Engineering Team Research Articles

Model Based and Big Data Enabled Predictive Maintenance Capability Development Experience

Airplane health management and predictive maintenance have been in place for many years and has been implemented across the industry on various platforms with some success and some challenges. Predictive maintenance leaders have a unique challenge of developing talent pipelines, technology focus areas, balanced with delivery of prognostic insights to customers. This paper will discuss strategies, lessons learned for how to build, grow and sustain a team of engineers, data scientists, software developers and others focused on delivering aerospace prognostic insights. It will also consider how to implement metrics for measuring performance such that the team is persistent, and motivated in their endeavors.
 
 
 

Generalized Synthetic Control for TestOps at ABI: Models, Algorithms, and Infrastructure

We describe a novel optimization-based approach—generalized synthetic control (GSC)—in which we learn from experiments conducted in a physical retail environment. GSC solves a long-standing problem of learning from experiments conducted in this environment when treatment effects are small, the environment is extremely noisy and nonstationary, and interference and adherence problems are commonplace. The utilization of GSC has demonstrated a remarkable increase in statistical power, approximately one hundredfold (100×) higher than conventional inferential methods. This innovative approach forms the basis of TestOps, a pioneering large-scale experimentation platform designed specifically for physical retailers. TestOps was developed and has been broadly implemented as part of a collaboration between Anheuser Busch Inbev (ABI) and a team of operations researchers and data engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. TestOps currently runs physical experiments impacting approximately 135 million USD in revenue every month and routinely identifies innovations that result in a 1%–2% increase in sales volume. The vast majority of these innovations would have remained unidentified had we not developed our novel approach to inference. Prior to our implementation, statistically significant conclusions could be drawn on only ∼6% of all experiments, a fraction that has now increased by 10-fold. Given its success, TestOps is being rolled out globally at ABI, driving significant revenue growth and enabling the extraction of valuable insights from large-scale physical experiments. History: This paper has been accepted for the INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics Special Issue—2022 Daniel H. Wagner Prize for Excellence in the Practice of Advanced Analytics and Operations Research.

Qualification Approach Detailed for Offshore Hydrogen Pipeline Systems

_ This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper OTC 32158, “Offshore Hydrogen Pipeline System Qualification: Design and Materials/Welds Testing in Hydrogen Environment,” by Angelo Santicchia, Elvira Aloigi, and Salvatore Terracina, Saipem, et al. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Copyright 2023 Offshore Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission. _ The qualification of a pipeline system for hydrogen transport, important in the transition to a decarbonized energy system even if strictly related to offshore pipelines, is a broad field that requires a systematic approach from basic material knowledge to complex physical models and fracture and fatigue assessments. The authors’ analysis of qualification requirements, including available test types and testing protocols, led to a matrix of potential tests, detailed in the complete paper, to be conducted in hydrogen and air environments for the steel base material, seam weld, and girth weld of offshore pipelines. Offshore Pipeline Materials Requirements vs. Hydrogen Transportation The authors’ work outlines many challenges, including the following: - Although hydrogen pipelines installed and operating onshore are common, at the time of writing, none exist in the offshore environment. - The blending percentage of hydrogen into natural gas in the future-transport scenario is still under discussion. - Small amounts of hydrogen can have a substantial effect on fatigue and fracture on high-strength materials. - The effect of hydrogen on pipe-material fatigue and fracture properties correlates directly to the specificity of the offshore environment, which will be very demanding in terms of longitudinal stress and fatigue. Another important aspect to consider is the effect of hydrogen on weldments both longitudinal and circumferential that are part of pipe-material fabrication and pipeline fabrication. A dedicated engineering team analyzed key standards and the available literature in terms of theoretical studies and experimental tests of materials in hydrogen environments. This activity indicated that, in addition to theoretical and design considerations, characterization of primary material and welding properties in hydrogen environments that will affect the failure modes of offshore pipeline design is a critical step. Testing Protocols and Equipment Slow Strain Rate Test (SSRT). Smooth cylindrical specimens were tested in inert gas (nitrogen), pure hydrogen, and a hydrogen/natural gas mixture for comparative purposes. This testing was aimed at evaluating the susceptibility of the pipeline materials (base material and weld metals) to hydrogen embrittlement when subjected to typical conditions envisaged for future hydrogen service. Tensile cylindrical specimens were tested at room temperature (24°C) in a high-pressure gaseous atmosphere. Tests were carried out in displacement control mode. In the initial part of the tensile test, in the plastic regime, after attainment of material yielding but before reaching the maximum tensile strength of the specimen, the strain distribution along the specimen was approximately uniform.

Comparative analysis of machine-planted and manual-planted wheat on crop and water productivity, and profitability under system of wheat intensification management

System of Wheat Intensification (SWI) can outperform conventional wheat cultivation. However, the manual planting (dibbling) of two seeds in each hill, with hills laid out in a 20 × 20 cm square pattern essential for SWI, is a laborious task and requires more time, manpower, energy, and monetary expenditure. To deal with these constraints, a scientific team of Agricultural Engineers and Agronomists at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, developed a single-row manual SWI-planter (SRMSWIP) to make SWI planting easier, faster, and more economical. The SRMSWIP was field-evaluated for wheat var. HD-2967 during the winter season of 2015–2016 in a randomized complete design block thrice-replicated study with eight treatments. These treatments comprised (i) sowing with SRMSWIP using treated seeds (MSWIT); (ii) sowing with SRMSWIP using non-treated seed (MSWINT); (iii) manual sowing with SWI-management using treated seeds (MLSWIT); (iv) manual sowing with SWI-management using non-treated seeds (MLSWINT); (v) recommended planting with SWI-management using treated seeds (RPSWIT); (vi) recommended planting with No-SWI management using non-treated seeds (RPNoSWIT); (vii) check-row with SWI-management using treated (CRSWIT), and (viii) check-row with SWI-management using non-treated seeds (CRSWINT). The results showed that SWI-management increased the grain yield by 0.61–1.52 t/ha, with an overall average increase of 1.12 t/ha over control plots. The greatest increase (~25%) in grain yield was achieved with the mechanical seeder and seed treatment. At the same time, straw yield was lower by 0.09–0.66 t ha−1 under SWI-management, with one treatment exception. The increase in grain yield is attributable to SWI methods that led to an increase in the harvest index, i.e., in the wheat plant phenotypes. The water productivity and production efficiency were higher under SWI compared to conventional seed drilling with or without SWI-management. The gross returns using SWI planting ranged between Rs.123,526/ha in MLSWINT to Rs. 139,210/ha in MSWIT vs. Rs. 117,113/ha in RPNoSWIT. However, SWI with manual sowing (MLSWIT and MLSWINT) increased the cost of cultivation (COC) by Rs. 9,623/ha over RPNoSWIT. This increase in COC was lowered to Rs. 5,475/ha when planting was performed using SRMSWIP. Thus, owing to higher gross returns, SWI planting and management, barring MLSWINT, resulted in net returns of an increment of Rs. 7,615–16,372/ha over conventional planting without SWI-management. The B:C in MSWIT and MSWINT was significantly higher than RPSWI. The monetary efficiency (ME) was highest with MSWIT (Rs. 702/ha/day). Overall, the SRMSWIP may facilitate wheat sowing using SWI methods, with greater feasibility and economic viability achieved. The promotion of this low-cost SRMSWIP may be a boon in enhancing the adoptability of SWI-technology among wheat growers, particularly small and marginal farmers in India and adjoining regions.

Investigating Employee Engagement of Engineering Teams of Long-term Domestic Projects: Multinational Organizations Under Hybrid-working Model in Egypt

The literature widely covered engagement from different perspectives and how it is affected by different job resources and job demands. This study tackles the effect of job resources including the hybrid-working model, manager coaching, and other resources on engagement. Even though job resources were extensively examined in the literature; this paper introduces the hybrid working model as a job resource and the long-term assignment as a job demand affecting employee engagement.This study aimed to investigate the effect of the hybrid working model, manager coaching and development plans under long-term assignment conditions on engagement using a cross-sectional questionnaire. Respondents were engineers involved in a long-term assignment (long duration in the same project). The results revealed that job resources had a statistical significance as well as a positive relationship with engagement, while LTA had a statistical significance as well as a negative moderating effect on the relationship between job resources and engagement.The study findings suggested that the relationship between job resources and engagement is negatively moderated by working on long-term assignments.

REKAM MEDIS ELEKTRONIK (RME) UNTUK PELAYANAN GIZI RUMAH SAKIT

Background: Electronic Medical Record (EMR) is mandatory for the healthcare provider in Indonesia. EMR were also developed for medical support services such as nutrition services. EMR application for nutrition services consists of nutrition assessment forms and patient-integrated clinical development records.Objective: To determine factors that influence the implementation of EMR for hospital nutrition services.Methods: This research is qualitative research with a single-case holistic design. The research location was in Instalasi Gizi RSUD Dr. Soetomo, from May to June 2023. The data collecting method was using in depth-interview and focus group discussions. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data was analyzed based on the Human, Organization, and Technology (HOT)–Fit Framework.Results: This research showed that the main factor influencing the success of EMR implementation for hospital nutrition is the digital competencies of the staff. These competencies could be increased by giving some training to the staff. Another essential factor is that organization should support by providing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for EMR implementation and technical support from the Information Technology (IT) team. IT team has the responsibility to handle complaints and problems about EMR. Facilities such as computers and Local Area Networks (LAN) should be sufficient to make EMR implementation run well. The interface and features of EMR should answer the needs of the staff. So, staff would feel EMR is beneficial to help them finish their work, and they would show their acceptance toward this EMR.Conclusions: The success of EMR implementation for hospital nutrition services is determined by several factors like staff digital competencies, organizational support, and provision of computers and LAN for implementing EMR. Positive perception about the benefit of EMR encouraged the increase of EMR utilization in hospitals.

Assessment of Three Recycling Pathways for Waste Cooking Oil as Feedstock in the Production of Biodiesel, Biolubricant, and Biosurfactant: A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Approach

The management of waste cooking oil (WCO) often poses significant challenges. The improper disposal of WCO results in negative environmental impacts and economic losses. However, from a circular economy perspective, WCO can be recycled and used as a sustainable feedstock for numerous industrial products, replacing virgin vegetable oils. This approach enables the recovery of resources while simultaneously addressing the problem of WCO disposal. By employing a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach, the study assesses three alternative recycling pathways for WCO used as a feedstock in the production of (A1) biodiesel, (A2) biolubricant, and (A3) biosurfactant. The aim is to identify the optimal alternative, taking into account environmental, economic, and technical factors. The procedure involved a team of chemical engineers working in the WCO recycling sector who were selected as decision makers. The ‘priority scale’ combined with the Paired Comparison Technique was employed as a weighting method to evaluate the selected criteria. The results revealed that the decision makers considered environmental sustainability as the most crucial evaluation criterion, followed by the economic criterion. In contrast, the aspect of process management was deemed less significant. Among the compared alternatives, utilizing WCO as a feedstock for biosurfactant production was assessed as the optimal WCO recycling solution. This alternative not only demonstrated the lowest coefficient variation but was also deemed the most favourable option. Biolubricant production was determined to be the second-best alternative. The adopted MCDA approach proved to be a reliable and effective tool, enabling the clear identification of the preferred WCO recycling alternative among those assessed. This was achieved through the utilization of the decision makers’ expertise and knowledge.

The effect of discharge care plans on statin prescription rates.

Stroke discharge care bundles have been proposed to address inadequate provider statin prescription rates. Discontinuation of statins has been associated with a 37% relative risk increase in mortality in patients with a stroke diagnosis. The project site had a statin prescription rate of 86.2%. The project was initiated at a 641-bed regional community teaching medical center. Statin prescription rates upon discharge on patients with the diagnosis of transient ischemic attack or stroke were evaluated and noted to be below the benchmark of 95%. Possible interventions to improve this benchmark were discussed with key stakeholders such as the information technology team, stroke care outcomes team, and neurology service providers. The proposed intervention was incorporated into the electronic health record. Provider prescription rates were tracked monthly along with the use of the proposed intervention. A one-sided z-test was used to analyze the data collected. A stroke discharge power plan within an electronic health record was modified to increase the rate of statin prescriptions. The key modification included checking off the prescription of a statin on discharge. Reinforcement of its use was done through monthly reminders. Use of discharge care plan yielded 100% compliance. Overall compliance was 9.7%. The null hypothesis of the one-sided z-test was 89%. The p-value for all tests was <0.05. The use of a stroke discharge care plan within an electronic health record can positively affect secondary stroke prevention by increasing statin prescription rates.

Cross-functional collaboration in the early phases of capital projects: Barriers and contributing factors

In early project phases, cross-functional collaboration is required to lead a capital project from an investment option to a full definition before its design and construction commenced. Given that many capital projects are large, complex, and take years to develop, for stakeholders to realize effective project definition and development it is important that they identify—in the early phases—cross-functional collaboration barriers and their contributing factors. The current study conducted a total of 20 interviews with experts from both the business units and project teams in owner companies and Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractors. It identified 14 barriers to effective cross-functional collaboration and 43 associated contributing factors in the early phases of capital projects. To rank the barriers, researchers then applied the Delphi method with a panel of 12 subject matter experts (SMEs). The outcomes of this study can guide practitioners to improve the effectiveness of cross-functional collaboration in early project phases.

Toward the Next Generation of Neural Iontronic Interfaces.

Neural interfaces are evolving at a rapid pace owing to advances in material science and fabrication, reduced cost of scalable complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies, and highly interdisciplinary teams of researchers and engineers that span a large range from basic to applied and clinical sciences. This study outlines currently established technologies, defined as instruments and biological study systems that are routinely used in neuroscientific research. After identifying the shortcomings of current technologies, such as a lack of biocompatibility, topological optimization, low bandwidth, and lack of transparency, it maps out promising directions along which progress should be made to achieve the next generation of symbiotic and intelligent neural interfaces. Lastly, it proposes novel applications that can be achieved by these developments, ranging from the understanding and reproduction of synaptic learning to live-long multimodal measurements to monitor and treat various neuronaldisorders.

Agile Processes Applied to Los Alamos National Laboratory SE approach: The Agile Processes and Technology (APT) Team

AbstractA myriad of industries is investigating and applying new technologies, approaches, and software to improve the systems engineering life cycle status quo, by reducing the time duration and lowering the cost incurred in the systems engineering process. One effort undertaken, and described herein, is pairing an Agile‐Lean framework with models‐based systems engineering (MBSE) to achieve time saving and cost efficiencies quickly within systems engineering concepts to production systems phases. This is being done by the Agile Processes and technologies (APT) team who are tasked to deliver a weapon prototype in three years. For this purpose, APT has adopted practices currently used in industry to speed up the conventional processes and practices within Los Alamos National Laboratory and partners, particularly by implementing Agile‐Lean within MBSE. APT has demonstrated agility by implementing changes at the organizational scale; given that most of the work done at the facilities is heavily based on design and hardware performance. In addition, MBSE is used to support verification and validation activities to drive acquisition of necessary evidence to establish traceability and compliance needed for qualification and certification, as per stakeholders' requirements. This paper describes the current efforts towards implementing MBSE in an Agile‐lean framework to represent a complex system —weapon prototype—, in a rapidly moving and changing environment to enable informed decisions through the identification and capture of useful decision criteria.

Hip Spica Table: A Technical Note.

Hip spica is a widely used treatment modality in the management of various paediatric orthopaedic conditions. A standardized hip spica table is not universally available and various centerres have devised their own designs. In collaboration with the local engineering team, we have designed a light weight yet sturdy, economical and portable hip spica table. Components of the spica table and their measurements are described. Technique of mounting and unmounting the patient off the table has been discussed. We have applied the hip spica using the current design in 141 children between 2009 and 2023. The same table has been used for the children aged 6 months to 10 years. We have not experienced any table breakage during spica application. The acrylic sheet was changed only once during the study period due to attrition. Our design has been used successfully at our center for more than 14 years. It is simple, economical, portable and durable. It can be used in dedicated pediatric orthopedic centers and can be carried easily to the field hospitals. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43465-023-00935-1.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK TO STUDY TEAM COHESION IN HUMAN-ROBOT TEAMS

Abstractuse-case scenarios, including homes, hospitals, workplaces, and recreation. Though the area of Social Robotics has gained traction in recent years, the majority of the studies so far have studied single-human and single-robot interaction. In comparison, Social Robots are increasingly being placed in human teams, likely affecting team dynamics. On the other hand, Engineering teams work together to deliver outstanding results and the processes in these teams are social. We propose that Social robot can be added to engineering human team to enhance team cohesion and performance. Therefore, this paper presents a preliminary framework towards developing a conceptual framework to study team cohesion in Human-Robot Teams (HRTs) in engineering context, looks at different roles of social robot and how the responses, behaviours, emotions of social robots shape outcomes in the engineering team. The research specifically focuses on team cohesion because team cohesion is reportedly one of the most critical concepts in team dynamics. The paper outlines the research objectives, framework and concept workflow.

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN COLLABORATIVE ENGINEERING DESIGN: HOW TO MEASURE AND USE IT IN A FEEDBACK SYSTEM?

AbstractEngineering design is typically a collaborative process, and in the era of digital engineering, online collaboration platforms are increasingly being used to perform the work. Despite the development of e-collaboration technologies, there is a significant gap between actual collaboration and what is really needed. However, improving collaboration requires a proper measurement system. Yet, the common methods to measure and improve collaboration are challenging, usually not compatible with digitalized collaboration, and have limited scalability. This paper presents a new data-driven method for measuring, visualizing, and monitoring Active Engagement (AE) in web-based teamwork, which is a key element of effective collaboration. We applied the method in a case study of four engineering teams during a Technology Planning and Road-mapping course. The results suggest that measuring AE in web-based teams, with an available history log, is technically feasible and can meaningfully represent the team's collaboration. The presented approach can be used to upgrade e-collaboration platforms as a toolkit or for further investigation on improving web-based collaborative design and learning through monitoring dashboards and feedback systems.

THE SITUATEDNESS OF DESIGN CONCEPTS: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM DESIGN TEAMS IN ENGINEERING

AbstractSituatedness in design suggest that designing is situated within the design process or the cognitive actions taken by the designer, the designer's expertise and know-how, the designer's experience generally and the interactions in the specific design task being undertaken as well as the interactions with the design artefact generated. In this paper, we analyzed the situatedness of design concepts generated by teams of professional engineers during a design task. The method combines protocol analysis, Natural Language Processing and network theory to provide a representation and a measurement of design situatedness overtime. Providing empirical evidence of the situatedness of concepts has been overlooked in design research. The method and results presented in this paper outlines the foundation to empirically explore design situatedness.

A SPECTRUM OF STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVE TAKING IN EARLY-STAGE DESIGN

AbstractStakeholder perspective taking is a critical skill in early-stage problem exploration and framing. We examined stakeholder perspective taking within an early-stage design team of engineers at NASA to begin to understand in what ways and under what conditions designers adopt stakeholder perspectives in the context of professional engineering organizations. Our findings identify a spectrum of perspective taking during problem framing deliberations that ranges from (1) fully taking the stakeholder's point of view (POV), (2) interpreting the stakeholder's POV using the designer's POV, (3) implanting the stakeholder's POV into the designer's POV, to (4) fully taking the designer's own POV. We also identify and describe conditions that appeared to encourage or hinder perspective taking in this setting. These findings are significant because they suggest ways to gauge and encourage the skill of stakeholder perspective taking among professional engineers working on real-world design challenges with societal implications.

The dynamic versus the stable team: The unspoken question in large‐scale agile development

SummaryThe importance of the team, its internal dynamics, and its performance are widely recognized within the software engineering community. While popular frameworks identify wholeness, stability over time, and smallness as important factors, they offer little guidance on how to form teams that achieve these three characteristics. The objective of this study is to investigate how these team characteristics interact in large‐scale software development contexts, particularly focusing on the impact of stable and dynamic teaming approaches. This was done through a multivocal study of literature, followed by individual semi‐structured interviews with 19 engineers from two companies and validation workshops with an additional two companies from unrelated industry segments. The study results show that the question of stable versus dynamic approaches to forming software engineering teams is largely unaddressed in industry, with stable teams representing a habitual default option. Meanwhile, both stable and dynamic teams clearly have respective strengths and weaknesses, calling for careful consideration of the most suitable approach in any given situation. To support such consideration, this paper presents a model of how team stability, wholeness, and smallness interact. This model is found relevant, accurate, generalizable, and useful by practitioners.

A study on analysis of venture capital financing

An availability of Finance for startups is a new era of business nowadays and has empowered innovation and growth in human’s life. With this business evolution, young entrepreneurs, small startup businesses even followed by small financing companies have started involving themselves for new and unique business ideas with a source of Venture Capital. This Research Paper explores the role of Venture Capital Financing in fostering innovative businesses. The paper provides an overview of the venture capital analysis, highlighting its unique characteristics, importance and differentiates investment strategies from the view point of Investors as well as Investees. It also examines the motivation and factors considered by venture capitalist when evaluating investment opportunities, including scalability, sources, vision, market potential, and technology and management teams. Furthermore, this paper examines the implications of venture capital financing from the point of Investee, Entrepreneurs on growth strategy of start-ups, mentorship, and value addition beyond just the monetary investment as well as contacts building along with strategic guidance. The study analysis the risk and reasons of failure of venture capital financing followed by the challenges faced, including the information being asymmetry, business being very risky and exist strategies. Finally, this paper highlights the importance, preferable fund-raising terms, rounds raised for investment and rounds utilized expectations of investors as well as of investee and the size of venture financing. Overall, this research paper offers valuable insights into significant role of venture capital financing in shaping entrepreneurial strategy and establishing the transformation of innovative and creative ideas into a successful enterprise.

The Role of Medical Sciences Universities in Innovation Ecosystem and Knowledge Based-Economy

One of the main aspects of supporting entrepreneurial activities is studying universities and their surrounding environments in innovation ecosystems, which is necessary to achieve economic development and technological innovations. The innovation ecosystem is a dynamic system and consists of academic, industrial, institutional, scientific, economic and governmental organizations. According to the researchers, there have been many innovations in the health section to enhance their ability to respond to the expectations of patients in terms of life expectancy, reducing costs, increasing the quality of life, improving diagnosis and treatment methods. In the field of health, more than 1425 knowledge-based companies are registered, and more than 800 technological teams are also located in the incubators of Iran's medical sciences universities. Nevertheless, universities of medical sciences are still at the beginning of the path of technology and innovation and moving towards entrepreneurial universities. It is essential that these universities, as one of the main components of the innovation ecosystem, focus remarkably on creating and strengthening their legal, financial, structural and managerial infrastructures in order to promote entrepreneurial culture and skills among their human resources. This is to commercialize knowledge and technology properly to meet the society's health needs. It is obvious that universities are facing many issues in this area, and using best practices, both domestic and foreign, can solve many challenges ahead.

The business case for ransomware exercises for business and technology teams

Ransomware attacks are increasing in complexity, scope and frequency. These attacks have had mounting impacts on critical global infrastructures and populations, with significant financial ramifications. This paper underscores the business case for the investment and execution of preparedness efforts to increase the readiness and resilience of business and technology teams. It begins by exploring the present characteristics of ransomware and the landscape of organisational preparedness, as described in various reports cataloguing current and forecasted trends in the field. This is supported by a commentary on recent noteworthy ransomware attacks. Emergency management, crisis management and general business development strategies are then merged to inform and offer actionable solutions for immediate implementation. The paper describes a systematic approach that provides opportunities to embed ransomware preparedness efforts into broader organisational strategies and goals. The business case concludes that investment in ransomware exercises offers additional benefits to organisations and companies, including employee retention and goal attainment.