32,470 research outputs found
Business success through process based application of simulation
Progressive design practices are increasingly cognisant of the potential of building energy simulation to assist the delivery of energy efficient, sustainable buildings. However, the success of any building performance assessment hinges on the capabilities of the tool; the collective competences of the team formed to apply it; and, crucially, the existence of an in-house framework within which simulation can be applied with confidence (McElroy and Clarke 1999). There is also a need for the professions to set up mechanisms that facilitate dialogue with vendors in order to influence tool capabilities. And on the related issues of building an in-house competency and a framework for application, the two core issues facing the professions are: i) a need for the development of in-house procedures for management of simulation; and ii) quality assurance of the related models and appraisal results
From Cbits to Qbits: Teaching computer scientists quantum mechanics
A strategy is suggested for teaching mathematically literate students, with
no background in physics, just enough quantum mechanics for them to understand
and develop algorithms in quantum computation and quantum information theory.
Although the article as a whole addresses teachers of physics, well versed in
quantum mechanics, the central pedagogical development is addressed directly to
computer scientists and mathematicians, with only occasional asides to their
teacher. Physicists uninterested in quantum pedagogy may be amused (or
irritated) by some of the views of standard quantum mechanics that arise
naturally from this unorthodox perspective.Comment: 19 pages, no figures. Submitted to the American Journal of Physic
Decision-making process framework at the planning phase of housing development project
Every housing development project needs to go through several procedures which consist of a decision-making process. By practising the decision-making process since the planning phase, the relevant decision-maker is assisted in analysing and organising all issues arise such as the problem in identification and selection of a suitable contractor for housing development. However, the decisions are made without knowing precisely what will happen in the future. The researchâs primary purpose is to develop a process model for decision-making at Malaysiaâs housing development planning phase. This study also examines the decision-making process practised among Malaysian private housing developers at the planning phase and classifies four main aspects of decision-making: methods, tools, criteria and information. The study then discovers whether the four main aspects (methods, tools, criteria and information) are strongly related to the decision making process. This study comprises the development of a theoretical framework by integrating the models that have been developed by numerous authors and researchers on the subject of decision making. Besides, 67 private housing developers have been chosen as respondents for a questionnaire survey in this study. The descriptive statistical analysis and the correlated analysis are conducted employing the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of this study show different findings for every four main aspects studied. However, it still answers the research objectives, and the relationship between the four main aspects of the decision-making process is accepted. This study is useful because it serves as a guide for private housing developers and governments in decision making at the planning phase of housing development. Moreover, this study provides a new process framework for decision making at the planning phase of housing development in Malaysia and assists housing developers and governments to make better predictions before proceeding to the construction phase
Control, Process Facilitation, and Requirements Change in Offshore Requirements Analysis: The Provider Perspective
Process, technology, and project factors have been increasingly driving organizations to offshore early software development phases, such as requirements analysis. This emerging trend necessitates greater control and process facilitation between client and vendor sites. The effectiveness of control and facilitation has, however, not been examined within the context of requirements analysis and change. In this study, we examine the role of control and facilitation in managing changing requirements and on success of requirements gathering in the Indian offshore software development environment. Firms found that control by client-site coordinators had a positive impact on requirements analysis success while vender site-coordinators did not have similar influence. Process facilitation by client site-coordinators affected requirements phase success indirectly through control. The study concludes with recommendations for research and practice
A requirements engineering framework for integrated systems development for the construction industry
Computer Integrated Construction (CIC) systems are computer environments through which
collaborative working can be undertaken. Although many CIC systems have been developed to demonstrate the
communication and collaboration within the construction projects, the uptake of CICs by the industry is still
inadequate. This is mainly due to the fact that research methodologies of the CIC development projects are
incomplete to bridge the technology transfer gap. Therefore, defining comprehensive methodologies for the
development of these systems and their effective implementation on real construction projects is vital.
Requirements Engineering (RE) can contribute to the effective uptake of these systems because it drives the
systems development for the targeted audience. This paper proposes a requirements engineering approach for
industry driven CIC systems development. While some CIC systems are investigated to build a broad and deep
contextual knowledge in the area, the EU funded research project, DIVERCITY (Distributed Virtual Workspace
for Enhancing Communication within the Construction Industry), is analysed as the main case study project
because its requirements engineering approach has the potential to determine a framework for the adaptation of
requirements engineering in order to contribute towards the uptake of CIC systems
Evaluation of the state-of-the-art in informatics in glucometers
This review evaluated the level of informatics in glucometers through an
assessment of the quantity and types of information and advice provided to
users. Manufacturer websites were investigated and the characteristics of
glucometers were examined. One hundred glucometers from 27 manufacturers were
analysed. Many glucometers contained simple informatics features and five also
contained on-device graphing features for users to monitor trends. Some
manufacturers have extended informatics via external software. A small number of
glucometers provided knowledge for the user by, for example, simple embedded
decision support protocols. However, it is suggested that glucometers could
better serve as primary care devices through the incorporation of more decision
support directly on the device
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