Henrique Rozenfeld

Business process support for IoT based product-service systems (PSS)

To propose a method for adopting an Internet of Things (IoT) enabled Product-Service System (PSS) considering business model and product enhancements. The method focuses on business process implications of IoT. The paper also discusses a real application of the proposed method to the machinery industry.,Considering the IoT technologies available, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is applied to identify what should be monitored in the product to minimize potential product failures. In parallel, in order to assist the company in deciding which PSS strategy to be followed, a Configurator of PSS proposals is applied. The results are derived to define the IoT architecture and the business process design supported by the selected IoT technologies.,The main findings include the proposed IoT-enabled PSS adoption method, illustrated by the description of the application and its assessment. In addition, the identification of key process areas that are impacted by IoT is offered, namely: remote machine setup; corrective and predictive maintenance; material supply; product pricing; and information reporting.,The application of the method proposed is limited to one company. Future work includes extending the application of the method to other units of analysis.,The method proposed can be considered by companies willing to increase product-service revenues based on IoT technologies.,The IoT-enabled PSS adoption method is an approach grounded on the intersection theories of Product-Service Systems and the more technology-oriented IoT developments.

Systematization of Recurrent New Product Development Management Problems

Abstract: One of the ways to improve the New Product Development (NPD) process is to eliminate the problems that arise over years of practice. This article describes the systematization of recurrent NPD management problems. The main NPD problems were found to be recurrent; hence, the systematization resulting from this study allows for the identification of NPD areas requiring special attention from both practitioners and researchers. This identification enables researchers to define new areas of academic research, and practitioners to focus on specific improvement projects. Eight case studies were conducted, in which 124 NPD personnel were interviewed, involving the diagnosis of the NPD process and the identification and selection of NPD improvement projects. The diagnostic method applied was the Current Reality Tree (CRT), which is a cognitive method for identifying undesirable effects (problems) in a process. Text mining techniques were then applied to identify similarities among these CRTs. Lastly, NPD categories were created to classify the NPD problems. An analysis of the rate of problems per category underlined the importance of diagnosing the NPD process. It was concluded that process and project management are just as critical as product strategy definition and human resource management. Additionally, we concluded that companies would gain greater benefits by focusing on the aforementioned areas before investing in information and communication technology. Potential pitfalls of NPD may be avoided if companies adopt proactive management actions to mitigate their NPD recurrent problems based on the results presented here.

Business Model Elements for Product-Service System

Companies are seeking for new ways to do business. The Product-Service System concept can be a potential option since it meets requirements regarding sustainability and also introduces a type of business in which the focus is placed on delivering function instead of providing value thought tangible products. However, the deployment of PSS involves a reassessment of companies’ business models. Therefore, this paper identifies and classifies the characteristics of the PSS business model that need to be addressed for its implementation, which was carried out using literature review and considering three types of PSS and nine elements of a business model.

Decision Making at the Front End of Innovation: The Hidden Influence of Knowledge and Decision Criteria

Decision making at the front end of innovation is critical for the success of companies. This paper presents a method, called decision making based on knowledge (DeBK), which was created to analyze the decision‐making process at the front end. The method evaluates the knowledge of project information and the importance of decision criteria, compiling a measure that indicates whether decisions are founded on available knowledge and what criteria are in fact being considered to delineate them. The potential contribution of DeBK is corroborated through two projects that faced decision‐making issues at the front end of innovation.

A starting point for addressing product innovativeness in the Fuzzy Front–End

Product innovativeness is a primary contingent factor to be addressed for the development of flexible management for the front–end. However, due to complexity of this early phase of the innovation process, the definition of which attributes to customise is critical to support a contingent approach. Therefore, this study investigates front–end attributes that need to be customised to permit effective management for different degrees of innovation. To accomplish this aim, a literature review and five case studies were performed. The findings highlighted the front–end strategic and operational levels as factors influencing the front–end attributes related to product innovativeness. In conclusion, this study suggests that two front–end attributes should be customised: development activities and decision–making approach.

Improvement of radiology services based on the process management approach

The health sector requires continuous investments to ensure the improvement of products and services from a technological standpoint, the use of new materials, equipment and tools, and the application of process management methods. Methods associated with the process management approach, such as the development of reference models of business processes, can provide significant innovations in the health sector and respond to the current market trend for modern management in this sector (Gunderman et al. (2008) [4]). This article proposes a process model for diagnostic medical X-ray imaging, from which it derives a primary reference model and describes how this information leads to gains in quality and improvements.

Systematic Approach to Formulate PSS Development Project Proposals in the Fuzzy Front End

Product-service systems (PSS) adoption has increased over the last years due to its potential for innovative value creation. However, the identification of ideas and opportunities in the innovation planning and the structuring of PSS projects are still incipient in organizations, following the same patterns adopted for product development. Currently, there is not a systematic approach that can be followed for the formulation of PSS proposals in the fuzzy front end. Therefore, the aim of this research is to develop a method for defining PSS project proposals based on attributes that should be considered by companies during this definition. The systematization of PSS attributes may help increase the knowledge about different PSS projects that can emerge in the front end, thus leading to the discovery of opportunities that are not apparent in the existing business models and give rise to new ideas that can be translated into successful projects.

Proposal of a NPD Diagnostic Method to Identify Improvement Opportunities

This paper proposes a cause-effect diagnostic method to aid in the identification of New Product Development (NPD) improvement opportunities, called the Diagile Method. The proposed method is based on the CRT method and incorporates best practices of project management and activities to identify relevant opportunities for improvement. Templates are provided to assist in each phase of the Diagile application and a tool is provided for conducting effective interviews with NPD personnel. The main Diagile outputs are a current reality tree and a personalized portfolio of NPD improvement projects. A controlled experiment involving two independent groups was performed to evaluate the method at a large multinational office supply manufacturer. The results of this research suggest several managerial implications for improving the NPD process. The first is that effective diagnosis plays an important role in improving the NPD process. A cause-effect diagnostic method enables a healthy discussion among multidisciplinary NPD teams seeking to improve NPD to make the right choice of NPD improvement projects. Finally, the company reported that Diagile has proved to be an excellent method to analyze the NPD process and identify its problems.