A problem based / experiential learning approach to teaching maintenance engineering

Good maintenance practice lies at the heart of a manufacturing industry being able to retain its production capabilities and to ensure the integrity of increasingly complex systems. Consequences of system failure can exceed mere monetary penalties to include the well being of staff. From an engineering education perspective, rapid development in technology in parallel with the evolution of traditional engineering disciplines, necessitates the utilization of innovative ways to teach non-traditional or interdisciplinary topics like maintenance. Another challenge in this context, is the ability to allocate time and physical resources in ever more condensed engineering curricula whilst making the learning process engaging for students. This paper details a recent trial to teach a short undergraduate course on maintenance within a mechanical engineering degree where students also look at some safety considerations associated with maintenance practice. A combined Problem Based Learning/Experiential Learning approach applied to machine tool maintenance was adopted using resources readily available in most engineering schools

Modeling and solving the periodic maintenance problem.

We study the problem of scheduling maintenance services. Given is a set of m machines and integral cost-coefficients a(i) and b(i) for each machine i (1Branch-and-price; Column generation; Costs; Linear programming; Model; Models; Optimal; Scheduling; Structure; Studies; Time;

New Trends in Development of Services in the Modern Economy

The services sector strategic development unites a multitude of economic and managerial aspects and is one of the most important problems of economic management. Many researches devoted to this industry study are available. Most of them are performed in the traditional aspect of the voluminous calendar approach to strategic management, characteristic of the national scientific school. Such an approach seems archaic, forming false strategic benchmarks. The services sector is of special scientific interest in this context due to the fact that the social production structure to the services development model attraction in many countries suggests transition to postindustrial economy type where the services sector is a system-supporting sector of the economy. Actively influencing the economy, the services sector in the developed countries dominates in the GDP formation, primary capital accumulation, labor, households final consumption and, finally, citizens comfort of living. However, a clear understanding of the services sector as a hyper-sector permeating all spheres of human activity has not yet been fully developed, although interest in this issue continues to grow among many authors. Target of strategic management of the industry development setting requires substantive content and the services sector target value assessment

Study of space shuttle environmental control and life support problems

Four problem areas were treated: (1) cargo module environmental control and life support systems; (2) space shuttle/space station interfaces; (3) thermal control considerations for payloads; and (4) feasibility of improving system reusability

Impact of Connected Remote Services on Car Servicing Loyalty

This paper aims to study the effect of connected remote services (CRS) and its key factors on car servicing loyalty within the automotive aftersales business. The definition of CRS as service innovation captures the special particularity of connectedness as attribute, providing simultaneous connectivity to a service object (e.g. car), manufacturer (brand) and a car dealership. Relevant key factors of CRS and its individual consequences were identified by an exploratory qualitative study using the means-end chain method. The derived research model was measured using partial least-squares (PLS) path modelling. It was empirically tested by an online survey among 331 German automobile customers considering six different brands. The results show evidence of a relationship between CRS and car servicing loyalty. Mediated by customer value, trust and CRS reuse intention, the key factors convenience, safety, reliability and connectedness positively influence car servicing loyalty. However, the influence of comfort, identified as relevant key factor within the exploration of CRS, is empirically not supported. This research adds new knowledge to the present body of customer retention management literature by providing a definition of CRS and a model to describe the influence towards car servicing loyalty, which hasn´t been subject to research yet. It explores the characteristics of CRS and explains how to increase car servicing loyalty and economic success resulting from it. The findings of this research help managers of car dealerships and vehicle manufacturers to enhance existing beneficiary and, trust building functions of CRS and the development of new features. Keywords: Automotive aftersales, car servicing loyalty, connected remote services, service innovation

Fiscal Decentralization in Centralized States : The Case of Central Asia

The resource-based Central Asian countries Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan constitute a special case for fiscal decentralization. Political and administrative centralization is accompanied by the centralized administration of resource rents and weak governance structures on local levels. Following best practices, fiscal decentralization is on the reform agenda in all three transition countries. As advocated in economic literature and indicated in empirical evidence, policymakers expect positive results on macroeconomic outcomes as well as on overall state governance. But the mechanism for the positive effects of fiscal decentralization is the creation of appropriate incentives by transferring information rights and authority to the local levels. How do the centralized states of Central Asia apply fiscal decentralization and what are the outcomes of their policies? To answer this question, we analyze the progress of fiscal decentralization in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan since independence. In all three countries we observe high levels of fiscal decentralization. The de-facto institutional design of fiscal decentralization, however, is not appropriate to make incentive mechanisms work. Fiscal autonomy at the revenue and expenditure side is almost absent, and the transfer system lacks transparency and predictability. Administrative and political centralization are the drivers of this institutional design and create obstacles for the merits of fiscal decentralisation to materialize.

Costs of quality or quality costs

Costs of quality or quality costs do not mean the use of expensive or very highly quality materials to manufacture a product. The term refers to the costs that are incurred to prevent, detect and remove defects from products. There are four categories: internal failure costs (costs associated with defects found before the customer receives the product or service), external failure costs (costs associated with defects found after the customer receives the product or service), appraisal costs (costs incurred to determine the degree of conformance to quality requirements) and prevention costs (costs incurred to keep failure and appraisal costs to a minimum). Cost of quality is a methodology that allows an organization to determine the extent to which its resources are used for activities that prevent poor quality, that appraise the quality of the organization's products or services, and that result from internal and external failures. Having such information allows an organization to determine the potential savings to be gained by implementing process improvements.Web of Science5213