Complementary research and education opportunities – a comparison of learning factory facilities and methodologies at TU Wien and MTA SZTAKI

Typical learning factories are characterized by selective simplification or scaling-down of complex and large-scale production processes, while also safely containing risks in the case of process failures inherent to experimental and didactic activities. The variety of aspects preserved by these scaled-down environments allow different approaches to be taken in research and education. The paper compares two facilities, at TU Wien and at MTA SZTAKI in Budapest, respectively, and highlights differences in their modes of operation, the resulting variations of course-based vs. project-based didactic approaches, as well as their place in technical higher education

The design and evaluation of EKE, a semi-automated email knowledge extraction tool

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Knowledge Management Research and Practice. The definitive publisher-authenticated version, TEDMORI, S. and JACKSON, T., 2012. The design and evaluation of EKE, a semi-automated email knowledge extraction tool. Knowledge Management Research and Practice, 10 (1), pp. 79 - 88 is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/kmrp.2011.40This paper presents an approach to locating experts within organisations through the use of the indispensable communication medium and source of information, email. The approach was realised through the email expert locator architecture developed by the authors, which uses email content in the modelling of individuals' expertise profiles. The approach has been applied to a real-world application, EKE, and evaluated using focus group sessions and system trials. In this work, the authors report the findings obtained from the focus groups sessions. The aim of the sessions was to obtain information about the participants' perceptions, opinions, underlying attitudes, and recommendations with regard to the notion of exploiting email content for expertise profiling. The paper provides a review of the various approaches to expertise location that have been developed and highlights the end-users' perspectives on the usability and functionality of EKE and the socio-ethical challenges raised by its adoption from an industrial perspective. © 2012 Operational Research Society. All rights reserved

Empirical Study Concerning Industrial Services within the Austrian Machinery and Plant Engineering Industry

Organised by: Cranfield UniversityIndustrial Services adapted to the requirements of the customers and aligned with the specifications of the physical products are becoming increasingly important for companies in the engineering industry in order to remain competitive and to ensure long-term economic success. An empirical study in the Austrian machinery and plant engineering industry should systematically evaluate and document corporate practice with regard to services. The current service landscapes in companies and the development of customer requirements have been investigated. The result of the study is a general idea of what the future needs for action in these companies as well as in applied research are.Mori Seiki – The Machine Tool Company; BAE Systems; S4T – Support Service Solutions: Strategy and Transitio

Re-engineering through Fractal Structures

Many branches of European industry have had to recognise that their lead in the world market has been caught up with, particularly through Asian competition. In many cases a deficit of up to 30% in costs and productivity already exists. The reasons are rigid, Tayloristic company structures. The companies are not in a position to react flexibly to constantly changing environmental conditions. This article illustrates the methods of the "fractal company" which are necessary to solve the structure crisis. The fractal company distinguishes itself through its dynamics and its vitality, as well as its independent reaction to the changing circumstances. The developed methods, procedures and framework conditions such as company structuring, human networking, hierarchy formation and models for remuneration and working time are explained. They are based on practical examples from IPA's work with the automobile industry, their suppliers and the engineering industry

Gewinnen im Wettbewerb. Hochleistungsorganisation Fraktales Unternehmen

Die deutsche Industrie befindet sich in einer elementaren Strukturkrise, die zu einer sinkenden Wettbewerbsfähigkeit am Weltmarkt geführt hat. Neue Wege der Unternehmensführung und des Managements sind notwendig, um wieder Erfolg zu bekommen. Anhand verschiedener Verhaltensweisen in bestimmten Kriterien, wie z. B. Innovationskultur, Unternehmenskultur, Mitarbeiter- und Prozeßorientierung, werden Erfolgsfaktoren diskutiert. Der Mitarbeiter rückt in den Mittelpunkt des Unternehmens. In einer partizipativen Unternehmensgestaltung werden neue Unternehmensstrukturen entwickelt. Die Wege und Komponenten eines Fraktalen Unternehmens werden aufgezeigt