Businesses do evolve. Their evolution necessitates the re-engineering of their existing "business processes”, with the objectives of reducing costs, delivering services on time, and enhancing their profitability in a competitive market. This is generally true and particularly in domains such as manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and education). The central objective of workflow technologies is to separate business policies (which normally are encoded in business logics) from the underlying business applications. Such a separation is desirable as it improves the evolution of business processes and, more often than not, facilitates the re-engineering at the organisation level without the need to detail knowledge or analyses of the application themselves. Workflow systems are currently used by many organisations with a wide range of interests and specialisations in many domains. These include, but not limited to, office automation, finance and banking sector, health-care, art, telecommunications, manufacturing and education. We take the view that a workflow is a set of "activities”, each performs a piece of functionality within a given "context” and may be constrained by some security requirements. These activities are coordinated to collectively achieve a required business objective. The specification of such coordination is presented as a set of "execution constraints” which include parallelisation (concurrency/distribution), serialisation, restriction, alternation, compensation and so on. Activities within workflows could be carried out by humans, various software based application programs, or processing entities according to the organisational rules, such as meeting deadlines or performance improvement. Workflow execution can involve a large number of different participants, services and devices which may cross the boundaries of various organisations and accessing variety of data. This raises the importance of _ context variations and context-awareness and _ security (e.g. access control and privacy). The specification of precise rules, which prevent unauthorised participants from executing sensitive tasks and also to prevent tasks from accessing unauthorised services or (commercially) sensitive information, are crucially important. For example, medical scenarios will require that: _ only authorised doctors are permitted to perform certain tasks, _ a patient medical records are not allowed to be accessed by anyone without the patient consent and _ that only specific machines are used to perform given tasks at a given time. If a workflow execution cannot guarantee these requirements, then the flow will be rejected. Furthermore, features/characteristics of security requirement are both temporal- and/or event-related. However, most of the existing models are of a static nature – for example, it is hard, if not impossible, to express security requirements which are: _ time-dependent (e.g. A customer is allowed to be overdrawn by 100 pounds only up-to the first week of every month. _ event-dependent (e.g. A bank account can only be manipulated by its owner unless there is a change in the law or after six months of his/her death). Currently, there is no commonly accepted model for secure and context-aware workflows or even a common agreement on which features a workflow security model should support. We have developed a novel approach to design, analyse and validate workflows. The approach has the following components: = A modelling/design language (known as CS-Flow). The language has the following features: – support concurrency; – context and context awareness are first-class citizens; – supports mobility as activities can move from one context to another; – has the ability to express timing constrains: delay, deadlines, priority and schedulability; – allows the expressibility of security policies (e.g. access control and privacy) without the need for extra linguistic complexities; and – enjoy sound formal semantics that allows us to animate designs and compare various designs. = An approach known as communication-closed layer is developed, that allows us to serialise a highly distributed workflow to produce a semantically equivalent quasi-sequential flow which is easier to understand and analyse. Such re-structuring, gives us a mechanism to design fault-tolerant workflows as layers are atomic activities and various existing forward and backward error recovery techniques can be deployed. = Provide a reduction semantics to CS-Flow that allows us to build a tool support to animate a specifications and designs. This has been evaluated on a Health care scenario, namely the Context Aware Ward (CAW) system. Health care provides huge amounts of business workflows, which will benefit from workflow adaptation and support through pervasive computing systems. The evaluation takes two complementary strands: – provide CS-Flow’s models and specifications and – formal verification of time-critical component of a workflow.

Record keeping and management of electrical utilities inside buildings is an important aspect to ensure effective electrical distribution. The ability to find the location of each electrical feature inside a building and extract information about it helps to solve network problems faster. The use of a spatial database structure facilitates the maintenance and general operations of an electrical network across different buildings. The aim of this study is to design and develop a 3D data model to provide a management system for electrical utilities inside buildings. The geodatabase provides integrated information between different electrical components forming the network inside the specified buildings in the study area. A prototype called the PUK geodatabase was designed and developed for the NWU Potchefstroom Campus as a 3D data model. The data model consists of raster and vector data used in network datasets, relationship classes and topology rules. The aim of this project was accomplished through the 3D analysis capabilities of the model. The research determined that the prototype called the PUK geodatabase can be utilized as a 3D management system for electrical utilities across the different floor levels of a building. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Geography and Environmental Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Considering the competitiveness of global markets within an ever-changing environment, a company\'s Business Model should be able to innovate constantly to capture value within the company, while addressing better the customer needs. The PSS Business Model represents an innovation while providing value to the customer supported by a combination of products and services. However, the PSS Business Model also needs to innovate constantly. The Internet of Things (IoT) comprises networked objects able to interact with each other and to people, to reach common goals with a high level of efficiency, thus presenting potential to create a new value proposition to PSS Business Model Design. However, the existing literature represents an IoT solution into PSS Design, using either technical constructs or a high level free textual description. The goal of this study is to propose a \"Method to support the representation of IoT solutions during the PSS Business Model Design\". The method was developed based on the Design Research Methodology (DRM), comprising three research stages. During the first and second stages, a literature review was conducted to generate theoretical requirements for guiding the proposition of the method. During the third stage, the requirements were developed, and multiple case studies using secondary sources were used to propose the method in theory. During the final activity of the third stage, an exploratory application of the method for a Driverless PSS Car Sharing were applied and its results, as well as all the method\'s artifacts, were object of an initial evaluation by a focus group. The results indicated that method has potential to provide a common language for the PSS Business Model designers, while providing detailed information, to be added to the dimensions of a PSS Business Model that comprises IoT solutions. / Considerando a competitividade dos mercados globais dentro de um ambiente de constante mudança, o modelo de negócio de uma empresa deve ser capaz de inovar constantemente, capturando valor dentro da empresa ao mesmo tempo em que atende melhor as necessidades dos clientes. O modelo de negócio de PSS representa uma inovação ao entregar valor ao cliente através de uma combinação de produtos e serviços. No entanto, o modelo de negócio de PSS também precisa inovar constantemente. A Internet das coisas (IoT) compreende objetos em rede capazes de interagir uns com os outros e com as pessoas, para alcançar metas comuns com elevado nível de eficiência. Dessa forma, apresenta potencial para criar a nova proposta de valor para o desenho de modelo de negócio de PSS. No entanto, a literatura existente representa a solução de IoT usando ou constructos técnicos, ou um nível alto de descrição textual. O objetivo deste estudo é propor um \"Método de representação de soluções de internet das coisas (IoT) durante o design de um modelo de negócios de um Sistema produto-serviço (PSS)\". O método foi desenvolvido com apoio da Design Research Methodology (DRM), sendo composto de três fases de investigação. Durante a primeira e a segunda fase, realizou-se uma revisão da literatura para gerar requisitos teóricos para orientar a proposição de método. Durante a terceira fase, foram desenvolvidos requerimentos e analisados múltiplos estudos de caso, usando fontes secundárias, para propor o método na teoria. Durante a atividade final da terceira fase foi realizada uma aplicação exploratória do método, em um caso de um PSS de \"uso compartilhado de carros\" usando um carro autônomo. Em seguida todos os artefatos do método, e os resultados dessa aplicação exploratória, foram objeto de uma avaliação inicial por um grupo focal. Os resultados indicaram que o método tem potencial para fornecer uma linguagem comum para os desenvolvedores de modelo de negócio de PSS, proporcionando informações detalhadas, a serem adicionadas às dimensões de um modelo de negócio de PSS.

Considering the competitiveness of global markets within an ever-changing environment, a company\'s Business Model should be able to innovate constantly to capture value within the company, while addressing better the customer needs. The PSS Business Model represents an innovation while providing value to the customer supported by a combination of products and services. However, the PSS Business Model also needs to innovate constantly. The Internet of Things (IoT) comprises networked objects able to interact with each other and to people, to reach common goals with a high level of efficiency, thus presenting potential to create a new value proposition to PSS Business Model Design. However, the existing literature represents an IoT solution into PSS Design, using either technical constructs or a high level free textual description. The goal of this study is to propose a \"Method to support the representation of IoT solutions during the PSS Business Model Design\". The method was developed based on the Design Research Methodology (DRM), comprising three research stages. During the first and second stages, a literature review was conducted to generate theoretical requirements for guiding the proposition of the method. During the third stage, the requirements were developed, and multiple case studies using secondary sources were used to propose the method in theory. During the final activity of the third stage, an exploratory application of the method for a Driverless PSS Car Sharing were applied and its results, as well as all the method\'s artifacts, were object of an initial evaluation by a focus group. The results indicated that method has potential to provide a common language for the PSS Business Model designers, while providing detailed information, to be added to the dimensions of a PSS Business Model that comprises IoT solutions. / Considerando a competitividade dos mercados globais dentro de um ambiente de constante mudança, o modelo de negócio de uma empresa deve ser capaz de inovar constantemente, capturando valor dentro da empresa ao mesmo tempo em que atende melhor as necessidades dos clientes. O modelo de negócio de PSS representa uma inovação ao entregar valor ao cliente através de uma combinação de produtos e serviços. No entanto, o modelo de negócio de PSS também precisa inovar constantemente. A Internet das coisas (IoT) compreende objetos em rede capazes de interagir uns com os outros e com as pessoas, para alcançar metas comuns com elevado nível de eficiência. Dessa forma, apresenta potencial para criar a nova proposta de valor para o desenho de modelo de negócio de PSS. No entanto, a literatura existente representa a solução de IoT usando ou constructos técnicos, ou um nível alto de descrição textual. O objetivo deste estudo é propor um \"Método de representação de soluções de internet das coisas (IoT) durante o design de um modelo de negócios de um Sistema produto-serviço (PSS)\". O método foi desenvolvido com apoio da Design Research Methodology (DRM), sendo composto de três fases de investigação. Durante a primeira e a segunda fase, realizou-se uma revisão da literatura para gerar requisitos teóricos para orientar a proposição de método. Durante a terceira fase, foram desenvolvidos requerimentos e analisados múltiplos estudos de caso, usando fontes secundárias, para propor o método na teoria. Durante a atividade final da terceira fase foi realizada uma aplicação exploratória do método, em um caso de um PSS de \"uso compartilhado de carros\" usando um carro autônomo. Em seguida todos os artefatos do método, e os resultados dessa aplicação exploratória, foram objeto de uma avaliação inicial por um grupo focal. Os resultados indicaram que o método tem potencial para fornecer uma linguagem comum para os desenvolvedores de modelo de negócio de PSS, proporcionando informações detalhadas, a serem adicionadas às dimensões de um modelo de negócio de PSS.

Record keeping and management of electrical utilities inside buildings is an important aspect to ensure effective electrical distribution. The ability to find the location of each electrical feature inside a building and extract information about it helps to solve network problems faster. The use of a spatial database structure facilitates the maintenance and general operations of an electrical network across different buildings. The aim of this study is to design and develop a 3D data model to provide a management system for electrical utilities inside buildings. The geodatabase provides integrated information between different electrical components forming the network inside the specified buildings in the study area. A prototype called the PUK geodatabase was designed and developed for the NWU Potchefstroom Campus as a 3D data model. The data model consists of raster and vector data used in network datasets, relationship classes and topology rules. The aim of this project was accomplished through the 3D analysis capabilities of the model. The research determined that the prototype called the PUK geodatabase can be utilized as a 3D management system for electrical utilities across the different floor levels of a building. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Geography and Environmental Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

The purpose of this thesis is to uncover and examine the processes that start-up entrepreneurs go through while designing and then developing their business models. This is done with the intent of deciphering the kind of development that might ultimately lead to a unique or innovative business model. This study uses primary qualitative data generated from interviews with founding entrepreneurs and managers who still participate in running the organization. Each of these organizations participates in the men’s retail market. The research design and methodology of this research uses a grounded-theory coding procedure to analyze the data. Three questions guide this research forward and the findings are threefold. First, for these organizations two business model design paths were followed, herein referred to as the path to ‘Alleviate Pain’ and as the path to ‘Adopt and Modify.’ Second, entrepreneurial leaders tended to act as arbiters when developing their business models, mediating between the set of information accrued during operations and three identified factors. Thirdly, new research into whether or not business model innovations are the result of ex-ante insights or ex-post operational learning is presented. And the findings tend to indicate that both ex-ante insights and ex-post learning are important, but their importance is temporally induced. Lastly, a brief discussion is carried out on how this research informs the entrepreneurial business model creation process (see entrepreneurial practicum) and how it adds to the current literature on business models and business model innovation.

Accentuating the role of managerial cognition in business model design, scholarly work recently conceptualizes business models as cognitive phenomenon reflecting managerial mental models. However, this theoretical position has been largely criticized for its emphasis on the limitations of human cognition, resulting in studies that explore the manifestation of cognitive constraints. To further advance the conceptualization of business models as cognitive structures, this dissertation focuses on the cognitive heuristics undergirding managerial reasoning to counter cognitive biases inherent in the design of new business models. Providing implications for research at the intersection of cognition and business model design, our studies are situated in the context of corporate entrepreneurship initiatives, spawning the entrepreneur at the nexus of individual and idiosyncratic context.:1 Introduction 2 Theoretical framework 2.1 Theoretical perspectives in business model research 2.2 Cognitive view in business model research 3 Scientific contribution 3.1 Article I: Not all are equal – Linking dominant and emergent business model logics in corporate entrepreneurship initiatives 3.2 Article II: Corporate entrepreneurship initiatives: Antagonizing cognitive biases in business model design 3.3 Article III: Situated entrepreneurial cognition in corporate incubators and accelerators: The business model as a boundary object List of appendices Bibliography

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<p>  </p> <p>Acoustic streaming is a phenomenon which occurs when acoustic excitations interact with a fluid (stationary or non-stationary). Exploitation of this phenomenon has the potential to open doors to new methods of flow control through the enhancement or diminishment of the present flow instabilities. A particular use of acoustic streaming shown by previous numerical studies is the enhancement of heat transfer in violation of the Reynold’s Analogy within a small range of Mach numbers and frequencies of periodic excitation. The focus of this thesis is to experimentally assess the usage of a Rossiter cavity in generating periodic acoustic excitations and its effects on the shear stress and heat transfer. </p> <p>In the present research, two large models are tested using a blow-down facility. The models are made of aluminum and Teflon and were developed to ensure optical access for infrared thermography. The geometries are tested at Mach number ranging from 0.373 to 0. 866. The target Mach number-frequency pair where significant heat transfer enhancement is a free stream Mach number at the cavity, Mc, of 0.75 and the frequency, fc, of 7.5 kHz. The cavity is tuned using the Rossiter equation with Rossiter constants k = 0.66 and y = 0.25. The heat transfer and skin friction enhancement are measured immediately upstream and downstream of the cavity and compared to the previous numerical studies.</p> <p>When testing the Teflon model with an ambient back pressure and 11 lb/s mass flow, a frequency of 7.8 kHz was generated by the cavity. For the aluminum model tested at a high vacuum and 3 lb/s mass flow, frequencies near 7, 10, and 20 kHz were generated by the cavity with 10 and 20 kHz appearing most often. High speed schlieren imaging was used to confirm the flow structures being generated in the flow. There was good agreement with the Rossiter modes at lower Mach numbers and moderate agreement at transonic Mach numbers. A correlation is presented which defines a band of Mach number-Reynolds number pairs which present with a discontinuous frequency behavior during operation of the wind tunnel. Measurable effects on both skin friction and heat transfer between tests with comparable operating conditions to a reference were observed and are presented.</p>

The agri-food industry is an important economic and social engine in many countries, not only because of its economic importance, but also because of its vital significance. For years, it has been possible to consider that this sector evolution has conducted to the development of centralized and global distribution networks. These global distribution networks, in a market of low value-for-weight products, are more efficient the more centralized their logistics be. This new paradigm has a collateral effect which is the difficult survival of the small producer-sellers with the problems that this entails for citizens as society members. This thesis is part of a project conducted by the Universitat Politècnica de València professors named as HOF3M (Heterarchical Open Food 3-sustainable Market). The project aims to facilitate the development of a triple bottom-line food product market, generating the technological and business bases to reduce entry barriers, so that anyone, anywhere in the world can become an agent that approaches any producer to any consumer. The aim of this thesis is to "provide a methodology for identifying and analysing business models through case studies, with the objective of creating a triple bottom-line, replicable and non-scalable business model bank in the agri-food industry". The application of this methodology provides a tool that facilitates the replicability of business models in the agri-food business context. In addition, it allows to identify those triply sustainable and non-scalable models that can be implemented by consumers, producers and intermediaries. The research work is carried out from literature reviews to understand the business models scope, triple bottom-line business and the context of the agri-food economy, as well as the application of the case study research methodology, for which the proposal is validated. This thesis gives three fundamental contributions: a methodology to identify and analyse a business model through study cases, a triple bottom-line assessment model within the agri-food economy framework, and three food retailing business model analysis. / El sector agroalimentario supone un importante motor económico y social en muchos países, no solo por su relevancia económica, sino también por su significado vital. Desde hace años se puede considerar que la evolución del sector ha derivado en el desarrollo de redes de distribución centralizadas y globales. Estas redes de distribución globales, en un mercado de productos de bajo ratio valor/peso, son más eficientes cuanto más centralizada esté su logística. Este nuevo paradigma tiene como efecto colateral la difícil pervivencia del pequeño productor-vendedor con los problemas que esto supone para el ciudadano en cuanto a miembro de la sociedad. Esta tesis se enmarca en un proyecto de profesores de la Universitat Politècnica de València denominado HOF3M (Heterarchical Open Food 3-sustainable Market). El proyecto tiene el objetivo de facilitar el desarrollo de un mercado triplemente sostenible de productos alimentarios, generando las bases tecnológicas y de negocio que reduzcan las barreras de entrada para que, cualquiera, en cualquier lugar del planeta pueda convertirse en un agente que acerque cualquier productor a cualquier consumidor. El objetivo de esta tesis se concreta en "proporcionar una metodología para la identificación y el análisis de modelos de negocio, a través del estudio de casos prácticos en empresas, con el objeto de confeccionar un banco de modelos de negocio triplemente sostenibles, replicables y no escalables en el sector agroalimentario". La aplicación de esta metodología proporciona una herramienta que facilita la replicabilidad de modelos de negocio en el tejido empresarial agroalimentario. Además, permite identificar aquellos modelos triplemente sostenibles y no escalables, que pueden ser implementados por consumidores, productores e intermediarios. El trabajo de investigación se realiza desde las revisiones de literatura para el entendimiento del ámbito de los modelos de negocio, de la triple sostenibilidad empresarial y del contexto de la economía agroalimentaria, además de la aplicación de la metodología de investigación a tres casos de estudio, con los cuales se valida la propuesta. De esta tesis se extraen tres aportaciones fundamentales: una metodología para identificar y analizar un modelo de negocio a través de casos de estudio, un modelo de evaluación de la triple sostenibilidad en el marco de la economía agroalimentaria, y tres análisis de modelos de negocio de venta al por menor de alimentos. / El sector agroalimentari suposa un important motor econòmic i social en molts països, no només per la seva rellevància econòmica, sinó també pel seu significat vital. Des de fa anys es pot considerar que l'evolució del sector ha derivat en el desenrotllament de xarxes de distribució centralitzades i globals. Estes xarxes de distribució globals, en un mercat de productes de baix ràtio valor/pes, són mes eficients quant mes centralitzada estiga la seua logística. Este nou paradigma té com a efecte col·lateral la difícil pervivència del xicotet productor-venedor amb els problemes que açò suposa per al ciutadà quant a membre de la societat. Esta tesi s'emmarca en un projecte de professors de la Universitat Politècnica de València denominat HOF3M (Heterarchical Open Food 3-sustainable Market). El projecte té l'objectiu de facilitar el desenrotllament d'un mercat triplement sostenible de productes alimentaris, generant les bases tecnològiques i de negoci que reduïsquen les barreres d'entrada perquè, qualsevol, en qualsevol lloc del planeta puga convertir-se en un agent que acoste qualsevol productor a qualsevol consumidor. L'objectiu d'esta tesi es concreta en "proporcionar una metodologia per a la identificació i l'anàlisi de models de negoci, a través de l'estudi de casos pràctics en empreses, amb l'objecte de confeccionar un banc de models de negoci triplement sostenibles, replicables i no escalables en el sector agroalimentari". L'aplicació d'esta metodologia proporciona una ferramenta que facilita la replicabilidad de models de negoci en el teixit empresarial agroalimentari. A més, permet identificar aquells models triplement sostenibles i no escalables, que poden ser implementats per consumidors, productor i intermediaris. El treball d'investigació es realitza des de les revisions de literatura per a l'enteniment de l'àmbit dels models de negoci, de la triple sostenibilitat empresarial i del context de l'economia agroalimentària, a més de l'aplicació de la metodologia d'investigació a tres casos d'estudi, amb els quals es valida la proposta. D'esta tesi s'extrauen tres aportacions fonamentals: una metodologia per a identificar i analitzar un model de negoci a través de casos d'estudi, un model d'avaluació de la triple sostenibilitat en el marc de l'economia agroalimentària, i tres anàlisis de models de negoci de venda al detall d'aliments. / Galeano Revert, AM. (2017). PROPUESTA DE METODOLOGIA PARA LA IDENTIFICACION Y EL ANALISIS DE MODELOS DE NEGOCIO TRIPLEMENTE SOSTENIBLES EN EL SECTOR AGROALIMENTARIO [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/88395