5,460 research outputs found

    On environments as systemic exoskeletons: Crosscutting optimizers and antifragility enablers

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    Classic approaches to General Systems Theory often adopt an individual perspective and a limited number of systemic classes. As a result, those classes include a wide number and variety of systems that result equivalent to each other. This paper introduces a different approach: First, systems belonging to a same class are further differentiated according to five major general characteristics. This introduces a "horizontal dimension" to system classification. A second component of our approach considers systems as nested compositional hierarchies of other sub-systems. The resulting "vertical dimension" further specializes the systemic classes and makes it easier to assess similarities and differences regarding properties such as resilience, performance, and quality-of-experience. Our approach is exemplified by considering a telemonitoring system designed in the framework of Flemish project "Little Sister". We show how our approach makes it possible to design intelligent environments able to closely follow a system's horizontal and vertical organization and to artificially augment its features by serving as crosscutting optimizers and as enablers of antifragile behaviors.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Journal of Reliable Intelligent Environments. Extends conference papers [10,12,15]. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40860-015-0006-

    Sustainable Fractal Manufacturing: a new approach to sustainability in machining processes

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    Over the last decades manufacturing industry alongside installations and activities have caused damage to the planet, society and ecosystem. This impact is characterized by spending energy and material resources, environmental degradation, destruction of ecosystems, loss on biodiversity, effects on public health, welfare and life quality. Actions [1] that have been carried out to mitigate this situation have increased the complexity in manufacturing processes. It is necessary to establish new models that reduce this complexity in design and management stage, and allow the development of task’s manufacturing to promote sustainability in the processes involved, maintaining the technical, economic and quality feasibility. The aim of this work is to develop a manufacture model based on the Fractal Paradigm to manage and structure the manufacturing processes, including the sustainability as minimal complexity (or required complexity) in manufacturing systems and incorporating the new paradigms Green Manufacturing and Cleaner Production, taking into account the principles of Cradle to Cradle (C2C)

    Eco‐Holonic 4.0 Circular Business Model to  Conceptualize Sustainable Value Chain Towards  Digital Transition 

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    The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize a circular business model based on an Eco-Holonic Architecture, through the integration of circular economy and holonic principles. A conceptual model is developed to manage the complexity of integrating circular economy principles, digital transformation, and tools and frameworks for sustainability into business models. The proposed architecture is multilevel and multiscale in order to achieve the instantiation of the sustainable value chain in any territory. The architecture promotes the incorporation of circular economy and holonic principles into new circular business models. This integrated perspective of business model can support the design and upgrade of the manufacturing companies in their respective industrial sectors. The conceptual model proposed is based on activity theory that considers the interactions between technical and social systems and allows the mitigation of the metabolic rift that exists between natural and social metabolism. This study contributes to the existing literature on circular economy, circular business models and activity theory by considering holonic paradigm concerns, which have not been explored yet. This research also offers a unique holonic architecture of circular business model by considering different levels, relationships, dynamism and contextualization (territory) aspects

    Knowledge-generating Efficiency in Innovation Systems: The relation between structural and temporal effects

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    Using time series of US patents per million inhabitants, knowledge-generating cycles can be distinguished. These cycles partly coincide with Kondratieff long waves. The changes in the slopes between them indicate discontinuities in the knowledge-generating paradigms. The knowledge-generating paradigms can be modeled in terms of interacting dimensions (for example, in university-industry-government relations) that set limits to the maximal efficiency of innovation systems. The maximum values of the parameters in the model are of the same order as the regression coefficients of the empirical waves. The mechanism of the increase in the dimensionality is specified as self-organization which leads to the breaking of existing relations into the more diversified structure of a fractal-like network. This breaking can be modeled in analogy to 2D and 3D (Koch) snowflakes. The boost of knowledge generation leads to newly emerging technologies that can be expected to be more diversified and show shorter life cycles than before. Time spans of the knowledge-generating cycles can also be analyzed in terms of Fibonacci numbers. This perspective allows for forecasting expected dates of future possible paradigm changes. In terms of policy implications, this suggests a shift in focus from the manufacturing technologies to developing new organizational technologies and formats of human interaction

    Towards Fractal Approach in Healthcare Information Systems: A Review

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    Recently, traditional information systems need adaption capabilities in order to overcome modifications and maintains of external environment. For that, researchers proposed many solutions from the Fractal method to improve the flexibility and quick adaptive of the system. Computer Information System, as widely used systems, needs modifications and adaptations to real changes. The most important action is to circulate and updating new data and information among the hosts in agent-based information systems. This paper presents the review of using features of fractal method to solve many problems in different fields. The  paper is also suggesting employing fractal features for improving the flexibility and adaption of Healthcare Information System (HIS)

    Design of a Scalable Modular Production System for a Two-stage Food Service Franchise System

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    The geographically distributed production of fresh food poses unique challenges to the production system design because of their stringent industry and logistics requirements. The purpose of this research is to examine the case of a European fresh food manufacturer’s approach to introduce a scalable modular production concept for an international two‐stage gastronomy franchise system in order to identify best practice guidelines and to derive a framework for the design of distributed production systems that perform in a highly dynamic environment. The design framework was developed by creating a theoretical model through literature review and the thorough analysis of an industrial case. Information was collected through multiple site visits, workshops and semi‐structured interviews with the company’s key staff of the project, as well as examination of relevant company documentations. By means of a scenario for the Central European market, the model was reviewed in terms of its development potential and finally approved for implementation. However, research through case survey requires further empirical investigation to fully establish this approach as a valid and reliable design tool
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