Setup time reduction of an automotive parts assembly line using Lean Tools and Quality Tools

The business world is becoming more competitive. Therefore, it is crucial to increase the flexibility of production by decreasing the time used in the processes of preparing the production lines for new items’ production, reducing changeover and setup times. This paper presents a case study where the main goal is to reduce the setup time of welding robots. Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) was implemented, using other tools such as the Spaghetti Diagram, ERCS Analysis (Eliminate, Rearrange, Combine, Simplify), Gemba Walk, Standardized Work, Flowcharts, and Pareto Diagram. The setup time decreased by 36% in the welding robots studied, decreasing the motions by 43% during the changeover process and reducing the time from the categories: “transportation”, “main”, “other”, and “waiting”. In addition to SMED implementation, this study offers an integrated study of several Lean tools and Quality tools to achieve the maximum reduction of changeover and setup times.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Design como processo. Prática projetual no contexto do Atelier d´Alves

O presente estágio integrado no plano de estudos do Mestrado em Design de Comunicação da Escola Superior de Artes e Design em Matosinhos visa acompanhar e desenvolver a prática projetual em estúdio de design e tem por foco os processos de design adotados em contexto profissional, considerando as fases fundamentais de um projeto - do briefing à conceção da ideia, até à produção - como momentos determinantes do objeto gráfico. Este documento apresenta-se como a memória descritiva da experiência de quatro meses no Atelier d'Alves, Porto, onde se relata o processo de desenvolvimento projetual e se reflete sobre as especificidades da atividade, bem como, se analisam os lugares da autoria nos projetos de design e a autonomia do designer enquanto autor e criador na contemporaneidade. Cumulativamente serão apresentados projetos nos núcleos criativos do Design Gráfico, Design Editorial, Cartaz, Identidade Corporativa e Environmental Graphic Design

Impact factors on Portuguese hotels’ liquidity

As a core activity in the tourism sector, hospitality accounts for the largest share of the sector’s revenue. The last few years, prior to the COVID‐19 pandemic, have been years of strong growth both in the number of hotel companies and in the number of available rooms. The hospitality industry has also been betting on diversification as well as on the quality of its services. This activity has a strong impact on the various agents in the sector, thus it makes it essential to measure and analyze the sustainability of these hotels. One of the indicators that proficiently measure short‐term sustainability is the company’s liquidity level, as it demonstrates its ability to meet short‐term financial obligations. This type of indicator is useful since it provides relevant information not only for managers, but also for banks and lenders, and investors. Volatility is a characteristic of hotels which are associated with geographic location, implying changes in the main operating revenue indicators. In this sense, this research aimed to investigate if the ability to reimburse short‐term responsibilities differs according to the geographic location, food and beverage service existence, official stars classification, and hotel size. Portuguese hotels with and without restaurants were analyzed in the 2013–2017 period and the number of available rooms and star rating were included in the database. All the information was obtained on SABI (a database of detailed financial information of Portuguese and Spanish companies) and RNET (the Portuguese Register of Tourist Enterprises). Findings show that the behavior of some hotels concerning short‐term obligations does not differ much considering the location of the hotels. However, the Algarve and the North region have the highest values. In fact, the official star rating proved to have the greatest influence. The size of the hotels, as well as the existence of restaurants negatively influences liquidity. This information is very important for hotel investors. This study can also provide management information that allows more informed decision‐making as well as the definition of corrective measures if necessary.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessing the liquidity in Portuguese hotel companies

ITC'19: XI International Tourism Congress: The image and sustainability of tourism destinations, Funchal, Portugal, Nov. 5-7, 2019The hospitality companies have had substantial growth in the tourism sector which gives them a large part of the revenue generated by the sector. In this regard, its impact, whether negative or positive, is quite high and generates a response to a need felt by agents of the environment in which it operates. As a short-term sustainability indicator, the liquidity level of a company demonstrates its ability to repay its obligations, being a great management support for decision making and anticipation of financial problems that may arise. Considering the volatility of hotel companies, greater importance is given to the study of liquidity. The main liquidity ratios of Portuguese hotels in the 2010-2017 period will be analysed; data was collected on July 4, 2019, on the SABI platform and the original sample is composed of 2161 hotel companies registered with two Portuguese economic activity codes (CAE), “55111 - Hotels with restaurant” and “55121 - Hotels without restaurant”. The assessment of liquidity level will be important to decision makers understand if there are differences between hotels with or without restaurant and among the Portuguese districts were hotels are located. The results of this study are expected to be of assistance to hotel managers as decisions taken within the organization can be more deliberate and informed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Measuring the hotels' performance using profitability ratios

The hospitality industry in Portugal has grown significantly through the year 2019, making a significant contribution to the country's economy. However, with the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, this industry was severely damaged and saw its profitability affected. Thus, it becomes essential to evaluate the hotels’ performance, based on ratios and indicators that allow income to be related to other variables in the financial statements and thereby assist managers in the decision-making process. Thus, this study aims to measure the performance of Portuguese hotels through financial profitability ratios, more specifically the return on equity, return on assets and return on sales. The study, through a quantitative methodology, collected data from 2,008 hotels between 2016 and 2020, with the help of the SABI platform. Variables such as region, net income for the year, equity, financial costs and losses, total assets, operating income, and turnover were used to calculate and analyze the profitability ratios and the results were analyzed using SPSS software. The conclusions demonstrate how essential profitability is to inform hoteliers about performance. The Portuguese hotel industry, considered a driver of the country's economy, performs very well in terms of profitability indicators until the Covid-19 pandemic, a period that showed severe breaks in profitability and the need for extraordinary measures for recovery. It has become clear that the overall performance of hotels differs between regions, so the calculation of average profitability is crucial for hoteliers to effectively benchmark. This research has theoretical and practical contributions, as it supports the broadening of knowledge about financial ratios and managers' perceptions of the importance of their use in such a competitive industry. In addition, the study aims to fill a gap in the literature about the importance of analyzing hotel performance through profitability ratios in Portuguese hotel companies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

COVID-19’s impact on the restaurant industry

The restaurant industry contributed to the creation of wealth and employment until the end of 2019, when it reached maximum values. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, this sector suffered a very serious economic and employment crisis. The analysis of this situation is imperative to mitigate the consequences for the restaurant industry and to prevent impacts in future crises. The main purpose of the present study is to compare the years 2019 and 2020, analyzing the profitability, payroll costs, headcount, and indebtedness of the restaurants, to verify the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact in Spain and Portugal. Quantitative research was applied, where a descriptive analysis and hypothesis testing were conducted. SABI database was the secondary data source used in this research. The results show that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on profitability, efficiency, and indebtedness in the restaurant industry, being a generalized situation in both countries, in all regions except for Ceuta. The results also confirm the importance of this study for managers and academics since all the variables under study worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic. This study represents a contribution to managers and stakeholders in the restaurant sector by allowing the comparative evaluation of each restaurant with the average of the variables by location and the definition of proactive strategies. Practical implications are proposed to mitigate the effect not only of COVID-19 but also of other pandemics or economic crises that may arise in the future, preparing managers and stakeholders to adapt to change and promoting the financial sustainability of the restaurant industry. It is recommended to increase the disclosure of statistical indicators and financial ratios of free access, which allows the improvement of the analysis of different variables that are important for professionals in the restaurant industry.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Are hotel companies creditworthy? The case of Portuguese hospitality industry

ITC'19: XI International Tourism Congress: The image and sustainability of tourism destinations, Funchal, Portugal, Nov. 5-7, 2019The hospitality industry achieved an important place in modern economies, namely in terms of the contribution to the GDP and for direct and indirect employment. Considering that, this paper aims to highlight the hotel companies’ level of solvency, as a sustainability factor in an extremely competitive sector. The main structure ratios of Portuguese Hotels in the 2010-2017 period will be analyzed; data was collected on July 4, 2019, on the SABI platform and the original sample is composed by 2161 hotel companies registered with two economic activity codes (CAE), “55111 - Hotels with restaurant” and “55121 - Hotels without restaurant”. The structure ratios, also known as debt ratios, highlight the importance of financing sources (resources), as well as the way in which financing is applied (applications). On the other hand, capital raising by companies, whether they are from the hospitality sector or not, should be carried out at the lowest cost in order to maximize their value. For the hotelier, it is essential to have his company balanced in the medium and long term; that is the reason why the investment coverage ratio, the fixed assets coverage ratio, the financial autonomy ratio and the solvency ratio were considered in the analysis. It is expected to obtain results that help hospitality managers understand the importance of the solvency and to guide the management for the financial sustainability in the medium and long term.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Filhos da maturidade : Atitudes sobre a gravidez e maternidade, ansiedade, depressão e stress em grávidas tardias

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao ISPA - Instituto UniversitárioEste trabalho tem como objectivo perceber se existem diferenças significativas ao nível das atitudes sobre a gravidez e a maternidade e das dimensões da sintomatologia de ansiedade, depressão e stress entre grávidas tardias e um grupo comparativo. Foram aplicados os instrumentos: Escala de Ansiedade, Depressão e Stress – EADS-21, Escala de Atitudes sobre a Gravidez e a Maternidade - EAGM e um Questionário de Caracterização Sociodemográfica. A amostra é constituída por 60 grávidas primíparas no terceiro trimestre de gestação: 30 constituem um grupo comparativo (grupo 1) com idades entre os 17 e os 33 anos e 30 são denominadas por primíparas tardias (grupo 2), com idades entre os 35 e os 40 anos. Os resultados obtidos na EADS-21 revelam que estes dois grupos não apresentam diferenças estatisticamente significativas quanto à dimensão das variáveis ansiedade, depressão e stress. Na EAGM observa-se a existência de diferenças significativas na subescala que mede a gravidez como factor de mudança/crescimento pessoal, indicador de que as grávidas tardias não percepcionam tanto a gravidez como um factor de mudança e de crescimento pessoal, comparativamente ao outro grupo. Verificou-se ainda a presença de uma correlação moderada entre as sub-escalas “depressão” e “filho imaginado” assim como “ansiedade” e “aspectos difíceis da gravidez”, admitindo-se que quanto maior a dimensão de sintomas de depressão menor é a dimensão demonstrada perante o “filho imaginado”; tal como se observa que quanto maior a dimensão de sintomas de ansiedade menor é a dimensão demonstrada perante os “aspectos difíceis da gravidez”. Conclui-se que as grávidas tardias em estudo não apresentam qualquer tipo de risco em termos psicológicos.The aim of this study is to verify if there are relevant differences in pregnancy and maternity attitudes, as well as anxiety, depression and stress dimensions between late pregnancy and a comparative group. There were applied three instruments: Scale of Anxiety, Depression and Stress - EADS-21, Scale of Attitudes on Pregnancy and Parenting - EAGM and a Sociodemographic Questionnaire. The sample is composed of 60 primipare in the third trimester of gestation. The comparative group (Group 1) is composed of 30 women aged between 17 and 33 years old and the other group is composed of 30 women aged between 35 and 40 years old, denominated late primipare. The results give evidence that there are no statistically significant differences in the dimension of the anxiety, depression and stress variables. In EAGM, we can observe significant differences at the subscale of pregnancy as a factor of change/personal development, which indicates that late primipare does not have perception of pregnancy as a factor of change/ personal development as the other group does. It was also verified a moderated correlation between “depression” and “Imagined son” Subscales, such as “anxiety” and “pregnancy difficulties”, concluding that as higher the dimention of depression symptoms, lower is the dimension demonstrated for the “imagined son”. It is also shown that as higher the anxiety symptoms dimension , lower ”pregnancy difficulties” dimension. We can conclude that late primipare in this study don’t have any type of psychological risks