Resource-based approach to new product development at the intersection of industries. Two case studies in telecommunications

Työn tavoitteena on selvittää mitkä ovat tärkeimmät aineettomat resurssit, joita tarvitaan teollisuuksien risteyskohdassa tapahtuvassa tuotekehityksessä. Teollisuuksien risteyskohdissa syntyvät tuotteet ovat usein radikaaleja, mikä tekee tuotteista mielenkiintoisia, paljon liiketoimintapotentiaalia tarjoavia. Tämä tutkimus lähestyy tuotekehitystä resurssipohjaisesta näkökulmasta. Myös tietämyspohjaista ja suhdepohjaista näkemystä hyödynnetään korostamaan keskittymistä aineettomiin resursseihin. Tutkimuksessa rakennetaan viitekehys, jossa tutkitaan eri resurssikategorioita. Valitut kategoriat ovat teknologiset, markkinointi-, johtamiseen ja hallinnointiin liittyvät ja suhdepohjaiset resurssit. Empiirisessä osassa tutkitaan kahta uutta tuotekonseptia, jotka ovat syntyneet teollisuuksien risteyskohdissa. Empiirisen osan tavoitteena on määritellä tutkimuksen kohteena olevia alustavia tuotekonsepteja tarkemmin ja selvittää millaisia resursseja näiden toteuttamiseen tarvitaan. Myös tarvittavien resurssien nykytila selvitetään ja pohditaan tulisiko puuttuvia resursseja kehittää yrityksen sisällä vai hankkia ne ulkopuolelta. Tutkimus toteutettiin asiantuntijahaastatteluin. Kahden tapaustutkimuksen perusteella näyttäisi siltä, että suhdepohjaiset resurssit ovat erittäin tärkeitä teollisuuksien risteyskohdissa tapahtuvassa tuotekehityksessä. Myös teknologiset resurssit ovat tärkeitä. Markkinointiresurssien tärkeys riippuu lopullisesta tuotekonseptista, kun taas johtamiseen ja kehittämiseen liittyvät resurssit ovat tärkeitänäiden konseptien luomisessa.

Lifecycle Information Management of a Mass Customized Product

Diplomityön tavoitteena on tutkia mitä uusia tiedonhallinnallisia ongelmia ilmenee, kun massaräätälöidyn tuotteen tuotetieto hallitaan läpi tuotteen elinkaaren, sekä miten nämä ongelmat voitaisiin ratkaista. Ongelmat ja haasteet kerätään kirjallisuuslähteistä ja massaräätälöintiprosessi yhdistetään PLM-vaiheisiin. Ratkaisua tutkitaan testaamalla kuinka standardit STEP ja PLCS sekä standardeja tukeva PLM järjestelmä voisivat tukea massaräätälöidyn tuotteen elinkaaren tiedonhallintaa. MC tuotteiden ongelmia ovat tuoterakenteen monimutkaisuus, jäljitettävyys ja muutosten hallinta läpi elinkaaren. STEP ja PLCS pystyvät kummatkin tahollaan tukemaan tiedonhallintaa. MC-tuotteen geneerinen tuoterakenne on kuitenkin manuaalisesti liittettävä elinkaaritiedon tukemiseen. PLM-järjestelmä pystyy tukemaan MC-tuotteiden elinkaarta, mutta koska toiminto ei ole järjestelmään sisäänrakennettuna, MC-tuotteiden tukemisen parantamisessa on edelleen haasteita.

A Feasibility Study of a Pelleting Plant as an Option for By Product Upgrading in Wood-Processing Industry

Tämän kannattavuustutkimuksen lähtökohtana oli se, että Yhtyneet Sahat Oy:n Kaukaan sahalla ja Luumäen jatkojalostuslaitoksella haluttiin selvittää pellettitehtaan kannattavuus nykyisessä markkinatilanteessa. Tämä työon luonteeltaan teknis-taloudellinen selvitys eli ns. feasibility study. Pelletöintiprosessi on tekniikaltaan yksinkertainen eikä edellytä korkea teknologian laitteita. Toimiala on maailmanlaajuisesti varsin uusi. Suomessa pellettimarkkinat ovat vielä pienet ja kehittymättömät, mutta kasvua on viime vuosina tapahtunut. Valtaosa kotimaan tuotannosta menee vientiin. Investoinnin laskentaprosessissa saadut tuotannon alkuarvot sekä kustannusrakenteen määrittelyt ovat perustana varsinaisille kannattavuuslaskelmille. Laskelmista on selvitetty investointeihin liittyvät yleisimmät taloudelliset tunnusluvut ja herkimpiä muuttujia on tutkittu ja pohdittu herkkyysanalyysiä apuna käyttäen.

Gold recovery from cyanideand chloride solution using activated carbon

Uusia keinoja kullan erottamiseksi malmista on etsitty viimeaikoina taloudellisista ja ympäristöllisistä syistä kautta maailman. Syanidointimenetelmä on hallinnut kullan talteenottoayli sata vuotta. Menetelmässä kulta liuotetaan laimeaan syanidiliuokseen, jostase otetaan talteen aktiivihiilen avulla. Syanidin käyttöä pyritään kuitenkin vähentämään sen myrkyllisyyden takia. Lisäksi nykyään louhitaan enenemässä määrin malmia, josta on hankala rikastaa kulta kustannustehokkaasti syanidia käyttäen. Kullan talteenottoa syanidi- ja kloridiliuoksesta on selvitetty kirjallisuuden avulla. Kullan kemiaan liuotuksen aikana on perehdytty ennen kullan talteenottoa aktiivihiilellä. Aktiivihiilen elinkaari kullan adsorbenttinaon käsitelty valmistuksesta hylkäämiseen mukaan lukien hiilen myrkyttyminen prosessissa ja regenerointi. Aktiivi-hiilen käyttäytyminen syanidi- ja kloridiliuoksessa on selvitetty erikseen. Kullan talteenottoa kuparipitoisista malmeista on käsitelty. Kullan talteenottoa kloridiliuoksesta aktiivihiiltä käyttäen on tutkittu kokeellisesti. Pääasialliset tutkimuskohteet ovat adsorption kinetiikka, kuparin vaikutus adsorptioon, aktiivihiilen vaikutus adsorptioonja adsorboituneiden metallien strippaus hiilestä selektiivisesti. Hapettavan stippauksen vaikutus kullan desorptioon hiilestä on tutkittu yksityiskohtaisesti. Kullan erotusmenetelmät kuparimalmista aktiivihiiltä käyttäen on selvitetty diplomityön tulosten pohjalta. Diplomityön keskeisten tulosten perusteella kulta ei välttämättä saostu aktiivihiilen pinnalle kloridiliuoksesta. Havainto varmistettiin ladattujen hiilipartikkelien pyyhkäisyelektronimikroskooppikuvista ja partikkeleille tehdyistä mikroanalyyseistä. Kullan pelkistyminen metalliseksi kullaksi aktiivihiilessä voitaneen välttää käyttämällä erittäin hapettavia olosuhteita. Aktiivihiili ilmeisesti hapettuu näissä olosuhteissa, mikä mahdollistaa kultakloridin adsorboitumisen hiileen.

First enantioselective synthesis of isagarin, a natural product isolated from Pentas longiflora Oliv.

For the first time, an enantioselective synthesis of both 1R,4S-isagarin 1a and 1S,4R-isagarin 1b was achieved starting from 1,4-dimethoxy-2-vinylnaphtalene 2. The key steps involve a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation and reaction with an acetonylating pyridinium ylid.

The Munc13 proteins differentially regulate readily releasable pool dynamics and calcium-dependent recovery at a central synapse.

The Munc13 gene family encodes molecules located at the synaptic active zone that regulate the reliability of synapses to encode information over a wide range of frequencies in response to action potentials. In the CNS, proteins of the Munc13 family are critical in regulating neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity. Although Munc13-1 is essential for synaptic transmission, it is paradoxical that Munc13-2 and Munc13-3 are functionally dispensable at some synapses, although their loss in other synapses leads to increases in frequency-dependent facilitation. We addressed this issue at the calyx of Held synapse, a giant glutamatergic synapse that we found to express all these Munc13 isoforms. We studied their roles in the regulation of synaptic transmission and their impact on the reliability of information transfer. Through detailed electrophysiological analyses of Munc13-2, Munc13-3, and Munc13-2-3 knock-out and wild-type mice, we report that the combined loss of Munc13-2 and Munc13-3 led to an increase in the rate of calcium-dependent recovery and a change in kinetics of release of the readily releasable pool. Furthermore, viral-mediated overexpression of a dominant-negative form of Munc13-1 at the calyx demonstrated that these effects are Munc13-1 dependent. Quantitative immunohistochemistry using Munc13-fluorescent protein knock-in mice revealed that Munc13-1 is the most highly expressed Munc13 isoform at the calyx and the only one highly colocalized with Bassoon at the active zone. Based on these data, we conclude that Munc13-2 and Munc13-3 isoforms limit the ability of Munc13-1 to regulate calcium-dependent replenishment of readily releasable pool and slow pool to fast pool conversion in central synapses.

New Product Development (NPD) Success Factors: A Review of the Literature

This paper reviews the literature on managerially actionable new product development success factors and summarises the field in a classic managerial framework. Because of the varying quality, breadth and scope of the field, the review only contains post-1980 studies of tangible product development that are of a rigorous scientific standard. Success is interpreted as a commercial success. The field has gained insight into a broad set of factors that vary in scope, abstraction and context. Main areas that contribute to NPD success are top management support exhibited through resource allocation and communicating the strategic importance of NPD in the organisation. The right projects need to be selected for investment at the beginning of the process and should be aligned to the organisation's internal competencies and the external environment. The NPD process should use cross-functional teams and a competent project champions. Marketing research competency is crucial, as an understanding of the market, customers and competitors is repeatedly highlighted. Product launch competency was also consistently shown to be important. In terms of controlling the NPD process, strict project gates are required to maintain control.

Development of fibre recovery process

The fiber recovery process is an essential part of the modern paper mill. It creates the basisfor mill's internal recirculation of the most important raw materials ¿ water and fiber. It is normally also a start point for further treatment of wastewater and if it works efficiently, it offers excellent basis to minimize effluents. This dissertation offers two different approaches to the subject. Firstly a novel save-all disc filter feeding system is developed and presented. This so-called precoat method is tested both in the laboratory and full-scale conditions. In laboratory scale it beats the traditional one clearly, when low freeness pulps are used as a sweetener stock. The full-scale application needs still some development work before it can be implemented to the paper mills. Secondly, the operationenvironment of save-all disc filter is studied mostly in laboratory conditions.The focus of this study is in cases, where low-freeness pulps are used as a sweetener stock of save-all filter. The effects of CSF-value, pressure drop, suspension consistency and retention chemicals to the quantity and quality of the filtrate was studied. Also the filtration resistance of the low freeness pulps was one studied.

Product Platform Development from the Product Lines' Perspective: Case of Switching Platform

In the era of fast product development and customized product requirements, the concept of product platform has proven its power in practice. The product platform approach has enabledcompanies to increase the speed of product introductions while simultaneously benefit from efficiency and effectiveness in the development and production activities. The product platforms are technological bases, which can be used to develop several derivative products, and hence, the differentiation can be pushed closer to the product introduction. The product platform development has some specific features, which differ somewhat from the product development of single products. The time horizon is longer, since the product platform¿slife cycle is longer than individual product's. The long time-horizon also proposes higher market risks and the use of new technologies increases the technological risks involved. The end-customer interface might be far away, but there is not a lack of needs aimed at the product platforms ¿ in fact, the product platform development is very much balancing between the varying needs set to it by thederivative products. This dissertation concentrated on product platform development from the internal product lines' perspective of a singlecase. Altogether six product platform development factors were identified: 'Strategic and business fit of product platform', 'Project communication and deliverables', 'Cooperation with product platform development', 'Innovativeness of product platform architecture and features', 'Reliability and quality of product platform', and 'Promised schedules and final product platform meeting the needs'. From the six factors, three were found to influence quite strongly the overall satisfaction, namely 'Strategic and business fit of product platform', 'Reliability and quality of product platform', and 'Promised schedules and final product platform meeting the needs'. Hence, these three factors might be the ones a new product platform development unit should concentrate first in order to satisfy their closest customers, the product lines. The 'Project communication and deliverables' and 'Innovativeness of product platform architecture and features' were weaker contributors to the overall satisfaction. Overall, the factors explained quite well the satisfaction of the product lines with product platform development. Along the research, several interesting aspects about the very basic nature of the product platform development were found. The long time horizon of the product platform development caused challenges in the area of strategic fIT - a conflict between the short-term requirements and long term needs. The fact that a product platform was used as basis of several derivative products resulted into varying needs, and hence the match with the needs and the strategies. The opinions, that the releases of the larger product lines were given higher priorities, give an interesting contribution to the strategy theory of powerand politics. The varying needs of the product lines, the strengths of them as well as large number of concurrent releases set requirements to prioritization. Hence, the research showed the complicated nature of the product platform development in the case unIT - the very basic nature of the product platform development might be its strength (gaining efficiency and effectiveness in product development and product launches) but also the biggest challenge (developing products to meet several needs). As a single case study, the results of this research are not directly generalizable to all the product platform development activities. Instead, the research serves best as a starting point for additional research as well as gives some insights about the factors and challengesof one product development unit.

Towards desired crystalline product properties: In-situ monitoring of batch crystallization

The objective of industrial crystallization is to obtain a crystalline product which has the desired crystal size distribution, mean crystal size, crystal shape, purity, polymorphic and pseudopolymorphic form. Effective control of the product quality requires an understanding of the thermodynamics of the crystallizing system and the effects of operation parameters on the crystalline product properties. Therefore, obtaining reliable in-line information about crystal properties and supersaturation, which is the driving force of crystallization, would be very advantageous. Advanced techniques, such asRaman spectroscopy, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FTIR) spectroscopy, and in-line imaging techniques, offer great potential for obtaining reliable information during crystallization, and thus giving a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms (nucleation and crystal growth) involved. In the present work, the relative stability of anhydrate and dihydrate carbamazepine in mixed solvents containing water and ethanol were investigated. The kinetics of the solvent mediated phase transformation of the anhydrate to hydrate in the mixed solvents was studied using an in-line Raman immersion probe. The effects of the operation parameters in terms of solvent composition, temperature and the use of certain additives on the phase transformation kineticswere explored. Comparison of the off-line measured solute concentration and the solid-phase composition measured by in-line Raman spectroscopy allowedthe identification of the fundamental processes during the phase transformation. The effects of thermodynamic and kinetic factors on the anhydrate/hydrate phase of carbamazepine crystals during cooling crystallization were also investigated. The effect of certain additives on the batch cooling crystallization of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) wasinvestigated. The crystal growth rate of a certain crystal face was determined from images taken with an in-line video microscope. An in-line image processing method was developed to characterize the size and shape of thecrystals. An ATR FTIR and a laser reflection particle size analyzer were used to study the effects of cooling modes and seeding parameters onthe final crystal size distribution of an organic compound C15. Based on the obtained results, an operation condition was proposed which gives improved product property in terms of increased mean crystal size and narrowersize distribution.

Quantification of the relation between surface morphodynamics and subsurface sedimentological product in sandy braided rivers

This study uses digital elevation models and ground-penetrating radar to quantify the relation between the surface morphodynamics and subsurface sedimentology in the sandy braided South Saskatchewan River, Canada. A unique aspect of the methodology is that both digital elevation model and ground-penetrating radar data were collected from the same locations in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, thus enabling the surface morphodynamics to be tied explicitly to the associated evolving depositional product. The occurrence of a large flood in 2005 also allowed the influence of discharge to be assessed with respect to the processproduct relationship. The data demonstrate that the morphology of the study reach evolved even during modest discharges, but more extensive erosion was caused by the large flood. In addition, the study reach was dominated by compound bars before the flood, but switched to being dominated by unit bars during and after the flood. The extent to which the subsurface deposits (the product') were modified by the surface morphodynamics (the process') was quantified using the changes in radar-facies recorded in sequential ground-penetrating radar surveys. These surveys reveal that during the large flood there was an increase in the proportion of facies associated with bar margin accretion and larger dunes. In subsequent years, these facies became truncated and replaced with facies associated with smaller dune sets. This analysis shows that unit bars generally become truncated more laterally than vertically and, thus, they lose the high-angle bar margin deposits and smaller scale bar-top deposits. In general, the only fragments that remain of the unit bars are dune sets, thus making identification of the original unit barform problematic. This novel data set has implications for what may ultimately become preserved in the rock record.

Use of nitrification inhibitor DMPP to improve nitrogen recovery in irrigated wheat on a calcareous soil

The 3,4-dimethyilpyirazole phosphate (DMPP), commercialized as Entec, is a nitrification inhibitor developed by BASF (Germany) that may help to minimize N losses and to obtain a higher profit from N fertilizers. A two-year field trial was established in 2001 in the Northeast of Spain to assess the effects of DMPP on N use efficiency (NUE) and to determine the economic returns. Seven treatments have been carried out comparing the effect of DMPP on pig slurry and on mineral fertilizers. The application of DMPP resulted in better efficiency indexes on mineral fertilizers. An apparent nitrogen recovery of 0.465 kg kg-1, on average, was obtained for the Entec treatment. A net benefit of € 809 ha-1, on average, was obtained for the Entec treatment compared with € 607 ha-1 for the control treatment. The results of this study suggest that the nitrification inhibitor could improve farmer profit in irrigated wheat on a calcareous soil.

Randomized clinical trial on epidural versus patient-controlled analgesia for laparoscopic colorectal surgery within an enhanced recovery pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To compare epidural analgesia (EDA) to patient-controlled opioid-based analgesia (PCA) in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery. BACKGROUND: EDA is mainstay of multimodal pain management within enhanced recovery pathways [enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS)]. For laparoscopic colorectal resections, the benefit of epidurals remains debated. Some consider EDA as useful, whereas others perceive epidurals as unnecessary or even deleterious. METHODS: A total of 128 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colorectal resections were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial comparing EDA versus PCA. Primary end point was medical recovery. Overall complications, hospital stay, perioperative vasopressor requirements, and postoperative pain scores were secondary outcome measures. Analysis was performed according to the intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS: Final analysis included 65 EDA patients and 57 PCA patients. Both groups were similar regarding baseline characteristics. Medical recovery required a median of 5 days (interquartile range [IQR], 3-7.5 days) in EDA patients and 4 days (IQR, 3-6 days) in the PCA group (P = 0.082). PCA patients had significantly less overall complications [19 (33%) vs 35 (54%); P = 0.029] but a similar hospital stay [5 days (IQR, 4-8 days) vs 7 days (IQR, 4.5-12 days); P = 0.434]. Significantly more EDA patients needed vasopressor treatment perioperatively (90% vs 74%, P = 0.018), the day of surgery (27% vs 4%, P < 0.001), and on postoperative day 1 (29% vs 4%, P < 0.001), whereas no difference in postoperative pain scores was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Epidurals seem to slow down recovery after laparoscopic colorectal resections without adding obvious benefits. EDA can therefore not be recommended as part of ERAS pathways in laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

Rétablissement postopératoire optimisé, applique aux patients après cystectomie [Enhanced recovery after surgery applied to cystectomy patients].

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a multimodal concept combining pre, intra and postoperative evidence-based care elements to reduce surgical stress. ERAS pathways have been shown to significantly reduce morbidity, length of hospital stay and total costs when applied to colorectal surgery. It is therefore considered standard of care in this specialty. There can be no doubt that ERAS principles can be applied also in other major surgeries. However, uncritical application of the guidelines issued from colonic procedures seems inappropriate as the surgical procedures in pelvic cancer surgery differ considerably. This article reports on the first steps of an ERAS project and his introduction in urology.