Jan-jaap Moerman, Jan Braaksma and Leo van Dongen
Asset-intensive organizations rely heavily on physical assets that are often expensive, complex and have a significant impact on organizational performance. Past introductions of…
Abstract
Purpose
Asset-intensive organizations rely heavily on physical assets that are often expensive, complex and have a significant impact on organizational performance. Past introductions of critical assets in various industries showed that despite many preparations in maintenance and operations, shortcomings were identified after deployment resulting in unreliable performance. The main purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the factors that determine how asset-intensive organizations can achieve reliable outcomes in critical asset introductions despite random failures as a result of increasing complexity and infant mortalities.
Design/methodology/approach
To gain a detailed understanding of the issues and challenges of critical asset introductions, a case study in railways (rolling stock introductions) was conducted and analyzed using qualitative analysis.
Findings
The case showed that organizational factors were perceived as decisive factors for a reliable performance of the introduction, while the main focus of the introduction was on the asset and its technical systems. This suggests that more consideration toward organizational factors is needed. Therefore, a critical asset introduction framework was proposed based on 15 identified factors.
Originality/value
Reliable performance is often associated with technical systems only. This empirical study emphasizes the need for a more holistic perspective and the inclusion of organizational factors when introducing critical assets seeking reliable performance. This study demonstrated the application of the affinity diagramming technique in collectively analyzing the data adopting a multidisciplinary orientation.
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Alberto Martinetti, Erik Jan Schakel and Leo A.M. van Dongen
The purpose of this paper is to create a framework to provide a scalable maintenance program for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in order to choose the most suitable and feasible…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to create a framework to provide a scalable maintenance program for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in order to choose the most suitable and feasible maintenance strategy in terms of reliability.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper opted for a reliability-centered maintenance-based approach to develop the framework using a UAS as the starting point of the research. A linear and user-friendly design of the methodology based on a Boolean flowchart was chosen in order to lead the analyst through the process avoiding as much as possible subjectivity decision-making issues. Finally, the framework was, on the component level, performed by a UAS company gathering feedback on its applicability.
Findings
An agile and structured decision-making framework for developing scalable maintenance program of UAS is provided. The proposed solution gives the opportunity to tailor the maintenance strategy to the technical characteristics, considering not only the single component but also situations and conditions in which the machine will operate.
Research limitations/implications
Because of the chosen research approach, the framework is potentially applicable to every UAS. A first trial of the method was run on a multirotor vehicle equipped with eight electric brushless motors. Further studies focused on different UAS will be mandatory in order to obtain comparable and robust findings and a reliable approach.
Practical implications
This study offers a different scheme to elaborate a specific maintenance solution related to the characteristics of the system. It strives to remedy the drawbacks of the traditional approach for a manned aircraft not completely suitable for systems with such different functions, features and tasks. The authors believe that the method presented in this paper will provide a new selection tool for choosing maintenance actions based on the features of the UAS.
Originality/value
This paper provides a new and usable solution to include the maintenance actions in the management of pioneering products. In spite of the maintenance program representing an essential aspect to provide reliable assets, frameworks to create programs and to help manufacturers and users are still difficult to find or to apply to different UAS. This gap enhances the misunderstanding that the maintenance is not required or essential for the unmanned aircrafts management.
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Alberto Martinetti, Preshant Awadhpersad, Sarbjeet Singh and Leo A.M. van Dongen
The paper aims to convert into useable guidelines, the knowledge related to human factors and tasks' organisation, which are embedded in one of the most exciting maintenance…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to convert into useable guidelines, the knowledge related to human factors and tasks' organisation, which are embedded in one of the most exciting maintenance actions that are carried out, the pitstop in Formula 1 races.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper opted for a fault tree analysis (FTA) to de-construct all the sub-tasks and their possible deviations from desirable situations and to evaluate the most relevant information needed for carrying out the pitstop operation. Besides, the SHELL model was applied in a second stage to evaluate the interaction between human being and human interfaces with other components of the system. Once this set of information was crystallised, the research translated it into useable guidelines for organising industrial maintenance actions using the same approach and possible reaching the same results.
Findings
The results of this study is a structured set of guidelines that encompasses the most paramount aspects that should be considered for setting correct maintenance actions. They represent a “guide” for including the different angles that are included during these operations.
Research limitations/implications
The guidelines are potentially applicable to every maintenance operation. The guidelines should be tested on different working domains to check their applicability besides the racing world.
Practical implications
This study is a reverse engineering work for creating a scheme to include into maintenance operations aspects such as crew athlete-like fitness, training, technology, organisational issues, safety, ergonomics and psychology.
Originality/value
The value of the paper is deconstructing the results of one of the most successful and prepared maintenance action. The paper takes a different approach in proposing how to structure and create maintenance solutions. The difference in approaches between the maintenance during the pitstop of Formula 1 car and industrial applications enhances the gap that needs still to be filled for further improving maintenance actions out of the racing world.
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Sara Aquino, Mario Rapaccini, Federico Adrodegari and Giuditta Pezzotta
This paper presents a model aiming to identify the factors influencing the adoption of augmented reality (AR) for industrial services.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents a model aiming to identify the factors influencing the adoption of augmented reality (AR) for industrial services.
Design/methodology/approach
The study combines a literature analysis with an empirical study conducted exploring how five large industrial companies are introducing AR for supporting the provision of technical assistance and industrial services to their installed base.
Findings
The authors identify four categories (task, workforce, context and technology) that combine 18 factors that manufacturing companies should consider when introducing AR technology to support industrial services.
Originality/value
This paper systematises the fragmented literature on technology adoption and in particular those works related to the factors affecting the adoption of AR in industrial services. Based on literature and empirical evidence, the authors propose a novel framework that can help companies in the selection of AR solution based on their specific applications and situations. This study therefore contributes also to the existing literature on the adoption of I4.0 and digital technologies in industrial services.
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Torbjörn Åkerstedt, Peter M. Nilsson and Göran Kecklund
This chapter summarizes the knowledge on sleep and restitution. Sleep constitutes the recuperative process of the central nervous system. The use of the brain during wakefulness…
Abstract
This chapter summarizes the knowledge on sleep and restitution. Sleep constitutes the recuperative process of the central nervous system. The use of the brain during wakefulness will lead to depletion of energy in the cortical areas locally responsible for activity. The level of depletion is monitored and sleep is initiated when critical levels are reached. The attempts to initiate sleep are perceived as sleepiness or fatigue. The ensuing sleep then actively restores brain physiology to normal levels. This also results in restored alertness, memory capacity, and mood. Also, peripheral anabolic processes (secretion of growth hormone and testosterone) are strongly enhanced and catabolic process (secretion of cortisol and catecholamines) are strongly suppressed. In the long run, reduced or impaired sleep leads to metabolic diseases, depression, burnout, and mortality. Stress and irregular hours are among the main causes of disturbed sleep.
This paper aims to analyse the character and strength of the claims made in an emerging literature offering a sociology of financial reporting principles.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyse the character and strength of the claims made in an emerging literature offering a sociology of financial reporting principles.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis evaluates exemplary works in the literature against the characteristics of the paranoid style first identified by Richard Hofstadter: overheated claims of a far-reaching, malign and collusive machinery of influence; a reductive, rationalistic and dualistic reading of events; weak empirics; and weak theorisation.
Findings
A significant stream within the literature is coming to be constructed in the paranoid style. Paranoid stylistics, used as a diagnostic tool, alerts us here to distorted judgement.
Research limitations/implications
Alternative ways of avoiding the dangers of paranoid-style readings are suggested, ranging from resisting the temptations towards such readings to a radical re-working of the epistemics of “socio-accounting”.
Practical implications
The danger of allowing the conclusions advanced in the literature to go unchallenged is that they may influence society’s attitude to accounting, public policy-making and scholars’ willingness to contribute to the crafting of reporting principles and standards.
Originality/value
Although paranoid style analysis has been widely used to examine narratives in other academic fields, to the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to apply it to scholarly accounting.
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Ignacio Traverso-Ribón, Antonio Balderas-Alberico, Juan-Manuel Dodero, Ivan Ruiz-Rube and Manuel Palomo-Duarte
In a project-based learning experience, the detailed monitoring of the activities in which team members participate can be useful to evaluate their work. However, the project…
Abstract
Purpose
In a project-based learning experience, the detailed monitoring of the activities in which team members participate can be useful to evaluate their work. However, the project activity produces a large amount of data that can be hardly assessed by a single project supervisor. This poses a scalability issue if the number of users or projects size increases. In this vein, the purpose of this paper is to make the assessment of online learning experiences more sustainable.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper describes a learning-oriented collaborative assessment method, supported by an open data framework. Also, an architecture for the extraction of different indicators to facilitate the assessment process is presented.
Findings
The assessment method and the open data framework were applied to a project-based course on web engineering. This experience has provided positive evidences because the grade measurement was backed up with assessment evidences and calculated with less effort.
Research limitations/implications
At the moment, results indicate that apparently there are no significant evidences against the sustainable evaluation practices for students’ summative evaluation. Nevertheless, when more data become available, a more statistically significant analysis could be made to determine the influence of the assessment practices in the final result of the evaluated skills.
Originality/value
In contrast to various existing proposals for e-assessment, the strategy focuses on assessing learning experiences in software development projects. Also, the approach is based on the reuse of information from external process supporting tools by integrating a number of metrics in a non-intrusive way.
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Xiaoyue Ma, Pengzhen Xue, Mingde Li and Nada Matta
Most of the existing studies on the evolution of emergency topics in social media focused on the emergency information demand of fixed user type in emergency while ignoring the…
Abstract
Purpose
Most of the existing studies on the evolution of emergency topics in social media focused on the emergency information demand of fixed user type in emergency while ignoring the changing roles of stakeholders during the emergency. Thus in this study, a three-dimensional dynamic topic evolution model is proposed, in which fine grained division of time, dynamic identification of stakeholders in the emergency, and emergency topic evolution based on both timeline and stakeholder's type are all considered.
Design/methodology/approach
Particularly the relevance between the tweets posted and the topic of emergency, the influence on the social network, and the attention of emergency topic are as well taken into account to quantitatively calculate the weight and ranking of stakeholders at different stages of the emergency. To verify the proposed model, an experimental demonstration was carried out under an emergency event posted on social media.
Findings
The results show that (1) based on the three-dimensional dynamic topic evolution model, the composition and ranking of stakeholders have obvious differences at different stages; (2) the emergency information needs and the sharing behavior of stakeholders on emergency information also indicate different preferences where the topic concerns of stakeholders at different stages have a strong relationship with their weight ranking; (3) the emergency topic evolution considering both the dynamics of emergency stakeholders and emergency information demand could more accurately reflect the changing regularity of social media users' attention to information in emergency events.
Originality/value
This study is one of first to investigate the emergency topic evaluation on social media by considering the dynamic changes of various stakeholders in emergency. It could not only theoretically provide more accurate method to understand how users share and search emergency information in social media, but also practically signify an information recommendation way in social media for emergency tracking.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-02-2021-0098.