Repositório RCAAP

Tourism is a strategic activity for the economic and social development of countries. But leadership in tourism must ensure the industrys long-term competitiveness of destinations. To be competitive, destinations need to use all their resources efficiently in order to deliver tourism services with quality, innovation and attractiveness that allow gaining market share while guaranteeing sustainability. Destination competitiveness is an important and challenging subject in the tourism market and the influences on competitiveness can change rapidly. This dynamic context means additional challenges. Europe, due to the broad diversity of destinations, is the leading world tourist destination and in 2018 registered about half of the world’s international tourist arrivals. Although Southern and Mediterranean Europe countries were the main drivers underpinning tourism growth, Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe also expanded remarkably. The main objective of this article is to analyse the competitiveness of European tourism. Based on the 14 pillars used to compute the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index published in 2019 by the World Economic Forum a factor analysis was made in order to find similar patterns in tourism competitiveness. The analysis was carried out for 46 European countries and the results led to three factors which explained 76.54% of the total variation of affecting factors on tourism competitiveness. With the underlying factors obtained, a cluster analysis was carried out and the European countries were grouped in three clusters. The results can be used as guidance for stakeholders to define strategies to achieve a sustainable development of the tourism sector, contributing to the tourism competitiveness of European countries.

ISEP, through CIDEM (Center for Research and Development in Mechanical Engineering), is a co-promoter of the “PME Sustentável” (Sustainable SME) project. This project, funded under the COMPETE 2020 / FEDER, aims to strengthen the competitiveness of Portuguese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by promoting the adoption of a circular economy. The Sustainable SME project has emerged from the need to respond to the challenges arising from the EU Directive 2014/95 / EU, which consists of the disclosure by companies of information not included in the traditional financial report. It is intended that organizations also disclose data on sustainability (social and environmental factors).The results of the study are compiled in this book.

Sustainable development addresses humanity’s aspiration for a better life while observing the limitations imposed by nature. In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly approved the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the aim to foster the organizational operationalization and integration of sustainability and, therefore, to address the current and forthcoming stakeholder needs and ensure a better and sustainable future for all, balancing the economic, social, and environmental development. However, it is not entirely clear which are the mutual relationships among the 17 SDGs and this study aims to tackle this research gap. The results of the correlation confirm that Poverty elimination (SDG1) and Good health and well-being (SDG3) have synergetic relationships with most of the other goals. SDG7 (Affordable and clean energy) has significant relationships with other SDGs (e.g., SDG1 (No poverty), SDG2 (Zero hunger), SDG3 (Good health and well-being), SDG8 (Decent work and economic growth), SDG13 (Climate action)). However, there is a moderate negative correlation with SDG12 (Responsible consumption and production), which emphasizes the need to improve energy efficiency, increase the share of clean and renewable energies and improve sustainable consumption patterns worldwide. There is also confirmation that SDG12 (Responsible consumption and production) is the goal strongly associated with trade-offs. To sum up, this research suggests that change towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals offers many opportunities for reinforcing rather than inhibiting itself. However, some SDGs show no significant correlation with other SDGs (e.g., SDG13 (Climate action) and SDG17 (Partnerships for the goals), which highlights the need for future research.

Researchers have focused on the influence of organizational models in the actions, and subsequent outcomes of organizations and the results support the view that there is indeed an association between certain features of organizational models and organizational performance outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to map the organizational models used by Portuguese companies to identify possible dominant patterns and search for differences across several dimensions (sector, size, number of customers; internal/external market). The results show a level of organizational hybridism with several models applied simultaneously and with smaller firms showing a higher emphasis on dialogue, flexibility, and response capability. There is also a general preference among Portuguese companies for the bureaucratic organizational model. The results also indicate that organizations that adopt the bureaucratic model seem to be able to implement systematic processes innovation making compatible the rules and procedures with the ability to learn and adapt.

This research evaluates IRCA registered auditors’ perspectives of the added value of ISO 9001:2015 to the organizations that adopt it and are certified accordingly, bringing a more independent perspective than previous studies based on quality managers or consultants' views. Supported by a worldwide survey among IRCA registered auditors and the adoption of a Covariance based- Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) approach the results point out that the auditors’ judgment regarding the ISO 9001:2015 value is influenced by their perceptions (regarding the document) and experience (auditing). The research results highlight the importance of selecting auditors with the appropriate ISO 9001:2015 knowledge and experience to assess ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems (QMSs) within the certification process, therefore, contributing to the business and processes performance improvement and sustainable outcomes.

Organizations can play a significant role in the advancement of Sustainable Development, and companies with Quality, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety (QEOHS)-certified management systems address the three Sustainability Dimensions (economic, environmental, and social). This research aims to map the present level of engagement of those companies in contributing and reporting to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda. By publicly disclosing their sustainability reports on their institutional websites, they can, therefore, support this agenda implementation. The content of the company reports that were available by 31 December 2017 in the institutional websites, from a total of 235 Portuguese organizations with QEOHS-certified management systems was analyzed. The results show a moderate reporting of SDGs by those companies, with the top five being SDG 12— Responsible consumption and production (23.8%); SDG 13—Climate action (22.1%); SDG 09—Industry, innovation, and infrastructure (21.3%); SDG 08—Decent work and economic growth (20.0%); and SDG 17—Partnerships for the goals (19.6%). The results of the statistical tests indicate that the communication of SDGs is more prominent in organizations (QEOHS) with the following characteristics: have a high business volume, are members of the United Nations Global Compact Network Portugal, and disclose their sustainability reports on their website. This study can be useful for both managers and decision makers who aim to support organizations in contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals and achieving a better and sustainable future for all.

This paper presents the SmartClean tool. The purpose of this tool is to detect and correct the data quality problems (DQPs). Compared with existing tools, SmartClean has the following main advantage: the user does not need to specify the execution sequence of the data cleaning operations. For that, an execution sequence was developed. The problems are manipulated (i.e., detected and corrected) following that sequence. The sequence also supports the incremental execution of the operations. In this paper, the underlying architecture of the tool is presented and its components are described in detail. The tool's validity and, consequently, of the architecture is demonstrated through the presentation of a case study. Although SmartClean has cleaning capabilities in all other levels, in this paper are only described those related with the attribute value level.

The Portuguese automotive industry is a relevant activity sector for the Portuguese society and economy, both in job creation and value-added generation, contributing to the country’s economic development. The automotive is a high challenge industry, with intense competition, a high number of brands, increased number of models and vehicles, tighter regulatory requirements (e.g., emissions), and the need to manage global supplier networks. To succeed in such a highly complex and interconnected industry requires firms to be globally competitive since most of the production of this industry is destined for the rest of the world through export. This research aims to investigate the factors that contribute to value creation and competitiveness of the Portuguese automotive industry. Following the literature review of competitive advantage theories, quantitative research was done through an online questionnaire with Portuguese auto industry firms, to validate the proposed research hypotheses. The statistical analysis of the results, based on the application of descriptive statistics methodologies, principal components analysis, and correlation analysis, allowed to conclude that in this industry sector, the adoption of a strategy of differentiation/focalization and the external context influence value creation. However, it was not possible to conclude if the specific characteristics of the organization influences, or not, the creation of value. From the theoretical point of view, the conclusions demonstrate the relevance of the adoption of a strategy of differentiation and focalization and the external context for the competitiveness of these firms, supporting the assumptions of Porter’s Industry Based Theory and Generic strategies. From the practical point of view, the results highlight the importance of monitoring the external context and investing in research and development, brand image and market expertise, with the aim of enhancing the value creation and competitiveness of the components, tools, and services providers firms of the Portuguese automotive sector.

Over the years, there has been a huge expansion in the automotive component industry and its consequent innovation, which has evolved along with automation and robotics. Therefore, in order to ensure component quality, as well as the quality of the entire production process, it is crucial to enhance competitiveness in the sector. Since quality is a key feature in this industry, all manufacturers and suppliers are scrutinized by systematic audits to ensure constant improvements. This work was developed at a multinational industry and focuses on tire production for the automotive sector. Tires present a complex production process, which covers a wide range of activities from mixing, preparation, construction and vulcanization to the inspection departments, all of which are greatly predisposed to process improvement. In one of these departments (Preparation - APEX machines, responsible for the tire bead production), one of the main problems detected was directly related to a large number of failures in the pneumatic systems. These were found to be difficult to control, both in terms of speed and positioning. Some of the failures in automation were generating delays in certain processes, leading to lengthy setup times and culminating in higher production costs. In order to achieve greater quality, reliability and accuracy, a higher level of automation was applied to these kinds of machines by resorting to 5S methodology. A safety upgrade of the equipment was also undertaken, which will allow for the improvement of workplace safety.The performance improvement of the APEX machines was reached by implementing the following strategies: the automation of conveyor and tray movements between the cutting and application subprocesses; the implementation of 5S methodology; the automation of the cutting process; the updating of safety devices; and the automated control of the separation subprocess. A strong decrease in the breakdown time was recorded (-62%) resulting of the project implementation. The APEXmachine performance was also improved in 9%.

One has seen exponential growth in the number of clients and in the quantities ordered in the fashion retailing multi-brand channel. It has, therefore, become essential to improve the channel’s distribution process in order to meet the customers’ orders in the shortest time, and in a cost-effective manner, thus complying with the delivery terms agreed upon with the market. To this end, one studied aspects such as the mapping of the supply flow process, the occupation of space and the spaghetti-dash diagram of four current distribution process activities. Besides these, one also analyzed the calculation of productivity, cycle times, takt time, as well as the service level designed, with the purpose of preparing a system to evaluate company performance. In addition to these studies, one resorted to the ABC and SWOT customers’ analyses in order to develop the improvement proposal, which was characterized by: (a) changes in the layout, (b) improvements in the supply flow, (c) implementation of gravity carriers, as well as more ergonomic forms of transport, and (d) the use of computer applications developed in Visual Basic language for the distribution process. Based on this proposal, one succeeded in increasing the amount sorted out by the distributor in an eight-hour shift to 294 articles (11,23%). Cycle time was reduced from 0,015 minutes/article to 0,013 minutes/article (13,33%), which allows for the segregation of articles in time for the next collections. In addition, the occupied space was reduced to 47 m2 on average per collection (1,39%), which is translated into a reduction of 1 498 468 meters (23,34%) in the average distance covered per collection. Furthermore, the number of workers was reduced, on average, by five employees (12,82%) per collection. The storage capacity of the finished product was also increased by 535 boxes (11,30%). The total investment needed to achieve these changes is established as being 23 754,42 €; yet, the payback time involved will only be six months, resulting in a cumulative profit of 84 504,23 € by the end of the fall/winter 2020 collection.

Organizations are increasingly required to have a high level of quality and flexibility in production. In order to remain in the market and become competitive, the working methods practiced must be reliable and efficient. The present project sought the improvement of an equipment of the cork industry by introducing a variation, through the application of Lean methods. The equipment under study performs the union of a cork stopper to a capsule, which is done by gluing it with hot-melt glue. The amount of production makes the changeover activity a regular process. The method followed in this work was the study and collection of information on the Lean production philosophy and its application in the cork industry. The working conditions of the assembly machine were also analyzed in order to find opportunities for improvement. Thus, the tool used was the Value Stream Mapping (VSM) technique in order to acknowledge the processes that really add value to the product. The SMED (Single Minute of Exchange of Die) methodology was applied in a way to reduce the downtime caused by tool changes, and a reduction of 43% in total changeover time was obtained. It was also created an A3 model to monitor the entire development of the SMED project, Finally, the OEE (Overall Equipment Efficiency) calculation was implemented as an indicator of overall equipment efficiency, in order to improve the monitoring of possible deviations during production. The feedback also proves that lean tools are a powerful method to get solid returns without large investments.

Information concerning the critical variables of the bleaching process (transformation of a raw fabric into bleached) by pad-steam is scarce, since it is considered a recent process in the textile industry. One hundred percent fine cotton fabrics present great difficulties in the standardization of bleaching across different production batches, which is even more complex when the fabric composition provided by the supplier is unknown. Thus, one carried out an evaluation of the variables that influence color yield in the bleaching process by pad-steam. The conditions used consisted of the reintroduction of the process of desizing by pad-batch, as well as washing and bleaching by pad-steam. The other variable changed was the chemical recipes (desizing and bleaching). As result of this research, the variables which most influenced color performance were the degree of whiteness (Berger) and the pH of extraction. Hence, a change in the production process for this type of 100% fine cotton is required. In this work, a statistical control was performed on the characteristics of the product obtained, which compared results before and during the study. The suggestions for improvement, some of which have already been implemented, are also presented. The results were then compared, enabling one to observe a significant improvement.

Supported by the concepts and definitions of Standard Work methodology, which underpins Lean Thinking philosophy and Kaizen, the study described in this article was developed at a company in the automotive sector, more specifically directed at a production line manufacturing components for air-conditioning systems. The main objectives were to standardize operations, decrease or eliminate the number of activities those are not generating added-value, enhance productivity and associate continuous improvement actions to the processes at hand in order to eliminate waste. After the implementation of a few simple changes - the standardization of operations, adjustments and allocations of workstations – one was able to tailor the production objectives and cycle times to the line’s capacity. The productivity and efficiency of both machines and workers was also increased. Due to the elimination of waste and generation of value, from the customer’s perspective, one was able to raise the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) general average by 16%, from 70% to 86%.

This paper concerns work carried with a view to reduce defect occurrence rate in the spray painting lines of MDF (medium density fibre cluster-medium density fibreboard) parts of a multinational mobile manufacturing. The determination of the causes for the excessive rejection values is elusive for the multiplicity of factors and parameters involved and the dispersion of application times, not always sufficiently or properly documented. A process analysis methodology was applied to diagnose possible causes of defect occurrences. Considering that the highest defect rate concerned impurities, data collected over a six months’ period was analysed using SPSS to find the correlation between parameters, to find optimal limits of some parameters and evidence of their influence. Kaizen-Lean actions were discussed and implemented conducing to an effective reduction of the existing impurities defect rate, which decreased ninefold related with initial work values.

This work was carried out at Continental tyre factory in Portugal, regarding the APEX machines production process, with the main goal of improving of their performance and product quality rate. Main possible causes of defect generation were identified and proposals to enhance the functioning of the bead APEX production process were also carried out. By applying Six Sigma, variables that influence the quality of the production were identified. DMAIC cycle (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control) was applied in the process analysis, enabling a structured analysis and the identification of different causes that negatively affect the process studied and consequently allowed the identification of opportunities for improvement. With the help of the DMAIC method, a series of experiments were developed in order to achieve improvements in product quality rate and process control and stabilization.

The automotive industry is one of the most competitive sectors, in which rigour, flexibility, quality and agility constitute the critical factors of success. Warehouse activities and their associated costs play a vital role in logistic functions. Their optimisation and performance assessment may result in substantial value gains for the company. This study was developed at Continental Mabor, with the purpose of developing a proposal to restructure and optimise the company’s warehouse. An analysis of the existing warehouse was carried out and the respective proposals were subsequently presented. The main goal of these proposals was to improve the efficiency of warehouse functions, reduce stock quantities and enhance the capacity to meet customer’s demand. A warehouse management system (WMS) was installed and a suitable bin management solution was defined. This system consisted of a basic WMS to support stock inventory and its location. In addition, this system envisaged warehouse performance and included elements such as the inventory management Key Performance Indicator (KPI) and warehouse productivity.

The automotive sector constitutes one of the most demanding activities in the global market, since it requires a constant increase in productivity, both in the automobile industry as well as in the companies whose manufacture its components. This sector is currently set within an economic framework where there is a relentless search for costs reduction and an increase in productivity with minimal investment. In order to meet these requirements, companies have sought to optimise their products and processes to ensure higher profits. This study was developed with the purpose of enhancing procedures in the maintenance sector regarding a company which supplies air-conditioning tubes to the automotive sector. The main objective was to increase its machines and equipment availability through the implementation of autonomous maintenance. Due to the undertaken improvements, there was a 10% increase in the monthly indicator of equipment availability on line AA3 at the company where the study was carried out. This, in turn, resulted in an increase of 8% in OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) during the same time period, which was chiefly due to a reduction both in machine breakdown rates, as well as in the MTTR (Mean Time To Repair) on the same line.

The management of energy resources for islanded operation is of crucial importance for the successful use of renewable energy sources. A Virtual Power Producer (VPP) can optimally operate the resources taking into account the maintenance, operation and load control considering all the involved cost. This paper presents the methodology approach to formulate and solve the problem of determining the optimal resource allocation applied to a real case study in Budapest Tech’s. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming model (MILP) and solved by a deterministic optimization technique CPLEX-based implemented in General Algebraic Modeling Systems (GAMS). The problem has also been solved by Evolutionary Particle Swarm Optimization (EPSO). The obtained results are presented and compared.

This study was undertaken at a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) in the metalworking sector, where Lean Management has been implemented through several Lean Tools (LT) and their variations. This study comprised two main goals. The first involved demonstrating which LT allow the highest impact during the implementation phase, thus producing great influence both in terms of organization and operational results, as well as in the context of employees’ motivation. The second goal consisted of introducing procedure changes based on the Management of Human Resources through Lean Leadership tools. By implementing these two objectives, one was able to achieve an increase of 8,5% in machine occupancy rate, and a reduction of 27,9% regarding the costs of defective products per hour.

This study aims to design a new warehouse layout as a solution to the warehouse’s main problem: lack of space to store all the materials in stock. Besides the existing warehouse building, which currently presents an unsuitable layout for the storage of large volumes, there is a second area right next to the first to increase the storage area. The two buildings were re-dimensioned to accommodate a great quantity of stock, enabling one to transform the warehouse building into an industrial warehouse with appropriate storage methods. The final layout increased the storage area by 64%, from a total of 1.471,41 m2 to 2.414,22 m2 overall.