This thesis describes an investigation of the possibility to apply a maintenance concept originally developed for the industry, on software maintenance. Today a large amount of software development models exist but not many of them treat maintenance as a part of the software life cycle. In most cases maintenance is depicted as an activity towards the end of the software life cycle. The high cost ascribed to software maintenance motivates for improvements. The maintenance concept TQMain proposed in this thesis distinguishes from other maintenance concepts by its use of preventive, predictive and proactive maintenance strategies. TQMain uses a common database to store real-time data from various departments and uses it for analyse and assessment to track the development of deviations in the condition of the production process and product quality at an early stage. A continuous cyclic improvement of the maintenance strategy is reached by comparing the data from the real-time measurements with data from the database. The ISO/IEC Software engineering – Product qualities is used as a source of empiric data to conclude that the correct quality characteristics are used for identifying software product quality and its characteristics and compare them with the characteristics of industrial product quality. The results presented are that in the conceptual outline of TQMain measures are obviously not the same as in software maintenance, but the aspect of product quality is common for both. The continuous cyclic improvement of the product quality that TQMain features together with the aspect of detecting potential failures before they occur would, judging from the conceptual outline of TQMain be applicable on software maintenance.

Enterprise portals are comprehensive solutions that enable centralized access to information and employees. They also support the business processes taking place in companies. The diversity of functionality offered by enterprise portals is the source of the complexity of the manufacturing process of such applications. Domain-Specific Languages (DSL) are a novel approach to solving problems associated with the software development. By limiting the possibilities of expression to the concepts related to a specific area Domain-Specific Languages are more focused on solving specific problems. The subject of this thesis is DSL SharePoint – Domain-Specific Language which supports the production of enterprise portals on Microsoft SharePoint platform. Language was developed with respect to the newest achievements in area of building DSLs. By applying the language in the industry, it was possible to verify the hypothesis that its usage positively affects the quality of software products. To this end, the quality model was built, and products made with the support of language have been compared to those developed in the traditional manner.

Iron is often present in leach liquors produced in chemical and hydrometallurgical processes. It is known that voluminous iron precipitates with high impurity values are formed if the conditions during its formation are not controlled well. These products are also often difficult to treat in downstream processes. This study therefore focused on the determination of product quality parameters for the production of good quality iron precipitates from zinc-rich solutions. Special attention was given to the quality of metastable phases such as ferrihydrite and schwertmannite formed at elevated temperatures and in the pH range 1.5 to 3.5 in a continuous crystallizer. These phases are produced over a range of supersaturation levels with the best quality products formed at lower supersaturation. It was shown that most industrial processes are operated well above the metastability limit at relatively high supersaturation. However, stagewise precipitation of iron, even above the metastability limit, yielded better quality products. It was also shown that localized supersaturation levels could be controlled through changes in the micro and macromixing environments. The three-zone model approach was used to improve the quality of ferrihydrite and schwertmannite precipitates. Changes in the reactor design and the position of reagent feed points also impacted on the quality of the precipitates. Control over the localized supersaturation not only ensures the production of good quality nuclei, but also impacts on particle growth, which is required to make downstream processing of precipitates possible. In precipitation processes, growth mainly takes place through agglomeration as the rate of molecular growth is generally low. The final quality of iron precipitates is greatly influenced by the quality of the agglomerates formed during iron precipitation. A Hadamard matrix was used to indicate the relative importance of the most relevant operating parameters for the formation of good quality iron precipitates. / Thesis (PhD (Metallugical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering / unrestricted

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the perspective of CSR in the apparel industries of Bangladesh. The Rana Plaza disaster in 2013 causes some institutional changes in Bangladesh apparel Industry. Apparel firms are facing strict regulations and monitoring by buyers and different governing bodies. So, the purpose of this study is to investigate different firms’ perceptions of rigorous CSR policy and compliance pressure. The study examines the influence of CSR on different performance parameters like productivity and quality. Design / Methodology / Approach This research uses a qualitative method. Three apparel industries were selected for the study. After that, three different levels of stakeholders were interviewed in semi-structured manner from each of the firms. Interview findings were validated with secondary data in most cases. Finally, interview outcomes were analysed, and research questions were answered accordingly. Findings The results indicate that the studied firms consider CSR as philanthropic and ethical responsibilities. Firms believe that CSR brings long-term business benefit and sustainability despite having high initial costs and enormous competition in the cutthroat nature of the market. So, this research finds CSR should be considered as a business opportunity rather than an obligation. CSR gives the reputational benefit which poises the power balance to the suppliers. Additionally, the research also indicates CSR positively alters the lifestyle of workers and improves the working environment, that reduces absenteeism and increases workers' dedication to the job. Different CSR activities impart financial and non-financial motivation to the workers, which significantly improves productivity and product quality. Limitation / implication The study only deals with some reputed firms of Bangladesh and their perspective was quite positive about CSR. However, the study finds few obligatory aspects of CSR comparing with the previous literature. The research discusses the CSR perspective on specific global proximity, CSR perspective and outcome may be different in the other parts of the world. Moreover, the research is limited to the nature of the impact (Productivity and Quality) of CSR, future research can be carried out to assess the extent of the impact. This study argues on what basis firms should consider CSR as an opportunity. Reputational benefit is one of the major non-financial benefit that firms should use for the business expansion and sustainability. This research can be used as an example for maximizing productivity and quality by enhancing workers motivation.

Sub-zero saline solutions were evaluated for the improvement of chilling efficiency and product quality of broiler carcasses. In this study, four experiments were conducted to chill broiler carcasses using different saline solutions and chilling temperatures in the Meat Processing Center at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA) or in the processing plant at Foster Farms (Livingston, CA). In Experiment I, three salt concentrations and solution temperatures (0% NaCl/0.5°C, 4% NaCl/-2.41°C, and 8% NaCl/-5.08°C) were used to chill carcasses. The fillets in brine chilling at sub-zero temperatures showed lower shear forces than the fillets in 0% NaCl control solution. In Experiment II, three salt concentrations (0% NaCl/0.5°C, 4% NaCl/-2.41°C, and 8% NaCl/-5.08°C) were used to chill carcasses with/without pre-chilling in 0% NaCl/0.5ºC or 0% NaCl/14°C. Fillets from the carcasses in 4% NaCl/-2.41°C significantly improved tenderness (P < 0.05), with no significant difference observed for the shear force of 8% NaCl/-5.08°C, regardless of pre-chilling. In Experiment III, four salt concentrations (0% NaCl/0.5°C, 1% NaCl/-0.6°C, 2% NaCl/-1.2°C, and 3% NaCl/-1.8°C) were used to chill carcasses. The shear force of fillets decreased as the salt content increased and chilling temperature decreased from 0%NaCl/0.5°C to 3%NaCl/-1.8°C, with the lowest shear force observed in 3% NaCl brine at -1.8°C (P < 0.05). The chilling time (90 min) of 3% NaCl was reduced by 25 min (or 22%) compared to water control (115 min), with an intermediate reduction (13 - 17%) v seen for other NaCl solutions (95 – 100 min). Breast fillets showed no significant difference in chilling yield, pH, R-value, and sarcomere length for raw meats as well as in cooking yield and salt content for cooked fillets across all treatments (P > 0.05). In Experiment IV, three salt concentrations (0% NaCl/0.5°C, 3% NaCl/-1.8°C, and 4% NaCl/-2.41°C) were used to chill carcasses. The chilling time (55 min) of 4% NaCl was reduced by 35 min (or 39%) compared to the time (90 min) of water control, with an intermediate reduction (11%) seen for 3% NaCl solution. Control fillets in 0% NaCl showed a higher shear force than the fillets in sub-zero brine chilling (P < 0.05). Based on these results, broiler carcasses chilled in 4% NaCl/-2.41°C appears to be ideal to improve both chilling efficiency and meat tenderness compared to the carcasses chilled in 0% NaCl/0.5°C.

The commercial pressure frying has been limited to frying huge amount of products due to its dependence on the amount of moisture released from the food for generating the desired pressure. This study investigated the feasibility of using nitrogen gas as a substitute for steam in the pressure frying system. The effects of various process conditions (source of pressure, frying temperature and pressure) on fried product and frying oil qualities were evaluated. Frying experiments were performed on breaded/battered poultry products including chicken nuggets (homogenous) and chicken fillets (marinated, intact muscle). Efforts were also made to develop rapid methods to determine frying oil quality and discriminate among fresh, marginal and discarded oils using a chemosensory (also known as electronic nose) or Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR). Frying temperature and pressure affected fried food quality. An increase in frying pressure resulted in tender, juicier products with less oil uptake due to high moisture retention. An increase in frying oil temperature resulted in an increased moisture loss, oil uptake resulting in less tender and juicier products. Compared with frying using steam released from food, using nitrogen provided similar or better quality fried products in terms of moisture retention, juiciness and texture. The reused oils from the fryer using nitrogen gas was better in quality than the system using steam as evidenced from the physical, chemical and chemosensory measurements. / Ph. D.

<p>This research combines the economic contribution analysis of hardwood industries in Indiana and the economic impact analysis of furbearer hunting and trapping in Indiana. This research employs input-output analysis using Impact Analysis for Planning (IMPLAN) software. </p>

The plastics industry is one of the fastest growing major industries in the world. There is an increase in the amount of plastic used for all types of products due to its light weight and ability to reprocess. For this reason, the reprocessing of thermoplastics and the usability of reprocessed materials are gaining significance, and it is important to produce and consume plastic materials in an environmentally friendly way. In addition, rising raw material cost linked to the increased oil prices encouraged for reusing of the plastic materials. The aim of this research was to study and optimize the injection moulding process parameters to achieve a trade-off between the product cost and product quality, measured through mechanical properties and geometry, based on using regrind ratios. The work was underpinned by a comprehensive study of multiple reprocessing effects in order to evaluate the effect of process parameters, material behaviour, reprocessing effects and possible links between the processing parameters and key properties. Experimental investigations were carried out, in particular, focused on the melt preparation phase to identify key process parameters and settings. Multiple reprocessing stages were carried out; using two types of PP material: unfilled and short glass filled. A series of tests were used to examine product quality (mass, colour and shrinkage) and physical properties (density, crystallinity, thermal stability, fibre length, molecular weight, in-line and off-line viscosity, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, elongation (%) and flexural strength). This investigation showed that the mouldability of the filled and unfilled PP materials, through the successive reprocessing stages (using 100 % regrind), was observed to be relatively consistent. Given the link between the processing parameters and key product and material properties, it is possible to manufacture products with minimal loss to part quality and mechanical properties. The final phase of the work focused on process optimisation study for short glass fibre filled PP material and the identified key process parameters (melt temperature, screw rotational speed, holding pressure, holding time and injection rate). A response surface experiment was planned and carried out for three reprocessing stages (0 %, 25 % and 50 % regrind). The fitted response surface models were utilised to carry out the trade-off analysis between the operating cost (material cost, energy cost and labour cost) and product quality (dimensions and tensile strength) Based on the optimal moulding conditions, the operating cost was reduced (from stage I as a reference), by 24% and 30 % for stage II and stage III respectively. A small, perhaps undetectable, change in product dimensions was noted. In addition, a small reduction in tensile strength was noted (from stage I as a reference), by 0.4% and 0.1 % for stage II and stage III respectively. The same data was applied in other countries (Australia, USA, Brazil, Libya and China) to manufacture the same product; and it was observed that the cost was reduced with increasing of regrind ratio. But the significant reduction of the cost, essentially, depended on those countries which have low wage rates (e.g. Brazil, Libya and China). For example, the cost of moulded product manufactured in China is £ 0.025 (using 50% of regrind), while the cost of the same product produced in Australia is £ 0.12, hence giving a total saving of 79 % and making it a valuable issue to be considered in industry. / Libyan Embassy

Thesis advisor: Rui Albuquerque / Thesis advisor: Edith Hotchkiss / This dissertation consists of three essays which explorer the interaction between finance and product market choices. In the first essay, “A Corporate Finance Model with Customer Dynamics: The Leverage-Profitability Puzzle,” I develop a dynamic trade-off model with quantity and pricing decisions where firms take into account their short term impact on profitability and long term impact on customer base. The model provides a novel mechanism that explains the leverage-profitability puzzle and makes new predictions about the leverage-profitability relation that are supported in the data. In the second essay, “Quality versus Quantity Strategies in Product Markets,” we study the strategies that monopolistic competitive firms follow as they respond to traditional shocks to technology and to quality-improving shocks. Our main modeling assumption is that demand is more sensitive to quality than it is to market share. This assumption is responsible for having quality shocks be the main driving force for most of what corporations do as opposed to traditional technology shocks. It also helps explain why firms with higher quality products have higher debt and lower credit spreads. In the third essay, “Is Mismeasurement of Real Consumption Due to Product Turnover Relevant for Asset Prices?” I examine the long-standing equity premium puzzle, and test whether mismeasurement in real consumption due to ignoring quality changes embedded in product turnover has an effect. I find that the change in real consumption volatility is not sizable to account for the puzzle. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. Carroll School of Management. / Discipline: Finance.

A globalização e a intensa competitividade dos mercados, as altas taxas de obsolescência dos produtos e as mudanças rápidas nas demandas dos consumidores têm forçado as empresas a repensarem seus processos de negócios e assim superarem os desafios para sua sobrevivência. O processo de desenvolvimento de produto é tido como um processo de negócio chave para qualquer empresa que queira ser competitiva. A formalização do processo de desenvolvimento de produtos não garante por si só a vantagem competitiva de uma empresa, mas sua ausência é, sem dúvida, um fator de desvantagem. Apesar de não existir um processo padrão a ser seguido nessa área, existem estudos e propostas para isso, tanto de cunho mais acadêmico, como comercial. As empresas, principalmente brasileiras, por não possuírem uma cultura forte nessa área, tendem a adaptar seus processos, ou adotar o padrão proposto pelo mercado dentro da cadeia de suprimentos que está inserida. Essa pesquisa apresenta um estudo desenvolvido dentro de uma cadeia fornecedora do setor automotivo, onde é analisado o grau de alinhamento dos processos de desenvolvimento de produtos de empresas desse setor, em relação a dois modelos referenciais, a saber: o Modelo Unificado de PDP proposto por Rozenfeld et al. (2006) e o modelo APQP adotado pelo mercado. O processo de comparação foi realizado identificando os modelos de PDP utilizados pelas empresas e em seguida comparando as fases e etapas presentes nos dois modelos referenciais. Quatro empresas da cadeia automotiva pesada, de implementos rodoviários, foram estudadas. A pesquisa revelou um alto grau de alinhamento com o modelo de mercado APQP e um bom alinhamento com o modelo acadêmico, evidenciando um grau de maturidade dessas empresas. / Submitted by Marcelo Teixeira (mvteixeira@ucs.br) on 2014-05-20T18:11:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Esequiel de Mello.pdf: 1843538 bytes, checksum: 6dfe29bd6d2d9ef2f4d12c5838b5745d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-20T18:11:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Esequiel de Mello.pdf: 1843538 bytes, checksum: 6dfe29bd6d2d9ef2f4d12c5838b5745d (MD5) / The globalisation and the intense competitive markets, the high rates of obsolescence of products and the quick changes in consumer demands have forced companies to rethink their business processes and thus overcome the challenges to their survival. The developing product process is taken as a business process key to any company that wants to be competitive. The formalization of the development products process not in itself guarantees the company competitive advantage, but his absence is undoubtedly a factor of disadvantage. Even if there is a standard procedure to be followed in this area, there are studies and proposals for this, both of spilling more academic, and commercial. The companies, mainly Brazil, for lack of a strong culture in this area, tend to adapt their processes, or adopting the standard proposed by the market within the supply chain that is inserted. This survey presents a study developed within a chain supplier of automotive sector, where we examined the degree of alignment with the development products process of companies in this industry, regarding two benchmarks models, namely the Unified PDP Model proposed by Rozenfeld et al. (2006) and APQP Model adopted by the market. The comparison process was made identifying the PDP models used by companies and then comparing the phases and stages in two benchmarks models. Four companies in the automotive heavy chain, implements road, were studied. The survey revealed a high degree of alignment with the model of market APQP and a good alignment with the academic model, showing a degree of maturity of these companies.