Managing global network operations along the engineering value chain

Purpose: This paper aims to improve understanding of how to manage global network operations from an engineering perspective. Design/methodology/approach: This research adopted a theory building approach based on case studies. Grounded in the existing literature, the theoretical framework was refined and enriched through nine in-depth case studies in the industry sectors of aerospace, automotives, defence and electrics and electronics. Findings: This paper demonstrates the main value creation mechanisms of global network operations along the engineering value chain. Typical organisational features to support the value creation mechanisms are captured, and the key issues in engineering network design and operations are presented with an overall framework. Practical implications: Evidenced by a series of pilot applications, outputs of this research can help companies to improve the performance of their current engineering networks and design new engineering networks to better support their global businesses and customers in a systematic way. Originality/value: Issues about the design and operations of global engineering networks (GEN) are poorly understood in the existing literature in contrast to their apparent importance in value creation and realisation. To address this knowledge gap, this paper introduces the concept of engineering value chain to highlight the potential of a value chain approach to the exploration of engineering activities in a complex business context. At the same time, it develops an overall framework for managing GEN along the engineering value chain. This improves our understanding of engineering in industrial value chains and extends the theoretical understanding of GEN through integrating the engineering network theories and the value chain concepts. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Building a network Operations Center (NOC) solution

Esta dissertação contextualiza e descreve a actividade prática do quotidiano de um gestor de redes informáticas modernas. Define Network Operations Center (NOC) e a sua importância como provedor de serviços de Internet, e aborda a gestão de redes como alicerce teórico mediante a tomada de decisões que a tarefa de gestão coloca. É com base na complexidade da tarefa de gestão que surge a necessidade e o aparecimento consequente de Plataformas de Gestão. Estas plataformas não só auxiliam na tarefa para a qual foram desenvolvidas como substituem todo um conjunto de ferramentas tradicionais, limitadas para a realidade das infraestruturas de telecomunicações actuais. O estudo do NOC da NOS Madeira enfatiza a problemática que as infra-estruturas de média e grande dimensão comportam para os gestores de redes que lá operam. As limitações da plataforma de gestão em uso referentes à definição e organização de utilizadores, dispositivos e grupos respectivos, conjuntamente com a falta de parametrização em notificações justificam uma solução. Aqui, é feita uma análise e um levantamento de requisitos para a selecção da nova plataforma de gestão seguida da proposta de uma solução integrada para resolução do problema. Esta proposta envolve a definição de uma arquitectura, o desenho e a implementação de software próprios para um sistema particular ao qual designamos: ZenDash.

Building a network Operations Center (NOC) solution

Esta dissertação contextualiza e descreve a actividade prática do quotidiano de um gestor de redes informáticas modernas. Define Network Operations Center (NOC) e a sua importância como provedor de serviços de Internet, e aborda a gestão de redes como alicerce teórico mediante a tomada de decisões que a tarefa de gestão coloca. É com base na complexidade da tarefa de gestão que surge a necessidade e o aparecimento consequente de Plataformas de Gestão. Estas plataformas não só auxiliam na tarefa para a qual foram desenvolvidas como substituem todo um conjunto de ferramentas tradicionais, limitadas para a realidade das infraestruturas de telecomunicações actuais. O estudo do NOC da NOS Madeira enfatiza a problemática que as infra-estruturas de média e grande dimensão comportam para os gestores de redes que lá operam. As limitações da plataforma de gestão em uso referentes à definição e organização de utilizadores, dispositivos e grupos respectivos, conjuntamente com a falta de parametrização em notificações justificam uma solução. Aqui, é feita uma análise e um levantamento de requisitos para a selecção da nova plataforma de gestão seguida da proposta de uma solução integrada para resolução do problema. Esta proposta envolve a definição de uma arquitectura, o desenho e a implementação de software próprios para um sistema particular ao qual designamos: ZenDash.

Data mining for telecommunications network log analysis

Telecommunications network management is based on huge amounts of data that are continuously collected from elements and devices from all around the network. The data is monitored and analysed to provide information for decision making in all operation functions. Knowledge discovery and data mining methods can support fast-pace decision making in network operations. In this thesis, I analyse decision making on different levels of network operations. I identify the requirements decision-making sets for knowledge discovery and data mining tools and methods, and I study resources that are available to them. I then propose two methods for augmenting and applying frequent sets to support everyday decision making. The proposed methods are Comprehensive Log Compression for log data summarisation and Queryable Log Compression for semantic compression of log data. Finally I suggest a model for a continuous knowledge discovery process and outline how it can be implemented and integrated to the existing network operations infrastructure.

A Performance Measurement System to Manage CEN Operations, Evolution and Innovation

Part 16: Performance Measurement Systems

An efficient proactive route maintenance process for reliable data transmissions in sensor networks

For industrial wireless sensor networks, maintaining the routing path for a high packet delivery ratio is one of the key objectives in network operations. It is important to both provide the high data delivery rate at the sink node and guarantee a timely delivery of the data packet at the sink node. Most proactive routing protocols for sensor networks are based on simple periodic updates to distribute the routing information. A faulty link causes packet loss and retransmission at the source until periodic route update packets are issued and the link has been identified as broken. We propose a new proactive route maintenance process where periodic update is backed-up with a secondary layer of local updates repeating with shorter periods for timely discovery of broken links. Proposed route maintenance scheme improves reliability of the network by decreasing the packet loss due to delayed identification of broken links. We show by simulation that proposed mechanism behaves better than the existing popular routing protocols (AODV, AOMDV and DSDV) in terms of end-to-end delay, routing overhead, packet reception ratio.

Hybrid multi-channel cooperative spectrum sensing to satisfy channel target

Spectrum sensing of multiple primary user channels is a crucial function in cognitive radio networks. In this paper we propose an optimal, sensing resource allocation algorithm for multi-channel cooperative spectrum sensing. The channel target is implemented as an objective and constraint to ensure a pre-determined number of empty channels are detected for secondary user network operations. Based on primary user traffic parameters, we calculate the minimum number of primary user channels that must be sensed to satisfy the channel target. We implement a hybrid sensing structure by grouping secondary user nodes into clusters and assign each cluster to sense a different primary user channels. We then solve the resource allocation problem to find the optimal sensing configuration and node allocation to minimise sensing duration. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm requires the shortest sensing duration to achieve the channel target compared to existing studies that require long sensing and cannot guarantee the target.

Social dynamics for sustainable food systems : Actors' orientations towards sustainability in primary production and public consumption

The modern food system and sustainable development form a conceptual combination that suggests sustainability deficits in environmental impacts and nutritional status of western populations. This study explores actors orientations towards sustainability by probing into social dynamics for sustainability within primary production and public consumption. If actors within these two worlds were to express converging orientations for sustainability, the system dynamics of the market would enable more sustainable growth in terms of production dictated by consumption. The study is based on a constructivist research approach with qualitative text analyses. The findings were validated by internal and external food system actors and are suggested to represent current social dynamics within Finnish food system. The key findings included primary producers social skilfulness, which enabled networking with other actors in very different paths of life, learning in order to promote one s trade, and trusting reflectively in partners in order to expand business. These activities extended the supply chain in a spiral fashion by horizontal and vertical forward integration, until large retailers were met for negotiations on a more equal basis. This mode of chain level coordination, typically building around the core of social and partnership relations, was coined as a socially overlaid network, and seen as sustainable coordination mode for endogenous growth. The caterers exhibited more or less committed professional identity for sustainability within their reach. The facilitating approaches for professional identities dealt successfully with local and organic food in addition to domestic food, and also imported food. The co-operation with supply chains created innovative solutions and savings for the business parties to be shared. There were also more complicated identities as juggling, critical and delimited approaches for sustainability, with less productive efforts due to restrictions such as absence of organisational sustainability strategy, weak presence of local and organic suppliers, limited understanding about sustainability and no organisational resources for informed choices for sustainability. The convergence between producers and caterers existed to an extent allowing suggestion that increased clarity about sustainable consumption and production by actors could be constructed using advanced tools. The study looks for introduction of more profound environmental and socio-economic knowledge through participatory research with supply chain actors. Learning in the workplace about food system reality in terms of supply chain co-operation may prove to be a change engine that leads to advanced network operations and a more sustainable food system.

Social dynamics for sustainable food systems. Actors’ orientations towards sustainability in primary production and public consumption

Abstract The modern food system and sustainable development form a conceptual combination that suggests sustainability deficits in the ways we deal with food consumption and production - in terms of economic relations, environmental impacts and nutritional status of western population. This study explores actors’ orientations towards sustainability by taking into account actors’ embedded positions within structures of the food system, actors’ economic relations and views about sustainability as well as their possibilities for progressive activities. The study looks particularly at social dynamics for sustainability within primary production and public consumption. If actors within these two worlds were to express converging orientations for sustainability, the system dynamics of the market would enable more sustainable growth in terms of production dictated by consumption. The study is based on a constructivist research approach with qualitative text analyses. The data consisted of three text corpora, the ‘local food corpus’, the ‘catering corpus’ and the ‘mixed corpus’. The local food actors were interviewed about their economic exchange relations. The caterers’ interviews dealt with their professional identity for sustainability. Finally, the mixed corpus assembled a dialogue as a participatory research approach, which was applied in order to enable researcher and caterer learning about the use of organic milk in public catering. The data were analysed for theoretically conceptualised relations, expressing behavioural patterns in actors’ everyday work as interpreted by the researcher. The findings were corroborated by the internal and external communities of food system actors. The interpretations have some validity, although they only present abstractions of everyday life and its rich, even opaque, fabric of meanings and aims. The key findings included primary producers’ social skilfulness, which enabled networking with other actors in very different paths of life, learning in order to promote one’s trade, and trusting reflectively in partners in order to extend business. These activities expanded the supply chain in a spiral fashion by horizontal and vertical forward integration, until large retailers were met for negotiations on a more equal or ‘other regarding’ basis. This kind of chain level coordination, typically building around the core of social and partnership relations, was coined as a socially overlaid network. It supported market access of local farmers, rooted in their farms, who were able to draw on local capital and labour in promotion of competitive business; the growth was endogenous. These kinds of chains – one conventional and one organic – were different from the strategic chain, which was more profit based and while highly competitive, presented exogenous growth as it depended on imported capital and local employees. However, the strategic chain offered learning opportunities and support for the local economy. The caterers exhibited more or less committed professional identity for sustainability within their reach. The facilitating and balanced approaches for professional identities dealt successfully with local and organic food in addition to domestic food, and also imported food. The co-operation with supply chains created innovative solutions and savings for the business parties to be shared. The rule-abiding approach for sustainability only made choices among organic supply chains without extending into co-operation with actors. There were also more complicated and troubled identities as juggling, critical and delimited approaches for sustainability, with less productive efforts due to restrictions such as absence of organisational sustainability strategy, weak presence of local and organic suppliers, limited understanding about sustainability and no organisational resources to develop changes towards a sustainable food system. Learning in the workplace about food system reality in terms of supply chain co-operation may prove to be a change engine that leads to advanced network operations and a more sustainable food system. The convergence between primary producers and caterers existed to an extent allowing suggestion that increased clarity about sustainable consumption and production by actors could be approached using advanced tools. The study looks for introduction of more profound environmental and socio-economic knowledge through participatory research with supply chain actors in order to promote more sustainable food systems. Summary of original publications and the authors’ contribution I Mikkola, M. & Seppänen, L. 2006. Farmers’ new participation in food chains: making horizontal and vertical progress by networking. In: Langeveld, H. & Röling N. (Eds.). Changing European farming systems for a better future. New visions for rural areas. Wageningen, The Netherlands. Wageningen Academic Publishers: 267–271. II Mikkola, M. 2008. Coordinative structures and development of food supply chains. British Food Journal 110 (2): 189–205. III Mikkola, M. 2009. Shaping professional identity for sustainability. Evidence in Finnish public catering. Appetite 53 (1): 56–65. IV Mikkola, M. 2009. Catering for sustainability: building a dialogue on organic milk. Agronomy Research 7 (Special issue 2): 668–676. Minna Mikkola has been responsible for developing the generic research frame, particular research questions, the planning and collection of the data, their qualitative analysis and writing the articles I, II, III and IV. Dr Laura Seppänen has contributed to the development of the generic research frame and article I by introducing the author to the basic concepts of economic sociology and by supporting the writing of article II with her critical comments. Articles are printed with permission from the publishers.

Abuso sexual infantil intrafamiliar: a subnotificação e os serviços de saúde

A pesquisa investigou aspectos referentes ao diagnóstico e à notificação de abuso sexual infantil intrafamiliar pelos serviços básicos de saúde do Município de Maringá-PR. O abuso sexual contra crianças é um problema de saúde pública, devido à alta incidência epidemiológica e às graves conseqüências dele decorrentes. Apesar de iniciativas municipais recentes para enfrentamento do problema, poucos são os casos denunciados oficialmente, o que dificulta o dimensionamento do problema e a criação de políticas adequadas. As instituições de saúde são espaços privilegiados para a detecção precoce e a notificação dos casos, porém é essencial que, na medida em que os profissionais de saúde consigam identificar a ocorrência da violência, sintam-se seguros para notificar. Dificuldades em relação à detecção, à notificação e ao funcionamento da rede de apoio às vítimas foram levantadas, possibilitando inferir pontos estratégicos para desenvolvimento de programas de capacitação necessários para o estabelecimento de ações de combate ao abuso sexual infantil. Os resultados apontam dificuldades importantes no que se refere ao diagnóstico precoce e insuficiente informação sobre o processo de notificação e de encaminhamento dos casos. Essas dificuldades podem ser minimizadas mediante a adoção de uma política de educação continuada, bem como do fortalecimento da rede de proteção à criança e ao denunciante.

Graph Wavelets for Spatial Traffic Analysis

A number of problems in network operations and engineering call for new methods of traffic analysis. While most existing traffic analysis methods are fundamentally temporal, there is a clear need for the analysis of traffic across multiple network links — that is, for spatial traffic analysis. In this paper we give examples of problems that can be addressed via spatial traffic analysis. We then propose a formal approach to spatial traffic analysis based on the wavelet transform. Our approach (graph wavelets) generalizes the traditional wavelet transform so that it can be applied to data elements connected via an arbitrary graph topology. We explore the necessary and desirable properties of this approach and consider some of its possible realizations. We then apply graph wavelets to measurements from an operating network. Our results show that graph wavelets are very useful for our motivating problems; for example, they can be used to form highly summarized views of an entire network's traffic load, to gain insight into a network's global traffic response to a link failure, and to localize the extent of a failure event within the network.