scholarly journals Bottlenecks, Modules, and Dynamic Architectural Capabilities

Author(s):  
Carliss Y. Baldwin

How do firms create and capture value in large technical systems? In this paper, I argue that the points of both value creation and value capture are the system’s bottlenecks. Bottlenecks arise first as important technical problems to be solved. Once the problem is solved, Then the solution in combination with organizational boundaries and property rights can be used to capture a stream of rents. The tools a firm can use to manage bottlenecks are, first, an understanding first of the technical architecture of the system; and, second, an understanding of the industry architecture in which the technical system is embedded. Although these tools involve disparate bodies of knowledge, they must be used in tandem to achieve maximum effect. Dynamic architectural capabilities provide managers with the ability to see a complex technical system in an abstract way and change the system’s structure to manage bottlenecks and modules in conjunction with the firm’s organizational boundaries and property rights.

Author(s):  
A.R. ABLAEV ◽  
E.V. KHROMOV ◽  
R.R. ABLAEV ◽  
A.P. POLYAKOV

The article investigates the issue of optimization of a complex technical system at the stage of its design using a heuristic–phenomenological approach. The analysis of the principles of complex optimization of complex technical systems is carried out. A four–level structure for the synthesis of methodological, informational and software support for complex optimization of complex technical systems is proposed, which will allow controlling the programmable parameters of complex technical systems at each stage of their design.


Author(s):  
Osman Arrobbio ◽  
Dario Padovan ◽  
Alessandro Sciullo

This chapter describes the results of a sociological investigation carried out within an EU-funded project. The project was aimed at creating a tool to visualise and compute energy data at an urban district level, with the broader aim to optimise the local district heating (DH) network's distribution policies. This chapter identifies the features of the main categories of actors (from the DH operator to final users) having a role within that network. Special attention is paid to the identification of the barriers and frictions preventing a stronger collaboration and communication among these actors to happen. It is argued that the identification and resolution, in situated and complex socio-technical systems, of these non-strictly-technical problems may be, at least in some cases, a pre-requisite for any ICT-based solution to deploy its full potential.


Dependability ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-41
Author(s):  
L. A. Baranov ◽  
V. V. Kulba ◽  
A. B. Shelkov ◽  
D. S. Somov

The Aim of this paper is to develop the methods of analysis and simulation of the processes of occurrence and development of emergencies at complex railway infrastructure facilities. It cites analysis data on the threats, causes and consequences of sudden emergencies at complex railway infrastructure facilities. For the purpose of ensuring reliable operation of technical objects, as well as timely identification of faults, it is proposed to use the indicator-based approach that allows diagnosing and formally analyzing the processes of occurrence and propagation of malfunctions across the elements of complex technical systems. For the purpose of simulating the processes of propagation of the disturbances (hazards of emergencies) that occur as the result of malfunctions, it is proposed to use the theoretic graph approach that involves model and visual representation of the structure of a technical system under consideration in the form of a directed graph that shows the correlations between its elements. Each node and edge of a graph is assigned certain parameters or functionals that reflect the processes of correlated operation of the elements of the simulated system. The propagation of disturbances within a system is simulated with pulse processes initiated in one or several nodes. The paper refers to the developed formalized models of disturbance propagation in a technical system based on the construction of structural components and correlation matrices. The authors introduce the concept of critical element of a technical system that helps identify the event of its failure. Two basic criteria of technical system failure, i.e. the exclusive (a system is considered to have failed if the disturbance has reached any of the critical elements) and absolute criterion (failure occurs if the disturbance has reached the specified subset of critical elements) are defined. The paper provides an analytical example that illustrates the capabilities of the proposed model of disturbance propagation within the structure of a technical system. For the purpose more efficient diagnostics of the hazard of emergencies in railway infrastructure facilities the paper proposes a model of application of structurally integrated indicators that consists in the integration of indicators within the structure of a technical system that would immediately deliver the required and sufficient information in case of emergency. The main task would be to identify a set of indicators with the primary purpose of reducing the information-related stress and concentration of dispatchers’ or operators’ attention on the processes within a technical system that are most relevant in terms of accident-free and safe operation. Basic criteria are identified for the generation of the set of indicators within a complex technical system: maximum of reliability of the disturbance consequences estimate, maximum of accuracy of emergency causes identification, minimum of emergency identification time, minimum of nonrecurrent and current costs. A modified graph model of disturbance propagation in a complex technical system is provided that is the prerequisite for solving the multicriterion problems of optimal location of indicators within the structure of a technical system in terms of completeness, accuracy and timeliness of detection of failures of various types. Automation of the processes of generation of indicator sets using models of disturbance propagation in technical systems will allow using the proposed methods as part of further development of the URRAN methodology in terms of improvement of the decision support in railway infrastructure facilities management.


Dependability ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 34-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Baranov ◽  
V. V. Kulba ◽  
A. B. Shelkov ◽  
D. S. Somov

The Aim of this paper is to develop the methods of analysis and simulation of the processes of occurrence and development of emergencies at complex railway infrastructure facilities. It cites analysis data on the threats, causes and consequences of sudden emergencies at complex railway infrastructure facilities. For the purpose of ensuring reliable operation of technical objects, as well as timely identification of faults, it is proposed to use the indicator-based approach that allows diagnosing and formally analyzing the processes of occurrence and propagation of malfunctions across the elements of complex technical systems. For the purpose of simulating the processes of propagation of the disturbances (hazards of emergencies) that occur as the result of malfunctions, it is proposed to use the theoretic graph approach that involves model and visual representation of the structure of a technical system under consideration in the form of a directed graph that shows the correlations between its elements. Each node and edge of a graph is assigned certain parameters or functionals that reflect the processes of correlated operation of the elements of the simulated system. The propagation of disturbances within a system is simulated with pulse processes initiated in one or several nodes. The paper refers to the developed formalized models of disturbance propagation in a technical system based on the construction of structural components and correlation matrices. The authors introduce the concept of critical element of a technical system that helps identify the event of its failure. Two basic criteria of technical system failure, i.e. the exclusive (a system is considered to have failed if the disturbance has reached any of the critical elements) and absolute criterion (failure occurs if the disturbance has reached the specified subset of critical elements) are defined. The paper provides an analytical example that illustrates the capabilities of the proposed model of disturbance propagation within the structure of a technical system. For the purpose more efficient diagnostics of the hazard of emergencies in railway infrastructure facilities the paper proposes a model of application of structurally integrated indicators that consists in the integration of indicators within the structure of a technical system that would immediately deliver the required and sufficient information in case of emergency. The main task would be to identify a set of indicators with the primary purpose of reducing the information-related stress and concentration of dispatchers’ or operators’ attention on the processes within a technical system that are most relevant in terms of accident-free and safe operation. Basic criteria are identified for the generation of the set of indicators within a complex technical system: maximum of reliability of the disturbance consequences estimate, maximum of accuracy of emergency causes identification, minimum of emergency identification time, minimum of nonrecurrent and current costs. A modified graph model of disturbance propagation in a complex technical system is provided that is the prerequisite for solving the multicriterion problems of optimal location of indicators within the structure of a technical system in terms of completeness, accuracy and timeliness of detection of failures of various types. Automation of the processes of generation of indicator sets using models of disturbance propagation in technical systems will allow using the proposed methods as part of further development of the URRAN methodology in terms of improvement of the decision support in railway infrastructure facilities management.


2020 ◽  
pp. 48-56
Author(s):  
Aleksey Kubarev ◽  
◽  
Aleksey Lapsar’ ◽  
Alexander Asyutikov ◽  
◽  
...  

The purpose of the article: improving the security and stability of the functioning of complex technical systems managed by critical information infrastructure objects under the conditions of a destructive information impact, using parameterized evolutionary models. Methods: synthesis of parametrized evolutionary models of significant objects of critical information infrastructure based on the Markov theory of estimation of multidimensional diffusion processes. The result: within the framework of an integrated approach to ensuring the security of complex technical systems, a parametrized evolutionary model of an object of a critical information infrastructure operating under conditions of destructive information impact has been synthesized. An approach to the development of recommendations for managing a complex technical system by means of an operational assessment of the main characteristics of the functioning of a critical information infrastructure object is proposed. A sequence has been developed for developing solutions for the operation of a complex technical system, based on an assessment of the impact level and the results of an operational calculation of the main characteristics of the functioning of a critical information infrastructure object. The results obtained make it possible to reasonably formulate technical requirements for the created or modernized means of ensuring the security of significant objects of critical information infrastructure that manage complex technical systems.


Author(s):  
Mambo Governor Mupepi ◽  
Aslam Modak ◽  
Jaideep Motwani ◽  
Sylvia C. Mupepi

This article discusses how leakage of knowledge can occur in value creation networks embedded in knowledge-intensive firms, and how a collaborative approach can be utilized to minimize risk and increase sustainability. For knowledge to be preserved from unintentional outflow, its confidential nature and description must be understood at all levels. Loss of knowledge can occur at any point; whether it is through the process of consultation or when employees do their work. Forfeiture of information can be unintended or a planned effort. To prevent such unintended leakage, it is important to develop a shared mindset among employees to minimize the risk. The socio-technical system design is a philosophical framework that enables companies to simultaneously consider both ethical and technical systems in order to best match the technology and the people involved. History has shown through a number of situations that firms that failed to comprehend new opportunities were often limited by stakeholders' thoughts and actions.


Author(s):  
Mambo Mupepi ◽  
Robert Frey ◽  
Jaideep Motwani

The discussion progressed in this chapter is about the protection of organizational knowledge in competitive environments. Knowledge can leak in the value creation networks embedded in knowledge-intensive firms, and a collaborative approach can be utilized to minimize risk and increase sustainability. For knowledge to be preserved from unintentional outflow, its confidential nature and description must be understood at all levels. Loss of knowledge can occur at any point; whether it is through the process of consultation or when employees do their work. Forfeiture of information can be unintended or a planned effort. To prevent such unintended leakage, it is important to develop a shared mindset among employees to minimize the risk. The socio-technical system is a philosophical framework that enables companies to simultaneously consider both ethical and technical systems in order to best match the technology and the people involved. In this paper we show how the socio-technical system can be applied to prevent knowledge leakage.


Author(s):  
N G Yarushkina ◽  
V S Moshkin ◽  
I A Andreev ◽  
G I Ishmuratova

The article provides a formal description of fuzzy ontologies and features of the representation of elements of fuzzy axioms in FuzzyOWL notation. An ontological model for assessing the state of helicopter units has been developed. According to the proposed approach, the summarizing of the state of a complex technical system is carried out by means of an inference based on a fuzzy ontology. As part of this work, experiments were conducted to search for anomalous situations and search for possible faulty helicopter units using the developed approach to the integration of fuzzy time series and fuzzy ontology. The proposed approach of hybridization of fuzzy time series and fuzzy ontologies made it possible to reliably recognize anomalous situations with a certain degree of truth, and to find possible faulty aggregates corresponding to each anomalous situation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 807 ◽  
pp. 247-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena C. Altherr ◽  
Thorsten Ederer ◽  
Philipp Pöttgen ◽  
Ulf Lorenz ◽  
Peter F. Pelz

Cheap does not imply cost-effective -- this is rule number one of zeitgeisty system design. The initial investment accounts only for a small portion of the lifecycle costs of a technical system. In fluid systems, about ninety percent of the total costs are caused by other factors like power consumption and maintenance. With modern optimization methods, it is already possible to plan an optimal technical system considering multiple objectives. In this paper, we focus on an often neglected contribution to the lifecycle costs: downtime costs due to spontaneous failures. Consequently, availability becomes an issue.


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