Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a popular and easy tool for visualizing production processes in enterprise. It allows one to eliminate or reduce waste, i.e., activities that do not create added value for the customer. The versatility of this tool allows it to be used in industry. There are theoretical, methodological, and practical aspects encountered by practitioners in developing Value Stream Mapping (VSM) for a specific manufacturing industry, but they are not fully resolved and require clarification. This paper presents a case study that describes the use of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) in the production of steel pipes. Relevant data from this process were collected and analyzed at the start of the project. An initial process was mapped, associated waste was identified, and then future processes were mapped. The financial results were estimated. Consequently, the process was improved, and savings were achieved. The article should constitute the basis for further development of an improvement project for a selected company aimed at improving the areas identified in a given article.

The problem of sustainable transport system development is currently very important and frequently analysed. It concerns promotion of such transport, which is efficient, cost effective and meets the expectations of the society. At the same time, such transport should minimize its negative impact on public health, environment, and economy or urban planning. This paper deals with selected aspects of developing sustainable transport systems and assessing them based on their negative impact on society (amount of pollution and noise emissions). A number of different scenarios for the sustainable transport system development were presented. In addition, a procedure for evaluating these scenarios was proposed (using appropriate evaluation criteria and indicators, including noise and pollutant emissions from road transport). The studies presented in this paper were carried out using the PTV Visum tool and transport models developed in it (e.g. EMITRANSYS or MTAW 2015).

The implementation of Product-Service Systems (PSS) calls for the modification of existing business models. The goal of the paper is to work out an analysis and a classification of PSS design methods used in the development of new business models. Using a systematic review method, we identified 60 PSS design methods. Following the examination of the major business model templates, we selected the Business Canvas Model for further studies. Then, coding rules were adopted to specify what elements of the Business Model Canvas impacts individual PSS design methods and an analysis was performed. In the final stage, methods were broken down by Business Model Canvas domains. Various PSS design methods presented in the literature address different areas of Business Model Canvas. The available PPS methods can be classified into three main groups: Group 1—including infrastructure and offering; Group 2—including infrastructure, offering and customers; and Group 3—including infrastructure, offering, customers and finance. Very few methods consider areas such as Key Partners, Customer Segments, Cost Structure and Revenue Streams. Nevertheless, there is no PPS design method that would address all of Business Model Canvas building blocks. The paper discusses PSS design in business model context. Classification of PSS design methods was proposed together with new possibilities to develop business models based on this classification. The proposed approach illustrates the combination of PSS design methods applied in food processing and agricultural machines industry.

This paper presents the problem of the assessment of the supply chains in the context of their effectiveness. In this paper the concepts of a supply chain and effectiveness were characterized. The supply chain is a structure of entities which are connected with each other by the use of material and financial flows and functional, structural, technological, economic and information dependencies. Entities such as: suppliers, final recipients, entrepreneurs, warehouse facilities, supply centers, logistics operators, carriers, etc. perform material flows from suppliers to recipients. The concept of efficiency, in general terms, refers to economic rationality and means the relationship between the achieved or expected effects and the expenditures incurred. Additionally, indicators of measuring the effectiveness of the supply chain were described. In order to assess the effectiveness of the supply chain the decision model was developed. Optimization is crucial in decision support systems. The development of an appropriate model for mapping the behavior of a real object or system and formulating an optimization task is a necessary activity in effective management. This is even more important if we want to be competitive. Along with the development of decision support systems, as well as the development of systems for data acquisition on the system functioning, which feed optimization models in ever more detailed form, complex decision models are created that take into account many optimization criteria and require a large amount of data. It allows, however, to ensure the sustainable development of the system and simultaneous implementation of its basic tasks. The main aim of this paper is to present the stages and assumptions of the model for assessing the effectiveness of the supply chain. The main data input, constraints of the model, the criteria functions were determined.