Holistic Design Framework Research Articles

Modelling the cost-benefit impact of integrated product modularisation and postponement in the supply chain for pharmaceutical mass customisation

Realisation of pharmaceutical product and production systems capable of delivering product customisation cost-effectively is essential for adding value to patients and society through improved tailoring of therapies to individuals relative to current mass-produced products. To address the continued lack of evidence-based system solutions, this study presents a holistic design framework and a novel computational platform for enabling design explorations of integrated pharmaceutical product and supply chain (SC) reconfiguration. The design and modelling framework developed herein takes an end-to-end SC perspective, adapts the mass customisation strategies of product modularisation and postponement, and demonstrates case study simulations based on real-life therapy and SC archetypes. The cost-effectiveness assessment with the derived integrated systems computational platform confirm that product modularisation drives patient benefit through variety provision and that postponement drives cost reduction in an end-to-end SC. A novel insight is therefore that both product modularisation and postponement, in an integrated manner, are required for maximising cost-effective customisation. Moreover, the computational simulations, founded and modelled on real-life scenarios, provide design requirements for reconfigurable product and SC systems in a pharmaceutical context. In all, these findings are imperative for providing guidance on integrated pharmaceutical product and production systems design and mass customisation/ mass personalisation/mass individualisation realisation.

Shaping bridge decks for VIV mitigation: A wind tunnel data-driven adaptive surrogate-based optimization method

Vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of deck girders frequently drives the wind-resistant design of wind-sensitive bridges from the preliminary to final design stages. Shaping bridge decks is a proven strategy to mitigate VIV. While significant shape modifications are commonly restricted to preliminary design stages, only minor medications are possible at advanced design stages, typically involving adding flow modifiers or changing the shape and location of existing appendages. These mitigation strategies have been implemented in the last decades by carrying out expensive wind tunnel campaigns and following heuristic design rules. This paper proposes an experimental data-driven adaptive surrogate-based optimization approach to systematically identify optimum deck shapes that minimizes the economic cost of the bridge while fulfilling the VIV project specifications. The methodology is conceived to carry out simultaneously the general and detailed shape design of the final deck configuration by harnessing a sequential sampling plan aiming at reducing the sectional model construction costs. The proposed holistic design framework is successfully applied to a real application case involving 26 wind tunnel tests of 1.8-meter wide sectional models to figure out the optimal gap distance and location of maintenance tracks of a twin-box deck equipped with all the appendages included in the final deck design.

Mejorando la sostenibilidad de los respiradores de emergencia para el Covid-19: un caso de estudio sobre OxyGEN-IP

Sustainable medical device design in the context of a health emergency is an unexplored area of research. The urgency to save lives implies that eco-design strategies may not be considered. However, some of these strategies could lead to cost and manufacturing time reduction, implying that more units could be produced, and more patients reached. This paper aims to provide feasible eco-design strategies that could be shared with the stakeholders involved in the product design and manufacturing of emergency ventilators for Covid-19. The objective is to help tackle the Covid-19 crisis in a more sustainable way, and increase the access to healthcare of people requiring assisted ventilation during the health emergency. Adopting a Whole Systems Design perspective (Blizzard and Klotz, 2012), this research has applied the Holistic Design Framework (Aranda-Jan et al., 2016) and the Eco-design Strategy Wheel (Brezet and Hemel, 1997) to elaborate preliminary strategies aligned with the emergency design objectives. Different design for sustainability tools, approaches and principles have been used to discuss, analyse and provide a final set of recommended strategies. These can be grouped in four categories: design for assembly, extension of product lifetime, usage of materials, and lean manufacturing. Despite further efforts are needed to overcome implementation challenges identified during the definition of strategies, it is expected that the above recommendations can be put in practice in a short-term to bring benefits in terms of better environmental impact, lower costs and total manufacturing time.

WeChat knowledge service system of university library based on SoLoMo: A holistic design framework

In this study, we develop a WeChat knowledge service system (WKSS) in university library based on SoLoMo. The aim is to build a comprehensive, open, mobile and smart knowledge service environment. It can realise the interaction between the three users, library and knowledge, and promote the dissemination and sharing of knowledge. By referencing the Internet frontier concept SoLoMo, this study designs a new mobile smart service system, including the system architecture design, the content design and the data association design. Then, this study develops the system, including the running environment configuration, the development of workflow, the core module and the system implementation. This system enables the provision of accurate, specific and more personalised service to each user. It also includes a portable mobile terminal to increase the accuracy of context awareness and enhance user convenience. This study makes up for the shortcomings of the library and increases the functions of personalisation, mobility and intelligence. It extends the way of mobile service in libraries and provides readers with better library mobile services, which was liked by readers.

Permaculture: Challenges and Benefits in Improving Rural Livelihoods in South Africa and Zimbabwe

Feeding a growing global population using conventional agricultural practices is leading to adverse environmental impacts. There is a call for alternative forms of agriculture that address social, economic, and environmental aspects of sustainability. Permaculture is a holistic design framework that incorporates sustainable agricultural practices, potentially improving livelihoods. This study looked at the challenges and benefits of permaculture in improving rural livelihoods in Zimbabwe and South Africa. We used semi-structured interviews to collect data. Permaculture contributed over 40% to total income for participants in both countries. However, permaculture was not the dominant source of income and periodically straddled multiple livelihood strategies. The main benefits of permaculture were identified as improved human health, increased resilience to environmental changes, and reduction of input costs. The key challenges included high labour input, infestation of pests and diseases, and lack of knowledge on permaculture practices. Although permaculture presents significant challenges, its integration with other forms of sustainable agricultural practices can contribute to improved rural livelihoods.

Holistic analysis for electrical capacitance tomography front-end electronics

The design and realization of capacitive measurement systems requires a variety of prior knowledge of the system, to achieve the intended performance. Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) is a high end application of capacitive sensing. The required electronics is usually tailored to specific application constraints. To compare suitable circuit structures, a holistic design framework is required considering all components and their mutual interactions to derive appropriate figures of merit. We present an analysis framework and exemplary compare two different ECT circuit structures with respect to their sensitivity. The framework incorporates real world sensor conditions, for the application of the system.

Tokyo Typologies: The Unconventional Urban Ethos of Multiplicity, Vibrancy, Complexity+Liveability ( breakout presentation )

Background Tokyo is one of the planet’s largest, most complex and most successful cities. With a population exceeding that of Canada, the Tokyo Metropolitan Region embraces a rich array of features key to a well-crafted, well-designed and highly-functioning city. Consistently Tokyo ranks among the world’s top cities, based on a wide array of metrics/measures. From a world-class multi-modal transportation system and vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods to walkable streets and planning innovations, Tokyo demonstrates how an urban centre can be colossal and complex while proving demonstrably dynamic, accessible and livable. For those looking from outside Tokyo proves a paradox – massive in size, and incomprehensible in scope while functioning at high levels, running smoothly and being relatively free from serious problems. Amenity is high, crime is low, efficiency is unprecedented, design is pervasive and a sense of community is ubiquitous. Tokyo’s success is worth critical examination, not only to cull out reasons for achievement but also to better grasp facets of the city than contribute to its Gestalt. An approach overarching the research critically considers the vehicle of ‘urban typology’. Description Using typology as a lens for investigation, the work imaginatively identifies/delineates unique typologies that define, shape and characterize Tokyo’s rich fabric. Case studies embrace conventional awareness of typology while charting new ground in conceiving exceptionally Japanese types. Creative typologies include: Gate-Threshold; Spiritual Spark; Arcade Street; Optimize Leftovers; Extreme Parking; Koban; Palimpsest Remnants; Folded + Compressed; Thin Landscapes; Vending Ethos; and Love Zones. Lessons|Implications The approach taken to Tokyo Typologies is original, bold and in keeping with the pulse, energy and uniqueness of this leading global city. The author invokes an existing holistic framework for design + planning to better illuminate compelling reasons for Tokyo’s ongoing progress despite intense pressures on economic, environmental, social, cultural & spiritual fronts. An understanding of the potency of these exceptional typologies in relation to walkability and liveability proves paramount and enlightening. Application of findings, beyond Tokyo, is postulated.

Exploiting socio-physical network interactions via a utility-based framework for resource management in mobile social networks

Mobile social networks have the lion's share in modern mobile telecommunications, and their interaction with the underlying infrastructure networks has attracted significant attention due to its impact on resource management. In this article, we present and demonstrate a framework for addressing such interplay between online social networks and wireless communications by exploiting principles from the theory of utility-based engineering and elements from social network analysis. We aim at a holistic design framework that allows the joint development of improved resource management mechanisms for future mobile wireless infrastructures and their social counterparts. We demonstrate the proposed methodology and reveal the key aspects of designing and exploiting convenient utility functions within the framework of network science in order to better manage the available resources, improve infrastructures, and eventually obtain from them the maximum possible benefit. We establish the above principles and emerging design potentials in future complex networks by presenting two tangible examples where personalized advertising and topology control in MSNs are used to exploit and validate different network and individual socio-utility maximization features, respectively.

A holistic framework for design of cost-effective minimum water utilization network

Water pinch analysis (WPA) is a well-established tool for the design of a maximum water recovery (MWR) network. MWR, which is primarily concerned with water recovery and regeneration, only partly addresses water minimization problem. Strictly speaking, WPA can only lead to maximum water recovery targets as opposed to the minimum water targets as widely claimed by researchers over the years. The minimum water targets can be achieved when all water minimization options including elimination, reduction, reuse/recycling, outsourcing and regeneration have been holistically applied. Even though WPA has been well established for synthesis of MWR network, research towards holistic water minimization has lagged behind. This paper describes a new holistic framework for designing a cost-effective minimum water network (CEMWN) for industry and urban systems. The framework consists of five key steps, i.e. (1) Specify the limiting water data, (2) Determine MWR targets, (3) Screen process changes using water management hierarchy (WMH), (4) Apply Systematic Hierarchical Approach for Resilient Process Screening (SHARPS) strategy, and (5) Design water network. Three key contributions have emerged from this work. First is a hierarchical approach for systematic screening of process changes guided by the WMH. Second is a set of four new heuristics for implementing process changes that considers the interactions among process changes options as well as among equipment and the implications of applying each process change on utility targets. Third is the SHARPS cost-screening technique to customize process changes and ultimately generate a minimum water utilization network that is cost-effective and affordable. The CEMWN holistic framework has been successfully implemented on semiconductor and mosque case studies and yielded results within the designer payback period criterion.