Eco‐design in total environmental quality management

TQM Journal - Tập 24 Số 1 - Trang 47-58 - 2012
George J.Besseris1
1Department of Automation, Technological Education Institute of Piraeus, Attica, Greece

Tóm tắt

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology that may aid in assessing ecological quality multi‐trait screening through the use of simple and robust tools while exerting minimal effort in conducting trials and interpreting results.Design/methodology/approachResponse data for two popular site‐monitoring environmental indicators, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), are arranged by implementing an 8‐run saturated orthogonal array proposed by Taguchi. Unreplicated data consolidation is performed through the Super‐Ranking translation. This permits converting the two eco‐traits to a single master response which becomes much easier to manipulate statistically. Distribution‐free multi‐factor contrasting provides the data reduction engine to filter‐out non‐active eco‐design variables for a waste treatment unit in a large dairy‐products plant.FindingsEnvironmental quality improvement is achieved by accumulating structured eco‐data sets through an unreplicated‐saturated L8(27) Taguchi design. Concurrent minimization of the two selected eco‐responses, COD and BOD, promotes in a statistically significant fashion the quantity of incoming wastes, set at its minimum load, as the sole active eco‐factor.Practical implicationsBrief but robust experimentation is exploited in gaining information about the phenomenological behavior of environmental quality indicators, namely COD and BOD, in facilities that manage wastewater treatment. Design for environment is enforced through standard DOE planning schemes. Collected multi‐metric eco‐quality data are translated non‐parametrically in an easy‐to‐comprehend manner that requires no assist from software aids while bypassing more statistical intensive techniques which may demand involvement of more experienced personnel. The methodology is accessible to any level of statistical competence seamlessly intertwined to optimization demands for rapid inference needs.Originality/valueThe method mixes up three distinctive “design‐and‐analysis” elements in order to provide optimal solution in a design‐for‐environment project. The sampling capabilities of Taguchi's orthogonal arrays in concert with Super‐Ranking transformation fuse multi‐eco‐characteristics to a single easy‐to‐handle master unitless eco‐response. Order statistics tables recently published in terms of true probabilities have been adopted for supplying the proper cutoff points to be utilized for gauging against observed rank sums for an 8‐run orthogonal array screening. Quality managers and environmental engineers who contribute routinely to continuous eco‐improvement projects in their Total Environmental Quality Management (TEQM) program may find this approach attractive and viable en route to a typical industrial pollution prevention control deployment.

Từ khóa


Tài liệu tham khảo

Antony, J. (2003), Design of Experiments for Engineers and Scientists, 1st ed., Elsevier Science and Technology Books, Butterworth‐Heinemann Publication, Waltham, MA.

Arvidsson, M. and Gremyr, I. (2008), “Principles of robust design methodology”, Quality and Reliability Engineering International, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 23‐35.

Bansal, P. and Roth, K. (2000), “Why companies go green: a model of ecological responsiveness”, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 43 No. 4, pp. 717‐36.

Besseris, G.J. (2008a), Environmental Management Systems, 1st ed., Hellenic Open University Publications, Patras.

Besseris, G.J. (2008b), “Analysis of an unreplicated fractional‐factorial design using nonparametric tests”, Quality Engineering, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 96‐112.

Besseris, G.J. (2009a), “Order statistics for a two‐level 8‐run saturated‐unreplicated fractional‐factorial screening”, Quality Engineering, Vol. 21 No. 4, pp. 1‐16.

Besseris, G.J. (2009b), “Multi‐response robust screening in quality construction blue‐printing”, International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, Vol. 26 No. 6, pp. 583‐613.

Borri, F. and Boccaletti, G. (1995), “From total quality management to total quality environmental management”, The TQM Magazine, Vol. 7 No. 5, pp. 38‐42.

Box, G.E.P., Hunter, J.S. and Hunter, W.G. (2005), Statistics for Experimenters: Design, Innovation, and Discovery, 2nd ed., Wiley‐Interscience, Hoboken, NJ.

Costa, N. and Pereira, Z.L. (2007), “Decision‐making in the analysis of unreplicated factorial designs”, Quality Engineering, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 215‐25.

Fryer, K.J., Antony, J. and Douglas, A. (2007), “Critical success factors of continuous improvement in the public sector: a literature review and some key findings”, TQM Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 5, pp. 497‐517.

Giancarlo, B. (2005), “Matching ‘environmental performance’ and ‘quality performance’”, The TQM Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 6, pp. 497‐508.

Giles, F. (2006), “Adding value to your organization through EMS implementation”, Environmental Quality Management, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 1‐6.

Goh, T.N. (2002), “The role of the statistical design of experiments in Six Sigma”, Quality Engineering, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 659‐71.

Hart, S. (1997), “Beyond greening: strategies for a sustainable world”, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 75 (January‐February) pp. 66‐76.

Huber, P.J. (2003), Robust Statistics Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics, 1st ed., Wiley Interscience, New York, NY.

Hunkeler, D. and Biswas, G. (2000), “Return on environment”, International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, Vol. 5 No. 6, pp. 358‐62.

Hur, T., Kim, I. and Yamamoto, R. (2004), “Measurement of green productivity and its improvement”, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 12 No. 7, pp. 673‐83.

Ilzarbe, L., Alvarez, M.J., Viles, E. and Tanco, M. (2008), “Practical applications of design of experiments in the fields of engineering: a bibliographical review”, Quality and Reliability Engineering International, Vol. 24 No. 4, pp. 417‐28.

ISO 14001 (2004), Environmental Management Systems‐Specifications with Guidance for Use, International Organization for Standardization, Geneva.

Karapetrovic, S. and Willborn, W. (1998), “Integration of quality and environmental management systems”, The TQM Magazine, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 204‐13.

Kovach, J. and Cho, B.R. (2006), “A D‐optimal design approach to robust design under constraints: a new design for Six Sigma tool”, International Journal of Six Sigma and Competitive Advantage, Vol. 2 No. 4, pp. 389‐403.

Laslo, C. (2003), The Sustainable Company: How to Create Lasting Value Through Social and Environmental Performance, Island Press, Washington, DC.

Lawrence, L., Andrews, D. and France, C. (1998), “Alignment and deployment of environmental strategy through total quality management”, The TQM Magazine, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 238‐45.

Lawrence, L., Andrews, D., Ralph, B. and France, C. (2002), “Identifying and assessing environmental impacts: investigating ISO 14001 approaches”, The TQM Magazine, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 43‐50.

Lim, S.‐R. and Park, J.M. (2009), “Environmental indicators for communication of life cycle impact assessment results and their applications”, Journal of Environmental Management, Vol. 90 No. 11, pp. 3305‐12.

Lopez‐Gamero, M.D., Molina‐Azorin, J.F. and Claver‐Cortes, E. (2009), “The whole relationship between environmental variables and firm performance: competitive advantage and firm resources as mediator variables”, Journal of Environmental Management, Vol. 90 No. 10, pp. 3110‐21.

Montgomery, D.C. (2008), Design and Analysis of Experiments, 7th ed., Wiley, Hoboken, NJ.

Picazo‐Tadeo, A.J. and Prior, D. (2009), “Environmental externalities and efficiency measurement”, Journal of Environmental Management, Vol. 90 No. 11, pp. 3332‐9.

Pojasek, R.B. (2008), “Framing your lean‐to‐green effort”, Environmental Quality Management, Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 85‐93.

Sakao, T. (2009), “Quality engineering for early stage of environmentally conscious design”, The TQM Journal, Vol. 21 No. 2, pp. 182‐93.

Searcy, C., Karapetrovic, S. and McCartney, D. (2009), “Design corporate sustainable development indicators”, Environmental Quality Management, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp. 31‐42.

Sebhatu, S.P. and Enquist, B. (2007), “ISO 14001 as a driving force for sustainable development and value creation”, The TQM Journal, Vol. 19 No. 5, pp. 468‐82.

Taguchi, G., Chowdhury, S. and Taguchi, S. (2000), Robust Engineering‐Learn How to Boost Quality While Reducing Costs and Time to Market, McGraw‐Hill, New York, NY.

Cole, R. (2001), “From continuous improvement to continuous innovation”, Quality Management Journal, Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 7‐20.

Pande, P. and Holpp, L. (2001), What is Six Sigma?, 1st ed., McGraw‐Hill, New York, NY.

Pyzdek, T. and Keller, P. (2009), The Six Sigma Handbook, 3rd ed., McGraw‐Hill Professional, New York, NY.

Thông tin
Thông tin xuất bản

TQM Journal

Tập 24 Số 1

47-58

Thông tin tác giả