Shortening the decision distance: Selecting decision aids for improved technology investment performance

Deciding which technology to invest in is a recurring issue for technology managers, and the ability to successfully identify the right technology can be a make or break decision for a company. The effects of globalisation have made this issue even more imperative. Not only do companies have to be competitive by global standards but increasingly they have to source technological capabilities from overseas as well. Technology managers already have a variety of decision aids to draw upon, including valuation tools, for example DCF and real options; decision trees; and technology roadmapping. However little theory exists on when, where, why or even how to best apply particular decision aids. Rather than developing further techniques, this paper reviews the relevance and limitations of existing techniques. This is drawn from an on going research project which seeks to support technology managers in selecting and applying existing decision aids and potentially in the design of future decision aids. It is intended that through improving the selection of decision aids, decision performance can be increased, leading to more effective allocation of resources and hence competitive advantage. (c) 2006 PICMET.

Customizing the technology roadmapping technique for software companies

Software importance keeps growing fast and consistently for many organizations. The growth of software functionality in manufactured products and the emergence of digital media, convergent spaces including digital content, software, and multi-channels to the market, are recent examples of organizational changes where software assumed a central position for the corporate strategy. This paper analyzes the alignment between strategic objectives and software development processes at software companies and proposes a methodology to ensure that development processes are aligned with the corporate capabilities required to exploit future market opportunities. The methodology includes the categorization of different software companies according to their core capabilities and the customization of the technology roadmapping technique for software companies. The research process included the realization of case studies and a survey. (c) 2006 PICMET.

Performance of magnesia cements in porous blocks in acid and magnesium environments

The performance of porous blocks containing three different reactive magnesia-based cements - namely magnesia alone, magnesium oxide: Portland cement (PC) in 1:1 ratio, cured in ambient conditions, and magnesia alone, cured at elevated carbon dioxide conditions, in hydrochloric acid and magnesium sulfate solution - was investigated. Different aggressive chemical solution conditions were used, to which the samples were exposed for up to 12 months and then tested for strength and microstructure. The performance was also compared with that of standard PC-based blocks. The results showed the significant resistance to chemical attack offered by magnesia, both alone and with PC blend in the porous blocks when cured under ambient carbon dioxide conditions, and confirmed the much poorer performance of blocks made from PC alone. The blocks of solely magnesia cured in elevated carbon dioxide conditions, at 20% concentration, showed slightly lower resistance to acid attack than PC; however, the resistance to sulfate attack was much higher. © 2012 Thomas Telford Ltd.

PH-dependent leaching behaviour and other performance properties of cement-treated mixed contaminated soil

Portland cement has been widely used for stabilisation/solidification (S/S) treatment of contaminated soils. However, there is a dearth of literature on pH-dependent leaching of contaminants from cement-treated soils. This study investigates the leachability of Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) from a mixed contaminated soil. A sandy soil was spiked with 3000 mg/kg each of Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn, and 10,000 mg/kg of diesel, and treated with ordinary Portland cement (CEM I). Four different binder dosages, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% (m/m) and different water contents ranging from 13%-19% dry weight were used in order to find a safe operating envelope for the treatment process. The pH-dependent leaching behaviour of the treated soil was monitored over an 84-day period using a 3-point acid neutralisation capacity (ANC) test. The monolithic leaching test was also conducted. Geotechnical properties such as unconfined compressive strength (UCS), hydraulic conductivity and porosity were assessed over time. The treated soils recorded lower leachate concentrations of Ni and Zn compared to the untreated soil at the same pH depending on binder dosage. The binder had problems with Pb stabilisation and TPH leachability was independent of pH and binder dosage. The hydraulic conductivity of the mixes was generally of the order, 10-8 m/sec, while the porosity ranged from 26%-44%. The results of selected performance properties are compared with regulatory limits and the range of operating variables that lead to acceptable performance described. © 2012 The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Gaps between assistive technologies and dementia care

A growing number of people are now entering the elderly age category in Japan; this raises the likelihood of more persons with dementia, as the probability of becoming cognitively impaired increases with age. There is an increasing need for caregivers who are well trained and experienced and who can pay special attention to the needs of people with dementia. Technology can play an important role in helping such people and their caregivers. A lack of mutual understanding between caregivers and researchers regarding the appropriate uses of assistive technologies is another problem. We have described the relationship between information and communication technology (ICT), especially assistive technologies, and social issues as a first step towards developing a technology roadmap. © 2012 IEEE.

Beyond niche thinking: Market selection in science-based ventures

Matching a new technology to an appropriate market is a major challenge for new technology-based firms (NTBF). Such firms are often advised to target niche-markets where the firms and their technologies can establish themselves relatively free of incumbent competition. However, technologies are diverse in nature and do not benefit from identical strategies. In contrast to many Information and Communication Technology (ICT) innovations which build on an established knowledge base for fairly specific applications, technologies based on emerging science are often generic and so have a number of markets and applications open to them, each carrying considerable technological and market uncertainty. Each of these potential markets is part of a complex and evolving ecosystem from which the venture may have to access significant complementary assets in order to create and sustain commercial value. Based on dataset and case study research on UK advanced material university spin-outs (USO), we find that, contrary to conventional wisdom, the more commercially successful ventures were targeting mainstream markets by working closely with large, established competitors during early development. While niche markets promise protection from incumbent firms, science-based innovations, such as new materials, often require the presence, and participation, of established companies in order to create value. © 2012 IEEE.

Proposal of a method to clarify and enhance decision-making at the front-end of innovation

Decision-making at the front-end of innovation is critical for the success of companies. This paper presents a simple visual method, called DMCA (Decision-Making Criteria Assessment), which was created to clarify and improve decision-making at the front-end of innovation. The method maps the uncertainty of project information and importance of decision criteria, compiling a measure that indicates whether the decision is highly uncertain, what information interferes with it, and what criteria are actually being considered. The DMCA method was tested in two projects that faced decision-making issues, and the results confirm the benefits of using this method in decision-making at the front-end. © 2012 IEEE.

Cement-fly ash stabilisation/solidification of contaminated soil: Performance properties and initiation of operating envelopes

This study was aimed at evaluating the mechanical and pH-dependent leaching performance of a mixed contaminated soil treated with a mixture of Portland cement (CEMI) and pulverised fuel ash (PFA). It also sought to develop operating envelopes, which define the range(s) of operating variables that result in acceptable performance. A real site soil with low contaminant concentrations, spiked with 3000mg/kg each of Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn, and 10,000mg/kg of diesel, was treated with one part CEMI and four parts PFA (CEMI:PFA=1:4) using different binder and water contents. The performance was assessed over time using unconfined compressive strength (UCS), hydraulic conductivity, acid neutralisation capacity (ANC) and pH-dependent leachability of contaminants. With binder dosages ranging from 5% to 20% and water contents ranging from 14% to 21% dry weight, the 28-day UCS was up to 500kPa and hydraulic conductivity was around 10-8m/s. With leachant pH extremes of 7.2 and 0.85, leachability of the contaminants was in the range: 0.02-3500mg/kg for Cd, 0.35-1550mg/kg for Cu, 0.03-92mg/kg for Pb, 0.01-3300mg/kg for Ni, 0.02-4010mg/kg for Zn, and 7-4884mg/kg for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), over time. Design charts were produced from the results of the study, which show the water and/or binder proportions that could be used to achieve relevant performance criteria. The charts would be useful for the scale-up and design of stabilisation/solidification (S/S) treatment of similar soil types impacted with the same types of contaminants. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Relating monolithic and granular leaching from contaminated soil treated with different cementitious binders.

This work employed a clayey, silty, sandy gravel contaminated with a mixture of metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn) and diesel. The contaminated soil was treated with 5 and 10% dosages of different cementitious binders. The binders include Portland cement, cement-fly ash, cement-slag and lime-slag mixtures. Monolithic leaching from the treated soils was evaluated over a 64-day period alongside granular leachability of 49- and 84-day old samples. Surface wash-off was the predominant leaching mechanism for monolithic samples. In this condition, with data from different binders and curing ages combined, granular leachability as a function of monolithic leaching generally followed degrees 4 and 6 polynomial functions. The only exception was for Cu, which followed the multistage dose-response model. The relationship between both leaching tests varied with the type of metal, curing age/residence time of monolithic samples in the leachant, and binder formulation. The results provide useful design information on the relationship between leachability of metals from monolithic forms of S/S treated soils and the ultimate leachability in the eventual breakdown of the stabilized/solidified soil.

Carbonating magnesia for soil stabilization

This paper investigates the potential for carbonating reactive magnesia (MgO) to serve as a more sustainable soil stabilization method by providing rapid and significant strength development of the stabilized soil through absorbing substantial quantities of CO2. Gaseous CO2 was forced through laboratory-prepared reactive MgO-treated soil samples in a triaxial cell set-up, and their resulting mechanical and microstructural properties were investigated using unconfined compressive strength, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that adequately carbonated MgO-treated soils could, in a few hours, reach a similar strength range to corresponding 28 day Portland cement (PC)-stabilized soils. Hydrated magnesium carbonates, namely nesquehonite and hydromagnesite-dypingite, were the main products of the carbonated MgO in the soil, and were responsible for the significant strength development.

Impact of hydrated magnesium carbonate additives on the carbonation of reactive MgO cements

Reactive magnesia (MgO) cements have emerged as a potentially more sustainable and technically superior alternative to Portland cement due to their lower production temperature and ability to sequester significant quantities of CO2. Porous blocks containing MgO were found to achieve higher strength values than PC blocks. A number of variables are investigated to achieve maximum carbonation and associated high strengths. This paper focuses on the impact of four different hydrated magnesium carbonates (HMCs) as cement replacements of either 20 or 50%. Accelerated carbonation (20 C, 70-90% RH, 20% CO2) is compared with natural curing (20 C, 60-70% RH, ambient CO2). SEM, TG/DTA, XRD, and HCl acid digestion are utilized to provide a thorough understanding of the performance of MgO-cement porous blocks. The presence of HMCs resulted in the formation of larger size carbonation products with a different morphology than those in the control mix, leading to significantly enhanced carbonation and strength. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Initial investigation into the use of GGBS-MgO in soil stabilisation

Portland cement (PC) is the most widely used binder for ground improvement. However, there are significant environmental impacts associated with its production in terms of high energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Hence, the use of industrial by-products materials or new low-carbon footprint alternative cements has been encouraged. Ground granulated blastfurnace slag (GGBS), a by-product of the steel industry, has been successfully used for such an application, usually activated with an alkali such as lime or PC. In this study the use of MgO as a novel activator for GGBS in ground improvement of soft soils is addressed and its performance was compared to the above two conventional activators as well as PC alone. The GGBS:activator ratio used in this study was 9:1. A range of tests was performed at three curing periods (7, 28 and 90 days), including unconfined compressive strength (UCS), permeability and microstructure analysis. The results show that the MgO performed as the most efficient activator yielding the highest strength and the lowest permeability indicating a very high stabilisation efficiency of the system. © 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.