scholarly journals Assessing the impact of design on the development of digital services

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Santos Garbulho ◽  
André Leme Fleury ◽  
Eduardo Camillo Kasparevicis Ferreira

Abstract This paper analyzes how design diffusion is changing the organizational logics of established companies. If previously design activities had as its main objective packaging new technologies to create differentials for products and services and to reduce production costs, with the diffusion of digital services currently design activities expand its scope and identify functional and emotional needs from users that are relevant for creating differentiated experiences, that in turn will result in new products and services that incorporate existing and emerging technologies of the firm. This transformation reveals a new organizational strategy, in which design assumes a more relevant position for the creation of innovative business models. However, a point not yet considered in the literature is how companies are restructuring their operations in order to benefit from this transition. This paper analyzes how Brazilian organizations of different sizes and sectors have redefined their management models in order to incorporate design as a catalyst of change. The obtained framework consolidates the main propositions of design while directing of the changes in the organizations in the operational, tactical and strategic levels.

Emerging technologies have always played an important role in armed conflict. From the crossbow to cyber capabilities, technology that could be weaponized to create an advantage over an adversary has inevitably found its way into military arsenals for use in armed conflict. The weaponization of emerging technologies, however, raises challenging legal issues with respect to the law of armed conflict. As States continue to develop and exploit new technologies, how will the law of armed conflict address the use of these technologies on the battlefield? Is existing law sufficient to regulate new technologies, such as cyber capabilities, autonomous weapons systems, and artificial intelligence? Have emerging technologies fundamentally altered the way we should understand concepts such as law-of-war precautions and the principle of distinction? How can we ensure compliance and accountability in light of technological advancement? This book explores these critical questions while highlighting the legal challenges—and opportunities—presented by the use of emerging technologies on the battlefield.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6372
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Varriale ◽  
Antonello Cammarano ◽  
Francesca Michelino ◽  
Mauro Caputo

The digital transformation of supply chains should revolutionize entire management processes and improve various aspects of sustainability. In particular, the plans of Industry 4.0 aim towards a digitization of several procedures by exploiting emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things, RFID and blockchain. The purpose of this study is to highlight how order and disruption events processes can be improved with the adoption of emerging technologies and how this reflects on the improvement of sustainability aspects. The study is based on the comparison of two simulation scenarios between three actors in the cheese supply chain. In particular, a first traditional scenario “as is” is simulated without the use of new technologies and is compared to a second scenario “to be” that adopts IoT, RFID and blockchain. The results show an improvement in time performance for managing both perfect and non-compliant orders. The developed framework highlights the impact of new technologies on sustainability aspects, showing further managerial implications.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Ladas ◽  
Stylianos Kavadias ◽  
Christoph Loch

We present a model that suggests possible explanations for the observed proliferation of “pay-per-use” (PPU) business models over the last two decades. Delivering “fractions” of a product as a service offers a cost advantage to customers with lower usage but requires extra delivery costs. Previous research focused on information goods (with negligible production costs) and predicted that PPU, when arising as a differentiation to selling in equilibrium, would fundamentally achieve lower profits than selling. We extend the theory by covering goods with any production cost in duopolistic competition. We show that PPU business models can be more profitable than selling (especially at midrange production costs), as long as their delivery costs are not too high, a requirement that is more easily fulfilled as new technologies reduce these costs. Moreover, if firms are imperfectly informed about their customers’ usage profiles, PPU’s effective pricing of customers’ varying usage offers an additional advantage over selling. This requires companies to employ accounting methods that do not inappropriately allocate production costs over stochastic usage levels. If PPU service provision suffers from queueing inefficiencies, this does not fundamentally change the relative profitability of the PPU and selling models, provided that PPU providers can attract sufficiently high demand to benefit from pooling economies. This paper was accepted by Charles Corbett, operations management.


Nafta-Gaz ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 208-214
Author(s):  
Michał Pajda ◽  
◽  
Wojciech Mazela ◽  

The aim of the work was to present the issue of eco-efficiency, based on the PN-EN ISO 14045:2012 standard in relation to the production of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). The ecoefficiency analysis takes into account economic and environmental aspects in the improvement of products and processes / technologies. Eco-efficiency considers the product and technology throughout the life cycle, from the construction phase, through use to decommissioning. The impact on the natural environment is assessed on the basis of: consumption of energy, materials, dust and gas emissions, waste and sewage. Total costs include: production costs, raw material costs, costs during the use phase including maintenance, repair and operating costs, product disposal or recycling. The eco-efficiency analysis is helpful in making decisions regarding the selection of a new product or designing a new technology, and enables the selection of the variant that is the most economical and has the least possible impact on the natural environment. These issues are particularly important in the case of biofuels. The rapid growth of their production and the European Union’s policy, which aims to increase the share of energy from renewable sources, cause concerns of many experts regarding the threats related to the production of biofuels, both for the environment and food security. In particular, efforts are made to minimize the amount of waste and residues by implementing the idea of a circular economy. This approach promotes the development of new technologies that are more environmentally friendly. Due to the regulations set out in the RED and RED II Directives, there is a chance that the biofuels will have a less negative impact on the environment. This results from the obligation to certify compliance with the sustainability criteria, which is carried out by voluntary systems recognized by the European Commission, such as the KZR INiG System.


Author(s):  
Albena Antonova

Technologies continue to evolve and to largely transform business practices. In the near future, a few technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented Reality (AR), additive manufacturing (3D printing), and robots, can substantially influence businesses. The reason to focus specifically on these technologies as leading factors for organizational change is twofold: first, there already exist many prototypes and pilot experiments; and second, these technologies have the potential to provoke substantial breakthroughs, leading to substantial business changes. The chapter proposes an overall vision about the impact of these four emerging technologies on business practices and how they will fuel substantial business transformation. The chapter starts with a short analysis how IT influences the core business models and value formation. Then, the authors present the state of the art in e-business technologies and current emerging trends. Finally, the authors propose a detailed overview and discussion of the newly emerging bridge technologies, illustrating with examples their role and economic potential.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Velez-Lapão

Abstract Background Healthcare systems are facing many challenges, from demographics to multi-morbidities that are associated with increasing the demand for more services. The new technologies are thought to be a solution to these problems. However, to address these problems with digitalization of healthcare it will imply the combination of proper use of technologies, aligned with integrated working-processes and skilled professionals. Methods This study provides a scoping review on existing public health digital services and aimed to identify the main digitalization challenges, from competencies to technology use. The databases of Pubmed and Ebsco were searched. Results 17 papers were selected, and the three main priorities were identified. First, it will highlight the challenges associated with the digitalization of healthcare, the second the implementation of digital services, considering a method to design online service, the third the impact of digitalization on healthcare workforce performance. An overview of the major effects of transformative technologies (e.g. eHealth services, Internet of Things solutions, Artificial Intelligence) on the healthcare workforce will be addressed. Moreover, to what extent is the digital transition affecting formal qualifications of public health professionals? What are the major implications of technological change for future skill needs and competences of the public health workforce? Finally, the discussion examines the challenges of digitalization for public health services in Europe. Conclusions Proper digitalization of healthcare will enable changes in the paradigm of healthcare delivery as well as in the mechanism for patients’ participation and engagement. The sustainability of healthcare will depend on how efficient we will make digital-services design. Key words Digital health, Public Health, Digital Transformation, Public Health professionals, Europe


Author(s):  
P. Havard

Abstract Low and medium level waste management means reducing the amount of waste generated during maintenance and operation of the plant, in accordance with the ALARA concept, while keeping not only the quality of the product but also the associated costs under control. All this waste is managed by ONDRAF/NIRAS, the Belgian Federal Agency responsible for waste management, including conditioning, intermediate storage and final disposal. Unfortunately, the actions taken by ONDRAF/NIRAS and the producers in order to reduce waste production have had a negative impact on waste treatment tariffs. It has become necessary to re-examine the relationship between ONDRAF/NIRAS and the producers, in order to control the costs of waste management. This problem concerns not only the treatment costs but also the disposal costs. The volume of waste has fallen from 30M3/Thwh in 1985 to 4.m3/Twh in 2000, not by chance but as the result of a new site organisation geared towards achieving this aim. This paper presents firstly the history of Belgian waste management, taking into account the impact on the associated costs, and secondly the measures that have to be taken in order to be able to decide which new technologies are necessary to go further with the objective of waste volume reduction in a new environment, namely deregulation and consequently high pressure on production costs. Finally, it presents a few conclusions.


Author(s):  
E. O. Bozheva

Learning-by-export effects exist due to the nature of the creation, accumulation, transfer of knowledge, as well as the companies’ absorption capacity to accumulate and adapt the best experience, competences borrowed from abroadwithin the organization. The length and direction of exports have a significant impact on the innovation activities of organizations, while innovations do not always encourage the leaders to initiate export activities. In the course of empirical research, we have identified the following rules in relation to Russian IT-firms:1) New IT-exporters have no visible link between the introduction of new products, technologies and the start of exports. Investments in research and development, which may have been initiated after entering foreign markets or at the same time, have not yet yielded results. 2) Stable export activity encourages IT-companies to apply new technological, process and marketing innovations that were not previously part of the firm's plans, much more often than firms in the local market. 3) The impact of external knowledge effects on the productivity of IT-companies depends on the geographical direction of exports: a) the markets of the near abroad (CIS countries) and Russia itself;b) the markets of the far abroad. 4) Investments in R&D, marketing and production of new products are more typical for companies located in capitals (Moscow and Saint-Petersburg). On the contrary, the relationship between the presence of an international office and the introduction of innovations has not been proven. The size of companies has only affected the production of new technologies: if a company is a medium-sized enterprise or a larger one, the probability of innovation is increased by 22%. 5) The smaller the firm, the lower its desire to participate in extensive innovation networks, increase the number and diversity of external relations. The size of the company determines the level of influence of cooperation with other market participants on its internal innovation processThe article discusses the classification of knowledge spillover effects, the methodology of the study, the analysis of the economic impact of the process "flow" as a result of entering foreign markets. The paper’s emphasis is on assessment of recipients’ capabilities to accumulate new knowledge in the course of export activities, to extract advantages in terms of future development such as increasing innovation activity and, consequently, attractiveness, resulting in higher performance efficiency.


Author(s):  
Eric Franzén

The Internet and other new technologies have made possible an ever-growing availability of distribution channels. New paths are being blazed for independent book authors to reach readers and business models have been notably altered for traditional book publishers. Content creators of the past faced many obstacles in publishing hard copy books including lack of manufacturing knowledge, high production costs, and warehouse overheads. Only large publishers with demonstrated business plans could survive the marketplace to produce works at the quantities required to maintain viability. This is rapidly changing. Many companies are surfacing that offer Print-On-Demand (POD), a technology that allows a book to be produced in quantities as low as one book, and distributed only after the demand for that book has been proven (the book has already been sold). Because most content is already in digital form, it can be uploaded to vendors’ Web sites, stored, and produced at will on digital printing devices (upgraded copiers). The companies then can bind and professionally finish the work before shipment to the buyer. Books can be listed on numerous Web sites and found by related topic area Web searches. Links to Amazon or a POD vendor’s Web site can complete the transaction. The author simply takes his cut once demand has been shown. Not much knowledge is required of the mechanical process of producing the book, production costs are covered by the unit’s sale, and there is no warehouse to stock. Independent authors, university presses, and commercial publishing houses all have new options and these options are proving valuable.


2012 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Waldfogel

Twelve years into the Napster era, economists have devoted substantial attention to revenue consequences of unpaid file sharing. Yet, this is only one of a host of questions whose answers are needed to inform evidence-based copyright policy in the digital era. Digitization's effect on travel agents suggests fruitful research questions, which include the impact of digitization on the supply of new works, methods for consumer discovery of new products, and new business models available with digital distribution.


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