A comparative study of the credit card market dynamics in Mexico and Brazil

This research analyzes and compares the attractiveness of the Brazilian and Mexican credit card markets from a financial firm’s perspective. The market dynamics in Latin America’s two economic powerhouses are fleshed out with qualitative and quantitative data, using a strategic framework to structure the analysis. Since its adoption by both countries in 1956, credit card usage has experienced many years of double digit growth. However, penetration levels remain low compared with most developed countries. Brazil has a more developed credit card infrastructure, with more potential profit, and issuers might face fewer competitive challenges.  Alternatively, Mexico, is witnessing a more favorable economy, a friendlier business and regulatory environment, combined with fewer financial products that compete with the credit card. Therefore, this paper concludes that Brazil and Mexico both offer market opportunities for credit card companies that can navigate the different technological, demographic, macroeconomic, and regulatory shifts in each country.

Negros misturados: um estudo de caso sobre identidades negras em Mossoró-RN

With more or less 213.000 habitants, Mossoró is the second more developed city from the Rio Grande do Norte. The town is proclamated like the land of freedom. To so far, exist four moments in your history related with the defence of freedom that is point like truthful from so proclamation. Suchlike happenings are the first female vote on Brazil, the resistance against the Lampião s band, the worman s mutiny and the slave release in 1883, five year before the Áurea law sanction. These happenings are commemorate yearly on setember with one big theatrical event called by the freedom high. Inside this contexto of exaltation to freedom, there is one black movement by name black and beautiful. Is the present dissertation, talked about the building of black identities between the black militants of Mossoró and the dwellers from the Santo Antônio district. With such approach, we intend to think about possibles differences or likeness, how the militants and dwellers from the refered district self-calleds like blacks or not. We are understanding black identity like one process to self-affirmation done by specificities of the social context and the individual particularity. This way, the identity change into one dynamic and contextual reality, gone always by one business process against the interaction of the social actors. So we search to discuss the specificities that involve the process to building of black identities in the city of freedom

Um ambiente para especificação e execução AD-HOC de processos de negócio baseados em serviços Web

Recently the focus given to Web Services and Semantic Web technologies has provided the development of several research projects in different ways to addressing the Web services composition issue. Meanwhile, the challenge of creating an environment that provides the specification of an abstract business process and that it is automatically implemented by a composite service in a dynamic way is considered a currently open problem. WSDL and BPEL provided by industry support only manual service composition because they lack needed semantics so that Web services are discovered, selected and combined by software agents. Services ontology provided by Semantic Web enriches the syntactic descriptions of Web services to facilitate the automation of tasks, such as discovery and composition. This work presents an environment for specifying and ad-hoc executing Web services-based business processes, named WebFlowAH. The WebFlowAH employs common domain ontology to describe both Web services and business processes. It allows processes specification in terms of users goals or desires that are expressed based on the concepts of such common domain ontology. This approach allows processes to be specified in an abstract high level way, unburdening the user from the underline details needed to effectively run the process workflow

Detecção e recuperação de falhas para a máquina de redução de grafos PEWS-AM

Web services are software units that allow access to one or more resources, supporting the deployment of business processes in the Web. They use well-defined interfaces, using web standard protocols, making possible the communication between entities implemented on different platforms. Due to these features, Web services can be integrated as services compositions to form more robust loose coupling applications. Web services are subject to failures, unwanted situations that may compromise the business process partially or completely. Failures can occur both in the design of compositions as in the execution of compositions. As a result, it is essential to create mechanisms to make the implementation of service compositions more robust and to treat failures. Specifically, we propose the support for fault recovery in service compositions described in PEWS language and executed on PEWS-AM, an graph reduction machine. To support recovery failure on PEWS-AM, we extend the PEWS language specification and adapted the rules of translation and reduction of graphs for this machine. These contributions were made both in the model of abstract machine as at the implementation level

Variable speed refrigeration system with HPF input rectifier stage

This paper is based on the analysis and implementation of a new drive system applied to refrigeration systems, complying with the restrictions imposed by the IEC standards (Harmonic/Flicker/EMI-Electromagnetic Interference restrictions), in order to obtain high efficiency, high power factor, reduced harmonic distortion in the input current and reduced electromagnetic interference, with excellent performance in temperature control of a refrigeration prototype system (automatic control, precision and high dynamic response). The proposal is replace the single-phase motor by a three-phase motor, in the conventional refrigeration system. In this way, a proper control technique can be applied, using a closed-loop (feedback control), that will allow an accurate adjustment of the desirable temperature. The proposed refrigeration prototype uses a 0.5Hp three-phase motor and an open (Belt-Drive) Bitzer IY type compressor. The input rectifier stage's features include the reduction in the input current ripple, the reduction in the output voltage ripple, the use of low stress devices, low volume for the EMI input filter, high input power factor (PF), and low total harmonic distortion (THD) in the input current, in compliance with the IEC61000-3-2 standards. The digital controller for the output three-phase inverter stage has been developed using a conventional voltage-frequency control (scalar V/f control), and a simplified stator oriented Vector control, in order to verify the feasibility and performance of the proposed digital controls for continuous temperature control applied at the refrigerator prototype. ©2008 IEEE.

HPF boost interleaved operating in discontinuous conduction mode for trolleybus application

This paper deals with results of a research and development (R&D) project in cooperation with Electric Power Distribution Company in São Paulo (Brazil) regarding the development and experimental analysis of a new concept of power drive system suitable for application in traction systems of electrical vehicles pulled by electrical motors, which can be powered by urban DC or AC distribution networks. The proposed front-end structure is composed by five boost power cells in interleaving connection, operating in discontinuous conduction mode as AC-DC converter, or as DC-DC converter, in order to provide the proper DC output voltage range required by DC or AC adjustable speed drivers. Therefore, when supplied by single-phase AC distribution networks, and operating as AC-DC converter, it is capable to provide high power factor, reduced harmonic distortion in the input current, complying with the restrictions imposed by the IEC 61000-3-4 standards resulting in significant improvements for the trolleybuses systems efficiency and for the urban distribution network costs. Considering the compliance with input current restrictions imposed by IEC 61000-3-4 standards, two digital control strategies were evaluated. The digital controller has been implemented using a low cost FPGA (XC3S200) and developed totally using a hardware description language VHDL and fixed point arithmetic. Experimental results from a 15 kW low power scale prototype operating in DC and AC conditions are presented, in order to verify the feasibility and performance of the proposed system. © 2009 IEEE.

El comercio de servicios en los países miembros de la Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración (ALADI): evaluación cuantitativa y normativa

Incluye Bibliografía

Latin America’s emergence in global services A new driver of structural change in the region?

Includes bibliography.

Desenvolvimento, implementação e testes de um sistema de comunicação sem fio heterogêneo para acesso à serviços: aplicações na telemedicina e domótica

Nos últimos de 20 anos, economia e tecnologia evoluíram em muitas direções e em novas áreas. Muitas dessas evoluções criaram oportunidades que estão sendo consideradas na concepção de futuras redes de comunicação. Estas novas possibilidades estão relacionadas à, sobretudo, utilização da internet para o acesso à serviços e englobam: mobilidade; tecnologias de baixo custo; crescimento e empregos (pela Internet participa-se de cada processo de negócios e produção); serviços; educação (oportunidade para as pessoas crescerem e se desenvolverem); entretenimento (mundos virtuais para o lazer, compras e jogos); volume de tráfego maior (texto, voz, imagens, vídeo). Como uma consequência, a Internet se tornou, semelhante a eletricidade ou água, um bem público. Com quase 2 bilhões de usuários (aproximadamente 28% da população mundial), a Internet está se tornando, cada vez mais, uma infraestrutura difusivo oferecendo em qualquer lugar, a qualquer momento conectividade e serviços. Este mundo da Internet atual é o resultado de sucessivas alterações que aconteceram desde o seu surgimento e que tornaram a infraestrutura de comunicação de importância crítica. Em termos de tecnologias de comunicação, os sistemas móveis sem fio têm um lugar especial devido a sua difusão excepcional na última década e que, junto com a Internet, tem permitido o aparecimento de dispositivos inteligentes, a introdução de novos serviços inovadores e exigindo, para tanto, um ambiente que suporte a inovação e criatividade. Porém, os vários padrões de redes para suporte, principalmente, ao acesso de última milha são desvantagens na perspectiva do usuário, pois este tem de se habilitar nessas redes (contratar os serviços) e, não raro, ter terminais específicos para o acesso. A idéia de um padrão único para estas redes não obteve resultados satisfatórios e uma solução aponta para a integração dessas redes para prover acesso único e transparente ao usuário. Esse trabalho, portanto, apresenta uma solução embarcada para integrar padrões de comunicações sem fio heterogênea do tipo IEEE 802.15.4 ZigBee, IEEE 802.20 GSM/GPRS e IEEE 802.2 Wi-Fi. Essa heterogeneidade de tecnologias sem fio permite a um usuário em movimento, através de seu terminal local ou remoto, acessar aplicativos e serviços de forma transparente. A avaliação de desempenho da solução foi realizada utilizando-se dois tipos de serviços: domótica e telemedicina. Os resultados indicaram que a solução proposta consegue integrar e prover os serviços com segurança e confiabilidade.

Modelo de mudança organizacional: estudo de caso no setor de compras

O presente trabalho apresenta um modelo de mudança organizacional para melhorar o processo empresarial de compra de uma construtora, proveniente do sistema de comunicação entre o escritório central e suas obras, a fim de identificar as oportunidades e deficiências existentes no sistema, seja de ordem tecnológica e/ou gerencial. O mapeamento das informações permite detectar os percursos desnecessários que impossibilitam o sistema de comunicação funcionar de forma ágil e otimizada, bem como perceber as oportunidades de melhorias contínuas ao processo. O método de pesquisa se baseou no aperfeiçoamento de processos empresariais, que consiste na modelagem do processo citado, por meio da coleta de dados, análise de documentos, desenho de fluxos de informações existentes no modelo e discussão dos resultados. Para validação da aplicação do método, fez-se o estudo de caso único em uma construtora do subsetor edificações, o qual gerou fluxogramas do processo de compras atual e proposto como modelo de mudança organizacional.

Mapeamento do processo de originação de etanol em uma empresa do setor de distribuição de combustíveis

The market segment of fuel distribution composes an important role in the development of Brazil’s industry and economy. However, it is a sector with intense competitiveness, especially in relation to ethanol. The search for competitive advantage and greater strength to the business are, therefore, of high relevance in this context, in which the concepts of Business Process Management has become more visible. Process Mapping, one of these concepts, has proven “TO BE”a strategic tool for companies which believe in flattening the structure and in the potential benefits that the improvement of its processes can provide. Thus, this work aims to map the process of Ethanol Origination of a company engaged in the distribution of this and other fuel products, and other niche markets. It was understood and designed the macro-process aforementioned and identified failures in subprocess related to it. After applying the method to select priority problems, using risk assessment criteria, five subprocess were identified to receive special action, which consisted in seeking improvements with those involved in the process, in representing its current and ideal models and in defining each department’s responsibilities for the activities in the subprocess proposed form. Thus, it is expected to mitigate mainly two negative effects found in the business: employee’s work overload and company's financial exposure

Prospecção de novos negócios numa indústria de autopeças: diagnóstico de falhas e sugestões de ferramentas para melhoria

The growth and expansion in auto parts market are directly related to the ability of a company to innovate and gain new customers, increasing its portfolio of customers and products. For this purpose the process of prospecting for new business has become a key process in companies seeking this goal, which requires teams and structures dedicated to it. Besides counting on available resources to carry out prospecting, it is necessary to properly manage the process as a whole, whose main result is a business proposal, which may lead to closer relations with the potential client and the activation of a new business. Process failures and difficulties to formulate a commercial proposal lead to documents produced without the quality needed that makes it harder to obtain new business. The objective of this study is to evaluate the process of new businesses quotation in the auto parts industry and indicate opportunities for improving this process. This goal is achieved by mapping the current process, from the diagnosis of problems and the indication of tools that can prevent or minimize the problems diagnosed. The information supporting this study were obtained by the bibliographical research, participant observation of the process, unstructured interviews with some of the involved people in the process and prospecting tools that can improve it. It results the mapping of new business quotation process, the points indicated as failures and difficulties in the process and the appointment of project management tools that can bring improvements to the new business proposals and pointing the moment for your application in the process

Classificação de workflows baseados em web services

Over the last decades changes have occurred in communication within and between enterprises, made easier by technologies suchas E-commerce, Internet, ERP systems and remote meetings and there was a rapid progress in network technology, which has changed the way business is done. A standardized way to offer services over the internet is using web services. Web services are a kind of remote procedure call and are generally used to integrate systems, independent of language, both client and server. It is common to use several web services run in sequence to perform a business process. To this type of process, gives the name of workflow. Thus, Web services are the primary components of workflows. A tool that provides a way of visualizing the behavior of a workflow can assist the administrator and is required. The present work presents the development of a tool that allows the administrator to classify visually services components and evaluate their importance in the final performance of a workflow. As proof of concept we used several virtual servers and computers where each computer has received a set of web services. A proxy was added between each call of workflows collecting relevant information and storing them in a database for later analysis. The analysis was based on Quality of Service parameters

Mapeamento de ontologias empresariais para modelos de processos de negócio em BPMN, com aplicação em processos de software

Pós-graduação em Ciência da Computação - IBILCE