Browsing by Author "Withanaarachchi, A.S."

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Are ready-made technology transfer solutions suitable for developing the renewable energy sector in Sri Lanka
(2015) Withanaarachchi, A.S.; Nanayakkara, L.D.J.F.; Pushpakumara, C.
Critical Success Factors Affecting the Successful Implementation of Industry 4.0 in the Sri Lankan Apparel Manufacturing Industry
(Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2023) Silva, A.M.H.; Withanaarachchi, A.S.
The Sri Lankan apparel manufacturing business, a major contributor to the country's export revenue, has been attempting to adopt industry 4.0. By implementing Industry 4.0, they intend to increase the productivity and efficiency of the shop floor and obtain a competitive edge. Only a few developing nations have been able to capture the maximum benefits of the fourth industrial revolution. The purpose of this study is to identify the critical factors that must be considered for the successful implementation of industry 4.0 in the Sri Lankan apparel manufacturing sector. Throughout the research, a quantitative approach was used. Initially, the six most significant critical factors and two moderating variables were determined by a review of prior research and the opinions of industry professionals. Partial Least Square – Structural Equation Modelling (PLS- SEM) was used to analyze the relationship between the factors. Greater financial investments, organizational strategy, workforce, a dynamic organizational culture, the involvement of top management, and the availability of IT infrastructure have a significant positive impact on the successful implementation of industry 4.0 in the Sri Lankan apparel manufacturing sector, as determined by the final findings of the data analysis. In addition, the availability and accessibility of support services have a significant positive moderating effect on financial investments, when successfully implementing industry 4.0 in the Sri Lankan apparel industry. In addition, the advancement of digital technologies has a significant positive moderating effect on financial investments and, a significant negative effect on organizational strategy and the involvement of top management when successfully implementing industry 4.0 in the Sri Lankan apparel industry. The outcomes of this study assist the managers of the Sri Lankan clothing manufacturing sector in comprehending the critical factors that must be considered when successfully implementing industry 4.0 technologies.
Delphi as a methodology for eliciting expert opinion - important factors to be considered
(2015) Withanaarachchi, A.S.; Nanayakkara, L.D.J.F.; Pushpakumara, C.
Factors Influencing the Success of Software Startups in Sri Lanka: A Comparative Analysis using SmartPLS & SEMinR
(Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2023) Attygalle, T.I.; Withanaarachchi, A.S.; Jayalal, S.
IT industry is one of the fast-growing industries in Sri Lanka. In that industry the software development sector plays a massive role. Out of these software development firms, a considerable number of companies are startups. But compared to other countries, the contribution from software startups to the country’s economy is very low in Sri Lanka. Further with the current economic crisis Sri Lanka faces it is even harder for startups to continue their businesses and also it is challenging for an entrepreneur-minded person who wants to establish a software startup in Sri Lanka. This study focuses on the factors influencing the success of software startups in Sri Lanka and how those factors will be affected by the current economic crisis in Sri Lanka. The study has been conducted using a systematic literature review to discover and validate influential factors from past studies. Then the conceptual framework was formed to assess the variables. To validate the model, data was collected through an online questionnaire survey. Testing and validation of collected data were done using a comparative analysis between Smart PLS and SEMinR. The results of both studies show that the availability of finance is the only factor that has a significant relationship with the success of software startups in Sri Lanka. With that the study also recommends taking necessary actions to improve the availability of funds for software startup companies.
Fostering Technological Capabilities in the Wind Power Sector of Sri Lanka via Effective Technology Transfer
(Staff Development Center, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Withanaarachchi, A.S.
Globally, harnessing wind energy for electricity generation is one of the fastest growing technologies for the last decade or so and has become well developed and mature (REN21, 2012). The wind-mapping studies performed by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that Sri Lanka has the potentiality of 2000 MW of wind power that could be absorbed gradually into the national grid over the period of time (Ratnasiri, 2008). However by the end of October 2012, the private sector has developed wind power plants around costal and central hill areas adding 74MW to the national grid. Further, power purchase agreements have been signed for another 31MW (Ceylon Electricity Board, 2013). Schnepp et al. define technology transfer as ‘a process by which expertise or knowledge related to some aspect of technology is passed from one user to another for the purpose of economic gain’’ (in Karakosta, Doukas, and Psarras, 2010: 1547). Although the deployment of technological goods is what matters to address climate change, the transfer of technological capabilities is indeed the key to developing countries obtaining a share of the green business pie. Technology capacity building begins with learning by doing followed by learning by adapting, aiming at augmenting productivity through efficient utilisation and adaptation of technologies at the shop floor (Lall, 1978). Accordingly the objective of this study is to evaluate the use of technology transfer and cooperation in strengthening the technological capabilities of the wind power sector of Sri Lanka. A qualitative approach will be taken to answer the research question. Thus the study will comprises with a comprehensive literature survey on technological capabilities, technology transfer, and wind power sector. Experts in the renewable energy sector of the country, wind power produces (IPPs), and scholars will be interviewed to answer the research question.
Mitigating climate change via non-conventional renewable energy: case of Sri Lanka
(2015) Withanaarachchi, A.S.; Nanayakkara, L.D.J.F.; Pushpakumara, C.
Possibility of applying Industry 4.0 as a business process re-engineering tool: Case study from an apparel production plant
(Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Jayatilake, H.S.B.; Withanaarachchi, A.S.; Peter, S.
The industrial revolution began with the mechanization of the textile industry, followed by the age of mass production and subsequently manufacturing going digital. The world is now gradually moving to the fourth industrial revolution which draws together Cyber-Physical Systems, the Internet of Things and the Industrial Internet of Things along with the concept of “smart factory”. The concept of fourth industrial revolution has originated from countries like Germany as “Industry 4.0”, as a government initiative, and from USA as “Industrial Internet Consortium” as an initiative from leading multinational organizations. This case study is based on real time analysis and the experiences in the operational function of an apparel manufacturing plant in Sri Lanka. The production plant is currently facing serious issues such as labor shortage, high labor turnover and weaknesses in inventory management which required an immediate process reengineering in order to become viable and sustainable business. The main objective of this case study is to identify the possibility of re-engineering the business process of the production plant by applying the concepts of Industry 4.0, rather than depending only on conventional process re-engineering concepts. Implementing smart factory concept in the apparel industry is still an emerging approach in Industry 4.0 which has been considered in this article as a novel approach. In order to attain the stated research objectives, a qualitative approach has been adopted in this study. Senior management and selected operational level employees, were interviewed using structured and unstructured questionnaires along with five months of self-observations in the production plant by the authors themselves and a detailed literature survey. The findings indicate that the plant has the necessary features to implement Industry 4.0. However, in terms of readiness to implement Industry 4.0, the plant is still in the initial stage. In conclusion, the production plant’s potential to be converted as a smart factory from its current position by resolving the major issues is assessed. It also discusses the capability of Industry 4.0 to become the new benchmark for smart factories, going beyond the concept of using business process reengineering to align the organization to adapt to the dynamic environmental changes taking place in the world currently.
Scenario based technology road mapping to transfer renewable energy technologies to Sri Lanka
(2015) Withanaarachchi, A.S.; Nanayakkara, L.D.J.F.; Pushpakumara, C.
Success Factors for the Effective Usage of an ERP System in the Post Implementation Period; Case of Sri Lankan Firms
(Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2023) De Silva, H.S.M.; Withanaarachchi, A.S.
ERP implementation failure can be one of the most expensive errors a business can make. It is critical to understand the success factors behind the effective usage of an ERP system in order to reduce the risk of failure. A large quantity of literature and research are available on factors behind a successful ERP initial implementation, but it lacks studies on post implementation. Moreover, there’s no such work has been done concerning the moderation implication of organizational culture and economic uncertainty over the association between the identified factors and the effective usage of ERP system making it a new addition to literature. Therefore, this research aims to study the success factors behind the effective usage of the ERP system in the post-implementation period and how the above moderators can moderate these factors on the effective usage of ERP system. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from the users who are using an ERP system in a matured company in Sri Lanka. A preliminary data analysis was done using SPSS software and hypothesis were evaluated using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling approach as it enables researchers to estimate complex models with many constructs, indicator variables, and structural paths without imposing distributional assumptions on the data. The results of the study suggest that all the independent variables namely top management support, complexity of the ERP used, business IT infrastructure, hidden costs in ERP changes and training on ERP were influencing drivers for the effective usage of ERP system. In addition, concerning the moderator effect of organizational culture, top management support, ERP complexity and IT infrastructure showed a significant impact while the moderator effect of economic uncertainty, top management support, ERP complexity and training showed significant but negative relationship on the effective usage of the ERP system.
Technology cooperation and transfer for renewable energy technologies: a plausible approach for Sri Lanka
(2016) Withanaarachchi, A.S.