Diploma thesis is focused on topics of strategic management, business performance management, Balanced Scorecard and Business Intelligence in the company, which operates in Education. Analyzes the current situation and then design and implement selected tools in a specific organization. Main objective is to design a system for monitoring the performance of medium-sized company through the application of the Balanced Scorecard. Not only for monitoring business performance, but also for the management of company itself. Partial objectives include the identification of strategic objectives, design of strategic map and implementation of selected part through Business Intelligence. Diploma thesis first looks at identifying the main risks and benefits of the BSC and BI. In addition, it also deals with the position of the BSC in practice at present, and current trends in BI. A key benefit of this work is another part, which deals with the relation of the parallel implementation of the Balanced Scorecard and Quality Management System according to ISO. The section devoted to design of the Balanced Scorecard strategic objectives are identified, plotted in the strategic map and accompanied by appropriate metrics. Inputs are the interviews, document study and experiences. The acquired information is verified through a questionnaire survey focused on strategic management and performance measurement. For a practical demonstration is realized Business Intelligence project of specific part of the BSC. Since the initial study, through analysis, design, dimensional analysis, modeling, data warehouse design through to the reports design, implementation and evaluation. Part of the work is to establish technological basis required for the implementation and operation of the project. The main benefit is primarily in the practical dimension. The outputs are designed primarily for management. It enables company to enter the world of the strategic management. Selected parts can also be utilized by any other company that deals with similar issues in management. Specifically, it's the relationship between BSC and QMS, BI trends, risks and benefits of the BSC and BI.

Neste trabalho, são avaliadas diferentes configurações de sistemas fotovoltaicos, levando em consideração os principais tipos de módulos fotovoltaicos comercialmente disponíveis e estruturas de suporte. A comparação é delimitada na região Nordeste do Brasil e é baseada, fundamentalmente, em termos de fator de capacidade. Para uma melhor compreensão dos resultados, são mostradas, previamente, as influências que as variáveis meteorológicas exercem na saída do sistema, bem como os efeitos do fator de dimensionamento do inversor (FDI) e do índice de cobertura do terreno (ICT). Os resultados das simulações computacionais realizadas são apresentados em forma de mapas, nos quais é possível verificar as áreas em que os sistemas fotovoltaicos tendem a gerar mais energia elétrica. Entre as configurações estudadas, os maiores valores foram observados para sistemas que utilizam módulos genéricos de filmes finos montados em rastreadores solares de um eixo horizontal, chegando a 36 % de fator de capacidade (em corrente alternada) em algumas regiões do Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco e Bahia. Além disso, foram evidenciados os ganhos obtidos nos fatores de capacidade ao substituir as estruturas fixas por rastreadores solares. Para um ICT de 0,4, os sistemas que realizam o seguimento, ainda que em um eixo do movimento aparente do Sol, apresentaram ganhos de 18 % a 28 % na energia elétrica anual gerada. / In this work, different configurations of photovoltaic systems are evaluated, considering the main type of commercially available photovoltaic modules and mounting structures. The comparison is delimited to the Northeastern region of Brazil and is based, fundamentally, in terms of capacity factor. The influence on the output of the system of meteorological variables, the inverter loading ratio (ILR 1/FDI) and ground coverage ratio (GCR ICT) are shown in advance for a better understanding of the results. Computational simulations results are presented in maps, in which it is possible to verify the areas where photovoltaic systems tend to generate more electricity. Among the studied configurations, the largest values were observed for systems that use generic thin film modules mounted on one axis horizontal solar trackers, reaching 36 % of capacity factor (in alternating current) in some regions of Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco and Bahia. Additionally, the gains obtained in the capacity factors when replacing fixed structures by solar trackers were shown. For an GCR of 0.4, systems that track, even on one axis, the apparent motion of the Sun showed gains of 18 % to 28 % on annual generated electricity.

Neste trabalho, são avaliadas diferentes configurações de sistemas fotovoltaicos, levando em consideração os principais tipos de módulos fotovoltaicos comercialmente disponíveis e estruturas de suporte. A comparação é delimitada na região Nordeste do Brasil e é baseada, fundamentalmente, em termos de fator de capacidade. Para uma melhor compreensão dos resultados, são mostradas, previamente, as influências que as variáveis meteorológicas exercem na saída do sistema, bem como os efeitos do fator de dimensionamento do inversor (FDI) e do índice de cobertura do terreno (ICT). Os resultados das simulações computacionais realizadas são apresentados em forma de mapas, nos quais é possível verificar as áreas em que os sistemas fotovoltaicos tendem a gerar mais energia elétrica. Entre as configurações estudadas, os maiores valores foram observados para sistemas que utilizam módulos genéricos de filmes finos montados em rastreadores solares de um eixo horizontal, chegando a 36 % de fator de capacidade (em corrente alternada) em algumas regiões do Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco e Bahia. Além disso, foram evidenciados os ganhos obtidos nos fatores de capacidade ao substituir as estruturas fixas por rastreadores solares. Para um ICT de 0,4, os sistemas que realizam o seguimento, ainda que em um eixo do movimento aparente do Sol, apresentaram ganhos de 18 % a 28 % na energia elétrica anual gerada. / In this work, different configurations of photovoltaic systems are evaluated, considering the main type of commercially available photovoltaic modules and mounting structures. The comparison is delimited to the Northeastern region of Brazil and is based, fundamentally, in terms of capacity factor. The influence on the output of the system of meteorological variables, the inverter loading ratio (ILR 1/FDI) and ground coverage ratio (GCR ICT) are shown in advance for a better understanding of the results. Computational simulations results are presented in maps, in which it is possible to verify the areas where photovoltaic systems tend to generate more electricity. Among the studied configurations, the largest values were observed for systems that use generic thin film modules mounted on one axis horizontal solar trackers, reaching 36 % of capacity factor (in alternating current) in some regions of Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco and Bahia. Additionally, the gains obtained in the capacity factors when replacing fixed structures by solar trackers were shown. For an GCR of 0.4, systems that track, even on one axis, the apparent motion of the Sun showed gains of 18 % to 28 % on annual generated electricity.

Performance monitoring counters are implemented in most recent microprocessors. In this thesis, we describe various performance measurement experiments for a program and a system that we conducted on a Linux operating system using the Pentium performance counters. We carried out our performance measurements on a Pentium II microprocessor. The Pentium II performance counters can be configured to count events such as cache misses, TLB misses, instructions executed etc. We used a low intrusive overhead technique to access these performance counters. We used these performance counters to measure the cache miss overheads due to context switches in Linux system. Our methodology involves sampling the hardware counters every 50ps. The sampling was set up using signals related to interval timers. We describe an analytical cache performance model under multiprogrammed condition from the literature and validate it using the performance monitoring counters. We next explores the long term performance of a system under different workload conditions. Various performance monitoring events - data cache h, data TLB misses, data cache reads or writes, branches etc. - are monitored over a 24 hour period. This is useful in identifying activities which cause loss of system performance. We used timer interrupts for sampling the performance counters. We develop a profiling methodology to give a perspective of performance of the different functions of a program, not only on the basis of execution-time but also on the data cache misses. Available tools like prof on Unix can be used to pinpoint the regions of performance loss of programs, but they mainly rely on an execution-time profiles. This does not give insight into problems in cache performance for that program. So we develop this methodology to get the performance of each function of the program not only on the basis of its execution time but also on the basis of its cache behavior.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:53:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 IsabelaXBB_DISSERT.pdf: 7772080 bytes, checksum: d44de58104ad0eb517d8a5dc7ad758b1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-05-20 / This paper presents the validation of the Performance Indicator System for Projects under Construction - SIDECC. The goal was to develop a system of performance indicators from the macroergon?mica approach, considering criteria of usefulness, practicality and applicability and the concept of continuous improvement in the construction industry. The validation process SIDECC consisted of three distinct models. Modeling I corresponded to the theoretical development and validation of a system of indicators. Modeling II concerns the development and validation of multi- indicator system. For this modeling, we used the Mother of Use and Importance and Multivariate Analysis. Modeling III corresponded to the validation situated, which consisted of a case study of a work of construction of buildings, which were applied and analyzed the results of modeling II. This work resulted in the development of an applied and tested for the construction of an integrated system of performance indicators methodology, involving aspects of production, quality, environmental, health and safety. It is inferred that the SIDECC can be applied, in full or in part, the construction companies as a whole, as well as in other economic sectors / Esta disserta??o apresenta o processo de valida??o do Sistema de Indicadores de Desempenho para Empreendimentos em Constru??o civil SIDECC. O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver um sistema de indicadores de desempenho, a partir da abordagem macroergon?mica, considerando crit?rios de utilidade, praticabilidade e aplicabilidade e o conceito de melhoria cont?nua na ind?stria da constru??o civil. O processo de valida??o do SIDECC consistiu de tr?s modelagens distintas. A Modelagem I correspondeu ao desenvolvimento e valida??o te?rica de um sistema de indicadores. A Modelagem II diz respeito ao desenvolvimento e valida??o multiprofissional do sistema de indicadores. Para esta modelagem, utilizou-se a Matriz de Utiliza??o e Import?ncia e a An?lise Multivariada. A Modelagem III correspondeu ? valida??o situada, que consistiu de um estudo de caso em uma obra da constru??o de edif?cios, onde foram aplicados e analisados os resultados da Modelagem II. Este trabalho teve como resultado o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia aplicada e testada para a constru??o de um sistema integrado de indicadores de desempenho, envolvendo os aspectos de produ??o, qualidade, sustentabilidade ambiental, sa?de e seguran?a do trabalho. Infere-se que o SIDECC pode ser aplicado, integralmente ou parcialmente, nas empresas de constru??o civil como um todo, bem como nas empresas de outros setores econ?micos

Rural water systems (RWS) are commonly used to provide water to households for domestic uses (drinking, cleaning, washing, and sanitation) in developing countries. Water supply practitioners often classify these systems as single-use water systems (SUS) or multiple-use water systems (MUS). Smallholder farming communities in rural western hills of Nepal typically use such systems for both domestic and income-generating productive activities (e.g., agriculture, livestock, dairy, bio-gas, Rakshi), regardless of whether they were designed for single or multiple water uses. Therefore, this research frames both systems as providing multiple-use water services that enhance the productive activity and livelihoods of small- holders. Little is known on the factors that influence the productive activity of households in the western middle hills of Nepal and the impact these activities have on the technical performance of water systems (measured by duration of system breakdowns). This research identifies the extent of water-related productive activities in rural Nepali households supported by single-use water systems (SUS) vs. multiple-use water systems (MUS), and explores the factors that enables households to engage in high-levels of productive activity. The vast majority of households were found to engage in small-scale productive activities no matter what the rural water systems were designed to support, and more than half of them earned an income from water-based activities. Households engaged in high-levels of productive activity farm as a primary occupation, use productive technologies, are motivated to pursue productive activities, have received water-related productive activity training, and have received external support related to productive activities. A multinomial regression was used to predict the factors associated with high levels of productive activities undertaken by small farms. A hierarchical regression model was then used to examine both household- and system-level variables that contribute to the breakdown of rural water systems, focusing on the duration of breakdowns. The predictors of water system breakdowns include social factors (household involvement in decision-making during water system planning and construction and a household's sense of ownership toward the water system), technical factors (the management capacity of the water user committee and activity level of the system operator), economic factors (income earned from water-based productive activities), and geographic factors (the distance from the village to the water source). Finally, a conceptual model was developed to help identify strategies for implementing and scaling-up MUS. Scaling-up strategies for MUS begin with community participation in lo- cal government planning and budgeting. Under a new Constitution that went into effect in January 2017, newly formed local governments are to be provided with the funding and budget authority to determine local service priorities and how these services will be funded, designed, and implemented. The scaling-up of MUS would require local government officials, water system users, and private actors to develop the technical and institutional capacity needed to build and manage MUS, including the many support services needed by small- holder growers to realize its benefits. This research also examines the potential approaches that could enable subsistence farmers to become viable commercial producers. While growers are typically risk-adverse producers, this research identifies the mediating factors that could expand the long-term engagement of these producers in commercial agricultural production. These factors include adequate access to year-round irrigation, the use of improved production technologies and practices, improved access to rural markets, and improved production skills. The findings of this research will also be of value to Governmental, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and private sector actors who are looking to effectively mobilize their resources and expertise in support of smallholder farming in the hills of Nepal. / Doctor of Philosophy / A vast majority of farmers in the western middle hills of Nepal are smallholders who often use family labor and follow traditional agricultural and water use practices. They have been traditionally using rural water systems to meet their multiple water needs alongside domes- tic uses (drinking, cleaning, washing, and sanitation). There is growing interest for these systems to also be used for small-scale productive activities such as growing vegetables and livestock production. Evidence shows that these activities are an important source of income for farming families. However, little is known on the conditions that are needed to expand these activities and improve livelihoods. This research identifies the conditions under which rural water systems can become productive and technically sound, and outlines the strategies that can be deployed to scale-up productive activities. The research examines a broad range of perspectives (from rural farmers to development experts) on the limited commercialization of rural agriculture in the rural middle hills of Nepal and the potential approaches to promoting agricultural growth and commercialization among small landholders. The substance farmers were found to require both the means and motivation (i.e., extensive support services such as access to markets, input suppliers, irrigation and agricultural technologies, and production training) to become commercial farmers. Second, more than 90% of households were engaged in small-scale water-based production activities and more than half of them earned an income from these activities. The research revealed the conditions that enabled these households to engage in high levels of productive activities. Further, the factors that affect water system breakdowns were investigated. Since farmers are engaged in small-scale production, the interlinkages between productive income and system performance were examined. Finally, the research explores how multiple-use water services have the potential to be scaled-up in the middle hills of Nepal and beyond. Successful scaling-up strategies begin with community participation in local government planning and budgeting. This activity needs to be supported by substantial capacity building among government officials, water system users, and private actors on the factors needed to expand the productive use of water. Broad implementation of multiple-use water systems also requires careful documentation and dissemination of their benefits to key state and non-state actors. The results from this research can be used to identify appropriate households, communities, and water systems for programs focused on expanding water and agricultural productivity. Therefore, this research will have important implications for the Nepali government with regards to what policy, capacity development, and institutional arrangements need to be addressed to implement productive and sustainable rural water systems. This research can also be of special interest to Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and private sector actors looking to effectively mobilize their resources and expertise relating to a smallholder farming in Nepal.

<p dir="ltr">The design of hardware platform in acoustic sensing is critical. The number and the spatial arrangement of microphones play a huge role in sensing performance. All microphones should be properly processed for simultaneous recording. This work introduces an FPGA-based acoustic transceiver system supporting acoustic sensing with custom acoustic signals. The system contains 16 microphones and a speaker synchronized during sensing processes. The microphones were arranged into an ‘L’ shape with eight microphones on each line for a better resolution of angle estimation on two dimensions. The microphones were placed on a specifically designed PCB to achieve an optimal distance of the half-wavelength of acoustic signals for optimized sensing performance. A microphone interface was implemented on Ultra96-V2 FPGA for handling the simultaneous high-speed data streams. The system features an implementation of full-level data transmission up to the top-level Python program. To evaluate the sensing performance of the system, we conducted an experiment used Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) as the transmitted acoustic signal. The result of evaluation shown the accurate sensing of range, velocity and relative angle of a moving hand on the two dimensions corresponding to the microphone groups.</p>

Realistically, organizational and/or system efficiency performance is dynamic, non-linear, and a function of multiple interactions in production. However, in the efficiency literature, system performance is frequently evaluated considering linear combinations of the input/output variables, without explicitly taking into account the interactions and feedback mechanisms that explain the causes of efficiency behavior, the dynamic nature of production, and non-linear combinations of the input/output variables. Consequently, policy decisions based on these results may be sub-optimized because the non-linear relationships among variables, causal relationships, and feedback mechanisms are ignored. This research takes the initial steps of evaluating system efficiency performance in a dynamic environment, by relating the factors that effect system efficiency performance to the policies that govern it. First, this research extends the concepts of the static production axioms into a dynamic realm, where inputs are not instantaneously converted into outputs. The relationships of these new dynamic production axioms to the basic behaviors associated with system dynamics structures are explored. Second, this research introduces a methodological approach that combines system dynamics modeling with the measurement of productive efficiency. System dynamics is a modeling paradigm that evaluates system policies by exploring the causal relationships of the important elements within the system. This paradigm is coupled with the fundamental assumptions of production theory in order to evaluate the productive efficiency of a production system operating within a dynamic and non-linear environment. As a result, a subsystem within the system dynamics model is introduced that computes efficiency scores based on the fundamental notions of productive efficiency. The framework's ability to combine prescriptive and descriptive modeling characteristics, as well as dynamic and combinatorial complexity, can potentially have a greater impact on policy decisions and how they affect system efficiency performance. Finally, the utility of these concepts is demonstrated in an implementation case study. This methodology generates a prescriptive dynamical production frontier which defines the optimal production resources required to satisfy system requirements. Additionally, the dynamical production frontier allows for analysis for comparisons between options during a transient period, insight into possible unintended consequences, and the ability to forecast optimal times for introducing system or process improvements. / Ph. D.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1999 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The Air Force SEEK EAGLE Office (AFSEO) was chartered by the Secretary of the Air Force in December 1987. The mission of the AFSEO is to provide the United States Air Force increased combat capability through central management of the aircraft-stores certification process and provide in-house engineering and operations research capabilities. Additionally, the AFSEO is required to ensure the future viability of the aircraft-stores organic in-house capability with the insertion of evolving technologies. To accomplish this mission, the AFSEO employs all phases of the test process; from Digital Model and Simulation (DMS) to Open Air Range (OAR) flight tests. The AFSEO desires to prepare for the future DoD environment, and minimize the cost of developing its products that require advanced sensors and telemetry capability. For a number of years, a mainstay in the process has been instrumented aircraft. These aircraft were specially instrumented to support the mission of AFSEO. Similarly, stores were instrumented to obtain environmental data such as loads and vibration. With the rising cost of instrumentation and the national DoD trend to reduce the cost of development and maintenance of instrumentation, a new method will need to be found. Several advanced concepts in ground and airborne instrumentation at Eglin AFB are needed to support the mission of the AFSEO. These include a new generation of telemetry devices, sensors, and data acquisition components to provide rapid and cost effective instrumentation of test aircraft, stores, and suspension equipment. The new generation telemetry will provide integrated circuitry with “peel and stick” subminiature telemetry sensors. These telemetry sensors will provide flutter and structural loads data for aircraft-stores combinations. In conjunction with the telemetry sensors, advanced aircraft platform instrumentation will be needed to match precision flight mechanics to the spatial telemetry measurements for stress, strain, and dynamic activity of stores.

La conduite des systèmes de conception et le pilotage des projets consistent non seulement à allouer des ressources pour satisfaire au mieux les objectifs assignés au système et au projet, mais également à favoriser la collaboration entre les acteurs du système qu‘ils soient directement ou indirectement impliqués dans le projet. Lors de l‘évolution du système et pendant le déroulement du projet, les décideurs doivent pouvoir analyser la situation de conception existante et encourager l‘apparition d'une situation de collaboration si le besoin s‘en fait sentir. L‘objectif de cette thèse est de définir les concepts permettant d‘analyser et de faire évoluer le système de conception. Pour ce faire nous articulons nos travaux autour d‘un modèle de référence pour l‘évaluation des systèmes de conception. Nous complétons ce modèle en intégrant les influences, à chaque niveau décisionnel, de la culture organisationnelle. Nous montrons comment la culture organisationnelle peut jouer un rôle non négligeable auprès des acteurs de l‘entreprise en vue de l‘atteinte des objectifs fixés par celle-ci. Nous obtenons ainsi, un modèle adapté à la conduite des systèmes de conception et au pilotage des projets de conception dans un environnement multi-acteurs, multi-disciplinaires et multi-projets. Notre modèle positionne la performance des systèmes de conception dans le cadre plus large de la performance globale de l'entreprise en décrivant les éléments du contexte de l‘entreprise et la culture organisationnelle de celle-ci qui vont influencer la conception. Une étude de cas réelle menée au sein d‘une entreprise espagnole montre en quoi il est nécessaire de prendre en considération la culture organisationnelle dès lors que l‘on souhaite mettre en place une stratégie dans une entreprise en vue de concevoir un nouveau produit. / The design systems management and the project management have not only to concern resources allocation process to satisfy the objectives assigned, but also to promote collaboration between the actors of the system which could be involved in the project or not. During the system evolution and the project, the leaders will analyze the real state of design conditions and stimulate the collaborating conditions when it is necessary. Objective of this thesis is to define concepts allowing analysing, managing and making evolve the design system. To achieve this objective we articulate our research around a reference model to evaluate design system. We complete this model by integrating influences, at each decisional level, of the organizational culture. We show how the organizational culture could have an important influence in the actors‘ way of life in the company. We obtain a model adapted to a multi-actor, multi-disciplinary and multi-project environment. Our model positioned the design systems in the more global context of the performance of the enterprise by describing elements of the environment of enterprise and the organizational culture which will have an influence on the design system. A real case study in a Spanish company shows how organizational culture could impact the strategy of a company when it wants to develop a new product.