OPTIMAL MAINTENANCE PROGRAM OF A WASTE-TO-ENERGY PLANT : Case Study: wasteWOIMA®

Waste-to-energy (WtE) plant is a complex system which requires different maintenances to be reliable and available in its full functionalities. Maintenance has a crucial impact on the performance, availability and reliability of the WTE plant. The inadequacies of WTE plant lifetime maintenance may increase the production costs, and more it negatively affects the competitiveness, makes the downtime longer and the Mean-Time-Failure is bigger. The thesis focuses on the maintenance of WtE plant and it reviews the existing literature about Waste-to-Energy maintenance program and then find the best combination that better suits a Waste-to-Energy plant. This thesis has into two parts: the first part identifies the critical factors that enable high availability of Waste-to-Energy plant and the second addresses the identification of the right criteria for spare part selection. Both parts are aimed at enhancing the availability of Waste-to-Energy plant. A survey was sent to Waste-to-Energy professionals to collect data and compare that data to the findings in literature. DEMATEL method is chosen over the other methods for the pragmatic methodology used to construct and analyze the structural model involving causal relationship between multiple factors. It also integrates different expert knowledge that helps to investigate internal relationship and significance degrees of all the chosen factors. One advantage is that it can present a derived relationship through a cause-effect diagram. Critical factors through a visual structural model can be found, as well as the interdependent relationship amount factors are identified and evaluated while using DEMTEL. Key findings of the study revealed that human, economic, equipment and tools, management and environment factors have important impact of the effectiveness of the maintenance and the availability of the WtE plant, whatever the maintenance strategies from preventive to corrective maintenance through the condition maintenance. Quality, Lead time, Price and severity of spare part failure are keys criteria to consider while selecting spare part for WtE plant. The main limitation is that, the sample was a bit small since only few responds to the survey. Limitation of the thesis is related to the amount of the data collected. The findings cannot be generalized as it is affected by the limitation. The survey encounters probably the lack of cooperation from respondents as the study was not directly requested and done from their companies. It would be interesting to do further research of the topic by using data from different plants operated by the case company, to make the research more objective. This will help the case company knowing real issues their plants face. It could be interesting to do further research by focusing for instance on different locations and population because different climatic and environment factors may influence the failure rate of the plants items; dust, humidity, cultural factors

A dual perspective towards building resilience in manufacturing organizations

Modern manufacturing organizations exist in the most complex and competitive environment the world has ever known. This environment consists of demanding customers, enabling, but resource intensive Industry 4.0 technology, dynamic regulations, geopolitical perturbations, and innovative, ever-expanding global competition. Successful manufacturing organizations must excel in this environment while facing emergent disruptions generated as biproducts of complex man-made and natural systems. The research presented in this thesis provides a novel two-sided approach to the creation of resilience in the modern manufacturing organization. First, the systems engineering method is demonstrated as the qualitative framework for building literature-derived organizational resilience factors into organizational structures under a life cycle perspective. A quantitative analysis of industry expert survey data through graph theory and matrix approach is presented second to prioritize resilience factors for strategic practical implementation

Integration of Industry 4.0 to the CBM practices of the O&G upstream sector in Nigeria

Purpose This study investigates the integration of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies with condition-based maintenance (CBM) in upstream oil and gas (O&G) operations, focussing on developing countries like Nigeria. The research identifies barriers to this integration and suggests solutions, intending to provide practical insights for improving operational efficiency in the O&G sector. Design/methodology/approach The study commenced with an exhaustive review of extant literature to identify existing barriers to I4.0 implementation and contextualise the study. Subsequent to this foundational step, primary data are gathered through the administration of carefully constructed questionnaires targeted at professionals specialised in maintenance within the upstream O&G sector. A semi-structured interview was also conducted to elicit more nuanced, contextual insights from these professionals. Analytically, the collected data were subjected to descriptive statistical methods for summarisation and interpretation with a measurement model to define the relationships between observed variables and latent construct. Moreover, the Relative Importance Index was utilised to systematically prioritise and rank the key barriers to I4.0 integration to CBM within the upstream O&G upstream sector. Findings The most ranked obstacles in integrating I4.0 technologies to the CBM strategy in the O&G industry are lack of budget and finance, limited engineering and technological resources, lack of support from executives and leaders of the organisations and lack of competence. Even though the journey of digitalisation has commenced in the O&G industry, there are limited studies in this area. Originality/value The study serves as both an academic cornerstone and a practical guide for the operational integration of I4.0 technologies within Nigeria's O&G upstream sector. Specifically, it provides an exhaustive analysis of the obstacles impeding effective incorporation into CBM practices. Additionally, the study contributes actionable insights for industry stakeholders to enhance overall performance and achieve key performance indices (KPIs)

Improving the Relevance of Cyber Incident Notification for Mission Assurance

Military organizations have embedded Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into their core mission processes as a means to increase operational efficiency, improve decision making quality, and shorten the kill chain. This dependence can place the mission at risk when the loss, corruption, or degradation of the confidentiality, integrity, and/or availability of a critical information resource occurs. Since the accuracy, conciseness, and timeliness of the information used in decision making processes dramatically impacts the quality of command decisions, and hence, the operational mission outcome; the recognition, quantification, and documentation of critical mission-information resource dependencies is essential for the organization to gain a true appreciation of its operational risk. This research identifies existing decision support systems and evaluates their capabilities as a means for capturing, maintaining and communicating mission-to-information resource dependency information in a timely and relevant manner to assure mission operations. This thesis answers the following research question: Which decision support technology is the best candidate for use in a cyber incident notification system to overcome limitations identified in the existing United States Air Force cyber incident notification process

Effectiveness of Engineering, Procurement And Construction (EPC) Major Projects in Abu Dhabi\u27s Oil And Gas Industry: End User’s Perspective

Even though project management discipline is gearing towards the improvement of project effectiveness, traditional project management is responding slowly due to either false preconceptions or ineffective communication among project parties. A research study is needed to contribute to knowledge and practice on the effectiveness of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracting strategy and consequently increase the chance of achieving product success at the site level. The objective of the research presented herein is to assess the effectiveness of EPC contracting strategy in meeting product objectives, from the end user’s perspective. Required data are collected using an online survey questionnaire targeting end-users working in six major oil and gas projects in Abu Dhabi. The questionnaire data are analyses using the structural equation modeling (SEM) statistical technique. Research findings reveal statistical significant correlations between the “effectiveness” concept and its respective factors. Being the first known research evaluating the influence of both “end-user’s engagement” and “alignment of objectives” criteria on project effectiveness, it provides several contributions to literature and practice. These contributions are particularly illustrated as 1) the development of a conceptual measurement model for the “effectiveness” phenomenal concept, which could be applicable to researchers interested in examining such concept,( 2) the identification of possible factors shaping the conceptual domain of “end-user’s engagement” and “alignment of objectives” criteria in the oil and gas industry, (3) the operationalization of the conceptual measurement model based on measurement instruments verified by both literature and industry experts, and (4) the assessment of the strengths of influence of the causal factors on the effectiveness of EPC as well as the statistical significance of these relationships. The present research raises the awareness of oil and gas industry practitioners towards the influencing factors of “effectiveness”, “engagement” and “alignment” concepts. The generated SEM model thus serves as a motivation tool for acknowledging the end-users participation in various project phases and maintaining a proper alignment between project objectives and product objectives for the purpose of improving the project effectiveness

Assessment of a Decision-Making Model for Monitoring the Success of a Project for Smart Buildings

Objective: To express the usage of intelligent concepts in the architectural building construction field that are primarily concerned with reducing building energy use. Improved energy-saving methods and the use of environmentally friendly design principles are essential in this field. This type of managerial decision-making is necessary for the success of these types of projects. Methods: monitoring the performance of intelligent buildings use the cost variance (CV) and schedule variation as standard metrics to track the progress of a project based on the save energy concept. Also, this research conducted a comparative study on Building Information Modelling (BIM) and (MCDM) decision-making limitations as presented in the article. Analysis: the conventional technique, on the other hand, is unable to offer data on variance from typical performance levels. The main point based on Delphi results of construction cost variables has been observed 19 effective factors. Finding and Novelty: The RII observed that the most effective aspects of an intelligent building are the number of floors in the building, the kind of structural design, and the size of the shadow cast on the surface of the building. The Multi-Criteria Decision Maker (MCDM) observed significant differences in planned value (PV) and actual value (AC) results. In addition, as a result of the current approach, it is possible to track project costs and timelines more precisely. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-01-010 Full Text: PD

Effectiveness of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Major Projects in Abu Dhabi’s Oil And Gas Industry: End-User’s Perspective

Even though project management discipline is gearing towards the improvement of project effectiveness, traditional project management is responding slowly due to either false preconceptions or ineffective communication among project parties. A research study is needed to contribute to knowledge and practice on the effectiveness of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracting strategy and consequently increase the chance of achieving product success at the site level. The objective of the research presented herein is to assess the effectiveness of EPC contracting strategy in meeting product objectives, from the end user’s perspective. Required data are collected using an online survey questionnaire targeting end-users working in six major oil and gas projects in Abu Dhabi. The questionnaire data are analyses using the structural equation modeling (SEM) statistical technique. Research findings reveal statistical significant correlations between the “effectiveness” concept and its respective factors. Being the first known research evaluating the influence of both “end-user’s engagement” and “alignment of objectives” criteria on project effectiveness, it provides several contributions to literature and practice. These contributions are particularly illustrated as 1) the development of a conceptual measurement model for the “effectiveness” phenomenal concept, which could be applicable to researchers interested in examining such concept,( 2) the identification of possible factors shaping the conceptual domain of “end-user’s engagement” and “alignment of objectives” criteria in the oil and gas industry, (3) the operationalization of the conceptual measurement model based on measurement instruments verified by both literature and industry experts, and (4) the assessment of the strengths of influence of the causal factors on the effectiveness of EPC as well as the statistical significance of these relationships. The present research raises the awareness of oil and gas industry practitioners towards the influencing factors of “effectiveness”, “engagement” and “alignment” concepts. The generated SEM model thus serves as a motivation tool for acknowledging the end-users participation in various project phases and maintaining a proper alignment between project objectives and product objectives for the purpose of improving the project effectiveness

Quality assessment of e-commerce websites using Bayesian belief networks

This thesis raises the issue of quality in E-commerce websites and addresses methodologies and approaches to standardize their assessment. The thesis blends the knowledge of academic research with the opinions and insights from experts and practitioners in the field to provide a comprehensive view of the issues and their remedies. The most experienced and successful E-commerce companies are beginning to realize that key determinants of success or failure are not merely a web presence or a low price but delivering a high quality website. Recent research shows that price and promotion are no longer the main draws for customers to make a decision on a purchase. More sophisticated online customers would rather pay a higher price to a provider with high quality service. Given that the establishment of an E-commerce website is mainly a software development effort; there are several standards that apply in governing the quality of such development. There seems to be an almost overwhelming abundance of quality standards that lead to a high level of cynicism and skepticism surrounding them and the eventual lack of use. Furthermore, no standard can directly predict the quality a website under development is going to achieve. Past approaches concerning the quality of E-commerce websites emphasize usability standards using techniques like feature inspection and collecting data about end-users' opinion by questionnaires. These methods provide important feedback and their results can be utilized as a useful background for future work, however, they do not contribute directly to a dynamic model that enables forecasting. The study of quality in the domain of the Internet in general, and E-commerce in particular, poses new challenges as technology evolves, including methods and metrics for estimating, managing quality during the product life cycle and quality-of-use measurement. The solution proposed by this research is to use a Bayesian Belief Network model. This model provides a consistent and practical approach to assessing the quality of the website. The assessment can be carried out before the completion of the website development, thus, providing insight on the trend and direction for correction and improvements. It can also be carried out on completed and operational work, providing analysis of areas for improvement. The model should be relatively quick and practical in providing an overall comprehensive assessment with root-cause analysis that would lead to corrective measures to improve the quality of the E-commerce website. In this research idioms were applied in realizing a complete Bayesian Belief Network model. The conclusions are measured against comparative assessment to validate the practical benefits of the work accomplished. The WebQual method was utilized to validate the "belief" established by the model.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo