Modeling Bitcoin plus Ethereum as an Open System of Systems of Public Blockchains to Improve Their Resilience against Intentional Risk

In this article, we model the two most market-capitalised public, open and permissionless blockchain implementations, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), as a System of Systems (SoS) of public blockchains. We study the concepts of blockchain, BTC, ETH, complex networks, SoS Engineering and intentional risk. We analyse BTC and ETH from an open SoS perspective through the main properties that seminal System of Systems Engineering (SoSE) references propose. This article demonstrates that these public blockchain implementations create networks that grow in complexity and connect with each other. We propose a methodology based on a complexity management lever such as SoSE to better understand public blockchains such as BTC and ETH and manage their evolution. Our ultimate objective is to improve the resilience of public blockchains against intentional risk: a key requirement for their mass adoption. We conclude with specific measures, based on this novel systems engineering approach, to effectively improve the resilience against intentional risk of the open SoS of public blockchains, composed of a non-inflationary money system, “sound money”, such as BTC, and of a world financial computer system, “a financial conduit”, such as ETH. The goal of this paper is to formulate a SoS that transfers digital value and aspires to position itself as a distributed alternative to the fiat currency-based financial system.

Willingness of the owners in the integrated development to establish the subsidiary management corporation

PurposeThe increasing number of strata property in Malaysia promotes the different usages of development under the integrated development, which comprise the different usages of owner groups. These owner groups may not enjoy all the common properties in the integrated development. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to identify the important to designate the limited common property for the owners who have the exclusive benefit on it. However, the establishment of the subsidiary management corporation and limited common property is less popular in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachHence, research should be carried out to identify the importance of the establishment of the subsidiary management corporation and enhancement for the establishment of subsidiary management corporation to increase the willingness of the owner to establish the subsidiary management corporation. Collective Action Theory likewise assists to increase the willingness of the owner in the establishment of the subsidiary management corporation. A sum of 100 owners in the integrated development and 187 stratified property professionals are the respondents in this research, by applying the random sampling method.FindingsResults indicate the problems that occur in the integrated development is the complexity management in integrated development, followed by the usages of the common property. Therefore, Collective Action Theory could ensure the effectiveness of the establishment of the subsidiary management corporation in the aspect of social rights, resources, governance groups and participants.Originality/valueThis paper provided an overview of the management circumstance in the integrated development of Malaysia and discussed some effective enhancements to promote the sustainable formation of the subsidiary management corporation or two-tier management corporations.

Methodology for Defining the Interaction between Product Characteristics and Specific Product Complexity—Evaluated on Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

This study is about a method for evaluating specific product complexity. In this context, an efficient and scalable method for the development of a specific complexity assessment of highly complex products is presented. Furthermore, existing evaluation methods are analysed according to effort and benefit, thus showing the research gap and the need for the method to be developed. The procedure for the development of an indicator for the specific evaluation of product complexity is presented in five steps and an exemplary complexity indicator for lithium ion battery cells is developed. This index is then applied, and the complexity of commercial battery cells from the application is evaluated. Based on these evaluations, final potentials of the method are shown and a recommendation for a reduction in product complexity is provided. The developed method for complexity assessment is scalable in its effort and offers implementation into existing complexity management. The method allows quick adaptation or extension and, thus, well-founded decision making. By standardizing the evaluation and taking objectively measurable complexity characteristic values as a basis, a holistic and objective evaluation tool is shown, which can thus become a decisive success factor for manufacturers of complex products.

Digital twin-driven complexity management in intelligent manufacturing

Complexity management is one of the most crucial and challenging issues in manufacturing. As an emerging technology, digital twin provides an innovative approach to manage complexity in a more autonomous, analytical and comprehensive manner. This paper proposes an innovative framework of digital twin-driven complexity management in intelligent manufacturing. The framework will cover three sources of manufacturing complexity, including product design, production lines and supply chains. Digital twin provides three services to manage complexity: (1) real-time monitors and data collections; (2) identifications, diagnoses and predictions of manufacturing complexity; (3) fortification of human-machine interaction. A case study of airplane manufacturing is presented to illustrate the proposed framework.

Requirements Elicitation for an Assistance System for Complexity Management in Product Development of SMEs during COVID-19: A Case Study

Technological progress, upcoming cyber-physical systems, and limited resources confront small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the challenge of complexity management in product development projects spanning over the entire product lifecycle. SMEs require a solution for documenting and analyzing the functional relationships between multiple domains such as products, software, and processes. The German research project FuPEP “Funktionsorientiertes Komplexitätsmanagement in allen Phasen der Produktentstehung” aims to address this issue by developing an assistance system that supports product developers by visualizing functional relationships. This paper presents the methodology and results of the assistance system’s requirements elicitation with two SMEs. Conducting the elicitation during a global pandemic, we discuss its application using specific techniques in light of COVID-19. We model problems and their effects regarding complexity management in product development in a system dynamics model. The most important requirements and use cases elicited are presented, and the requirements elicitation methodology and results are discussed. Additionally, we present a multilayer software architecture design of the assistance system. Our case study suggests a relationship between fear of a missing project focus among project participants and the restriction of requirements elicitation techniques to those possible via web conferencing tools.

Method to Address Complexity in Organizations Based on a Comprehensive Overview

Digitalization increasingly enforces organizations to accommodate changes and gain resilience. Emerging technologies, changing organizational structures and dynamic work environments bring opportunities and pose new challenges to organizations. Such developments, together with the growing volume and variety of the exchanged data, mainly yield complexity. This complexity often represents a solid barrier to efficiency and impedes understanding, controlling, and improving processes in organizations. Hence, organizations are prevailingly seeking to identify and avoid unnecessary complexity, which is an odd mixture of different factors. Similarly, in research, much effort has been put into measuring, reviewing, and studying complexity. However, these efforts are highly fragmented and lack a joint perspective. Further, this negatively affects the complexity research acceptance by practitioners. In this study, we extend the body of knowledge on complexity research and practice addressing its high fragmentation. In particular, a comprehensive literature analysis of complexity research is conducted to capture different types of complexity in organizations. The results are comparatively analyzed, and a morphological box containing three aspects and ten features is developed. In addition, an established multi-dimensional complexity framework is employed to synthesize the results. Using the findings from these analyses and adopting the Goal Question Metric, we propose a method for complexity management. This method serves to provide key insights and decision support in the form of extensive guidelines for addressing complexity. Thus, our findings can assist organizations in their complexity management initiatives.

Development of complexity management strategies for construction projects

Purpose The purpose of this study is to ascertain and list the most effective management strategies in efficiently handling the project complexities to enhance the performance of the project. Design/methodology/approach To fulfill the aim of this study, a comprehensive literature review was conducted, and the qualitative Delphi technique in two rounds was applied. Participants of the Delphi technique consisted of 12 subject matter experts (SMEs) with cumulative experience of 250 years in working in construction projects. In the first round of the Delphi technique, SMEs were asked to provide complexity management strategies to address the complexities due to 37 complexity indicators (CIs) under 11 complexity categories. In the second round of the Delphi technique, SMEs identified the top three management strategies for each of the 37 CIs. Findings This study collected the outcome of the two-round Delphi technique and based on the output developed the list of strategies to manage complexities related to each indicator. For example, establishing a well-informed governance team, assigning a Project Manager (PM) when the number of projects is more than one in an organization, and assigning a PM efficient enough to communicate with higher authority effectively will help in managing complexity that arises due to faulty assessment of the influence of a project on the organization’s overall success. Originality/value This study will help practitioners in effectively managing the project complexities, and thus will reduce the monetary loss associated with project complexities.

A Practical Assessment of Modern IT Project Complexity Management Tools

Complexity is ubiquitous in modern engineering and project management. It is traditionally associated with failure. Also, complexity works! It delivers functionality, creativity, innovation. Complexity management contributes to the success of high-risk IT projects, helps better project understanding, allows for better prioritization and planning of resources. Managing negative complexity reduces project risk. Positive and appropriate complexity are catalysts for opportunities. This paper is a qualitative longitudinal study based on multiple industry project cases, consisting in the repeated evaluation of a set of complexity management tools. The tools were deployed in a classical process framework: plan, identify, analyze, plan responses, monitor, and control. The evaluated tools red-flag and measure complexity, analyze its sources and effects, and plan mitigation strategies. The study aims to provide project managers with methods for increasing project success rates and reducing failure in complex IT project environments.