Loading...
13 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 10 of 13
- A Fuzzy Logic model to enhance quality management on R&D unitsPublication . Abreu, António; Santos, Ricardo; Calado, João Manuel Ferreira; Requeijo, JoséNowadays, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), are becoming even more competitive, with the public ones, facing at the same time a greater restriction on public funding. Therefore, HEIs, have to be more effective and more efficient as well, on pursuing their own goals, which includes Research and Development (R&D) units as well. Such demands can be achieved, by enhancing R&D`s global performance. Therefore, the use of a framework such as European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), can bring value to an organization with the characteristics of a R&D unit. This work presents a new integrated method based on EFQM model, by using Fuzzy Logic, to enhance the organizations overall performance. The applicability of the proposed approach is demonstrated by a case study in a R&D unit, where an initial performance evaluation takes place, by using RADAR`s Logic approach. The proposed method, based on Fuzzy Logic, is then applied, followed by the identification of the strength points as well as the improvement areas, according to the EFQM framework. Then, the improvement actions with high priority are determined, followed by the correspondent action measures.
- A new approach to provide sustainable solutions for residential sectorPublication . Santos, Ricardo; Matias, Joao; Abreu, AntónioAn energy-efficient appliance normally presents a lower energy con-sumption compared to a less efficient one, with a higher initial investment, alt-hough this not always happens. Additionally, each appliance, presents very dif-ferent features, leading to some difficulties on its choice by the consumer (deci-sion-agent). On the other hand, each consumer, has specific and distinguished needs from other consumers, namely of social, economic or environmental nature. Even by adopting these criteria, this is not an isolated guarantee of an optimal solution for the consumer. It is then necessary to complement this approach with multicriteria, combined with optimization techniques. Evolutionary Algorithms (EA), could be used as an optimization technique, to provide sustainable solutions to the consumer, from the market. In this paper, it’s presented an approach that integrates both concepts, where at the end, it shall be presented a case study, to demonstrate the application of the proposed method.
- A study on the feasibility of implementing a quality management system, based on the European for Quality Management (EFQM) model in a school of engineeringPublication . Santos, Ricardo; Abreu, AntónioIntrodução: Atualmente, e num contexto competitivo, as Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) dependem cada vez mais da qualidade dos seus serviços prestados, não só para satisfazer os seus diferentes stakeholders, como também, para atrair financiamento. Deste modo, as IES tendem a incorporar na sua estratégia, Sistemas Internos de Gestão da Qualidade (SIGQ), com vista a uma melhoria continua do seu desempenho. Este trabalho pretende analisar a aplicabilidade de uma IES, baseada no modelo da European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), através da sua implementação numa IES publica Portuguesa. Objetivos: Contribuir com uma análise critica da aplicabilidade de um SIGQ no desempenho organizacional de uma IES, baseado no modelo EFQM, e implementado numa IES publica. Métodos: Revisão bibliográfica da aplicabilidade de SIGQ’s em IES, incluindo o modelo EFQM. Recurso a ao caso de estudo, análise documental e entrevistas com elementos intervenientes no estudo. Resultados: Foram obtidos um conjunto de vantagens e dificuldades. Para as dificuldades obtidas, foi proposto um conjunto de sugestões para a sua superação. Conclusões: A aplicação do SIGQ na IES em estudo, revelou-se proveitosa, devido a um conjunto de vantagens percepcionadas, entre as quais, o aumento da eficiência organizacional. Para cada uma das desvantagens identificadas no estudo, foi proposto um conjunto de soluções para a sua mitigação, permitindo deste modo, reforçar o potêncial de aplicaçao do modelo EFQM numa IES. Introduction: Currently, and in a competitive context, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) increasingly depend on the quality of their services, not only to satisfy their different stakeholders, but also to attract funding. In this way, HEIs tend to incorporate Internal Quality Management Systems (IQMS) into their strategy with a view to the continuous improvement of their performance. This work intends to analyze the applicability of an HEI, based on the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model, through its implementation in a public Portuguese HEI. Objectives: Contribute to a critical analysis of the applicability of an IQMS in the organizational performance of an HEI, based on the EFQM model, and implemented in a published HEI. Methods: A number of advantages and difficulties were obtained. For the difficulties obtained, it was proposed a set of suggestions for its overcoming. Results: A number of advantages and difficulties were obtained. For the difficulties obtained, it was proposed a set of suggestions for its overcoming. Conclusions: The application of the SIGQ in the HEI under study, proved to be beneficial, due to a set of perceived advantages, among them, the increase of the organizational efficiency. For each one of the disadvantages identified in the study, a set of solutions was proposed for its mitigation, thus allowing to reinforce the potential of applying the EFQM model in an HEI.
- An approach to provide efficient choices to a household consumerPublication . Santos, Ricardo; Matias, J. C. O.; Abreu, AntónioIn this work, it will be presented an approach, applied to an energy efficiency problema in buildings, which allows the decision-agent (consumer) to perform a set of efficient choices, suitable to its needs, reducing therefore, the building overall energy consumption during the equipment lifecycle period (usage phase). The approach will use Evolutionary Algorithms (EA), combined with Multicriteria analysis. The quality of EA solutions will be evaluated through the comparison, with the ones, obtained from Simplex method. The EA robustness to the change of its parameters, will also be evaluated, as well as the influence of the objective function on its behavior. The approach can provide the consumer with several and different efficient solutions, with less time than Simplex. I tis also possible to improve the obtained solutions, by choosing adequately the EA`s control parameters, as well the problema formulation.
- Energy efficiency in buildings by using evolutionary algorithms: an approach to provide efficiency choices to the consumer, considering the rebound effectPublication . Santos, Ricardo; Matias, João; Abreu, AntónioEnergy efficiency can be achieved, by making optimal choices of household appliances, based on specific rules for consumption and use. However, it's not always possible to achieve good solutions, since in general, an efficient equipment, with an economic consumption savings during his life cycle, is usually an expensive one, with a high initial investment. Additionally, the interaction of these choices, associated with consumer behavior, could lead toward to efficient losses during the lifecycle of the equipment, and then to a situation of indirect rebound effect. In this work, it is presented an approach, applied to the residential buildings, by using evolutionary algorithms to support consumer decisions. The approach presented here, could promote energy efficiency by providing the consumer with several optimal and feasible solutions, and at the same time, with information about the impact of his choices made on future.
- Evolutionary algorithms on reducing energy consumption in buildings: An approach to provide smart and efficiency choices, considering the rebound effectPublication . Santos, Ricardo; Matias, João; Abreu, António; Reis, FranciscoThis paper presents a model to promote energy efficiency among household appliances, by supporting the consumer decisions through the maximization of his savings, associated to a set of electrical appliances from the market to be acquired. Not always an efficient equipment from the market, is more expensive than a less efficient one, which can lead the consumer to compromise the expected savings on future. Given the several models/brands available on market and its possible combinations, the problem can be defined as a combinatorial problem, whose complexity can compromise the efficiency of using deterministic algorithms. Genetic algorithms (GM) were therefore included in the model, whose results were compared later with Simplex to verify the quality of the obtained solutions, as well as their performance. In addition, it was performed a statistical analysis of the obtained results, as well as a sensitivity analysis of GAs parameters, to validate their robustness. we conclude that the proposed method can provide several efficient solutions to the problem, as well as sensitize the consumer to their choices made on future, by estimating their corresponding rebound effect.
- An approach based on fuzzy logic, to improve quality management on research and development centersPublication . Santos, Ricardo; Abreu, António; Calado, João Manuel FerreiraNowadays, with globalization and with the development of emergent economies the Research and Development (R&D) Centres in Europe to survive need to achieve high levels of excellence. In this way, the use of a quality management tools, such as European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), can help the managers of such organizations to identify de best practices to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness. Hence, this paper presents a new approach to support managers of R&D centres in the decision-making process in achieving the aims mentioned above, which is based on the EFQM model integrated with Fuzzy Logic. The proposed approach was applied to a Portuguese R&D Centre to assess its overall performance. In order to evaluate the robustness of the proposed approach, the results achieved were compared with the results obtained through a traditional methodology based on RADAR’s Logic.
- EFQM model implementation in a Portuguese Higher Education InstitutionPublication . Santos, Ricardo; Abreu, AntónioEducation sector, and particularly, Higher Education Institutions (HEI), is nowadays an increasingly competitive sector, where the HEI’s success, relies on stakeholder’s recognition, along with their capacity to attract funding, to achieve sustainability. To attends such demands, HEI tends to incorporate into their strategy, Internal Quality Assurance Systems (IQAS). Additionally, and according to some works, existed on literature, HEI should follows a logic of continuous improvement, through the services provided to their stakeholders, where EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) model, arises as an alternative solution to be considered. However, and although the success achieved with this model on private sector, there are no certainties about the results of their implementation in HEI, since some of the adopted models have a set of techniques based on theories, sometimes incompatible within HEI nature. Therefore, and by using the case study methodology, it is intended to analyze the feasibility of an IQAS implementation, based on the EFQM model, in an Engineering School in Portugal. For this purpose, they are identified some advantages and difficulties found within its implementation, as well as ways to overcome them, contributing therefore with some answers for a better EFQM implementation into a HEI in general.
- Using evolutionary algorithms to achieve sustainable solutions through household appliancesPublication . Santos, Ricardo; Matias, J. C. O.; Abreu, AntónioIn order to reach a sustainable planet, there is a permanent need by the consumer (decision- agent), to achieve sustainable solutions, with its decisions. Given the importance of the buildings, as a sector to achieve such solutions, as well as the diversity of household appliances existent on the market, with all its different issues, there are several tradeoffs to consider (e.g. energy and water consumption vs initial investment), which difficult the consumer’s choices from the market. The problem increases, since nowadays, the consumer tries to get a solution from the market, with a good compromise between the Economic, Social and Environmental dimensions, and according to its specific needs, which can be different from other consumers. By considering a multicriteria approach, combined with an optimization technique, based on Evolutionary Algorithms (EA), it’s provided a set of sustainable solutions from the market to the consumer that respects the compromise referred before. In this work, it is presented an approach to support a decision-agent (DA) (consumer), by performing a set of sustainable choices based on household appliances from the market and suitable to its needs. Based on the obtained solutions, several savings are achieved (electrical and water consumption, CO2 emissions), by considering the consumer’s relative importance, regarding its Economics, Environmental and Social concerns.
- A decision support approach to provide sustainable solutions to the consumer, by using electrical appliancesPublication . Matias, João Carlos de Oliveira; Santos, Ricardo; Abreu, AntónioThe diversity of energy efficiency appliances existent on the market, with all its different issues, contributes to the existence of several tradeoffs (e.g., energy and water consumption vs.initial investment), which make the consumer’s choices in the market difficult. This becomes even more relevant, by knowing that nowadays a consumer tries to get a solution from the market, with a good compromise between the economic, social and environmental dimensions, and according to its priorities and specific needs, which can be different from other consumers. By adopting a multicriteria approach, combined with an optimization technique, based on evolutionary algorithms (EA), it will be possible to provide a set of sustainable solutions from the market to the consumer, that respects the compromise referred before. In this work, it will be presented an approach to support a decision-agent (DA) (consumer), by performing a set of sustainable choices based on electrical appliances, from the market and suitable to its needs. The method will be applied to a case study, to demonstrate its application. Regarding the obtained solutions, several savings are achieved (electrical and water consumption, CO2 emissions) by taking into account the consumer’s relative importance, regarding each dimension considered.