Food Supply Chain through Ongoing Evolution: Lessons from Continuous Transformations

Considering their constant evolution and transformation, in this Special Issue, several authors provide contributions bringing light to different aspects related to food supply chains, based on several conceptual frameworks, agri-food areas and contexts, as well as multiple levels of analysis. In this book, the promotion of win–win investments in Brazil’s Agribusiness is discussed, as well as how family farmers can thrive in commodity markets in long agribusiness supply chains. The Logic of Collective Action for Rural Warehouse Condominiums, which is a new configuration in the agribusiness supply chain, is also addressed. In this book, the Brazilian Jabuticaba Supply Chain is analyzed through a multi-methodological approach. The role of logistics in food-waste reduction for wholesalers and small retailers of fruits and vegetables is also presented. The issue of transparency in global agribusiness in the Brazilian soybean supply chain is discussed based on companies’ accountability. Finally, the transformation of the food supply chain through technology and future research directions are highlighted in this Special Issue. This book aims to assist students, researchers and practitioners interested in the evolution and transformations of food supply chains

A taxonomy for key performance indicators management

In recent years, research on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) management has grown exponentially, giving rise to a multitude of heterogeneous approaches addressing any aspect concerning it. In this paper, we plot the landscape of published works related with KPIs management, organizing and synthesizing them by means of a unified taxonomy that encompasses the aspects considered by other proposals, and it captures the overall characteristics of KPIs. Since most of the literature centers on the definition of KPIs, we mainly focus on such an aspect of KPIs management. Our work is intended to provide remarkable benefits such as enhancing the understanding of KPIs management, or helping users decide about the most suitable solution for their requirements

Automated software systems generation for process-oriented organizations

Tese de doutoramento do Programa Doutoral em Tecnologias e Sistemas de InformaçãoCada vez mais, as organizações suportam as suas operações em sistemas de software. Torna-se, portanto, muito relevante o correto mapeamento das operações nos sistemas de software. Esta tese foca-se em organizações orientadas a processos de negócio, devido à relevância dada pelas normas de qualidade, pelos modelos de excelência, e pelos requisitos dos clientes, a esse tipo de estruturação interna das organizações. Nas organizações orientadas a processos de negócio existem diversos fatores, como o tempo envolvido nos projetos de implementação de processos de negócio em software, as diferenças existentes entre os modelos de processos de negócio e a sua implementação real, ou a quantidade e o tipo de recursos envolvidos nesses projetos, que fazem com que os projetos de desenvolvimento de software sejam demasiado dispendiosos, demorem demasiado tempo, e não garantam que o produto de software resultante seja o mais adequado à realidade da organização que o vai usar. Esta tese propõe que os sistemas de informação e de software devam ser desenvolvidos, desde o início, incorporando os modelos das organizações onde irão ser usados. Além disso, e como existem disponíveis modelos de referência de processos de negócio, esta tese também propõe o seu uso explícito aquando da recolha de requisitos. Assim, o objetivo principal da tese é propor uma metodologia que se inicie com modelos de processos de negócio e que termine com a geração de sistemas de software, para organizações orientadas a processos de negócio. A metodologia denomina-se BIM e é formalizada através do metamodelo EPF. Dada a abrangência dos temas a tratar, a tese foi conduzida tendo em atenção que o processo de desenvolvimento de software para suportar organizações orientadas a processos pode ser otimizado. Para melhor mostrar os diversos passos e resultados intermédios, usamos a metodologia de investigação Action Research. A tese propõe que as atividades de investigação sejam terminadas quando uma dada condição de paragem seja atingida, e para isso usa uma avaliação baseada num conjunto de indicadores para os resultados do produto e do processo, e uma adaptação do modelo de excelência EFQM para a forma como foi executado o processo de desenvolvimento. O foco das Action são os sistemas de software MES, essenciais na ligação entre sistemas de software embebido e sistemas ERP. Nesta tese, as Action iniciam-se com modelos de processos e com arquiteturas de software standard, e terminam com uma proposta de modelo de processo e com arquiteturas de software e tecnologias adaptadas à execução de processos de negócio. A tese propõe também alguns conceitos como IAvO (extensão de modelos de processos de negócio), OBO (componentes de software intermutáveis e não-proprietários), OA (aspetos organizacionais), e PF (framework de processos) para aumentarem a eficiência e eficácia na implementação em software de processos de negócio.Increasingly, organizations support their operations by using software systems, turning very relevant the proper mapping of operations into software systems. This thesis focuses on organizations oriented to business processes, due to the importance that quality norms, excellence models, and customer requirements put on this type of internal structures of organizations. Process-oriented organizations have characteristics, such as the time needed to implement business processes in software, the differences between the business process models and the real business processes, or the quantity and type of the required resources, that lead to development projects too expensive, taking too long to complete, and that do not assure that the resulting product is the most adequate to the reality of the client organization. This thesis proposes that the development of information and software system embodies, since the early stages, the models of the organization where they operate. In addition, and since business process reference models are available, the thesis also proposes to use explicitly such reference models by requirements collection time. Thus, the main goal of the thesis is to propose a methodology that picks business process reference models and ends with software systems, for process-oriented organizations. The methodology is denominated BIM and is formalized by using the EPF metamodel. Due to the wide scope of the studied areas, the thesis is tailored considering that the development process for processoriented organizations can be optimized. To express better the intermediate steps and results, we use the Action Research methodology. The thesis proposes that the research activities terminate when a stopping condition is met, based on a set of indicators for the product, and a tailoring of the EFQM model for the development process. The Actions are focused on MES, crucial for the linking of embedded software systems with ERP systems. In this thesis, the Actions start by using standard process models and software architectures, and end by using a proposed process model, and software architectures and technologies adapted to the execution of business software. The thesis also proposes new concepts like IAvO (extension to business process reference models), OBO (interchangeable and nonproprietary software components), AO (organizational aspects), and PF (process framework) to increase the efficiency and the effectiveness of the implementation of business processes in software

Interim research assessment 2003-2005 - Computer Science

This report primarily serves as a source of information for the 2007 Interim Research Assessment Committee for Computer Science at the three technical universities in the Netherlands. The report also provides information for others interested in our research activities

System: A core conceptual modeling construct for capturing complexity

[EN] The digitalization of human society continues at a relentless rate. However, to develop modern information technologies, the increasing complexity of the real-world must be modeled, suggest-ing the general need to reconsider how to carry out conceptual modeling. This research proposes that the often-overlooked notion of "system"should be a separate, and core, conceptual modeling construct and argues for incorporating it and related concepts, such as emergence, into existing approaches to conceptual modeling. The work conducts a synthesis of the ontology of systems and general systems theory. These modeling foundations are then used to propose a CESM+ template for conducing systems-grounded conceptual modeling. Several new conceptual modeling notations are introduced. The systemist modeling is then applied to a case study on the development of a citizen science platform. The case demonstrates the potential contributions of the systemist approach and identifies specific implications of explicit modeling with systems for theory and practice. The paper provides recommendations for how to incorporate systems into existing projects and suggests fruitful opportunities for future conceptual modeling research.We wish to thank the editor-in-chief, Carson Woo, and three anonymous reviewers for their exceptionally insightful and developmental comments. The substantial improvements that resulted from their feedback were much deeper than we usually experience in journal review processes. We wish to thank the participants of www.nlnature.com (now inactive) who contributed their sightings from 2010 to 2022. We also thank Jeffrey Parsons and Yolanda Wiersma - the co -investigators of NLNature. We are grateful to the late Mario Bunge and to Ron Weber with whom we discussed ontological ideas that inspired this paper. We also want to thank the participants and reviewers of AIS SIGSAND and ER Conference for their comments and feedback on earlier versions of this paper. This research was supported by McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, United States, and by VRAIN Research Institute of the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia and the Generalitat Valenciana, Spain under the CoMoDiD project (CIPROM/2021/023) .Lukyanenko, R.; Storey, VC.; Pastor López, O. (2022). System: A core conceptual modeling construct for capturing complexity. Data & Knowledge Engineering. 141:1-29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.datak.2022.10206212914

Language support for service-level agreements for application-service provision

My thesis is that practical language support can be provided for Service-Level Agreements (SLAs) for Application-Service Provision (ASP), which is better than that provided by pre-existing languages in that: it provides greater assistance in expressing conditions that mitigate the risks inherent in ASP; and disputes related to agreements expressed in this manner may be more easily resolved in so as to respect the original intent of the parties. I support this thesis by establishing requirements for SLAs for ASP based on an account of a typical ASP infrastructure and business model. These identify the particular risks inherent in ASP, permit comparisons between ASP SLA languages, and guide the development of an abstract, extensible, domain-specific language, SLAng. SLAng is defined using a meta-modelling approach that allows a high degree of precision in the specification of its semantics, traceability from SLA to language specification, and the testing of the language and SLAs to ensure they capture the original intent of the parties. SLAng supports the expression of mutually-monitorable SLAs, for which the determination of compliance depends only on events visible to both client and provider of the service. I demonstrate that such SLAs are the most monitorable possible in a typical ASP scenario, given current monitoring technology, and describe an approximately-monitorable constraint on the accuracy of evidence used to administer such SLAs. SLAng is shown to be of practical use in a case study, evaluated against the original requirements, and compared with pre-existing languages. The evaluation of SLAng is enhanced using metrics developed to assist in assessing the contribution of a domain-specific language specification to encoding the meaning of statements in that language

From Network to Web dimension in supply chain management

Cette thèse soutient que la dimension réseau, étant actuellement la portée du domaine de la gestion de chaîne logistique, contraint l’avancement de ce domaine et restreint des innovations conceptuelles et fondamentales capables d’adresser les grands défis économiques, environnementaux et sociaux. Les concepts de chaîne et de réseau ne reflètent pas la complexité des flux physiques, informationnels et financiers générés par les interactions qui ont lieu dans des réseaux interconnectés. Ces concepts n’offrent pas les fondations théoriques pour supporter des interventions allant au-delà d’un seul réseau et laissent échapper des opportunités nécessitant une vision multi-réseau. Ainsi, la dimension “web”, celle des réseaux de réseaux, est proposée comme une extension de la dimension réseau. Cette extension peut être vue comme l’étape naturelle suivante dans la progression qui a commencé par le niveau de gestion des opérations internes, est passée au niveau de la chaîne logistique et se trouve actuellement au niveau du réseau logistique. Après l’investigation théorique des raisons et de la façon d’intégrer la dimension web dans le domaine de la gestion de la chaîne logistique, la thèse étudie des implications importantes de cette intégration sur la collaboration inter-organisationnelle et le processus de prise de décision dans des environnements de webs logistiques. Elle démontre, en exploitant l’exemple des réseaux interconnectés ouverts, des potentialités inimaginables sans une vision web. Une méthodologie de conception d’un modèle de simulation permettant l’évaluation et la comparaison des webs ouverts par rapport aux webs existants est proposée. Puisque l’aide à la décision est une composante importante de la gestion de la chaîne logistique, la thèse contribue à déterminer les besoins des gestionnaires et à identifier les lignes directrices de la conception des outils d’aide à la décision offrant le support adéquat pour faire face aux défis et à la complexité des webs logistiques. Ces lignes directrices ont été compilées dans un cadre de conception des logiciels d’aide à la décision supportant la dimension web. Ce cadre est exploité pour développer quatre applications logicielles offrant aux praticiens et aux chercheurs des outils nécessaires pour étudier, analyser et démêler la complexité des webs logistiques.This thesis argues that the network dimension as the current scope of supply chain management is confining the evolution of this field and restricting the conceptual and fundamental innovations required for addressing the major challenges imposed by the evolution of markets and the increased intricacies of business relationships. The concepts of chain and network are limitative when attempting to represent the complexity of physical, informational and financial flows resulting from the interactions occurring in overlapping networks. They lack the theoretical foundations necessary to explain and encompass initiatives that go beyond a single chain or network. They also lead to overlook substantial opportunities that require beyond a network vision. Therefore, the “web” dimension, as networks of networks, is proposed as an extension to the network dimension in supply chain management. This new scope is the natural next step in the progression from the internal operations management level to the supply chain level and then to the supply network level. After a theoretical investigation of why and how the web dimension should be integrated into the supply chain management field, the thesis studies and discusses important implications of this integration on inter-organisational collaboration and of the decision-making processes in the logistic web environments. It demonstrates through the example of open interconnected logistic webs some of the potentials that cannot be imagined without a web vision. A methodology for designing a simulation model to assess the impact of such open webs versus existing webs is proposed. Since decision support is a key element in supply chain management, the thesis contributes to determine the needs of supply chain managers and identify the important axes for designing decision support systems that provide adequate assistance in dealing with the challenges and complexity presented by logistic web environments. The identified elements result in the establishment of a foundation for designing software solutions required to handle the challenges revealed by the web dimension. This conceptual framework is applied to the prototyping of four applications that have the potential of providing practitioners and researchers with the appropriate understanding and necessary tools to deal with the complexity of logistics webs