An empirical exploration of requirements engineering for hybrid products

In this paper we report on an empirical study on requirements engineering of hybrid products. Hybrid products (often also referred to as product service systems) – a combination of product, software and service elements – are an emerging trend on the market. Companies intend to offer holistic solutions for customer problems and not single products. The development of hybrid products differs from the development of “classic” products because of the high-level of technological integration of the elements that hybrid products consist of, the interdisciplinarity and the different lifecycles of their single components. We have conducted fifteen expert interviews to explore current practices in requirements engineering in three industries developing hybrid products: automotive, IT-consulting and system integrators, and medical technology. Our results show that most components of hybrid products are developed independently from each other. Based on our empirical insights we have identified requirements and challenges for the design of an integrated requirements engineering process for hybrid products

Emerging Species and Genome Editing Tools: Future Prospects in Cyanobacterial Synthetic Biology

Recent advances in synthetic biology and an emerging algal biotechnology market have spurred a prolific increase in the availability of molecular tools for cyanobacterial research. Nevertheless, work to date has focused primarily on only a small subset of model species, which arguably limits fundamental discovery and applied research towards wider commercialisation. Here, we review the requirements for uptake of new strains, including several recently characterised fast-growing species and promising non-model species. Furthermore, we discuss the potential applications of new techniques available for transformation, genetic engineering and regulation, including an up-to-date appraisal of current Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/CRISPR associated protein (CRISPR/Cas) and CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) research in cyanobacteria. We also provide an overview of several exciting molecular tools that could be ported to cyanobacteria for more advanced metabolic engineering approaches (e.g., genetic circuit design). Lastly, we introduce a forthcoming mutant library for the model species Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 that promises to provide a further powerful resource for the cyanobacterial research community

Supply Network Evolution in Emerging Industries

The study of emerging industries has recently captured the interest of academics, industrialists, and government policy makers as a means to providing new sources of ‘value’ creation. In recent years, research in this area has typically focused on product R&D technologies, coupled with their particular technology commercialisation challenges. However, the industrial ecosystem is much more complex, and cannot be readily described by a single viewpoint. It is now widely recognised that manufacturing value chains (including subsequent stages of design for manufacture, engineering, production ramp-up, route-to-market, and in-use activities) are critical to transforming new technologies and ideas into innovative products and services. However, the design, setup and operation of enabling supply networks, in the context of emerging industries, is poorly understood. One key challenge is there is no defined strategy that a firm can follow due to lack of certainty in the business ecosystem and on end-consumer requirements. This often forces entrepreneurs to experiment with multiple supply chain strategies. This process can be very time consuming – leading to increased time to market and making it difficult to maintain critical ‘first mover advantage’. This increasing focus on emerging industries, with these inherent uncertainties, is also compounded with changes in the industrial landscape for mature sectors – with the impact of globalisation and the dissolution of vertically integrated value chains – raising the importance of supply networks as an enabling element of emerging industrial development. This special issue focuses on ‘Supply network evolution in emerging industries’, drawing on examples of ‘industrial innovation’ spanning technology-based product innovation, new production or supply chain replenishment models (e.g., new routes to market) and/or novel business models. The research presented here offers new insights into the design and operation of supply networks and their links to other parts of the broader industrial ecosystem

Balancing Global Customer Needs and Profitability Using a Novel Business Model for New Model Programmes in the Automotive Industry

AbstractBusiness models need to evolve and respond to changing customer requirements and this is only further exaggerated when considered in the context of a ‘Global Market’ which has shifted in the last 60 years from ‘Manufacturer’ led to ‘Customer’ led ‘fashion’ based industry. The automotive industry is one example of an emerging fashion based industry.The objective of most viable businesses is to make a profit for their shareholders but, given the typical gestation period between concept establishment and the start of the production volume build, it is a challenge to establish a structured method to ensure programme and business profitability against the backdrop of a fashion based market. In this paper, a data driven methodology is proposed which focuses on data, structure, and the customer to maximise the probability of profitability. To achieve this goal, joins between Multi Criteria Decision Analysis, Parametric Cost Estimating and ‘Should’ Cost Estimating are explored. ‘Margin engineering’ is thus proposed as a new foundation for a future business model to guide medium term (one to six years) development projects towards a profitable outcome

Building information modelling project decision support framework

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is an information technology [IT] enabled approach to managing design data in the AEC/FM (Architecture, Engineering and Construction/ Facilities Management) industry. BIM enables improved interdisciplinary collaboration across distributed teams, intelligent documentation and information retrieval, greater consistency in building data, better conflict detection and enhanced facilities management. Despite the apparent benefits the adoption of BIM in practice has been slow. Workshops with industry focus groups were conducted to identify the industry needs, concerns and expectations from participants who had implemented BIM or were BIM “ready”. Factors inhibiting BIM adoption include lack of training, low business incentives, perception of lack of rewards, technological concerns, industry fragmentation related to uneven ICT adoption practices, contractual matters and resistance to changing current work practice. Successful BIM usage depends on collective adoption of BIM across the different disciplines and support by the client. The relationship of current work practices to future BIM scenarios was identified as an important strategy as the participants believed that BIM cannot be efficiently used with traditional practices and methods. The key to successful implementation is to explore the extent to which current work practices must change. Currently there is a perception that all work practices and processes must adopt and change for effective usage of BIM. It is acknowledged that new roles and responsibilities are emerging and that different parties will lead BIM on different projects. A contingency based approach to the problem of implementation was taken which relies upon integration of BIM project champion, procurement strategy, team capability analysis, commercial software availability/applicability and phase decision making and event analysis. Organizations need to understand: (a) their own work processes and requirements; (b) the range of BIM applications available in the market and their capabilities (c) the potential benefits of different BIM applications and their roles in different phases of the project lifecycle, and (d) collective supply chain adoption capabilities. A framework is proposed to support organizations selection of BIM usage strategies that meet their project requirements. Case studies are being conducted to develop the framework. The results of the preliminary design management case study is presented for contractor led BIM specific to the design and construct procurement strategy

A novel design education approach for professional global product realization

Emerging trends in design practice, such as collaborative design and multi-national, multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary (multi-x) teamwork, call for ongoing changes in design education. Educational institutions need to be proactive in adapting to such trends, in order to ensure an adequate development of the design competences of their students. The graduated design students must be able to effectively solve real-life new product development (NPD) problems in multi-x environments. In this paper we present a novel approach towards design education, where special focus is put on multi-x collaboration of design students in solving NPD tasks. We present the idea of an Academic Virtual Enterprise (AVE), a project oriented educational agreement, which is based on volatile alliance of industrial and academic partners for mutual advantages. A course, called Global Product Realization (GPR) is presented as an example of how to implement AVE into design education and provide a stimulating learning environment for students in several disciplines (i.e. mechanical engineering, programming, electronics, design, etc.), where they can get experience in multi-x collaboration in NPD and develop several aspects of design competences needed for their future professional practice

Emergence of the Biosimilar Sector and Opportunities of Developing Country Suppliers

As biologic products begin to come off-patent, a market is emerging for biosimilars (also known as biogenerics or follow-on biologics). Firms from emerging countries such as India and China have dominated the production of active ingredients in pharmaceutical industries all over the world and are now developing capabilities in biosimilar production. This emergence of a new market dynamic is disruptive to current key players as it has potential challenge their current dominant hold over the market, while for firms from developing countries it creates a sea of opportunities. This rise of biosimilars and capabilities for cheap production in developing country firms has potential to transform patient care in developing countries as well as advanced countries. This paper reviews study data collected at Innogen and the most recent literature to understand how the sector for biosimilars is evolving and the opportunities and challenges faced by emerging suppliers. The aim of the paper is to identify the gaps in the current literature and opportunities for further study in this area

Ready for Tomorrow: Demand-Side Emerging Skills for the 21st Century

As part of the Ready for the Job demand-side skill assessment, the Heldrich Center explored emerging work skills that will affect New Jersey's workforce in the next three to five years. The Heldrich Center identified five specific areas likely to generate new skill demands: biotechnology, security, e-learning, e-commerce, and food/agribusiness. This report explores the study's findings and offers recommendations for improving education and training in New Jersey

Determinants of local responsiveness of FMNCS in mainland China

Recent regulations, associated with China’s accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), specifically Decree 113 and Decree 114, have largely changed the situation for foreign multinational construction companies (FMNCs) operating in mainland China. A field investigation has identified that local responsiveness is critical for FMNCs to survive and develop in the complicated and uncertain Chinese construction industry. Government policy, China-specific construction industrial factors and increasing competition intensity imposed by local competitors are recognized as the major determinants driving local responsiveness of FMNCs. This study has also examined that localisation of internal resources, establishment of local networks and cooperation or strategic alliances with local contractors and design institutes are the key local adaptation strategies for FMNCs operating in mainland China