An Integrated Decision Support System Considering Interdependencies Between Time-to-Market and Market Diffusion under Competition

AbstractIndustry faces fundamental challenges as new competitors from emerging countries enter markets. Thus, competition increases and time-to- market as intermediate span between R&D and series production gets more important. Additionally, customers ask for more individualized products. However, the resulting increase in product variety leads to rising complexity and costs and thereby, limited resources have to be allocated to a multitude of parallel product development projects.To tackle these challenges and stay successful, companies aim at decreasing time-to-market with constant or even lower resource input. While complexity management and resource allocation have extensively been discussed for R&D and series production, approaches for the intermediate time-to-market phase are still scarce.Against this background, the aim of this contribution is to analyze the interrelations between time-to-market and resource allocation in a competitive environment with a decision support system. To reach this aim, we present a system-dynamics simulation model analyzing the market diffusion of a product in a competitive environment. with the proposed model, we are able to derive information on interdependencies between resource input and time-to-market depending on competitors’ behavior.We apply the model to the gas turbine industry. In order to do so, we create a dataset merging recent data from literature with information gathered in expert interviews. Thus, we are able to quantify the parameters of the model. Results are presented highlighting the interdependencies between resources and time-to-market for the competitive environment of the gas turbine market

The role of supply chains for the sustainability transformation of global food systems: A large‐scale, systematic review of food cold chains

Global food systems need an urgent transformation to be compatible with sustainable development. While much of the recent academic discussion has focused on food production and consumption, food supply chains have received considerably less attention. Here, we conduct a large-scale, systematic literature review of 48,014 academic articles to assess the links between the food cold chain literature and sustainable development. We find a multitude of deep links between food cooling and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but also identify underexplored areas of sustainable food cooling research regarding its (1) goals, (2) analytical depth, and (3) context specificity: There is a limited understanding how several relevant synergies between SDGs can be captured, how to best design sustainable food cold chains across multiple value chain stages, and how to scale sustainable cold chains in low-income and lower-middle-income country contexts. We recommend to explicitly consider the salient interconnections between SDGs, increase the analytical depth by deploying more system-level approaches across entire value chains, and focus on localized solutions in contexts where food supply chains are most underdeveloped

Kreativität in der Forschung: Wissenschaftsforschung Jahrbuch 2012

Wissen ist ein Ausgangsstoff, der sich bei Gebrauch vermehrt. Für Forscher ist dabei Phantasie wichtiger als bisheriges Wissen. Unter Phantasie wird die Fähigkeit verstanden, Elemente des Gedächtnisses sinnlich-anschaulich neu zu kombinieren beziehungsweise zu neuen Vorstellungen und Gedankenverknüpfungen weiterzuentwickeln. In der Wissenschaft ist Phantasie die am frühesten entwickelte Eigenschaft, deren Entwicklung zur großen Leistung darin besteht, dass sie – wie es Wilhelm Ostwald anhand von Untersuchungen der Arbeitsweise bedeutender Forscher formulierte – „auf Grund weiterer und tieferer Erfahrungen diszipliniert wird.“ Bildung sollte vor allem das Umgehen mit Wissen und seinen Veränderungen, Offenheit für Neues – und eben Phantasie fördern. Kreativität verbindet Neuheit und Anschlussfähigkeit miteinander. Auf Wissenschaft übertragen heißt das, dass Forschungsleistungen dann als kreativ gelten, wenn sie sowohl neu und originell sind als auch anschlussfähig und relevant sind. Entscheidend ist hierbei, dass Neuheit und Anschlussfähigkeit in einem Spannungsverhältnis zueinander stehen. Denn nicht alles, was neu ist, ist anschlussfähig. Das Neue in der Forschung erfordert oftmals erhebliche Bemühungen, die scientific community von seiner wissenschaftlichen Relevanz zu überzeugen. Die Gesellschaft für Wissenschaftsforschung hat sich dieser Fragestellung angenommen und sie im Rahmen ihrer Jahrestagung im Produktionstechnischen Zentrum der Technischen Universität Berlin am 23. und 24. März 2012 unter dem Thema „Kreativität in der Forschung“ analysiert und diskutiert. Dabei ist es gelungen, theoretische Überlegungen mit historischen und aktuellen Fakten zu verbinden. Die Ergebnisse dieser Tagung werden in diesem Jahrbuch der Gesellschaft für Wissenschaftsforschung dem interessierten Leser vorgestellt.Peer Reviewe

Disproportionate Intrauterine Growth Intervention Trial At Term: DIGITAT

Contains fulltext : 65628.pdf ( ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Around 80% of intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) infants are born at term. They have an increase in perinatal mortality and morbidity including behavioral problems, minor developmental delay and spastic cerebral palsy. Management is controversial, in particular the decision whether to induce labour or await spontaneous delivery with strict fetal and maternal surveillance. We propose a randomised trial to compare effectiveness, costs and maternal quality of life for induction of labour versus expectant management in women with a suspected IUGR fetus at term. METHODS/DESIGN: The proposed trial is a multi-centre randomised study in pregnant women who are suspected on clinical grounds of having an IUGR child at a gestational age between 36+0 and 41+0 weeks. After informed consent women will be randomly allocated to either induction of labour or expectant management with maternal and fetal monitoring. Randomisation will be web-based. The primary outcome measure will be a composite neonatal morbidity and mortality. Secondary outcomes will be severe maternal morbidity, maternal quality of life and costs. Moreover, we aim to assess neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral outcome at two years as assessed by a postal enquiry (Child Behavioral Check List-CBCL and Ages and Stages Questionnaire-ASQ). Analysis will be by intention to treat. Quality of life analysis and a preference study will also be performed in the same study population. Health technology assessment with an economic analysis is part of this so called Digitat trial (Disproportionate Intrauterine Growth Intervention Trial At Term). The study aims to include 325 patients per arm. DISCUSSION: This trial will provide evidence for which strategy is superior in terms of neonatal and maternal morbidity and mortality, costs and maternal quality of life aspects. This will be the first randomised trial for IUGR at term. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch Trial Register and ISRCTN-Register: ISRCTN10363217

Notes for genera: basal clades of Fungi (including Aphelidiomycota, Basidiobolomycota, Blastocladiomycota, Calcarisporiellomycota, Caulochytriomycota, Chytridiomycota, Entomophthoromycota, Glomeromycota, Kickxellomycota, Monoblepharomycota, Mortierellomycota, Mucoromycota, Neocallimastigomycota, Olpidiomycota, Rozellomycota and Zoopagomycota)

Compared to the higher fungi (Dikarya), taxonomic and evolutionary studies on the basal clades of fungi are fewer in number. Thus, the generic boundaries and higher ranks in the basal clades of fungi are poorly known. Recent DNA based taxonomic studies have provided reliable and accurate information. It is therefore necessary to compile all available information since basal clades genera lack updated checklists or outlines. Recently, Tedersoo et al. (MycoKeys 13:1--20, 2016) accepted Aphelidiomycota and Rozellomycota in Fungal clade. Thus, we regard both these phyla as members in Kingdom Fungi. We accept 16 phyla in basal clades viz. Aphelidiomycota, Basidiobolomycota, Blastocladiomycota, Calcarisporiellomycota, Caulochytriomycota, Chytridiomycota, Entomophthoromycota, Glomeromycota, Kickxellomycota, Monoblepharomycota, Mortierellomycota, Mucoromycota, Neocallimastigomycota, Olpidiomycota, Rozellomycota and Zoopagomycota. Thus, 611 genera in 153 families, 43 orders and 18 classes are provided with details of classification, synonyms, life modes, distribution, recent literature and genomic data. Moreover, Catenariaceae Couch is proposed to be conserved, Cladochytriales Mozl.-Standr. is emended and the family Nephridiophagaceae is introduced