A review of information flow diagrammatic models for product-service systems

A product-service system (PSS) is a combination of products and services to create value for both customers and manufacturers. Modelling a PSS based on function orientation offers a useful way to distinguish system inputs and outputs with regards to how data are consumed and information is used, i.e. information flow. This article presents a review of diagrammatic information flow tools, which are designed to describe a system through its functions. The origin, concept and applications of these tools are investigated, followed by an analysis of information flow modelling with regards to key PSS properties. A case study of selection laser melting technology implemented as PSS will then be used to show the application of information flow modelling for PSS design. A discussion based on the usefulness of the tools in modelling the key elements of PSS and possible future research directions are also presented

Rethinking Models of Evaluation: Sustainability as the Goal of International Cultural Organisations

The purpose and conduct of organisational evaluation is variously defined and understood. With the shift to the ‘new managerialism’ and the steady advance of audit culture in the public sector, evaluation models have proliferated but they are often narrowed to crude measures of impact and performance. They subject people to unhelpful, top-down forms of appraisal and accountability in the interests of transparency and economic efficiency with little respect afforded to the multiple perspectives and divergent goals of the actors involved. There is often a lack of clarity about what is being evaluated and from whose perspective. This paper traces the development of the Cultural Value Model (CVM). It was developed as part of UK-wide research programme aimed at rethinking how we assess the value of cultural activities. The primary objective of the CVM is to provide an analytical and methodological framework for re-conceiving models of evaluation. In particular, it shifts the frame of analysis away from impact to value. Our project aimed to deliver a robust, evidence-based understanding of the changing cultural value of the British Council (BC) and BBC World Service (BBCWS). These publically funded international organisations are an integral part of the UK’s diplomatic infrastructure and subject to stringent accountability measures to satisfy diverse stakeholders. They are experiencing rapid and convulsive change in response to financial, technological and geopolitical forces and their purpose and value is being questioned. In the paper we argue that the CVM, in fostering a more engaged, participatory approach to performance evaluation challenged and even subverted existing practices but with mixed results. In the case of the BC, it generated a high degree of interest and engagement to the extent that it is currently being adopted and integrated into organisational practices. In contrast, the BBCWS were more resistant to innovation believing that their audience ratings and internal reviews suffice. The flexible adaptability of the CVM presents an opportunity for other organisations to move from away from top-down performance and impact assessment towards a more inclusive, reflective and sustainable model of value. However we need to get a better understanding the organisational constraints that obstruct innovation if more participatory models of learning, monitoring and evaluation are to intervene in social and organisational processes and achieve sustainable models of good practice

Reviews

Managing Change in Higher Education: A Learning Environment Architecture by Peter Ford and eight other authors, Buckingham: Society for Research into Higher Education and the Open University Press, 1996. ISBN 0–335–19791–4. 161 pages, paperback. No price indicated

Information Technology Platforms: Definition and Research Directions

The concept of an information technology (IT) related platform is broad and covers phenomena ranging from the operating system Linux to the Internet. Such platforms are of increasing importance to innovation and value creation across many facets of industry and daily life. There is, however, a lack of common understanding in both research and industry about what is mean by the term platform when related to IT. This lack of consensus is detrimental to research and knowledge development. Thus, the aims of this study are to: (i) provide a sound definition of the IT-platform concept by identifying its distinguishing dimensions; and (ii) identify important current research directions for the IT-platform concept. To achieve these aims a systematic literature review was undertaken with 133 relevant articles taken from major information systems journals, conferences, and business publications. The study contributes by providing a sound base for future research into IT-platforms.Comment: Research-in-progress ISBN# 978-0-646-95337-3 Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems 2015 (arXiv:1605.01032

A front-end system to support cloud-based manufacturing of customised products

In today’s global market, customized products are amongst an important means to address diverse customer demand and in achieving a unique competitive advantage. Key enablers of this approach are existing product configuration and supporting IT-based manufacturing systems. As a proposed advancement, it considered that the development of a front-end system with a next level of integration to a cloud-based manufacturing infrastructure is able to better support the specification and on-demand manufacture of customized products. In this paper, a new paradigm of Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS) environment is introduced and highlights the current research challenges in the configuration of customizable products. Furthermore, the latest development of the front-end system is reported with a view towards further work in the research

Accelerating positive change in electronic records management: an empirical toolkit of solutions

The AC+erm project aims to investigate and critically explore issues and practical strategies for accelerating positive change in electronic records management. The project’s focus is on designing an organisational-centred architecture from three perspectives: people, process and technology. This paper introduces the project, describes the methodology (a systematic literature review, e-Delphi studies and colloquia) and presents solutions for improving ERM developed from the people and process e-Delphi responses. ERM is particularly challenging and the solutions offered by the Delphi participants are numerous, and range in scale and complexity. The only firm conclusion that one can draw is that the majority of the solutions are people-focussed ones. The Cynefin framework is introduced as one approach for providing a conceptual overview to our findings on ERM. The sample solutions presented in this paper provide a toolkit of ‘probes’ and ‘interventions’ for practical application in organisations

The need of diagrams based on Toulmin schema application: an aeronautical case study

In this article, Justification Diagrams are introduced for structuring evidence to support conclusions that are reached from results of simulation studies. An industrial application is used to illustrate the use of the Justification Diagrams. Adapted from the Toulmin schema, the aim of Justification Diagram is to define a comprehensive, auditable and shareable notation to explain the results, the input data, the assumptions made and the techniques applied, to construct a cogent conclusion. Further, the Justification Diagrams provide a visual representation of the argument that aims to corroborate the specified claims, or conclusions. A large part of this work is based on the application of the Justification Diagrams in the context of the European project, TOICA. The Justification Diagrams were used to structure all justifications that would be needed to convince an authority that a simulation process, and the associated results, upheld a particular conclusion. These diagrams are built concurrently in a product development process that accompanies the various stages of Verification and Validation (V&V) and where, for each design stage of V&V, argumentation is constructed by aggregating evidence and documents produced at this design stage

Protsessimudelite struktuur koosmõjus mudeli kasutusega

“Üks pilt on väärt tuhat sõna” - kui eelnev mõttetera on esitatud info edastamise kontekstis, kus lisaks tuimadele faktidele soovitakse anda edasi ka emotsiooni ja tunnet, siis kuidas toimib sama lause just nimelt tuimade faktide edastamisel? Järjest rohkem esitatakse töötajatele suunatud organisatsioonide kirjeldusi läbi erinevate jooniste ja tekstide, seda eriti protsessimudelite juures. Antud doktoritöö keskendub kahele küsimusele: (i) kuidas kombineeritakse struktuurseid ja mittestruktuurseid komponente protsesside kirjeldamisel praktikas; (ii) ja mis tagab protsessimudelite jätkusuutliku kasutuse organisatsioonis? Protsessihierarhia lisamine protsessimudelisse avaldab positiivset mõju mudeli kasutusele organisatsioonis. Samas, protsesside esitamisel diagrammi kujul tuleb arvestada lõppkasutajaga (antud kontekstis töötaja), kelle jaoks ei tarvitse olla lihtne lugeda olulist informatsiooni diagrammilt. Seega peab olema töötajatele suunatud mudelites teksti kujul esitatud faktide hulk oluliselt suurem kui läbi joonise kirjeldatu. See on eriti oluline suuremate mudelite juures, kus protsessidiagrammidega esitatav info on mahukas ja joonised sageli keerulised. Kui mudeli lugemisel peab kasutaja fookus olema eelkõige protsessijoonisel ja lisafakte esitatakse teksti kujul, siis sellised mudelid sobivad pigem tehnilisele lugejaskonnale, mitte organisatsiooni teadmistebaasi. Kui organisatsioon soovib aktiivset teadmistebaasi kasutust, siis on vaja saavutada hea tasakaal organisatsiooni (Organisatsiooni, Modelleerimise ja Kasutusega seotud edufaktorid) ja tehniliste parameetrite (Protsessimudeli ja Tarkvaraga seotud edufaktorid) vahel. Näiteks, tehnilist poolt kajastavate edufaktorite kontekstis on väga oluline ‘Mudeli struktuur’, mis otseselt mõjutab protsessimudeli laiemat kasutust organisatsioonis. Organisatsiooni ja kasutajate kontekstis mängib olulist rolli juhtkonna eeskuju protsessimudeli aktiivsel kasutamisel.A picture is worth a thousand words, but adding even a few words can greatly enhance a picture. It is common to find textual and diagrammatic components complementing each other in enterprise models in general, and in business process models in particular. This doctoral thesis discusses the questions of: (i) how do structured and unstructured components of process models co-exist with each other in practice; and (ii) what determines that a process model is used on a sustained basis within an organization? Presenting the process hierarchy of a process model in a structured form has a positive impact on the sustained use of the model. Caution is necessary when adding structured components into the descriptions of processes — it might not be easy for process workers to understand the structure(s) and obtain essential information from the diagrams. Thus, the balance between pure text and diagrams needs to be “shifted” toward the text, especially in the context of larger process models where the amount of information is great and the process diagrams tend to be voluminous and complicated. If a significant part of the information is presented on a diagram and less information is given via text (you have to “read” the diagram first), then the model is rather appropriate for technical people but has no place in the knowledge base of process workers. A good balance between the organizational setting (factors related to Organization, Users and Process Modelling) and technical parameters directly related to the knowledge base (factors related to Model and Tools) is necessary when the sustained use of knowledge base is important for the organization. One factor in particular that was highlighted in the context of technical parameters as contributing to sustained use was the Structure of the process model. The impact of management on users through a positive example plays a substantial role during the deployment phase of the knowledge base in the organization

Modelling information flow for organisations delivering microsystems technology

Motivated by recent growth and applications of microsystems technology (MST), companies within the MST domain are beginning to explore avenues for understanding, maintaining and improving information flow, within their organisations and to/from customers, with a view to enhancing delivery performance. Delivery for organisations is the flow of goods from sellers to buyers and a classic approach to understanding information flow is via the use of modelling techniques. Cont/d

River basin planning project: social learning (Science Report SC050037/SR1)

This report documents the findings of a 12-month Environment Agency science project on social learning for river basin planning. Our aim was to use social learning approaches and soft system methods to inform the development of the River Basin Planning Strategy and improve the effectiveness of the Environment Agency's Water Framework Directive (WFD) Programm