A QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR POSITIONING WITH GNSS TECHNOLOGY

This paper presents a proposal for a Quality Management System for a generic GNSS Surveying Company as an alternative for management and service quality improvements. As a result of the increased demand for GNSS measurements, a large number of new or restructured companies were established to operate in that market. Considering that GNSS surveying is a new process, some changes must be performed in order to accommodate the old surveying techniques and the old fashioned management to the new reality. This requires a new management model that must be based on a well-described procedure sequence aiming at the Total Management Quality for the company. The proposed Quality Management System was based on the requirements of the Quality System ISO 9000:2000, applied to the whole company, focusing on the productive process of GNSS surveying work.

Is your vision consistent? A method for checking, based on scenario concepts

Common sense tells us that the future is an essential element in any strategy. In addition, there is a good deal of literature on scenario planning, which is an important tool in considering the future in terms of strategy. However, in many organizations there is serious resistance to the development of scenarios, and they are not broadly implemented by companies. But even organizations that do not rely heavily on the development of scenarios do, in fact, construct visions to guide their strategies. But it might be asked, what happens when this vision is not consistent with the future? To address this problem, the present article proposes a method for checking the content and consistency of an organization's vision of the future, no matter how it was conceived. The proposed method is grounded on theoretical concepts from the field of future studies, which are described in this article. This study was motivated by the search for developing new ways of improving and using scenario techniques as a method for making strategic decisions. The method was then tested on a company in the field of information technology in order to check its operational feasibility. The test showed that the proposed method is, in fact, operationally feasible and was capable of analyzing the vision of the company being studied, indicating both its shortcomings and points of inconsistency. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of neighborhood impacts caused by companies of the high-tech industrial cluster of São Carlos, SP, Brazil

The purpose of this study was to develop a methodology for evaluating neighborhood impacts using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and to apply the procedures to the companies of the High-Technology Industrial Cluster of São Carlos. To this end, an evaluation was made of the neighborhood impacts on the physical environment, urban components, quality of life, and urban infrastructure using impact matrices, and the impacts were assigned scores according to type, order, magnitude and duration. Fifty one companies were examined based on data provided by the companies themselves and on field surveys. The impacts are represented spatially in proportional symbols maps, based on the spatial distribution of the companies in the urban area of the city of São Carlos and the areas of influence of each company. The application of the proposed methodology served to validate it and indicated that the neighborhood impacts caused by the companies of this study are related to each company's type of activity, its size, and its occupation of the area. © 2008 Journal of Urban and Environmental Engineering (JUEE). All rights reserved.

Knowledge-based integrated Production Management Model applied to automotive companies

This paper aims to examine the relevance of a production management model, in the shop-floor operations environment, that integrates the dimensions of production organisation (lean and mass production), work organisation (enriched and semi-autonomous groups) and knowledge management. A theoretical model has been applied to automotive companies to verify model adherence. Each of those dimensions has been described by factors. Shop-floor personnel interviews were conducted to confirm the factors relevance to that company. Results have shown that the model represented the reality of those companies concerning the researched dimensions. The factors allow managers to promote a favourable context for knowledge sharing. © 2010 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Unveiling fieldbus network technology through project-based learning

Fieldbus communications networks are a fundamental part of modern industrial automation technique. This paperwork presents an application of project-based learning (PBL) paradigm to help electrical engineering students grasp the major concepts of fieldbus networks, while attending a one-term long, elective microcontroller course. © 2012 IEEE.

Development of CAN-based distributed control system for variable rate technology in agricultural machinery

The number of electronic devices connected to agricultural machinery is increasing to support new agricultural practices tasks related to the Precision Agriculture such as spatial variability mapping and Variable Rate Technology (VRT). The Distributed Control System (DCS) is a suitable solution for decentralization of the data acquisition system and the Controller Area Network (CAN) is the major trend among the embedded communications protocols for agricultural machinery and vehicles. The application of soil correctives is a typical problem in Brazil. The efficiency of this correction process is highly dependent of the inputs way at soil and the occurrence of errors affects directly the agricultural yield. To handle this problem, this paper presents the development of a CAN-based distributed control system for a VRT system of soil corrective in agricultural machinery. The VRT system is composed by a tractor-implement that applies a desired rate of inputs according to the georeferenced prescription map of the farm field to support PA (Precision Agriculture). The performance evaluation of the CAN-based VRT system was done by experimental tests and analyzing the CAN messages transmitted in the operation of the entire system. The results of the control error according to the necessity of agricultural application allow conclude that the developed VRT system is suitable for the agricultural productions reaching an acceptable response time and application error. The CAN-Based DCS solution applied in the VRT system reduced the complexity of the control system, easing the installation and maintenance. The use of VRT system allowed applying only the required inputs, increasing the efficiency operation and minimizing the environmental impact.

Innovation in industrial clusters: a survey of footwear companies in Brazil

The aim of this study is to characterize the relationships in innovation and business clustering processes in the productive chain of small and medium enterprises (SME) of Brazil. The object of study are SMEs the local procuctive cluster of the shoes in Franca, State of São Paulo. The conceptual model developed is based on the following constructs: vertical integration, innovation and characteristics of the cluster, and it is focused on identifying the agents that act predominantly in product innovation processes in the cluster. A survey was conducted. It was found that there is cooperation between the companies in the productive arrangement studied, and that shoe manufacturers are those who, predominantly, stimulate innovation within the cluster.

Knowledge management, market orientation, innovativeness and organizational outcomes: a study on companies operating in Brazil

This article analyzes the study of the relationship among knowledge management, the company's market orientation, innovativeness and organizational outcomes. The survey was conducted based on a survey held with executives from 241 companies in Brazil. The evidence found indicates that knowledge management directly contributes to market orientation, but it requires a clearly defined strategic direction to achieve results and innovativeness. It was also concluded that knowledge, as a resource, leverages other resources of the company, while it requires a direction in relation to the organizational goals in order to be effective.

Fidelity and game-based technology in management education

This study explores educational technology and management education by analyzing fidelity in game-based management education interventions. A sample of 31 MBA students was selected to help answer the research question: To what extent do MBA students tend to recognize specific game-based academic experiences, in terms of fidelity, as relevant to their managerial performance? Two distinct game-based interventions (BG1 and BG2) with key differences in fidelity levels were explored: BG1 presented higher physical and functional fidelity levels and lower psychological fidelity levels. Hypotheses were tested with data from the participants, collected shortly after their experiences, related to the overall perceived quality of game-based interventions. The findings reveal a higher overall perception of quality towards BG1: (a) better for testing strategies, (b) offering better business and market models, (c) based on a pace that better stimulates learning, and (d) presenting a fidelity level that better supports real world performance. This study fosters the conclusion that MBA students tend to recognize, to a large extent, that specific game-based academic experiences are relevant and meaningful to their managerial development, mostly with heightened fidelity levels of adopted artifacts. Agents must be ready and motivated to explore the new, to try and err, and to learn collaboratively in order to perform.

Experimental analysis of a separation control device based on plasma technology

In this thesis effects of plasma actuators based on Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) technology over a NACA 0015 bidimensional airfoil have been analyzed in an experimental way, at low Reynolds number. Work developed on thesis has been carried on in partnership with the Department of Electrical Engineering of Università di Bologna, inside Wind Tunnel of the Applied Aerodynamic Laboratory of Aerospace Engineering faculty. In order to verify the effectiveness of these active control devices, the analysis has shown how actuators succeed in prevent boundary layer separation only in certain conditions af angle of attack and Reynolds numbers. Moreover, in this thesis actuators’ chordwise position effect has been also analyzed, together with the influence of steady and unsteady operations.

Geomorphological and statistical analysis on Ravenna dune fields changes, based on Terrestrial Laser Technology

Coastal sand dunes represent a richness first of all in terms of defense from the sea storms waves and the saltwater ingression; moreover these morphological elements constitute an unique ecosystem of transition between the sea and the land environment. The research about dune system is a strong part of the coastal sciences, since the last century. Nowadays this branch have assumed even more importance for two reasons: on one side the born of brand new technologies, especially related to the Remote Sensing, have increased the researcher possibilities; on the other side the intense urbanization of these days have strongly limited the dune possibilities of development and fragmented what was remaining from the last century. This is particularly true in the Ravenna area, where the industrialization united to the touristic economy and an intense subsidence, have left only few dune ridges residual still active. In this work three different foredune ridges, along the Ravenna coast, have been studied with Laser Scanner technology. This research didn’t limit to analyze volume or spatial difference, but try also to find new ways and new features to monitor this environment. Moreover the author planned a series of test to validate data from Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS), with the additional aim of finalize a methodology to test 3D survey accuracy. Data acquired by TLS were then applied on one hand to test some brand new applications, such as Digital Shore Line Analysis System (DSAS) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), to prove their efficacy in this field; on the other hand the author used TLS data to find any correlation with meteorological indexes (Forcing Factors), linked to sea and wind (Fryberger's method) applying statistical tools, such as the Principal Component Analysis (PCA).

Development of a bead-based multiplex assay for the simultaneous detection of porcine inflammation markers using xMAP technology

Commercially available assays for the simultaneous detection of multiple inflammatory and cardiac markers in porcine blood samples are currently lacking. Therefore, this study was aimed at developing a bead-based, multiplexed flow cytometric assay to simultaneously detect porcine cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor alpha], chemokines (IL-8 and monocyte chemotactic protein 1), growth factors [basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor, and platelet-derived growth factor-bb], and injury markers (cardiac troponin-I) as well as complement activation markers (C5a and sC5b-9). The method was based on the Luminex xMAP technology, resulting in the assembly of a 6- and 11-plex from the respective individual singleplex situation. The assay was evaluated for dynamic range, sensitivity, cross-reactivity, intra-assay and interassay variance, spike recovery, and correlation between multiplex and commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as well as the respective singleplex. The limit of detection ranged from 2.5 to 30,000 pg/ml for all analytes (6- and 11-plex assays), except for soluble C5b-9 with a detection range of 2-10,000 ng/ml (11-plex). Typically, very low cross-reactivity (<3% and <1.4% by 11- and 6-plex, respectively) between analytes was found. Intra-assay variances ranged from 4.9 to 7.4% (6-plex) and 5.3 to 12.9% (11-plex). Interassay variances for cytokines were between 8.1 and 28.8% (6-plex) and 10.1 and 26.4% (11-plex). Correlation coefficients with singleplex assays for 6-plex as well as for 11-plex were high, ranging from 0.988 to 0.997 and 0.913 to 0.999, respectively. In this study, a bead-based porcine 11-plex and 6-plex assay with a good assay sensitivity, broad dynamic range, and low intra-assay variance and cross-reactivity was established. These assays therefore represent a new, useful tool for the analysis of samples generated from experiments with pigs.

Subharmonic Mixer Based on EBG Technology

We present the design of a submillimeter-wave mixer based on electromagnetic band gap (EBG) technology and using subharmonic local oscillator (LO) injection. The indicated device converts an incoming submilimeter wavelength signal into a 1-5 GHz intermediate frequency (IF) signal by mixing it with a subharmonic LO signal. The mixer consists of a dual-band receiver and two coplanar stripline (CPS) filters, collocated on top of a three-dimensional (3-D) EBG structure. A four-element array of the proposed receivers was designed, fabricated and tested. The configuration demonstrated reasonable performance: conversion loss below 8 dB and noise temperature below 3000 K. The presented concept can be used for higher frequencies, provided the availability of sufficiently powerful LO sources.