Linking benefits to maturity models

Many organizations today need to deliver more complex products and services in a better, faster, and cheaper way. The business problems that some companies address require enterprise-wide solutions that call for an integrated approach and an effective management of organizational resources to achieve business objectives with an acceptable level of risk. A maturity model is a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective change. It can be used to guide process improvement across a project, a division, or an entire organization. Maturity models help integrate traditionally separate organizational functions, set process improvement goals and priorities, provide guidance for quality processes, and provide benchmark for appraising current processes outcomes. The benefits management approach emerges as a complement to traditional management practices and proposes a continuous mapping of benefits, implementing and monitoring intermediate results. Benefits management reinforces the distinction between project results and business benefits. Based on a case study the authors show how a set of business objectives can be obtained from identifying, structuring and monitoring business benefits, supported by information technology enablers and organizational transformations, and as a result of a certain maturity level. The authors also state that the main focus of an investment success lies not only in technology implementation, but mainly in changes in organizational performance and business efficiency by means of improved processes and modifications in the way the work is done. We emphasize that the integration between a Maturity Model and a Benefits Management approach can increase the effectiveness of projects, programs or portfolios outcomes. Besides, this linkage can also improve decision-makers confidence that the investments done match the desired maturity stages and will then, with more probability, collect more value for businessesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Linking benefits to balanced scorecard strategy map

In this paper the authors propose a link between the Benefits Dependency Network, from a Benefits Management approach, and a Strategy Map, from Balanced Scorecard, to improve the management of business benefits and to ensure that actions taken along the investment life-cycle lead to foreseen benefits realization. The goal of this integration is to build a framework that combines useful features of both methods. We sustain that they can be complementary. As a Strategy Map is committed with strategic alignment, communication and monitoring of strategy execution at all levels of an organization, a Benefits Dependency Network is aimed at explaining how benefits are going to be obtained through organizational change. Using the results of a case-study research, we explain how a Strategy Map can cross with the Benefits Dependency Network. The integrated contribution is meant to increase the investments effectiveness, giving to stakeholders the confidence on a clearer delivery path for their expected benefitsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Preface to the special issue “Commemorative contributions for the 30 years of the Catalysis and Porous Materials Division of the Portuguese Chemical Society (SPQ)”

More than thirty years have passed since the beginning of the Division of Catalysis of the Portuguese Chemical Society (SPQ), in 2001 expanded to Division of Catalysis and Porous Materials, in order to reflect the application of porous materials in non-catalytic processes, such as adsorption. We are commemorating this milestone in the Chemistry field in Portugal and, to honor the History behind its creation, consolidation and continuous challenges, we projected this Special Issue, entitled “Commemorative contributions for the 30 years of the Catalysis and Porous Materials Division of the Portuguese Chemical Society (SPQ)”.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Rearranjos 3-aza-cope de N-alil-N-sililoxi enaminas

O rearranjo [3,3]-sigmatrópico térmico (180ºC) de diferentes N-alil-N-sililoxi enaminas foi estudado. Os respectivos produtos de rearranjo (éteres de óxima) foram obtidos com rendimentos elevados (80%). A regiosselectividade, [3,3] vs [1,3], e a diastereosselectividade do processo foram elevadas, superior a 99% e aproximadamente 80%, respectivamente. Foi demonstrada a importância do grupo sililoxilo na promoção do rearranjo face a substratos sem este tipo de substituição. Posteriormente, foi estudada a possibilidade de aceleração aniónica deste tipo de rearranjo por formação de oxianião ligado ao átomo de azoto. A estratégia seguida para a formação do mesmo, consistiu na O-dessililação de diferentes N-alil-N-sililoxi enaminas tendo-se obtido as nitronas correspondentes ou produtos de ciclização. Num exemplo envolvendo um derivado de isoxazole-5-(2H)-ona foi observado um aumento de velocidade do rearranjo por reacção com ião etoxilo. Este aumento de velocidade foi atribuído à abertura de anel do N-O éster cíclico para o N-oxianião, seguida de rearranjo e posterior fecho. Métodos alternativos de aceleração do rearranjo por geração de carga positiva, parcial ou completa, no átomo de azoto levaram apenas à dessililação das N-alil-N-sililoxi enaminas. ABSTRACT - [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of a variety of N-allyl-N-silyloxy enamines was studied. The corresponding rearrangement products (oxime-ethers) were obtained in high yields (80%). High regioselectivity, [3,3] vs [1,3] (> 99%) and in appropriate cases, diastereoselectivity (80%) were observed. The importance of the silyloxy group in promoting the rearrangement, in relation to substrates lacking this functionality, is underlined. The possible anionic acceleration of the rearrangements was next examined by O-desilylation the N-silyloxy group bonded to the nitrogen. Attempted generation of these species however, was found to lead either to the corresponding nitrones or to cyclization products. In one particular example involving an isoxazol-5-(2H)-one derivative rate enhancement of rearrangement was indeed observed with ethoxide ion. It is tentatively attributed to ring opening of the cyclic N-O ester to the N-oxyanion ethyl ester followed by rearrangement and subsequent reclosure. Alternative methods to accelerate the process by generating a partial or complete positive charge on the nitrogen atom led only to desilylation

The impact of Corporate Governance on the Cost of Debt: Evidence from Portuguese Listed Companies

Samaran Charles. Le nom donné au Moyen Age à la cour domaniale de la vicomté de Marsan : cour del Cer (ou Ser) et Cour dels Cers (ou Sers). In: Bulletin de la Société Nationale des Antiquaires de France, 1977, 1980. pp. 155-156

Gaining competitive advantage through the balanced scorecard

One of the most important questions emerged of an intense debate in the field of strategic management is: “how do firms achieve competitive advantage?”. Competitive advantage is seen as the main source to explain the superior firm’s performance, and thus comes to represent the fundamental aim of strategic management. The Porter’s view (1985) popularized by the Harvard Business School raised from the Industrial Organization paradigm (Bain, 1959; Mason, 1949) and emphasized that competitive advantage is the most important and influential mechanism for explaining the superior organizational performance. From the 70s, various currents of economic thought address the topic of competitive advantage using different conceptual approaches. In the 1990s, some strategic authors (Barney, 1991; Grant, 1996; Wernerfelt, 1984) proposed the Resource-Based View of firm (RBV) as an alternative strategy to Porter’s proposals. They argue that the greatest variation in profitability between firms was not between firms in different industries, but between firms in the same industry. This suggests that it is not so much differences in the structural factors within industry that determines profitability of firms, but what is inside an organization, resources or assets that allows them to compete. The combined work of Wernerfelt (1984), Rumelt (1984) and Barney (1986), has been mentioned as a reference of the contemporary benchmarks to the study of sustainable competitive advantage. In today's economy, where intangible assets have become the main reason of competitive advantage, the organizations required tools such as the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) to monitor and measure the strategy implementation, including the initiatives involving investments in IS/IT.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Improving project success : A case study using benefits and project management

In the face of rapid technological changes, short product cycles and strong global competition, it is vital that organizations know how to optimize their scarce resources and thus profit from investments with the goal of obtaining the expected benefits and successes. One of the great difficulties facing organizations is the large number of projects that they usually have in their portfolio. Therefore, it is necessary to select and prioritize which projects become essential, to guarantee the maximum return on investments and the sustainability of the organization. Although there are several approaches to analyzing and selecting projects, there is no unanimity about which methodologies to apply. When analyzed in more detail, all approaches presented advantages and disadvantages which need to be considered. Project selection also depends on the nature and profile of the managers and on the techniques, that best fit the organization’s environment. This study analyzes and establishes the link between the academic literature and a pilot model of selection and prioritization of projects developed by the Portuguese Navy. The project was carried out to improve the support and allocation of the necessary resources and forces for the accomplishment of the Navy’s missions in the context of Portugal’s National Defense. The results obtained ensure the necessary alignment with the academic literature and reinforces the credibility of the proposal model for the selection and prioritization process. .info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Development of a Step Down DC-DC Converter for Power Grid Energy Harvesting

This work contains an analysis of multiple topologies of DC-DC voltage buck con verters. The main goal of this Thesis is to study and design a functioning Step Down converter for capacitive coupling devices used for energy harvesting from the power AC grid. In order to achieve this goal, multiple topologies and circuits of this type of converter are studied and analysed, so that the requirements for the intended application are met. Since the input is obtained from the AC power grid and the output is connected to a supercapacitor, this results in a large input voltage (over 150V) and a low output voltage (between 1V to 3V), therefore the converter requires a step down voltage conversion ratio of around 130. The DC-DC converter should also have a large input impedance (around 50Mohm) to maximize the energy transferred from the power grid. This mode of operation is not common for regular inductance based DC-DC converters, making this a challenging problem. Moreover, since the amount of energy available from the capacitive coupling is very small, it is also necessary to develop a controller circuit that is capable of created a clock with a very low duty cycle while dissipating less than 50uW.Este trabalho visa analisar várias tipologias de conversores de tensão DC-DC deno minados conversores Buck. O principal objectivo desta Tese é estudar e projectar um conversor DC-DC abaixador de tensão para sistemas de acopelamento electromagnético capacitivo utilizada em aplicações de Energy Harvesting a partir da rede AC. De forma a cumprir este objectivo, várias tipologias são estudadas ao longo deste trabalho, de forma a cumprir as especificações exigidas. Uma vez que o sinal de entrada é obtido a partir da rede AC, e que o output está ligado a um supercondensador, isto faz com que a tensão de entrada seja elevado (Acima dos 150V) e a tensão de saída seja baixa (entre 1V e 3V), como tal o conversor precisa de um rácio de abaixamento bastante elevado de cerca de 130 vezes. O conversor DC-DC deve também ter uma impedância de entrada elevada (cerca de 50MOhm) por forma a maximizar a energia transferida da rede de energia. Estas condições de funcionamento não são habituais para conversores DC-DC indutivos, o que torna este um problema muito desafiante. Adicionalmente, uma vez que a energia disponivel devido ao acopelamento capacitivo é muito reduzida, é necessário desenvolver um circuito controlador capaz gerar um sinal de relógio com um duty cycle reduzido enquanto dissipa menos de 50uW de potência