bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Building features and site‐specific factors affecting buildability in Hong Kong
Authors: Lam Patrick T.I. , Wong Francis K.W. , Wong Franky W.H. 
Published: September 2007

PurposeBuildability is concerned with enhancing building designs to achieve ease of construction. Adapting from the Buildable Design Appraisal System in Singapore, a tailored‐made Buildability Assessment Model (BAM), which scores buildability of building designs, has been devised for use in Hong Kong. In developing the BAM, local factors and terrain characteristics, e.g. highly constrained and sloping site conditions, which are common features besetting the industry, are particularly considered. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to report on the effects of building sites on buildability.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey with 39 valid responses was administered on construction practitioners, aimed at understanding the relative buildability importance of a number of building features and site‐specific factors in Hong Kong. Analysis was carried out using the relative importance index method.FindingsIt is found that the most important buildability considerations for building features and site‐specific factors are “simplicity” and “allowing working space for safe construction and minimising water ingress and geotechnical difficulties”, respectively.Research limitations/implicationsThe small sample size, though statistically significant, can be increased in further studies of similar type, to enhance the representativeness of the rankings.Originality/valueThe survey findings are valuable in that they offer a practical reference for design professionals, by scoring their designs, to comprehend the degree to which various building features and site‐specific factors impact on the ease of constructing their designs.
Formable multilayer PCB structure: design and technology demonstrator
Authors: Peltola Tero , Mansikkamäki Pauliina 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe paper aims to deal with the benefits and challenges of 3D integration of electronics and mechanics as well as the special requirements in designing a system.Design/methodology/approachThree‐dimensional integration technology has been enabled by innovations in thermoplastic printed circuit board (PCB) materials and novel system integration. Furthermore, the integration of electronics and mechanics helps manage product creation, as design phases must be integrated and teamwork well organized. A multidisciplinary approach is another must in marketing technology, because any decision to incorporate an integrative technology in a product must be based on an understanding of the many forms of expertise involved in creating a product.FindingsWith a unique copper pattern for each 3D shape, inconvenient distortions can be controlled, as dedicated copper patterns enable designers to make efficient use of formable multilayer structures and advance an extra step in freedom of design. Findings are based on a working demonstrator.Research limitations/implicationsEven if 3D multilayer design now lacks dedicated tools, software is likely to evolve to include all necessary functions.Practical implicationsForming a multilayer PCB enables designers to free their imagination and to take advantage of numerous possibilities, including even futuristic shapes.Originality/valueThree‐dimensional integration offers great potential for product design, although by definition and in terms of production technology 3D integration is an incremental change.
Establishing the link between plant operator performance and personal motivation
Authors: Edwards D.J. , Yang J. , Wright B.C. , Love P.E.D. 
Published: September 2007

PurposeResearch suggests that personal motivation is a critical internal driving force that, if harnessed, can significantly improve an operator's productivity rate when working mobile plant and machinery. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of personal motivation upon plant operator productivity (and examine those variables that stimulate personal motivational forces).Design/methodology/approachTo achieve this, an artificial neural network (ANN) was developed. The ANN's topology comprised a multilayer perceptron, with one hidden layer and three output classifications of “good”, “average”, and “poor” (productivity performance). During development of this model, a non‐linear dynamic mapping function and metric were used to improve its classification accuracy. The model initially utilised 32 independent (input) variables identified from the literature such as: pay bonuses; relationships between work colleagues; promotion prospects; and job satisfaction.FindingsSubsequent analyses condensed these variables down to the five most significant (i.e. best motivational classifiers of operative productivity), these being: (v2) receipt of payment for overtime, (v11) job promotion potential, (v22) a safe working environment, (v24) variety of work activities, and (v31) availability of flexible work patterns. Model accuracy when employing these most significant predictors was high at 87.67 per cent. By testing on a hold out sample of original data, the developed model was validated as being reliable and robust.Originality/valueThe main conclusion of the work is that operators' personal motivation can best be encouraged by paying attention to “personal satisfiers” and “security” aspects, with particular emphasis being given to work flexibility and variety, a safe work environment, and appropriate operator remuneration. By delivering and exploiting these variables, employers can improve plant productivity rates and, as a consequence, company profitability.
Building global supplier networks: a supplier portfolio entry model
Authors: Liao Kun , Hong Paul 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to address critical issues on how a global enterprise establishes an effective supply network. The example of a Japanese firm operating in China illustrates a supplier portfolio entry model that has not previously been examined in the literature.Design/methodology/approachThis paper proposes a research model based on theories of resource dependency and supplier networks. The model shows how profit optimization is achieved through a series of decisions that build an effective supplier network.FindingsThe concept of portfolio management is useful in optimizing profits through a supplier network.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is based on a single case in one country, so it has limited validity. Further studies are also needed to examine more complex cases in multiple countries.Practical implicationsThe leading enterprise (e.g. original equipment manufacturer) may effectively build its global network by strategically applying the key features of the supplier portfolio model.Originality/valuePractitioners and academics may gain new insights into how a global enterprise was able to build an effective supplier network in China.
Acquiring competitive advantage in industry through supply chain integration: a case study of Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings Ltd
Authors: Du Liqun 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a case study of a successful corporate group, Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings Limited (abbreviated “Yue Yuen” below), which acquired its competitive advantage through supply chain management (SCM) and supply chain integration (SCI). Focusing on this as a representative example, the paper discusses the features, operations model and performance of SCM and SCI as a useful reference for business, enterprise and academia.Design/methodology/approachBased on classical works on supply chain management, a detailed eight part questionnaire, on supplier and customer relationship management, was designed. This was completed by Yue Yuen managers.FindingsThrough nearly two years of research work, it was found that Yue Yuen's success in supply chain management lies in its large investment in information technology. It was found that a global supply chain strategy should target timeline improvements in product development and procurement to produce optimal effects in terms of cost and quality. Rather than optimizing a single process or segment of the supply chain, a firm should target improvements throughout the entire supply chain.Research limitations/implicationsThe framework in the case discussed in this paper provides guidance for future research in the field of supply chain management and supply chain integration by focusing on the case of a specific company and industry.Practical ImplicationsThis paper provides some theoretical support and policy implications for the reform and development of China's manufacturing, especially in the footwear industry.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the importance of shifting from a “vertical solution” model to a “horizontal solution” model, and stresses that under this new management model, companies can use cooperation to provide customers with a full service supply chain model.
Coordinating global inter‐firm product development
Authors: Jin Yan , Hong Paul 
Published: September 2007

PurposesGlobal product development requires complex international inter‐firm coordination between suppliers and manufacturers. Prior research on the impact of opportunities and risks of supplier‐manufacturer partnership in the context of global product development is relatively limited. The purpose of this article is to explore the rich interactions among global supplier‐manufacturer relationships.Design/methodology/approachBased on the extensive review of global product development practices, an integrative framework of the global supplier‐manufacturer partnership is presented.FindingsEffective inter‐firm practices require firstly, global inter‐firm interaction practices that balance opportunities and risks; and secondly, specific process and product outcome measures.Research limitations/implicationsThis research model needs further empirical validation.Practical implicationsManagers may identify opportunities and risks associated with supplier‐manufacturer partnership and translate them into meaningful inter‐firm practices for global competitive advantages.Originality/valueThe research framework articulates the interrelationships that exist among global inter‐firm product development processes. Practicing managers may find useful insights in making their global new product launching decisions.
Cooperative innovation: a value chain approach
Authors: Walters David , Rainbird Mark 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to briefly review earlier contributions to partner/cooperative innovation with the aim of evaluating the application of the concept to the increasingly popular virtual/value chain business model.Design/methodology/approachA number of example cases of partner/cooperative innovation are examined and, although these are limited in number, it would appear that a classification of types of partner/cooperative innovation is possible.FindingsPartner/cooperative innovation combines elements of process and product innovation management within a “network structure” to create a product‐service response that neither partner could create using its own resources. They extend in both directions of the supply chain (upstream and down stream) and include supplier relationship management such as that demonstrated between Dell and its myriad of suppliers, and examples of customer relationship management such as the relationship that Caterpillar has built with its distributor/service network.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings need further validation through empirical data analysis in appropriate industrial settings.Practical implicationsThe paper includes a model that facilitates the evaluation of the “total efficacy” of partner/cooperative innovation alternatives. As such, the paper offers a viewpoint to be considered by management.Originality/valueThe paper describes partnership/cooperative innovation that combines elements of process innovation management and product innovation management within a network structure. Neither partner can independently create this network using its own resources to meet customer/market determined expectations for product and/or service performance at an economic (viable) cost. Third party involvement is typical.
On using partial orders for web application design
Authors: Gabarró Joaquim , Vallejo Isabel , Xhafa Fatos 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThis paper aims to deal with some design issues of web applications using partial orders to enhance their navigability and extensibility.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a static web applications model as a deterministic labelled transition system in which states are html pages and transitions are urls.FindingsBy using this model it is possible, on the one hand, to characterize the temporal evolution of a web application and, on the other, to classify web applications into several types according to the way the information is organized over the web application. This classification captures interesting properties related to the navigability and extensibility of web applications.Practical implicationsThese ideas are applied to develop a simple web application, namely, a small virtual museum based on approximations of original paintings. Moreover, based on the extensibility characterization, the virtual museum is extended with different paintings approximations, while preserving navigability properties as well as browsing of paintings' approximations of higher quality resolution.Originality/valueThe results of this work provide useful and practical insights into the design of web applications that ensure navigability and extensibility properties.
An XML document generator for semantic query optimization experimentation
Authors: Geng Ke , Dobbie Gillian 
Published: September 2007

PurposeXML semantic query optimization (XSQO) is an important area in eXtensible Markup Language (XML) query processing. However, the experiments evaluating semantic optimization methods often suffer because of the lack of suitable data sets. To evaluate XSQO methods it is necessary to be able to build datasets with specific characteristics. In particular, it is necessary to be able to set: selectivity of embedded elements, selectivity of values of elements, depth, fan‐out and size. The aim of this paper is to describe the requirements of such a generator, and the challenges of building the generator.Design/methodology/approachThe paper considers that there is currently no generator that gives this flexibility, so the paper discusses the design and building of such a generator.FindingsThe main characteristic of the generator is that it is possible to adapt existing XML documents, including XML benchmarks, for experiments that evaluate XSQO methods. With the generator, users are able to modify not only the structure of XML documents but also content quickly and directly.Originality/valueThe paper provides information of value to information technology professionals.
A hidden Markov model‐based approach for extracting information from web news
Authors: Tso Brandt 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThis paper aims to present a method based on hidden Markov models (HMM) for extracting information from web news.Design/methodology/approachThe samples under study are derived from the contents of PROC “People's Daily Online,” a web‐based news publication containing non‐structured archives. This study focuses on developing HMM‐based tools for news filtering in order to retrieve terms of interest, such as “Geo‐location,” “System,” and “Personas.” The experiments are performed in two stages. In the first stage, each HMM being built is exclusively serving for extracting unique target term in order to evaluate the fundamental information extraction (IE) capability. In the second stage, the experiment is then extended to resolve a more complex, multi‐term extraction issue.FindingsThe results reveal that, by using HMMs as a basis, the accuracies (F‐measure) for unique IE tasks can achieve more than 70 per cent on average, while no fewer than 66 per cent accuracies are obtained for multi‐term extraction.Originality/valueThe study reveals the promising of using HMM for developing automatic tool in filtering free‐structured data.
Monitoring the “health” status of open source web‐engineering projects
Authors: Wahyudin Dindin , Mustofa Khabib , Schatten Alexander , Biffl Stefan , Min Tjoa A. 
Published: September 2007

PurposeIn response to the increasing number of open‐source software (OSS) project initiatives and the increasing demand of OSS products as alternative solutions by industries, it is important for particular stakeholders such as the project host/supporter project‐leading teams, and prospective customers to determine whether a project initiative is likely to be sustainable and is worth supporting. This paper aims to propose a concept of “health” indicators and an evaluation process that can help to get a status overview of OSS projects in a timely fashion and predict project survivability based on the project data available on web repositories.Design/methodology/approachFor initial empirical evaluation of the concept, the indicators are applied to well‐known web‐based OSS projects (Apache Tomcat and Apache HTTP Server) and the results are compared with challenged projects (Apache Xindice and Apache Slide). The results are discussed with OSS experts to investigate the external validity of the indicators.FindingsFrom a software project management point of view, a typical web‐based OSS project can be viewed as a web‐engineering process, since most OSS projects exploit the benefits of a web platform and enable the project community to collaborate using web‐based project tools and repositories such as mailing lists, bug trackers, and versioning systems (CVS/SVN) to deliver web systems and applications. These repositories can provide rich collections of process data, and artifacts which can be analyzed to better understand the project status.Originality/valueThe paper provides information of value about open‐source solutions.
Security improvement in embedded systems via an efficient hardware bound checking architecture
Authors: Georg Grasser Michael 
Published: September 2007

PurposeEmbedded technologies are one of the fastest growing sectors in information technology today and they are still open fields with many business opportunities. Hardly any new product reaches the market without embedded systems components any more. However, the main technical challenges include the design and integration, as well as providing the necessary degree of security in an embedded system. This paper aims to focus on a new processor architecture introduced to face security issues.Design/methodology/approachIn the short term, the main idea of this paper focuses on the implementation of a method for the improvement of code security through measurements in hardware that can be transparent to software developers. It was decided to develop a processor core extension that provides an improved capability against software vulnerabilities and improves the security of target systems passively. The architecture directly executes bound checking in hardware without performance loss, whereas checking in software would make any application intolerably slow.FindingsSimulation results demonstrated that the proposed design offers a higher performance and security, when compared with other solutions. For the implementation of the Secure CPU, the SPARC V8‐based LEON 2 processor from Gaisler Research was used. The processor core was adapted and finally synthesised for a GR‐XC3S‐1500 board and extended.Originality/valueAs numerically, most systems run on dedicated hardware and not on high‐performance general purpose processors. There certainly exists a market even for new hardware to be used in real applications. Thus, the experience from the related project work can lead to valuable and marketable results for businesses and academics.
Web‐based Structured Hypermedia Algorithm Explanation system
Authors: Shakshuki Elhadi , Kerren Andreas , Müldner Tomasz 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the development of a system called Structured Hypermedia Algorithm Explanation (SHALEX), as a remedy for the limitations existing within the current traditional algorithm animation (AA) systems. SHALEX provides several novel features, such as use of invariants, reflection of the high‐level structure of an algorithm rather than low‐level steps, and support for programming the algorithm in any procedural or object‐oriented programming language.Design/methodology/approachBy defining the structure of an algorithm as a directed graph of abstractions, algorithms may be studied top‐down, bottom‐up, or using a mix of the two. In addition, SHALEX includes a learner model to provide spatial links, and to support evaluations and adaptations.FindingsEvaluations of traditional AA systems designed to teach algorithms in higher education or in professional training show that such systems have not achieved many expectations of their developers. One reason for this failure is the lack of stimulating learning environments which support the learning process by providing features such as multiple levels of abstraction, support for hypermedia, and learner‐adapted visualizations. SHALEX supports these environments, and in addition provides persistent storage that can be used to analyze students' performance. In particular, this storage can be used to represent a student model that supports adaptive system behavior.Research limitations/implicationsSHALEX is being implemented and tested by the authors and a group of students. The tests performed so far have shown that SHALEX is a very useful tool. In the future additional quantitative evaluation is planned to compare SHALEX with other AA systems and/or the concept keyboard approach.Practical implicationsSHALEX has been implemented as a web‐based application using the client‐server architecture. Therefore students can use SHALEX to learn algorithms both through distance education and in the classroom setting.Originality/valueThis paper presents a novel algorithm explanation system for users who wish to learn algorithms.
An innovative web‐based approach for study skills development in higher education
Authors: Bermingham Caitriona , Mahdi Abdulhussain E. 
Published: September 2007

PurposeIt is recognised that students in higher education need to acquire and develop effective study and transferable skills in order to be successful in their study and beyond. The purpose of this paper is to describe a new custom‐built learning content management system (LCMS), which renders intelligent tutoring modules for the provision of study skills training, with emphasis on the educational pedagogies used by the system to deliver the training.Design/methodology/approachThe system comprises two principal units; an administrator unit and a student‐user unit. The administrator unit is designed to enable authorised users with no prior knowledge of web application design and development to create and modify highly dynamic and engaging multimedia training modules. The student unit delivers highly interactive and user‐customised modules to help students develop their skills, using a pedagogical approach based on active, student‐centred and peer‐assisted learning.FindingsThe performance of the proposed system was subjected to a comprehensive test and evaluation process. General feedback from the users recruited to complete the subjective testing was very positive. It was generally acknowledged that the system was intuitive, the content well structured and delivered and the look and feel of the application aesthetically pleasing.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the use of and benefit of using technology to enhance student learning of study and other transferable skills. It also identifies the need to integrate proven educational pedagogies so as to enhance overall learning and demonstrates how to incorporate these approaches in an LCMS.