Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 117-121). / by John Stealey. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, February 2002. / "January 2002." / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-102). / by Andrew Mauger. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Joanne T. Woestman. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-89). / Even as the acceptance of the fossil fuel greenhouse effect theory continues to grow amongst academics, statesmen and plebeians alike, the early adopters have already engaged in pre-emptive research activities aimed at mitigating the effects of such greenhouse gases. The focus of one such effort is on the capture and storage of CO₂ (carbon dioxide) from anthropogenic fixed source emissions. This effort can be broken down into a few broad categories such as terrestrial, ocean and geologic sequestration. Geologic sequestration refers to all activities geared towards the capture and storage of CO₂ under the surface of the earth in diverse 'reservoirs' such as deep saline formations, depleted oil and gas wells and unmineable coal seams to name a few. This investigation develops a systems perspective for assessing carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) opportunities within the realm of geologic sequestration. While multiple concurrent research activities continue to explore CCS opportunities from various perspectives, efforts at a systems analysis of the overall picture are just beginning. A systems view describing methodologies to integrate a variety of CCS data to assess potential sequestration opportunities is at the heart of this study. It is based on research being conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) under sponsorship of the United States Department of Energy (DOE). Using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and publicly available data, a detailed characterization of CO₂ sources and reservoirs are being developed. A source-reservoir matching process will be implemented which begins with quantifying the 'capturability' of a CO₂ source, a function of the purity, volume and several site specific considerations. Next, the potential / (cont.) proximate reservoirs are identified and then ranked based on transport options, type, capacity, cost, regulatory considerations and political sensitivity. All the above criteria will be spatially represented in the GIS and can be overlaid to produce a composite picture identifying the potential areas which would represent the maximum probability of success in sequestration efforts. A rigorous systems engineering approach will be adopted throughout the investigation. Novel tools such as the Object-Process CASE (OPCAT) tool will be used to model the complex and interdisciplinary system. A comprehensive systems modeling and engineering tool, it allows the representation of function, structure and behavior in a single model. Ultimately, the methodologies developed will be integrated and utilized in a case study to illustrate the methodology of evaluating CCS options for a given set of sources. A region in Mississippi has been identified for this model case-study. The methodology will be applied at a later time to evaluate CCS potential in the South East Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SERCSP) and the West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (WCRCSP). / by Nisheeth Singh. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 77). / by Oded Weiss. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 77-80). / This thesis focuses on the fields of technology and business in order to enhance and optimize system design solutions. The intent of this thesis is to apply the theoretical concepts identified in core System Design and Management (SDM) classes in a professional business environment, with consideration given to strategic design and development aspects for an enterprise-wide system. Over the past decade, business enterprises have been forced to downsize, outsource, and/or merge in order to stay competitive. This holds true for the United States Navy as well. As a result of the end of the Cold War and the fall of Communism, new requirements have resulted in a substantial decrease in defense funding and have forced the Navy to reduce its number of personnel. This, in turn, has led to a number of programs and products being outsourced. The combination of new requirements. outsourcing, and the increased complexities of new and existing technologies have resulted in a lack of system understanding, thus creating interoperability issues. Given this scenario, the requirement for a holistic understanding of system and subsystem interactions in a dynamic environment has become paramount. The objective is to enable an enterprise to be adaptive, so that when changes are required, the ability exists to have an architecture that allows rapid understanding of the system and its surroundings. This thesis examines engineering and management tools that assist an organization in understanding a system and in the rapid development of strategic designs that exhibit the desired integrated system-level characteristics. Specifically, three product and process tools will be examined: the Distributive Object-based Modeling Environment (DOME) application, the Design Structure Matrix (DSM), and Set-Based Concurrent Engineering (SBCE) principles. It is believed that the application of DOME can significantly reduce costs for product and process design by allowing engineers to access existing models/tools in a distributive fashion to improve system design quality. Likewise, methodologies such as DSM and SBCE provide an improved process to effectively perform system level engineering. This thesis considers two Navy programs that the author has participated in while in the SDM program. These programs, the Torpedo Silencing Initiative and the Warfighting Concepts to Future Weapon System Designs (WARCON) project, are used as case studies to show that DOME, DSM, and SBCE principles can provide a distributed, integrated framework for enterprise-wide predictive design simulation. / by Peter A.M. Harrigan. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 59). / by Shelley Almond Hayes. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2009. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references. / Mobile phone ownership is approaching 90% of the population in the United State and most of developed countries. Among the developing countries, it's estimated that 1 billion mobile phone users will come on-line within a year. Mobile phones penetrated our society and daily lives, and unlike any other devices, it also exhibits some unique characteristics. A mobile phone is almost always on, always connected, and always with you. In case of more advanced phones, it even knows where you are and how you move. These conditions provided a perfect breeding ground for a new form of Citizen Reporting system, location-based citizen reporting. A well designed and most advanced system must solve a real problem. The problem in this thesis describes the ever increasing road hazard problem in the United States, caused by our ageing road infrastructures and extreme weather patterns. This thesis proposes a citizen reporting system that is based on mobile technology and location based service to minimize the damages caused by road hazards each year. The structure of the thesis consists of two parts. In Part 1, this thesis will first explain what a citizen reporting system is and what location based service is. The thesis will then present some details about the advantages and disadvantages of each concept. Finally, this thesis will provide some examples of location based citizen reporting systems. The purpose of Part I is to lay down the basic concepts that will be used in Part II. / (cont.) Part II of the thesis will focus on presenting a solution to the problem by introducing Hazard Spy, a road hazard reporting system. Part II will be presented from the prospective of an entrepreneur who is seeking to launch such a hazard reporting system as a viable venture. The thesis will examine both the business side and technical side of this venture and present a complete business plan as the result. Research methods used in this thesis include literature reviews, online sources, surveys, interviews, and field observations. Many of the frameworks and methods used in this thesis were introduced in the SDM core and elective classes (both business classes and engineering classes), including System Architecture, System Project Management, Tech Strategy, Product Design and Development, Marketing Management, Finance Theory, Financial Accounting, New Enterprise, and Mobile Programming. The conclusion of this thesis is that the critical technology components for a location-based citizen reporting system that can alleviate the road hazard problem are already exist today in the U.S. These components have enough speed, accuracy, portability and their prices are in the range of affordability. In fact, some smartphones on the market today have all of the required technology natively. However, challenges are still laying in wait for combining these technologies into a marketable product and for launching such a product into a viable venture. The proposed product and business plan in this thesis can be one possible path to success. / by Jeffery Shi. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2009. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-96). / Research has shown a positive relationship between IT investments and firm performance. But the results vary across firms and performance measures. Evidence indicates that IT resource allocations, in the form of investment in specific IT asset classes and IT capabilities of the firm, may play an important role in explaining the variations. A monolithic view of firm's total IT investment is not sufficient to explain the performance variations. Firms must invest in specific IT assets along dimensions consistent with their strategic purpose. In addition, firms can derive additional value on their IT investment through a system of organizational IT capabilities based upon complementary practices and competencies. This thesis looks at the IT resources and performance of firms in both developed and emerging economies. In a globalizing world, the emerging economies are playing increasingly important roles for multinational firms as suppliers, back offices, service providers and new markets. The intent of this thesis is to analyze how top performing firms in different markets make use of their IT resources and capabilities. / by Rakesh Sahu. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2003. / This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 197-199). / by Thomas A. Seitz. / S.M.