Using metaheuristics-based methods to provide sustainable market solutions, suitable to consumer needs

Nowadays the buildings sector is one of the key sectors to achieve sustainability, with the correspondent consumers, in particular, the household consumers, having the need to perform sustainable choices every day, regarding the appliances to be acquired from the market. This is not only due to government’s growing concerns about sustainability but also with the consumers on having sustainable solutions, given the different economic, social (including their comfort) and environmental needs. However, the existence of several electrical appliances on market, with all their different issues, brands and models, together with the several tradeoffs referred before, difficult the consumer’s choices, on having sustainable solutions in the market. Therefore, this work, presents an approach, by using Multi-Attribute Value Theory (MAVT), integrated with metaheuristics, which uses Evolutionary Algorithms (EA) to provide suitable and sustainable market solutions to a consumer, according to its own needs. Based on the achieved solutions and considering the relative importance, given to each consumer, and regarding each dimension of sustainability, it’s possible to achieve several savings, namely electrical and water consumption, CO2 emissions, among others. A case study shall be shown, to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach.publishersversionpublishe

Design of a Continuous Improvement Model in a Portuguese Food Industry Company – A Case Study

The search for perfection forces organizations to adopt new techniques and approaches, focused on the systematic creation of innovative solutions that facilitate the processes of continuous improvement. In view of this context, there was an opportunity to study the implementation of the Lean philosophy in the production line, at a processed food organization. A continuous improvement model was designed for an organizational system, combining tools used in both TRIZ methodology and Lean philosophy. Several Lean tools are used in the model in order to support problem formulation, e.g. Brainstorming, 5 Whys, Pareto Diagram, Ishikawa Diagram, Plan-Do- Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle. And the Kano Model integrated in the proposed model allows assessing employee satisfaction at a later stage than the implementation of previously found solutions. In case the problems identified are not very complex, were resorted to the use of both TRIZ and Lean techniques, such as cause/effect databases, the 40 problem solving TRIZ principles, visual management, 5S’s or line balancing. But if the problems identified are more complex, which means with an inventive issue to be solved, Matrix of Contradictions and S-Field Analysis TRIZ tools proved to be more appropriate to find the proper solution. With the case study carried out, it was noted that the proposed model proved to be very useful as a roadmap for the implementation of Lean and TRIZ tools in the continuous improvement of industrial products, services and processes should be the ways to continually minimize them in a company. Keywords: Continuous improvement, Lean, TRIZ, Management tools, Model propose

Organizational and Methodological Influence of Risk Management in Projects

Project risk management is essential to managers’ decision making and business success, because it allows the manager to identify, analyse  and  decide  on the most appropriate way to respond to different adversities that may arise during the development of new products, services, processes, projects, continuous improvement, etc. This requires a mind-set that risks have a major influence on the bottom line and use analytical methods or risk management software. It is essential to integrate the entire organizational structure into risk mitigation intervention. The purpose of this paper is to address some of the important topics to consider for well implemented and successful risk management. An approach is taken at both organizational and methodological levels. Keywords: Risk management, PMBOK, Stakeholders, Methods, New product developmen

PROPOSAL FOR A COMPREHENSIVE AND INTEGRATED MODEL OF SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PRODUCTS

The development of new products (NPD) is crucial for the existence of companies, source of competitive advantage and determinant of their business success. Several factors, both operational and organizational or even strategic, contribute to the innovation process that supports NPD. The holistic assessment of all these factors as a whole has not been the subject of research leading to the proposal for an integrated and systemic model. In this way, this article aims to propose a comprehensive conceptual model that integrates the strategic, organizational and procedural levels, as well as the set of factors to be taken into account in NPD projects. Based on the literature review, a comprehensive and integrated conceptual model of NPD support (MAIDNP) is deductive-inductive. This model can therefore be a tool for evaluating processes, projects and products, dedicated to companies that innovate, design and develop new products

SIX SIGMA BUSINESS SCORECARD APPROACH TO SUPPORT MAINTENANCE PROJECTS IN A COLLABORATIVE CONTEXT

According to the traditional perspective the maintenance function is counted as a secondary activity consuming human and financial resources, which is why many companies, use as maintenance strategy for several years, the subcontracting of maintenance services to specialized companies. However, the need to perform maintenance operations on increasingly complex systems requires access to several distinct types of skills that small and medium-sized firms specialized in maintenance services generally do not have. This paper aims to illustrate the role of the Six Sigma Scorecard approach as a management tool for improving quality in service provided in a collaborative context. The article begins by discussing the principles of the Six Sigma and the Balanced Scorecard backgrounds. It is then discussed how the two methodologies can be combined as a management tool of maintenance activities. Finally, it is discussed how this approach can be applied in the assessment of maintenance activities in the context of a collaborative ecosystem

EFQM model implementation in a Portuguese Higher Education Institution

Education sector, and particularly, Higher Education Institutions (HEI), is nowadays an increasingly competitive sector, where the HEI’s success, relies on stakeholder’s recognition, along with their capacity to attract funding, to achieve sustainability