Systematic Integration of Innovation in Process Improvement Projects Using the Enhanced Sigma-TRIZ Algorithm and Its Effective Use by Means of a Knowledge Management Software Platform

In an evolving, highly turbulent and uncertain socio-economic environment, organizations must consider strategies of systematic and continuous integration of innovation within their business systems, as a fundamental condition for sustainable development. Adequate methodologies are required in this respect. A mature framework for integrating innovative problem solving approaches within business process improvement methodologies is proposed in this paper. It considers a TRIZ-centred algorithm in the improvement phase of the DMAIC methodology. The new tool is called enhanced sigma-TRIZ. A case study reveals the practical application of the proposed methodology. The integration of enhanced sigma-TRIZ within a knowledge management software platform (KMSP) is further described. Specific developments to support processes of knowledge creation, knowledge storage and retrieval, knowledge transfer and knowledge application in a friendly and effective way within the KMSP are also highlighted.Process Innovation, Knowledge Management Software Platform, Innovative Problem Solving Methodology, sigma-TRIZ, DMAIC

Reconfigurability Function Deployment in Software Development

In the forthcoming highly dynamic and complex business environment high-speed and cost-effective development of software applications for targeting a precise, unique and momentary set of requirements (no more-no less) associated to a customized business case will bring sig-nificant benefits both for producers and users. This requires a life cycle change-oriented ap-proach in software development. In this respect, designing software with intrinsic evolutionary resources for reconfiguration represents the sound approach. A methodology for concurrent deployment of reconfigurability characteristics in software applications is introduced in this paper. Its potential is exemplified in a case study dealing with web-based software tools to support systematic product innovation projects.Reconfigurability, Software Development, Innovation, TRIZ, RAD

Systematic Integration of Innovation in Process Improvement Projects Using the Enhanced Sigma-TRIZ Algorithm and Its Effective Use by Means of a Knowledge Management Software Platform

In an evolving, highly turbulent and uncertain socio-economic environment, organizations must consider strategies of systematic and continuous integration of innovation within their business systems, as a fundamental condition for sustainable development. Adequate methodologies are required in this respect. A mature framework for integrating innovative problem solving approaches within business process improvement methodologies is proposed in this paper. It considers a TRIZ-centred algorithm in the improvement phase of the DMAIC methodology. The new tool is called enhanced sigma-TRIZ. A case study reveals the practical application of the proposed methodology. The integration of enhanced sigma-TRIZ within a knowledge management software platform (KMSP) is further described. Specific developments to support processes of knowledge creation, knowledge storage and retrieval, knowledge transfer and knowledge application in a friendly and effective way within the KMSP are also highlighted

Smart Deployment of Demonstrators into Successful Commercial Solutions

AbstractProduct or service concepts based on emerging technologies are usually results of research projects, be they performed by academic groups or by research departments of companies. Many times, the prototypes or demonstrators that result from such projects are supposed to evolve into commercial products or services, but – at least in the first stage - there are more focus on proving key features of a technology, or the effectiveness / efficiency / applicability of various concepts or algorithms. However, evolving into commercial products is many times at least as challenging as building the prototypes. In case of software-based projects, this means changes in architecture, a lot of code rewriting and important usability improvements. This paper introduces a software-concept product design algorithm which aims to minimize the effort required in turning a demonstrator into a commercial product. This is done by generating two functionality sets: a pure demonstrator and a pure commercial one, then generating a hybrid functionality set with the corresponding architecture, and then assessing each functionality for the demonstrator and the commercial version in terms of development and improvement effort. Through iterations, in which the original functionality sets are improved, the difference between the two perspectives will be reduced until it gets below a reasonable limit in terms of effort. The paper presents a case study in which the algorithm is applied for planning a software platform for supporting SMEs in their innovation processes

Reconfigurability Function Deployment in Software Development

In the forthcoming highly dynamic and complex business environment high-speed and cost-effective development of software applications for targeting a precise, unique and momentary set of requirements (no more-no less) associated to a customized business case will bring sig-nificant benefits both for producers and users. This requires a life cycle change-oriented ap-proach in software development. In this respect, designing software with intrinsic evolutionary resources for reconfiguration represents the sound approach. A methodology for concurrent deployment of reconfigurability characteristics in software applications is introduced in this paper. Its potential is exemplified in a case study dealing with web-based software tools to support systematic product innovation projects

Home-Based Robotic Upper Limbs Cardiac Telerehabilitation System

This article proposes a new, improved home-based cardiac telerehabilitation system enhanced by a robotic and Virtual Reality module for cardiac patients to be used in their rehabilitation program. In this study, a novel strategy was used to integrate existing equipment and applications with newly developed ones, with the aim of reducing the need for technical skills of patients using remote control. Patients with acute or chronic heart diseases require long-term, individualized rehabilitation in order to promote their motor recovery and maintain an active and independent lifestyle. This will be accomplished by creating a system for at-home cardiac telerehabilitation augmented by a VR and cobot systems, which can be used long-term at home by each individual patient. In the pre-feasibility study carried out on healthy volunteers familiar with software applications and robotic systems, we demonstrate that RoboTeleRehab could be technically feasible both hardware and software

From Intuitive Programming of Robotic Systems to Business Sustainability of Manufacturing SMEs

Economic growth and sustainable development are issues which are becoming more and more important for nowadays companies. Sustainable development strives for moderate and responsible use within the economic and production activity the limited resources of our planet. Eco-innovations, eco-efficiency and corporate social responsibility practices define much of the current industrial sustainability agenda. While important, they are insufficient in themselves to deliver the holistic changes necessary to achieve long-term social and environmental sustainability. This paper proposed a framework for designing multimodal human-robot interfaces and a demonstrator that facilitate a sustainable use of robotic systems with positive effects on SMEs business sustainability. The proposed approach is intended to bring important contributions to the development of human robot interaction in order to facilitate intuitive programming and to enable easily adapting to changes in robot tasks and applications without the need of using skilled personnel. Our research emphasize the idea that new technologies in product and process create and enable new business strategies; and we demonstrate that changing the paradigm in programming industrial robotic systems it is possible by a “business case for sustainability” to have a sustainable development of the business, in special in case of SMEs

Environmentally Sustainable Economic Growth

Economic growth and sustainable development are important issues for social prosperity. Sustainable development strives for moderate and responsible use within the economic activity of the limited resources of our planet, whereas economic growth does not limit the resource exploitation and energy, being mainly focused on productivity increase. From this perspective, both conceptual and operational contradictions occur between the two pillars of prosperity. This paper looks to these contradictions and proposes some streams of intervention such as economic growth and environmental sustainability to operate in harmony. A structured framework for innovative problem solving is considered in this respect. Results of this research show that it is possible to induce smart measures in the economic system for directing businesses towards new paradigms where economic growth is possible without negative effects on environmental sustainability

A New Entrepreneurial Decision-Making Support Framework for Assessing Business Line Correlations

Sustainability is probably the ultimate goal of any entrepreneur when initiating or developing a business. As it involves competitiveness, companies aim to produce differentiated economic offerings by reusing and sharing processes, components, information and knowledge ‒ many times from different domains. However, to be effective, this should be envisaged already when developing the entrepreneurial plan or when assessing the opportunity of extending the business – therefore the need for planning / implementing / integrating several business lines (from various domains). As many of them may look attractive, an effective decision of starting one business line or another should be supported by some tool that allows a systematic assessment of the opportunity of implementing them. This paper proposes an algorithm that supports entrepreneurs in this respect. The opportunity of developing new business lines is assessed by estimating the mutual impact between them and existing business lines, their impact on organizational performance, and additional indicators such as financial effort, the estimated return on investment, technical and organizational difficulty, risk level or domain financing opportunities. An application example is presented in which an SME in an interdisciplinary domain (covering IT and life-sciences) assesses the opportunity of opening two new business lines