Since businesses are constantly changing, making right decisions is a critical factor in order to achieve good results. In the thesis, two different decision support models are tested and the outcome is compared. This is done in cooperation with a company, Åmotfors Energi, who is facing a decision on how they can make use of their 30 GWh heat which they today do not have a paying customer for. Nine alternatives are used in the models and evaluated with seventeen different criteria. The purpose of this study is to compare and interpret the outcomes of two decision support models: the Analytical Hierarchy Process and Pugh Matrix Analysis. The purpose is also to investigate the main factors that influence the outcome of the models. The main research strategy was to use experimental design where three experts with various technical skills have scored the alternatives in both models. The alternatives have been carefully developed through an idea generation and idea selection phase. The results show that the models give different result when it comes to ranking the alternatives, both between the models and between the different experts. The empirical findings establish that the outcome from the models should be interpreted that the lowest scored alternatives can be eliminated for further research. The alternatives with the highest score should be further investigated before a decision could be made. Furthermore, what mainly affects the result is based on human factors. / Företag står inför ständiga förändringar och att fatta rätt beslut ses som en kritisk faktor för att uppnå goda resultat. I denna uppsats testas två beslutsstödjande modeller där utfallet av dem jämförs. Detta görs med hjälp av företaget Åmotfors Energi som står inför ett beslut om hur de kan använda deras 30 GWh värme som de i dagsläget inte har någon betalande kund för. Nio alternativ används i modellerna och utvärderas med sjutton uppsatta kriterier. Syftet med denna studie är att testa, jämföra och tolka resultatet från två beslutsstödjande modeller, den Analytiska Hierarkiska Processen och Pughs Matris Analys. Syftet är också att utreda vilka huvudfaktorer som påverkar utfallet av modellerna. Den huvudsakliga forskningsstrategin var ett experiment tre experter med olika tekniska färdigheter har poängsatt de olika alternativen i modellerna. Alternativen är omsorgsfullt framtagna genom en idégenereringsfas och en idéurvalsfas. Resultaten visar att modellerna ger olika resultat när det kommer till att rangordna alternativen, både vid jämförelsen mellan modellerna men även mellan experterna. Den empiriska studien visar att resultatet från modellerna bör tolkas som att de lägst rankade alternativen kan uteslutas, och de högst rankade alternativen bör utvärderas vidare innan ett besluta kan tas. Det som huvudsakligen påverkar resultatet baseras på mänskliga faktorer.

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The management of physical assets has become a popular eld of study over recent years and is being acknowledged in multiple disciplines world wide. In this project, research on Physical Asset Management (PAM), maintenance and decision making are presented. PAM is a complex subject and requires the participation of multiple disciplines in order to successfully manage physical assets. Moreover, the management of maintenance makes a big contribution in achieving successful PAM. Decision making is a core element to manage maintenance e ciently, both on strategic and operational level. Various methods and techniques can be used to aid the decision making process such as, using past experience, xed decision making techniques and techniques involving numerical calculations, to mention only a few. However, using numerical calculations to make decisions are not very popular. This is due to various reasons, for example the inherent complexity of the mathematics and the time required to execute such calculations are disliked. People tend to avoid complex numerical calculations and rather rely on past experience and discussion of circulating opinions to make decisions. This is not ideal and can lead to inconsistent and inaccurate decisions. In this project, the importance of numerical decision making is researched, especially in maintenance related decisions. The focus is placed on the simpli cation of numerical decision making techniques with the aim to make it easy and quick to use to support operational PAM decisions. Di erent decisions regarding PAM, especially decisions with regards to managing maintenance in order to achieve PAM, are discussed by means of a literature study. This is done to clarify the applicability of using numerical decision making techniques to support this type of decisions. A few di erent available numerical techniques are highlighted that can be used to support the decision making process. The decisions together with numerical decision making techniques are evaluated in order to combine the most appropriate techniques in a simpli ed manner. The purpose of this is that it can be used by anyone with the necessary knowledge of a speci c system or operation. As a result a simpli ed numerical decision making toolbox is developed that can support maintenance related decision. This toolbox is applied to a real life situation by means of a case study, made possible by Anglo American Platinum Limited (Amplats). An evaluation and validation of the toolbox is done through the case study to conclude wether it has value in practice or not. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die bestuur van siese bates het die afgelope paar jaar 'n gewilde studieveld geword en word erken in verskeie dissiplines reg oor die w^ereld. In hierdie projek word navorsing gedoen oor Fisiese Bate Bestuur (FBB), instandhouding en besluitneming. FBB is 'n komplekse onderwerp en vereis die deelname van verskeie dissiplines om sukses te behaal. Die bestuur van instandhouding maak 'n groot bydrae tot suksesvolle FBB. 'n Kern element van doeltre ende instandhouding is besluitneming, beide op strategiese en operasionele vlak. Verskillende metodes en tegnieke kan gebruik word om die besluitnemingsproses te ondersteun soos byvoorbeeld om gebruik te maak van ondervinding en vorige gebeurtenisse, vaste besluitnemingstegnieke, tegnieke wat numeriese berekeninge gebruik en nog meer. Die gebruik van numeriese metodes om besluite te neem is nie baie gewild nie. Dit is as gevolg van verskeie redes soos byvoorbeeld die inherente kompleksiteit en ingewikkeldheid van die wiskunde en ook die tyd wat benodig word om sulke berekeninge uit te voer. Mense is geneig om ingewikkelde numeriese berekeninge te vermy en eerder staat te maak op vorige ervaring en die bespreking van menings om besluite te neem. Dit is nie ideaal nie en kan lei tot onkonsekwente besluite, of selfs verkeerde besluite. In hierdie projek is die belangrikheid van numeriese besluitneming nagevors, veral in die onderhoudsverwante besluite. Die fokus word geplaas op die vereenvoudiging van die numeriese besluitnemings tegnieke. Die doel is om dit op so 'n manier te vereenvoudig dat dit maklik en vinnig is om te gebruik vir operasionele FBB besluite. Verskillende besluite oor FBB, veral besluite met betrekking tot instandhouding om suksesvolle FBB te bereik, word bespreek deur middel van 'n literatuurstudie. Die literatuurstudie ondersoek die toepaslikheid van die gebruik van numeriese besluitnemingstegnieke vir hierdie soort besluite. 'n Paar verskillende beskikbare numeriese tegnieke wat gebruik kan word om die besluitnemingsproses te ondersteun word uitgelig. Die besluite, saam met numeriese besluitnemingtegnieke, word ge evalueer om die mees gepaste tegnieke te kombineer in 'n vereenvoudigde manier. Uiteindelik moet dit deur enige iemand met die nodige kennis van 'n spesi eke stelsel of proses gebruik kan word. As resultaat is 'n vereenvoudigde numeriese besluitnemingstegniekkombinasie ontwikkel wat besluite verwant aan instandhouding kan ondersteun. Hierdie tegniek-kombinasie word toegepas in 'n werklike situasie deur middel van 'n gevallestudie, wat moontlik gemaak is deur Anglo American Platinum Limited. 'n Evaluering en validering van die tegniek-kombinasie word gedoen in die gevallestudie om te bepaal of dit wel waarde het in die praktyk of nie.

Community benefit schemes in the context of wind power are increasingly provisioned by developers as a means of generating local socio-economic and environmental value, fostering social relations and strengthening acceptance. Determining an appropriate and effective benefit scheme can prove challenging, given the variation of exposed stakeholders, diversity in schemes and the lack of decision making guidance. A multi-criteria decision aid framework for identifying the most appropriate scheme(s) for a hypothetical wind power project is developed. The framework is based on AHP and PROMETHEE II decision support tool, where six (6) alternative schemes are assessed using the preferences of five (5) stakeholders and their relevant criteria. The framework was applied to a fictitious development on the island of Gotland. Results from the applied example indicate that the most locally suited outcome was the ownership based models. It is anticipated that the methodological framework can help identify the scheme(s) that respond to the needs and preferences of the locality. Moreover, a decision making platform of this nature can provide practical support to developers, communities and local authorities, and contribute to a more effective and efficient development and negotiation process surrounding community benefit schemes.

[pt] Nas últimas décadas, vários fatores socioeconômicos têm despertado o interesse por pesquisas sobre casas inteligentes e sua relação com os moradores. Dentre esses fatores, destacam-se as mudanças climáticas e a preocupação crescente com questões ambientais; a longevidade da população mundial; o uso eficiente de recursos naturais e de energia; e novas formas de gerenciar a rotina diária e o lazer. Nesse contexto, o objetivo da dissertação é propor e demonstrar um modelo para geração e seleção de concepções de casas inteligentes baseadas em soluções tecnológicas inovadoras, utilizando-se a abordagem de Design Thinking e integrando-se diversas ferramentas de gestão da inovação, incluindo a combinação de métodos multicritério de apoio à decisão. A pesquisa pode ser considerada descritiva, metodológica e participativa. Quanto aos meios de investigação, a metodologia compreendeu pesquisa bibliográfica e documental; modelagem do processo de geração e seleção de concepções de casas inteligentes baseada em Design Thinking; estudo empírico para demonstração da aplicabilidade do modelo no âmbito de um projeto de casa inteligente no Brasil (Projeto NO.V.A.). Destacam-se como principais resultados desta pesquisa um modelo conceitual desenvolvido segundo uma perspectiva mais empática, que permite colocar as pessoas no centro do desenvolvimento dos projetos de casas inteligentes; e a melhor concepção de casa inteligente para o Projeto NO.V.A., proposta segundo a abordagem de Design Thinking, com suporte de uma plataforma digital cooperativa que envolveu cerca de 35 mil pessoas de vários países, e emprego do método híbrido AHP-TOPSIS. / [en] In recent decades, several socioeconomic factors have stimulated research on smart homes and their relationship with their residents. Highlights are climate changes and the growing concern with environmental issues; longevity of the world s population; search for more efficient the use of natural resources and energy; and new habits and ways of managing daily routine and leisure. In this context, the objective of this dissertation is to propose and demonstrate a model for generation and selection of conceptions based on innovative technological solutions, adopting the Design Thinking approach, and integrating several innovation management tools, including crowdsourcing and the combination of multicriteria decision support methods. This research can be classified as descriptive, methodological, and participative. From the bibliographic and documentary review on the central themes of the research, a model based on Design Thinking approach was developed to generate and select the best conceptions of smart homes based on innovative technological solutions. Aiming to demonstrate the applicability of this model in the context of a smart home project in Brazil (NO.V.A. Project), an empirical study was carried out during the applied phase of this research. The main contributions are a conceptual model developed from a more empathic perspective, which allows people to be at the center of the development of smart home projects, and the best smart home conception based on based on innovative technological solutions for NO.VA. Project, as the main output of a Design Thinking process, which included a digital collaborative platform and the use of several innovation management tools, such as a hybrid multiple criteria decision-making method (AHP-TOPSIS).

[pt] A avaliação e seleção de tecnologias de geração de energia elétrica a partir de fontes renováveis visa melhorar a eficiência nas decisões de expansão dos sistemas elétricos em geral, elencando tecnologias mais adequadas em função de seus impactos ambientais, sociais, econômicos, técnicos e políticos. Os processos decisórios referentes à escolha de tecnologias de geração de energia caracterizam-se por subjetividade, incerteza e ambiguidade. Os métodos multicritério de apoio à decisão, combinados com a lógica dos conjuntos fuzzy constituem uma alternativa adequada para a modelagem de avaliação e seleção de tecnologias em ambientes sob incerteza. O objetivo principal desta dissertação é propor um modelo de avaliação e seleção de tecnologias para geração de energia elétrica a partir de fontes renováveis, com o auxílio de métodos multicritério fuzzy de apoio à decisão. A pesquisa pode ser considerada aplicada, descritiva e metodológica. Quanto aos meios de investigação, a metodologia compreende pesquisa bibliográfica e documental; pesquisa experimental, com a aplicação de métodos multicritério fuzzy de apoio à decisão para hierarquização de alternativas tecnológicas de energia elétrica a partir de fontes renováveis; e desenvolvimento de um estudo empírico no Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Destacam-se como resultados a seleção de tecnologias mais adequadas em função de seus impactos ambientais, sociais, econômicos, técnicos e políticos e a demonstração da aplicabilidade do modelo proposto. No caso do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, a tecnologia que se mostrou mais adequada, dado potencial de fontes renováveis, foi a solar fotovoltaica. / [en] Assessment and selection of renewable energy generation technologies addresses to improve efficiency in electrical system expansion decisions, by selecting technologies that are more appropriate considering some criteria, like environmental, social, economic, technical and political. The decision-making processes regarding the choice of energy generation technologies are characterized by subjectivity, uncertainty and ambiguity. Multicriteria decision support method, combined with fuzzy logic, is an adequate alternative for measuring and evaluating the performance of technologies in environment under uncertainty. The main aim of this dissertation is to propose a model for selection the performance of technologies for electric power generation from renewable sources, with the support of multicriteria fuzzy decision-making methods. The research can be considered applied, descriptive and methodological. As for means of investigation, the methodology comprises bibliographical and documentary research; Experimental research, with the application of multicriteria fuzzy decision-making methods for hierarchization of technologies for electric power generation alternatives from renewable sources; and development of an empirical study in the State of Rio de Janeiro. The results highlight the selection of the most appropriate technologies according to their environmental, social, economic, technical and political impacts and the demonstration of the applicability of the proposed model. In the case of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the most appropriate technology, given the potential of renewable sources, was solar photovoltaic.

Submitted by Maria Medeiros (maria.dilva1@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-09-11T12:41:27Z No. of bitstreams: 1 VICTOR VIDAL NEGREIROS BEZERRA - DISSERTAÇÃO (PROFIAP-CCJS) 2016.pdf: 3966281 bytes, checksum: 545852b43a64e3cdd977c00aa9db9066 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-11T12:41:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 VICTOR VIDAL NEGREIROS BEZERRA - DISSERTAÇÃO (PROFIAP-CCJS) 2016.pdf: 3966281 bytes, checksum: 545852b43a64e3cdd977c00aa9db9066 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-04-19 / A avaliação de desempenho no contexto municipal tem se apresentado como uma importante ferramenta para o desenvolvimento e melhoria da gestão pública nesse nível federativo. Apesar disso, as avaliações do desempenho municipal têm se fundamentado em metodologias onde somente poucos critérios avaliativos são considerados e processados. Nesse sentido, o presente estudo buscou cooperar no desenvolvimento e aprimoramento de avalições de desempenho municipal através das técnicas multicritério de apoio a decisão. Tomando como base os indicadores de gasto per capita nas 28 funções de governo, este estudo teve como objetivo aplicar uma metodologia multicritério de avaliação de desempenho para medir a performance de 12 municípios do estado da Paraíba. Através da aplicação do método multicritério PROMETHEE II, foi possível identificar a aplicabilidade desse tipo de metodologia no contexto da avaliação de desempenho de municípios. A análise estatística dos dados obtidos para os anos de 2014 e 2015 mostram que algumas áreas de atuação governamental, a exemplo de Saneamento, Segurança Pública e Gestão Ambiental tem recebido menor ênfase na aplicação de recursos públicos, enquanto que áreas como Administração, Saúde e Educação tem recebido maior destaque na alocação desses recursos. Já na aplicação do método multicritério PROMETHEE II, foi possível identificar rankings de desempenho capazes de verificar e comparar de forma global a performance dos municípios estudados. / The performance measurement in the municipal context has emerged as an important tool for the development and improvement of public administration in a federal level. Nevertheless, assessments of municipal performance have been based on methodologies where only a few evaluative criteria are considered and processed. In this sense, this study sought to cooperate in the development and improvement of municipal performance measurement through Multi-Criteria Decision Aiding Techniques. Based on the per capita spending indicators in 28 functions of government, this study aimed to apply a multi-criteria methodology of performance evaluation to measure the performance of 12 municipalities in the state of Paraiba. By applying the multi-criteria method PROMETHEE II, it was possible to identify the applicability of this type of methodology in assessing the performance of municipalities. The statistical analysis of the data for the years 2014 and 2015 show that some areas of government action, such as Sanitation, Public Safety and Environmental Management have received less emphasis in the use of public funds, while areas such as administration, health and education have received the most attention in the allocation of these resources. In the application of the multi-criteria method PROMETHEE II, it was possible to identify performance rankings that were able to check and compare globally the performance of the studied municipalities.

The aim of this thesis is to compare the theoretical results of evaluation of current accounts with the practical results of the survey. In the theoretical part were described the selected methods of multi-criteria decision analysis, that makes it possible to evaluate current accounts according to several criterias. It was also carried out a survey which aimed to identify whicg current accounts are used by respondents and what are the conditions for their use. In the practical part were a compared of theoretical and practical results. In conclusion are evaluated the best products and compiled an overview of evaluation accounts used by respondents.

The diploma thesis aims to do a research into quality of life of the selected regions in the Czech Republic and so to identify strengths and weaknesses of the individual regions. The research is done by means of DEA method on the basis of chosen criterions. The DEA method determines the effectiveness of individual districts and so it shows the living standard. Moreover, the DEA method also suggests the way how to raise effectiveness in the case of inefficient regions. The thesis also focuses on strengths and weaknesses of production units, which comes out from the assessment itself. For the application of the model, economic and uneconomic indicators such as unemployment, work inability, criminality, air pollution and the apartments' costs were chosen. These indicators represent inputs. In outputs, there are density of the road network and average wages included. All data relates to the year 2010. The assessment itself is carried out via a special software Frontier Analyst.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Although not a recent invention, the plastics material are continuously renewed and used in numerous applications with various levels of complexity, ranging from disposable goods to engineering plastics with specific physico-chemical properties. Regarding the production chain of this material, however, it appears that it is extensive and heavily dominated by the large chemical and petrochemical companies, so that the industries of plastics processing, present in the form of a large set small businesses constitute the most notoriously-brittle and more susceptible to the forces of agents upstream and downstream link. Within this framework, the research developed in this dissertation aimed to propose a model for assessing the level of competitiveness of these industries, using both concepts for the multicriteria approach for decision aid. The proposed model was developed based on the most relevant critical success factors identified in the literature, organized as a hierarchical structure, where a performance indicator was constructed for each factor and weighted by a substitution rate. The model was subjected to test in twelve real companies, returning in its evaluation phase an index that represents the competitive performance of each industry evaluated, thus allowing the comparison and discussion of the results. Subsequently, shares of recommendations aiming to simulate possible results to be achieved with the adoption of strategic initiatives, developing an electronic tool for data processing and report generation. At the end, we conclude that it is possible to measure and evaluate the level of competitiveness in plastic processing industries. / Apesar de não ser uma invenção recente, os materiais plásticos se renovam continuamente, sendo utilizados em inúmeras aplicações com os mais variados níveis de complexidade, que vão desde bens descartáveis até plásticos de engenharia com propriedades físico-químicas específicas. No que tange a cadeia produtiva deste material, entretanto, verifica-se que a mesma é extensa e fortemente dominada pelas empresas químicas e petroquímicas de grande porte, de tal maneira que as indústrias de transformação de plásticos, presentes sob a forma de um elevado conjunto de pequenas empresas, constituem-se notoriamente do elo mais frágil e mais suscetível às forças dos agentes a montante e a jusante. Frente a este cenário, a pesquisa desenvolvida nesta dissertação de mestrado teve por objetivo propor uma modelagem para avaliar o nível de competitividade destas indústrias, utilizando-se para tanto os conceitos da abordagem multicritério de apoio à decisão. A modelagem proposta foi desenvolvida com base nos fatores críticos de sucesso mais relevantes identificados na literatura, organizados sob a forma de uma estrutura hierárquica, onde um indicador de desempenho foi construído para cada fator e ponderado por uma taxa de substituição própria. A modelagem foi submetida a teste em doze empresas reais, retornando em sua fase de avaliação um índice que representa o desempenho competitivo de cada indústria avaliada, permitindo-se assim a comparação e discussão dos resultados obtidos. Posteriormente, foram propostas ações de recomendações com o objetivo de simular os resultados possíveis de serem obtidos com a adoção de ações estratégicas, desenvolvendo-se uma ferramenta eletrônica para o processamento de dados e geração de relatórios. Ao término, conclui-se que é possível medir e avaliar o nível de competitividade em indústrias de transformação de plástico.

The photovoltaics is seen internationally regarded as a very promising technology. It is estimated that Brazil currently has a high capacity for solar power generation. Furthermore, from a strategic point of view, Brazil has a number of favorable natural features, such as high levels of insolation and great quality quartz reserves that can generate important competitive advantage for the production of silicon with high purity, photovoltaic cells and modules of high added value. In order to make the generation of Brazilian photovoltaics globally competitive, some government incentives are providing the growth, expansion and modernization of this technology. Despite the favorable environment in which it is the generation of electricity from renewable sources there are still gaps that undermine the competitiveness of plants that generate energy from photovoltaic source, such as the qualifications of labor available, the adequacy of suppliers to their demands and the great need for investment in technology. In this sense, this master thesis aimed to propose a modeling able to measure the level of competitiveness in the generation of photovoltaic energy, based on a bibliographical and documentary research on industry characteristics were raised 41 performance indicators, using for both assumptions regarding the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and elements of the multi-criteria approach to decision support. The proposed survey instrument was applied in two Brazilian solar plants, a research center on renewable energy the European Union and the metal-mechanic sector industry that has a solar system in operation. The test evaluation phase generated an index that represents the competitive performance of each of the participating research companies, Usina Eletrosul had a competitive percentage of 46.80%, the company Tramontina Eletrik 58%, Usina Tauá 74.75 % and 76.64% Cener, allowing a comparative discussion of the results. Later, they were recommendations proposed able to leverage the competitiveness of Usina Eletrosul, involving the simulation of indicators that showed unsatisfactory levels, demonstrating the relevance of modeling to increase the competitiveness of companies generating photovoltaic front power to the scenario at hand. / A energia fotovoltaica é vista internacionalmente como uma tecnologia bastante promissora. O Brasil tem atualmente uma elevada capacidade de geração de energia solar, além disso, do ponto de vista estratégico, possui uma série de características naturais favoráveis, tais como, altos níveis de insolação e grandes reservas de quartzo de qualidade, que podem gerar importante vantagem competitiva para a produção de silício com alto grau de pureza, células e módulos fotovoltaicos de alto valor agregado. Com o objetivo de tornar a geração de energia fotovoltaica brasileira mundialmente competitiva, alguns incentivos do governo estão proporcionando o crescimento, expansão e modernização desta tecnologia. Apesar do ambiente favorável em que se encontra a geração de energia elétrica a partir de fontes renováveis ainda existem lacunas que prejudicam a competitividade de usinas que geram energia a partir da fonte fotovoltaica, como a qualificação da mão-de-obra disponível, as adequações dos fornecedores às suas demandas e a grande necessidade de investimento em tecnologia. Neste sentido, esta dissertação de mestrado teve por objetivo propor uma modelagem capaz de mensurar o nível de competitividade na geração da energia fotovoltaica, fundamentada em uma pesquisa bibliográfica e documental sobre as características do setor foram levantados 41 indicadores de desempenho, utilizando-se para tanto os pressupostos referentes aos Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) e elementos da abordagem multicritério de apoio à decisão. O instrumento de pesquisa proposto foi aplicado em duas Usinas Solares brasileiras, um centro de pesquisa em energias renováveis da União Europeia e uma indústria do setor metalmecânico que possui um sistema solar em operação. A fase de avaliação do teste gerou um índice que representa o desempenho competitivo de cada uma das empresas participantes da pesquisa, a Usina da Eletrosul apresentou um percentual competitivo de 46,80%, a empresa Tramontina Eletrik 58%, a Usina Tauá 74,75% e o Cener 76,64%, permitindo uma discussão comparativa dos resultados obtidos. Posteriormente, foram propostas recomendações capazes de alavancar a competitividade da Usina da Eletrosul, envolvendo a simulação de indicadores que apresentaram níveis insatisfatórios, demonstrando-se a relevância da modelagem para elevar a competitividade de empresas geradoras de energia fotovoltaica frente ao cenário em que se apresenta.