Process Definition Research Articles

The role of budgeting in the strategic planning process in an enterprise

Purpose of the study: The main purpose of this article is to present the definition, function and course of the budgeting process in an enterprise based on the available literature on the subject. The article also aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of the budgeting process based on available empirical results.
 Methodology: The article was prepared using the method of critical review of the literature in the field of management accounting with a particular focus on items on the budgeting process. In the conducted literature review, academic literature was analyzed, as well as articles and other publications related to the subject matter.
 Main findings: The presentation in the text of the functions and phases of the budgeting process makes it possible to conclude that it is a time-consuming process, heavily involving managers and employees, and that it is necessary to look for an alternative to it.
 Application of the study: The study makes it possible to systematize knowledge in the area of theory related to the budgeting process, its meaning, function and phases. The theoretical content is expanded with the results of empirical studies known in the literature showing the advantages and disadvantages of the process. The research can help in the decision to implement an appropriate planning system in the enterprise.
 Originality/Novelty of the study: The study undertaken shows the space for further analysis of the financial planning system in the enterprise with particular consideration of proposals for new tools that may have practical application.

Vibrational Biospectroscopy in the Clinical Setting: Exploring the Impact of New Advances in the Field of Immunology

The investigation of pathological diseases largely relies on laboratory examinations. The ability to identify and characterise cells is an essential process for clinicians to reach an accurate diagnosis and inform appropriate treatments. There is currently a gap between the advancement of scientific knowledge on cellular and molecular pathways and the development of novel techniques capable of detecting subtle cellular changes associated with disease. Biospectroscopy is the use of spectroscopy techniques to investigate biological materials. Within a biological sample, important molecules such as lipids, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and proteins are held together by chemical bonds; these bonds will vibrate following excitation with infrared light. By measuring the vibrational energy of each molecule present in a biological sample, a unique spectrum, known as the “molecular fingerprint” is generated. As disease-related changes in biological samples will be reflected in the molecular fingerprint, biospectroscopy is a well-placed candidate for the investigation of disease. Biospectroscopy has been gaining wider acceptance and application in the clinical setting over the past decade; however, it has yet to reach diagnostic laboratories and healthcare clinics as a routine platform for clinical assessment. Immunological disorders are complex, often demonstrating interaction across multiple molecular pathways which results in delayed diagnosis. Vibrational spectroscopy is being applied in many fields, and here we present a review of its use in cellular immunology. Potential benefits, including an enhanced definition of molecular processes and the use of spectroscopy in disease diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment response, are discussed. The translation of vibrational spectroscopic techniques into clinical practice offers rapid, noninvasive, and inexpensive methods to obtain information on the molecular composition of biological samples. The potential clinical benefits of biospectroscopy include providing a more prompt and accurate disease diagnosis, thus improving patient care and resulting in better health outcomes.

Definition and evaluation of the gas exchange process of a two-stroke engine with external and internal mixture formation

Problem. The transition from external to internal mixture formation requires adjusting the organization of gas exchange processes. The subject of the research is the gas exchange indicators of the 1D 8.2/8.7 engine with spark ignition with a carburetor and direct fuel injection (DFI) for the organization of stratified fuel-air charge (SFAC) and stratified weak fuel-air charge (SWFAC). Goal. The purpose of research is to determine ways to improve cylinder cleaning from combustion products and increasing its filling with fresh charge at DFI. Methodology: the following methods were used to conduct a study of the engine according to the load characteristic (n = 3000 min-1) and determine the gas exchange indicators by the coefficients: consumption μ of the purge and exhaust channels; purge air leakage υ; residual gases γ; excess purge air φо; filling ηv; purging φ; use of purge air ηв; k.k.d. purge ηs. Originality. The empirical dependences of changes in gas exchange indicators: μ, υ, γ, φ, ηv on the load were determined. Results. With a carburetor power system γ = 0.24-0.17, φo = 0.32-0.67 (bmep = 0.174-0.45 MPa). At the maximum load (bmep = 0.45 MPa) ηv = 0.5. The use of a hemispherical symmetric combustion chamber with an increase in volume and load creates conditions for reducing γ and increasing ηs to 0.86. With DFI and the organization of the SFAC γ = 0.15-0.13 (bmep = 0.21-0.45 MPa), SWFAC γ = 0.16-0.13 (bmep = 0.144-0.21 MPa), γ = 0.4 (bmep = 0.43 MPa). In the case of SFAC and SWFAC, the maximum values of φо = 0.7 and ηv = 0.52 (bmep = 0.42–0.44 MPa). As the load decreases, the values of φо and ηv from the SWFAC exceed the values from the SFAC by up to 9%. The largest values of ηs = 0.87-0.88 (bmep = 0.21-0.47 MPa) correspond to the SFAC and the hemispherical combustion chamber shifted to the exhaust window. The organization of SWFAC in a hemispherical symmetric combustion chamber of smaller volume contributes to the reduction of ηs from 0.875 to 0.71. Practical value. In order to reduce γ and increase ηv at SWFAC, it is necessary to direct the flow of purge air inside the combustion chamber by installing an additional purge channel opposite the exhaust window.

Modeling software processes from different domains using SPEM and BPMN notations: An experience report of teaching software processes

In a current application development scenario in different environments, technologies and contexts, such as IoT, Blockchain, Machine Learning and Cloud Computing, there is a need for particular solutions for domain-specific software development processes. The proper definition of software processes requires the understanding for the involved teams and organization’s particularities and specialized technical knowledge in Software Engineering. Although it is an essential part of Software Engineering, many university curricula do not dedicate as much effort to teaching software processes, focusing more on the basic principles of Software Engineering, such as requirements, architecture and programming languages. Another important aspect of software processes is modeling. The modeling of a software process provides a basis for managing, automating and supporting the software process improvement. In this context, teaching software process modeling becomes challenging, mainly due to the great emphasis on theory and few practices. This work presents an experience report teaching the definition and modeling of software processes in different domains. In the discipline of software processes, we applied a practice for defining and modeling processes in various application domains, such as: IoT, cloud, mobile, critical systems, self-adaptive systems, machine learning, blockchain and games. The processes were modeled in the Software Systems Process Engineering Metamodel (SPEM) and Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) notations based on references from the literature for each domain. We evaluated the process modeling practice with the SPEM and BPMN in two classes of the software processes discipline, and we had discussions about the use of the two notations applied to the different domains. In general, students reported good experiences in defining processes, highlighting the importance of practical modeling applications for professional life. As the main results of the study in teaching process modeling, we have that: (i) students accepted HEFLO tool better than EPF Composer tool; (ii) most students are not aware of specific domains and that anticipating the study of these domains in the discipline is a good strategy; and, (iii) the students also highlighted the need for more support for the two notation tools.

STEM education institutional change projects: examining enacted approaches through the lens of the Four Categories of Change Strategies Model

BackgroundEnacting STEM education reform is a complex task and there are a variety of approaches that might be selected by change agents. When working on an institutional change project to impact multiple parts of the STEM education system, teams of change agents may select multiple strategies and tactics to enact at one time and over multiple years of a project. However, the literature lacks studies which document and analyze strategies and tactics used by change project teams in a way that can be useful for other change agents. The current study seeks to fill this gap by investigating National Science Foundation-funded change initiatives at three public research universities focused on encouraging the adoption of evidenced-based instructional practices by STEM faculty in order to understand the strategies used within and across projects.ResultsQualitative framework analysis using the lens of the Henderson et al. (Journal of Research in Science Teaching 48(8): 952–984, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20439) Four Categories of Change Strategies Model showed that institutional projects enact a wide range of tactics that span the four strategies represented in the four categories of the model both across institutions and within each institution. The analysis documents a number of change tactics not previously described by the model and offers expanded definitions of the change processes that operate within each category in the context of institutional change projects.ConclusionThis descriptive work advances our understanding of the breadth and depth of actions taken by institutional change initiatives and provides insights into types of variations that might be observed based on different institutional contexts. The current analysis both affirms the value of the original model and identifies expanded ways to think about the four categories within the context of institutional change projects.

Investigation on strategies for optimizing process definition in rubber processing: A study on mechanical and chemical properties of vulcanizates as basis for the development of a new calculation model for quality prediction

AbstractRubber compounds may exhibit significant batch variations due to multiple different ingredients mixed in one compound. Hence, defining the manufacturing process for constant part quality can be challenging. Common strategies in considering batch variations in rubber processing include the determination of reaction kinetics, and the definition of process parameters according to normalized vulcanization isotherms. Thereby, maintenance of the degree of cure is targeted. With this path, information on the mechanical properties of vulcanizates is lost, despite its visibility from the kinetic data and part quality assurance is missed. This contribution points out the differences obtained for parts produced to the same degree of cure at various temperatures and intends to emphasize new strategies in process definitions. Therefore, compression molded parts were produced from styrene‐butadien rubber, which was then characterized with mechanical and chemical methods. Each of the methods revealed a significant difference in part behavior, which were manufactured to the same degrees of cure but at different temperatures. It was concluded that a temperature‐dependent reaction rate should be considered when quality maintenance is targeted in the production. Only then will it be possible to predict the properties adequately, with simultaneous effect of enhancing sustainability policies in rubber processing.

Data fabric and digital twins: An integrated approach for data fusion design and evaluation of pervasive systems

Recent technological improvements have made it possible for pervasive computing intelligent environments, augmented by sensors and actuators, to offer services that support society's aims for a wide variety of applications. This requires the fusion of data gathered from multiple sensors to convert them into information to obtain valuable knowledge. Poor implementation of data fusion hinders the appropriate actions from being taken and offering the appropriate support to users and environment needs, particularly relevant in the healthcare domain. Data fusion poses challenges that are mainly related to the quality of the data or data sources, the definition of a data fusion process and evaluating the data fusion carried out. There is also a lack of holistic engineering frameworks to address these challenges. These frameworks should be able to support automated methods of extracting knowledge from information, selecting algorithms and techniques, assessing information and evaluating information fusion systems in an automatic and standardized manner. This work proposes a holistic framework to improve data fusion in pervasive systems, addressing the issues identified by means of two processes: the first of which guides the design of the system architecture and focuses on data management. It is based on a previous proposal that integrated aspects of Data Fabric and Digital Twins to solve data management and data contextualization and representation issues, respectively. The extension of the previous proposal presented here was mainly defined by integrating aspects and techniques from different well-known multi-sensor data fusion models. The previous proposal identified high-level data processing activities and was intended to facilitate their traceability to components in the system architecture. However, the previously defined stages are not completely adequate in a data fusion process and the data processing tasks to be performed in each stage are not described in detail, especially in the data fusion stages. The second process of the framework deals with evaluating data fusion systems and is based on international standards to ensure the quality of the data fusion tasks performed by such systems. This process also offers guidelines for designing the architecture of an evaluation subsystem to automatically perform data fusion evaluation in runtime as part of the system. To illustrate the proposal, a system for preventing the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes is described that was developed using the proposed guidelines It is also illustrated by a description of how the data fusion tasks it supports are evaluated by the proposed evaluation process. The overall evaluation of the data fusion performed by this system was considered satisfactory, which indicates that the proposal facilitates the design and development of data fusion systems and helps to achieve the necessary quality requirements.

Safe procedure development to manage hazardous drugs in the workplace

ObjectiveTo develop a safety working procedure for the employees in the Intermutual Hospital de Levante (HIL) in those areas of activity that deal with the handling of hazardous drugs (MP). MethodsThe procedure was developed in six phases: 1) hazard definition; 2) definition and identification of processes and development of general correct work practices about hazardous drugs’ selection and special handling; 3) detection, selection and set of specific recommendations to handle with hazardous drugs during the processes of preparation and administration included in the hospital GFT; 4) categorization of risk during the preparation/administration and development of an identification system; 5) information and training of professionals; 6) implementation of the identification measures and prevention guidelines. ResultsSix processes were detected handling HD. During those processes, thirty HD were identified included in the hospital GFT and a safer alternative was found for 6 of them. The HD were classified into 4 risk categories based on those measures to be taken during the preparation and administration of each of them. ConclusionsThe development and implementation of specific safety-work processes dealing with medication handling, allows hospital managers to accomplish effectively with their legal obligations about the area of prevention and provides healthcare professional staff with the adequate techniques and safety equipment to avoid possible dangers and risks of some drugs.

New Elements of the Control Subsystem Design Procedure Based on Digital Solutions

Relevance. The need to accelerate the creation of new industrial enterprises to compensate for the volume of imported products, the supply of which has stopped since the beginning of the special military operation, turns the design issues of these enterprises into an urgent task. At the same time, this work cannot be carried out on the principles that were adopted in the industrial era, but must carry the innovations that are envisaged by digitalization and components of the "Industry 4.0" concept.Purpose. The article reveals the content of modern digital technologies for building a subsystem of management of industrial enterprises, the consideration of which is necessary in their design.Objectives. In the course of the research, the tasks of developing design procedures for automated enterprise resource management systems, production automation systems and personnel management were solved.Methodology. The research is based on the methods of designing and reforming the main subsystems of industrial enterprises that make up the content of modern concepts of organization and management.Results. As the study showed, in the process of designing an enterprise management subsystem based on digital technologies, it is necessary to perform a number of actions. The main ones are: the definition of business processes that the system should automate, the requirements for the system being implemented; the possibilities of integrating the system with other systems that are supposed to be used at the enterprise being created; additional user training; designing support and development of the system.Conclusions. The use of digital solutions in the design of an industrial enterprise management subsystem makes it possible to create an organization that meets progressive ideas about modern manufacturing business. However, this can only be done by following the recommended technologies.

A perspective of randomness in a clinical test of olfactory performance

Random walks describe stochastic processes characterized by a sequence of unpredictable changes in a random variable with no correlation to past changes. This report describes the random walk component of a clinical sensory test of olfactory performance. The precise definition of this stochastic process allows the establishment of precise diagnostic cut-offs for the identification of olfactory loss. Within the Sniffin`Sticks olfactory test battery, odor discrimination (D) and odor identification (I) are assessed by four- and three-alternative forced-choice designs, respectively. Meanwhile, the odor threshold (T) test integrates a three-alternative forced-choice paradigm within a staircase paradigm with seven turning points. We explored this paradigm through computer simulations and provided a formal description. The odor threshold assessment test consists of two sequential components, the first of which sets the starting point for the second. Both parts can be characterized as biased random walks with significantly different probabilities of moving to higher (11%) or lower (89%) values. The initial odor concentration step for the first phase of the test and the length of the subsequent random walk in the second phase significantly affect the probability of randomly achieving high test scores. Changing the odor concentration from where the starting point determination for the second test part begins has raised the current cut-off for anosmia, represented as T + D + I < 16, from the 87th quantile of random test scores to the 97th quantile. Analogous findings are likely applicable to other sensory tests that use the staircase paradigm characterized as random walk.

Evaluation of Narrow-band Imaging of Early Gastric Cancer

The purpose of the study was to conduct a comparative assessment of endoscopic data obtained in a narrow-band imaging (NBI), according to the classification of H. Inoue, S. Kudo. In the conditions of the National Center of Oncology and Hematology, 1480 people were examined in the endoscopy department. The classification gives a clear definition of the proliferative processes of the gastric mucosa. A detailed description is provided.

The Application of a Process Approach to the National Governance System for Sustainable Development: A Case Study in Romania

This paper aims to present a new manner of describing and managing the national governance framework for “sustainable development (SD)”, focused on a process-based approach. This principle was applied in previous work by the authors related to the key processes of the United Nations governance for SD. The present paper continues the process approach of multi-level governance, aiming to contribute to the conceptualization of governance systems for SD at the national level, particularly in the context of the 2030 Agenda, taking into account the harmonization with higher levels of governance. The workpaper presents in distinct sections: a review of publications related to the national framework of governance for SD; the overall picture of the national SD governance system, with the generic definition of key processes; a case study performed in Romania; and a conclusion. The novelty of this paper consists of the new model tool proposed by the authors and its application in a study case that illustrates the benefits of such an approach. The proposed model is useful to SD experts and governing bodies, as well as academics and researchers, creating the framework for developing and improving SD governance at the country level in a systematic manner.

Power of Parametric: Methods to Validate Ethylene Oxide Sterilization Parametric Release.

When approaching an ethylene oxide (EO) sterilization validation, medical device manufacturers traditionally have two choices. They can use biological indicators (BIs) to monitor each production run or establish a parametric release process in which sterile release is based on the monitoring and control of physical process parameters that ensure process specifications are met. In ISO 11135:2014, parametric release was brought to the forefront as an acceptable release method; however, a perception exists that implementing parametric release is challenging and time consuming. This article will demonstrate that the opposite is true. It presents a streamlined approach in which parametric release is addressed through the various stages of validation: product definition, process definition, performance qualification, routine release, and process control. Considerations for establishing specifications directly from validation versus "run and record" and trending critical process parameters (e.g., relative humidity, temperature, EO concentration) are discussed. In addition, the benefits of parametric release (active monitoring) over BI release (passive monitoring), including improvements to turnaround time, process control, risk mitigation, reduction of resource investment, and elimination of microbiological release testing, are highlighted. With multiple benefits, parametric release should be the gold standard for EO sterilization processes. It is not novel and has been widely accepted by regulatory agencies globally and notified bodies. The article further describes how the data collection and process capability that is central to process control and parametric release is more powerful than the information provided by a BI, which is merely a catastrophic indicator when used in routine processing.

Four paths to social wellbeing

Several definitions of social welfare can be found in the professional literature, especially on corporate social responsibility. In this paper, we start from the social responsibility of corporates and individuals for the creation of added value as a fundamental criterion for defining appropriate behavior. At the same time social irresponsibility is defined as well. It is important to define the responsible pillars for particular processes. Such a definition of processes enables the planning of social action in the broadest sense.

Multifractional Hermite processes: Definition and first properties

We define multifractional Hermite processes which generalize and extend both multifractional Brownian motion and Hermite processes. It is done by substituting the Hurst parameter in the definition of Hermite processes as a multiple Wiener–Itô integral by a Hurst function. Then, we study the pointwise regularity of these processes, their local asymptotic self-similarity and some fractal dimensions of their graph. Our results show that the fundamental properties of multifractional Hermite processes are, as desired, governed by the Hurst function. Complements are given in the second order Wiener chaos, using facts from Malliavin calculus.

Public participation in nuclear waste storage and disposal: a comparative analysis of German and US approaches

Abstract. The national nuclear waste management programs of Germany and the United States of America currently both find themselves at critical junctures. The US government is reviving its efforts for consent-based siting of a consolidated interim nuclear waste storage facility (, ), in the momentary absence of, but with future hope for, a viable permanent disposal solution for the nation's nuclear waste. Germany is in the process of implementing legal directives to find a final disposal site for its nuclear waste that meets high safety standards (BASE, 2022), while further developing its strategy for public participation in the process (Weißpflug et al., 2022). The two national contexts exhibit significant differences in political systems, historical trajectories, institutional roles, and societal structure, as well as attitudes towards nuclear energy and radioactive waste disposal strategies (Richter et al., 2022; Saraç-Lesavre, 2021; Joppke, 1993; Blattmann et al., 2023). However, respective approaches to public participation in managing and disposing of nuclear waste exhibit some commonalities in motivations, strategies, and goals. What can policy audiences in both countries learn from the respective national nuclear waste management programs, creating the potential for participatory processes to be more adaptive, responsive, and flexible to a diversity of values and social actors? How do the findings from the comparative analysis of US and German cases translate into policy-relevant lessons for other national waste management programs engaging with the design of participatory processes and nuclear waste governance frameworks? We offer a systematic comparative analysis of the foundations and rationale of the US and German programs for nuclear waste disposal. We aim to illuminate conceptual and empirical contrasts and comparisons between the two nations' engagement of the public in the storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel, leading to nationally appropriate policy-relevant insights. Categories for analysis include national disposal goals, historical trajectories, institutional setup, and definition of partners in participation processes. Through comparison and contrast of these categories across the two nations, we allow for deeper insight into the conditions, frameworks, and assumptions in which policy makers operate and can draw from Hopkin (2010). This discussion will identify and compare relevant knowledge, narratives, and legal frameworks in each nation's approach to incorporating public participation in the process of searching for a site to store or dispose of nuclear waste. We encourage reflection and learning through comparing and contrasting core principles of these two cases, with the aim of maximizing avenues of mutual learning towards responsible, safe, and democratic nuclear waste management.

MULTILATERAL REGULATION OF DIGITALIZATION PROCESSES

The article provides substantiation for the importance of multilateral regulation within the field of digitalization processes. The author has conducted an analysis of the current status, consequences, and shortcomings of liberalising international trade in key ICT products under the WTO’s Information Technology Agreements (ITAs). The combined economic impact of these two ITAs has been estimated at approximately three trillion dollars annually. However, it is important to acknowledge that these agreements encompass fewer than half of the WTO’s member countries. The study reveals that existing international regulation initiatives concerning the digital economy primarily operate on a voluntary basis, focusing on specific aspects of digitalization and involving only a limited number of countries. The author contends that the demand for comprehensive multilateral regulation in digitalization arises from potential global-scale issues and risks. Consequently, the following priorities for multilateral regulation in digitalization are delineated: establishing consensus on fundamental definitions of digital processes, terms of data access, the concept of digital data as a global public good, forms of data management, rights and principles pertaining to digital data, data standardization, and international cooperation in platform management. In conclusion, the author emphasizes the need for an integrated and balanced approach to support the inclusive and sustainable global economic development, as well as the potential for creating an international entity tasked with overseeing various aspects of digitalization.

On the Formalization of Gram-Schmidt Process for Orthonormalizing a Set of Vectors

Summary In this article, we formalize the Gram-Schmidt process in the Mizar system [2], [3] (compare another formalization using Isabelle/HOL proof assistant [1]). This process is one of the most famous methods for orthonormalizing a set of vectors. The method is named after Jørgen Pedersen Gram and Erhard Schmidt [4]. There are many applications of the Gram-Schmidt process in the field of computer science, e.g., error correcting codes or cryptology [8]. First, we prove some preliminary theorems about real unitary space. Next, we formalize the definition of the Gram-Schmidt process that finds orthonormal basis. We followed [5] in the formalization, continuing work developed in [7], [6].

Certain concepts and definitions of the physical process of wear of friction discs of sewing machine clutches

The article covers analytical research of the performance of the pads of the friction clutch of the sewing machine. The results of research showed that the wear resistance of the pads decreases with increasing temperature. The wear resistance of pads made of different materials tested on the same type of friction clutch of sewing machine is different. The research has been carried out to determine the maximum value of the specific work of slipping and thermal impulse which determines the characteristics of the temperature field of the friction pair which significantly affects the wear resistance of the friction interface. The wear resistance of friction clutches which are one of the main characteristics that determine the reliability and durability of the friction assembly has been studied.

Cloud Knowledge Capability Maturity Model Integration and Evaluation Method Using a Cloud Knowledge Management System

Many small and medium-sized enterprises have a scattered business type, uncertainty in the business process, and insufficient knowledge management. Our objective is to help small and medium-sized enterprises effectively use knowledge property and improve software implementation efficiency. We propose cloud knowledge capability maturity model integration (CK-CMMI) to address different types of business, strengthen the internal connection of each business procedure, and realize the real-time online maturity assessment. We design a cloud knowledge management system (CKMS) that combines the advantages of knowledge management (KM) and capability maturity model integration (CMMI). CKMS uses informatization to facilitate process definition and project implementation. Furthermore, it can build a cloud knowledge base to implement support for processes. To assess the validity of CK-CMMI and CKMS, we applied them in a software enterprise in South China. We found that our system kept the average rate of overdue projects below 37% compared with the previous rate of 126%. Moreover, according to MATLAB simulation results, 70%-90% of the company's projects are supported by the knowledge base and the overall development period is shortened by approximately 50%.