Key performance indicators and the balanced scorecard at the Luxury Brand Hotels of Pestana Group

Traditional approaches to evaluate performance in hotels, have mainly used financial measures. Building on Speckbacher et al. (2003), this Work Project aims to design and propose a Balanced Scorecard Type II as a performance measurement/management system for the hospitality industry based on data collected at the Luxury Brand Hotels of Pestana Group. The main contribution is to better align the vision, strategy and financial and non-financial performance measures in this category of hotels, in particular those of Pestana Group, and by doing so, lead their managers to focus on what is really critical and, consequently improve the overall performance.

Consumer satisfaction with water, wastewater and waste services in Portugal

While the concept of consumer satisfaction is a central topic in modern marketing theory and practice, citizens' satisfaction with public services, and especially water and waste services, is a eld that still remains empirically rather unexplored. The following study aims to contribute to this area by analysing the determinants of user satisfaction in the water, wastewater and waste sector in Portugal, using a unique survey of 1070 consumers undertaken by the Portuguese Water and Waste Regulator ERSAR. I perform an analysis of the relation between overall service satisfaction and attributespeci c service satisfaction with an ordered logit model. I then explore if subjective consumer satisfaction can be re ected by ERSAR's technical performance indicators. The results suggest that overall consumer satisfaction is driven by consumer's satisfaction with speci c service aspects but unrelated to socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Furthermore, I show that there is no monotonic association between ERSAR's technical performance indicators and consumers' levels of satisfaction.

Environmental performance policy indicators for the public sector: The case of the defence sector

Journal of Environmental Management, nº 82 p. 410–432

The state of environmental performance evaluation in the public sector: the case of the Portuguese defence sector

Journal of Cleaner Production, nº 17, p. 36-52

Designing and implementing a performance: The case of Estomeo – Dental Industry

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Finance from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

NAV Portugal's performance within the single European Sky Initiative

NAV Portugal is the Air Navigation Service Provider in Portugal, providing air traffic control services in the airspace under the country’s responsibility. Recently, the company has been included in an initiative launched by the European Commission, called the Single European Sky. This aims for a unification of the European airspace, improving it in four main pillars: safety, capacity, environment, and cost-efficiency. To each of them, Key Performance Indicators need to be computed and monitored, all having pre-defined targets. The presented work project will be analyzing how NAV Portugal is doing in the pillar of capacity, proving suggestions if needed.

Algorithms and methodologies for decision support in energy efficiency on buildings

Dissertação apresentada na faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores

Indicadores de desempenho em saúde : reflexão teórica e prática

RESUMO - O presente trabalho aborda a temática da avaliação de desempenho do ponto de vista dos vários intervenientes no sistema de saúde português. Propõe a criação de indicadores de desempenho para um sistema nacional, em que cada patamar tem o seu próprio modelo definido. Estes modelos de organização dos dados são uma forma de concatenar dois dos modelos mais utilizados, o painel de controlo de gestão e o balanced scorecard. Os dados esperados pelo autor levam a concluir pela inexistência de um sistema tal como o proposto. No entanto alguns dos dados existentes são suficientes para iniciar um processo futuro de análise a partir deste trabalho de projecto. -----------------------ABSTRACT - The present essay focuses on the evaluation of performance from the point of view of all the managers in the Portuguese healthcare system. It proposes the creation of performance indicators in every stage of the healthcare system. The way this is done is by linking together two of the most used models in the world, the tableaux de board and the balanced scorecard. The author is lead to conclude that given the availability of data in Portugal such a model does not exist. However given that some data is available it is possible to initiate a process of future analysis taking the present essay into account.

Probabilistic maintenance and optimization strategies for deteriorating civil infrastructures

In developed countries, civil infrastructures are one of the most significant investments of governments, corporations, and individuals. Among these, transportation infrastructures, including highways, bridges, airports, and ports, are of huge importance, both economical and social. Most developed countries have built a fairly complete network of highways to fit their needs. As a result, the required investment in building new highways has diminished during the last decade, and should be further reduced in the following years. On the other hand, significant structural deteriorations have been detected in transportation networks, and a huge investment is necessary to keep these infrastructures safe and serviceable. Due to the significant importance of bridges in the serviceability of highway networks, maintenance of these structures plays a major role. In this paper, recent progress in probabilistic maintenance and optimization strategies for deteriorating civil infrastructures with emphasis on bridges is summarized. A novel model including interaction between structural safety analysis,through the safety index, and visual inspections and non destructive tests, through the condition index, is presented. Single objective optimization techniques leading to maintenance strategies associated with minimum expected cumulative cost and acceptable levels of condition and safety are presented. Furthermore, multi-objective optimization is used to simultaneously consider several performance indicators such as safety, condition, and cumulative cost. Realistic examples of the application of some of these techniques and strategies are also presented.

An information model for lean, agile, resilient and green supply chain management

Dissertação para a obtenção de Grau de Mestre em Engenharia e Gestão Industrial

An ANP model to support decision-making in a Portuguese pharmaceutical supply chain

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia e Gestão Industrial

A simulation model for lean, agile, resilient and green supply chain management: practices and interoperability assessment

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia e Gestão Industrial

Robustness of corroded reinforced concrete structures

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Engenharia Civil

Planeamento da alta : impacto nos indicadores de desempenho hospitalar

RESUMO - Planeamento da Alta: Impacto nos Indicadores de Desempenho Hospitalar O problema do presente trabalho reside na percentagem de hospitais do SNS que não tem um processo de planeamento de alta standartizado. Norteada pela questão de investigação: Qual o impacto do Planeamento das Altas nos indicadores de desempenho dos hospitais do SNS?; pelas hipóteses de que os hospitais com um processo de Planeamento da Alta standartizado têm uma Taxa de Reinternamento e uma Demora Média menor; e pelo objetivo geral: Conhecer o impacto do planeamento da alta standartizado nos indicadores de desempenho dos hospitais do SNS, enveredou-se pelo paradigma quantitativo e foi realizada uma análise comparativa dos indicadores de desempenho de dois grupos hospitalares. Estudou-se uma amostra da população acessível, constituída por 57 estabelecimentos hospitalares do SNS e destes foram criados dois grupos de hospitais, que diferiam no facto de ter um processo de planeamento de alta standartizado. No final obteve-se uma amostra, não probabilística, de 12 hospitais, seis que possuíam um processo standartizado e os outros seis não. A recolha de dados foi efetuada através dos sítios da ACSS, DGS e das entidades hospitalares. Os dados foram tratados através da estatística descritiva e indutiva, com recurso a programas informáticos. Da análise emergiram como principais resultados: A existência de um processo de planeamento de alta hospitalar standartizado não tem um impacto significativo nos indicadores de desempenho hospitalar, nomeadamente na redução das Taxas de Reinternamento e da Demora Média hospitalar.

Rastreio combinado do 1º trimestre e doenças autoimunes : Impacto das variaveis pré-analíticas na avaliação do risco

RESUMO: Contexto: As anomalias congénitas, com particular destaque para as neuploidias , afectam aproximadamente 2% dos recém-nascidos, constituindo causas frequentes de morbilidade e mortalidade. Actualmente, a avaliação do grau de risco para as aneuploidias mais prevalentes (T21, T13, T18) é efectuada através do “Rastreio Combinado do 1º Trimestre”, devendo as grávidas com risco acrescido ser sujeitas a exames invasivos (ex.biópsia das vilosidades coriónicas,amniocentese). Quanto mais qualidade existir num rastreio, menos falsos positivos existirão e menor o número de exames diagnósticos invasivos desnecessários. As doenças autoimunes são doenças inflamatórias crónicas em cuja fisiopatologia se encontram distúrbios da imunidade humoral e celular, dependentes de factores genéticos, hormonais,psicológicos e ambientais. Atingem mais o sexo feminino e durante a idade fértil,podendo influenciar o outcome da gravidez e a saúde neonatal causando significativa morbilidade e mortalidade. O lúpus eritematoso sistémico para além de potencialmente afectado pelas alterações imunoendócrinas fisiológicas da gravidez, associa-se frequentemente a problemas de fertilidade. Recentemente, foi sugerido que as anormalidades ocorridas durante a invasão precoce do sinciciotrofoblasto, resultando em deficiente diferenciação, deficiente maturação e diminuição na produção de hCG, poderão ser o mecanismo fisiopatológico primário para as perdas fetais no primeiro trimestre, nos doentes com SLE. A ocorrência de níveis elevados de hCG total e ß-hCG livre no rastreio para despiste de síndrome de Down do segundo e do primeiro trimestre foi assinalada em grávidas portadoras de lúpus, mas a escassez de estudos comprovativos e a pequena dimensão das amostras estudadas constituiu uma limitação significativa na fidedignidade dos resultados obtidos. Objectivos: O estudo teve como objectivos i. estabelecer valores normativos Portugueses e de distribuição para as MoM’s dos parâmetros séricos do primeiro trimestre, por semana de gestação:(PAPP-A e ß-hCG livre), ii. avaliar a influência que as doenças autoimunes têm sobre as MoM’s individuais dos parâmetros bioquímicos PAPP-A e/ou ß-hCG livre, utilizados no rastreio pré-natal combinado do 1º trimestre, e iii. saber se as doenças autoimunes podem condicionar um aumento da taxa de resultados falsos positivos, com consequente aumento do número de amniocenteses. Metodologia: Estudo longitudinal prospectivo, consistindo num rastreio pré-natal combinado de 1º trimestre para pesquisa de aneuploidias, em duas amostras provenientes do Reino Unido (n= 45,854) e de Portugal (n=3122). Foram avaliados parâmetros socio-demográficos, ecográficos, laboratoriais, e calculados os indicadores de desempenho do rastreio combinado. A execução analítica dos testes bioquímicos séricos (PAPP-A e ß-hCG livre) foi realizada no autoanalisador Brahms Kryptor e no autoanalizador 6000 Delfia Xpress. Compararam-se os grupos autoimune e não autoimune das amostras. Resultados: Relativamente às características populacionais, o grupo auto imune tinha valores significativamente superiores nas variáveis idade materna e idade gestacional. Comparando os grupos com e sem doença autoimune, constatou-se a existência de uma elevação das MoM’s da ß-hCG livre nas grávidas com doença autoimune, nomeadamente nos casos de lúpus eritematoso sistémico. Conclusões: os resultado obtidos reforçam a indicação do rastreio combinado do 1º trimestre certificado pela FMF nas grávidas com doenças autoimunes, nomeadamente para as doentes com LES; no entanto, devem ser calculados e introduzidos factores de correcção no algoritmo de risco, de modo a evitar a subida no número de resultados falso-positivos, e consequentemente a sobre- utilização de métodos invasivos.------------ ABSTRACT: Context: Congenital anomalies, with particular reference to aneuploidias, affect approximately 2% of newborns, and are frequent causes of morbidity and mortality. Currently, the risk evaluation for the most prevalent aneuploidias (T21, T13, T18) is carried out through the “combined first trimester screening”, and pregnant women with increased risk are subjected to invasive tests (e.g. villus biopsy done, amniocentesis). The more quality exists in a screening, less false positives exists and fewer unnecessary invasive diagnostic exams. Autoimmune diseases are chronic inflammatory diseases in whose pathophysiology are immune humoral and cellular disorders, dependent on genetic factors, hormonal, psychological and environmental factors. The disease is more prevalent among females, during the child-bearing age, and may influence the outcome of pregnancy and neonatal health causing significant morbidity and mortality. Lupus Erythematosus in addition to potentially affected by immunoendocrine physiological changes of pregnancy, is often associated with fertility problems. Recently, it has been suggested that the abnormalities that occurred during the early invasion of the syncytiotrophoblast, resulting in insufficient differentiation, deficient maturation and decrease in production of hCG may be the primary pathophysiological mechanism for fetal losses in the first quarter, in patients with SLE. The occurrence of elevated levels of total hCG and free ß-hCG in screening for Down’s syndrome of the second and first trimester was reported in pregnant women with lupus, but the paucity of supporting studies and the small size of the samples studied constituted a significant limitation on the trustworthiness of the results obtained. Objectives: this study aims to i. establish normative values for the serum parameters MoM’s (PAPP-A and free β-hCG) and it’s distribution, in the first trimester, by week of pregnancy; ii. assess the influence that the autoimmune diseases have on the MoM’s of individual biochemical PAPP-A and/or β-hCG, used in antenatal screening combined for the first trimester, and iii. whether the autoimmune diseases may make an increased rate of false positives, with consequent increase in the number of amniocenteses.Methodology: Prospective longitudinal study, consisting of a combined first trimester antenatal screening for aneuploidies lookup in two samples from the United Kingdom (n=45.854) and Portugal (n= 3.122). Socio-demographic, echographic and laboratory parameters were evaluated, and combined screening performance indicators were calculated. The analytical run of serum biochemical tests (PAPP-A and ß-hCG) was held at the Brahms Kryptor and in Delfia Xpress 6000. Comparisons between autoimmune group and non-autoimmune group were made. Results: Relating to population characteristics, the autoimmune group had significantly diferente values in the variables maternal age and gestational age. Comparing the groups with and without autoimmune disease, it was noted that there is an elevation of the MoM’s of free ß-hCG levels in pregnant women with autoimmune disease, particularly in cases of systemic lupus erythematosus. Conclusions: The results obtained reinforce the indication of FMF certified combined screening in pregnant women with autoimmune diseases, notably to the patients with SLE; However, correction factors should be calculated and entered in the risk algorithm, in order to avoid the rise in the number of false positive results, and consequently the over-use of invasive methods.