Multicriteria decision making: a case study in the automobile industry

Multi-criteria decision analysis(MCDA) has been one of the fastest-growing areas of operations research during the last decades. The academic attention devoted to MCDA motivated the development of a great variety of approaches and methods within the field. These methods distinguish themselves in terms of procedures, theoretical assumptions and type of decision addressed. This diversity poses challenges to the process of selecting the most suited method for a specific real-world decision problem. In this paper we present a case study in a real-world decision problem arising in the painting sector of an automobile plant. We tackle the problem by resorting to the well-known AHP method and to the MCDA method proposed by Pereira and Fontes (2012) (MMASSI). By relying on two, rather than one, MCDA methods we expect to improve the confidence and robustness of the obtained results. The contributions of this paper are twofold: first, we intend to investigate the contrasts and similarities of the results obtained by distinct MCDA approaches (AHP and MMASSI); secondly, we expect to enrich the literature of the field with a real-world MCDA case study on a complex decision making problem since there is a paucity of applied research work addressing real decision problems faced by organizations.

O Relato financeiro nas IPSS: Estudo de caso de uma IPSS do concelho de Vila Nova de Gaia

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentado ao Instituto de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Contabilidade e Finanças, sob orientação de Professora Doutora Ana Maria Alves Bandeira e Professora Doutora Deolinda Meira

Multicriteria decision making: a case study in the automobile industry

Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) has been one of the fastest-growing areas of operations research during the last decades. The academic attention devoted to MCDA motivated the development of a great variety of approaches and methods within the field. These methods distinguish themselves in terms of procedures, theoretical assumptions and type of decision addressed. This diversity poses challenges to the process of selecting the most suited method for a specific real-world decision problem. In this paper we present a case study in a real-world decision problem arising in the painting sector of an automobile plant. We tackle the problem by resorting to the well-known AHP method and to the MCDA method proposed by Pereira and Fontes (2012) (MMASSI). By relying on two, rather than one, MCDA methods we expect to improve the confidence and robustness of the obtained results. The contributions of this paper are twofold: first, we intend to investigate the contrasts and similarities of the results obtained by distinct MCDA approaches (AHP and MMASSI); secondly, we expect to enrich the literature of the field with a real-world MCDA case study on a complex decision making problem since there is a paucity of applied research work addressing real decision problems faced by organizations.

Static detection of anomalies in transactional memory programs

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para a obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informática

CMOS indoor light energy harvesting system for wireless sensing applications

This book discusses in detail the CMOS implementation of energy harvesting. The authors describe an integrated, indoor light energy harvesting system, based on a controller circuit that dynamically and automatically adjusts its operation to meet the actual light circumstances of the environment where the system is placed. The system is intended to power a sensor node, enabling an autonomous wireless sensor network (WSN). Although designed to cope with indoor light levels, the system is also able to work with higher levels, making it an all-round light energy harvesting system. The discussion includes experimental data obtained from an integrated manufactured prototype, which in conjunction with a photovoltaic (PV) cell, serves as a proof of concept of the desired energy harvesting system. © 2016 Springer International Publishing. All rights are reserved.

Group decision making for selection of an information system in a business context

The main objective of this work is to report on the development of a multi-criteria methodology to support the assessment and selection of an Information System (IS) framework in a business context. The objective is to select a technological partner that provides the engine to be the basis for the development of a customized application for shrinkage reduction on the supply chains management. Furthermore, the proposed methodology di ers from most of the ones previously proposed in the sense that 1) it provides the decision makers with a set of pre-defined criteria along with their description and suggestions on how to measure them and 2)it uses a continuous scale with two reference levels and thus no normalization of the valuations is required. The methodology here proposed is has been designed to be easy to understand and use, without a specific support of a decision making analyst.

Stochastic Framework for Strategic Decision-making of Load-serving Entities for Day-ahead Market

The deregulation of electricity markets has diversified the range of financial transaction modes between independent system operator (ISO), generation companies (GENCO) and load-serving entities (LSE) as the main interacting players of a day-ahead market (DAM). LSEs sell electricity to end-users and retail customers. The LSE that owns distributed generation (DG) or energy storage units can supply part of its serving loads when the nodal price of electricity rises. This opportunity stimulates them to have storage or generation facilities at the buses with higher locational marginal prices (LMP). The short-term advantage of this model is reducing the risk of financial losses for LSEs in DAMs and its long-term benefit for the LSEs and the whole system is market power mitigation by virtually increasing the price elasticity of demand. This model also enables the LSEs to manage the financial risks with a stochastic programming framework.

Designing a technology assessment post-graduation programme: experiences, limits and needs

The post-graduation in the field of Technology Assessment (TA) is recent and that are several and different ways to be organised. Most experiences are related with the Masters diplom level (2nd cycle of graduation in high education). Just one in PhD level is explicit in the field of TA, and some other PhD courses include also TA topics in their programme structure. In this chapter we will analyse the problems related with the design of a post-graduation (MA, MSc or PhD) programme in the field of TA using as reference some international experiences. Hereby, the main conclusion seems to address labour market needs in the specialised knowledge of TA, of technology management or technology innovation. In this sense TA should be included as “minor” into post-graduation courses which may range from engineering disciplines to social sciences. As a graduation programme it can fill an expertise gap between technicians, engineers, scientists and the strategic decision makers or policy makers.

THE MAKING OF THE IMMIGRANT IDENTITY IN THE PRESS: Constructing the Immigrant Imagined Community

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Arts

Designing a technology assessment post-graduation programme: experiences, limits and needs

IET Working Papers Series No. WPS09/2010

The Vasco da Gama Bridge on the Tagus Estuary: A paradigm of bad decision making, but good post-evaluation

World Transport Policy & Practice, Vol.6, nº2, (2000)

Sistema de apoio à decisão do rastreio do cancro da mama

O estudo do rastreio do cancro da mama funciona não só como um benefício, mas também como um método que pode causar controvérsias nas mulheres consideradas saudáveis antes de se submeterem ao rastreio. Assim, a necessidade do utente adquirir conhecimento sobre as vantagens e desvantagens do rastreio do cancro da mama é fundamental para decidir se, se submete ou não, a este rastreio. A decisão do paciente é crucial na decisão final e as consequências já devem ser do seu conhecimento. Com este estudo, pretendeu-se o desenvolvimento de um Sistema de Informação (SI) na Web, que funcione como auxiliar no processo de tomada de decisão para a realização do rastreio do cancro da mama. A decisão do componente do SI é fundamental, com o objetivo de auxiliar os utilizadores no processo de tomada de decisão para a realização do rastreio do cancro da mama. O desenvolvimento da plataforma “Decidir”, apresenta-se numa aplicação crucial no domínio médico da decisão do rastreio do cancro da mama, onde referências às suas controvérsias e benefícios são fundamentais para um melhor cuidado de saúde. Para esse efeito foram implementadas duas ferramentas para ajudar na decisão de realizar ou não o rastreio do cancro da mama. A primeira ferramenta resulta na decisão pessoal de cada indivíduo (paciente/profissionais de saúde), que pode ser variável, conforme um conjunto de proposições relevantes no aspeto pessoal e clínico para a tomada de decisão do rastreio nesta área.

Industrial networks: are they a new and alternative way to conduct business or just a logical consequence of a globalising economy?

Based on a report for the seminar Industrial Networks, at Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main Dozent: Prof. Dr. Blättel-Mink, Prof. Dr. António Moniz SS 2011

Os sistemas de apoio à decisão na área dos cuidados primários: implementação de um sistema de apoio à decisão numa unidade de saúde familiar

Saber qual o papel de um Sistema de Apoio à Decisão na gestão estratégica de uma Unidade de Saúde Familiar; perceber qual a importância, no desempenho deste tipo de instituições, que estes Sistemas de Informação poderão assumir e identificar de que forma este gênero de software pode auxiliar a tomada de decisões estratégica da gestão das Unidades de Cuidados de Saúde Primários, são algumas das interrogações cuja relevância se verifica ser cada vez mais crescente e que se irão analisar no presente estudo. Para dar resposta às interrogações supra citadas é necessário conhecer o contexto no qual a organização está inserida, assim como perceber se a visão dos seus colaboradores (realizando-se para isso um inquérito por questionário aos colaboradores da Unidade de Saúde Familiar) é idêntica à realidade demonstrada através dos dados do histórico da instituição (recolhendo, estudando e efetuando estudos analíticos com o auxílio de um Sistema de Apoio à Decisão escolhido para o efeito – Weka). Tendo em conta o percurso anteriormente referido é assim possível inferir que é notória a positividade que os Sistemas de Apoio à Decisão podem ter no que é o dia-a-dia de uma Unidade de Saúde Familiar, tendo em conta que facilitam a análise de dados e podem até antecipar cenários futuros analisando o passado da instituição.

A framework for supporting knowledge representation – an ontological based approach

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores