Milan Edl
email: edl@kpv.zcu.cz

Educational framework of Product Lifecycle Management issues for Master and PhD study programmes

Keywords: PLM, sustainable product, educational framework, factory as product, sustainable production system

This article focuses on the description and implementation of PLM in the education of students at the University of West Bohemia. The concept is designed to be deployed in both Master's and PhD study programs. It is also used for training research workers in universities and industrial enterprises in the Czech Republic. The entire educational framework is developed in accordance with sustainable management of the product in its entire life cycle.

Introduction

At the outset something should be said about the current state of education in industrial engineering at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (UWB). Industrial engineering has an almost 20-year tradition at the University provided by the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. The Department has much experience in education and applied research, and also cooperation with industrial partners. In terms of education, it is important to stress that the Department has accreditation for Bachelor, Master and PhD study in the field of industrial engineering and management. It is precisely this background that has been used to create and improve the educational framework for students at all stages of their education in the field of industrial engineering and Product Lifecycle Management. The three fundamental tenets of the new educational framework are three projects undertaken with assistance from the European Union Structural Fund and the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.

It is also important to add that the creation of this educational framework would not have been possible without the experience gained from foreign workplaces.

Motivation

It is necessary to look at product management from different viewpoints. Not just from a technical perspective, not only from a technical point of view, but we must also add other views. Important factors which are necessary to include are:  Reducing the time (maybe timing) of release of product on to the market  Orientation towards product quality  Teamwork  Modularity of product (meta-product)  Knowledge based approach  Not undervaluing the second half of the product lifecycle  Etc… These conditions should be considered as smart products and intelligent manufacturing systems. What are 'smart products' and 'intelligent manufacturing systems'? It does not mean anything other than the integration of different approaches, tools, ideas, resources, etc., into the final product. Final product can be regarded as the production system, for example, meta-product.

A production system [START_REF] Edl | Innovations Information Management Systems: Product Lifecycle Management[END_REF] can no longer be seen as the view of F. W. Taylor: Taylorism can be described as: the direction where management methods and means are used that were created and defined in the early 20th century in the USA by F. W. Taylor. Time studies of workers determined that daily tasks were based on the most powerful performances of workers, without taking into account the possibilities and abilities of the average man. Taylorism was based on the idea of homo oeconomicus, who is motivated to work exclusively for material benefits and, as an "isolated individual" willing to submit to a strict, standardized mode of operation.

The production system must be understood as an integral system where it is necessary to apply the elements of intelligence. It is both product development and a combination of all the parts of the product lifecycle.

The following statement [START_REF] Edl | Řízení životního cyklu produktu (PLM)[END_REF] was made by Prof. van Brussel from Katholieke Universiteit in Leuven:

Products and production systems should be 'tailor made' not 'Taylor made'!

The basic idea is clear. It is necessary to satisfy the customer. Modular product is quite advantageous for the efficiency of the product development (if it works).

The production system must be understood as a product, so the modular production system is very important for creating a modular product.

And it is exactly this point of view which is key for industrial engineering education at the University of West Bohemia, and the entire framework of this study programme is based on and gradually modified according to two basic principles. The first is industrial strategy in a Czech and European environment which is based on directives formulated with the support of the Strategic Research Agenda and/or at the Czech governmental level. The second principle is the formulation of the requirements of representatives of Czech industry. These are representatives from companies of various sizes and from varying fields. Feedback from the Czech Technology Engineering Platform (members of Manufuture) was also used

Roles of Universities

But it is also essential to look at education in a broader context. What is the role of the University of West Bohemia? The University of West Bohemia in Pilsen has educational, research and application roles. These three pillars are also a source of financing. Education is usually financed by the Ministry of Education. Projects in the field of research, development and innovation are usually financed from the state budget, EU funds and industrial practice. And then there are the financial resources from industrial practice to solve specific industrial problems.

Fig. 1 Roles of universities

At the present time, the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management is working on several projects. The first is "Product life cycle in a digital factory environment", the second is "Quality research team focused on the issues of product lifecycle management" and the third is "Creating and enhancing partnerships between universities and practice".

Proposal and implementation of an educational framework

Based on the identified (or verified) facts, there have been modifications to study programmes both at master's level and also at PhD level. It should be noted that our university students have found employment in industry (industrial plants) and research organizations. There is a need to develop programmes with short to medium term impacts on industry. Therefore, modifications have been made to Master and PhD study programs.

It is also necessary to highlight the cooperation with the following foreign institutions in the creation of an educational framework for PLM at UWB:



Product Lifecycle in Digital Factory Environment

The project for innovating the Industrial Engineering masters study program is called "Product life cycle in the digital factory environment" [START_REF]Highly professional research team focused on the topic of Product Lifecycle Management and Digital Factory[END_REF]. The objective of the project is to innovate the teaching programmes of Bachelor and Master Degree students at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. It will be implemented by the creation of 19 e-learning multimedia modular courses, which will be upgraded to existing programmes. The target group is mainly students with a diverse range of knowledge acquired in the studied subjects (design, technology, production, etc.). Course modules will be used in 38 subjects in six Bachelor's and Master's Degree programmes at three faculties.

Modules developed within the project are as follows:



Highly professional research team focused on Product Lifecycle Management and Digital Factory

The project for innovating the Industrial Engineering PhD study programme is called "Highly professional research team focused on the topic of Product Lifecycle Management and Digital Factory" [START_REF]Product Lifecycle in Digital Factory Environment[END_REF]. The basic idea of the project is to improve, streamline and support using specialist knowledge the work of the research centres on the issues of Product Lifecycle Management environment in the Digital Factory at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. The project creates specific training modules for acquiring knowledge and skills of researchers and their use in effective research teamwork on the topic. Its character is interdisciplinary and it will be therefore resolved in integrated interdisciplinary research in the fields of design, technology and industrial engineering, which will interconnect into one research team for solving problems using methods and tools of digital business. Furthermore, the cooperation of the team with foreign research teams will be prepared as a necessary condition of quality and sustainability of the research. In order to fulfil other objectives:

 four industry-oriented research groups at the faculty will be integrated within one multidisciplinary research team,  the materials for training researchers and doctoral students in this field will be elaborated,  cooperation of teams with renowned international research centres will be prepared.

Knowledge of individual topics from the field of digital companies based on the use of information technology (CAD, CAM, CAP, ERP, etc.) has a strong tradition at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, in the fields of design, technology and industrial engineering (mainly represented by three departments and one research centre). The research of particular topics is currently separated into four research groups that do not cooperate effectively. Therefore, the disconnected research group from the fields of design, technology and industrial engineering will be integrated into an interdisciplinary research team in order to improve and streamline the management team, based on synergies, and to improve performance in solving common problems of digital research companies. These results in the NUTS II Southwest unique research facility focus on training researchers to develop research and practical application of innovations in the issues of the digital enterprise. This method of ensuring the discussed issue is in conformity with the solution originating from foreign research institutions dealing with the concept of digital enterprise.

The research team will consist of academic staff, PhD students and selected students of various disciplines at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, along with researchers from industrial companies.

Modules that are being developed within the project are as follows: The following figure (Fig. 2) shows a matrix of relations between individual modules, where value 1 means a weak but existing relationship, 2 means a strong relationship and 3 indicates a very strong relationship.



Fig. 2 Relationship matrix

The whole concept is conceived as a means for designing modules to create a methodical, logical approach to creating products, from the initial idea through design and production to retail and maintenance and disposal. These modules can be called 'sequential'. However, in order to 'function' these modules need further essential activities which are described in other types of modules. These are called 'profile' modules.

As can be seen from the matrix, all connecting elements are already in the modules, which cover all the other implemented project modules. Other key modules (in terms of connectivity with other thematic units) are Virtual Reality and Planning Manufacturing Processes.

All the modules presented here are included as courses for students of all PhD study areas at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, UWB.

Creating and Enhancing Partnerships between Universities and Practice

Improving study programmes is an important step, but it is not the only necessary step that needs to be made. There must be greater interaction with industry and the European Research Area. To this end UWB is also working on the project "Creating and Enhancing Partnerships between Universities and Practice" [START_REF]Creating and Enhancing Partnerships between Universities and Practice[END_REF]. This project is aimed at expanding the contacts and cooperation between universities and private and public sectors in order to contribute to the improvement of the design of a competitive workforce. Such cooperation will be mutually beneficialstudents will bring into practice the theoretical knowledge of the new organization and a fresh perspective to problem solving, while practitioners will apply their experience in teaching. The development of cooperation and professional skills will also contribute to the conference, interactive workshops and the winter school. The project will be supported by international practice and internships, and participation of foreign experts in interactive workshops, which will not only improve the professional and language skills of the people involved, but also increase international cooperation (joint projects, R & D).

Conclusion

In conclusion it can be said that positive feedback, especially from companies, is growing stronger over time, and the correctness of moving towards sustainable production systems can be seen. And this is only the beginning of innovation that has not only a technical character, but especially a social dimension.

6

  University of Žilina (SK)  Technical University of Košice (SK)  University of Zielona Góra (PL)  University of Bielsko-Biala (PL)  University of Maribor (SI)  Fraunhofer-Institut für Fabrikbetrieb und -automatisierung IFF Magdeburg (DE)  Technical University of Chemnitz (DE)  Czech Liaison Office for Research and Development (BE)  SIRRIS (BE)  Manchester Metropolitan University (GB)

  Theoretical and System approach for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) in Digital Factory environment (DF) ─ Digital company ─ System approach to life cycle engineering design in DF environment ─ Legal aspects in connection with the life cycle of the product ─ Virtual reality in DF environments ─ Knowledge management and innovation ─ Performance management processes and increase value-added product in the DF environment  Technological preparation and support for production in DF environment ─ Design of investment units ─ Design of material handling ─ NC Technology  Design of production systems (processes) in DF environment ─ Design of production bases ─ Creation and optimization of workplaces ─ Analysis, modelling and optimization ─ Logistics ─ Simulation of manufacturing systems and processes  Planning and control production and information support in DF environment ─ Methods of Industrial Engineering ─ Production planning ─ Integrated management systems and their applications in manufacturing ─ Algorithms and their computer support ─ Economic analysis and evaluation of production processes and products These modules are currently implemented in the study programme of Industrial Engineering and Management at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, UWB.

  Digital company (DP)  Product lifecycle management (PLM)  Enterprise Information Systems and DP  Knowledge management and DP  Artificial Intelligence and DP  Virtual reality and DP  CAx and DP  Control via data management and PLM and DP  Reverse engineering and DP  Design of production systems and DP  Assembly, robots and DP  NC Technology and DP  Design of production processes and DP  Logistics and DP  Production Planning and Control and DP  Modelling and simulation, and DP  Evaluation of the performance in the company and DP

Acknowledgements

In conclusion, we would like to express our thanks for the support of the projects CZ.1.07/2.2.00/15.0397 "Product Lifecycle in Digital Factory Environment", CZ.1.07/2.3.00/09.0163 "Highly professional research team focused on the topic of Product Lifecycle Management and Digital Factory" and CZ.1.07/2.4.00/17.0054 "Creating and Enhancing Partnerships between Universities and Practice" dealt with in the Operational Program Education for Competitiveness.

Special thanks are due to our foreign partners who participated in consultations for the creation of a system for education of PLM at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen.


Egon Müller
email: egon.mueller@mb.tu-chemnitz.de

Hendrik Hopf
email: hendrik.hopf@mb.tu-chemnitz.de

Manuela Krones
email: manuela.krones@mb.tu-chemnitz.de

Analyzing Energy Consumption for Factory and Logistics Planning Processes

Keywords: Energy Efficiency, Analysis of Energy Consumption, Factory Planning, Logistics Planning

Energy efficiency increasingly becomes a relevant objective in industry. Factory planning plays an important role for energy-efficient factory, production and logistics systems. The design of systems and processes in intralogistics, as an essential part of factory planning, is in the focus of this paper. Existing approaches for energy efficiency-oriented planning of logistics systems are either empirical or theoretical. The paper describes an approach combining both aspects. With the presented approach, the energy consumption of a system in a factory can be determined and evaluated systematically. As a result, energy efficiency measures are deduced and generalized. The approach provides energy data and knowledge to support analyzing and optimization activities in planning processes.

Introduction

Energy efficiency becomes a more and more important objective for industrial companies due to several factors, e.g. rising energy prices, growing environmental awareness and energy policy conditions. The EU member states agreed on the principle of "20/20/20 by 2020", i.e. a 20 % reduction in greenhouse gases, a 20 % share of renewable energies and a 20 % increase in energy efficiency by the year 2020 compared to 1990 [1]. The national implementation differs between the countries. For example, Germany wants to take a pioneering role and therefore adopted the "Energy Concept 2050", which staggers the achievement of goals in different phases. The greenhouse gas emissions should be reduced by 40 % until 2020, by 55 % until 2030 and by at least 80 % until 2050 [START_REF]Energy Concept for an Environmentally Sound, Reliable and Affordable Energy Supply[END_REF]. Industrial companies have recognized this trend and implement corporate strategies for improving sustainability and energy efficiency. The energy efficiency of the entire factory system does not result directly from the sum of individual parts or actions, i.e. individual actions can affect each other positively or negatively. Only through a holistic view of the complex coherences and interactions of individual resources, processes and structures of a factory, energy optimization potentials of the overall process or the total system can be exploited [START_REF] Müller | Energy Efficiency at Manufacturing Plants -A Planning Approach[END_REF].

Therefore, factory planning plays a significant role for energy efficiency of factory, production and logistics systems. Despite of this importance, there is still a demand on tools and methods to integrate energy efficiency in planning processes systematically.

In the Cluster of Excellence eniPROD ® , which is a collaboration of Chemnitz University of Technology and Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology, the research is focused on "Energy-Efficient Product and Process Innovations in Production Engineering". An objective of eniPROD ® is a national and international visible contribution to realizing the vision of an almost emission-free production while simultaneously reducing the demand for energy as well as increasing the efficiency of resources [START_REF] Neugebauer | Energy-Efficient Product and Process Innovation in Production Engineer[END_REF]. One of the specific issues is "Energy-Efficient Systems and Processes in Logistics and Factory Planning".

The contribution of logistics to energy efficiency is often neglected by practitioners. But it is estimated that 40 % of the energy consumption in production are caused by production surroundings which have their greatest share in logistics processes [START_REF] Hellingrath | Software in der Logistik -Klimaschutz im Fokus[END_REF]. Especially in the field of intralogistics, there are only few scientific publications to support energy efficiency-oriented planning [START_REF] Schmidt | Simulationsbasierte Entwicklung energieeffizienter Steuerungsstrategien für Materialflusssysteme[END_REF]. The presented approach for analysis and evaluation of energy consumption has been developed within eniPROD ® to meet these deficits.

The remainder of the paper is organized as follows: In section 2, the basics of energy efficiency in logistics systems are presented. Section 3 contains the developed approach, which is applied to a use case in section 4. A short discussion and an outlook on further research are given in section 5.

Energy Efficiency in Logistics Systems

Energy efficiency, in general, is defined by the ratio of useful process output and energy input [START_REF] Müller | Energieeffiziente Fabriken planen und betreiben[END_REF]. Possibilities to reduce energy consumption are either technological (e.g. reducing friction) or organizational (e.g. reducing transport effort or switching off components when they are currently not used). Technological measures often lead to a change of construction and cause additional costs. Organizational measures can often be realized without additional costs. Scientific problems in the field of energy efficiency are highly diversified. A main problem to raise energy efficiency consists in the understanding and modeling of the relationship between energy consumption and its causes. Methods that have been developed for this problem are mostly found in the field of machine tools and can be divided into empirical and theoretical approaches (figure 1). Empirical methods focus on the collection and comparison of energy data for different states of operating. Afterwards, these data can be used for simulation studies [START_REF] Herrmann | Process Chain Simulation to Foster Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing[END_REF], [START_REF] Larek | A Discrete-Event Simulation Approach to Predict Power Consumption in Machining Processes[END_REF]. Theoretical approaches use models to describe the influence of different variables on energy consumption [START_REF] Dietmair | Model-Based Energy Consumption Optimization in Manufacturing System and Machine Control[END_REF], [START_REF] Seow | A Framework for Modeling Energy Consumption within Manufacturing Systems[END_REF].

A transfer of the fore-mentioned methods to logistics systems is hardly possible, because their structure and functions are very heterogeneous (e.g. transport, storage, picking and packaging). There are only few scientific publications considering systematic approaches to increase energy efficiency in logistics systems. For instance, an empirical approach is presented by Prasse et al. [START_REF] Prasse | Survey on Energy Efficiency Measurements in Heterogeneous Facility Logistics Systems[END_REF]. A theoretical analysis on energy efficiency improvement based on a physical model is performed by Zhang et al. [START_REF] Zhang | Modeling and Energy Efficiency Optimization of Belt Conveyors[END_REF], but there is no verification of the theoretical findings with empirical studies.

Fig. 1. Comparison between different approaches to analyze the energy consumption

Approach for Analysis and Evaluation of Energy Consumption

The presented approach uses an integrative consideration of theoretical and empirical methods (figure 1). The goal is to determine and evaluate the energy consumption of a system and to deduce energy efficiency measures based on this. The approach is divided into seven steps (figure 2). In the first step, "Definition of Target Figures", the considered system is chosen as object of investigation and the goal of the analysis as well as the target figures are defined. A typical goal of the analysis is to determine the energy consumption depending on different operating states of the system. In this case, electrical power and electrical work can be defined as target figures. In the further procedure, possible influencing variables need to be identified and evaluated regarding their quantitative effect.

Then, the system is described in detail and available data is collected in the step "Definition of System Boundaries & Data Acquisition". The analyzed system is sepa-

Influencing Variables

Mass, Distance, …

Energy Consumption

Integrative Consideration

System

Focus of Empirical Approaches

Energy Consumption

Focus of Theoretical Approaches

System Influencing Variables

Mass, Distance, …

System Environment System rated into subsystems, elements, structures and processes to define the system boundaries. Different description models can be used for this task (e.g. hierarchical or peripheral order). A system is gradually divided into subsystems with the hierarchical order. The peripheral order structures a system according to the dependence on the master production schedule [START_REF] Schenk | Factory Planning Manual -Situation-Driven Production Facility Planning[END_REF]. Thus, the energy consumption can be traced to its origin. After that, required information about energy carriers, processes or materials etc. is gathered. If the system is similar to other systems, the results of the analysis could be transferred in order to reduce effort.

Fig. 2. Approach analysis and evaluation of energy consumption

A central step is the "Modeling & Model Analysis", which comprises creating a model of the system and identifying influencing variables on energy efficiency. Physical principles in the model describe how the defined target figures (see step 1) depend on the influencing variables. According to the system boundaries (see step 2), the influencing variables are divided into control and disturbance variables. Control variables can be changed within the system boundaries, whereas disturbance variables cannot be influenced. After modeling, the effects of changing control variables are analyzed. Two advantages can be achieved with this theoretical consideration: Firstly, the effects of energy efficiency measures can be estimated without affecting the real system in its operation. Secondly, the operating states can be specified for the preparation of the practical examination.

In the next step, "Preparing & Performing Measurements", the energy consumption of the system is measured in order to test the theoretical findings practically. The measuring variables, points and instruments are defined on the basis of the target figures and influencing variables (see step 3). Possible measuring points are the main connection (e.g. control cabinet) or the connections of the components (e.g. drive motors). Batteries or their charging stations can be used as measuring points for material handling vehicles. Measuring instruments can be stationary or mobile. Special attention should be paid to the acquisition of process data in addition to energy data in order to link this data.

Theoretical and practical results are compared in the step "Evaluation of Results". The measured values can be summarized with the use of statistical metrics according to the required accuracy. Key figures, e.g. specific energy consumption, are calculated to compare different planning or operation alternatives. Depending on the system complexity, visualization in form of energy flow charts or diagrams is helpful for better understanding.

The sixth step, "Determination of Peripheral Effects", is very important for energy efficiency-oriented factory and logistics planning. The energy consumption depends on the design and operation of a system. Energy measurements often focus just on this direct consumption. But in addition, indirect energy consumption is caused by the area taken up within a superior system (e.g. energy demand for HVAC and lighting). Intralogistics systems, e.g. transport systems, typically take up a great share of the floor space, so the indirect energy consumption should not be disregarded.

The last step consists of the "Deduction and Generalization of Energy Efficiency Measures". Based on the findings of theoretical and practical analysis, influencing variables and optimization opportunities are pointed out. Recommendations for energy efficiency-oriented planning and energy-efficient operation of the system are generalized.

4

Use Case "Automated Guided Vehicle"

The application of the approach is presented on an example in the "Experimental and Digital Factory" of the Department of Factory Planning and Factory Management [START_REF] Horbach | Building Blocks for Adaptable Factory Systems[END_REF]. Further practical case studies were performed in an industrial environment [START_REF] Veit | Umsetzung logistischer Strategien unter Berücksichtigung der Energieeffizienz[END_REF].

The automated guided vehicle "MOVE" of Trilogiq was selected to analyze electrical power and electrical energy consumption depending on the transport task (figure 3). The investigation focuses on the vehicle operation, not on the construction. Therefore, it is not further separated into its components (e.g. drive, control system), although this would be possible for analyzing the dependence between the energy consumption and the vehicle's construction. The points for material transfer and battery charging stations belong to the system environment. The only needed energy form is electrical power, which is provided by two lead batteries with each 12 V voltage and 120 Ah capacity. The vehicle uses magnetic navigation with a passive guide line and passive ground markers to follow a programmed route.

The physical model is build in order to deduce the influencing variables on energy consumption. It bases on the planar motion of a particle. The energy consumption of electrical components is not considered at this point. The mechanical work is calculated as target figure by adding the forces due to rolling and acceleration resistance. The influencing variables are divided into control and disturbance variables. As only the vehicle operation is analyzed, the control variables are the mass of the transported goods, the number of acceleration processes, the distance and the velocity. A sensitivity analysis is used to order the variables according to their predicted influence. The ratio between energy consumption and transport effort (specific energy consumption) is calculated as key figure.

Afterwards, the practical measurement was performed by absolving a driving cycle with different transport loads and different velocities. The insights of the analysis of the physical model were tested. The energy consumption was recorded by the battery controller "WI-iQ ® " from EnerSys/Hawker, which transfers the data of the current power consumption to a laptop by wireless communication. It is important to log the position of the vehicle and its driving time in order to connect energy and process data, i.e. to assign the energy consumption to different parts of the driving cycle. When the measured results were evaluated, there were, at first, differences between the model and the real energy consumption. This means, the mechanical energy used for the movement, which is calculated with the physical model, represents only a part of the consumed electrical energy. However, the important influencing variables were identified before the measurements. As one measured result, less acceleration processes led to reduced energy consumption. Whereas, the reduction of velocity led to a reverse effect: Although the electrical power was reduced, the time for the driving cycle increased and therefore, energy consumption increased, too. The specific energy consumption was calculated again from the measured values. Increasing transport load led to the decrease of the specific energy consumption i.e. makes the transport more efficient. In general, this depends on the relation between the mass of the transported goods and the mass of the vehicle.

After performing the measurements, the peripheral effects were analyzed. The automated guided vehicle needs area for transportation as well as for loading and unloading (about 28 % of the floor space), so indirect energy consumption is caused. Additionally, the battery charging stations need air-conditioning. If the energy consumption of the vehicle is reduced, the battery needs to be charged less often and therefore, the charging components could be smaller sized.

In the last step, energy efficiency measures are generalized. As already mentioned, transport distance has a great influence on energy consumption and should therefore be reduced. If the transport route cannot be modified, distance can be reduced by summarizing transports, which leads to increasing transport loads. The effect of aggregating two transports was analyzed with the physical model as well as with another measurement and led to 30 % energy savings.

Conclusions

It was shown that energy efficiency becomes more and more important for industrial systems and processes. Hence, there is a demand on energy efficiency-oriented tools and methods. A systematic approach for analysis and evaluation of energy consumption was presented and exemplarily applied. The approach describes the collection and the interpretation of energy data in order to analyze energy consumption of logistics systems. Based on this, energy efficiency measures are deduced and generalized. The approach was demonstrated on the example of an automated guided vehicle. The structured procedure helped to predict the effects of energy efficiency measures and moreover, to prepare and perform measurements systematically and with less effort.

The measured values can be applied for process modeling and simulation. Different planning or operation alternatives can be compared regarding their energy efficiency. Besides the scientific application, industrial companies are able to realize energy-efficient processes with the help of this approach.

Fig. 3 .

 3 Fig. 3. Analyzed automated guided vehicle (left) and battery controller (right)

Acknowledgements. The Cluster of Excellence "Energy-Efficient Product and Process Innovation in Production Engineering" (eniPROD ® ) is funded by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) and the Free State of Saxony.


Ulysses Martins

Moreira Filho
email: moreiraf@uol.com.br

Pedro Luiz De Oliveira

Costa Neto

Model of Skills Development at the Operational Level Applied to the Steel Industry

Keywords: Excellence in management, quality in operation, knowledge management

The steel sector was one of the pioneers to join the Movement for Quality in Brazil in late 1980, because a significant portion of its revenues came from exports. The steel industry needs massive investment to upgrade its technology, which requires a high level of training of their operators. They must form a human capital capable of producing a laminate to win the preference of its customers. Based on four models of knowledge management: the SECI model, CYNEFIN model, the FIVE DISCIPLINES model and the SEVEN DIMENSIONS model, supported by the Knowledge Management Principles established by Davenport and Prusak, combined with the Criteria for Management Excellence, was developed a Competency Development Model. To validate this model has been carried out a field research in the governance representative of the national steel industry, with the aim to ensure safety in production operations and contribute positively to the manufacture with quality, reliability and competitiveness.

-Introduction.

In 1984 Brazil was living a very complicated economic situation due to a strong inflationary process. The model focused on protectionism of domestic industry, allied to an obsolete technological park. This and the effect of globalization forced the Ministry of Industry and Trade to adopt a new attitude to face this reality.

So, the Industrial Technology Department of the Ministry has launched the PADCT -Support Program for Scientific and Technological Development, financed by the Brazilian Government and the World Bank, with the goal of bringing to the Brazilian entrepreneur, clearly and objectively, concepts and methodologies for implementation of "Total Quality" management systems which brought to the various companies in the world, in particular at Japan, gains in productivity, quality and competitiveness.

The Total Quality Management model in the Japanese style gives priority to the PDCA (Plan -Do -Check -Act) cycle management and the use of troubleshooting methods.

The steel, petrochemical and mining sectors were pioneers in joining this movement, because a significant portion of their revenue comes from export. In the particular case of the steel industry, this model of quality management had a strong echo, due to the influence of the Japanese steel industry, present in a direct or indirect equity participation in this sector in the country.

The advance of scientific and technical knowledge and its dissemination in the productive process significantly changed the way of working, as well as the position of productive agents of the international market. Specificated production of quality with low cost, better capacity and quick innovation as keyfactor of success put aside mass production. Holders of technical-scientific knowledge networks assume a privileged position in the world economic scenario [START_REF] Arruda | Qualificação versus Certificação[END_REF].

Professional certification is also expanding in the national context, becoming present in a series of forums involving the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the International Labour Organization and the Ministry of Education, while the demand for professional certification of firms grows, as quality assurance strategy and competitiveness in a globalised market. This new reality was being experienced by Brazil.

In this process, the professional qualification in the new contemporary scenario arises as an important element in the composition of the factors influencing the competitiveness of countries, organizations and professionals.

A "new society" of knowledge arises, in which the human being is seen as an asset within organizations, with its own style, individuality and freedom of thought. The human capital is considered one of the main sources of innovation and organizational renewal. It is strengthened the creation of knowledge through activities in the knowledge construction process, generating shared solutions of problems, testing, implementation and integration of new methodologies and tools.

One of the main solutions adopted by Brazilian steel industry to overcome these new challenges posed by the market was the structuring of a standardization system of knowledge, through the certification process. The certification of competence based on the knowledge of the steel industry, established in technical standards or described in guidance manuals, ensures safety in the productive operations and contributes positively to the manufacture of quality products, reliability and competitiveness.

Objective

The objective of this paper it to present a model for developing skills for operators applied to the steel industry to strengthen its human capital, from the standardization of knowledge, to improve the quality required for excellence in control the production process.

Methodology

It were performed a multiple case study in steel mills ArcelorMittal, Gerdau, Usiminas, Votorantim and the Brazilian Association of Mining, Metallurgy and Materials, with application of an interview with the representative governance of the Brazilian steel industry, supported by a questionnaire with fourteen questions divided into three groups: perception of labor offered by the market (questions 1-3), specific knowledge to analyze and solve unforeseen problems (questions 5-11) and ability to achieve professional results (questions [START_REF] Snowden | Complex acts of knowing-paradox and descriptive self-awareness[END_REF][START_REF] Terra | Gestão do Conhecimento: O grande desafio empresarial[END_REF][START_REF] Moreira Filho | A excelência no controle do processo produtivo com foco no conhecimento e qualidade: Estudo de caso da siderurgia brasileira[END_REF]. For this analysis was elaborated a correlation matrix among the indicators of each issue to determine the degree of consistency in relation to the theoretical support.

Theoretical background

This study focuses on the development of skills of people who operate equipment for mining and metallurgical industries. To explain the relationship of the problem with the hypothesis, it was drafted a model of competence development, which presents a systemic vision of the three strands that converge to the management of excellence: the information system, the knowledge system and independent data. The organization information system is the basis for decision-making, structured in the form of management reports, according to the sixth principle of quality "factual approach to decision-making" [START_REF] Abnt | ABNT NBR 9000:2005-Vocabulário e Princípios[END_REF].

The knowledge system is important as far as we nowadays recognize knowledge as one of the more important assets at the organization.

The independent data system is the measurement system of an organization's performance. The structured and systematic measurement enables organizations to monitor their performance and thus quickly make changes on the basis of relevant and reliable information as changes occur in the market [3].

The three systems converge for the management of an organization and excellence permeates the crux of the problem under consideration, which is the competence of persons as the centre of a triangle, whose vertices are the tacit or explicit knowledge [START_REF] Nonaka | Criação do conhecimento na empresa[END_REF], the standardization of repetitive tasks [START_REF] Campos | Controle da Qualidade Total[END_REF] and the quality of products offered to consumers [START_REF] Campos | Controle da Qualidade Total[END_REF]; [START_REF] Ishikawa | What is Total Quality Contol? The Japanese Way[END_REF]; [START_REF] Feingenbaum | Total Quality Control-3º Edição[END_REF].

In face of a globalized and turbulent scenario, the management model of an organization can be one of the factors for the explanation of the quality of its results and how is done the interrelationship among internal processes.

The construction and strengthening of skills leads to "education and training", because organizations learn through individuals [START_REF] Ishikawa | What is Total Quality Contol? The Japanese Way[END_REF]; [START_REF] Feingenbaum | Total Quality Control-3º Edição[END_REF]; [START_REF] Deming | Qualidade: A Revolução da Administração[END_REF]; [START_REF] Juran | Planejamento da Qualidade[END_REF].

People need to want actually learn, want growth and be open to innovations. To do so, paradigms should be broken in such a way as to change your mental model of behavior [START_REF] Senge | A Quinta Disciplina[END_REF]. This leads to standardization of all knowledge acquired throughout life for people who operate the production process, strengthening the human capital and, consequently, its competence. These skills must be recognized by a third party institution approved by INMETRO -National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality, the Brazilian responsible institution. By means of a written examination, the operator must demonstrate that dominates the knowledge requirements established in Brazilian technical standards, contributing positively to the production of quality products required by the consumer, within the relevant time limits, i.e., focusing on operational effectiveness, waste control, producing operational safety and its institutional commitment. Every four years, professionals must be reevaluated by the criteria established in the referred qualification standards.

In conclusion, we can say that a management model is the body of knowledge in an organization and to achieve the business autossustainability is essential to stimulate organizational learning, together with the development of specific skills, being able to operate a system that will win the customer's preference.

Skills development model

This model has been structured on the basis of the seven principles of knowledge management established by Davenport and Prusak [START_REF] Davemport | Conhecimento Empresarial[END_REF], on the model of knowledge management conceived by Nonaka and Takeuchi [START_REF] Nonaka | Criação do conhecimento na empresa[END_REF], the Cynefin model proposed by Snowden and Boone [START_REF] Snowden | Complex acts of knowing-paradox and descriptive self-awareness[END_REF], the model of the five disciplines by Senge [START_REF] Senge | A Quinta Disciplina[END_REF] and the model of the seven dimensions of knowledge management by Terra [START_REF] Terra | Gestão do Conhecimento: O grande desafio empresarial[END_REF], having as its entrance variable the indicators of refinement of knowledge management from the criteria for Management Excellence by FNQ [3], the Brazilian Quality National Foundation, This model is presented in Figure 1.

Discussion and results

The search results are shown in Figure 2. In the short term average of the opinions of representative governance of the national steel industry was 2.62 for question 1 and long-term improvement in the perception through actions aimed at reducing the educational gap, tending to a value of 4.0 based on Likert scale. From the behavior of the average value ranging from 4.0 to 5.0 obtained from the point 5 to the point 14, there is a strong correlation with respect to the model.

QUESTION

To provide an analysis of the results, it was structured a correlation matrix among the indicators of each issue, which aims to understand the relationships and interactions, which are set out in Figure 3. We identified three discrepancies between the respondents, namely: the first is that there is agreement on the standardization of knowledge, but it is not a consensus due to different organizational cultures; the second is that the reduction of accidents in a steel plant is obtained with a solid Education and Training program, emphasized by one group, and another group also adds the responsibility of leadership and governance; third, it is recognized that professional certification is the way to address the functional illiteracy, but in practice what we see is only the assistance to the legal requirements.

It was noted that the process approach allows a systemic and a better understanding of the proposed objectives, coupled with the fact that all interviewees were unanimous in asserting that the strengthening of human capital improves the decision-making, and the creation of Corporate Universities by the steel companies is the way to reduce the gap in educational sector.

Conclusions

The concern of governance is real and imminent in face of the difficulties of acquiring new professionals and the rate of retirement of the current workforce. One cannot fail to mention fierce competition from imported products.

The productive capacity of the Brazilian steel industry for 2015 is estimated at 50 million tons of steel to meet the new planned projects, such as the World Cup 2014, the 2016 Olympic Games and the extraction of oil in deepwater pre-salt.

The model of skills development proposed for the mining-metallurgical sector was ratified by the representative governance of the sector, accounting for 76.2% of steel production in Brazil in 2010, represented by companies ArcelorMittal, Gerdau, Usiminas and Votorantim.

Figure 1 -

 1 Figure 1-Skills development model[START_REF] Moreira Filho | A excelência no controle do processo produtivo com foco no conhecimento e qualidade: Estudo de caso da siderurgia brasileira[END_REF]

Figure 2 -

 2 Figure2-The average values profile[START_REF] Moreira Filho | A excelência no controle do processo produtivo com foco no conhecimento e qualidade: Estudo de caso da siderurgia brasileira[END_REF]

Figure 3 -

 3 Figure 3-Correlation between indicators [14].


Patricia Deflorin
email: patricia.deflorin@business.uzh.ch

Maike Scherrer-Rathje

Helmut Dietl
email: helmut.dietl@business.uzh.ch

Maike Scherrer
email: maike.scherrer@unisg.ch

International R&D and Manufacturing Networks: Dynamism, Structure and Absorptive Capacity

Keywords: Absorptive capacity, Lead factory, New product introduction

des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

Introduction

Developing and maintaining absorptive capacity (AC) is critical to the long-term survival and success of a company. We apply the sequential process framework of AC as proposed by [START_REF] Lane | The reification of absorptive capacity: A critical review and rejuvenation of the construct[END_REF]: recognizing and understanding potentially valuable new external knowledge through exploratory learning, assimilating new knowledge through transformative learning, and using the assimilated knowledge to create new knowledge through exploitative learning.

It is our purpose to show, based on the analysis of a new product introduction (NPI) within a manufacturing company with internationally distributed plants, how organizational antecedents, specifically structural drivers and related prior knowledge influence the efficiency and effectiveness of the AC process. To understand the AC output, we must consider its activities, starting with R&D and ending with the production of the product. An analysis of the AC process must supersede an isolated focus on R&D activities. The AC process must instead span over the R&D and production network. We analyze the assumption that the Lead Factory (LF) concept helps to overcome a low level of prior related knowledge in the receiving plants and a low AC level. The implementation of an LF concept aims to support the knowledge of receiving plants. Therefore, if the level of prior related knowledge of the plants differs within the international production network, the implementation of an LF concept could be a solution that would improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the AC process and its outcome. We highlight the usefulness of the lead factory concept. Further, we show that, despite a low level of prior related knowledge within the receiving plants, the implementation of the lead factory concept may still not be sufficient and may result in a lower level of AC efficiency and effectiveness than expected.

Review: Organizational antecedents, AC and outcome

Many researchers have analyzed the different factors influencing the AC process and its outcomes. Based on a literature analysis, [START_REF] Volberda | Perspective -Absorbing the Concept of Absorptive Capacity: How to Realize Its Potential in the Organization Field[END_REF] have developed an integrative framework of AC. The framework consists of managerial antecedents, intra-organizational antecedents, inter-organizational antecedents, and prior related knowledge. These factors are assumed to influence the efficiency and effectiveness of the AC process. Further, environmental conditions moderate the AC process and its outcome. We focus our analysis on intra-organizational antecedents, more specifically, the influence of the organizational form on the AC process as well as the relationship to prior related knowledge (see Fig. 1).

Fig. 1: The lead factory concept and its influence on AC outcome

AC process

We apply the multidimensional view of AC as proposed by [START_REF] Cohen | Absorptive Capacity: A New Perspective on Learning and Innovation[END_REF] and [START_REF] Lane | The reification of absorptive capacity: A critical review and rejuvenation of the construct[END_REF]. The first step in the process entails the exploratory learning needed to recognize and understand new external knowledge. The second dimension focuses on the assimilation of knowledge through transformative learning.

Finally, the third dimension focuses on exploitative learning and how it is used to assimilate new knowledge. The separation between the three different dimensions of AC helps to recognize the different nature of the processes in achieving an understanding of the relationship between the factors influencing the efficiency and effectiveness of the AC process and the AC process itself.

2.2

Structural drivers of the lead factory concept

We focus our analysis on the internal drivers of AC, specifically the organizational structure of a firm. A firm's knowledge base cannot be separated from its organizational structure [START_REF] Grant | Prospering in Dynamically-Competitive Environments: Organizational Capability as Knowledge Integration[END_REF]. [START_REF] Lane | The reification of absorptive capacity: A critical review and rejuvenation of the construct[END_REF] highlight the need to focus attention on the structure, policies, and processes within the organization that affect knowledge transfer, sharing, integration, and creation. They highlight the importance of understanding the influence of these factors, as they seem to drive the efficiency and the effectiveness of the firm's AC [START_REF] Lane | The reification of absorptive capacity: A critical review and rejuvenation of the construct[END_REF]. We focus our analysis on the structure of the lead factory concept and how such a structure influences the efficiency and effectiveness of the AC process.

The link between R&D and manufacturing with respect to the success of new product introductions (NPI) has been analyzed and proven important in many studies [START_REF] Kessler | Speeding Up the Pace of New Product Development[END_REF]Chakrabarti, 1999, Swink, 1999). Many problems in NPI can be traced to a lack of R&D-manufacturing coordination [START_REF] Swink | Completing projects on-time: how project acceleration affects new product development[END_REF]. To overcome these coordination issues, companies have started to implement a lead factory [START_REF] Ferdows | Centers of Excellence in multinational corporations[END_REF]. A lead factory is the strategic heart of the manufacturing network, as it links R&D and the manufacturing department and acts as a knowledge incubator. It translates R&D knowledge into manufacturing knowledge [START_REF] Deflorin | The Lead Factory Concept: Benefiting from an Efficient Knowledge Transfer[END_REF]. It also develops the production processes and documents and produces the prototype. In addition, the employees of the lead factory support the production ramp-up within the receiving plants. The role of the lead factory, also called the center of excellence, has been the focus of several studies [START_REF] Leonard-Barton | Wellsprings of Knowledge[END_REF][START_REF] Ferdows | Centers of Excellence in multinational corporations[END_REF], Frost et al., 2002). We assume that the lead factory concept influences the efficiency and effectiveness of the AC process and its outcome. We therefore analyze how the structural drivers of the lead factory concept influence the AC process of the lead factory and the receiving plant.

Prior related knowledge

Prior related knowledge is often seen as a most important antecedent to AC [START_REF] Cohen | Absorptive Capacity: A New Perspective on Learning and Innovation[END_REF]. Existing knowledge helps in the recognition of new knowledge and its assimilation. In addition, plants with a low level of prior related knowledge are often in need of external support (e.g., a lead factory). The importance of prior related knowledge, however, has been challenged. We analyze how the factors "prior related knowledge" and "structural drivers" jointly influence the AC process and its outcome.

AC outcome

Research on AC is often focused on R&D, and output is measured with innovationrelated performance measures or is directly linked to overall firm performance [START_REF] Volberda | Perspective -Absorbing the Concept of Absorptive Capacity: How to Realize Its Potential in the Organization Field[END_REF]. As we expand the research focus on the process of new product introduction (from R&D to serial production), we measure the efficiency and effectiveness of the NPI output.

We applied a qualitative case study approach in order to gain new insights into the relationship between structure, prior related knowledge, the AC process, and NPI output. Thus, we collected data from each of the AC process steps by employees responsible for implementing new products through structured interviews. In addition, we attended meetings of NPI project leaders and analyzed archival sources. This exploratory research method embodies the theory-building approach of Yin (1994) and Eisenhardt (1989). The unit of analysis is the NPI process of a Swiss manufacturing company called Machinery, Inc. The analyzed NPI was started within the central R&D department. The following process steps were investigated: development (R&D), prototyping (lead factory), and serial production (receiving plant).

Case Analysis: Transferring knowledge between R&D, LF and CN plant

Machinery Inc. has a central R&D department, a lead factory (LF) and decentralized plants. The following analysis focuses on the link between R&D, LF and a receiving plant in China (CN). Machinery Inc. is a traditional machinery producer with strong and experienced R&D and production departments in Switzerland. Due to the increasing price pressure and the growing market in China, Machinery Inc. decided to build a new plant in the country. To help the Chinese plant develop the required capabilities and knowledge stock, the company decided to implement the lead factory concept. The Swiss plant acts as a lead factory. It is highly interlinked to the R&D department, translates the developed product into production requirements, and develops the first prototype/product and the respective processes. The knowledge required to produce the machine is then transferred to the Chinese plant (CN), the receiving plant. The CN plant translates the new knowledge into its own operating environment, adapts procurement and starts producing the serial production.

LF concept, prior related knowledge and AC process outcome of the LF

To translate external knowledge into new products, R&D recognizes, assimilates and applies knowledge [START_REF] Lane | The reification of absorptive capacity: A critical review and rejuvenation of the construct[END_REF]. This knowledge is then transferred to the LF.

The LF recognizes and assimilates knowledge and translates the R&D material (e.g., drawings) into production knowledge. Concretely, the department develops processes required to develop the first prototype. The assimilated knowledge is then translated into applied knowledgethe production of the prototype.

The implementation of the LF concept has led to the following structural drivers which influence the AC process of the LF. First, R&D and LF are part of the same cultural background and speak the same linguistic language. The plants are physically close, and there is intensive formal and informal information sharing. The relationship between R&D and LF is strong, as the employees have known each other for many years. These structural drivers positively influence the AC process of the LF.

Both departments are experts in their respective fields. Due to the many NPIs during the last 50 years, both departments have a high level of related knowledge. This knowledge helps the LF employees to recognize knew knowledge and assimilate it. The prior related knowledge has a strong influence on the efficiency and effectiveness of the AC process. The employees of the LF are familiar with NPI and the recognition and translation of R&D information into the production environment. Therefore, the prior related knowledge of the LF positively influences the AC process and leads to a fast and dependable AC output; i.e., the prototype.

The LF employees state that the assimilation, transformation and application of the transferred knowledge do not lead to difficulties because of the structural drivers and the prior related knowledge stated above. The number of loops needed to adapt the R&D output to the LF's production requirements is low and because of the structural drivers of the concept and the related prior knowledge, effective and efficient. The output of the LF's AC process, i.e., the prototype of the new product, is dependable, fast and achieves a high quality level. The left side of Fig. 2 summarizes the findings.

LF concept, prior related knowledge and AC process outcome of the receiving plant

The CN plant receives the knowledge transferred from the LF. The receiving plant must recognize the new knowledge, transform it into its own production requirements and apply it with the goal of reaching serial production of the new product.

The transferred process and product documentation are of high quality. The R&D documents have already been improved based on the input gained while producing the prototype. Therefore, the AC outcome of the LF positively influences the AC process of the receiving plant.

Considering the structural drivers, a mixed influence on the AC process of the receiving plant is visible. Due to the intermediary responsibilities of the LF, employees support the transfer and help the CN employees to recognize and assimilate the new knowledge. The recognition and assimilation, however, is negatively influenced through language barriers and cultural distance. Documents have to be adapted and translated, leading to a negative influence on the efficiency and effectiveness of the AC process. The central R&D is focused on the requirements of the LF. R&D employees are well informed about the equipment and capabilities of the Swiss plant and develop the product accordingly. Further, the production process and its documentation are developed according to the specifications of the Swiss plant. In addition, the procurement is also focused on the Swiss requirements. Therefore, the assimilation and application of the knowledge within the LF only partly supports the AC process within the CN plant. In addition, due to the close and long-term relationship between R&D and LF, the documentation is not as detailed as it should be in order to allow an easy and fast adaptation of the documents and processes. The transformation needed within the CN plant is time consuming and often results in a lower quality level of the final product than the prototype constructed from the lead factory. Despite the positive effect of the LF concept, depending on the intensity of the aforementioned factors, the negative effects may have a stronger influence on the efficiency and effectiveness of the AC process.

After the assimilation of the transferred knowledge, full serial production begins (application). The low labor and material cost advantage should lead to a better cost performance. However, as the machines were constructed according to Swiss standards and only partially adapted, some of the anticipated cost savings were not achieved. For example, the engine of the machine was still delivered from the Swiss standard supplier because the CN plant did not have enough time and experience to define a comparable supplier. In addition, the production employees did not have the capabilities to improve the processes designed to achieve additional cost savings.

The analysis of the influence of the prior related knowledge available at the CN plant revealed the following issues. Due to the relatively young age of the plant, employees do not have the same experience and expertise as their Swiss counterparts. Despite being in the position to receive an already-tested product and documentations from the LF, the structural drivers of the LF concepts necessitate that the knowledge received be transformed into its own production requirements. This transformation is difficult and time consuming, as CN plant employees are not used to assimilating knowledge or adapting and improving production processes; the respective prior knowledge is missing, and the AC level is low.

Based on the output of the central units (R&D and LF) and the AC process of the CN plant, the NPI leads to the following results. The prototype was produced quickly and was proven dependable with a high level of quality. The recognition, assimilation and application process within the CN plants, however, was time consuming and the delivery of the series was delayed. In addition, there was a quality difference between the prototype and the CN-produced machines; for example, the machines were produced with different types of steels, and the CN steel was not rust free. The expected costs were only partially achieved. The strong focus on the Swiss production requirements prevented a successful transfer and full cost-saving potential.

Discussion

Machinery Inc. has invested in new plants in order to become internationally competitive and to be able to serve new and expanding markets. The new plants, however, have difficulties in recognizing, assimilating and applying knowledge. The supporting activities from the LF were implemented to strengthen the AC process within the receiving plant. The analysis of the structural drivers from the lead factory concept reveals that the concept has its weaknesses, which became visible while analyzing the efficiency and effectiveness of the AC process. The main structural issue of the LF concept stems from the focus of the LF requirements, leading to new assimilation needs within the receiving plants. The need to assimilate knowledge within the receiving plant is still present if the receiving plant has built up its knowledge stock. These negative effects out of the structural drivers of the lead factory, however, would not apply if the LF and the receiving plant applied identical technologies and process steps. Therefore, the higher the technological heterogeneity between the plants, the lower the positive effects of the structural drivers of the LF concept.

The analysis of the AC processes of the LF and receiving plants leads to a different structural possibility for Machinery Inc. To overcome the issues related to the strong focus on the LF's requirements, central R&D could transfer the knowledge to a local team of developers (application development). The application developers would know the requirements of the CN plant and would therefore be able to adapt the documents to the local needs. In addition, this structural solution should strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of the AC process of the CN plant as there are no language barriers between the application developers and the plant. In addition, there would be only a short distance and no cultural differences. This solution would ensure the assimilation of the transferred knowledge and allow an efficient and effective application without neglecting local advantages and without the additional costs of a lead factory.

Conclusion

We strengthen the construct of AC in exploring its important determinants. We argue that, in addition to prior related knowledge as a determinant of AC, structure can have an even stronger influence. Further, we show that the activities described in the AC process framework span different network units (R&D, LF and plants). The consequences of the chosen structural solution reveal that an analysis of the AC process and outcome should span the whole network and move away from the single analysis of the R&D activities. Therefore, the unit of analysis moves from a single unit to a network. This helps in the understanding of the AC concept in the context of multinational companies.

Our framework shows the relationship between organizational structure and AC. More specifically, we analyze the effect of the lead factory concept. The analysis of Machinery Inc. shows that in the presented circumstances, the negative effect from the chosen structural solution seems stronger than the positive effects from the supporting activities of the LF. We therefore come to the preliminary conclusion that it is important to understand under which circumstances the lead factory concept is more or less suitable. Technological heterogeneity between the plants may reduce the positive effect of the LF concept and lead to a lower efficiency and effectiveness of the AC process than expected. The lead factory concept seems to be most suitable if there is high technological homogeneity between the plants and if the LF and the AC levels of the receiving plants are sufficiently high. Otherwise, the support of the lead factory may still be insufficient to assimilate and apply the transferred knowledge.

From a managerial perspective, different structural solutions must be implemented to strengthen the AC output. Based on the results of this single case study, we propose that in the case of high technological homogeneity, the implementation of an LF may be suitable. In the case of high technological heterogeneity, however, the strengthening of the AC output may be supported with the implementation of a local application development to overcome the negative influence of the LF's structural drivers on the efficiency and effectiveness of the AC process.

Figure 2 :

 2 Figure 2: The LF concept, prior related knowledge, AC process and outcome


Deise Rocha Martins

Santos Oliveira
email: deise.oliveira@gmail.com

Irenilza De Alencar Nääs
email: irenilza@gmail.com

Ivo Pierozzi Júnior

Oduvaldo Vendrametto
email: oduvaldov@uol.com.br

Building a conceptual model for Analyzing sustainability projects aiming at technology transfer: a terminological approach

Keywords: Portfolio Management Project, Embrapa's project portfolio, Standardized categoriation system, Agrovoc, Thesaurus

R&DI institutions have adopted solutions based on Portfolio Management Project (PMP) to select the best projects in terms of both cost and strategic results. The candidate projects must meet sustainability requirements, since investments in sustainability have emerged as the most important global issue for business, industry, government, and academia. The objective of this research was to develop a conceptual model for analyzing a portfolio of sustainability projects. Such a portfolio provides descriptors widely recognized to support technology transfer, notably in the agricultural domain. This conceptual model was developed from a case study of Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation). Although the proposed model has become a simple tool, the results revealed it is interesting for reclassification of the Embrapa's projects, pointing to solutions on sustainability with a potential for technology transfer.

Introduction

Every institution is subject to limited resources, either material, financial or personal.

To reduce inefficient allocation of resources is essential to implement a selection process for identifying what are the projects of highest priority and value. Institutions without clear criteria for selecting projects face high-risk investment in wrong projects. Clearly, such institution requires a rational and concrete process capable of justifying the decisions on project selection. The focus should not be just in terms of cost, but also concerning the return that such projects can offer. In doing so, some projects must be eliminated or even delayed according to the value they contribute to an institution mission [START_REF] Cooper | Portfolio management for new products[END_REF].

In searching for choices that add value and justify their investments, many institutions have adopted solutions based on Portfolio Management Project (PMP). These solutions provide a repository of projects that allow for monitoring results and facilitating the capture of lessons learned from the strategic decisions taken in the past [START_REF] Levine | Project Portfolio Management: A Practical Guide to Selecting Projects, Managing Portfolios, and Maximizing Benefits (Jossey-Bass Business & Management[END_REF], besides other advantages.

In particular, R&DI institutions have adopted solutions based on PMP not only to reduce direct and indirect costs, but also to eliminate redundant and inefficient projects [START_REF] Martino | R&D project selection[END_REF]. The selected projects aim at providing solutions capable of encompassing technologies, products and services (TPS) designed to meet the needs of the market. The challenge, however, goes further: it is not enough to have technologies, products and services that satisfy human needs, such solutions must be sustainable across time and space, and in environmental, social and economic dimensions.

Sustainability has emerged as the most important global issue for business, industry, government, and academia. According to WCED [START_REF]Our Common Future[END_REF], sustainable development is a process in which there is harmony between resource exploitation, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development and institutional changes that enrich both present and future, as a potential for meet the needs and aspirations of human beings. It is inserted in all productive sectors, particularly in agriculture, which is a sector that requires attention due to the interfaces that its activities establish with environment, economy and society in general. Moreover, agriculture is the sector responsible for the production of raw materials for food, fiber and, more recently, for alternative energy.

Issues of sustainable agriculture are related to human survival. The use of land, soil and water, global climate change, food safety, vegetal and animal sanity are some of the Government concerns, but also became part of our day-to-day lives. The environmental, social and economic aspects make it clear that technologies, products and services are priorities for any program on sustainable agriculture and livestock.

The objective of this research was to develop a conceptual model that facilitates the analysis of a portfolio for sustainability projects. Such portfolio provides descriptors widely recognized to support technology transfer, notably information related to the sustainability of agricultural activities. This conceptual model was developed from a case study of Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa).

Methodology

The terminological conceptual model is proposed to investigate a project's database developed by Embrapa. It is important to learn with past experiences to plan future projects, always considering the companies' mission and strategies. In this research, the aim is to reach projects focused on sustainability and technology transfer.

The proposed model is based on a theoretical referential explored in processes of documentary analysis, organization and knowledge representation. Such a model borrows some elements from the Concept Theory, the Faceted Classification Theory; the General Terminology Theory; and the Communicative Terminology Theory [START_REF] Bufrem | The appropriation of concept as an object in the scientific periodical literature in information science[END_REF][START_REF] Campos | Documentary language: theories underlying their preparation. Niterói[END_REF][START_REF] Carlan | Systems of Knowledge Organization in view of Information Science[END_REF].

The proposed model assumes that all the knowledge is based in concepts which human mind organizes everything that can be understood in the real world. The concepts can be represented by words that are part of a special vocabulary, called terminologies. This model can facilitate the information recover and organization process.

To initiate this process, a user can enter terms describing the research (sustainability and technology transfer) into AGROVOC thesaurus. AGROVOC thesaurus is a terminological resource that contains over 40,000 concepts about food, nutrition, agriculture, fishery, forestry, environment and other related areas. It was developed in English and it is held by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), an organization linked to the United Nations (UN) and headquartered in Rome, Italy [8]. AGROVOC is part of Agriculture Information Management Standarts (AIMS) that is a web portal managed by FAO and that disseminates standards and good practices in information management for the support of the right to food, sustainable agriculture and rural development.

A thesaurus is a system (or model) for knowledge organization and representation that evolves progressively in terms of structure and function of specialized vocabularies, and where synonyms, polysemies or associative and hierarchical relationships between terms are established according to a pattern internationally recognized [START_REF] Zeng | Knowledge organization systems (KOS)[END_REF].

Based on the keywords "sustainability" and "technology transfer", submitted to AGROVOC, we built up a list of generic terms for the agricultural domain. From those generic terms, we recovered the related terms and, subsequently, it was performed a mapping of the terms extracted. Based on these terms, a standardized categorization system is then organized to represent the best descriptors for technologies, processes or services regarding the agricultural sector. The projects are organized into a hierarchical tree [START_REF] Lévy | The knowledge trees[END_REF] and the keywords retrieved from the Embrapa's project portfolio can be either submitted again for new analysis, or used to select projects whose results are related to sustainability and have potential for technology transfer. The same methodology can be used for any or different group of words. Actually, when the words are submitted to AGROVOC, it is not compulsory that they really have related words. In this case, we found some related words, and this helped us in the research.

It is important to note that, originally, the projects and the database were written in Portuguese. Portuguese is one of the 21 languages presented by AGROVOC. So, this work was done in that language. Only for this paper, we translated into English, using the terms shown by AGROVOC. We adopted a methodology of exploratory research that, according to Gil [START_REF] Gil | Methods and techniques of social research[END_REF], it is designed to provide an overview on a particular fact, not formulating accurate hypotheses. So, our theoretical referential was based on a literature survey comprising the domains of sustainability and technology transfer.

We performed the case study at Embrapa. In Brazil, Embrapa is an institution focused on RD & I with a mission to provide solutions for the sustainable development of agriculture [12]. Its bibliographical asset and its project portfolio are vast, covering many different subjects. But only from late 90's, the subject on sustainability has received a special attention. The main questions for this research were: What projects are those? What were their results? Do they still feasible nowadays?

The case study was conducted by extracting keywords announced by the authors from Embrapa's project portfolio, which is composed of 14,736 projects, comprising the period from 1994 to 2009.

3

Results and Discussion

In institutions of RD & I, the TPS are developed from research projects. In general, these institutions work with a project portfolio often designed with different logics of organization and planning. However, these portfolios rarely establish strategies a priori for transferring of the generated knowledge. If this issue is thought afterwards, it can create conflicts of interest or even technical and administrative barriers, such as those related to intellectual and industrial property, or copyright, in addition to rework to its evaluation from this point of view. According to Cribb [START_REF] Cribb | Determinants of technology transfer in the Brazilian agribusiness food: identification and characterization[END_REF] technology transfer is understood as the displacement of technological knowledge from one place to another. According to Tigre [START_REF] Tigre | Innovation management: the economics of technology in Brazil[END_REF], an innovation only produces comprehensive impact when it is spread widely across companies, sectors and regions, unleashing new ventures and creating new markets. Tigre also says that the dynamics of diffusion can be understood as the adoption path of a technology in the market, with focus on the characteristics of technology and other elements that influence its pace and direction.

As we mentioned previously, we performed a case study taking into account the Embrapa's project portfolio with the purpose of validating the conceptual model for analyzing sustainability projects aiming at technology transfer. The purpose is to understand what was done in the past and plan future projects for the Organization.

In this model, we assume that all knowledge is based on concepts under which the human intellect categorizes all the things that we understand in the real world. The concepts can be represented by words that make special vocabularies, called terminologies. Thus, by means of terminological resources, the proposed model aims at facilitating the recovery and reorganization of the desired information. A sketch of the proposed model is depicted in Figure 1. First, we entered the word "sustainability" into AGROVOC and recovered 17 related terms, as can be seen in Table 1.

Table 1. Related terms available at AGROVOC related to sustainability

*Legend:

Standardized relationships of a thesaurus: "used for" (UF); "broader term" (BT); "narrowed terms" (NT);"related terms"(RT).

In the next step, we then entered the term "technology transfer" into AGROVOC and found 17 related as presented in Table 2. *Legend: Standardized relationships of a thesaurus: "used for" (UF); "broader term" (BT); "narrowed terms" (NT); "related terms" (RT).

Relationship

Subsequently, it was performed a mapping of the terms extracted from texts of the projects with those consulted on AGROVOC, building up a specific system for categorization to represent the best descriptors related to sustainability and technology transfer.

As a result, we found 581 projects having the term sustainability and 611 projects containing the term technology transfer. In the next step, we searched for the terms sustainability and technology transfer together into the Embrapa's project portfolio and found 44 projects, which represents only 0.3% of the total [START_REF] Tigre | Innovation management: the economics of technology in Brazil[END_REF]736).

Through the model application, it was possible to explore a certain term. For instance, from the term sustainability, 17 keywords were generated, and other 17 words were generate for the term technology transfer, enhanced the input of a search system to retrieve information.

Conclusions

In this work we proposed a conceptual model for analyzing sustainability projects aiming at technology transfer for institutions of R&DI. We performed a case study by using the Embrapa's project portfolio to validate the model. We summarize the main results of the case study at Embrapa, as follows:

• Major of the projects were developed without criteria that are relevant at the present time. So we need to find different ways to extract knowledge from the Embrapa's project portfolio; • This conceptual model can be used with any group of words, and not only with sustainability or technology transfer; • The historical context at Embrapa has not prioritized issues of sustainability and technology transfer. Such issues have received special attention since the 90's. • The model is simple, flexible, and can be easily adapted to other R&DI institutions.

We believe that this model can be easily adapted to meet the requirements of solutions based on Portfolio Management Project (PMP) in institutions of R&DI. As a continuation of this work, we are now analyzing the proposed model, considering both efficiency (use of resources) and effectiveness (achieving positive results for the organization) issues, and also analyzing their risks.

Fig. 1 .

 1 Fig.1. A general view of the proposed model for analyzing sustainability projects.

Table 2 .

 2 Related terms available at AGROVOC related to technology transfer.

	Type*	Term
	RT	Ecology
	RT	natural resources
	RT	agroecosystems
	RT	biological production
	RT	sustainable land management
	RT	integrated land management
	RT	sustainable development
	RT	balance of nature
	RT	low input agriculture
	RT	sustainable agriculture
	RT	conservation tillage
	RT	sustainable forestry
	RT	socioeconomic development
	RT	alternative agriculture
	RT	farm inputs
	RT	draught animal cultivation
	RT	resource management