Thesis (S.M. in Engineering and Management)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2012. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 148-151). / The development of increasingly complex, innovative systems under greater constraints has been the trend over the past several decades. In order to be successful, organizations must develop products that meet customer needs more effectively than the competitors' alternatives. The development of these concepts is based on a broad set of stakeholder objectives, from which alternative designs are developed and compared. When properly performed, this process helps those involved understand the benefits and drawbacks of each option. This is crucial as firms need to effectively and quickly explore many concepts, and easily determine those most likely to succeed. It is generally accepted that a methodical design approach leads to the reduction in design flaws and cost over a product's life cycle. Several techniques have been developed to facilitate these efforts. However, the traditional tools and work products are isolated, and require diligent manual inspection. It is expected that the effectiveness of the high-level product design and development will improve dramatically through the adoption of computer based modeling and simulation. This emerging capability can mitigate the challenges and risks imposed by complex systems by enforcing rigor and precision. Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) is a methodology for designing systems using interconnected computer models. The recent proliferation of MBSE is evidence of its ability to improve the design fidelity and enhance communication among development teams. Existing descriptions of leveraging MBSE for deriving requirements and system design are prevalent. However, very few descriptions of model-based concept development have been presented. This may be due to the lack of MBSE methodologies for performing concept development. Teams that attempt a model-based approach without well defined, structured strategy are often unsuccessful. However, when MBSE is combined with a clear methodology, designs can be more efficiently generated and evaluated. While it may not be feasible to provide a "standard" methodology for concept development, a framework is envisioned that incorporates a variety of methods and techniques. This thesis proposes such a framework and presents an example based on a simulated concept development effort. / by Brian London. / S.M.in Engineering and Management

Thesis (S.M. in Engineering and Management)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2012. / This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-89). / In today's environment, medical technology is rapidly advancing to deliver tremendous value to physicians, nurses, and medical staff in order to support them to ultimately serve a common goal: provide safe and effective medical care for patients. However, these complex medical systems are contributing to the increasing number of healthcare accidents each year. These accidents present unnecessary risk and injury to the very population these systems are designed to help. Thus the current safety engineering techniques that are widely practiced by the healthcare industry during medical system development are inadequate in preventing these tragic accidents. Therefore, there is a need for a new approach to design safety into medical systems. This thesis demonstrated that a holistic approach to safety design using the Systems Theoretic Accident Model and Process (STAMP) and Causal Analysis based on STAMP (CAST) was more effective than the traditional, linear chain-of-events model of Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA). The CAST technique was applied to a medical case accident involving a complex diagnostic analyzer system. The results of the CAST analysis were then compared to the original FMECA hazards. By treating safety as a control problem, the CAST analysis was capable of identifying an array of hazards beyond what was detected by the current regulatory approved technique. From these hazards, new safety design requirements and recommendations were generated for the case system that could have prevented the case accident. These safety design requirements can also be utilized in new medical diagnostic system development efforts to prevent future medical accidents, and protect the patient from unnecessary harm. / by Vincent H. Balgos. / S.M.in Engineering and Management

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2015. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 216-217). / This thesis proposes a framework to systematically prepare and enhance structured data for time series analysis. It suggests the production of intermediate derived calculations, which aid in the analysis and rationalization of variation over time, to enhance the consistency and the efficiency of data analysis. This thesis was developed with the cooperation of a major international financial firm. The use of their actual historical financial credit risk data sets significantly aided this work by providing genuine feedback, validating specific results, and confirming the usefulness of the method. While illustrated through the use of credit risk data sets, the methodology this thesis presents is designed to be applied easily and transparently to structured data sets used for time series analysis. / by Carlos Alvidrez. / S.M. in Engineering and Management

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2013. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 79-81). / The recycling of household consumer batteries is gaining legislative support throughout North America. The intent of this thesis document is to provide a broad overview of the current North American reverse logistics network for consumer batteries. Topics discussed include the viability of recycling for particular battery chemistries, collection methods, recycling methods, the current legislative environment, and the incentives to participate in the reverse logistics network for the various stakeholders identified. This document culminates in the explicit high-level definition of the available reverse logistics networks and the execution of a global warming potential analysis for each network. It is shown that, of the two available reverse logistics networks, in terms of kg C02 equivalents generated per metric ton of batteries processed one network is approximately double the environmental impact of the other. However, despite the magnitude of this difference, in an overall context this difference may not outweigh other factors for consideration. These other factors include cost, materials recovered, and overall environmental impact which would consider ecosystem quality and human health. This research was conducted using available public information as well as interviews with key individuals who are directly participating in the reverse supply chains. / prepared by Asgar Rahman. / S.M. in Engineering and Management

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2014. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (page 46). / This thesis aims to understand the optimal leverage range for shipping companies (maritime foreign freight transportation companies - SIC 4412), through data analysis. This study confirms that in a traditional industry like shipping, the Market value-leverage curve is very similar to the theoretical curve, as proposed by traditional capital structure theories. In comparison to other industries, the trend shows that there is allowance for more debt in shipping, since the optimal capital structure is reached in relatively higher values. Between shipping companies, the study shows that the most definitive factor in determining the optimal leverage is the company type (type of ships owned), and somewhat the year range the company operated. Contrary to other industries, company size does not seem to play a major role in shipping. Data analysis using pure plays (groups of very similar companies) reels trend lines with higher accuracy, indicating the optimal leverage range of certain types of shipping companies. The most consistent result is that for tanker shipping companies, where the optimal leverage range is 65-75%. / by Vasilis Georgiadis. / S.M. in Engineering and Management

Thesis (S.M. in Engineering and Management)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2011. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 65-68). / There are hundreds of weapons programs, under the management of the United States Air Force worth billions of dollars. These programs are being developed to fulfill a need in the U.S. defense strategy. Bringing these weapon systems to operational status is not an easy process. It takes communication and coordination of many stakeholders and development of state-of the-art technology. More often than not, weapons programs are developed with the final cost and schedule being much higher that forecasted. Inherently weapons systems are expensive, however the costs of these systems continue to rise with no apparent end in sight. The Government Accountability Office, RAND, Congressional studies and the Defense Acquisition Performance Assessment have has criticized the Department of Defense for escalating costs. These studies point to poor requirement definition, errors in cost and scheduling forecasts, poor oversight, bad decisions by the government, and failure to adopt recommendations from reform policies as the main causes. One way ameliorate cost escalation is to employ portfolio management technique. The Air Force groups their weapon systems into 20 portfolios. Some form of portfolio management has been employed for the last decade. Portfolio management cannot solve the issues above but it can offer a solution that can potentially save millions and perhaps billions of dollars This thesis examines the Air Force's current use of Portfolio Management theory and what opportunities we can do to improve it in the acquisition community. The thesis poses three research questions: 1) How can the Air Force better employ portfolio management to curb cost overruns and schedule delays in their weapon acquisition programs? 2) What can the Air Force do to empower portfolio managers for success? 3) What barriers can the Air Force eliminate or streamline to help portfolio managers execute their portfolios more effectively and efficiently. Acquisition professionals were interviewed to glean their perspectives and opinions. More specifically acquisition personnel were asked how portfolio management was being executed and how can the Air Force improve this technique to better execute weapon systems programs. From these interviews and the research conducted, the following recommendations were made: 1) Program Executive Officers should be given more authority with respect to utilizing funds and hiring of specialized personnel 2) The Air Force needs to streamline the process for reallocating funds and, 3) The Air Force needs to modify number of reporting requirements and policy changes to make the process more efficient and effective. / by Dave B. Morgan. / S.M.in Engineering and Management

Thesis (S.M. in Engineering and Management)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2012. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 92-94). / There are numerous frameworks for abstracting an enterprise complex system into a model for purposes of analysis and design. Examples of such frameworks include the Complex Large-scale Interconnected Open Social-technical System (CLIOS) process for handling enterprise system architecture, the Enterprise Architecture eight views (EA) for diagnosing and improving overall enterprise performance, and the Enterprise Strategic Analysis for Transformation (ESAT). In addition to helping identify and manage complexity, emergent behavior and the requirements of many stakeholders, all of these frameworks help identify enterprise-wide processes, bringing value-added flow between enterprises and their stakeholders. This thesis evaluates the applicability of integrating these frameworks into a hybrid process in ongoing programs and to determine if a standard process can be generated through an integrative, interdisciplinary approach using the above models and frameworks. Enterprise Architecture eight views framework as developed at MIT is designed to create enterprise-level transformations in large, complex socio-technical enterprises. In the past 15 years of research at LAI, these enterprise developments have been applied and validated in the government and in other industries including aerospace, transportation, healthcare case, defense acquisition and logistics. The CLIOS process, also developed at MIT, is designed to work with Complex, Largescale, Integrated, Open, Socio-technical systems, creating strategies for stakeholders to reach goals through enterprise development. This process has been used heavily in transportation systems, energy distribution, and regional strategic transportation planning. This thesis will apply both of these frameworks to the case of Veterans Affairs health care enterprise to evaluate its effectiveness. Based on insights from self-assessments and the organization's strategy, a transformation plan will be generated for the Veterans Affairs organization's current state and preferred future state. These outcomes will help to identify the strengths of the merged methodology. / by Chunguang Wang. / S.M.in Engineering and Management

Thesis (S.M. in Engineering and Management)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2011. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 122-124) and index of companies, products, and services. / What are examples of successful companies innovating in services to create Product- Service Systems that can command a price that exceeds the cost of capital and enhance, protect, or replace the core products? After a brief literature review and discussion of the challenges of classifying and defining services and how they are related to products, this thesis provides a series of brief case studies looking at how companies construct a services strategy that complements, strengthens, or replaces their product strategy. Service-centric offerings are categorized into three primary types: product-based (e.g. customization or repair), information-based (e.g. telematics), and value-based (e.g. financing, leasing, or utilities). The thesis focuses on positive examples, but some negative examples are also presented. Summary conclusions on the nature and elements of successful product-services strategy are also presented. Primary research tools are corporate annual reports, SEC 10-K (and other) filings, corporate websites, the Internet, and business research tools like Orvis, Hoovers, and Lexis-Nexis. The thesis studies mainly (but not exclusively) publically traded US-based companies with a strong emphasis on the automotive, heavy machinery, and information technology sectors. / by Mark D. Moran. / S.M.in Engineering and Management

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2015.. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 47-50). / Uncertainty related to an adversary's tactics, techniques, and procedures is often difficult to characterize, particularly during the period immediately before a conflict, when planning for a face-to-face confrontation with a combatant. Adversarial freedom of maneuver and the fixed nature of asset defense leaves limited room for error or half-assessments, yet past analysis of regional defendability presumes a static, symmetric adversary, rather than a nimble, cunning one. This thesis examines historical events to identify the source of uncertainty with respect to defensive operations, and proposes that an alternative measure of performance be evaluated to fully characterize the effectiveness and limitations of defensive elements in the face of a determined peer. / by Matthew T. Fulchino. / S.M. in Engineering and Management

Thesis (S.M. in Engineering and Management)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2011. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-136). / The aim of this research is to understand how emerging rotorcraft companies in various countries accomplished technological learning over the last sixty years. Owing to its unique products and growing market demand, rotorcraft industry is one of the most globalized and dynamic sectors of the aerospace industry. Understanding technological learning in the rotorcraft industry is important to industrial policy makers and corporate managers who are seeking more clarity in the relationship between rotorcraft companies and the global social-political environment. Although there has already been extensive research on technological learning in various industries, evidence of technological learning in the rotorcraft industry has been lacking. This research aims to fill this gap in the field of technological learning by unveiling the learning dynamic and technological evolution of emerging rotorcraft companies. This thesis will analyze these developments by research on emerging rotorcraft companies' National Innovation Systems (NIS) and their different modes of cooperation with foreign companies. The analysis on the companies' NIS is an important element of the research framework as it defines the national innovation environment for the industry. NIS represents the unique system of institutional, private and foreign stakeholders and their interaction in the country. The analysis on the different modes of cooperation with foreign companies is the second key element of the research framework as mode of cooperation is an important technological indicator for emerging rotorcraft companies. To substantiate the findings of technological learning in the rotorcraft industry, three case studies of emerging rotorcraft companies - Agusta (Italy), Avicopter (China) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Aerospace (Japan) were made. Each case provides both holistic and detailed view of the unique technological learning system of the company by analyzing both national-level and company-level factors. This thesis synthesizes and compares the three companies' technological learning systems and draws conclusion in relationship to their respective NIS. This thesis has identified that concurrent internal learning, a history of cooperation, favorable national learning environment and production scale are essential for emerging rotorcraft companies to succeed. Moreover, it has also found that denial of technology access only slows down but does not prevent technological learning completely. This thesis will not only provide industrial policy makers and corporate managers with greater insight into the technological learning systems of emerging rotorcraft companies, but also a different perspective regarding technological transfer and cooperation. Finally, this thesis contributes to the research on technological learning through its original case studies from the rotorcraft industry. / by Thiam Soon Gan. / S.M.in Engineering and Management