A series hybrid electric vehicle is a vehicle that is powered by both an engine and a battery pack. An electric motor provides all of the mechanical motive power to the transmission. Engine power is decoupled from the transmission by converting engine power into electricity which powers the electric motor. The mechanical decoupling of the engine from the transmission allows the engine to be run at any operating point (including off) during vehicle operation while the battery back supplies or consumes the remaining power. Therefore, the engine can be operated at its most efficient operating point or in a high-efficiency operating region. The first objective of this research is to develop a dynamic model of a series hybrid diesel-electric powertrain for implementation in Simulink. The vehicle of interest is a John Deere M-Gator utility vehicle. This model serves primarily to test energy management strategies, but it can also be used for component sizing given known load profiles for a vehicle. The second objective of this research is to develop and implement multiple energy management strategies of varying complexity from simple thermostat control to an optimal control law derived using dynamic programming. These energy management strategies are then tested and compared over the criteria of overall fuel efficiency, power availability, battery life, and complexity of implementation. Complexity of implementation is a critical metric for control designers and project managers. The results show that simple point-based control logic can improve upon thermostat control if engine efficiency maps are known. All control method results depend on the load profile being used for a specific application.

A Responsabilidade Social Empresarial RSE vem assumindo papel relevante para as empresas sendo adotada por muitas, como estratégia de gestão. Este estudo é fruto da análise a respeito dos impactos da adoção da gestão pautada na ética e responsabilidade social no setor varejo supermercadista. Para tanto, buscou-se avaliar por meio de pesquisa bibliográfica e documental a visão de autores em relação aos conceitos da ética e RSE, bem como os reflexos da adesão da RSE como estratégia de gestão nas empresas do setor varejo supermercadista. Este trabalho está estruturado em quatro capítulos. No primeiro capítulo apresenta-se e discute-se na visão de diversos autores conceitos da ética no novo contexto econômico e discorre sobre a RSE como estratégia de gestão. O capítulo dois aborda a RSE no âmbito das empresas do setor de varejo supermercadista, focando a vocação desse setor para a RSE, bem como apresenta e caracteriza os indicadores Ethos de Responsabilidade Social, apontando os possíveis benefícios que as empresas poderão alcançar ao adotarem os mesmos como estratégia de gestão. O capítulo três apresenta como parâmetro uma empresa do ramo supermercadista do setor de varejo. Após sua caracterização relata-se como se deu a inserção da gestão desta empresa na RSE e os seus projetos socioambientais implantados a partir dos indicadores Ethos. A discussão e reflexão sobre a importância da ética e RSE como estratégia de gestão nas empresas do setor varejo supermercadista contempla o capítulo quatro. Os resultados obtidos através do objeto de pesquisa mostram que investimentos em ações socialmente responsáveis podem gerar valor para as empresas, pois tornam estas mais competitivas. / Corporate Social Responsibility - CSR has assumed an important role for companies being adopted, by many, as a management strategy. This study is the result of analysis of the impacts on the adoption of management based on ethics and social responsibility in the retail supermarket industry. Therefore, we sought to evaluate by means of literature and documentary vision of authors in relation to the concepts of ethics and CSR, as well as the effects of the accession of CSR as a management strategy in the retail supermarket companies. This study is structured in four chapters. The first chapter presents and discusses the viewand concepts of several authors about ethics in this new economic context and discusses about CSR management strategy. Chapter two discusses CSR within the companies in the retail supermarket focusing the vocation on this sector for CSR, as well as presents and characterizes the Ethos Social Responsibility pointing and the possible benefits that businesses can achieve by adopting the same strategy as management. Chapter three presents parameter as a branch company of theretail supermarket sector, after its characterization is reported as it was the inclusion of CSR in the management of this company and its environmental projects deployed from Ethos indicators. The discussion and reflection on the importance of ethics and CSR as a management strategy in the retail supermarket business is included in chapter four. The results obtained through the object of research shows that investments in socially responsible actions can generate value for companies because they make it more competitive.

The aim of this diploma thesis is to elaborate an analysis of the external environment of a chosen company on bases of a special literature, own pieces of knowledge and gained information about the market. I have reached the results by the help of the Step analysis, the Porter{\crq}s model, the Competition analysis and the SWOT analysis. By the help of the Step analysis I tried to define factors that could influence the company even though they are outside the enterprise. On bases of the Porter{\crq}s model I have analyzed five competitive forces that influence our company namely new competitors, suppliers, customers, substitutes and a competition ring. By the help of the Competition analysis I have reviewed which companies concerned with the metal production and locksmithery are direct competitors of the company. Through the SWOT analysis method I tried to define inner strong and weak points and external opportunities and jeopardy. I have found convenient factors afterwards I have determined their importance by the help of the method of the Geminate comparison. In conclusion I have evaluated data. On their bases I have drawn up recommendations for the future development and I have suggested convenient strategies. Those strategies were strategy of the Market Development, Market Penetration, Concentric Diversification and strategy of Creation of the competitive advantage.

The awareness on the importance of managing knowledge as the most important assets that need to be fully utilised has become the key competitive issue lately. In Malaysia, the concern was not only from companies but also from the Government of Malaysia itself. At the end of the year 2002, the Government of Malaysia has launched the Knowledge-based Economy Master Plan which aims to propel Malaysia from a production-based economy to a knowledge-based economy. With an increasing concern to create a knowledgeable society, it is critically important to understand the nature of such knowledge that is already embedded in the organisation's business processes, and how that knowledge is used as an important source of competitive advantage. The overall aim of this thesis is to analyse the current situation on how knowledge is managed in the public organisation in Malaysia and to provide government agencies in Malaysia with data on how knowledge is transferred. The primary focus of the study is to identify the organisational elements that are important for the transfer of knowledge in the public organisations in Malaysia. The study also examines different lengths of working experiences and number of years in an organisation has an impact on the understanding of knowledge management in the public organisation. After a literature review, and the development of conceptual frameworks, a number of hypotheses are put forward. To achieve an in-depth study, the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development of Malaysia was chosen as a case study. A questionnaire was used as the main instrument in gathering data and interview(s) for the key informants were also conducted. A total of 154 respondents were involved in the survey and five key informants were interviewed. The questionnaire is principally concerned with the understanding of knowledge management in the Ministry and the questions on the variables that are used for the hypothesis testing. The study also investigates the relationship between organisational elements and the performance of knowledge transfer. Five main independent variables were identified - organisational culture, organisational structure, technology, people/human resources and political directives - and these were tested against knowledge transfer performance. The results reveal that there are two independent variables that have significant relationships to the performance of knowledge transfer. The variables are sharing culture and ICT know-how. Therefore, it is necessary for organisations to consider some of the elements that shows a relationship between the tested variables in implementing a knowledge management strategy in an organisation. However, certain variables that did not show any relationship should not be ignored totally, as they are still very important for some organisations. The study shows that knowledge management as a practice would be the most influential strategy in managing knowledge in public organisations in Malaysia in the near future. On the basis of the research findings the researcher is able to put forward a series of recommendations, particularly in formulating a knowledge management strategy that is suitable for the public organisation in Malaysia which complements the Knowledge-based Economic Master Plan that was launched by the Government.

The diploma deals with the strategic management in small and medium-sized companies. The strategic management is applied to a specific company operating in the field of mechanical engineering. The main goal of the diploma is to propose strategic variants focused mainly on the company's' development and resulting from the external and internal analyses. The results from both analyses are further used for the SWOT analysis which summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of the company influenced from the "outside" as opportunities and threats. SWOT analysis led to the definition of two strategic variants. First one is focused on the development of a new product; second one is more about searching for new opportunities on the market and marketing. After evaluating both proposals and considering dis/advantages only one has been recommended for the realization -- the second proposal.

The rapid convergence of collaborative technologies, democratisation of digital communication and consumerisation of Smart Grid infrastructure (i.e.: smart metering and distribution substation automation) have faltered the efficacy of centralised command-and-control and its insular sub-culture. For complex firms in today's creative economy, this infers that management innovation (MI)—“an induced managerial capacity to search for novel ways to create value”, is rapidly becoming liabilities unless it is innovatively managed for overcoming the inertia of discontinuity opportunities. The raison d'être of this thesis is to investigate the generative managerial processes through which MI can be fostered for experimentation and innovatively managed for acceleration. It comprises four qualitative case studies that involved in-depth interviews, surveys, public records and archival documentaries of four Canadian energy and utilities organisations. The conclusions are fascinating both expected and unanticipated. I found that many, if not most, of the contemporaneous routines of pyramidal target-setting and benchmark-driven cultures are ubiquitously evident. Business planning and risk management still function, albeit the objects of those tenets are different. These quasi-objects include, but are not limited to, organic structures, web-enabled paradigm, pragmatic mindset of middle-down-up crowdsourcing and fragmented evaluation of efforts to evoke the innovative management of management innovation (IMMI). Further adjacent to the quest for driving renewed growth, a new governing dynamic is hinging upon the IMMI that forges a pattern for resiliency and sustainability. Managers capitalise on the epistemic IMMI to regain competitive advantage while enduring endogenous fiefdoms and exogenous disruptions. They catalyse information semantically, harness collective capability effectively, stage prolifically faster MI experimentations and accelerate the cycle of MI more pervasively. I henceforth propose a unified managerial process, dubbed the "Cloverleaf 4S Model" (Strategise—Synchronise—Steward—Sustain). Implicit in this approach, managers believe that their finely-tailored practices epitomise an evolutionary process of deliberate selection in the pursuit for distinctive MI capabilities and expanding authority dynamics in the managership. This allows for self-adaptive mechanisms shifting from silos to swarming as well as the indigenous aspects of IMMI practices—exaptation, cognitive flexibility, speed to adaptation and executional excellence. The implication of this study presents heuristical insights to managers in galvanising perennial innovation and unlocking their IMMI to build an agile, intelligent enterprise.

This thesis describes the design of development company BV computers sro. The work is divided into three main parts - theoretical, analytical and design. The theoretical part focuses on the description of selected analyzes examining internal and external business environment, which will then be applied in the second part of the problem and to the analysis of the current situation. The last part is based on analyzes of compiling a draft development company, which will improve its current competitiveness.

In this dissertation, a high-level management strategy was developed for the museums and collections of the University of Pretoria. Specific areas where improvements to the current operations of the University museums can be made, were identified and solutions proposed. This analysis was based on a survey of the current operations of the University museums, as well as an analysis of the needs of all stakeholder groups. Proposals to improve the operation of the University museums include the following: - Rationalising collections to ensure that available technical and organisational resources are focused on the most valuable collections; - Improving the use and maintenance of collections to ensure that the needs of stakeholders are met; - Ensuring that sufficient financial and organisational resources are mobilised to support the operations of the museums. A brief overview of the steps needed to implement these proposals and to adjust the management strategy on an ongoing basis, is given. The author believes that the implementation of the proposals outlined in this report can contribute towards ensuring that the museums of the University of Pretoria help to fulfil the overall mission and vision of the University of Pretoria. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Historical and Heritage Studies / unrestricted

The widely-used passenger and car ferries, sailing regularly and carrying heavy loads, form a unique type of marine vessel, providing vital transportation links to the coastal regions. Modern ferry ships usually are equipped with multiple diesel engines as prime movers. These diesel engines consume a large amount of marine diesel fuel with high fuel costs, and high emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG) and other harmful air pollutants, including CO2, HC, NOx, SO2, CO, and PM. To reduce fuel costs and the harmful emissions, the marine industry and ferry service providers have been seeking clean ship propulsion solutions. In this work, the model-based design (MBD) and optimization methodology for developing advanced electrified vehicles (EV) are applied to the modelling, design and control optimizations of clean marine vessels with a hybrid electric propulsion system. The research focuses on the design and optimization of the hybrid electric ship propulsion system and uses an open deck passenger and car ferry, the MV Tachek, operated by the British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. Canada, as a test case. At present, the ferry runs on the Quadra Island – Cortes Island route in British Columbia, Canada, with dynamically changing ocean conditions in different seasons over a year. The research first introduces the ship operation profile, using statistical ferry operation data collected from the ferry’s voyage data recorder and a data acquisition system that is specially designed and installed in this research. The ship operation profile model with ship power demand, travelling velocity and sailing route then serves as the design and control requirements of the hybrid electric marine propulsion system. The development of optimal power control and energy management strategies and the optimization of the powertrain architecture and key powertrain component sizes of the ship propulsion system are then carried out. Both of the series and parallel hybrid electric propulsion architectures have been studied. The sizes of crucial powertrain components, including the diesel engine and battery energy storage system (ESS), are optimized to achieve the best system energy efficiency. The optimal power control and energy management strategies are optimized using dynamic programming (DP) over a complete ferry sailing trip. The predicted energy efficiency and emission reduction improvements of the proposed new ship with the optimized hybrid propulsion system are compared with those of two benchmark vessels to demonstrate the benefits of the new design methodology and the optimized hybrid electric ship propulsion system design. These two benchmarks include a conventional ferry with the old diesel-mechanical propulsion system, and the Power Take In (PTI) hybrid electric propulsion systems installed on the MV Tachek at present. The simulation results using the integrated ship propulsion system model showed that the newly proposed hybrid electric ship could have 17.41% fuel saving over the conventional diesel-mechanical ship, and 22.98% fuel saving over the present MV Tachek. The proposed optimized hybrid electric propulsion system, combining the advantages of diesel-electric, pure electric, and mechanical propulsions, presented considerably improved energy efficiency and emissions reduction. The research forms the foundation for future hybrid electric ferry design and development. / Graduate

Thesis (MPAM.) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The study aims to investigate challenges in implementation of asset management strategy in the Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure, in order to recommend possible alternatives to improve asset management in the department. The Department achieved qualified audit opinions on asset management from the regularity audit conducted by the Auditor General for the financial years 2013/14 to 2015/16, which indicate that there is a lack of compliance, ineffectiveness and inappropriateness of asset management systems within the Department. This study examines the effectiveness of asset management practices in the LDPWRI and to determine the challenges faced by the LDPWRI in the implementation of asset management strategy and also to recommend strategic interventions that should be undertaken to improve asset management in the department. The information obtained from the literature identified the procedure which is used to manage assets in South Africa, the implementation process of asset management, and policies applied in the LDPWRI. The research process in this study includes methods such as a qualitative and quantitative approach necessary to collect the data. Furthermore, interviews and questionnaires were used in assessing the attitude of the participants. The primary data from the participants was obtained by the researcher to understand behaviour, working conditions, and the asset management process by the employees. The data revealed various challenges that are prevalent in how the inventory, record keeping, and the implementation of the strategies are implemented. The results showed that there are major challenges in managing inventory, and the information of the inventory is not recorded. There is also poor record keeping of the inventory. Furthermore, while the employees indicated that there is asset management strategy, a few indicated that there is no asset management strategy. The recommendations include that Asset Management strategies should be communicated to all employees and easily accessible on the Intra-Net of the Department for ease of reference and consultation. Urgent drastic steps should be taken to ensure that vacancies in the Asset Management and Logistics Directorate are filled without fail and within the acceptable service standards as stipulated by DPSA.