Fuzzy Decision-Support System for Safeguarding Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage

In the current world economic situation, the maintenance of built heritage has been limited due to a lack of funds and accurate tools for proper management and implementation of these actions. However, in specific local areas, the maintenance and conservation of historical and cultural heritage have become an investment opportunity. In this sense, in this study, a new tool is proposed, for the estimation of the functional service life of heritage buildings in a local region (city of Seville, South Spain). This tool is developed in Art-Risk research project and consists of a free software to evaluate decisions in regional policies, planning and management of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, considering physical, environmental, economic and social resources. This tool provides a ranking of priority of intervention among case studies belonging to a particular urban context. This information is particularly relevant for the stakeholders responsible for the management of maintenance plans in built heritage

Forecasting and risk analysis applied to management planning and control

The aim of this research was to improve the quantitative support to project planning and control principally through the use of more accurate forecasting for which new techniques were developed. This study arose from the observation that in most cases construction project forecasts were based on a methodology (c.1980) which relied on the DHSS cumulative cubic cost model and network based risk analysis (PERT). The former of these, in particular, imposes severe limitations which this study overcomes. Three areas of study were identified, namely growth curve forecasting, risk analysis and the interface of these quantitative techniques with project management. These fields have been used as a basis for the research programme. In order to give a sound basis for the research, industrial support was sought. This resulted in both the acquisition of cost profiles for a large number of projects and the opportunity to validate practical implementation. The outcome of this research project was deemed successful both in theory and practice. The new forecasting theory was shown to give major reductions in projection errors. The integration of the new predictive and risk analysis technologies with management principles, allowed the development of a viable software management aid which fills an acknowledged gap in current technology

Aspects of the application of project management in business practice

Purpose Purpose of this article is the issue of the application of project management in business practice. The need to be more competitive is the driving force for the innovation of new business systems, one of which is project management. New business strategies are fundamental for continual business progress. The author of this article refers to the perception of project management in business practice, which can affect the future business development and leads to further growth. Scientific aim of the research was to find out the companies´ attitude towards the issue of the application of project management in business practice and also towards its advantages and disadvantages. As a part of the research, the respondents had the opportunity to expres themselves regarding the present business situation and to familiarize the experts with their experiences in this sphere. However, the majority of respondents did not use this opportunity. Methodology/methods The methodology in the elaboration of this article comes from the author´s primary research, which formed the main part of the overall research. The new research was based on the previous one from the end of year 2009, which was done in co-operation, and the aim was to find out how the knowledge of project management can influence the business management. The present research was carried out at manufacturing corporations in the Czech Republic at the beginning of year 2010. Findings From the previous research, carried out in 2009, results that larger manufacturing corporations use project management in business practice more often than others. Average sized companies are aware of project management but are cautious about putting it into practice. Small companies believe they use this system in their business practice, but in reality they only use a substitute of it. From the research it is apparent that companies can see both advantages and disadvantages of project management. As an advantage, they see the saving of expenses and time, the more effective risk management, easier monitoring of goals and gains and the increase of competitiveness. On the other side, there is the increased expense for software and experts, limited access to the market and worsened business strategy, which are considered to be disadvantages. Conclusions Finally, we can say, that the application of project management in business practice in manufacturing corporations brings along not just advantages but also disadvantages. Nevertheless, we can say, that if a company wants to increase its competitiveness or streamline the manufacturing management, it is advisable to use the project management system

Clinical Practice Implementation to Address ASCVD Risk: A Practice Change in Primary Care

Practice Problem: Heart disease stands as the leading cause of mortality in the United States. While healthcare providers strive to identify and optimize prevention strategies, particularly in high-risk patient populations, notable gaps in care persist, notably in the management of modifiable risk factors such as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL). By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) integrated software within clinical settings, we can revolutionize the landscape of this devastating chronic disease. PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was: In Primary Care Advanced Practice Providers (APP) caring for high-risk and/or very high-risk patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) (P), how do automated electronic alerts with guideline-based recommendations (I) compare to standard notification practice (C) affect referral initiation to cardiology or prompt medication change (O) within 10 weeks (T)? Evidence: In the realm of modern healthcare, it is crucial to recognize the impact of AI on Electronic Health Records (EHRs). This fusion of data analysis and health information technology provides an opportunity for healthcare treatments to become much more effective, resulting in better patient outcomes. Fifteen studies that matched the inclusion criteria were collected and used as substantiating evidence for this project. Intervention: AI software integrated into the EHR system computed comprehensive data analytics, consequently discovering a substantial cohort of patients with an elevated risk profile for ASCVD, accompanied by an LDL-C level that exceeded established clinical guidelines. Subsequently, an automated communication was sent to the APP, furnishing them with pertinent notifications and offering referral recommendations. Outcome: By integrating AI processes into the EHR, data management is streamlined and real-time disease prevention analysis is achieved. The primary goal was to identify high-risk ASCVD patient groups using AI within the EHR and assess the effectiveness of AI-generated electronic alerts with clinical guidance in encouraging behavior change. The clinical significance of this data collection and implementation was substantial. While the statistical analysis produced relevant metrics, it also exhibited applicability in the clinical context. The data exposed a patient population lacking aggressive medical management or referrals, a concern noted by APPs. Conclusion: Introducing AI-based tools can direct the pathway of care and bridge crucial gaps in care in high-risk populations. The result of this technology utilization and integration offers timely screening strategies, education, clinical decision support, and opportunities to address vital pathways for providers and health systems to address ASCVD treatment gaps

Innovation at Paks Nuclear Power Plant

In the summer of 2014 at the Maintenance Division of Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd. in Hungary there was an opportunity to take part in the preparatory work a new and innovative project for introduction. This is a charge-planner software support using the tests related the new fuel. The necessary calculations were completed and after obtaining the results the conclusion is that the actual 12 month operating period – the so-called campaign length – can be increased to 15 months, by using and shuffling the new fuel with higher enrichment, and by loading six fuel assemblies with gadolinium oxide into the unit. Conclusion is the new Gd-2_4.7 fuel initial expectations were met and managed to find a favorable average enrichment not only considering nuclear physics, but also economic, risk management, material structure and security points of view as well. Testing can be started in the summer of 2015, and the fuel can be loaded into Unit 3 for a test period of 365 days

A Survey on Usage and Diffusion of Project Risk Management Techniques and Software Tools in the Construction Industry

The area of Project Risk Management (PRM) has been extensively researched, and the utilization of various tools and techniques for managing risk in several industries has been sufficiently reported. Formal and systematic PRM practices have been made available for the construction industry. Based on such body of knowledge, this paper tries to find out the global picture of PRM practices and approaches with the help of a survey to look into the usage of PRM techniques and diffusion of software tools, their level of maturity, and their usefulness in the construction sector. Results show that, despite existing techniques and tools, their usage is limited: software tools are used only by a minority of respondents and their cost is one of the largest hurdles in adoption. Finally, the paper provides some important guidelines for future research regarding quantitative risk analysis techniques and suggestions for PRM software tools development and improvemen

Is agile project management applicable to construction?

This paper briefly summarises the evolution of Agile Project Management (APM) and differentiates it from lean and agile production and ‘leagile’ construction. The significant benefits being realized through employment of APM within the information systems industry are stated. The characteristics of APM are explored, including: philosophy, organizational attitudes and practices, planning, execution and control and learning. Finally, APM is subjectively assessed as to its potential contribution to the pre-design, design and construction phases. In conclusion, it is assessed that APM offers considerable potential for application in predesign and design but that there are significant hurdles to its adoption in the actual construction phase. Should these be overcome, APM offers benefits well beyond any individual project

Cloud Migration: A Case Study of Migrating an Enterprise IT System to IaaS

This case study illustrates the potential benefits and risks associated with the migration of an IT system in the oil & gas industry from an in-house data center to Amazon EC2 from a broad variety of stakeholder perspectives across the enterprise, thus transcending the typical, yet narrow, financial and technical analysis offered by providers. Our results show that the system infrastructure in the case study would have cost 37% less over 5 years on EC2, and using cloud computing could have potentially eliminated 21% of the support calls for this system. These findings seem significant enough to call for a migration of the system to the cloud but our stakeholder impact analysis revealed that there are significant risks associated with this. Whilst the benefits of using the cloud are attractive, we argue that it is important that enterprise decision-makers consider the overall organizational implications of the changes brought about with cloud computing to avoid implementing local optimizations at the cost of organization-wide performance.Comment: Submitted to IEEE CLOUD 201

Addressing challenges to teach traditional and agile project management in academia

In order to prepare students for a professional IT career, most universities attempt to provide a current educational curriculum in the Project Management (PM) area to their students. This is usually based on the most promising methodologies used by the software industry. As instructors, we need to balance traditional methodologies focused on proven project planning and control processes leveraging widely accepted methods and tools along with the newer agile methodologies. Such new frameworks emphasize that software delivery should be done in a flexible and iterative manner and with significant collaboration with product owners and customers. In our experience agile methodologies have witnessed an exponential growth in many diverse software organizations, and the various agile PM tools and techniques will continue to see an increase in adoption in the software development sector. Reflecting on these changes, there is a critical need to accommodate best practices and current methodologies in our courses that deliver Project Management content. In this paper we analyse two of the most widely used methodologies for traditional and agile software development – the widely used ISO/PMBOK standard provided by the Project Management Institute and the well-accepted Scrum framework. We discuss how to overcome curriculum challenges and deliver a quality undergraduate PM course for a Computer Science and Information systems curricula. Based on our teaching experience in Europe and North America, we present a comprehensive comparison of the two approaches. Our research covers the main concepts, processes, and roles associated with the two PM frameworks and recommended learning outcomes. The paper should be of value to instructors who are keen to see their computing students graduate with a sound understanding of current PM methodologies and who can deliver real-world software products.Accepted manuscrip

Bringing Global Sourcing into the Classroom: Experiential Learning via Software Development Project

Global sourcing of software development has imposed new skill requirements on Information Technology (IT) personnel. In the U.S., this has resulted in a paradigm shift from technical to softer skills such as communications and virtual team management. Higher education institutions must, consequently, initiate innovative curriculum transformations to better prepare students for these emerging workforce needs. This paper describes one such venture between Marquette University (MU), U.S.A. and Management Development Institute (MDI), India, wherein IT students at MU collaborated with Management Information Systems (MIS) students at MDI on an offshore software development project. The class environment replicated an offshore client/vendor relationship in a fully virtual setting while integrating communications and virtual team management with traditional IT project management principles. Course measures indicated that students benefited from this project, gained first-hand experience in the process of software offshoring, and learned skills critical for conduct of global business. For faculty considering such initiatives, we describe the design and administration of this class over two semesters, lessons learned from our engagement, and factors critical to success of such initiatives and those detrimental to their sustenance