Business Process Modelling based on formal temporal theory with an application to hospital patient flows

Existing Workflow Management Systems (WFMSs) follow a pragmatic approach. They often use a proprietary modelling language with an intuitive graphical layout. However the underlying semantics lack a formal foundation. As a consequence, analysis issues, such as proving correctness i.e. soundness and completeness, and reliable execution are not supported at design level. This project will be using an applied ontology approach by formally defining key terms such as process, sub-process, action/task based on formal temporal theory. Current business process modelling (BPM) standards such as Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) and Unified Modelling Language (UML) Activity Diagram (AD) model their constructs with no logical basis. This investigation will contribute to the research and industry by providing a framework that will provide grounding for BPM to reason and represent a correct business process (BP). This is missing in the current BPM domain, and may result in reduction of the design costs and avert the burden of redundant terms used by the current standards. A graphical tool will be introduced which will implement the formal ontology defined in the framework. This new tool can be used both as a modelling tool and at the same time will serve the purpose of validating the model. This research will also fill the existing gap by providing a unified graphical representation to represent a BP in a logically consistent manner for the mainstream modelling standards in the fields of business and IT. A case study will be conducted to analyse a catalogue of existing ‘patient pathways’ i.e. processes, of King’s College Hospital NHS Trust including current performance statistics. Following the application of the framework, a mapping will be conducted, and new performance statistics will be collected. A cost/benefits analysis report will be produced comparing the results of the two approaches.

A general framework for Business Process Modelling (BPM) based on Formal Temporal Theory with an application to Hospital Patient flows

Existing Workflow Management Systems (WFMSs) follow a pragmatic approach. They often use a proprietary modelling language with an intuitive graphical layout. However the underlying semantics lack a formal foundation. As a consequence, analysis issues, such as proving correctness i.e. soundness and completeness, and reliable execution are not supported at design level. This project will be using an applied ontology approach by formally defining key terms such as process, sub-process, action/task based on formal temporal theory. Current business process modelling (BPM) standards such as Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) and Unified Modelling Language (UML) Activity Diagram (AD) model their constructs with no logical basis. This investigation will contribute to the research and industry by providing a framework that will provide grounding for BPM to reason and represent a correct business process (BP). This is missing in the current BPM domain, and may result in reduction of the design costs and avert the burden of redundant terms used by the current standards. A graphical tool will be introduced which will implement the formal ontology defined in the framework. This new tool can be used both as a modelling tool and at the same time will serve the purpose of validating the model. This research will also fill the existing gap by providing a unified graphical representation to represent a BP in a logically consistent manner for the mainstream modelling standards in the fields of business and IT. A case study will be conducted to analyse a catalogue of existing ‘patient pathways’ i.e. processes, of King’s College Hospital NHS Trust including current performance statistics. Following the application of the framework, a mapping will be conducted, and new performance statistics will be collected. A cost/benefits analysis report will be produced comparing the results of the two approaches.

A comunicação empresarial nos mercados internacionais através de feiras exposições

Dissertação de Mestrado Apresentada ao Instituto de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Empreendedorismo e Internacionalização, sob orientação do Mestre Adalmiro Álvaro Malheiro de Castro Andrade Pereira

Dados de reconhecimento facial em Business Intelligence

Vivemos cada vez mais numa era de crescentes avanços tecnológicos em diversas áreas. O que há uns anos atrás era considerado como praticamente impossível, em muitos dos casos, já se tornou realidade. Todos usamos tecnologias como, por exemplo, a Internet, Smartphones e GPSs de uma forma natural. Esta proliferação da tecnologia permitiu tanto ao cidadão comum como a organizações a sua utilização de uma forma cada vez mais criativa e simples de utilizar. Além disso, a cada dia que passa surgem novos negócios e startups, o que demonstra o dinamismo que este crescimento veio trazer para a indústria. A presente dissertação incide sobre duas áreas em forte crescimento: Reconhecimento Facial e Business Intelligence (BI), assim como a respetiva combinação das duas com o objetivo de ser criado um novo módulo para um produto já existente. Tratando-se de duas áreas distintas, é primeiramente feito um estudo sobre cada uma delas. A área de Business Intelligence é vocacionada para organizações e trata da recolha de informação sobre o negócio de determinada empresa, seguindo-se de uma posterior análise. A grande finalidade da área de Business Intelligence é servir como forma de apoio ao processo de tomada de decisão por parte dos analistas e gestores destas organizações. O Reconhecimento Facial, por sua vez, encontra-se mais presente na sociedade. Tendo surgido no passado através da ficção científica, cada vez mais empresas implementam esta tecnologia que tem evoluído ao longo dos anos, chegando mesmo a ser usada pelo consumidor final, como por exemplo em Smartphones. As suas aplicações são, portanto, bastante diversas, desde soluções de segurança até simples entretenimento. Para estas duas áreas será assim feito um estudo com base numa pesquisa de publicações de autores da respetiva área. Desde os cenários de utilização, até aspetos mais específicos de cada uma destas áreas, será assim transmitido este conhecimento para o leitor, o que permitirá uma maior compreensão por parte deste nos aspetos relativos ao desenvolvimento da solução. Com o estudo destas duas áreas efetuado, é então feita uma contextualização do problema em relação à área de atuação da empresa e quais as abordagens possíveis. É também descrito todo o processo de análise e conceção, assim como o próprio desenvolvimento numa vertente mais técnica da solução implementada. Por fim, são apresentados alguns exemplos de resultados obtidos já após a implementação da solução.

A participação: uma âncora para o sucesso educativo

O presente documento reflete o desenvolvimento de um projeto de Educação e Intervenção Social num agrupamento de Escolas TEIP. Ancorado na metodologia de Investigação-ação participativa, o projeto partiu da auscultação dos sentires, perceções e vivências dos sujeitos que integram esta realidade social e desenvolveu-se passando pela reflexão sobre a relação pedagógica entre a escola, professores e a família e do seu contributo para o sucesso educativo dos jovens. A utilização de vários métodos e técnicas permitiu recolher e analisar a informação de onde emergiram vários problemas e perceber as necessidades subjacentes a esses problemas, para as quais foi delineado um projeto de intervenção social e educativa. No âmbito deste projeto, enquadrado pela Educação Social, procurou-se que os diferentes agentes educativos refletissem sobre os seus problemas e pela via da participação procurassem dar resposta a esses mesmos problemas. O projeto, “A participação: Uma âncora para o sucesso educativo”, fruto de um trabalho conjunto dos vários participantes, possibilitou a melhoria das relações entre os intervenientes educativos (jovens, famílias desses jovens, professores, assistentes operacionais e administrativos e diretor) e a transformação da escola num espaço especialmente mais rico em relações e ações com carácter inovador.

BIWiki - Using a Business Intelligence Wiki to Form a Virtual Community of Practice for Portuguese Master's Students

Web 2.0 software in general and wikis in particular have been receiving growing attention as they constitute new and powerful tools, capable of supporting information sharing, creation of knowledge and a wide range of collaborative processes and learning activities. This paper introduces briefly some of the new opportunities made possible by Web 2.0 or the social Internet, focusing on those offered by the use of wikis as learning spaces. A wiki allows documents to be created, edited and shared on a group basis; it has a very easy and efficient markup language, using a simple Web browser. One of the most important characteristics of wiki technology is the ease with which pages are created and edited. The facility for wiki content to be edited by its users means that its pages and structure form a dynamic entity, in permanent evolution, where users can insert new ideas, supplement previously existing information and correct errors and typos in a document at any time, up to the agreed final version. This paper explores wikis as a collaborative learning and knowledge-building space and its potential for supporting Virtual Communities of Practice (VCoPs). In the academic years (2007/8 and 2008/9), students of the Business Intelligence module at the Master's programme of studies on Knowledge Management and Business Intelligence at Instituto Superior de Estatistica e Gestao de Informacao of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, have been actively involved in the creation of BIWiki - a wiki for Business Intelligence in the Portuguese language. Based on usage patterns and feedback from students participating in this experience, some conclusions are drawn regarding the potential of this technology to support the emergence of VCoPs; some provisional suggestions will be made regarding the use of wikis to support information sharing, knowledge creation and transfer and collaborative learning in Higher Education.

Consulting to social entrepreneurship initiatives - using business skills to help solve social problems: ERG: A sustainable approach

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Business plan analysis of a Brazilian software company

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Business plan for the brand My Tea Break

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Business development in Siemens global shared services delivery center Portugal

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Market analysis of a new business opportunity in mobile-casual gaming: Partnership between Nmusic and Rovio Entertainment Ltd

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Higher education branding: Nova School of Business and Economics and Bocconi University

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Growing globally: Is it reasonable for Logoplaste to enter the Colombian rigid plastic packaging market?

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

How to optimize Lipton’s business model in order to stimulate tea consumption in Portugal and increase Lipton Leaf tea market share?: The importance of distribution and sales channels management in a B2B2C market

Field Lab Entrepreneurial Innovative Ventures