Design Of Management Practices Research Articles

The Impact of Protocol Amendments on Clinical Trial Performance and Cost.

Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (Tufts CSDD), in collaboration with 15 pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations, gathered data on substantial global protocol amendments to better understand how to manage and to reduce the significant unplanned expense and delays associated with major changes to finalized protocol designs. Data from 836 phase I-IIB/IV protocols were analyzed to understand amendment prevalence. Impact assessments were based on data from 136 randomly selected amendments. Data from 52 protocols were analyzed to derive estimates of the direct cost to implement amendments. Tufts CSDD found that 57% of protocols had at least one substantial amendment, and nearly half (45%) of these amendments were deemed "avoidable." Phase II and III protocols had a mean number of 2.2 and 2.3 global amendments, respectively. Protocols with one or more global amendments tended to be larger in scope, with longer patient recruitment durations and overall study durations compared with those without a global amendment. Protocols with at least one substantial amendment had fewer actual screened and enrolled patients relative to the original baseline plan than did those protocols without an amendment. The median direct cost to implement a substantial amendment was US$141,000 for a phase II protocol and $535,000 for a phase III protocol. The study findings provide insights into optimizing development planning, protocol design, and clinical trial management practices.

Regulators at the Margins: The Impact of Malpractice Insurers on Solo and Small Firm Lawyers

Solo and small firm lawyers comprise more than three-fifths of all lawyers in private practice and are disproportionately subject to discipline sanctions. Sociolegal scholars have long sought to identify the factors that influence the behavior of these lawyers. Research suggests that lawyer professional liability (“LPL”) insurers regulate the behavior of large firm lawyers through the underwriting process, premium pricing, contract design, and risk management practices in order to reduce the risk of loss. This article explores whether LPL insurers also regulate the behavior of solo and small firm lawyers in ways that encourage responsible conduct. The articles draws on interviews of insurance industry executives, risk management counsel, and insured lawyers, as well as surveys of lawyers and insurer documents, to explore the impact of LPL insurers on the work lives of solo and small firm lawyers. The research reveals that unlike LPL insurers of large law firms, LPL insurers appear to regulate the behavior of solo and small firm lawyers in limited ways. The article explores the reasons why this is the case. It also discusses solo and small firm lawyers’ attitudes about malpractice actions, which shed additional light on the likely efficacy of insurers’ efforts to regulate the behavior of these lawyers. The article identifies a much more effective regulator of lawyer conduct — title insurers — and explains how this regulation occurs and the conditions that make effective regulation possible. It suggests some steps that LPL insurers could take to further encourage solo and small firm lawyers to engage in more responsible behavior.

An Integrated Design Management Concept: Creating Innovative Space for Emergent SMEs and Value for Knowledge Absorbers

This article endeavours to place the integrated and trans-disciplinary theme of design management in the research domains of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It contributes to our understanding of the value of the design-management-driven processes in SMEs, based on current cross-border practices observed across the emerging South Baltic Sea Region. Matching mature concepts of the research-based view of firms, innovation management and organisation culture with the emergent and increasingly advocated notions of knowledge, innovation and learning, absorptive capacity, competence-based view, strategic planning, entrepreneurial learning and training, this study covers various aspects of design management orientation in the domain of small business and enterprise development. The focus is on design management practices among small businesses and other design management absorbers and practitioners (students, graduates and start-ups) observed and investigated as part of the ‘Design EntrepreneurSHIP’ project carried out under the South Baltic Programme 2007–2013. This article validates an effective application of the conceptual approach to the design management conceptual approach to SMEs business practices and proposes deployment of this trans-disciplinary approach for individual and organisational learning and training as well as for organisational strategy development and operational decision making. This research article is of interest to various stakeholders interested in design management—students, academics, trainers and coaches and SMEs. The revised conceptual design management integration roadmap is likely to facilitate and streamline understanding construct of design management and its increasing recognition for business performance and strategy.

The Effects of BIM and Lean Construction on Design Management Practices

Arguably, Design Management can be improved by utilizing new tools and methods introduced by building information modeling (BIM) and lean construction. However, in the projects that use BIM, roles of personnel, design methods and the practice of communication between designers often derive from the era of document based design management and can only be partially adapted to a new way of working. In managing building design, the use of lean management tools can be seen a driver increasing value to the customer, improving operations and removing activities that do not add value.In the research described, typical structural and building services design management problems in the context of BIM implementation were identified and improvement methods and tools were suggested. Designers and design managers were interviewed in three case projects. The interviews were analyzed dividing problems in six categories, and the seriousness of problems was decoded. Recommendations for improvements were given to design teams.In the end, 13 major and 6 average serious level problems were identified. Important causes for the problems were: an unclear sharing of responsibilities between designers in teams, inadequate BIM instructions, an insufficient BIM experience and knowledge of the design manager and the lack of communication between design team. Besides better BIM implementation management lean tools, especially big room, knotworking, last planner and set based design, were recommended for problem solution.

Implications of Design, Management and Recession Phase in Drip Irrigation on the Total Distribution Efficiency in Blueberry (<i>Vaccinium corymbosum</i> L.) Crops in Areas with High Slopes in Concordia, Argentina

The increase of human population generates the need to improve the efficiency of food production. A thorough planning is required following the scope of economic and sustainable development, being irrigation a basic tool, however water availability is restricted and it obliges farmers to progress increasing water productivity. Irrigation uses around 70% of total available fresh water, while irrigation water application efficiency is around 40%. Irrigation systems must follow strong criteria at the design stage to achieve high values of water productivity. Maintenance is indispensable to follow the original functioning level of those systems. At last the daily precise management of systems, following soil water potential, considering the effective rain storage at root depth of the crop and the evolution of daily evapotranspiration, preserving natural resources, are relevant to achieve low values of water footprint of this crop. In an 8 year drip irrigation system, the Uniformity Coefficient of Christiansen (UCC) measured was 95.14%; the Uniform Coefficient of the Minor Quart (UCMQ) was 93.16%. The Total Distribution Efficiency (EDT) was 95.13% when measurements finished while the irrigation systems is of. When measurements also considered the volume collected during the “recession phase in drip irrigation” and the “volume of water collected during recession phase in drip irrigation” collected at different points, EDT was 95.13%. Moreover it can be seen that when three different typical soil of the area were considered, the EDT was, 91.85%, 91.47% and 90.30% respectively, according with different water storage capacity of each soil. The Total Distribution Efficient is a strong method, to evaluate the design and management of drip irrigation systems, under different design criteria, management practices and maintenance of the systems. Water footprint in a blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) crop with drip and sprinkler anti-frost system, were measure and values obtained were 846, 310, 223, 212, 172 and 218 liters per kg of fresh fruit in the period 2010-2015. The UCC and the UCMQ reflects properly the irrigation design, while the EDT reflects irrigation design, management and maintenance. Water footprint is at last the strong tool to evaluate design and operation of the irrigation system and crop management.

Changes in biodiversity and trade-offs among ecosystem services, stakeholders, and components of well-being: the contribution of the International Long-Term Ecological Research network (ILTER) to Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS)

The International Long-Term Ecological Research (ILTER) network comprises > 600 scientific groups conducting site-based research within 40 countries. Its mission includes improving the understanding of global ecosystems and informs solutions to current and future environmental problems at the global scales. The ILTER network covers a wide range of social-ecological conditions and is aligned with the Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS) goals and approach. Our aim is to examine and develop the conceptual basis for proposed collaboration between ILTER and PECS. We describe how a coordinated effort of several contrasting LTER site-based research groups contributes to the understanding of how policies and technologies drive either toward or away from the sustainable delivery of ecosystem services. This effort is based on three tenets: transdisciplinary research; cross-scale interactions and subsequent dynamics; and an ecological stewardship orientation. The overarching goal is to design management practices taking into account trade-offs between using and conserving ecosystems toward more sustainable solutions. To that end, we propose a conceptual approach linking ecosystem integrity, ecosystem services, and stakeholder well-being, and as a way to analyze trade-offs among ecosystem services inherent in diverse management options. We also outline our methodological approach that includes: (i) monitoring and synthesis activities following spatial and temporal trends and changes on each site and by documenting cross-scale interactions; (ii) developing analytical tools for integration; (iii) promoting trans-site comparison; and (iv) developing conceptual tools to design adequate policies and management interventions to deal with trade-offs. Finally, we highlight the heterogeneity in the social-ecological setting encountered in a subset of 15 ILTER sites. These study cases are diverse enough to provide a broad cross-section of contrasting ecosystems with different policy and management drivers of ecosystem conversion; distinct trends of biodiversity change; different stakeholders’ preferences for ecosystem services; and diverse components of well-being issues.

EFFECT OF DESIGN MANAGEMENT ON COST PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Design management is one of the key processes of any construction project, and its effects across other construction processes are quite pivotal. Irrespective of the particular project delivery system, design management plays a significant role in overall cost outcomes in a project. Design management requires a careful investigation in relation to its potential influence on downstream cost over-run issues in most construction projects. In this research, a selected set of 25 attributes associated with design management have been analyzed from the perspective of three key stakeholders: designers, clients and contractors. Based on Factor Analysis, pre-design consideration is found to have significant effects on managing cost performance in project. Regression analysis reveals that the initial follow-up of design with respective parties potentially contributes in cost savings at the latter phase of project. The finding is expected to lead towards improvement of Design Management practices, and meeting the project objectives through better quality, improved constructability, and, eventually, providing value for money to both investors and owners in the project.

English

The aim of this study was to evaluate the agronomics, physiological and biochemical characteristics of different peanut seeds and plant genotypes. The procedures have been performed during the secondary crop in the agricultural year 2013 to 2014, after the peanut harvest in Barbalha, Ceará – Brazil. The experiment was laid out in split-plot in randomized complete block design with  four replicates, constituting scheme 4×5 factorial analysis, providing four levels of replacement of ET0 (40, 70, 100 and 130%) and five genotypes of peanut (BRS Perola Branca, L7 Beje, Runner, BRS Havana, BR 1), which were measured: number of leaves, total phytomass, and total chlorophyll content was performed, as well as hundred-seeds weight, pods weight per plant, number of pods per plant and seed yield per plant oil yield and fatty acid composition. It is shown herein that the interaction between peanut genotypes and water restriction levels promote a decrease in plant growth, physiological factors, and biochemical production of oil, possibly due to a decrease in the photosynthetic metabolism, whereas the plants exposed to water stress conditions modulated all ecophysiological responses in favor of a better performance in the harsh environment. The significant differences exhibited by different cultivars in this study for oil content, some productive characteristics and fatty acids compositions could be attributed to the genetic make-up of a particular cultivar (BR 1), its place of the environmental to reach high oil quality. Knowing better combination effects of climatic fluctuations and botanical types on fatty acid composition would be useful in designing management practices to obtain a specific oil quality and improving predictions of crop models in northeastern Brazil.   Key words: Arachis hypogaea L., water deficiency, adaptability, tolerance.

Quantitative analysis of warnings in building information modeling (BIM)

Abstract Building information modeling (BIM) provides automatic detection of design-related errors by issuing warning messages for potential problems related to model elements. However, if not properly managed, the otherwise useful warning feature of BIM can significantly reduce the speed of model processing and increase the size of models. As the first study of its kind, this study proposes to apply the Pareto analysis to investigate BIM warnings in terms of type and frequency. Based on warning data collected from three California healthcare projects, the analysis revealed that the 15–80 rule applies across the case projects and their design phases—15% of the warning messages are responsible for nearly 80% of the warnings. Two other noteworthy findings include the following: (1) only the schematic design phase indicates a different Pareto rule of 25–80, as well as warning pattern from other design phases due to its unique purpose; and (2) the decisions of individual design teams are a major variable in the pattern of warning types. Lastly, time estimation for warning corrections is proposed based on learning curve theory to support efficient BIM warning management practices. The results and warning classifications presented in this study are expected to contribute to the design management and modeling practices of design teams involved in large, complex projects.

Integrating Sustainable Stormwater Environmental Site Design and Best Management Practices with Water and Sewer Mains

Integrating Sustainable Stormwater Environmental Site Design and Best Management Practices with Water and Sewer Mains

Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from the system of rice intensification (SRI) under a rain-fed lowland rice ecosystem in Cambodia

The present field study investigated the effects of the system of rice intensification (SRI) on greenhouse gas emissions and rice yield, in the first field trial of its kind in Cambodia. The study was a 2 × 4 factorial design, including SRI and conventional management practices (CMP) with the following treatments: control, composted farmyard manure (FYM), mineral fertiliser (MF) and FYM + MF. The results indicated large seasonal variations of CH4 patterns during the growing season with a peak emission of about 1,300 mg CH4 m−2 day−1 under both production systems 2 weeks after rice transplanting. There was large temporal variability of CH4 fluxes from morning to midday. Emission of N2O was below the detection limit in both systems. Under each production system, the highest seasonal emission of CH4 was under the FYM + MF treatment, namely 282 kg ha−1 under CMP and 213 kg ha−1 under SRI. Total CH4 emission under SRI practices was reduced by 22 % in the FYM treatment, 17 % in the MF treatment and 24 % in the FYM + MF treatment compared to CMP. There was no effect of water management on CH4 emission in the non-fertilized treatment. Grain yields were not significantly affected by the production system. Thus the yield-scaled global warming potential (GWP) was lower under SRI than CMP, namely 21 % in FYM and FYM + MF treatments, and 8 % in MF treatment. The application of mineral fertilisers moderately increased CH4 emission but significantly increased rice yields, resulting in a significantly lower yield-scaled-GWP compared to farmyard manure.

Perceptions of lean design management

The importance of managing the early design phases effectively and efficiently is relatively well appreciated, although how best to do this is not so clear. The successful use of lean management in the construction phase, using the principles largely developed by Toyota, has opened up the possibility of using lean design management, thus helping to establish a systematic approach to the creative design phase. This study explores the interpretation and application of lean design management in architecture, engineering and construction (AEC). A survey questionnaire was used to obtain an understanding of current design management processes and practices in the UK. Findings from 125 responses indicate that inefficiencies are related to ineffective design management processes (e.g. management of briefing, design, etc.) as well as problems with procurement. The main conclusion drawn is that lean design management appears valid for implementation in the AEC sector, but needs to be customised according to the project context in order to achieve the desired value for all stakeholders.

Case Study–Based Testing of Design Interface Management System

Multidisciplinary design for construction is a complex and iterative process. Because conventional planning tools cannot model iterations, a matrix-based methodology called design structure matrix (DSM) has been developed. Although this approach has shown the potential to model and manage iterative design processes, there is no widespread application. It has been documented that the formation of the DSM is a key limitation to its practical application. Furthermore, the findings of an action research–based investigation on implementing the DSM approach on multiple construction projects suggested the formation of a drawing-based DSM rather than the conventional activity-based DSM to improve applicability. The study also proposed a structured methodology called design interface management system (diMs) to form the drawing design structure matrix. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of diMs methodology and its implementation on the construction design processes. The testing was conducted through a comparative study of two design cases of a large airport design process. The performance of the design management process of the test group that used diMs was compared with the control group that used existing design management practices. The data for the comparative study were obtained through document and questionnaire–based assessment criteria. The comparison of these assessment criteria shows significant improvements in the design management process for the test group. The basis for these improvements was further evaluated through multiple sources of evidences such as focused interviews, physical visits, open-ended interviews, and participatory observations.

The role of design management in the sustainable building process

Sustainable building (SB) aims at the required building performance with minimum adverse environmental impact, while encouraging improvements in economic, social and cultural circumstances. The role of design is essential in interpreting and solving these complicated multilevel requirements. This article analyses current design management practices in Finnish construction projects. The aim was to define the challenges that SB brings to the role of the chief designer (stated in the Finnish building code) and to understand how a chief designer contributes towards SB. Study found that the role is defined and practiced mostly as a technical supervisor. The general shared definition of a more fundamental meaning of the role is shallow. The means and mechanisms of performing the task, however, rely on social interaction, influencing and leadership. A lot more power and effect could be got out of design management if these would be consciously involved. SB does not necessarily create more tasks but it affects several existing tasks by bringing new substance to be considered in the design decisions. The key impact that the chief designer can make is created through successful leadership of human creative competence.

Strategic account management programs: alignment of design elements and management practices

PurposeThe paper aims at generating a better understanding of the design elements and related management practices of strategic account management programs, in order to assist firms wishing to design such programs.Design/methodology/approachThe research process is based on systematic combining of literature, empirical data from interviews with nine multi‐national firms, interaction with the firms during the research, and the knowledge resource base of the Strategic Account Management Association.FindingsA strategic account management program (SAMP) is defined as a relational capability, involving task‐dedicated actors, who allocate resources of the firm and its strategically most important customers, through management practices that aim at inter‐ and intra‐organizational alignment, in order to improve account performance (and ultimately shareholder value creation). The research identified four inter‐organizational alignment design elements: account portfolio definition, account business planning, account‐specific value proposition, account management process; and four intra‐organizational design elements: organizational integration, support capabilities, account performance management, account team profile and skills. The management practices pertinent to each element are discussed.Practical implicationsFirms need to ensure that a SAMP is configured so that there is fit between the design elements discussed. Focus should be put on identifying framing elements that set the foundation for configuring effective programs, as they determine the prerequisites for other elements.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the literature on strategic account management by summarizing extant research and developing an organizing framework, informed by an empirical study.

Design and design management in building projects : a review

Design is that activity, largely executed by consultants and in-house disciplines, which translates the aspirations of the Client, into a series of documents, both drawn and written, which in combination can be used to procure the manufacture, assembly, commissioning and operation of both building elements and the project as a whole. Management of the design process is planned to ensure that the project requirements have been correctly interpreted in an agreed brief, with a consistent format of technical verification reports and design analysis audit trail, as set out in the project plan. This paper, based on a literature review, examines traditional design management and design and construction as an integrated system. The paper is an introductory part of an ongoing project to map design and design management practices in architectural and civil engineering practices.

Thermal Environmental Control of High-Rise Layer Houses in California

The ventilation systems of two high-rise layer houses in California were monitored from 10/25/07 to 10/31/09 (m/d/y) for the National Air Emission Monitoring Study to facilitate the calculation of air pollutant emission rates. The ventilation systems, building structural design, feeding systems, and manure management practices of the houses were identical. Each house had approximately 32,500 laying hens in cages on the second floor (layer room) and was mechanically ventilated in cross-flow fashion with 12 sidewall single-speed exhaust fans on the first floor, consisting of two 91 cm fans and ten 122 cm fans. The fan rotational speeds, differential static pressure, temperature, relative humidity, and the evaporative misting system of each house and outside weather variables were continuously monitored. All 24 fans were evaluated with a portable fan tester three times during the two-year test. Fan airflow models were developed from in situ fan test data to calculate the fan airflow rates based on house differential static pressure and fan rotational speeds. The results showed that the fan performance factors of the 91 cm and 122 cm fans were 75% and 84% of the airflows, respectively, of new unused fans. The daily mean dry standard house ventilation rate averaged 47 m3 s-1 at dry standard conditions and ranged from 12 to 88 m3 s-1. The daily mean hen-specific ventilation rates averaged 5 m3 h-1 hen-1 and ranged from 1.3 to 9.8 m3 h-1 hen-1. Relative uncertainties of the hourly mean hen-specific ventilation rates averaged ±4.8% and ranged from ±2.9% to ±8.8%. The house differential static pressures ranged from -35 to -10 Pa 92% of the time. The layer room temperatures were controlled by adjusting the ventilation rate, which generally increased with ambient temperature. The evaporative misting system decreased the layer room temperature by up to 8°C from the ambient, or barn inlet, air temperature while contributing to an increase of up to 3.8 g kg-1 in the house humidity ratio relative to barn inlet conditions.

Epizootic Agent-Based Modeling: The Mobility Threshold for Disease Spread as a Critical Percolation Phenomenon

Modeling of epidemic spread within human populations has been an active research area for a considerable time, yet relatively little work has been done in investigating the modeling dynamics of epizootic spread in livestock populations within intensive livestock production operations (ILPOs). Enclosed ILPOs are the standard environment for swine and poultry production in North America, and animal health is a key economic and food safety concern. This article investigates an agent-based model (ABM) overlayed on a modified dynamic percolation model to characterize epizootic spread within a poultry ILPO. The objective of the work was to develop a behavior-based disease modeling framework and, in doing so, to examine the relative impacts of infection longevity and agent mobility on epizootic spread and animal mortality in a poultry ILPO. Initial validation and systematic analysis of the model demonstrated that an ABM built on a regular percolation topology is a reasonable model to capture the macroscopic dynamics of disease transmission in a poultry ILPO. The results indicate that, at low population density, the infection duration has a greater impact on mortality than the impact of animal mobility on mortality. At higher population density, the impact of animal mobility rapidly dominates the impact of infection duration on mortality. The most significant insight arising from the study is that the percolation threshold, where a disease is able to spread throughout the entire ILPO environment, is greatly reduced when mobility is introduced. In other words, in addition to infection duration, animal mobility is a significant factor in accelerating disease spread. These insights and more detailed modeling can inform generalized livestock housing design considerations and management practices that may mitigate epizootic spread in an ILPO.

Oil yield components and oil quality of high stearic-high oleic sunflower genotypes as affected by intercepted solar radiation during grain filling

High stearic-high oleic sunflower oil presents high thermal stability. This oil is an alternative to the hydrogenation process which produces trans fatty acids. The effect of intercepted solar radiation (ISR) per plant during grain filling on oil yield components and oil fatty acid composition was investigated in three sunflower high stearic-high oleic genotypes. Three field experiments were conducted and treatments to modify ISR per plant were applied during grain filling: shading, defoliating and thinning plants. Increasing ISR per plant linearly increased grain number per capitulum, weight per grain and in some cases palmitic and stearic acid percentages. In the hybrid, grain oil percentage and oleic acid concentration increased with a decreasing rate, reaching a maximum value at high levels of ISR per plant. Linoleic acid percentage decreased with a decreasing rate, reaching a minimum value at high levels of ISR per plant. Oil yield components presented heterosis. This information contributes to explain the effects of environment on yield and oil quality in high stearic-high oleic genotypes and could be used to design management practices that optimise these traits.

Design and management of free water surface constructed wetlands to minimize mosquito production

Constructed wetland technology has broad applications for the treatment of many types of wastewaters and provides an ecological approach to mitigate the release of nutrients and toxic materials into the environment. However, design features, maintenance activities and the characteristics of the wastewater undergoing treatment contribute differentially to potential levels of mosquito production and, consequently, to threats to human and animal health from mosquito-borne pathogens. Of the variables typically considered when designing free-water surface constructed wetlands for the improvement of water quality of municipal and agricultural wastewaters, organic loading (i.e., biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids), nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), and the configuration and maintenance of emergent vegetation can have strong effects on mosquito production. The production of Culex vectors of encephalitides and filarial worms is directly related to loading rates of organic matter and bottom-up enrichment of larval mosquito resources and their interaction with design features and management practices that reduce the physical and biological factors causing mortality of immature mosquitoes. As loading rates of organic matter and nutrients decline, the diversity of mosquitoes produced by treatment wetlands tends to increase and the relative abundance of Anopheles species, which are capable of vectoring the causative agents of malaria, increases in temperate man-made wetlands. Habitat features and management practices that create intermittently inundated substrate can lead to the production of other mosquitoes (i.e., Aedes, Psorophora) with floodwater life histories. Constructed wetland technology is expected to play an increasing role in water treatment and reclamation in tropical and subtropical countries where virulent mosquito-borne pathogens already cause significant levels of morbidity and mortality.