Mirjana Čičak

Bio: Mirjana Čičak is an academic researcher from Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek. The author has contributed to research in topics: Industry 4.0 & Enterprise resource planning. The author has an hindex of 4, co-authored 13 publications receiving 54 citations.

RFID and Supply Chain Management for Manufacturing Digital Enterprise

Abstract: In the modern, complex and dynamic business environment due to continuously shortening product life-cycles, higher variety and increased outsourcing activity, with increasing globalisation and digitalisation and with a rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICT), manufacturing enterprises have to improve their competitiveness by quickly responding to the changing customers and business partners demands. In order to be competitive, manufacturing enterprises must implement technologies such as enterprise resource planning systems (ERP) and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to improve operational efficiencies and establish better relationship with their business partners. Enterprises have to integrate information and communications technologies to improve internal processes (within the enterprise) and external processes (with business partners in the supply chain).The aim of this chapter is to review the literature on RFID to gain a clearer insight to RFID technology trends and applications, especially for manufacturing digital enterprise and supply chain management through increased supply chain visibility at all stages of the process. This chapter focuses on information visibility and information sharing by usage of RFID technology and integration of RFID technology with Croatian solution of ERP system in the digital enterprise. The objective is to enable real-time status information about material, products, workers and other resources needed for management decisions, in context of hierarchical planning and scheduling and just in time principles. The system should enhance the visibility of information and material flows in the internal as well as external supply chain integration with objective to ensure timely and effective access to information and timely response to demand, to achieve production, supply and marketing coordination to satisfy customer requirements. Thus a more effective and efficient business processes and real-time information for management support in digital enterprise should be attained.

Using ERP system to improve internal supply chain coordination

Abstract: In today's competitive global market, one of the most effective ways towards achieving competitive advantage has been the ability to accelerate the supply chain process through ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems. ERP enables a more efficient internal and external supply chain. Enterprise resource planning system is an information system that manages all aspects of a business (production planning, sales, distribution, accounting, purchasing and customer services). Planning system is the core of an ERP system. The aim of this paper is to propose a hierarchical planning and scheduling model based on just-in-time principle to improve internal supply chain coordination for one-piece and small batch production. The model is implemented into the system ERPINS (Enterprise Resource Planning ININ Solutions) that is developed for metal processing industry, wood and food processing industry and construction industry.

Recent advances on halohydrin dehalogenases—from enzyme identification to novel biocatalytic applications

Abstract: Halohydrin dehalogenases are industrially relevant enzymes that catalyze the reversible dehalogenation of vicinal haloalcohols with formation of the corresponding epoxides. In the reverse reaction, also other negatively charged nucleophiles such as azide, cyanide, or nitrite are accepted besides halides to open the epoxide ring. Thus, novel C-N, C-C, or C-O bonds can be formed by halohydrin dehalogenases, which makes them attractive biocatalysts for the production of various β-substituted alcohols. Despite the fact that only five individual halohydrin dehalogenase enzyme sequences have been known until recently enabling their heterologous production, a large number of different biocatalytic applications have been reported using these enzymes. The recent characterization of specific sequence motifs has facilitated the identification of novel halohydrin dehalogenase sequences available in public databases and has largely increased the number of recombinantly available enzymes. These will help to extend the biocatalytic repertoire of this enzyme family and to foster novel biotechnological applications and developments in the future. This review gives a general overview on the halohydrin dehalogenase enzyme family and their biochemical properties and further focuses on recent developments in halohydrin dehalogenase biocatalysis and protein engineering.

Expanding the Halohydrin Dehalogenase Enzyme Family: Identification of Novel Enzymes by Database Mining.

Abstract: Halohydrin dehalogenases are very rare enzymes that are naturally involved in the mineralization of halogenated xenobiotics. Due to their catalytic potential and promiscuity, many biocatalytic reactions have been described that have led to several interesting and industrially important applications. Nevertheless, only a few of these enzymes have been made available through recombinant techniques; hence, it is of general interest to expand the repertoire of these enzymes so as to enable novel biocatalytic applications. After the identification of specific sequence motifs, 37 novel enzyme sequences were readily identified in public sequence databases. All enzymes that could be heterologously expressed also catalyzed typical halohydrin dehalogenase reactions. Phylogenetic inference for enzymes of the halohydrin dehalogenase enzyme family confirmed that all enzymes form a distinct monophyletic clade within the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase superfamily. In addition, the majority of novel enzymes are substantially different from previously known phylogenetic subtypes. Consequently, four additional phylogenetic subtypes were defined, greatly expanding the halohydrin dehalogenase enzyme family. We show that the enormous wealth of environmental and genome sequences present in public databases can be tapped for in silico identification of very rare but biotechnologically important biocatalysts. Our findings help to readily identify halohydrin dehalogenases in ever-growing sequence databases and, as a consequence, make even more members of this interesting enzyme family available to the scientific and industrial community.

A reconsidering production coordination: A principal-agent theory-based analysis

Abstract: Production coordination is a common phenomenon in supply chains. Unlike the existing literature, we examine the production coordination problem from the perspective of asymmetric information: how a manufacturer (leading firm) coordinates the relationships with its subsidiary firm(s) and, subsequently, how market returns influence the leading firm's expected utilities, agency cost and the subsidiary firm's expected incomes. We develop an incentive contract model with asymmetric information based on principal-agent theory. Comparative analysis and simulations are conducted to test the model. Results show that the leading firm's expected utilities and agency cost and the subsidiary firm's expected incomes are significantly affected by the subsidiary firm's capability, cost coefficient, absolute risk aversion factor and output variance (common factors); sharp differences among the leading firm's expected utilities and agency cost and the subsidiary firm's expected incomes were found due to different market returns. Thus, the proposed approach (incentive contract model) can help leading firms apply incentives to optimize production modes to obtain production coordination while considering common factors; market returns differences are included in the new model, in contrast to previous approaches. © 2017 PEI, University of Maribor. All rights reserved.