Evaluating End-User Training Effectiveness in ERP System Implementation

Today’s business world demands more and more internal and external integration and transparency among companies at all fields. Integrated ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems offer a possibility to improve business practices and procedures by providing a unified view on the business including all functions and departments. Due to the obvious benefits, the popularity of integrated ERP systems keeps growing. The implementation of ERP systems has however proven risky. The implementation projects tend to be long, extensive, and costly – and often they end up in a failure. Due to the significant task and role changes ERP implementation brings to almost everybody in the company, training has been identified as one of the most critical success factors of an ERP implementation. To ensure that the training is conducted in the most effective and successful manner, the training outcomes should be evaluated. So far, training evaluation has however gained only limited attention at most companies investing in different training programs. Uponor corporation has initiated a large ERP implementation and process harmonization program in 2004. Thousands of end-users have been trained during this project so far, and the work still continues until the project is completed in 2010. In this thesis, the evaluation of end-user training in Uponor’s ERP program is brought further from the current state of performing the basic participant satisfaction survey in the end of each class. The results show that in order to reach reliable training effectiveness evaluation results, not only the reaction towards training but also transfer of skills and attitudes and the final results of the training program should be evaluated.

Compliance of crane electrics with electrical safety standards and codes

Master’s thesis focuses on the questions of crane electrics compliance with electrical safety standards. Overview and short comparison of the world’s effective standards in the field is made in order to understand their demands. Basic concepts of a proper electrical circuit design are presented. Characteristics, construction and operation principles of overcurrent protective devices are studied in details. Electrics of the basic crane is designed according to the assumed customer’s demands, compliance with the requirements of the standards is checked. Solutions to achieve better compliance in some issues are proposed. Accent is made on the National Electrical Code (NEC) and standards by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) latests demands. Requirements of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) are also taken into account.

Development of Calculation Procedures for Wastewater Treatment Technologies for a Training System

Efficient designs and operations of water and wastewater treatment systems are largely based on mathematical calculations. This even applies to training in the treatment systems. Therefore, it is necessary that calculation procedures are developed and computerised a priori for such applications to ensure effectiveness. This work was aimed at developing calculation procedures for gas stripping, depth filtration, ion exchange, chemical precipitation, and ozonation wastewater treatment technologies to include them in ED-WAVE, a portable computer based tool used in design, operations and training in wastewater treatment. The work involved a comprehensive online and offline study of research work and literature, and application of practical case studies to generate ED-WAVE compatible representations of the treatment technologies which were then uploaded into the tool.

The family school : the impact of a group training programme on overactive hard-to-manage preschool children and their parents

Föräldraskap upplevs som en utmanande uppgift i dag och det påstås att föräldrar oftare än förr skulle var i behov av råd och stöd beträffande barnuppfostran. Denna uppgift kan ytterligare försvåras om det i familjen finns ett hyperaktivt okoncentrerat barn att uppfostra. Detta arbete undersökte effekterna av ett kortvarigt gruppbaserat interventionsprogram benämnt Familjeskolan POP (Preschool Overactivity Programme). Familjeskolan är avsedd för familjer med barn i lekåldern, som visar beteendesvårigheter såsom ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), ODD (Oppositional Deficit Disorder) eller CD (Conduct Disorder). Målet för Familjeskolan är att öka föräldrarnas kunskaper och självförtroende då de har ett krävande svårhanterligt barn att uppfostra. Familjeskolan strävar också till att reducera barns icke-önskvärda beteenden genom att öka deras sociala färdigheter och koncentrationsförmåga. Familjeskolan verkställdes i Helsingfors vid ADHD- centrets lokaliteter. 45 mödrar och deras barn från huvudstadsregionen deltog i denna undersökning. Av dessa deltog 33 i Familjeskola-programmet medan de 12 övriga bildade den s.k. kontrollgruppen. Undersökningsresultaten tyder på förbättringar beträffande både moderns och faderns föräldrakunskaper efter Familjeskola-interventionen. Det är att lägga märke till att enbart mödrar deltog i interventionsprogrammet. Efter programmet klarade mödrar enligt egen utsaga vardagen bättre. Speciellt hade de blivit bättre på att hantera barnens beteendesvårigheter och hyperaktivt okoncentrerat beteende. Resultaten påvisade också att programmet var effektivast för de mödrar som före Familjeskolan upplevde sig besitta ringa föräldrakunskaper. Mödrarna rapporterade en signifikant minskning i barnens totala beteendesvårigheter. Efter interventionen ansåg mödrarna att deras barn var mindre olydiga, hyperaktiva samt att deras beteendesvårigheter var lindrigare. Enligt dagvårdspersonalen hade barnens totala beteendesvårigheter och problem med koncentration och hyperaktivitet också minskat. Motsvarande förbättringar uppnåddes inte i kontrollgruppen. Resultaten från uppföljningsintervjun, visade också att barnens beteendeförändringar var bestående både hemma och i daghemmet. Både föräldrar och dagvårdspersonalen rapporterade en signifikant minskning i barnens totala svårigheter jämfört med innan familjerna påbörjade interventionen. Föräldrarna rapporterade en marginell minskning i barnens ADHD-liknande beteende, beteendesvårigheter och i svårigheter med kamrater, dagvårdspersonalen däremot rapporterade en signifikant minskning i barnens beteendesvårigheter, hyperaktivt/okoncentrerat beteende samt i svårigheter med kamrater mellan innan familjerna påbörjade interventionen och uppföljningen ett år efter. Resultaten av denna undersökning stödjer hypotesen att kortvariga gruppbaserade interventionsprogram kan åstadkomma permanenta förbättringar i föräldrakunskaper och barns beteende. Detta gäller främst hyperaktivitet, koncentrationssvårigheter och trotsighet.

Sähköisen itseopiskelutyökalun käyttö toiminnanohjausjärjestelmän loppukäyttäjien kouluttamisen tukena

Tutkimuksessa on tutkittu sähköisen itseopiskelutyökalun käyttöä toiminnanohjausjärjestelmän loppukäyttäjien kouluttamisen tukena. Tutkimuksen tavoitteina oli selvittää onko intra- tai internetin yli käytettävän sähköisen itseopiskeluympäristön käyttö organisaatiolle hyödyllistä ja kuinka nykyistä, sähköistä itseopiskelua hyödyntävää koulutusratkaisua voitaisiin kehittää edelleen. Tutkimus on toteutettu Liikennevirastossa syksyn 2010 ja kevään 2011 aikana. Tutkimus oli luonteeltaan laadullinen ja sen aineisto kerättiin haastatteluin, kirjallisena palautteena ja perehtymällä aiheeseen liittyviin tieteellisiin julkaisuihin. Tutkimuksen tuloksena todettiin luokkahuonekoulutuksen rinnalla käytetyn sähköisen itseopiskeluympäristön tukevan toiminnanohjausjärjestelmän järjestelmätoimintojen teknistä kouluttamista loppukäyttäjille, mutta käytettävien toimintatapojen ja kokonaiskuvan kouluttamiseen tarvitaan myös muuta tukimateriaalia. Kehitysehdotuksena nykyiseen ratkaisuun suositeltiin yksittäisiä järjestelmätoimintoja kouluttavien harjoitusten selkeämpään sijoittamiseen osaksi toiminnanohjauksen kokonaiskuvaa ja -prosessia. Näin loppukäyttäjät voisivat paremmin ymmärtää suorittamiensa toimintojen ja itsensä sijoittumisen osaksi toiminnanohjauksen liiketoimintaprosesseja.

Adherence and perceptions regarding simulation training in undergraduate health Sciences

BACKGROUND: Simulation techniques are spreading rapidly in medicine. Suc h resources are increasingly concentrated in Simulation Laboratories. The MSRP-USP is structuring such a laboratory and is interested in the prevalence of individual initiatives that could be centralized there. The MSRP-USP currently has five full-curriculum courses in the health sciences: Medicine, Speech Therapy, Physical Therapy, Nutrition, and Occupational Therapy, all consisting of core disciplines. GOAL: To determine the prevalence of simulation techniques in the regular courses at MSRP-USP. METHODS: Coordinators of disciplines in the various courses were interviewed using a specifically designed semi-structured questionnaire, and all the collected data were stored in a dedicated database. The disciplines were grouped according to whether they used (GI) or did not use (GII) simulation resources. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: 256 disciplines were analyzed, of which only 18.3% used simulation techniques, varying according to course: Medicine (24.7.3%), Occupational Therapy (23.0%), Nutrition (15.9%), Physical Therapy (9.8%), and Speech Therapy (9.1%). Computer simulation programs predominated (42.5%) in all five courses. The resources were provided mainly by MSRP-USP (56.3%), with additional funding coming from other sources based on individual initiatives. The same pattern was observed for maintenance. There was great interest in centralizing the resources in the new Simulation Laboratory in order to facilitate maintenance, but there was concern about training and access to the material. CONCLUSIONS: 1) The MSRP-USP simulation resources show low complexity and are mainly limited to computer programs; 2) Use of simulation varies according to course, and is most prevalent in Medicine; 3) Resources are scattered across several locations, and their acquisition and maintenance depend on individual initiatives rather than central coordination or curricular guidelines

Horizontal pressures in cylindrical metal silos and comparison with different international standards

The focus of this research was to evaluate the horizontal pressures on a cylindrical metal silo of corrugated walls and flat bottom with 1.82m diameter and 5.4m high, and to compare the values with those obtained theoretically by the ISO 11697, EP 433 and AS 3774 standards. The silo was symmetrically filled and constant speed with wheat cv. soft red for two different height/diameter ratios (H/D) and was unloaded through three orifices with a diameter of 71.6mm, one concentric and two eccentrics. Horizontal pressures were measured on the walls of the silo at three positions using hydraulic type pressure cells. The results showed that shortly after the start of the unloading, there was a mass flow above the quota of H/D = 1.2, whereas below this quota funnel flow occurred. It can be said that the EP 433 standard was more appropriate to predict horizontal pressures in silos in H/D ratio = 1.0, with eccentric unloading. For the H/D ratio = 1.5, AS 3774 standard was the one that produced values closer to the experimental.

Outlining precision boundaries among areas with different variability standards using magnetic susceptibility and geomorphic surfaces

There is an increasing demand for detailed maps that represent in a simplified way the knowledge of the variability of a particular area or region maps. The objective was to outline precision boundaries among areas with different accuracy variability standards using magnetic susceptibility and geomorphic surfaces. The study was conducted in an area of 110 ha, which identified three compartment landscapes based on the geomorphic surfaces model. To determinate pH, organic matter, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium, the total sand and clay, 514 soil samples were collected at depths of 0-0.20 m and 0.60-0.80 m. The sum of base, cationic exchange capacity and base saturation were calculated and the magnetic susceptibility was evaluated in the laboratory using a system based on a balance of analytical precision method. Geomorphic surfaces identification allowed setting specific management areas (locations with maximum homogeneity of soil attributes). The map of spatial variability of magnetic susceptibility can be used to validate the precise boundaries among geomorphic surfaces identified in the field and infer the variability of clay content and soil base saturation.

CSR standards and financial performance in forest industry - Empirical analysis

The definition of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been developed since 1950s but even today there is no consensus what CSR includes. The main purpose of this thesis was to find out whether financial performance is better among first adopters of CSR standards in forest industry. To support the main purpose it was critical also investigate what kind of companies adopt CSR standards. The empirical part of the thesis based on a survey which was done in 2010 to forest industry companies and financial data that was gathered from different databases from years 2003-2010. According to the research results it seems the early CSR standards adopters benefits the position of the first adopter many times. Especially cash position and solvency of early adopter companies were better than later adopters or those who did not adopt CSR standards at all. Profitability seemed to be better among CSR standards adopters but early adopters did not have significantly better position compared to later adopters. CSR standards adopters were companies that considered themselves as environmental performance pioneers and had employee oriented management.

Hazard Risk Management in Large Nordic Companies' Operations in Russia

The objective of this research was to describe how Nordic companies manage hazard risks in their operations in Russia and how the local business environment is considered to affect the hazard risks. Research methods used in this research were literature review and expert interviews. Twelve Nordic industrial companies operating in different fields of industry were interviewed. Large Nordic companies typically guide risk management centralized from the parent company on behalf of the whole company group and the risk management standards and policies are integrated in all subsidiaries. Parent companies typically control hazard risk management in Russia by regular risk management reporting, auditing the Russian sites and by training local managers and employees to risk management work. Many companies have experienced several losses in the first years of operating in Russia before the risk management policies have been implemented in Russian subsidiaries. The companies have learned to take local characteristics better into account by experience and most companies are quite satisfied with their current risk management standards in Russia. The interviews indicate that companies experience especially the poor quality of infrastructure, some features in Russian organizational culture and high level of criminality to increase hazard risks in Russia. However, understanding these features and risks in the business environment makes the management of these risks possible. Risks related to infrastructure can be managed in advance by decreasing dependencies of infrastructure and considering the infrastructure quality already when planning the business operations. Also good local network is often considered critical in order to overcome the complications related to infrastructure. Russian personnel has typically different attitude towards risk management than Nordic personnel and neglecting safety and maintenance and concealing losses is more typical in Russia. By training and guiding the local personnel risk management and safety work and desired ways of actions these risks can be decreased. Criminality risks are often managed to certain extent by investing in security, increasing supervising and paying attention to reliability of the employees and other interest groups of the company.