Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 75). / It is predicted by many in the industry that over the next decade automotive OEM's will look more and more like "vehicle-brand owners," focusing efforts on branding, marketing, and building a stronger retail channel. This is especially true of the U.S. automakers, who are today entrenched in a desperate struggle to reclaim their declining market shares from foreign counterparts. As a result, demands placed on tier-one suppliers have increased, competition throughout the supply-chain has intensified, and new strategies for sustainability are needed. The myriad engineering, development, and validation responsibilities passed down by OEM's have resulted in the formation of a new first-tier supplier - the systems integrator. The transition from components to integrated systems and modules has definite implications on the firm's innovation and product development processes. This paper focuses on supplier innovation strategies, and argues that the proper alignment between value creation and value capture aspects of an innovation are required to maximize its profitability potential. Ten ArvinMeritor (tier-one supplier) innovations are examined in attempt to determine what critical factors had the most impact on profitability (or lack thereof). The results are then placed in a systems context, and a framework is generated to conceptualize the critical inputs to the systems innovation process. The foundation of the framework is depicted as two rotating wheels, the System Architecture (value creation) wheel, and the Revenue Architecture (value capture) wheel. The wheels gain momentum from a number of critical interdependent inputs to the value creation and capture processes, and furthermore, the sustained momentum of each wheel / (cont.) is needed to keep the other in motion. These framework inputs are discussed in detail, and collectively represent a conceptual path forward for ArvinMeritor as it continues its transitional journey to the realm of the systems integrator. / by Nathan A. Clark. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 152-153). / All firms in any mature product development industry are being pressured into performing 'better, faster, and cheaper' by both customers and competitors. In short, firms are being tasked with doing more, with less, faster. This leads to product development organizations being unrealistically tasked to deliver on these programs that often lead to projects falling behind schedule, over budget, and with inadequate quality. While striving to do the right actions to survive, the management of these firms may be leading their firms to disaster through over commitment, and short-term management actions to address the quality, budget, and schedule shortfalls. An understanding of the system dynamics associated with the program management of new product development (NPD) programs is essential to reversing this trend. Several corporations are instituting system dynamics in their management and executive training curricula to affect correct policies, procedures, and behaviors that lead to success. However, because the correct policies, procedures, and behaviors as revealed by system dynamics analysis are counter-intuitive and opposite those policies currently employed in program management, a method is needed to drive the learning of system dynamics so that it becomes ingrained in the program management thought processes. A management flight simulator (MFS) of the program management of a new product development project based on system dynamics provides the hands on experience that managers can learn the consequences of non systems-thinking policies on project performance and how system dynamics based policies can lead to greater success. This thesis provides an overview of the system dynamics of project management in new product development and insight into the / (cont.) correct policies, procedures, and behaviors that lead to success. Research on the role of MFSs in driving the learning of system dynamics principles is explored. A single-phase system dynamics model for a new product development program and a MFS is developed to teach the fundamental lessons of system dynamics applied to product development project management and is to be incorporated in the BP Project Academy. Insight from my own experiences in product development is incorporated in this MFS as well as in recommendations for further development. / by Daniel V. MacInnis. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-100). / Back in 2003, Blogs as well as wikis started the Web 2.0 frenzy with online community networks and user generated content. Web 2.0 has recently cooled down, but it may have started a new era. The purpose of this paper is to explore the blogonomics - the business, as well as social, changes blogs have brought to us. It applies system thinking to analyze blogs, from blog elements (forms) to blog systems, and then to major components in the blog ecosystem. This paper focuses on the returns on blogs (ROB), mainly the business impact. Blog marketing, including word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM) and blog ads, has been discussed extensively along with the business models that can monetize blogs. It also proposes to use blogs as innovative tools for collaboration and content management. This paper primarily targets companies interested in the benefit from blogs. Furthermore, it hopes to explore a few innovative blog business models for entrepreneurs and serve anyone who is genuinely interested in blogs and Web 2.0. / by Ching Q. Guo. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references. / A slew of articles have been written about the fact that computing will eventually go in the direction of electricity. Just as most software users these days also own the hardware that runs the software, electricity users in the days of yore used to generate their own power. However, over time with standardization in voltage and frequency of generated power and better distribution mechanisms the generation of electricity was consolidated amongst fewer utility providers. The same is being forecast for computing infrastructure. Its is being touted that more and more users will rent computing infrastructure from a utility or "cloud" provider instead of maintaining their own hardware. This phenomenon or technology is being referred to Cloud Computing or Utility Computing. Cloud computing has been in existence in some form or the other since the beginning of computing. However, the advent of vastly improved software, hardware and communication technologies has given special meaning to the term cloud computing and opened up a world of possibilities. It is possible today to start an ecommerce or related company without investing in datacenters. This has turned out to be very beneficial to startups and smaller companies that want to test the efficacy of their idea before making any investment in expensive hardware. Corporations like Amazon, SalesForce.com, Google, IBM, Sun Microsystems, and many more are offering or planning to offer these infrastructure services in one form or another. / (cont.) An ecosystem has already been created and going by the investment and enthusiasm in this space the ecosystem is bound to grow. This thesis tries to define and explain the fundamentals of cloud computing. It looks at the technical aspects of this industry and the kind of applications where cloud can be used. It also looks at the economic value created by the platform, the network externalities, its effect on traditional software companies and their reaction to this technology. The thesis also tries to apply the principle of multi-homing, coring and tipping to the cloud-computing platform and explain the results. The hurdles for both users and providers of this service are also examined in this thesis. / by Ratnadeep Bhattacharjee. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-115). / Mobile web applications refer to web applications on mobile devices, aimed at personalizing, integrating, and discovering mobile contents in user contexts. This thesis presents a comprehensive study of mobile web applications by proposing a new taxonomy for mobile web applications, and conducting a business analysis in the field of mobile web applications. The thesis reviews the current surrounding environment for mobile web applications, namely, web 2.0 and 3.0, wireless communication technology, and Smartphone platform. The recent entry and success of Apple's iPhone greatly enhanced the public awareness of the Smartphone technology. Google's release of open-source Android platform and T-Mobile's deployment of Android-powered "Dream" Smartphone not only intensify the competition among suppliers, but also provide an open-source foundation for mobile web applications. This thesis introduces a new mobile web application taxonomy to systematically study the values and the groupings of the mobile web applications. By introducing features and categories, the taxonomy provides a framework so the related companies and businesses can be comparatively analyzed and summarized. Selected case companies are studied in the light of the taxonomy. The thesis discusses the key issues of mobile web aggregation, namely, mobile application development platform, context modeling, mobile user interface, mobile application logic, and mobile web aggregation strategy. / (cont.) "System Thinking" is applied to the management of mobile web application business. The market ecosystem, the value proposition, and the revenue model for mobile web application are described. A system dynamic model is constructed to understand the dynamic among the key factors in the mobile web business. Experimental results are reported in the thesis. / by Kevin Hao Liu. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 1999. / Vita. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 77-79). / by Nader Sabbaghian. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2009. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references. / Introduction: Med Dev (name changed to protect confidentiality), is a medical device start-up using tissue engineering and drug delivery techniques to help combat the negative effects associated with secondary injury. Med Dev's first generation technology is a polymer scaffold that will be inserted into the injury site immediately post injury during a routine procedure. The scaffold prevents secondary injury (bruising and scarring) formation by filling the void space left by the injury, promoting cell growth over deleterious apoptosis (cell death), and slowly degrading away over the course of approximately one month. Med Dev's second generation technology is a photopolymerizable hydrogel which would function identically to the first generation, except that it would be injected into the injury rather than surgically inserted. Med Dev's first and second generation technologies, differ not only in their method of administration, but also in their manufacture. Commercially available polymers are mechanically processed for scaffold manufacture, whereas Med Dev must synthesize their own polymers for hydrogel manufacture. Polymer synthesis requires vast quantities of often toxic solvents to solubilize and later extract the polymer. In the first generation technology toxic solvent responsibilities lie with Med Dev's suppliers, whereas in the second generation technology Med Dev is directly responsible for their toxic solvents use. This is not to say Med Dev should not be aware of their supplier's use of toxic solvents when they are producing polymers for Med Dev's end-use, but rather to point out that Med Dev is more directly responsible for toxic solvent use when they produce their own polymers. In January, as Med Dev's director of operations I applied for a grant which required that I detail how Med Dev intended to build a green manufacturing facility. Understanding all the toxic solvents involved in a polymer synthesis, I thought while building a green manufacturing facility was a positive step toward becoming more environmentally sustainable, why stop there, why not incorporate green thinking into polymer synthesis process design. A thesis was born. The US EPA defines green chemistry as: "...the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. Green chemistry applies across the life cycle, including the design, manufacture, and use of a chemical product." ' Green chemistry is essentially a pollution prevention methodology, resulting in resource conservation, waste reduction, and enhanced product safety. Companies are beginning to realize that pursuing green chemistry is not only good for the environment, but also for their bottom line; they are becoming increasingly aware that continued competitiveness in the allied chemicals industry actually requires the implementation of green chemistry principles. Paul Anastas and John Warner published what have become the central tenets of green chemistry in their 1998 book entitled "Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice." / by Leigh Gautreau. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-82). / This research examines the development and management of dynamic organizational capabilities. These capabilities include, among other things, how enterprises generate and integrate knowledge, understand and respond to customer needs, manage technological interdependencies, create interorganizational alliance networks, and solve complex technical problems as they design and build complex engineering systems. Enterprises must meet emerging customer needs by combining, integrating and deploying their organizational capabilities. The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, which represents the largest defense acquisition program in history, provides an excellent natural experiment for an exploration of the link between the technological solutions offered to meet the emerging customer needs and dynamic organizational capabilities. This research focuses on the early Concept Demonstration Phase (CDP) of the JSF program, when the two competing teams led by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, respectively, offered their best possible technological solutions in response to a common set of customer requirements. / (cont.) This research examines these competing technological solutions in some detail in order to gain some new insights into the set of organizational capabilities the two competitor teams pulled together in order to win the big JSF contract. An expected contribution of this research, by focusing on the JSF program, is to provide significantly greater "real world" depth to the extant discussion on dynamic organizational capabilities in the context of developing such an extremely complex and technologically advanced engineering system. / by Hee Sung Moon. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2002. / "February 2002." / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 130). / by Randy J. Mocadlo. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2004. / by John J. Gatti. / S.M.