Repositório RCAAP

Logistics is an important area in the economic-financial performance of companies, which makes it necessary to analyse their costs, as well as the trade-offs between them. Thus, the present study, with the objective of analysing the Portuguese food sector logistic professionals’ knowledge regarding to logistics costs trade-offs and their impact on the economic-financial performance of the organizations, showed that there are gaps concerning this subject. Throughout the structured interview and by using the SPSS software, the study shows the existence of flaws in the practical application of the trade-offs’ theory, such as the pressure from the managers for individual cuts in costs; and points out trade-offs of logistical costs relevant to the food sector. These results contribute to the expansion of studies on the subject, besides providing a perspective of the compensatory exchanges that can contribute to the decision making in relation to the costs concerning logistics activities.

Global competitiveness, mainly in the automobile sector, requires a constant focus on products and process innovation in order to provide consumers with a large variety of products of an excellent quality and at a low cost. In line with this philosophy, the study undertaken of the work method and its inherent activities has pointed to time measurement as a support tool of great potential in the optimization of the production process. The present case study aims to optimize the production process of an assembly line dedicated to the manufacture of control cables for the automotive industry. The ultimate objective was to adjust the output of the current line to that of the initial budget. By mapping all the activities and measuring the time spent on each of these, one was able to analyze the existing problems and inefficiencies. Subsequently, through the use of Lean tools and methodologies, one managed to find viable solutions, which resulted in a significant increase in productivity. The solutions implemented have allowed for an increase in line output of 43%, thus setting it within the values considered in the budget. One also achieved a reduction of 30% in assembly line use, which allowed for the addition of new product references on the assembly line in question. Since these gains are considerable for the company, the same methodology was standardized so that it could be applied to other assembly lines.

This paper focuses on the quality costs analysis in the automotive industry, specifically a bus manufacturing company. The main goal was to improve the quality costs indicator, by providing means to evaluate the failure cost within the productive process. Kaizen-lean principles were used as methodology. A quality cost analysis was made based on literature review and in an ISO standard in quality costs. Process analysis was made based on the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle. As the main achievements of this article, the quality costs were identified as well as its sources. Then, by collecting a very significant amount of data, from various departments, regarding each of the identified costs, it was possible to measure these costs and create a database to scorecard them – including rework costs. Due to the lack of rework costs information, a great part of this analysis focused on data collection and estimating/calculating these associated costs. Thus, it was possible to develop associated KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) to support decision making and a graphic indicator to show the overall balance between quality costs and non-quality costs. In this process, some difficulties were found as well as some opportunities for improvement. The critical ones were implemented during this project, while the others are scheduled for future work. In terms of a more technological approach to these studies, some autonomous systems can exist, although it comes at a great cost. However, the 4.0 Industry concept is evolving and fits perfectly in the quality costs monitorization context: an integrated information system with a global data network allows for a quick check-up of all the quality costs, by category, while freeing employees from doing this work manually.

Modern industrial environment control programs are distributed among several devices. The IEC 61499 standard defines function blocks with which distributed control applications may be developed, and how these are interpreted and executed. Its functionality and the inherent support for dynamic reconfiguration provide the required infrastructure for Industry 4.0 and industrial IoT applications. However, by their distributed nature new challenges are posed, especially about how modes of failure are handled. To avoid system malfunctions and breakdowns due to partial failures, the authors propose a new framework were the concept of replication can be applied maintaining internal state synchronised. This paper presents an example of how the replication framework on the FORTE IEC 6499 execution platform can be developed and voting strategies, along with the results obtained in the implementation with the standard communication SIFBs available on the Eclipse 4diacTM.

Nos dias de hoje, com a informatização dos sistemas de informação, as organizações, a nível mundial, são capazes de armazenar todo o tipo de informação por elas gerada. Esta informação é cada vez mais complexa, podendo conter dados de produção, de consumo, de facturação, etc. Sem desprezar o resto da informação produzida, pode dizer-se que os dados administrativos assumem uma relevância especial na gestão dessas organizações. É sobre estes dados que as organizações baseiam todas as tomadas de decisão que definem o seu futuro num ambiente competitivo. Associados a toda a complexidade da informação gerada, estão os problemas de qualidade de dados, muitas vezes desprezados, mas que podem influenciar negativamente as medidas adoptadas e os objectivos traçados. Este capítulo procura, acima de tudo, chamar a atenção para este tipo de problemas, referenciando algumas das suas implicações no âmbito hospitalar. Como resultado, este capítulo apresenta uma sistematização dos vários erros possíveis de constar neste tipo de bases de dados administrativas, contribuindo com alguns exemplos encontrados durante um estudo de qualidade de dados.

Karnaugh map is a method to simplify a logical equation, or convert a truth table in the corresponding logic circuit. This paper presents an alternative way to use the Karnaugh maps that minimizes the logical conditions of command for pneumatic circuits, whether the command is pneumatic or electric. In the last case, the method also permits the control of the circuit through a programmable controller (PLC). In practice, ensure a series of sequential movements in an automatic cycle is to find the set of equations which are executed ensure the realization of the desired sequence. The application of the method itself becomes dispensable analysis of speed or course of the cylinders (irrelevant features to the materialization of the command sequence). It means therefore that the control cylinders equations that will allow his movements (called output variables) are function only of two types of variables (input variables), the position of each cylinder (end-of-stroke valves) and if necessary memory variables. The proposed methodology ensures not only the desired sequential cycle, as well as the minimization of the variables necessary for control commands. To simplify substantially the explanation of the method, it is assumed that each pneumatic cylinder is associated with two end-of-stroke valves for detecting its position. The description as well as the applicability of the proposed methodology will be illustrated using a concrete problem of industrial automation. The methodology described here, will extend its use not only in industrial applications, but also the educational level in terms of engineering schools allowing a particular use in the automation of laboratories in the field of pneumatic control circuits and sequential electro (it is currently teaching in automation course unit of mechanical engineering in ISEP).

The classic methodologies of electro-pneumatic control are essentially based on the Cascade method and a methodology supported by Karnaugh Map. If in the first method, the resolution of pneumatic problem is basically performed by dividing the working sequence in groups, in the second method, the approach is made by the minimization of the control logic equations converting the truth table, to the corresponding logical circuit. In this paper we present an alternative form of a PLC programming, using the Cascade and Karnaugh methods, replacing the classic technique supported by the Grafcet modelling.

This research applies game theory to analyse price-set competition between a nonprofit hotel and a for-profit (private) hotel, in a differentiated service market, with uncertain demand. The nonprofit hotel aims to maximize social welfare. We compute the Bayesian-Nash equilibrium, and we analyse the effects of the degree of the weight assigned to consumer surplus on market equilibrium outcomes. As a result, we get that as the nonprofit hotel values more the consumer surplus, both hotels set lower prices. Furthermore, the expected profit of the for-profit hotel decreases with the degree of the weight assigned to consumer surplus; and the expected profit of the nonprofit hotel decreases (resp., increases) with the degree of altruistic preference, for either low (resp., high) values of this degree. We also compare the results obtained with the ones when the nonprofit hotel aims to maximize the sum of its own profit with the consumer surplus (with some weight assigned to it).

The IEC 61499 was developed thinking about the new generation of distributed control and automation systems. This provides essential resources for the development of distributed systems such as encapsulation, portability and reconfiguration. In this sense, and to ensure confidence in the operation should be implemented fault tolerance techniques dealing with hardware failures and errors off software associated with us where the distributed application runs. In this paper, we propose an approach to deal with failures in distributed systems tolerance problems, based on a replication model based on replication software/hardware as a means to achieve confidence in the operation.

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.