Information Management and Information System Analysis to Support the Achievement of University Performance Agreements with the Government

State Universities in Indonesia have college performance agreement with Ministry of Education and Culture (MoEC) that consists of performance indicators and target achievements in a year. For assuring the integration, availability, and data validity of performance indicators, good information management with utilized information system is needed by entire working unit. Information management process to support data collection and target achievements on college performance agreement with MoEC in Brawijaya University still has many deficiencies. The process involves many stakeholders because it covers all areas of business in Brawijaya University (UB). Quality Asurance Center in UB as the unit that collects and processes the data of target achievements complained about data collection that takes a long time and it is often incomplete. The faculties, study programs, and other units experience the unavailability of most data and target performance indicators on information system that is used as reference for implementing business processes. The problem responded lightly by Information and Communication Technology Unit in Brawijaya University with consideration that Information System used is in accordance with the needs of the academic community. On the other hand, the responses about the problem from the lecturers, staff, and students are different. This research tries to explore and evaluate the problem and formulate the steps of transformations to refine the situation by using Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) with some additional Root Cause Analysis (RCA) stages. The major contribution of the research is giving the insights about the problem thoroughly comprising various perspective of stakeholders, transforming the refinement of the situation presented in conceptual model, and the stakeholders’ assessment of the conceptual model. This research also visualizes the implementation of RCA to dig up more perspective of the stakeholders and helps identifying the activities to construct conceptual model

Integrating Smart Ceiling Fans and Communicating Thermostats to Provide Energy-Efficient Comfort

The project goal was to identify and test the integration of smart ceiling fans and communicating thermostats. These highly efficient ceiling fans use as much power as an LED light bulb and have onboard temperature and occupancy sensors for automatic operationbased on space conditions. The Center for the Environment (CBE) at UC Berkeley led the research team including TRC, Association for Energy Affordability (AEA), and Big Ass Fans (BAF). The research team conducted laboratory tests, installed99 ceiling fans and 12 thermostats in four affordable multifamily housing sites in California’s Central Valley, interviewed stakeholders to develop a case study, developed an online design tool and design guide, outlined codes and standards outreach, and published several papers.The project team raised indoor cooling temperature setpoints and used ceiling fans as the first stage of cooling; this sequencing of ceiling fans and air conditioningreducesenergy consumption, especially during peak periods, while providing thermal comfort.The field demonstration resulted in 39% measured compressor energy savings during the April–October cooling seasoncompared to baseline conditions, normalized for floor area. Weather-normalized energy use varied from a 36% increase to 71% savings, withmedian savings of 15%.This variability reflects the diversity in buildings, mechanical systems, prior operation settings, space types, andoccupants’ schedules,preferences, and motivations. All commercial spaces with regular occupancy schedules (and twoof the irregularly-occupied commercial spaces and one of the homes) showed energy savings on an absolute basis before normalizing for warmer intervention temperatures,and 10 of 13 sites showed energy savings on a weather-normalized basis. The ceiling fans provided cooling for one site for months during hot weather when the coolingequipment failed.Occupants reported high satisfaction with the ceiling fans and improved thermal comfort. This technology can apply to new and retrofit residential and commercial buildings

A General Framework to Evaluate Economic Efficiency with an Application to British SME

This article formalises the idea of money-metric production frontiers, which we propose as a general framework for nonparametric evaluation of economic efficiency. As we show in our methodological discussion, this improves the flexibility and economic interpretation of our model. The empirical part is the first attempt to test the existence of a size-efficiency relationship among small businesses in the United Kingdom. It is based on a unique panel both with respect to size — ranging from agriculture to services — and to the ten year time span. We employ statistically robust methods to estimate and analyse sectoral efficiency. Our analysis yields three main insights: (1) Average sectors are expected to be two to four times less efficient than those on the efficient frontier. Great dispersion of efficiency scores highlights the importance of dynamic out-of-equilibrium modelling. (2) There is no evidence of a general economy-wide size-efficiency relationship. (3) Economic efficiency remained constant over the past ten years.Small and medium enterprises; economic efficiency; firm size; robust efficiency estimation

The NASA high-speed turboprop program

Technology readiness for Mach 0.7 to 0.8 turboprop powered aircraft with the potential for fuel savings and DOC reductions of up to 30 and 15 percent respectively relative to current in-service aircraft is addressed. The areas of propeller aeroacoustics, propeller structures, turboprop installed performance, aircraft cabin environment, and turboprop engine and aircraft studies are emphasized. Large scale propeller characteristics and high speed propeller flight research tests using a modified testbed aircraft are also considered

Technology assessment of portable energy RDT and P

Results are presented of a workshop conducted to assess portable energy technology. The results were evaluated and areas for future research were considered. Several research categories were studied: increasing presently available fuel supplies, developing new fuel sources, utilization of new transportation fuels, improving conservation practices, and equitable distribution of fuel supplies. Several research projects were proposed, and work statements were constructed for those considered suitable

An O(Tˆ3) algorithm for the capacitated lot sizing problem with minimum order quantities

This paper explores a single-item capacitated lot sizing problem with minimum order quantity, which plays the role of minor set-up cost. We work out the necessary and suffcient solvability conditions and apply the general dynamic programming technique to develop an O(T³) exact algorithm that is based on the concept of minimal sub-problems. An investigation of the properties of the optimal solution structure allows us to construct explicit solutions to the obtained sub-problems and prove their optimality. In this way, we reduce the complexity of the algorithm considerably and confirm its efficiency in an extensive computational study. --production planning,capacitated lot sizing problem,single item,minimum order quantities,capacity constraints,dynamic programming

To Migrate or to Commute?

In this paper, we investigate the agglomeration patterns in a New Economic Geography model when commuting is allowed. The introduction of both commuting and housing costs leads to a disentangling of the agglomeration of firms and people. Commuting al- lows workers to continue living in agglomerations and enjoying the benefits of a larger product variety, despite high housing costs, since they may choose to commute to another place where they receive higher wages, which in turn enables them to cover high housing costs at their place of living. This observation is especially true for skilled workers, who generally are more mobile than unskilled workers.New Economic Geography, Commuting, Mobility of workers, Commuting costs, Housing costs