ambiguity and the conflation of critical human-centric concepts within the OSCM context. Addressing this gap, our study embarks on a mission to dissect and delineate the nuanced distinctions among "soft skills", "attitudes", and "personality traits". By proposing a clear and actionable taxonomy, this paper aims to facilitate the practical application and understanding of these terms within organisational settings. Leveraging the "Knowledge Development Process-Constructivist" (ProKnow-C), we conducted a systematic examination of the existing scientific literature to unearth and critically review pertinent bibliometric and content analyses. Our work not only illuminates the path for future research but also underscores the necessity of clarity and precision in the conceptualisation and application of human-factor considerations in OM and SCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper discusses the concept, definition and usage of Key Activity Indicators (KAIs) and their integration within a Performance Measurement and Management system (PMM). Design/methodology/approach: The actual definition and application areas of the KAIs are determined through a systematic literature review. Successively, a thorough definition of Key Activity Indicators is provided, along with a set of criteria for their deployment. Lastly, a case involving a Large Scale Retail Trade (LSRT) company is reported to report an example for guiding KAIs adoption. Findings: This research shows that the scientific background concerning KAIs is still not mature. Moreover, the paper defines the role of KAIs for measuring operational activities and their possible connection with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Research limitations/implications: Although KAIs have been introduced and discussed in the scientific literature; there is no evidence of criteria to deploy these indicators, leaving organizations without any guidance for their operational implementation. Practical implications: From an academic standpoint, the study provides an overview of the usage of KAIs within the present scientific contributions, showing the advancements of this research field. From an industrial standpoint, the research proposes a set of criteria for the organizational deployment of KAIs. Originality/value: The study investigates the concept of KAIs that, besides being originally conceived within World Class Manufacturing (WCM), has not received much attention in the scientific literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper discusses and integrates the concept of complexity in the performance measurement and management (PMM) theory by providing a comprehensive framework to design and evaluate the overall coherence alignment of an indicators hierarchy in unstable and changing environment. Design/methodology/approach: An original, comprehensive and dynamic framework has been proposed and then applied on a sample case of a large-scale retail trade (LSRT) company, starting from relevant frameworks and criteria in the scientific literature. Findings: This research shows that organizational changes may significantly impact the coherence alignment of an organization's indicators hierarchy. In addition, it finds that even though the alignment at the operational level is obtained, its effectiveness should be evaluated in relation to the organization's strategic orientation. Indeed, without assessing the strategic alignment of an indicators system, an aligned hierarchy at the operational level could lead to ineffective results. Research limitations/implications: This paper focuses on the topic of measuring the coherence inside an indicators hierarchy, which seems not to be addressed in the literature. Thus, it opens a new research stream, integrating the studies on performance indicators with an essential element that often causes flawed performance measures in organizations. Practical implications: Organizations could adopt this framework to design effective PMM systems and maintain them in light of the organizational changes. Originality/value: This study introduces different metrics to evaluate the coherence and alignment of an indicators system, being one of the few research studies to address this topic in the context of complex and changing environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This technical note provides the mathematical demonstration for obtaining the optimal aspect ratio for a rectangular storage area with a lateral receive/ship dock, representing the standard configuration of modern distribution centers and logistic warehouses. The proposed aspect ratio is the one that minimizes the travel times of operators, keeping the common assumption of a storage area having a uniform access probability. Design/methodology/approach: To obtain the optimal aspect ratio of the storage area, the entry point of the uniformly distributed dock is modeled with a random variable, with a continuous uniform distribution, and the average travel path of the operator is consequently assessed as a function of the latter. Successively, the average roundtrip length of the operator is evaluated and minimized, leading to the optimal aspect ratio of the storage area. Findings: It is found that the optimal aspect ratio between the warehouse width (U) and length (V) equals 1.5. The obtained result - which is novel for the warehouse design research since no other contribution discussed it - shows that the operators' travel times are minimized with a storage area where 1 = 1.5V. Research limitations/implications: Warehouses with a dock on one side now represent the standard configuration of modern distribution centers'. However, no optimal aspect ratio for the storage area has been discussed. For this reason, the paper fills this lack of scientific literature in the warehouse optimization research by providing indications on how to design this class of warehouses. Practical implications: Distribution managers find here guidance for defining a proper design of logistics centers and evaluating the operators' 'travel times to perform a roundtrip within the storage area. Indeed, the found aspect ratio indicates the optimal design for a storage area with the abovementioned assumptions. Originality/value: Traditional warehouse shape optimization models assume a single input/output point to the storage area. To our knowledge, no formal demonstration has been proposed for a warehouse with a dock on one entire side. Hence, the added value and novelty of this contribution are given by the possibility to adopt the optimal aspect ratio to perform an adequate design of distribution centers and warehouses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]