Mobile phone technology as an aid to contemporary transport questions in walkability, in the context of developing countries

The emerging global middle class, which is expected to double by 2050 desires more walkable, liveable neighbourhoods, and as distances between work and other amenities increases, cities are becoming less monocentric and becoming more polycentric. African cities could be described as walking cities, based on the number of people that walk to their destinations as opposed to other means of mobility but are often not walkable. Walking is by far the most popular form of transportation in Africa’s rapidly urbanising cities, although it is not often by choice rather a necessity. Facilitating this primary mode, while curbing the growth of less sustainable mobility uses requires special attention for the safety and convenience of walking in view of a Global South context. In this regard, to further promote walking as a sustainable mobility option, there is a need to assess the current state of its supporting infrastructure and begin giving it higher priority, focus and emphasis. Mobile phones have emerged as a useful alternative tool to collect this data and audit the state of walkability in cities. They eliminate the inaccuracies and inefficiencies of human memories because smartphone sensors such as GPS provides information with accuracies within 5m, providing superior accuracy and precision compared to other traditional methods. The data is also spatial in nature, allowing for a range of possible applications and use cases. Traditional inventory approaches in walkability often only revealed the perceived walkability and accessibility for only a subset of journeys. Crowdsourcing the perceived walkability and accessibility of points of interest in African cities could address this, albeit aspects such as ease-of-use and road safety should also be considered. A tool that crowdsources individual pedestrian experiences; availability and state of pedestrian infrastructure and amenities, using state-of-the-art smartphone technology, would over time also result in complete surveys of the walking environment provided such a tool is popular and safe. This research will illustrate how mobile phone applications currently in the market can be improved to offer more functionality that factors in multiple sensory modalities for enhanced visual appeal, ease of use, and aesthetics. The overarching aim of this research is, therefore, to develop the framework for and test a pilot-version mobile phone-based data collection tool that incorporates emerging technologies in collecting data on walkability. This research project will assess the effectiveness of the mobile application and test the technical capabilities of the system to experience how it operates within an existing infrastructure. It will continue to investigate the use of mobile phone technology in the collection of user perceptions of walkability, and the limitations of current transportation-based mobile applications, with the aim of developing an application that is an improvement to current offerings in the market. The prototype application will be tested and later piloted in different locations around the globe. Past studies are primarily focused on the development of transport-based mobile phone applications with basic features and limited functionality. Although limited progress has been made in integrating emerging advanced technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR), Machine Learning (ML), Big Data analytics, amongst others into mobile phone applications; what is missing from these past examples is a comprehensive and structured application in the transportation sphere. In turn, the full research will offer a broader understanding of the iii information gathered from these smart devices, and how that large volume of varied data can be better and more quickly interpreted to discover trends, patterns, and aid in decision making and planning. This research project attempts to fill this gap and also bring new insights, thus promote the research field of transportation data collection audits, with particular emphasis on walkability audits. In this regard, this research seeks to provide insights into how such a tool could be applied in assessing and promoting walkability as a sustainable and equitable mobility option. In order to get policy-makers, analysts, and practitioners in urban transport planning and provision in cities to pay closer attention to making better, more walkable places, appealing to them from an efficiency and business perspective is vital. This crowdsourced data is of great interest to industry practitioners, local governments and research communities as Big Data, and to urban communities and civil society as an input in their advocacy activities. The general findings from the results of this research show clear evidence that transport-based mobile phone applications currently available in the market are increasingly getting outdated and are not keeping up with new and emerging technologies and innovations. It is also evident from the results that mobile smartphones have revolutionised the collection of transport-related information hence the need for new initiatives to help take advantage of this emerging opportunity. The implications of these findings are that more attention needs to be paid to this niche going forward. This research project recommends that more studies, particularly on what technologies and functionalities can realistically be incorporated into mobile phone applications in the near future be done as well as on improving the hardware specifications of mobile phone devices to facilitate and support these emerging technologies whilst keeping the cost of mobile devices as low as possible

Decision support system for a reactive management of disaster-caused supply chain disturbances

This research contribution presents the Reactive Disaster and supply chain Risk decision Support System ReDRiSS which supports decision-makers of logistical disaster management in the immediate aftermath of a supply chain disturbance. ReDRiSS suggests a methodology which combines approaches from scenario techniques, operations research and decision theory. Two case studies are provided which focus on decision situations of humanitarian logistics and of business continuity management

Decision support system for a reactive management of disaster-caused supply chain disturbances

This research contribution presents the Reactive Disaster and supply chain Risk decision Support System ReDRiSS which supports decision-makers of logistical disaster management in the immediate aftermath of a supply chain disturbance. ReDRiSS suggests a methodology which combines approaches from scenario techniques, operations research and decision theory. Two case studies are provided which focus on decision situations of humanitarian logistics and of business continuity management

Artificial Intelligence empowerment in managerial decision-making

Dissertação de mestrado em Gestão e NegóciosA inteligência artificial (IA) é um dos temas mais interessantes de estudo e desenvolvimento, e fascinante no que às diferentes aplicações e usos diz respeito. O objetivo deste trabalho de pesquisa foi compreender a relação da IA na tomada de decisão na gestão. Assim, a teoria desenvolvida focou-se no crescimento da relação entre tecnologia e a gestão, no que toca à tomada de decisão, salientando a evolução dos sistemas de informação (SI) à IA em termos de tomada de decisões estratégica, tática e operacional. Nesta linha de pensamento, o objetivo era perceber se o uso da tecnologia/IA era condicionado pelas características das empresas, em termos de pequenas, médias ou grandes empresas. Também, analisar o potencial da IA e/ou tecnologias nas empresas, de forma a perceber as mudanças sentidas nas organizações devido às alterações provocadas pela IA/tecnologia. Adicionalmente, passou por perceber o impacto da IA nos gestores, em termos de cooperação, se estavam no peso ideal para trabalhar e para construir o sucesso, e se tinham sugestões para atualizar ou implementar IA nas empresas. A amostra é composta por administradores e CEOs de pequenas, médias e grandes empresas, que foram submetidos a uma entrevista. Os resultados do conteúdo de análise das entrevistas reforçam as ideias exploradas na revisão da literatura, mostrando que o uso da IA na tomada de decisão era maioritariamente presente em grandes empresas, empresas com maiores condições para investir, já em PME notou-se uma maior utilização de SI combinado com a racionalidade humana. A teoria do caos, permitiu perceber que as empresas apresentadas na pesquisa não implementam IA/tecnologias nos processos como uma tentativa de resolver problemas, mas de entender se o seu uso traria benefícios. Além disso, percebeu-se que as empresas não tinham conhecimento das potencialidades da IA para aplicar nas diversas áreas, mas que eram conscientes do seu valor. Por fim, relativamente aos impactos das tecnologias/IA nos trabalhadores, foi sentido pela maioria uma resistência para a sua implementação, vendo-as como uma ameaça, mas aceitando assim que observavam melhores, mais rápidos e precisos resultados. Os entrevistados, conscientes do peso da IA no mundo, mencionaram que o motivo desta resposta era derivado do medo do desconhecido, não os impedindo de crescer, implementar e aprender.Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most interesting topics to be studied and developed and fascinating in terms of the different applications and usages. The aim of this research work was to understand the relationship of AI in manage-rial decision-making. Hence, the theory developed was focused on the growth of the rela-tionship between technology and management, specifically in decision-making, noticing the evolution of information systems (IS) to artificial intelligence directed to strategical, tactical, and operational decision-making. This line of thought was followed to understand if the usage of technology and AI was conditioned by firms’ characteristics, in terms of being small, medium, and big firms. The research focused also in analyse the potential of AI and/or technologies in firms, more precisely, understand the changes on organizations due to the alterations provided by AI and technology. Also, understand the impact of AI in managers, in terms of cooperation if it was in the ideal weight to work and build success, and if they had suggestions to upgrade or implement AI within their firms. The sample was composed by administrates and CEOs of small, medium, and big firms, that were sub-mitted to an interview. The results of the content of analysis of the interviews reinforce the ideas exposed in the literature review, showing that the use of AI was most used in big firms, with higher conditions to invest on it, rather than in medium and small firms, that use IS combined with human rationality. With the help of chaos theory, it was perceived that the firms pre-sented in the research do not implement AI/technologies in their processes as an attempt of solve problems but to understand if their usage would bring valuable benefits to them. Additionally, it was observed that the firms were not owning knowledge of the potential-ities of the vast existence of tools with AI to apply in several areas but know that it builds success. Finally, there were quested the impacts of technologies and AI in the workers within firms, demonstrating that most of them offer resistance when implementing AI and technologies, feeling threatened but ends with the acceptance of it by seeing the better, quickly, and accurate results presented by it. The quested people mentioned that most of them fear the unknown, but it does not stop them from growing and working in the pro-cess of implement and know it, being aware of the increase its applications in the world

Smart Urban Water Networks

This book presents the paper form of the Special Issue (SI) on Smart Urban Water Networks. The number and topics of the papers in the SI confirm the growing interest of operators and researchers for the new paradigm of smart networks, as part of the more general smart city. The SI showed that digital information and communication technology (ICT), with the implementation of smart meters and other digital devices, can significantly improve the modelling and the management of urban water networks, contributing to a radical transformation of the traditional paradigm of water utilities. The paper collection in this SI includes different crucial topics such as the reliability, resilience, and performance of water networks, innovative demand management, and the novel challenge of real-time control and operation, along with their implications for cyber-security. The SI collected fourteen papers that provide a wide perspective of solutions, trends, and challenges in the contest of smart urban water networks. Some solutions have already been implemented in pilot sites (i.e., for water network partitioning, cyber-security, and water demand disaggregation and forecasting), while further investigations are required for other methods, e.g., the data-driven approaches for real time control. In all cases, a new deal between academia, industry, and governments must be embraced to start the new era of smart urban water systems

Managing cyber and information risks in supply chains: insights from an exploratory analysis

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how companies approach the management of cyber and information risks in their supply chain, what initiatives they adopt to this aim, and to what extent along the supply chain. In fact, the increasing level of connectivity is transforming supply chains, and it creates new opportunities but also new risks in the cyber space. Hence, cyber supply chain risk management (CSCRM) is emerging as a new management construct. The ultimate aim is to help organizations in understanding and improving the CSCRM process and cyber resilience in their supply chains.Design/methodology/approachThis research relied on a qualitative approach based on a comparative case study analysis involving five large multinational companies with headquarters, or branches, in the UK.FindingsResults highlight the importance for CSCRM to shift the viewpoint from the traditional focus on companies’ internal information technology (IT) infrastructure, able to “firewall themselves” only, to the whole supply chain with a cross-functional approach; initiatives for CSCRM are mainly adopted to “respond” and “recover” without a well-rounded approach to supply chain resilience for a long-term capacity to adapt to changes according to an evolutionary approach. Initiatives are adopted at a firm/dyadic level, and a network perspective is missing.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper extends the current theory on cyber and information risks in supply chains, as a combination of supply chain risk management and resilience, and information risk management. It provides an analysis and classification of cyber and information risks, sources of risks and initiatives to managing them according to a supply chain perspective, along with an investigation of their adoption across the supply chain. It also studies how the concept of resilience has been deployed in the CSCRM process by companies. By laying the first empirical foundations of the subject, this study stimulates further research on the challenges and drivers of initiatives and coordination mechanisms for CSCRM at a supply chain network level.Practical implicationsResults invite companies to break the “silos” of their activities in CSCRM, embracing the whole supply chain network for better resilience. The adoption of IT security initiatives should be combined with organisational ones and extended beyond the dyad. Where applicable, initiatives should be bi-directional to involve supply chain partners, remove the typical isolation in the CSCRM process and leverage the value of information. Decisions on investments in CSCRM should involve also supply chain managers according to a holistic approach.Originality/valueA supply chain perspective in the existing scientific contributions is missing in the management of cyber and information risk. This is one of the first empirical studies dealing with this interdisciplinary subject, focusing on risks that are now very high in the companies’ agenda, but still overlooked. It contributes to theory on information risk because it addresses cyber and information risks in massively connected supply chains through a holistic approach that includes technology, people and processes at an extended level that goes beyond the dyad