Big Data and the Internet of Things

Advances in sensing and computing capabilities are making it possible to embed increasing computing power in small devices. This has enabled the sensing devices not just to passively capture data at very high resolution but also to take sophisticated actions in response. Combined with advances in communication, this is resulting in an ecosystem of highly interconnected devices referred to as the Internet of Things - IoT. In conjunction, the advances in machine learning have allowed building models on this ever increasing amounts of data. Consequently, devices all the way from heavy assets such as aircraft engines to wearables such as health monitors can all now not only generate massive amounts of data but can draw back on aggregate analytics to "improve" their performance over time. Big data analytics has been identified as a key enabler for the IoT. In this chapter, we discuss various avenues of the IoT where big data analytics either is already making a significant impact or is on the cusp of doing so. We also discuss social implications and areas of concern.Comment: 33 pages. draft of upcoming book chapter in Japkowicz and Stefanowski (eds.) Big Data Analysis: New algorithms for a new society, Springer Series on Studies in Big Data, to appea

A model to assess customer alignment through customer experience concepts

Business and Information Technology Alignment (BITA) has been one of the main concerns of IT and Business executives and directors due to its importance to overall company performance, especially today in the age of digital transformation. For BITA has been developed several models which in general has focused in the implementation of alignment strategies for the internal operation of the organizations and in the measurement of this internal alignment, but, there is still a big gap in measurement models of the alignment with the external environment of the organizations. In this paper is presented the design and application of a maturity measurement model for BITA with the customers, where the customers are actors of the external environment of the companies. The proposed model involves evaluation criteria and business practices which the companies ideally do for improve the relationship with their customers.Comment: 12 pages, Preprint version, BIS 2019 International Workshops, Seville, Spain, June 26 to 28, 2019, Revised Paper

Addressing decision making for remanufacturing operations and design-for-remanufacture

Remanufacturing is a process of returning a used product to at least original equipment manufacturer original performance specification from the customers' perspective and giving the resultant product a warranty that is at least equal to that of a newly manufactured equivalent. This paper explains the need to combine ecological concerns and economic growth and the significance of remanufacturing in this. Using the experience of an international aero-engine manufacturer it discusses the impact of the need for sustainable manufacturing on organisational business models. It explains some key decision-making issues that hinder remanufacturing and suggests effective solutions. It presents a peer-validated, high-level design guideline to assist decision-making in design in order to support remanufacturing. The design guide was developed in the UK through the analysis of selections of products during case studies and workshops involving remanufacturing and conventional manufacturing practitioners as well as academics. It is one of the initial stages in the development of a robust design for remanufacture guideline

Design of Product Service Systems at the Base of The Pyramid

Abstract in UndeterminedThe Base of the Pyramid (BoP) consists of about two-fifths of the world population. This population can be categorized as poor with income of less than 2 dollars per day. It is important to alleviate poverty. One of the promising approaches to tackle the wicked problem of poverty is business development combined with poverty alleviation. In this approach, integrated solutions are necessary in order to address the diverse issues in the BoP. These integrated solutions are in the form of product service systems (PSS) rather than the conventional product-oriented or service-oriented solutions. In this paper, we explore different issues that need to be addressed in the PSS design at the BoP. We have also explored strategies used in this PSS design. We have used a case study to explain these issues and strategies. In addition, we have identified salient characteristics of the PSS design at the BoP

The manufacturer's value chain as a service - the case of remanufacturing

Manufacturing enterprises globally have already largely adopted the product-service strategy into their operations. However, due to gradual commoditization of services, manufacturing enterprises will have to further extend this strategy. One possibility is for manufacturers to servitize, not only their final products, but also a part of their value chain, with the aim of increasing their long-term competitive advantage. In this article, the application of servitization to remanufacturing, as a set of operational and business competences and processes, is conceptualized. By offering remanufacturing as a service, manufacturers will create an additional revenue stream. The synergies created from integrating remanufacturing into an enterprise with a product-service system are scrutinized. The impact of offering remanufacturing as a service (servitizing) is then assessed from the perspective of the competitive advantage of both, the provider and the consumer of the service. Three main sets of implications are identified. The first is that the integration of remanufacturing into a product-service system could increase customer satisfaction through a larger service scope and higher service quality, while decreasing operational costs. Furthermore, it is shown that the higher the level of servitization, the stronger is the positive impact of remanufacturing. The second set of results shows that servitizing remanufacturing can substantially increase the competitive advantage of both the provider and the consumer. While the first two sets of results have industrially oriented implications, the third set constitutes a theoretical contribution through the proposal and conceptual validation of extension of the application of servitization theory. Finally, while the reasoning is of a conceptual nature, it is based on established theories and includes remanufacturing-related industrial cases as a basis for assessment

Exploring the journey to services

Firms are increasingly providing services to complement their product offerings. The vast majority of studies on the service journey, also known as servitization or service transition, examine the challenges and enablers of the process of change through cases studies. Investigations that provide an in-depth longitudinal analysis of the steps involved in the service journey are much rarer. Such a detailed understanding is required in order to appreciate fully how firms can leverage the enablers while overcoming the challenges of servitization. This study investigates what does a service journey look like? It analyzes in some detail the actual service journeys undertaken by three firms in the well-being, engineering and learning sectors. The paper offers four contributions. First, in the change literature, there are two dominant theories: The punctuated equilibrium model and the continuous change model. This study demonstrates that servitization follows a continuous change rather than a punctuated equilibrium. It shows that such continuous change is neither logical nor structured but much more emergent and intuitive in nature. Second, the study provides empirical evidence to support a contingency view of the dominance and sequencing of the different process models of change across the change journey. Third, this research shows the pace of service development and when the coexistence of basic, intermediate and complex services occurs. Finally, it contributes to the literature in the service field by presenting three actual service journeys and the associated seven stages of the service strategy model that organizations should consider when managing their service journeys