CERES :: Browsing by Author "Trollman, Hana"

Browsing by Author "Trollman, Hana"

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Open Access
Birth of dairy 4.0: opportunities and challenges in adoption of fourth industrial revolution technologies in the production of milk and its derivative
(Elsevier, 2023-07-01) Hassoun, Abdo; Garcia-Garcia, Guillermo; Trollman, Hana; Jagtap, Sandeep; Parra-López, Carlos; Cropotova, Janna; Bhat, Zuhaib; Centobelli, Piera; Aït-Kaddour, Abderrahmane
Embracing innovation and emerging technologies is becoming increasingly important to address the current global challenges facing many food industry sectors, including the dairy industry. Growing literature shows that the adoption of technologies of the fourth industrial revolution (named Industry 4.0) has promising potential to bring about breakthroughs and new insights and unlock advancement opportunities in many areas of the food manufacturing sector. This article discusses the current knowledge and recent trends and progress on the application of Industry 4.0 innovations in the dairy industry. First, the “Dairy 4.0” concept, inspired by Industry 4.0, is introduced and its enabling technologies are determined. Second, relevant examples of the use of Dairy 4.0 technologies in milk and its derived products are presented. Finally, conclusions and future perspectives are given. The results revealed that robotics, 3D printing, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Big Data, and blockchain are the main enabling technologies of Dairy 4.0. These advanced technologies are being progressively adopted in the dairy sector, from farm to table, making significant and profound changes in the production of milk, cheese, and other dairy products. It is expected that, in the near future, new digital innovations will emerge, and greater implementations of Dairy 4.0 technologies is likely to be achieved, leading to more automation and optimization of this dynamic food sector.
Open Access
Blockchain for ecologically embedded coffee supply chains
(MDPI, 2022-06-24) Trollman, Hana; Garcia-Garcia, Guillermo; Jagtap, Sandeep; Trollman, Frank
Background: This research aims to identify how blockchain technology could support the ecological embeddedness of the coffee supply chain. Ecological embeddedness is a subset of the circular economy (CE) that demands legitimacy through design changes to product, production and/or packaging for benefits to economic actors and the environment. This is in contrast with legitimacy as a public relations exercise. Blockchain is a digital transformation technology that is not fully conceptualized with respect to supply chain implementation and the related strategy formulation, particularly in the context of sustainability. Furthermore, the integration of consumers into the CE remains not well understood or researched, with the main focus of CE being the cycling of resources. Methods: This research employs a qualitative case study methodology of the first coffee business in the USA to use blockchain technology as an exemplar. Gap analysis is then applied to identify how blockchain could be used to advance from the current state to a more sustainable one. Results: Findings indicate that the implementation of blockchain is not ecologically embedded in the example studied. Conclusions: The extension of blockchain technology to consider the by-products of production and valorizable waste throughout the supply chain as assets would support ecologically embedded CE for coffee.
Open Access
A circularity indicator tool for measuring the ecological embeddedness of manufacturing
(MDPI, 2021-08-05) Trollman, Hana; Colwill, James; Jagtap, Sandeep
Circularity in manufacturing is critical to reducing raw material usage and waste. Ecological embeddedness examines circular relationships intended to benefit both economic actors and the natural environment. By understanding circular relationships in the value chain, manufacturers can formulate strategies that are eco-effective. This work develops and validates an original circularity tool to measure the ecological embeddedness of manufacturers using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The tool is tested on process manufacturers selling products in the United Kingdom. The three main results are that the tool is useful and comprehensive (87% of users), enables simple comparisons with competitors, and identifies weaknesses in strategies related to the five dimensions connecting manufacturers, consumers, and the environment: understanding, realising, utilising, negotiating, and reclaiming. Manufacturers may use the tool to improve their ecological embeddedness, and sector-based circularity levels may be established for policy development. The novelty of the tool is in the use of ecological relationships to support achievement of a circular economy.
Open Access
COVID-19 demand-induced scarcity effects on nutrition and environment: investigating mitigation strategies for eggs and wheat flour in the United Kingdom
(Elsevier, 2021-03-05) Trollman, Hana; Jagtap, Sandeep; Garcia-Garcia, Guillermo; Harastani, Rania; Colwill, James; Trollman, Frank
The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to food insecurity in developed countries. Despite adequate levels of agricultural production, consumers experienced demand-induced scarcity. Understanding the effects on nutrition and the environment is limited, yet critical to informing ecologically embedded mitigation strategies. To identify mitigation strategies, we investigated wheat flour and egg retail shortages in the United Kingdom (UK), focusing on consumer behavior during the COVID-19 lockdown. The 6 Steps for Quality Intervention Development (6SQuID) framework informed the methodology. Mixed qualitative and quantitative methods were used to pinpoint the causes of the shortages, and ecological impacts of consumer behavior were related using survey results (n = 243) and environmental and nutritional databases. This research confirmed consumers’ narrowed consideration set, willingness to pay, and significant reliance on processed foods which indicates agronomic biofortification, breeding strategies, selective imports and improved processed food quality are important mitigation strategies. We identified positive and negative synergies in consumer, producer and retailer behavior and related these to mitigation strategies in support of a circular bio-economy for food production. We found that the substitutes or alternative foods consumed during the COVID-19 lockdown were nutritionally inadequate. We identified the most ecological substitute for wheat flour to be corn flour; and for eggs, yogurt. Our findings also indicate that selenium deficiency is a risk for the UK population, especially to the increasing fifth of the population that is vegetarian. Due to the need to implement short-, medium-, and long-term mitigation strategies, a coordinated effort is required by all stakeholders.
Open Access
Crowdsourcing food security: introducing food choice derivatives for sustainability
(Springer, 2023-04-26) Trollman, Hana; Jagtap, Sandeep; Trollman, Frank
Global food supply chains are unprepared for the increasing number and severity of the expected environmental, social and economic shocks in the coming years. The price-setting process of commodities is directly impacted by such shocks, influencing consumer behavior regarding food choice and consumption. Both the market and advances in precision agriculture drive increased production and consumption. However, there has been a lack of consideration of how consumer behavior could be harnessed to mitigate such shocks through decreased consumption and reduced waste. The SAPPhIRE model of causality was applied to design sustainable and ecologically embedded futures derivatives that could have a role in affecting commodity markets. Multi-agent systems were combined with artificial intelligence and edge computing to provide the necessary functionality. The impact of war in Ukraine was used to exemplify the design of consumer “food choice” derivatives. This resulted in a mechanism to bring aggregated acts of consumer compassion and sustainability to commodities markets to mitigate food security shocks. When implementing food choice derivatives, care must be taken to ensure that consumer food choices are rational and compatible with individual nutritional needs and financial situations, and that the legitimate interests of agri-food businesses are protected.
Open Access
Digital technologies for water use and management in agriculture: recent applications and future outlook
(Elsevier, 2025-03-31) Parra-López, Carlos; Ben Abdallah, Saker; García García, Guillermo; Hassoun, Abdo; Trollman, Hana; Jagtap, Sandeep; Gupta, Sumit; Aït-Kaddour, Abderrahmane; Makmuang, Sureerat; Carmona-Torres, Carmen
This article provides a comprehensive overview of digital technologies for water use and management in agriculture, examining recent applications and future prospects. It examines key water-related challenges - scarcity, pollution, inefficient use and climate change - and shows how various digital technologies such as Remote Sensing, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Big Data, Robotics, Smart Sensors and Blockchain can help address them. The review finds that these technologies offer significant potential for improving water management practices, with Remote Sensing and Artificial Intelligence emerging as the most versatile and widely adopted. Efficient irrigation strategies appear to be the most common application across technologies. Digital solutions significantly reduce water wastage, help identify pollution hotspots, and improve overall water resource management. For example, remote sensing-based approaches (e.g. UAV-mounted multispectral cameras) can accurately monitor soil moisture to optimise irrigation scheduling, while AI-driven models (e.g. random forest or neural networks) can predict groundwater recharge or forecast rainfall events. However, several barriers to widespread adoption are identified, including high implementation costs, lack of technical expertise, data management challenges, and infrastructure and connectivity constraints. The study concludes by suggesting priorities for future research and development, highlighting the need for integrated technological solutions, improved accessibility and affordability, improved efficiency and sustainability, improved water quality, enhanced data management capabilities, and strategies to address emerging concerns such as cybersecurity and the environmental impact of digital technologies themselves. This review aims to inform future research, policy and practice in agricultural water management and support the development of more productive, resilient and sustainable agricultural systems.
Open Access
Emerging trends in the agri-food sector: digitalisation and shift to plant-based diets
(Elsevier, 2022-11-19) Hassoun, Abdo; Boukid, Fatma; Pasqualone, Antonella; Bryant, Christopher J.; García García, Guillermo; Carlos, Parra-López; Jagtap, Sandeep; Trollman, Hana; Cropotova, Janna; Barba, Francisco J.
Our planet is currently facing unprecedented interconnected environmental, societal, and economic dilemmas due to climate change, the outbreak of pandemics and wars, among others. These global challenges pose direct threats to food security and safety and clearly show the urgent need for innovative scientific solutions and technological approaches. Backed by the current alarming situation, many food-related trends have emerged in recent years in response to these global issues. This review looks at two megatrends in agriculture and the food industry; the shift to vegetable diets and the digital transformation in food production and consumption patterns. On one side, several innovative technologies and protein sources have been associated with more sustainable food systems and enhanced nutritional quality and safety. On the other side, many digital advanced technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things, blockchain, and 3D printing) have been increasingly applied in smart farms and smart food factories to improve food system outcomes. Increasing adoption of vegetal innovations and harnessing Industry 4.0 technologies along the food supply chain have the potential to enable efficient digital and ecological transitions.
Open Access
Food logistics 4.0: opportunities and challenges
(MDPI, 2020-12-30) Jagtap, Sandeep; Bader, Farah; Garcia-Garcia, Guillermo; Trollman, Hana; Fadiji, Tobi; Salonitis, Konstantinos
Food Logistics 4.0 is a term derived from Industry 4.0 focusing on all the aspects of food logistics management based on cyber-physical systems. It states that real-time information and the interconnectivity of things, supplemented with novel technologies will revolutionise and improve the way food logistics is carried out. It has tremendous potential in terms of bringing transparency, swift delivery of food at reduced cost, flexibility, and capability to deliver the right quality product at the right place and at the right time. This paper discusses the vital technologies within Food Logistics 4.0 and the opportunities and challenges in this regard. It focuses primarily on food logistics, including resource planning, warehouse management, transportation management, predictive maintenance, and data security. Internet of Things, Blockchain, Robotics and Automation and artificial intelligence are some of the technologies discussed.
Open Access
Food processing 4.0: Current and future developments spurred by the fourth industrial revolution
(Elsevier, 2022-11-10) Hassoun, Abdo; Jagtap, Sandeep; Trollman, Hana; Garcia-Garcia, Guillermo; Abdullah, Nour Alhaj; Goksen, Gulden; Bader, Farah; Ozogul, Fatih; Barba, Francisco, J.; Cropotova, Janna; Munekata, Paulo E. S.; Lorenzo, José M.
“Food processing 4.0” concept denotes processing food in the current digital era by harnessing fourth industrial revolution (called Industry 4.0) technologies to improve quality and safety of processed food products, reduce production costs and time, save energy and resources, as well as diminish food loss and waste. Industry 4.0 technologies have been gaining great attention in recent years, revolutionizing, and transforming many manufacturing industries, including the food processing sector. The aim of this narrative review is to provide an updated overview of recent developments of Industry 4.0 technologies in digital transformation and process automation of the food processing industry. Our literature review shows the key role of robotics, smart sensors, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and Big Data as the main enablers of the Food Processing 4.0. advantages in terms of quality control (sorting during processing with robotics and Artificial Intelligence, for instance), safety (connecting sensors and devices with Internet of Things), and production efficiency (forecasting demand with Big Data). However, detailed studies are still necessary to tackle significant challenges and provide deep insights into each of Food Processing 4.0 enablers such as the development of specific effectors for robotics; miniaturization and portability for sensors; standardization of systems and improve data sharing for Big Data; and reduce initial and maintenance costs of these technologies.
Open Access
Food quality 4.0: From traditional approaches to digitalized automated analysis
(Elsevier, 2022-08-01) Hassoun, Abdo; Jagtap, Sandeep; Garcia-Garcia, Guillermo; Trollman, Hana; Pateiro, Mirian; Lorenzo, José M.; Trif, Monica; Rusu, Alexandru; Aadil, Rana Muhammad; Šimat, Vida; Cropotova, Janna; Câmara, José S.
Food quality has recently received considerable attention from governments, researchers, and consumers due to the increasing demand for healthier and more nutritious food products. Traditionally, food quality is determined using a range of destructive and time-consuming approaches with modest analytical performance, underscoring the urgent need to develop novel analytical techniques. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (called Industry 4.0) is progressing exponentially, driven by the advent of a range of digital technologies and other innovative technological advances. “Food Quality 4.0” is a new concept referring to the use of Industry 4.0 technologies in food analysis to achieve rapid, reliable, and objective assessment of food quality. In this review, we will first discuss the fundamentals and principles of Food Industry 4.0 technologies and their connections with the Food Quality 4.0 concept. Then, the most common techniques used to determine food quality will briefly be reviewed before highlighting the advancements made in analytical techniques to assess food quality in the era of Industry 4.0. Food Quality 4.0 is characterized by growing digitalization and automation of food analysis using the most advanced technologies in the food industry. Key aspects of Food Quality 4.0, including, among others, non-destructive fingerprinting techniques, omics technologies and bioinformatics tools, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, have great potential to revolutionize food quality. Although most of these technologies are still under development, it is anticipated that future research will overcome current limitations for large-scale applications.
Open Access
A framework for recovering waste heat energy from food processing effluent
(MDPI, 2022-12-21) Luo, Yang; Jagtap, Sandeep; Trollman, Hana; Garcia-Garcia, Guillermo
Effluent water from food processing retains considerable heat energy after emission from treatment systems. Heat recovery technologies that may be appropriate for implementation in the food processing industry have been widely explored, and selection of the most suitable methodologies has been pursued. A four-stage framework is introduced in this paper to evaluate the potential recoverability of waste heat along with acceptor streams. The systematic approach utilizes thermal and temporal compatibility tools and cost–benefit analyses to determine the ideal heat-recovery equipment for food processing effluent. The applicability of this framework is demonstrated through an industrial case study undertaken in a vegetable canning processing facility. Based on the findings, the framework yields an efficient and optimized heat recovery approach to reducing the total energy demand of the facility.
Open Access
From failure to success: a framework for successful deployment of Industry 4.0 principles in the aerospace industry
(Emerald, 2023-08-30) Gupta, Sumit; Joshi, Deepika; Jagtap, Sandeep; Trollman, Hana; Haddad, Yousef; Atescan Yuksek, Yagmur; Salonitis, Konstantinos; Raut, Rakesh; Narkhede, Balkrishna
Purpose The paper proposes a framework for the successful deployment of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) principles in the aerospace industry, based on identified success factors. The paper challenges the perception of I4.0 being aligned with de-skilling and personnel reduction and instead promotes a route to successful deployment centred on upskilling and retaining personnel for future role requirements. Design/methodology/approach The research methodology involved a literature review and industrial data collection via questionnaires to develop and validate the framework. The questionnaire was sent to a purposive sample of 50 respondents working in operations, and a response rate of 90% was achieved. Content analysis was used to identify patterns, themes, or biases, and the data were tabulated based on specific common attributes. The proposed framework consists of a series of gates and criteria that must be met before progressing to the next gate. Findings The proposed framework provides a feedback mechanism to review minimum standards for successful deployment, aligned with new developments in capability and technology, and ensures quality assessment at each gate. The paper highlights the potential benefits of I4.0 implementation in the aerospace industry, including reducing operational costs and improving competitiveness by eliminating variation in manufacturing processes. The identified success factors were used to define the framework, and the identified failure points were used to form mitigation actions or controls for inclusion in the framework. Originality/value The paper provides a framework for the successful deployment of I4.0 principles in the aerospace industry, based on identified success factors. The framework challenges the perception of I4.0 as being aligned with de-skilling and personnel reduction and instead promotes a route to successful deployment centred on upskilling and retaining personnel for future role requirements. The framework can be used as a guideline for organizations to deploy I4.0 principles successfully and improve competitiveness.
Open Access
From Food Industry 4.0 to Food Industry 5.0: Identifying technological enablers and potential future applications in the food sector
(Wiley, 2024-11-01) Hassoun, Abdo; Jagtap, Sandeep; Trollman, Hana; Garcia‐Garcia, Guillermo; Duong, Linh N. K.; Saxena, Prateek; Bouzembrak, Yamine; Treiblmaier, Horst; Para‐López, Carlos; Carmona-Torres, Carmen ; Dev, Kapal; Mhlanga, David; Aït‐Kaddour, Abderrahmane
Although several food‐related fields have yet to fully grasp the speed and breadth of the fourth industrial revolution (also known as Industry 4.0), growing literature from other sectors shows that Industry 5.0 (referring to the fifth industrial revolution) is already underway. Food Industry 4.0 has been characterized by the fusion of physical, digital, and biological advances in food science and technology, whereas future Food Industry 5.0 could be seen as a more holistic, multidisciplinary, and multidimensional approach. This review will focus on identifying potential enabling technologies of Industry 5.0 that could be harnessed to shape the future of food in the coming years. We will review the state‐of‐the‐art studies on the use of innovative technologies in various food and agriculture applications over the last 5 years. In addition, opportunities and challenges will be highlighted, and future directions and conclusions will be drawn. Preliminary evidence suggests that Industry 5.0 is the outcome of an evolutionary process and not of a revolution, as is often claimed. Our results show that regenerative and/or conversational artificial intelligence, the Internet of Everything, miniaturized and nanosensors, 4D printing and beyond, cobots and advanced drones, edge computing, redactable blockchain, metaverse and immersive techniques, cyber‐physical systems, digital twins, and sixth‐generation wireless and beyond are likely to be among the main driving technologies of Food Industry 5.0. Although the framework, vision, and value of Industry 5.0 are becoming popular research topics in various academic and industrial fields, the agri‐food sector has just started to embrace some aspects and dimensions of Industry 5.0.
Open Access
Guest editorial: digitizing food supply chains: a path to ensuring food security
(Emerald, 2025-04-15) Jagtap, Sandeep; Trollman, Hana; Woolley, Elliot
Open Access
Guest editorial: transforming food supply chains: harnessing the potential of the digital era
(Emerald, 2025-02-26) Jagtap, Sandeep; Trollman, Hana; Gupta, Sumit; Norrman, Andreas
Open Access
Implementation of relevant fourth industrial revolution innovations across the supply chain of fruits and vegetables: a short update on Traceability 4.0
(Elsevier, 2022-12-29) Hassoun, Abdo; Kamiloglu, Senem; Garcia-Garcia, Guillermo; Parra-López, Carlos; Trollman, Hana; Jagtap, Sandeep; Aadil, Rana Muhammad; Esatbeyoglu, Tuba
Food Traceability 4.0 refers to the application of fourth industrial revolution (or Industry 4.0) technologies to ensure food authenticity, safety, and high food quality. Growing interest in food traceability has led to the development of a wide range of chemical, biomolecular, isotopic, chromatographic, and spectroscopic methods with varied performance and success rates. This review will give an update on the application of Traceability 4.0 in the fruits and vegetables sector, focusing on relevant Industry 4.0 enablers, especially Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, blockchain, and Big Data. The results show that the Traceability 4.0 has significant potential to improve quality and safety of many fruits and vegetables, enhance transparency, reduce the costs of food recalls, and decrease waste and loss. However, due to their high implementation costs and lack of adaptability to industrial environments, most of these advanced technologies have not yet gone beyond the laboratory scale. Therefore, further research is anticipated to overcome current limitations for large-scale applications.
Open Access
Integrating digital technologies in agriculture for climate change adaptation and mitigation: state of the art and future perspectives
(Elsevier, 2024-11-01) Parra-López, Carlos; Ben Abdallah, Saker; Garcia-Garcia, Guillermo; Hassoun, Abdo; Sánchez-Zamora, Pedro; Trollman, Hana; Jagtap, Sandeep; Carmona-Torres, Carmen
Agriculture faces a major challenge in meeting the world's growing demand for food in a sustainable manner in the face of increasing environmental pressures, in particular the growing impact of climate change. Agriculture is also a major contributor to climate change. Digital technologies in agriculture can contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation. This paper examines the interactions between climate change and agriculture, reviews adaptation and mitigation strategies, explores the application of digital technologies in this context, and discusses future challenges and opportunities for sustainable and resilient agriculture. The final aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state and future prospects of digital agriculture in the context of climate change. A comprehensive literature review was conducted on adaptation and mitigation strategies in agriculture, and on the current state and future prospects of digital agriculture in the context of climate change adaptation and mitigation. The identified applications of digital technologies in agriculture include Remote Sensing for crop monitoring, Big Data for predictive modelling of water shortages and pest outbreaks, Artificial Intelligence for pest identification and tracking, the Internet of Things for precision fertiliser management, nanotechnology for soil improvement, robots for targeted spraying, and blockchain for improved soil management and supply chain transparency, among others. These technologies facilitate the precise management of resources, improve decision-making processes and enable more efficient agricultural practices. Digital technologies also help mitigate climate change by optimising inputs such as water and fertiliser, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting carbon sequestration. However, there are significant barriers to the adoption of these technologies, including the digital divide, high up-front costs and complexity, as well as privacy and security concerns and the environmental impact of technology use. Future action must address these barriers by investing in infrastructure and training, ensuring financial incentives, developing scalable digital solutions tailored to local agricultural conditions, increasing digital literacy among farmers, developing comprehensive governance frameworks, and exploring the integration of multiple digital technologies. The paper contributes to advancing scientific understanding and guiding practice and policy towards sustainable agriculture in the face of climate change. It provides a call to action for a more sustainable future in the context of climate change and highlights the urgency of multi-stakeholder collaboration to create an enabling environment for the widespread adoption of these innovations, ensuring that they are accessible, cost-effective and suitable for different farming environments.
Open Access
Optimizing industrial etching processes for PCB manufacturing: real-time temperature control using VGG-based transfer learning
(Springer, 2025-04-01) Luo, Yang; Jagtap, Sandeep; Trollman, Hana; Garcia-Garcia, Guillermo; Liu, Xiaoyan; Abdul Majeed, Anwar P. P.
Accurate temperature control in Printed Circuit Board (PCB) manufacturing is essential for maintaining high-quality etching results. Automated monitoring using machine vision and deep learning offers an effective approach for this task. This study investigated a feature-based transfer learning technique for classifying temperature readiness in infrared images of the etching process. The captured dataset containing 470 ‘Production-Ready’ and 480 ‘Not-Ready’ infrared images of the etchant tank was utilized. Pre-trained Visual Geometry Group (VGG) Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models, specifically VGG16 and VGG19, were employed to extract discriminative features from these images. Logistic Regression (LR) classifiers were then trained on these features to classify the infrared images. The performance of the VGG16-LR and VGG19-LR pipelines was evaluated on training, validation, and test sets using a 60:20:20 split. While both pipelines achieved 100% accuracy on the training sets, the VGG19 pipeline showed exceptional performance, achieving a validation accuracy of 95%, and a test accuracy of 99%. The VGG16 pipeline also demonstrated robust performance, achieving 96% accuracy on both the validation and test sets. Considering the dimensions and the overall efficiency of the pipeline, it was determined that the VGG19-LR model was appropriate for the captured dataset. The high accuracy indicates that transfer learning is suitable for categorizing temperature fluctuation in infrared thermography, as opposed to training a deep neural network from scratch. Computer vision and deep learning provide automated and precise temperature management during the etching process, leading to enhanced efficiency in PCB manufacturing.
Open Access
Pharma 4.0: a deep dive top management commitment to successful Lean 4.0 implementation in Ghanaian pharma manufacturing sector
(Elsevier, 2024-09-15) Tetteh, Michelle Grace; Gupta, Sumit; Kumar, Mukesh; Trollman, Hana; Salonitis, Konstantinos; Jagtap, Sandeep
The primary aim of this study is to assess the significance of top management commitment in the context of Lean 4.0 implementation within the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in Ghana. The study seeks to understand and evaluate the overall effectiveness and achievements associated with adopting Lean 4.0. Employing a positivist mindset, the research utilizes an explanatory quantitative research design and a survey technique. Data collected from 181 employees of pharmaceutical companies in Ghana undergo analysis using SmartPLS (version 4) and IBM SPSS version 26. The study employs a combination of descriptive statistics to summarise data characteristics and inferential statistics to test various hypotheses related to Lean 4.0 adoption. The analysis reveals that the successful integration of lean methods and Industry 4.0 technologies requires meticulous management. Simultaneously, individual implementations of lean principles and Industry 4.0 technologies positively impact business performance. Surprisingly, the study does not observe a substantial positive influence of Lean 4.0 on corporate performance, suggesting that immediate improvements in efficiency or profitability may not result from the adoption of this framework. This research contributes to the field by highlighting the need for careful management in integrating lean methods and Industry 4.0 technologies. It also emphasizes the positive impacts of lean principles and Industry 4.0 technology on business performance. The unexpected finding regarding the lack of immediate improvements in corporate efficiency or profitability with Lean 4.0 adoption prompts considerations of initial implementation challenges or the organization's need for time to adapt to this integrated approach.
Open Access
The Russia-Ukraine conflict: its implications for the global food supply chains
(MDPI, 2022-07-14) Jagtap, Sandeep; Trollman, Hana; Trollman, Frank; Garcia-Garcia, Guillermo; Parra-López, Carlos; Duong, Linh; Martindale, Wayne; Munekata, Paulo E. S.; Lorenzo, Jose M.; Hdaifeh, Ammar; Hassoun, Abdo; Salonitis, Konstantinos; Afy-Shararah, Mohamed
Food is one of the most traded goods, and the conflict in Ukraine, one of the European breadbaskets, has triggered a significant additional disruption in the global food supply chains after the COVID-19 impact. The disruption to food output, supply chains, availability, and affordability could have a long-standing impact. As a result, the availability and supply of a wide range of food raw materials and finished food products are under threat, and global markets have seen recent increases in food prices. Furthermore, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has adversely affected food supply chains, with significant effects on production, sourcing, manufacturing, processing, logistics, and significant shifts in demand between nations reliant on imports from Ukraine. This paper aims to analyze the impacts of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on the effectiveness and responsiveness of the global food supply chains. A PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) approach, including grey literature, was deployed to investigate six key areas of the food supply chains that would be impacted most due to the ongoing war. Findings include solutions and strategies to mitigate supply chain impacts such as alternative food raw materials, suppliers and supply chain partners supported by technological innovations to ensure food safety and quality in warlike situations.