Efficient interactive budget planning and adjusting under financial stress

One of the most challenging tasks in financial management for large governmental and industrial organizations is Planning and Budgeting (P&B). The processes involved with P&B are cost and time intensive, especially when dealing with uncertainties and budget adjustments during the planning horizon. This work builds on our previous research in which we proposed and evaluated a fuzzy approach that allows optimizing the budget interactively beyond the initial planning stage. In this research we propose an extension that handles financial stress (i.e. drastic budget cuts) occurred during the budget period. This is done by introducing fuzzy stress parameters which are used to re-distribute the budget in order to minimize the negative impact of the financial stress. The benefits and possible issues of this approach are analyzed critically using a real world case study from the Nuremberg Institute of Technology (NIT). Additionally, ongoing and future research directions are presented.

An unstructured CVFEM and moving interface algorithm for non-Newtonian Hele-Shaw flows in injection molding

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to develop a novel unstructured simulation approach for injection molding processes described by the Hele-Shaw model. Design/methodology/approach - The scheme involves dual dynamic meshes with active and inactive cells determined from an initial background pointset. The quasi-static pressure solution in each timestep for this evolving unstructured mesh system is approximated using a control volume finite element method formulation coupled to a corresponding modified volume of fluid method. The flow is considered to be isothermal and non-Newtonian. Findings - Supporting numerical tests and performance studies for polystyrene described by Carreau, Cross, Ellis and Power-law fluid models are conducted. Results for the present method are shown to be comparable to those from other methods for both Newtonian fluid and polystyrene fluid injected in different mold geometries. Research limitations/implications - With respect to the methodology, the background pointset infers a mesh that is dynamically reconstructed here, and there are a number of efficiency issues and improvements that would be relevant to industrial applications. For instance, one can use the pointset to construct special bases and invoke a so-called ""meshless"" scheme using the basis. This would require some interesting strategies to deal with the dynamic point enrichment of the moving front that could benefit from the present front treatment strategy. There are also issues related to mass conservation and fill-time errors that might be addressed by introducing suitable projections. The general question of ""rate of convergence"" of these schemes requires analysis. Numerical results here suggest first-order accuracy and are consistent with the approximations made, but theoretical results are not available yet for these methods. Originality/value - This novel unstructured simulation approach involves dual meshes with active and inactive cells determined from an initial background pointset: local active dual patches are constructed ""on-the-fly"" for each ""active point"" to form a dynamic virtual mesh of active elements that evolves with the moving interface.

Production and Delivery (Optimization of production system and reliability)

This thesis is done to solve two issues for Sayid Paper Mill Ltd Pakistan. Section one deals with a practical problem arise in SPM that is cutting a given set of raw paper rolls of known length and width, and a set of product paper rolls of known length (equal to the length of raw paper rolls) and width, practical cutting constraints on a single cutting machine, according to demand orders for all customers. To solve this problem requires to determine an optimal cutting schedule to maximize the overall cutting process profitability while satisfying all demands and cutting constraints. The aim of this part of thesis is to develop a mathematical model which solves this problem.Second section deals with a problem of delivering final product from warehouse to different destinations by finding shortest paths. It is an operational routing problem to decide the daily routes for sending trucks to different destination to deliver their final product. This industrial problem is difficult and includes aspect such as delivery to a single destination and multiple destinations with limited resources. The aim of this part of thesis is to develop a process which helps finding shortest path.

Energy Analysis within Industrial Hydraulics and Correspondent Solar PV System Design

Energy efficiency and renewable energy use are two main priorities leading to industrial sustainability nowadays according to European Steel Technology Platform (ESTP). Modernization efforts can be done by industries to improve energy consumptions of the production lines. These days, steel making industrial applications are energy and emission intensive. It was estimated that over the past years, energy consumption and corresponding CO2 generation has increased steadily reaching approximately 338.15 parts per million in august 2010 [1]. These kinds of facts and statistics have introduced a lot of room for improvement in energy efficiency for industrial applications through modernization and use of renewable energy sources such as solar Photovoltaic Systems (PV).The purpose of this thesis work is to make a preliminary design and simulation of the solar photovoltaic system which would attempt to cover the energy demand of the initial part of the pickling line hydraulic system at the SSAB steel plant. For this purpose, the energy consumptions of this hydraulic system would be studied and evaluated and a general analysis of the hydraulic and control components performance would be done which would yield a proper set of guidelines contributing towards future energy savings. The results of the energy efficiency analysis showed that the initial part of the pickling line hydraulic system worked with a low efficiency of 3.3%. Results of general analysis showed that hydraulic accumulators of 650 liter size should be used by the initial part pickling line system in combination with a one pump delivery of 100 l/min. Based on this, one PV system can deliver energy to an AC motor-pump set covering 17.6% of total energy and another PV system can supply a DC hydraulic pump substituting 26.7% of the demand. The first system used 290 m2 area of the roof and was sized as 40 kWp, the second used 109 m2 and was sized as 15.2 kWp. It was concluded that the reason for the low efficiency was the oversized design of the system. Incremental modernization efforts could help to improve the hydraulic system energy efficiency and make the design of the solar photovoltaic system realistically possible. Two types of PV systems where analyzed in the thesis work. A method was found calculating the load simulation sequence based on the energy efficiency studies to help in the PV system simulations. Hydraulic accumulators integrated into the pickling line worked as energy storage when being charged by the PV system as well.

Nurses’ perceptions of climate and environmental issues : a qualitative study

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore nurses' perceptions of climate and environmental issues and examine how nurses perceive their role in contributing to the process of sustainable development.  Background: Climate change and its implications for human health represent an increasingly important issue for the healthcare sector. According to the International Council of Nurses Code of Ethics, nurses have a responsibility to be involved and support climate change mitigation and adaptation to protect human health.  Design: This is a descriptive, explorative qualitative study.  Methods: Nurses (n=18) were recruited from hospitals, primary care and emergency medical services; eight participated in semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews and 10 participated in two focus groups. Data were collected from April-October 2013 in Sweden; interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis.  Results: Two main themes were identified from the interviews: (i) an incongruence between climate and environmental issues and nurses' daily work; and (ii) public health work is regarded as a health co-benefit of climate change mitigation. While being green is not the primary task in a lifesaving, hectic and economically challenging context, nurses' perceived their profession as entailing responsibility, opportunities and a sense of individual commitment to influence the environment in a positive direction.  Conclusions: This study argues there is a need for increased awareness of issues and methods that are crucial for the healthcare sector to respond to climate change. Efforts to develop interventions should explore how nurses should be able to contribute to the healthcare sector's preparedness for and contributions to sustainable development.

Materials Education and Research in Art and Design: A New Role for Libraries - Session 4. Designers

Designers respond to issues and synthesize ideas from throughout the day as voices from the field who directly encounter the need for recently graduated students to possess the ability to investigate and interrogate materials.

Trade liberalization and industrial concentration: evidence from Brazil

This paper applies an endogenous lobby formation model to explain the extent of trade protection granted to Brazilian manufacturing industries during the 1988- 1994 trade liberalization episode. Using a panel data set covering this period, we find that even in an environment in which a major regime shift has been introduced, more concentrated sectors have been able to obtain policy advantages, that lead to a reduction in international competition. The importance of industry structure appears to be substantial: In our baseline specification, an increase in concentration by 20% leads to an increase in protection by 5%-7%.

Em quais setores investir nos BRICs?: uma análise sob o prisma da organização industrial

Este trabalho analisou 2770 empresas nos BRICs entre 1995 e 2008 para identificar quais os setores mais atrativos para investimento conforme a relação risco-retorno, geração de valor e a tradição da Organização Industrial (IO). Os resultados reforçam os de Fama e French (1992), Mohanram (2005) e Goldszmidt, Brito e Vasconcelos (2007), porém divergem de World Bank (2008) quanto à China. Constatou-se que os setores mais atrativos na perspectiva de risco-retorno sobre o patrimônio líquido seriam óleo & gás na Rússia e mineração no Brasil, Índia e China, enquanto aqueles com menor atratividade seriam os setores têxtil, motores, máquinas & ferramentas e telecomunicações no Brasil.

O comércio eletrônico e sua aplicação no planejamento e gestão do processo de compras da cadeia de suprimentos: um estudo na indústria química

Após endereçar questões relativas à integração de suas funções internas, a empresa está se voltando para a criação de um ambiente externo interconectado com seus parceiros de negócio. Torna-se imperativo o aperfeiçoamento do relacionamento com estes parceiros, por meio de processos automatizados, que gerenciam as Cadeias de Suprimento e Distribuição formadas. A Tecnologia de Informação, ao permitir a conexão de processos e a interoperação de sistemas, passa a ser um instrumento essencial nesta transformação. Especificamente, o ambiente digital de negócio construído sobre a Infovia, formada principalmente pela Internet e seus serviços, como a WWW, confere avanços consideráveis ao relacionamento dentro da organização, entre organizações e entre estas e seus clientes. A esta transformação do negócio, baseada na Tecnologia de Informação, conectado às redes de comunicação, chama-se Comércio Eletrônico. Com base no conhecimento consolidado pelo referencial teórico disponível e nos resultados obtidos com o estudo de caso conduzido, o autor identifica e categoriza as influências do Comércio Eletrônico nos processos de compra da Cadeia de Suprimentos na indústria química, estruturando estas influências em relação aos modelos de negócios digitais conhecidos.

Differences in doing business in Brazil and norway: evidence from norwegian expatriates

With more and more business being done between Brazil and Norway we are seeing an increasing number of expatriates from Norway moving to Brazil!to work. Most!are!related!to!the!oil!and!gas!industries.!With!the!two!cultures,! countries!and!backgrounds!being!so!different!what!are!some!of!the!issues!and! challenges!that!arise? Using!existing!literature!as!well!as!faceRtoRface!interviews!of!Norwegian! expatriates!working!in!Rio!de!Janeiro!this!thesis!tries!to!compare!the!two! countries!and!at!the!same!time!explore!some!of!these!potential!issues.!The! research!focuses!on!differences!in!trust,!negotiation!style,!planning,!organization,! conflict!as!well!as!general!cultural!challenges. Analysis!of!the!responses!shows!that!for!some!issues!there!are!no!clear!problems! or!challenges!but!for!others!there!are.!Specifically!the!treatment!of!time!and!the! general!timeliness!in!Brazilian!society!seems!to!be!a!challenge!for!Norwegian! expatriates.!Secondly!and!equally!as!challenging!is!the!hierarchical!way!of! organizing!businesses!in!Brazil!compared!to!the!flatter!structure!found!in! Norwegian!businesses.!With!the!hierarchy!comes!also!bureaucracy,!another! factor!that!the!subjects!in!this!thesis!found!to!be!difficult!to!deal!with. The!thesis!is!divided!into!6!chapters!starting!with!“introduction”,!followed!by! chapter!2!“Literature!review”.!Chapter!3!is!“Research!Methodology”!followed!by! chapter!4!“Data!presentation”.!Finally!the!results!are!discussed!in!chapter!5! “Analysis!and!discussion” and!concluded!in!chapter!6.

A dynamic model of price competition with switching and search costs

Em modelos de competição de preços, somente um custo de procura positivo por parte do consumidor não gera equilíbrio com dispersão de preços. Já modelos dinâmicos de switching cost consistentemente geram este fenômeno bastante documentado para preços no varejo. Embora ambas as literaturas sejam vastas, poucos modelos tentaram combinar as duas fricções em um só modelo. Este trabalho apresenta um modelo dinâmico de competição de preços em que consumidores idênticos enfrentam custos de procura e de switching. O equilíbrio gera dispersão nos preços. Ainda, como os consumidores são obrigados a se comprometer com uma amostra fixa de firmas antes dos preços serem definidos, somente dois preços serão considerados antes de cada compra. Este resultado independe do tamanho do custo de procura individual do consumidor.

Public debt and the limits of fiscal policy to increase economic growth

Research that seeks to estimate the effects of fiscal policies on economic growth has ignored the role of public debt in this relationship. This study proposes a theoretical model of endogenous growth, which demonstrates that the level of the public debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio should negatively impact the effect of fiscal policy on growth. This occurs because government indebtedness extracts part of the savings of the young to pay interest on the debts of the older generation, who are no longer saving. Therefore, the payment of debt interest assumes an allocation exchange role between generations that is similar to a pay-as-you-go pension system, which results in changes in the savings rate of the economy. The major conclusions of the theoretical model were tested using an econometric model to provide evidence for the validity of this conclusion. Our empirical analysis controls for timeinvariant, country-specific heterogeneity in the growth rates. We also address endogeneity issues and allow for heterogeneity across countries in the model parameters and for cross-sectional dependence.

R&D investment, international trade, and home market and competitiveness efects

We analyze the effects of R&D investment on international trade. The importance of studying this comes from the fact that one of the most important characteristics of modern industrial organization is that firms try to influence market behavior through strategic variables as R&D. Moreover international competition between firms is, more and more, also centered in R&D competition (besides output and price competition). With this in mind, we develop an oligopolist reciprocal-markets model where firms engage in R&D investment to achieve future reductions in marginal costs. We find ‘home market effects’ at the level of R&D investment, i.e.: firms located in countries that host a higher share of skilled-labor perform higher levels of R&D investment. As consequence, firms in these countries are more competitive than firms in other countries, and as such they can penetrate more easily foreign markets. As result of this ‘competitiveness effect’, countries where these firms are located run trade surplus, while countries where firms perform lower levels of R&D investment incur in trade deficits.

Reestruturação do setor industrial e transformação do espaço urbano de Campina Grande PB : a partir dos anos 1990

The central objective of this thesis is studying the changes in the industrial sector of Campina Grande-PB, in the years 1990, about the size of that space and urban sector. The hypothesis that guides this work is that there was a reconfiguration and industrial space in recent years, the result of the restructuring of productive capital and, secondarily, public policies - economic, urban etc. - implemented in the municipality in the years 1990. This reconfiguration industrial meant thepredominance of certain productive segments of the industry and the shift towards urban-industrial areas (industrial districts). This work is guided in these two axes to explain the changes in the industrial campinense and its consequent impact on the urban development of Campina Grande. It is understood by reconfiguration industrial changes in industrial structure, namely the preponderance of one or more productive segments on the other, changing the scenario of production, employment and the number of establishments. In this study, are considered as institutional structures of support and assistance to industry, the various institutions that directly and indirectly, contribute to the development of productive activity. These structures are the first to undergo institutional changes, physical and policies because of intrinsic connection with the industry. The institutional structures contribute to the development of industrial activity and urban development. In Campina Grande, these institutions are important for facilitating the development of certain segments. In this work, sought to identify the current configuration industrial campinense, explaining how the restructuring of production transformed the industry, modifying the urban space in Campina Grande - PB, to direct itself to specific urban areas, from the early 1990

Escola para os filhos dos outros: trajetória histórica da escola industrial de Natal (1942-1968)

This paper presents a reconstruction of the historical trajectory of the Escola Industrial de Natal (Industrial School of Natal), in the period 1942 to 1968, based on the analysis of its cultural, social and pedagogical characteristics in a process in which its educational practices and the individuals who constructed them were getting involved in their actions. In this sense, the concepts of memory and school culture occupied a central place to understand the elements that characterized its administrative and pedagogical organization such as, for example, its curriculum, aims, disciplinary rules, clientele, teachers, leaders and the configuration of the institutional power. Designed to meet the demands of an industrial process that has strengthened in the country, throughout its history, the Escola Industrial de Natal was becoming a space predominantly occupied by individuals, from economically disadvantaged social groups in society, in search of a professional training that would guarantee them the exercise of a profession. The time frame from 1942 to 1968 allowed us to verify the changes caused by the Organic Law of Industrial Education of 1942, and the Law number 3.552, from 1959, in the organizational structure of this school. In this context, a characteristic that was evident was the purpose of making it flow between the students the love for the country, the respect for civic values and the belief that industrial education would be able to boost the country's development, an aspect that reached a bigger dimension from the 1950 s. Marked the disciplinary character of this institution the control over the actions of individuals, developed through its multiple educational practices in specific areas and in the predetermined time, under the constant gaze of those who participated, in some from, in driving this process. On the other hand, the vocational and human training, provided to students, allowed new opportunities for social integration, not only in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, but also in other regions of Brazil. Conversely, during his career, the Escola Industrial de Natal has remained being seen as an organized institution, with good teachers, but intended for the children of others