Implications of the transition to a product-service system on the business model

Product-service system (PSS) is a very complex concept that involves multiple aspects (e.g. business, environment and design). PSS have the potential to reduce the adverse environmental impact of manufacturing while simultaneously gaining economic benefit. When competition on the basis of price, time, quality, flexibility or environment has become insufficient for the success of a company, the adoption of a PSS business model can have a beneficial impact on company competitiveness. However, the shift from product to product-service is a major strategic decision which not only has implications on some of the classical components of a traditional business model, but other elements should also be taken into account. The authors approach the PSS business model from this perspective and identify two new components in addition to the traditional ones: business strategy as the driving force for all the other elements, and sustainability, because PSS are believed to have the potential to reduce the environmental burden

An Evaluation of the Impact of Project-Based Learning on Student Engagement in the Six Sigma Green Belt Quality Module at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology: A Case Study

Comprehensive and in-depth discipline content knowledge and professional, practical skills are critical in the engineering domain. At the same time, soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking and problem-solving have become increasingly important at the workplace. Lecturers in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at GMIT spare no efforts to ensure their students are equipped with the right skills, competences and knowledge. Project-based learning (PBL) is a teaching strategy proven to enable students acquire both hard and soft skills. The PBL approach, moreover, has the potential to increase motivation and interest in learning, which, consequently, lead to increased student engagement, as well as enhanced learning and academic performance. The aim of this research is to evaluate the impact of PBL on student engagement in the Six Sigma Green Belt Quality module at GMIT. The case study methodology and mixed methods for data collection were employed. The findings suggest that PBL has a positive impact on student engagement. It contributes to increased involvement in class activities and engagement in collaboration with peers, it motivates students to learn and it has a positive impact on their learning satisfaction. The analysis revealed further positive impacts of PBL such as enhanced, deep learning and increased knowledge. PBL, moreover, gives students more control over their learning, transforming them in independent learners. The study has limited generalisability due to the small scale of the study and the selection of participants, which was based on convenience and purposive sampling and not a random selection of students. However, it offered the researcher an in-depth understanding of the impact of PBL on student engagement in tthe engineering module of Six Sigma Green Belt Quality and the way this impact is perceived by the students themselves.n

Products end-of-life scenario modelling using linear algebra

There are several options at the end-of-life (EOL) of a product: reuse/part reclamation, remanufacturing, recycling, incineration (with or without energy recovery) or disposal to landfill. Each option has an economic, an environmental and a social impact. The impacts are depicted by indicators that have specific values for each option. A set of indicators’ values specific to an EOL option represents the components of that EOL option’s vector. As the three dimensions (environmental economic and social) of each option are important, one vector for each dimension needs to be considered. A generic EOL scenario, which may comprise a combination of EOL options can be expressed as a linear combination of options. Therefore, considering the percentages of a product reaching each EOL option as scalars, and the vectors associated to the options, vectors associated to the whole scenario can be calculated. This modelling approach permits the use of linear algebra tools in expressing and solving problems related to EOL scenario of products. Such a model can be applied to waste from electrical and electronic products. It represents the foundation in designing the structure of transaction-processing information systems. The model provides not only information about the environmental, economic and social impact of a certain EOL scenario, by applying the linear programming theory, it can also calculate the best scenario structure given the targets set by different laws and regulations such as the European Union Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EU WEEE) Directive and the EOL options vectors. The model can be also used as a ‘What If’ support tool for decision-making showing possible results as a consequence of the influence of different factors (e.g. change of technology, different quantity of products, etc.)

Lean in Higher Educational Institutes: A Literature Review

The application of Lean practices in higher educational institutes has gained tremendous attention in recent years as the sector strives to improve operational efficiency, enhance student outcomes, and efficiently manage resources. A comprehensive literature review is presented in this paper on the application of Lean methodologies in higher educational institutes. This paper seeks to answer the following research questions: 1) How is Lean methodology adopted by researchers in higher educational institutes? 2) Which Lean tools and methods are most suitable in higher educational institutes? 3) What are the barriers and challenges associated with implementing Lean in higher educational Institutes? 4) What is the future of Lean implementation in higher educational institutes? This literature review comprises a wide range of journal articles published in the last five years, from 2019 to 2023, retrieved from various academic databases, including Emerald Insight, Science Direct, Taylor and Francis, Web of Science, and Wiley Online. PRISMA protocol is used to collect and arrange the journal articles (36% analytical and 64% applied Lean) under several themes: (1) curriculum review and teaching methodology; (2) administration; (3) student satisfaction; (4) lean waste identification and elimination; and (5) barriers and challenges. The paper concludes that the Lean philosophy, which was originally formulated for the manufacturing sector, has been successfully adapted and applied to educational institutes. The application of Lean in higher educational institutes resulted in streamlined processes, waste reduction, and increased staff and student satisfaction levels. However, it also highlights the barriers and challenges such as cultural barriers, resistance to change, lack of knowledge among staff and students, and lack of leadership commitment. Overall, the review paper adds up to the existing body of knowledge by integrating and summarizing the key findings and trends in the application of Lean methodologies in higher education

A decision support system for end-of-life products

In recent years public awareness of environmental issues has increased dramatically. This awareness has resulted in increased governmental control of related matters, for example, of waste and of industrial emissions. Consumer and legislative pressures are forcing manufacturers to broaden the manufacturing system to include product take back and recovery. A take-back system necessitates good logistics and information systems. This thesis proposes a decision support system that assists in decision-making in relation to end-of-life (EOL) products. There are several options at the end-of-life of a product: reuse/part reclamation, remanufacturing, recycling, incineration (with or without energy recovery) or discard to landfill. Each option has an economic and an environmental impact. The impacts are described by indicators that have specific values for each option. Decision-makers - who may be recycling companies, original equipment manufacturers or local authorities - need to determine which option, or combination of options, is best in a given situation. A mathematical model to assist in this decision is proposed. The model is based on vectors that contain indicators’ values for each EOL option. A generic EOL scenario, which may comprise a combination of EOL options is expressed as a linear combination of options. This modelling approach permits the use of linear algebra tools in expressing and solving problems related to EOL scenario of products such as: calculate the best scenario structure given the targets set by the EU WEEE Directive and the EOL options vectors; solve ‘What I f situations; when used in combination with a multi-criteria analysis method (such as AHP), identify the best EOL option from an environmental and economic point of view. Based on the mathematical model and the Business Process Reengineering methodology, the decision support system for end-of-life products is developed

Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) in decision-making for end-of-life of products

The proposed EU Waste from Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Directive sets targets for the reuse and recycling of EEE reaching end-of-life (EOL). How a producer determines which is the best strategy for his/her products (reuse, part reclamation, remanufacturing, recycling) is not addressed. The producer must meet targets in the WEEE Directive, consider other environmental regulations, and make sure he is economically efficient. Economic costs and values are expressed in money (Euro), environmental impacts in a multitude of units. It is extremely difficult (if not impossible) to express them all in a single unit. Therefore the decision as to choice of EOL strategy for WEEE is a difficult one, based as it is on a number of unlike criteria. A possible solution to this problem is AHP. It will not replace the decision-making process itself but it will generate information needed to make the decision and will present it in a structured way. The AHP is a method of solving problems that involve prioritisation of alternative solutions and is based on the evaluation of a set of criteria. Associated with the decision-making for WEEE, there are a number of criteria that a producer has to consider: damage to resources, damage to ecosystem, and economic efficiency. A hierarchical structure is formed by using the overall goal (choose strategy) as a root of the decision tree and making each major criterion a child. Each criterion in turn is detailed to provide additional descendants. At the lowest level of the tree are the end-of-life options (reuse, part reclamation, remanufacturing, recycling) assigned to every leaf node in the tree. The decision-maker makes pairwise comparisons at each level between criteria which have the same parent node and gives them relative weights. He/she will also judge all the EOL options against each other with respect to each of the criteria situated in the leaf nodes, and will give them relative weights. All these comparisons lead to priority vectors which are propagated through the hierarchy to arrive at a final priority vector for the set of end-of-life options. The decision maker is thus enabled to base his/her decision on various criteria to which he himself has assigned weightings

Development of a strategy tool for environmental compliance management

The EU environmental legislation restricts the use of certain substances in products and, in addition, sets targets for recovery of products reaching end-of-life(EOL). Little support is provided to producers on how to obtain the best design alternative for their products (meaning the best compro-mise between cost and environmental compliance). The authors propose a strategy tool based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a solution to this problem. It will generate information needed to make the decision, will present it in a structured way and will permit the direct involvement of the users

Life cycle cost estimation tool for decision-making in the early phases of the design process

Design is a process that involves information processing and decision-making. As cost is an important factor that must be considered in the decision-making at this phase, proper information about costs is extremely important for designers. The authors present a cost model and tool developed to help designers estimate the life cycle cost of their products and to permit them to make more cost-effective design decisions. The tool can be used in a concurrent engineering environment to provide cost estimates for different design alternatives. What-if analyses can be performed to compare costs when using different components, materials or manufacturing processes

Advances in multifunctional balanced ventilation technology for dwellings and arising challenge to quantify energy efficiency and renewable generation contributions using international test standards

This paper evaluates the ability of EN16573:2017 to isolate and quantify the energy efficiency and renewable generation contributions of multifunctional balanced ventilation systems. These systems integrate an air-source heat pump with heat recovery ventilation and two similar, yet physically different configurations (C1 and C2) are assessed. Heat pump operation does not influence heat recovery performance for widely used configuration C1 but does influence for novel configuration C2. This study shows that while EN16573:2017 can isolate the energy efficiency (heat recovery exchanger) and renewable generation (heat pump) contributions for configuration C1, it fails when applied to configuration C2. Measurements undertaken using EN16573:2017 on configuration C2 revealed an overall coefficient of performance of 5.07, split 51% heat exchanger with heat pump off (phase 1), and 49% heat pump (phase 2 minus phase 1). If this result were obtained for configuration C1 the respective contributions would be 51% energy efficiency and 49% renewable generation. While these contributions cannot be resolved using EN16573:2017 for configuration C2, it can be achieved using two additional measurement planes in the incoming airstream. These showed an 88%:12% contribution from the heat exchanger and heat pump, respectively. While accurate, this result under-estimates the true heat pump contribution, as its positive impact on the heat exchanger efficiency boosts its contribution from 51% (phase 1) to 88% (phase 2). This paper acknowledges that heat pump operation leverages a 37% increase in heat exchanger performance and proposes a that the respective contributions of the heat exchanger and heat pump should be 42%:58%.ye

Implications of the transition to a product-service system on the business model

Product-service system (PSS) is a very complex concept that involves multiple aspects (e.g. business, environment and design). PSS have the potential to reduce the adverse environmental impact of manufacturing while simultaneously gaining economic benefit. When competition on the basis of price, time, quality, flexibility or environment has become insufficient for the success of a company, the adoption of a PSS business model can have a beneficial impact on company competitiveness. However, the shift from product to product-service is a major strategic decision which not only has implications on some of the classical components of a traditional business model, but other elements should also be taken into account. The authors approach the PSS business model from this perspective and identify two new components in addition to the traditional ones: business strategy as the driving force for all the other elements, and sustainability, because PSS are believed to have the potential to reduce the environmental burden.Ye