abstract: According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, commercial buildings represent about 40% of the United State's energy consumption of which office buildings consume a major portion. Gauging the extent to which an individual building consumes energy in excess of its peers is the first step in initiating energy efficiency improvement. Energy Benchmarking offers initial building energy performance assessment without rigorous evaluation. Energy benchmarking tools based on the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) database are investigated in this thesis. This study proposes a new benchmarking methodology based on decision trees, where a relationship between the energy use intensities (EUI) and building parameters (continuous and categorical) is developed for different building types. This methodology was applied to medium office and school building types contained in the CBECS database. The Random Forest technique was used to find the most influential parameters that impact building energy use intensities. Subsequently, correlations which were significant were identified between EUIs and CBECS variables. Other than floor area, some of the important variables were number of workers, location, number of PCs and main cooling equipment. The coefficient of variation was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the new model. The customization technique proposed in this thesis was compared with another benchmarking model that is widely used by building owners and designers namely, the ENERGY STAR's Portfolio Manager. This tool relies on the standard Linear Regression methods which is only able to handle continuous variables. The model proposed uses data mining technique and was found to perform slightly better than the Portfolio Manager. The broader impacts of the new benchmarking methodology proposed is that it allows for identifying important categorical variables, and then incorporating them in a local, as against a global, model framework for EUI pertinent to the building type. The ability to identify and rank the important variables is of great importance in practical implementation of the benchmarking tools which rely on query-based building and HVAC variable filters specified by the user. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Built Environment 2013

nÃo hà / In recent years, cloud computing has attracted attention from industry and academic world, becoming increasingly common to find cases of cloud adoption by companies and research institutions in the literature. Since the majority of cloud applications are data-driven, database management systems powering these applications are critical components in the application stack. Many novel database systems have emerged to fulfill new requirements of high-scalable cloud applications. Those systems have remarkable differences when compared to traditional relational databases. Moreover, since elasticity is a key feature in cloud computing and it is a differential of this computing paradigm, novel database systems must also provide elasticity. Altogether with the emergence of these new systems, the need of evaluating them comes up. Traditional benchmark tools for database systems are not sufficient to analyze some specificities of these systems in a cloud. Thus, new benchmark tools are required to properly evaluate such cloud systems and also to measure how elastic they are. Before actually benchmarking and measuring elasticity of cloud database systems, it becomes necessary to define a model with elasticity metrics that makes sense both for consumers and providers. In this work we present BenchXtend, a tool, that extends Yahoo! Cloud Serving Benchmark (YCSB), to benchmark cloud database systems and to measure elasticity of such systems. As part of this work, we propose a model with metrics from consumer and provider perspectives to measure elasticity. Finally, we evaluated our solution by performing experiments and we verified that our tool could properly vary the load during execution, as expected, and that our elasticity model could capture the elasticity differences between the studied scenarios. / Nos Ãltimos anos, a computaÃÃo em nuvem tem atraÃdo a atenÃÃo tanto da indÃstria quanto do meio acadÃmico, tornando-se comum encontrar na literatura relatos de adoÃÃo de computaÃÃo em nuvem por parte de empresas e instituiÃÃes acadÃmicas. Uma vez que a maioria das aplicaÃÃes em nuvem sÃo orientadas a dados, sistemas de gerenciamento de bancos de dados sÃo componentes crÃticos das aplicaÃÃes. Novos sistemas de bancos de dados surgiram para atender a novos requisitos de aplicaÃÃes altamente escalÃveis em nuvem. Esses sistemas possuem diferenÃas marcantes quando comparados com sistemas relacionais tradicionais. AlÃm disso, uma vez que elasticidade à um recurso chave da computaÃÃo em nuvem e um diferencial desse paradigma, esses novos sistemas de bancos de dados tambÃm devem prover elasticidade. Juntamente com o surgimento desses novos sistemas, surge tambÃm a necessidade de avaliÃ-los. Ferramentas tradicionais de benchmark para bancos de dados nÃo sÃo suficientes para analisar as especificidades desses sistemas em nuvem. Assim, novas ferramentas de benchmark sÃo necessÃrias para avaliar adequadamente esses sistemas em nuvem e como medir o quÃo elÃsticos eles sÃo. Antes de avaliar e calcular a elasticidade desses sistemas, se faz necessÃria a definiÃÃo de um modelo com mÃtricas de elasticidade que faÃam sentido tanto para consumidores quanto provedores. Nesse trabalho apresentamos BenchXtend, uma ferramenta, que estende o Yahoo! Cloud Serving Benchmark (YCSB), para benchmarking e mediÃÃo de elasticidade de bancos de dados em nuvem. Como parte desse trabalho, propomos um modelo com mÃtricas a partir das perspectivas dos consumidores e dos provedores para medir a elasticidade. Por fim, avaliamos nossa soluÃÃo atravÃs de experimentos e verificamos que nossa ferramenta foi capaz de variar a carga de trabalho, como esperado, e que nossas mÃtricas conseguiram capturar a variaÃÃo de elasticidade nos cenÃrios analisados.

Tendo em vista o cenário atual extremamente competitivo, as empresas partem para a implantação de Programas de Melhoria de Competitividade (JIT, TQC, Reengenharia) como forma de sobrevivência. "Neste novo contexto, a mão-de-obra passa a ser considerada menos como um custo a ser minimizado e mais como um recurso essencial cujo envolvimento e participação no processo produtivo começam a ser um fator-chave à estratégia competitiva das empresas" (Posthuma, 1993, p.252). Nesse ambiente, as empresas têm empregado alguns princípios e práticas de gestão que, visivelmente, têm favorecido esses processos de mudança. Neste trabalho, utilizamos como elemento de análise os agentes facilitadores: comunicação, treinamento, recompensa e benchmarking, segundo o Modelo Experimental de Hronec (1994). Os agentes facilitadores são utilizados para minimizar o impacto da mudança através do comprometimento de todos os integrantes da empresa. Para o presente trabalho interessa identificar suas formas, compreender sua aplicação e analisar seus resultados. Este trabalho busca, também, verificar se as empresas pesquisadas reconhecem a importância da utilização desses agentes como facilitadores do processo de mudança e se efetivamente utilizam-se dessa prática. A investigação é de natureza qualitativa, apresentada em estudos de casos elaborados com base em entrevistas semidiretivas. Para a pesquisa de campo, utilizou-se uma amostragem de quatro empresas que estão implementando Programas de Qualidade, encontrando-se em diferentes fases de amadurecimento do processo. Estas empresas são identificadas pelas seguintes denominações: Alpha (setor de calçados), Beta (setor de bebidas), Gama (setor de alimentação) e Delta (setor de papel-celulose). Os resultados da pesquisa apontam para uma valorização dos agentes facilitadores embora estes não sejam aplicados em toda a sua extensão (sub-utilização). / Taking into account the present highly competitive scenario, companies have begun to implant Competitive Improvement Programs (such as JIT, TQC and Reengineering) as a form of survival. "In these new context, labor is considered less as a cost to be minimized and more as an essential resource whose involvement and participation in the productive process becomes a key factor to the companies' competitive strategy" (Posthuma, 1993, p. 252). In these environment, companies have used some management principles and practices which have favored these process of change. In these dissertation, the following facilitating agents are used as elements of analysis: communication, training, reward and benchmarking, according to Hronec's Experimental Model (1994). These facilitating agents are used to minimize the impact of change through the commitment of company's staff. This dissertation intends to identify their forms, understand their application and analyze their results. It also aims at verifying if the researched companies recognize the importance of these agents as facilitators in the process of change and if these companies effectively use this practice. A qualitative design was developed through case studies carried out on the basis of semistructured interviews. For field research, a sample of four companies that have been implementing Quality Management Programs are found in different stages of maturing process. These companies are identified by the following names: Alpha (shoe sector), Beta (drink sector), Gama (food sector) and Delta (cellulose-paper sector). The results of research show an increased valorization of the facilitating agents, although they have not been explored by organizations to their full extent (sub-utilization).

A globalização dos mercados, aliado à saída da intervenção governamental da cadeia produtiva do leite e a estabilização da economia do País a partir de 1990, ocasionou grandes modificações nos diferentes segmentos do sistema agroindustrial do leite. Assim, acompanhar o progresso tecnológico da indústria processadora passou a exigir um posicionamento mais sofisticado do setor produtivo, sendo necessário à realização de novos investimentos que, além de apresentarem maior capacidade de resposta à produtividade e à qualidade da matériaprima, passassem a garantir melhores condições de competição tanto à indústria como para o setor primário. Desta forma, com a intenção de auxiliar o setor produtivo a se profissionalizar na atividade leiteira, a Avipal Alimentos S.A. implementou o Sistema Benchmarking no ano de 2000, o qual serviu como estratégia para melhorar o desempenho técnico e econômico das Unidades Produtoras do estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Dentro deste contexto, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a evolução dos coeficientes de desempenho técnico e econômico das Unidades Produtoras benchmark que participaram dos três períodos de análise do Sistema Benchmarking. Para tanto, foi realizado um estudo de caráter descritivo e exploratório, o qual possibilitou avaliar a pertinência e os efeitos da técnica de benchmarking sobre o setor primário da atividade leiteira. Após esta avaliação, concluiu-se que a técnica de benchmarking tem exercido um papel fundamental para o processo de tomada de decisão e gestão das Unidades Produtoras Esta técnica tem auxiliado os Produtores Benchmark a medir o grau de eficiência da atividade leiteira, bem como a detectar os pontos fracos do sistema produtivo. A divulgação das informações obtidas através da identificação das Unidades Produtoras benchmark tem proporcionado às demais Unidades Produtoras a copiarem as práticas, processos, procedimentos e indicadores apontados como ponto de referência para o alcance de um melhor desempenho na exploração leiteira. Além disso, este conhecimento poderá auxiliar as instituições responsáveis pelo fornecimento de assistência técnica, a reformular seus planos de ação e, desta forma, melhor atender as necessidades do setor primário. Os órgãos governamentais, as cooperativas, os laticínios, assim como os demais envolvidos com a cadeia produtiva do leite, também poderão direcionar suas competências para o fortalecimento das atividades desempenhadas pelo setor produtivo.

As higher education becomes ever more universalised, and an increasingly fundamental driver in development of both human and technological capital, the need to assess and compare these capabilities has become an important feature of 21st century academia. Public debate over universities has crystallised around universities rankings. This dissertation explains the rise of the three main global university rankings and their relevance to universities on the periphery, in this case the Universidade de São Paulo. By looking first at their theoretical context and then at their methodological limitations, the dissertation shows that these rankings are inadequate measures of performance for modern research universities, and do not provide realistic or desirable goals for universities outside of the Anglo-American system. However, they do point to a variety of weaknesses within USP\'s system of evaluation, which are addressed with suggestions on how to improve evaluation. The final section builds on the incipient benchmarking movement to suggest a variety of different ways USP can engage with the need to compare and evaluate without the pitfalls of universal rankings. / Enquanto o ensino superior torna-se cada vez mais universalizado, e um fator determinante em desenvolvimento, tanto humano, quanto tecnológico, a necessidade de avaliar e comparar capacidades tornou-se um aspecto chave da academia no século XXI. O debate público sobre as universidades cristalizou-se no tema dos rankings. Esta dissertação busca explicar a predominância dos três maiores rankings globais, e sua relevância para as universidades de países emergentes, neste caso a Universidade de São Paulo. Analisando primeiro o seu contexto teórico e depois as suas limitações metodológicas, o trabalho revela que esses rankings são medidas inadequadas de desempenho para instituições modernas de pesquisa, e não fornecem nem metas realistas nem desejáveis para universidades fora do sistema Anglo-Americano. Todavia, os rankings apontam as várias ineficiências no sistema atualmente utilizado pela USP, e a necessidade de mudanças. A parte final propõe, com base num movimento incipiente de \"benchmarking\", alternativas a serem exploradas pela USP tendo em vista um maior engajamento na comparação internacional para sua avaliação, sem as armadilhas inerentes dos rankings.

Oil is one of the most valuable resources. For a country like Uganda, which is one of the least developed countries in the world with more than one third of the population still living below the poverty line; the discovery of this valuable resource has the capacity to radically alter the economy of the country. But on the other hand, oil exploration, mining and refining are complex, costly, long duration projects with many challenges that require sophisticated financial management, planning, scheduling and cost control. The project management profession is charged as a single point of responsibility for initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling projects in order to meet stakeholder’s needs and expectations. The research objectives were: 1. To identify and examine the challenges and risks associated with the oil industry in Uganda. 2. To investigate the effectiveness of project management practices in the Ugandan oil industry in terms 1 above. 3. Identify how project success can be measured in the Ugandan oil industry. A case study was the research technique adopted and interviews were conducted with the major stakeholders in the Ugandan oil industry. The research findings reveal the challenges and risks that continue to plague the Ugandan oil industry and the role of project management in the exploration phase of the project. The research findings were used to evaluate the role, responsibility and service that project management professionals are expected to render and the actual role, responsibility and service that the professionals have been rendering to the stakeholders in the Ugandan oil industry. The research then concludes by proposing ways of improving the chances of project success in the Ugandan oil industry.

Many maintenance policies have been proposed for refreshing a warehouse. The difficulties of selecting an appropriate maintenance policy for a specific scenario with specific source characteristics, user requirements etc. has triggered researcher to develop algorithms and cost-models for predicting cost associated with a policy and a scenario. In this dissertation, we develop a benchmarking tool for testing scenarios and retrieve real world data that can be compared against algorithms and cost-models. The approach was to support a broad set of configurations, including the support of source characteristics proposed in [ENG00], to be able to test a diversity set of scenarios.

El presente trabajo realizará el análisis e identificará si los proyectos que viene realizando una empresa de distribución y comercialización de gas natural en la región de Ica son proyectos de responsabilidad social empresarial. Estableceremos la definición de tres conceptos claves: filantropía, inversión social y responsabilidad social empresarial que serán presentados dentro del marco teórico. Asimismo, se realizará un benchmarking con tres empresas extranjeras que comparten el mismo rubro y posteriormente se procederá a proponer un plan acción para la empresa con la finalidad de buscar una mejora significativa en sus operaciones. Por otro lado, para realizar la presente investigación, tomaremos como referente a la empresa Contugas, una de las principales empresas del rubro en la zona. En el capítulo uno, podremos encontrar todos los referentes y definiciones contemplados dentro del marco teórico necesarios para el presente análisis y que servirán de guía a lo largo del trabajo. En el capítulo dos, estructuraremos el plan de investigación, es decir, la definición del problema, hipótesis y el establecimiento de los objetivos. En el capítulo tres, se determinará la metodología a emplear para el presente análisis. En el capítulo cuatro, analizaremos a detalle los principales proyectos implementados en el transcurso de los años 2013, 2014 y 2015. Finalmente, en el capítulo cinco, se presentará los principales resultados del trabajo, así como las recomendaciones del mismo. / This thesis analyzes and identifies whether the projects developed by natural gas distribution and comercialization companies in the region of Ica, are projects of corporate social responsibility. We establish the definitions of three key concepts: philanthropy, social investment and corporate social responsibility which will be presented within the theoretical framework. It also introduces a benchmarking between three foreign companies that share the same category, subsequently we will proceed to present an action plan for the company in order to reach a significant improvement at its operations performance. To perform this investigation, we will take “Contugas” company, one of the leading companies in the category as an example In chapter one we will find all the references and definitions contemplated within the theoretical framework necessary for this analysis and that will guide us throughout the thesis. In chapter two we will structure the research plan, presenting the problem definition, hypothesis and establishing the goals. In the third chapter we will determine the methodology used for this analysis. In the fourth chapter we will analyze in detail the Contugas main projects implemented over the years. Finally, the fifth chapter will expose, the main results of the research and the pertinent recommendations will be presented.

Context. Almost all of the modern computers today have a CPU withmultiple cores, providing extra computational power. In the new ageof big data, parallel execution is essential to improve the performanceto an acceptable level. With parallelisation comes new challenges thatneeds to be considered. Objectives. In this work, parallel algorithms are compared and analysedin relation to their sequential counterparts, using the Java platform.Through this, find the potential speedup for multithreading andwhat factors affects the performance. In addition, provide source codefor multithreaded algorithms with proven time complexities. Methods. A literature study was conducted to gain knowledge anddeeper understanding into the aspects of sorting algorithms and thearea of parallel computing. An experiment followed of implementing aset of algorithms from which data could be gather through benchmarkingand testing. The data gathered was studied and analysed with itscorresponding source code to prove the validity of parallelisation. Results. Multithreading does improve performance, with two threadsin average providing a speedup of up to 2x and four threads up to3x. However, the potential speedup is bound to the available physicalthreads of the CPU and dependent of balancing the workload. Conclusions. The importance of workload balancing and using thecorrect number of threads in relation to the problem to be solved,needs to be carefully considered in order to utilize the extra resourcesavailable to its full potential.

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