1,721,434 research outputs found
Energy Efficiency in Urban Context: An Overview of European-Funded Projects with the Analysis of an ELENA Case Study
Full text linkAccording to the European Union, buildings are responsible for around 40% of CO2 emissions in the EU area. For this reason, the new regulatory framework Clean Energy for All European Package (2019) supports policies to reduce emissions by increasing energy efficiency in buildings. This is the prosecution of a long-standing policy, which in the past has mainly influenced public authorities, but also aggregations of private bodies and the realization (or renovation) of large strategic investments that impacted and changed the fruition of buildings and relevant infrastructures. The paper aims to offer an overview of the European funds dedicated to the Energy Efficiency initiatives in the past few years, distinguishing funds for financing the project itself and funds for the financing of technical assistance. The overview introduces the analysis of a case study related to technical assistance projects in the Energy Efficiency field, i.e., the European Local Energy assistance (ELENA) Fund; findings connected to the case studies are the main contribution of this paper. The analysis helps to interpret the performance of the funds and to detect the gap between the financing procedures and the subsequent operational implementation of the projects. The case study highlighted critical aspects regarding the potential mismatch between the purpose of the fund and operational barriers in the realization of the initiatives. Such evidence can contribute to helping policy makers redesign and correct funding schemes and, moreover, in evaluating them with a complete information set
Design and simulation of multi-CONWIP into a Make-To-Order firm with general job shop configuration
No full textThis paper presents a general approach for designing and implementing a multi-loop CONWIP system in a complex make-to-order (MTO) firm (i.e. multi-product and multi-routing). The approach was illustrated and then directly simulated in the general job shop of an Italian manufacturer of oil hydraulics products. Firstly, the approach was briefly described, and a case study follows to depict the steps of the implementation. The chosen system consists of a dual-loop CONWIP with cluster type cards and pull-from-the-bottleneck method. Also, a customized dispatching rule and the common unit to measure WIP were chosen according to the firm’s needs and strategy. After designing, this system was simulated and compared with the performances of the current one; it shows lower average values and standard deviations of WIP and flow times, without affecting throughput rate. Finally, the simulated system will also have much lower weighted lateness, to the slight detriment of job tardiness and wait-to-match times for purchase orders. However, multi-CONWIP is an appealing solution for job shop MTO environments
Technical and economic aspect of RFID implementation for asset tracking
No full textThis paper aims to assess the economic feasibility of a technological solution, based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, for asset management in the context of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). Three case study companies are examined, respectively, operating as manufacturers of FMCG, pallet pooler and retailer, to be representative of an integrated logistics channel. Site visits and direct interviews are performed to retail the main processes assets are subjected to and the way such processes are currently managed, as well as to derive quantitative values concerning such processes. Based on the analysis, re-engineered procedures have been developed hypothesising RFID deployment for asset management. Re-engineered procedures were validated by a panel of experts, whose members operate in the logistics, sales and information technology functions of about 15 companies, either manufacturers or distributors of FMCG. On the basis of the comparison between current and re-engineered processes, a detailed economic evaluation is performed for each case study examined to assess the economic suitability of the solution proposed. Results show that RFID deployment allows both manufacturer and pallet provider to achieve an economic profitability on a 5-year period; conversely, the investment is less profitable for the distributor, mainly due to the substantial costs arising for RFID implementation at all retail stores. Outcomes of the study could serve as a guideline for the implementation of RFID technology for asset tracking
Assessment of human reliability factors: A fuzzy cognitive maps approach
No full textHuman reliability in industrial plants is influenced by several elements, such as environment and work factors. However, there are not many studies dedicated to the assessment of the relative importance of human factors affecting human reliability. In this paper a fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs) approach is presented in order to explore the importance of these factors in industrial plants. To this purpose, industrial plants are described in terms of factors affecting human reliability and the causal relationship between them. Finally, an application of FCMs on a food-processing industrial plant is presented to provide some indications for work improvement.
Relevance to industry
The relevance of this study to industry is linked to the possibility of providing, through the use of FCMs, some indications for work improvement in industrial plants. The application of FCMs allows to discover which factors are most important in improving human reliability, and therefore decide where to concentrate resources in order to improve the work environment
Performance measurement and analysis for an RFID technology application to commercial products
No full textIn this paper, the performances of radio frequency identification (RFID) and electronic product codee (EPC) Class1 Gen2 devices applied to commercial products are measured and analysed. In particular, a methodological approach is developed in order to measure the performance of the RFID system under item-level tagging in three different scenarios: (i) static case test, (ii) conveyor case test and (iii) pallet test. The tests assess the performance of RFID systems by means of commercial products, in a real production environment under typical working conditions.
The combined influence of different parameters has been investigated. Results show that the RFID technology has reached a satisfactory level of reliability, which allows its infield application
A QFD-based techinique to select and manage reverse e-auctions
No full textPurpose: In the 1990s, reverse e-auctions were designed to be a widely used procurement tool due to the dramatic cost reduction. However, the current usage is more limited than expected, because e-auctions do not always produce the benefits expected and firms have great difficulty in deciding the right tool to use in the negotiation. The aim of this work is to propose a methodology for a useful utilization of the reverse e-auctions.
Design/methodology/approach: This paper suggests a method based on the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) technique to help purchasing managers to choose how and when they should use e-auctions to buy a new product or service.
Findings: The approach proposed is structured as a tree and developed in three steps: (i) choice between traditional negotiation and e-auction; (ii) choice between the different typologies of e-auction (open, secret, and in sealed envelope), and, finally, (iii) choice of the specific characteristics of the e-auction to guarantee an optimal negotiation outcome.
Practical implications: As completion and validation of the method proposed, two case-studies are presented and discussed.
Originality/value: The value of the methodology is to propose a simple but systematic approach to use the reverse e-auctions technique. The use of a QFD-based approach represents the originality of the method
La svolta dei volti. La dialettica intensiva dell'immagine-affezione
No full textLa svolta dei volti. La dialettica intensiva dell'immagine-affezion
Artigiani dell'osso e del palco nella palafitta del Bronzo medio delle Vallette di Cerea (VR)
No full textLa palafitta delle ‘Vallette’ si trova all’interno dell’omonimo Parco naturale, posto al centro del paleoalveo del Menago che attualmente scorre in direzione nord-sud ai margini orientali del Parco. Il sito archeologico è stato individuato durante i sondaggi esplorativi nel corso del 2006 ed è localizzato a meno di un km a nord dell’abitato di Tombola di Cerea. gli scavi sistematici sono iniziati nel 2008 sotto la direzione scientifica della Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici del Veneto. L’industria in materia dura animale delle Vallette è particolarmente ricca e si compone di 63 manufatti. L’elevato numero di strumenti finiti, scarti e abbozzi fa pensare che l’area indagata potesse essere legata alla lavorazione della materia dura. L’osso, comunque abbondante nell’insieme analizzato, risulta minoritario rispetto al palco ed associato alla realizzazione di strumenti impiegati in attività quotidiane. gli animali sfruttati sembrano essere principalmente i domestici, ma non è da escludere che anche le ossa dei selvatici fossero impiegate nelle attività artigianali.The pile-dwelling site of ‘Vallette’ is located in the natural Park at the center of the Menago paleo-river, which today flows in a north-south direction at the eastern edge of the Park. The archaeological site was discovered in 2006 and is far less than one km north from Tombola’s pile dwelling. Systematic excavations began in 2008 under the scientific direction of the Superintendence of Archaeological Heritage of the Veneto Region. During the excavation more than 400 bone remains have been recovered, giving us important information, on the subsistence economy of the village. Animal hard materials industry is particularly rich and consists of 63 artifacts. The high number of finished tools, waste and supports suggest that the area investigated could be linked to the processing of bone and antler objects, but it is difficult to establish it in the absence of other evidences. Bone tools are less frequent compared to the antler ones. The exploited animals seem to be mainly domestic, but it has not to be excluded that the bones of the wild animals were used too
- …
