Towards a knowledge based support for risk engineering when elaborating offer in response to a customer demand

This paper deals with the first ideas relevant to a knowledge based support for risk engineering when answering tenders or direct customer demands. Indeed, when an offer is defined, it becomes more and more important to analyze the possibilities of: risks occurrence, their consequences and their potential avoidance. Most of the time if it is done, this analysis is conducted manually thanks to a risk expert. In this paper, we propose to assist the expert with a risk engineering aiding tool that relies on a knowledge base and which allows to define and evaluate: (i) the risk and its probability, (ii) the main risk impacts and (iii) the interests of various corrective and preventive actions (impact and probability reductions). We first detail the problem. Then we identify risk knowledge and risk processing. This allows us proposing a knowledge model relevant to the risk engineering entities and some knowledge retrieval queries to support risk engineering

A framework for the characterization and analysis of software systems scalability

The term scalability appears frequently in computing literature, but it is a term that is poorly defined and poorly understood. It is an important attribute of computer systems that is frequently asserted but rarely validated in any meaningful, systematic way. The lack of a consistent, uniform and systematic treatment of scalability makes it difficult to identify and avoid scalability problems, clearly and objectively describe the scalability of software systems, evaluate claims of scalability, and compare claims from different sources. This thesis provides a definition of scalability and describes a systematic framework for the characterization and analysis of software systems scalability. The framework is comprised of a goal-oriented approach for describing, modeling and reasoning about scalability requirements, and an analysis technique that captures the dependency relationships that underlie typical notions of scalability. The framework is validated against a real-world data analysis system and is used to recast a number of examples taken from the computing literature and from industry in order to demonstrate its use across different application domains and system designs

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN ROMANIA

The purpose of this paper is to identify the main opportunities and limitations of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The survey was defined with the aim to involve the highest possible number of relevant CSR topics and give the issue a more wholesome perspective. It provides a basis for further comprehension and deeper analyses of specific CSR areas. The conditions determining the success of CSR in Romania have been defined in the paper on the basis of the previously cumulative knowledge as well as the results of various researches. This paper provides knowledge which may be useful in the programs promoting CSR.Corporate social responsibility, Supportive policies, Romania

A Survey on Energy Efficiency in Smart Homes and Smart Grids

Empowered by the emergence of novel information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as sensors and high-performance digital communication systems, Europe has adapted its electricity distribution network into a modern infrastructure known as a smart grid (SG). The benefits of this new infrastructure include precise and real-time capacity for measuring and monitoring the different energy-relevant parameters on the various points of the grid and for the remote operation and optimization of distribution. Furthermore, a new user profile is derived from this novel infrastructure, known as a prosumer (a user that can produce and consume energy to/from the grid), who can benefit from the features derived from applying advanced analytics and semantic technologies in the rich amount of big data generated by the different subsystems. However, this novel, highly interconnected infrastructure also presents some significant drawbacks, like those related to information security (IS). We provide a systematic literature survey of the ICT-empowered environments that comprise SGs and homes, and the application of modern artificial intelligence (AI) related technologies with sensor fusion systems and actuators, ensuring energy efficiency in such systems. Furthermore, we outline the current challenges and outlook for this field. These address new developments on microgrids, and data-driven energy efficiency that leads to better knowledge representation and decision-making for smart homes and SGsThis research was co-funded by Interreg Österreich-Bayern 2014–2020 programme project KI-Net: Bausteine für KI-basierte Optimierungen in der industriellen Fertigung (AB 292). This work is also supported by the ITEA3 OPTIMUM project and ITEA3 SCRATCH project, all of them funded by the Centro Tecnológico de Desarrollo Industrial (CDTI), Spain

The role of supplier relationship platforms in supply chain management- the case of Ecratum

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Information Systems and Technologies ManagementThe term supply chain can be defined as a process in which suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers are working together during the whole process of manufacturing the product and delivering it to the end-user. More specifically, all parties are involved in various phases from getting the raw material, transforming this material into a product that will satisfy users' needs and make sure this product reaches the end customer (La Londe & Masters, 1994). However, even though supply chains are created with the main aim to reduce costs, find the right partners to deliver the products and stay competitive on the market, proper management is crucial for the successful operation. Supply chain management (hereinafter: SCM), is all about the right optimization and strategic planning to identify, acquire, gain, allocate and manage all the needed resources that are involved in the workflow of achieving strategic objectives (Flynn, Harding, Lallatin, Pohlig & Sturzl, 2006)

Industrial Services Characterization for Bidding Process

International audienceWhen responding to call for tenders, many bidding companies offer services. This paper focuses on how to model industrial services during the bidding process to be able to easily develop them. A product offer configuration model is presented, then a reflection about the extension of this model to service offers is conducted. A study of the literature about service definition is dealt and services characteristics are identified. Their impact on the product offer model is analyzed and new characteristics are introduced. This work makes possible to propose a typology to adapt the product offer model to services

Determinants of SaaS ERP Systems Adoption

ERP systems are now offered on the cloud under Software as a Service (SaaS) model. For small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), this is considered the best opportunity to take advantage of the capabilities of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system without the investment and management costs associated with the on-premise model. This study investigates the factors influencing the adoption of SaaS ERP system by SMEs. Using a cross-sectional field study conducted across four major case study organizations and software vendors, this study identifies the determinants for the adoption decision and analyses benefits and challenges. According to study, low total cost of ownership, low initial investment costs, potential willingness of the vendor to participate in co-creation of value for customers, continuous improvement of the product offerings and generic benefits of implementing an integrated ERP system are determinants of SaaS ERP adoption decisions by SMEs. Competitive pressures faced by the enterprise, external factors, concerns on the security and integrity of data have no influence on adoption decision, according to this study. Instead, SaaS ERP vendor’s long term reputation, promised shorter deployment time, total cost of ownership, willingness to listen and continuously improve the product, vendor’s ability and willingness to support customers throughout the product life cycle are the factors that would attract SMEs towards SaaS ERP systems

Management control of supplier relationships in manufacturing: a case study in the automotive industry.

This paper studies management control design of supplier relationships in manufacturing, a supply chain phase currently under-explored. Compared to supplier relations during procurement and R&D, which research found to be governed by a combination of formal and informal controls, supplier relations in manufacturing are more formal, so that they could be governed by more formal and less informal controls. To refine the management control system and influencing contingencies, we propose a theoretical framework specifically adapted for the manufacturing stage. This framework is investigated by an in depth case study of the supplier management control of a Volvo Cars production facility. We identify three types of suppliers visualizing the associations in the framework and illustrating the framework’s explicative power in (automotive) manufacturing. Furthermore, the case contradicts that supplier relations in the manufacturing phase are governed by little informal control, because the automaker highly values the role of trust building and social pressure. Most notably, a structured supplier team functions as a clan and establishes informal control among participating suppliers, which strengthens the automaker’s control on dyadic supplier relations.management control; supplier relationships; manufacturing; contingency theory; case research;