Charnov's (1976) marginal value theorem has had success in predicting that animals will optimize net rate of gain when foraging in a patchy environment. The present study attempts to apply the marginal value theorem (MVT) to human behavior in a business setting in 3 Experiments. Businesses also attempt to optimize net rate of gain when choosing to discontinue one product in lieu of another using a product life cycle (PLC). Experiments 1 & 2 attempted to assess human behavior in a business context by varying time necessary to retool and monetary cost of retooling respectively. Experiment 3 attempted to add ecological validity by introducing variability to the PLC. The results of Experiments 1, 2, & 3 indicate that the MVT does not accurately predict human behavior in a business context, though methodological issues may have affected these results. Future research must be conducted in this area.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-10T14:24:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-12-10T14:30:43Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000853644.pdf: 1157051 bytes, checksum: 9ab9edc6cb5ced2973d88b0711fc3bb6 (MD5) / A preocupação com o desenvolvimento de produtos que ofereçam um menor nível de degradação dos recursos naturais é um desafio que as empresas, de modo geral, estão buscando. A Avaliação de Ciclo de Vida (ACV) de produtos é uma metodologia que investiga os impactos ambientais no desenvolvimento, uso e reuso desses produtos. Elencam-se algumas tecnologias para a coleta, armazenamento e distribuição de informações de Inventário de Ciclo de Vida (ICV) e definições sobre ciclo de vida do dado que são consideradas fundamentais para o método de elaboração de uma matriz de tecnologia para fluxo de informação de ICV. A hipótese desta pesquisa é a de que uma matriz de tecnologia venha contribuir com a gestão de informação de inventários de ciclo de vida, apontando alternativas de tecnologias para a concepção de um sistema de informação de ICV. Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo propor uma matriz de tecnologia para fluxo de informação de inventários de ciclo de vida, a partir da análise dos elementos do ciclo de vida do dado e sua relação com as etapas do fluxo de informação para ICV. O método de concepção da matriz de tecnologia para fluxo de inventários está baseado na intersecção dos elementos do ciclo de vida do dado e sua relação com as etapas da gestão da informação para ICV. Para tanto, utiliza-se o framework de Zachman (2010) para clarificar cada tecnologia empregada. Essas tecnologias contribuem no processo de armazenamento e recuperação da informação de ICV até a disponibilização desse primordial recurso informacional, na perspectiva da consolidação do Sistema Brasileiro de Inventário de Ciclo de Vida (SICV-Brasil). / The concern with the development of products that offer a lower level of degradation of natural resources is a challenge that companies, in general, are seeking. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of products is a methodology that investigates the environmental impacts in the development, use and reuse of these products. We list are some technologies for the collection, storage and distribution of this information Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) and definitions of data life cycle that are considered essential to the production method of a technology matrix for information flow LCI. The hypothesis is that a technology matrix will contribute to the information management life cycle inventories, pointing alternative technologies for the design of an LCI information system. This research aims to propose a technology matrix for flow of information life cycle inventories from the analysis of the elements of the data life cycle and its relation to the steps of the flow of information to LCI. The method of design technology matrix for inventory flow is based on the intersection of the elements of the data life cycle and its relation to the steps of information management for LCI, using the Zachman (2010) framework to clarify each technology employed. Such technologies help in the storage and recovery process of LCI information to the provision of primary information resource with a view to consolidation of the Brazilian Inventory Lifecycle System (SICV-Brazil).

Orientador: Sandro Donnini Mancini / Banca: Maria Lucia Pereira Antunes / Banca: José Lazaro Ferraz / Resumo: Este trabalho se propôs a realizar Avaliação de Ciclo de Vida em Processo de Fabricação de Rolamento de Agulhas, com intuito de identificar impacto ambiental nas etapas do processo de fabricação para eventual direcionamento de ações de melhorias em ternos ambientais, produtivos, e a título informativo. Foram mapeados processos de fabricação dos componentes do rolamento: anel interno, gaiola plástica de agulhas, agulhas e montagem. Os processos de fabricação apresentaram impactos ambientais nas categorias de combustíveis fósseis, respiráveis inorgânicos, alterações no clima, uso da terra, carcinogênicos, acidificação, ecotoxicidade e minerais, utilizando-se software SimaPro® e o método Eco-Indicator 99. Houve a identificação dos impactos ambientais provenientes de cada etapa do processo de fabricação de forma individual e global. / Abstract: This scientific research offered to perform Life Cycle Assessment in Needles Bearing Process Manufacturing, with focus to identify environmental impacts in process manufacturing steps to eventual guidance of environmentally improvements actions, productivity, and informative notice as well. Manufacturing process components' were identified inner ring, plastic cage, needles. The manufacture process presents environmental impacts in categories of fossil fuels, inorganic respirable, climate change, land use, carcinogens, acidification, ecotoxicity, minerals, according to software SimaPro® and method Eco-Indicator 99. The environmental impacts were identified concern to each manufacture process steps as individual and global conception. / Mestre

Orientador: Vanessa Gomes da Silva / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T23:35:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Saade_MarcellaRuschiMendes_M.pdf: 5919886 bytes, checksum: 930c2ebc2a9376b78ca9e78155c49373 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: O setor siderúrgico brasileiro, já há algum tempo, focaliza esforços na minimização das cargas ambientais do processo produtivo do aço. Devido à grande quantidade de co-produtos gerados no processo, o setor prioriza a disseminação de ações relacionadas com a reciclagem das escórias siderúrgicas, e encontra na indústria da construção civil um importante mercado consumidor. A reciclagem das escórias em componentes e materiais de construção é promovida como ambientalmente benéfica para ambos os setores, uma vez que a escória siderúrgica substituiria um material natural não renovável ao mesmo tempo em que reduziria a demanda energética da indústria siderúrgica. Tais fatos têm sido sustentados pelo entendimento de que as escórias são uma consequência, e não o propósito final do processo de produção do aço; este último recebe, portanto, toda a carga ambiental correspondente. A busca pela justa distribuição de impactos entre um produto e seus co-produtos ganhou impulso nos últimos anos. Nessa ótica, a Avaliação de Ciclo de Vida (ACV) possibilita a atribuição de impactos ambientais entre produtos e co-produtos, com base em diferentes critérios. Visando à compreensão da influência do critério de alocação de impactos sobre os resultados da ACV para o processo siderúrgico e sobre o emprego de escória de alto-forno como matéria prima no setor de construção, a presente dissertação de mestrado objetiva a realização de ACVs (aço; escória de alto-forno; e três tipos de cimento Portland, com diferentes porcentagens de adição de escória de alto-forno) para análise comparativa dos resultados decorrentes do uso de diferentes critérios de alocação de impactos (com base na massa e no valor econômico do aço e da escória de alto-forno) e da expansão das fronteiras do sistema. Para o tratamento e a interpretação dos resultados foi utilizada a plataforma de apoio SimaPro 7.3 e a avaliação dos impactos foi realizada por meio do CML 2001 (baseline). Os resultados demonstraram a relevância da discussão quanto ao critério diretor de distribuição de impactos, que, nas condições estudadas, tiveram um reflexo importante na carga ambiental transferida para os cimentos que utilizam a escória de alto-forno como matéria-prima alternativa. Dando continuidade à pesquisa, pretende-se expandir o escopo para englobar outros aspectos metodológicos de interesse na Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida, considerando as etapas que enfrentam os maiores desafios de realização no Brasil, limitando o seu potencial de aplicação / Abstract: Brazilian steelmaking sector has, for a while now, struggled to minimize the environmental loads of the steelmaking process. Because of the great amount of co-products generated in the process, the sector prioritizes dissemination of actions related to steel slag recycling, and relies on the construction industry as an important consumer market. Slag's recycling in construction materials and components is promoted as environmentally beneficial for both sectors, considering that the steel slag would replace a non-renewable natural material, while reducing the steel industry's energy demand. Those facts have been sustained by the understanding that steel slags are a consequence, and not the final purpose of the steelmaking process; steel, therefore, receives the entire corresponding environmental load. The search for fair impact distribution between a product and its co-products has gained a boost in the last few years. In that perspective, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) allows for an impact assigning between products and co-products, based on different criteria. Aiming at a better understanding of impact allocation criteria's influence on steelmaking LCA results and on blast furnace slag use as a raw material in the construction sector, this thesis aims at performing LCAs (steel; blast furnace slag; and three types of Portland cement, with different percentages of blast furnace slag addition) to comparatively evaluate results deriving from the use of different impact allocation criteria (based on the mass and economic value of steel and blast furnace slag) and from system boundaries expansion. For results treatment and interpretation, SimaPro 7.3 was used, and impact evaluation was performed through CML 2001 (baseline). Results confirmed the relevance of the discussion regarding impact distributions' defining criteria, which, in the studied scenery, had a very important reflex in the environmental load transferred to cements that utilize blast furnace slag as an alternative raw material. Further researches are expected to expand the scope to encompass other methodological aspects within LCA, considering the stages that face the greater challenges in Brazil, limiting its application potential / Mestrado / Arquitetura e Construção / Mestre em Engenharia Civil

Context. Non-functional requirements (NFRs) are important aspects which directly or indirectly determine whether a product is a success or a failure. It becomes essential to incorporate and understand them, before the software product enters the development phase. Despite the increasing emphasis put into NFR studies (namely; models and frameworks etc.) over the past few years, most industries prefer not use these techniques or to deal with NFRs later, in simpler manners. This could limit the efficiency of the development process. Integration of the existing NFR models/frameworks into the earlier phases of the product life cycle can provide a systematic approach to plan and anticipate NFRs for any software product. Objectives. This study aims to provide a generic meta model which acts as a compilation of the best NFR models/frameworks integrated into the early phases of the software product life cycle. This study also provides a real-world example which applies the conceptual meta model. Lastly, the meta model undergoes some limited validation to determine its relevance to what is being used and the extent of its practical use. Methods. Initially, a systematic literature review (snowballing) was conducted, to identify the different types of NFR models/frameworks. A comparative pro-con analysis was performed on the results of the SLR, which was the basis of the inclusion criteria for the meta model. The conceptual meta model was developed based on the International Software Product Management Association’s (ISPMA) definition of a product life cycle. Each phase of this meta model was imbedded with an NFR model/framework associated to the purpose of that phase and the results from the SLR. The application of the meta model was then demonstrated using a mobile phone example. Finally, the meta model was validated limitedly via an exploratory survey and the results were analyzed. Results. The meta model introduced can be used for the constructive inclusion of NFRs from product inception to product development. All phases required for the fulfillment of an NFR, are included. The overall positive feedback of the meta model is at 67%. Validations and assessments by practitioners helped determine to some extent that some industries are open to using the approach. Keeping in mind most of the available models on NFRs have not been validated, the NFR works used in this research have gone through some preliminary validation in this study. Conclusions. The study promotes the use of NFR models in the early phases of the software product life cycle. Some of the best modeling techniques were included based on results of literature analysis and their capability to fit into each phase. This study also analyzed the various insights of practitioners and researchers, justifying the significance of modeling, and the proposed technique. Possible extensions to this research were also mentioned.

No description available.

Abstract The objective of this thesis is to demonstrate a design to profit procedure and its implementation in industrial case environment. The procedure is demonstrated as a way to improve profits in a global company. The essential elements of the procedure are product business case calculations and profit consciousness of employees. This study utilizes a combination of product life cycle analysis, advanced costing methods and multidimensional data processing for the product business case calculations. The combination is necessary for solving the research task. The need of proactive design is emphasized in the telecommunications industry due to shorter and shorter product life cycles. However, traditional accounting methods do not support proactive design work sufficiently during the life cycle of the products. The design to profit procedure has been created to help business managers to solve following problems: 1. How to proactively ensure the growth of business profits in the future? 2. How to prevent suboptimal decisions from being made in functional units and to promote overall profitability? 3. How to judge the profitability of new product programs within a company? 4. How can we ensure an adequate level of cost consciousness and profitability-driven targets for the company's key employees? This study presents and discusses the construction of the procedure and describes its elements, implementation and use in practice. The argumentation is illustrated by case studies. This method has benefits, especially when the product life cycles are short and the market competition strong. The design to profit procedure is a proactive mind set or thinking pattern. This system makes the employees aware of the importance target profitability and especially target costing. There is no decision support system that could guarantee the profitability of business. Cautious utilization of the system results and common sense are required to achieve continuous growth of business profits.

Aus der Einführung: "Die Informationstechnik ist seit den Anfängen von CAD vor ca. 50 Jahren ein wesentlicher Impulsgeber für die Produktentwicklung und hat maßgeblichen Anteil an Prozessinnovationen wie dem Global Engineering oder der Digitalen Fabrik. Längst geht es aber heute nicht mehr allein um die Geometriebeschreibung zukünftiger Produkte, sondern um die möglichst umfassende Begleitung und Ergänzung des realen Produkts durch das virtuelle Produkt: von der ersten Idee bis zum Recycling. Die umfassende Vision des virtuellen Produkts als Pendant zum realen Produkt (Spur & Krause 1997) ist untrennbar mit dem Fortschritt der Informationstechnologie verbunden."

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (PhD (Food Science))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Food Science / unrestricted

<p>U okviru predmetne disertacije izvršena je detaljna analiza razvijenih<br />modela za procenu i upravljanje troškovima životnog ciklusa proizvoda<br />i istaknut značaj upravljanja ovim troškovima u fazi razvoja proizvoda.<br />Životni ciklus proizvoda definisan je fazama razvoja, proizvodnje,<br />upotrebe i reciklaže, sa odgovarajućim aktivnostima, kao uzročnicima<br />troškova. Za ovako definisani životni ciklus razvijen je hibridni<br />model upravljanja troškovima životnog ciklusa u fazi razvoja<br />proizvoda. Procena troškova životnog ciklusa novog proizvoda u ovom<br />modelu vrši se primenom fazi neuronskih mreža, dok se upravljanje<br />troškovima vrši razvojem konstrukcije u fazi konceptualnog i<br />preliminarnog razvoja dizajna novog proizvoda i usvajanjem procesa<br />proizvodnje koja obezbeđuje ciljne troškove i konkurentnost proizvoda na<br />tržištu u pogledu troškova upotrebe i pogodnosti za reciklažu.</p> / <p>In the context of this thesis, a detailed analysis of the developed models for<br />assessing and managing the life cycle costs of products and highlighted the<br />importance of managing these costs in the product development phase.<br />The life cycle of a product is defined stages of development, production, use<br />and recycling, with appropriate activities as cost drivers. For such a defined<br />life cycle model developed hybrid life cycle cost management in the product<br />development phase. Assessment of life cycle costs of a new product in this<br />model is made with fuzzy neural network, while managing costs is performed<br />at the stage of construction, development of conceptual and preliminary<br />design development of new products and the adoption of production<br />processes that ensures the target costs and the competitiveness of products<br />in the market in terms of cost and use facilities for recycling.</p>