scholarly journals Testing and Verification of a New Corporate Sustainability Assessment Method for Manufacturing: A Multiple Case Research Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 4121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasiia Moldavska ◽  
Torgeir Welo
Keyword(s):  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainable Manufacturing ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Dynamics Modeling ◽  
Study Results

This paper aims at answering the question of how to design a theoretically sound corporate sustainability assessment (CSA) method that can strengthen the ability of manufacturing companies to contribute to global sustainable development (SD). In our effort to answer this question, we conduct a case study to test a newly designed CSA method to develop assessment tools for each of four different case companies. The method combines criteria-based indicators development with qualitative system dynamics modeling based on mental models of decision-makers. This strategy ensures a holistic approach to what corporate sustainability and sustainable manufacturing are. The paper is intended to serve, first of all, as a practical guide to the development of CSA tools. The scientific value of the method is discussed in terms of how it assists in the development of a tool that provides the potential to overcome shortcomings of existing approaches to sustainability assessment and to embrace the complexity of the sustainability concept. From the case study results, we demonstrate the capability of the new method by showing how it satisfies scientific requirements to sustainability assessment and fulfills functions of CSA. We also show how it may overcome some of the observed limitations of existing CSA tools.

On Sustainability Assesment of Machining Processes

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Waqar Raza ◽  
Ibrahim Mostafa Deiab
Keyword(s):  
Material Removal ◽  
Manufacturing Systems ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Sustainable Manufacturing ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Energy Sustainability ◽  
Machining Processes ◽  
Design For Sustainability ◽  
User Friendly

There is an increased interest in sustainability assessment of manufacturing systems and processes because of the growing global interest in sustainable manufacturing practices. The current sustainability assessment models present a holistic approach, e.g. LCA, without much focus on process specific details. This paper uses a ‘XSI’ approach for defining sustainability indices (e.g. Energy Sustainability Index, ESI). These sustainability metrics can quantify machining processes in terms of impact on the environment and power consumption in a flexible manner, so that various material removal processes can be rated on a uniform scale. In addition, the concept of Normalization, with respect to the ‘feature-of-interest’ is introduced, thus presenting a flexible rating system in terms of process types (turning, milling etc.) and perspectives (material removal, quality etc.). A user-friendly calculator is developed, which converts a set of inputs for the machining scenario into a set of measurable rating quantities and indices including but not limited to production rate, production cost, tool life/cost, energy consumption and environmental burden. This will enable the manufacturing engineer to make an informed decision about parameter selection and process design for sustainability. Machining of hard-to-machine materials such as Titanium Alloys is such a scenario, which is used as a case study to validate the proposed approach.

scholarly journals Optimizing the Environmental and Economic Sustainability of Remote Community Infrastructure

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie E. Filer ◽  
Justin D. Delorit ◽  
Andrew J. Hoisington ◽  
Steven J. Schuldt
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Remote Community ◽  
Rural Villages ◽  
Sustainable Technologies ◽  
Study Results

Remote communities such as rural villages, post-disaster housing camps, and military forward operating bases are often located in remote and hostile areas with limited or no access to established infrastructure grids. Operating these communities with conventional assets requires constant resupply, which yields a significant logistical burden, creates negative environmental impacts, and increases costs. For example, a 2000-member isolated village in northern Canada relying on diesel generators required 8.6 million USD of fuel per year and emitted 8500 tons of carbon dioxide. Remote community planners can mitigate these negative impacts by selecting sustainable technologies that minimize resource consumption and emissions. However, the alternatives often come at a higher procurement cost and mobilization requirement. To assist planners with this challenging task, this paper presents the development of a novel infrastructure sustainability assessment model capable of generating optimal tradeoffs between minimizing environmental impacts and minimizing life-cycle costs over the community’s anticipated lifespan. Model performance was evaluated using a case study of a hypothetical 500-person remote military base with 864 feasible infrastructure portfolios and 48 procedural portfolios. The case study results demonstrated the model’s novel capability to assist planners in identifying optimal combinations of infrastructure alternatives that minimize negative sustainability impacts, leading to remote communities that are more self-sufficient with reduced emissions and costs.

Managing Complexity in Manufacturing Changeovers: A Sustainable Manufacturing-Oriented Approach and the Application Case Study

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid Mustafa ◽  
Kai Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Systems ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Sustainable Manufacturing ◽  
Lead Times ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Manufacturing Complexity ◽  
Oriented Approach

Increasing manufacturing complexity continues to be one of the most significant challenges facing the manufacturing industry today. Due to these rapid changes in manufacturing systems, one of the most important factors affecting production is recognized as the frequent production setup or changeovers, consequently affecting the overall production lead times and competitiveness of the company. Developing responsive production setup and process capability is increasingly important as product ranges and varieties in manufacturing companies are growing rapidly and, at the same time, production business models are operating more towards being customer-oriented. Furthermore, although different conventional methods have been used to manage complexity in production changeovers, sustainability and competitiveness development in a manufacturing company needs to be scientifically addressed by managing manufacturing complexity. In this paper, a sustainable manufacturing-oriented approach is presented in mind of managing manufacturing changeover complexities. A case study is carried out specifically concerning changeover complexity in a pharmaceutical company, aiming at minimizing complexities in production changeover and waste, increasing plant flexibility and productivity, and ultimately the sustainable competitiveness of the company in managing manufacturing changes.

scholarly journals Automated Assessment in Programming Courses: A Case Study during the COVID-19 Era

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7451
Author(s):  
Enrique Barra ◽  
Sonsoles López-Pernas ◽  
Álvaro Alonso ◽  
Juan Fernando Sánchez-Rada ◽  
Aldo Gordillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Great Difficulty ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Face To Face Learning ◽  
Online Format

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed in many countries, in the short term, the interruption of face-to-face teaching activities and, in the medium term, the existence of a ‘new normal’, in which teaching methods should be able to switch from face-to-face to remote overnight. However, this flexibility can pose a great difficulty, especially in the assessment of practical courses with a high student–teacher ratio, in which the assessment tools or methods used in face-to-face learning are not ready to be adopted within a fully online environment. This article presents a case study describing the transformation of the assessment method of a programming course in higher education to a fully online format during the COVID-19 pandemic, by means of an automated student-centered assessment tool. To evaluate the new assessment method, we studied students’ interactions with the tool, as well as students’ perceptions, which were measured with two different surveys: one for the programming assignments and one for the final exam. The results show that the students’ perceptions of the assessment tool were highly positive: if using the tool had been optional, the majority of them would have chosen to use it without a doubt, and they would like other courses to involve a tool like the one presented in this article. A discussion about the use of this tool in subsequent years in the same and related courses is also presented, analyzing the sustainability of this new assessment method.

scholarly journals The Role of Structural Context in Making Business Sense of Investments for Sustainability–A Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 7006
Author(s):  
Josefine Rasmussen
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Investment Decision ◽  
Sustainable Manufacturing ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Improve Energy Efficiency ◽  
Structural Context ◽  
Investment Decision Making

Energy efficiency is an important means for sustainable manufacturing. One action for manufacturing companies to improve energy efficiency is through investments. While these investments often are profitable, opportunities remain unexploited. This paper explores the structural context of the investment decision-making process by examining the associated activities, procedures, and the role of information. While the structural context may limit complex investments that do not fit predefined rules and controls, such as energy efficiency and other sustainability-related investments, it remains a scarcely studied aspect of investment decision-making for energy efficiency investments. Method-wise, the paper is based on a case study of a major investment at a pulp and paper company, motivated and justified based on productivity, strategic, energy, and sustainability rationales. The paper contributes with illustrating how configurations of internal investment activities and procedures may be crucial for sustainability-related investments to pass through the investment process. Moreover, the configuration of activities and procedures is also indicated as influential for the way in which an investment is executed. Hence, for energy efficiency and other sustainability-related investments to make business sense constitutes more than achieving desirable payback periods; the structural context should be considered.

scholarly journals Agri-food Ecosystems and Sustainable Development Goals: A Case Study by Italy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prof. Dr. Nadia Cipullo
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Intangible Cultural Heritage ◽  
Case Study Method ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Impact

The paper aims at showing how innovations in agri-food business models influence the corporate sustainability of rural ecosystems, assuring the attainment of specific sustainable development goals. The purpose is achieved through a case study method, using a relevant farmhouse and agritourism “Anna dei Sapori” located in the Cilento Bio-District – rich of bio-cultural diversity and homeland of the Mediterranean Diet, Intangible Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO – in Italy. Results show as all corporate processes are managed according to agroecological principles, introducing useful innovations. The goal demonstrates the impact of this thrilling “philosophy”, based on a circular and holistic approach, on environmental, sociocultural, and economic dimensions of sustainability, and the achievement of specific Sustainable Development Goals and targets.

scholarly journals Application of Multi-criteria Approach for Sustainability Assessment of Manufacturing Processes

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 62-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aldona Kluczek
Keyword(s):  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Manufacturing Processes ◽  
Baseline Scenario ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Analytical Technique ◽  
Systematic Improvement ◽  
Hierarchy Process

Abstract The paper is to present a multi-criteria approach for sustainability assessment of manufacturing processes, which can be applied to carry out the sustainability assessment of manufacturing processes requiring less detailed data, time, and expert knowledge, but still providing a company-level analysis. The analytical hierarchy process method is used to determine ranking of simple and relevant activity areas for manufacturing processes in terms of sustainability objectives. Analytical technique is also employed to assess the degree of sustainability in manufacturing due to limited information which appear to be a characteristic of the case study presented. One goal of sustainability characterization methodology is to improve the manufacturing sustainability performance. Similar to the baseline scenario, sustainability reevaluation for sustainability improvement is also applied and discuses performance profile at the process level. This approach seems particularly useful when comparing different processes. It makes applicable for various industries and might be a challenge to derive priorities for systematic improvement. The applicability and usability of the proposed assessment method was verified by the case study in company producing heating devices.

A New Sustainability Assessment Method for Façade Cladding Panels: A Case Study of Fiber/Textile Reinforced Cement Sheets

2021 ◽  
pp. 809-819
Author(s):  
Payam Sadrolodabaee ◽  
S. M. Amin Hosseini ◽  
Monica Ardunay ◽  
Josep Claramunt ◽  
Albert de la Fuente
Keyword(s):  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Cladding Panels ◽  
Reinforced Cement ◽  
Cement Sheets
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