Building Traceability Systems: A Design Science Approach

This paper presents a design theory for real-time traceability system, which is derived from the chaos theory and from two case studies. We present a design method for supply chain analysis and several design principles for real-time traceability system design. Theoretically, the proposed design theory reveals the design and development process of real-time data capture systems and illustrates a methodology to analyze complex and random behaviors in supply chains. Practically, the design theory provides a robust guideline for practitioners in developing real-time traceability systems to enhance organizational performance. Further, the class of design principles discussed in this paper serves the additional function of explaining the way to incorporate real-time data capture functions in commonly used supply chain systems

Developing Biomimetic Design Principles for the Highly Optimized and Robust Design of Products and Their Components

Engineering design methods focus on developing products that are innovative, robust, and multi-functional. In this context, the term robust refers to a product's ability to accomplish successfully its predetermined functions. Owing to the abundance of optimized and robust biological systems, engineering designers are now looking to nature for inspiration. Researchers believe that biomimetic or bio-inspired engineering systems can leverage the principles, mechanisms, processes, strategies, and/or morphologies of nature's successful designs. Unfortunately, two important problems associated with biomimetic design are a designer's limited knowledge of biology and the difference in biological and engineering terminologies. This research developed a new design tool that addresses these problems and proposes to help engineering designers develop candidate bio-inspired products or solutions. A methodology that helps users infer or extract biomimetic design principles from a given natural system or biomimetic product pair is described in this thesis. The method incorporates and integrates five existing design tools and theories to comprehensively investigate a given natural system or biomimetic product. Subsequently, this method is used to extract biomimetic design principles from 23 biomimetic products and natural systems. It is proposed that these principles have the potential to inspire ideas for candidate biomimetic products that are novel, innovative, and robust. The principle extraction methodology and the identified principles are validated using two separate case studies and a detailed analysis using the validation square framework. In the first case study, two students and the author use the principle extraction methodology to extract characteristics from a natural system and a biomimetic product pair. Results from this case study showed that the methodology effectively and repeatedly identifies system characteristics that exemplify inherent biomimetic design principles. In the second case study, the developed biomimetic design principles are used to inspire a solution for an engineering design problem. The resulting solution and its evaluation show that the design's achieved usefulness is linked to applying the biomimetic design principles. Similar to the TRIZ principles, the biomimetic design principles can inspire ideas for solutions to a given problem. The key difference is that designers using TRIZ leverage the solution strategies of engineering patents, while designers using the biomimetic design principles leverage nature’s solution strategies. The biomimetic design principles are compared to TRIZ and the BioTRIZ matrix

Forecasting using the T-method

The T-method is a technique developed by Genichi Taguchi to calculate an overall prediction based on the signal-to-noise ratio without the use of Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization. The Taguchi Methods, also known as robust design principles, is used to determine the optimal levels of control factors through planning and conducting experiments, and evaluating their results. The primary goal of Robust Design is to minimize variance in the presence of noise factors to achieve a robust process. T-Method is one of the techniques evolved from Taguchi Methods. This thesis illustrates the use of the T-method and outlines it steps using four forecasting case studies from various areas with a univariate response to illustrate the technique. The methodology used to forecast in the case study is explained and the results obtained are demonstrated. In addition, a basic comparison with the Mahalanobis-Taguchi system is provided --Abstract, page iii

Generalized construction of trend resistent 2-level split-plot designs

Common experimental practices suggest randomizing the order in which runs are performed. However, there may be situations in which randomization might not produce the most desirable order, especially in the presence of known trends. There has been research done on systematically designing experiments to be robust against trends. However, few studies address the additional dimensions that arise in nested designs such as split-plot designs. Split-plot designs have been used for many years in agricultural applications and are sometimes preferred where there are hard-to-change factors in industrial settings. There currently is no established methodology to produce split-plot designs that are robust to potential two-dimensional trends. The objective of this work is to develop a methodology to design run orders for two-level, split-plot (2w × 2s) designs that are robust or nearly robust against a set of trends. Two methods are developed in this work. A fold-over method that uses already established principles is extended for use in split-plot designs. The second method uses an integer linear programming approach to search for an optimal design that is resistant to specific trends. A comparison between the two methods is presented and evaluated with a proposed set of metrics

A case study in open source innovation: developing the Tidepool Platform for interoperability in type 1 diabetes management.

OBJECTIVE:Develop a device-agnostic cloud platform to host diabetes device data and catalyze an ecosystem of software innovation for type 1 diabetes (T1D) management. MATERIALS AND METHODS:An interdisciplinary team decided to establish a nonprofit company, Tidepool, and build open-source software. RESULTS:Through a user-centered design process, the authors created a software platform, the Tidepool Platform, to upload and host T1D device data in an integrated, device-agnostic fashion, as well as an application ("app"), Blip, to visualize the data. Tidepool's software utilizes the principles of modular components, modern web design including REST APIs and JavaScript, cloud computing, agile development methodology, and robust privacy and security. DISCUSSION:By consolidating the currently scattered and siloed T1D device data ecosystem into one open platform, Tidepool can improve access to the data and enable new possibilities and efficiencies in T1D clinical care and research. The Tidepool Platform decouples diabetes apps from diabetes devices, allowing software developers to build innovative apps without requiring them to design a unique back-end (e.g., database and security) or unique ways of ingesting device data. It allows people with T1D to choose to use any preferred app regardless of which device(s) they use. CONCLUSION:The authors believe that the Tidepool Platform can solve two current problems in the T1D device landscape: 1) limited access to T1D device data and 2) poor interoperability of data from different devices. If proven effective, Tidepool's open source, cloud model for health data interoperability is applicable to other healthcare use cases

Development of a non intrusive heat transfer coefficient gauge and its application to high pressure die casting

This paper presents a design for a robust sensor suitable for determining heat flow and heat transfer coefficient in high pressure die casting.A design methodology for the sensor is presented, together with the conclusions of this analysis.A sensor has been manufactured to these principles and some typical results from its operation are introduced

Analysis and design of virtual enterprises

Virtual Enterprise (VE) is an organizational business concept. Its key ingredients are collaboration among a set of member companies and integration of their competencies, which are needed for developing a new product or service. This concept is in response to the ever-increasing demand on the manufacturing enterprise to react quickly to changes in the market conditions and become agile enterprises. This thesis presents a quantitative study on the life cycle of Virtual Enterprises. Specifically, it covers the design and management phases. These two phases are modeled using system engineering as a foundation. This has led to the development of two new methods for designing and managing Virtual Enterprises. The design method uses Axiomatic Design Theory and a methodology for complex large systems. The management method is based on the Robust Design principles

Using a design-based research approach for a supplementary instruction programme: A pedagogical intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic

The study focused on the implementation of supplementary instruction as a suitable and effective pedagogical intervention for assisting at-risk students enrolled in an Advanced Research Methodology core course in one of the South African higher education institutions (HEIs). Supplementary instruction (SI) has been purported to be an effective technique for assisting at-risk students undertaking high-risk core modules. The educational challenge of at-risk students in higher education has been worsened by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic where high-risk core modules implementing e-learning posed serious challenges for at-risk students thereby negatively affecting pass rates and throughput. The design-based research (DBR) approach was used to guide the design of the intervention and research its effectiveness. The article reports on the design principles that yielded these results. After one cycle of DBR, it was established that SI had a positive impact on the pass rates of this particular course. The article argues that the use of the proposed designed principles in SI interventions has the potential to increase higher mean grades, lower failure and withdrawal rates, and higher retention rates of students. However, this study recommends that further iterations must be undertaken to refine design principles for an SI programme of this nature. The pedagogical significance of the current study in the prevailing circumstances and post COVID-19 pandemic is implementing a robust SI intervention in all core modules at the University of Technology

Application of Lean Methods into the Customised Product Development Process of Large Power Transformers

The study conducts research on lean product development (PD) methodology and presents a case study of its practical application into a specific one-of-a-kind development of large power transformers. The demonstrated framework is the result of a 5-year intensive research that led to an extensive transformation of a traditional PD environment into a highly efficient process according to lean principles. Paper explains how lean PD integrates with robust, concurrent and smart design strategies in highly individualized PD business. A generalized framework of PD and design process renovation is presented, comprising three main fields of interest: Process & Tools, People, and Knowledge. A direct consequence of implied renovation are significant savings. Case-study company cut down engineering changes by 32 % in three year test period and experienced performance improvement between 25 % and 83 % across designated process indicators

Negotiating boundaries: Framing and sense-making in a design thinking project with an elderly community

In recent years Design Thinking has established itself as a popular methodology for unlocking the creative potential that drives innovation, and scholars have begun to apply it in the health sector. However, as a conceptual framework, the approach has been criticised for lacking coherence and empirical validation. Although few have explicitly highlighted the central role of frame management in Design Thinking, we propose that much of the innovative potential, as outlined in its founding principles, stems from a concern with mental processes that contextualise new information to give it meaning and significance. Here we sought to address this gap by studying the framing process in two design teams tasked with developing solutions to assist an elderly population with compliance with medication schedules. Findings from a qualitative analysis indicate that although Design Thinking has clear merit as a methodology for helping designers shift beyond their immediate field of expertise, feedback and observations gathered during engagement with stakeholders inevitably appear to make their way through a filtering process where specific interpretations and meanings become censored and constrained by dominant discourses. Especially in the health sector, where information is sensitive, critical attention to the underlying value systems and prevailing discourses that influence designers’ implicit frames of reference is needed if Design Thinking is to gain credibility as a scientifically robust method for innovation. design thinking, framing, health innovation, medication adherenc